No Interference will be Brooked in Internal Affairs

Posted by AsiaViews | Dec 18, 2017 | 0 |

China Daily

15 Dec 2017
Beijing has never conceded and will not yield an inch on Taiwan being part of China. It is a matter that leaves no room for negotiation.

This seems to be something that needs restating since the provisions concerning Taiwan in the National Defense Authorization Act, signed by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, constitute a potential provocation to China, as they include consideration of port calls to the island by the US Navy, among other measures aimed at strengthening defense ties with the island.

Such provisions may be intended as a bargaining chip or increasing the geostrategic pressure on China. If so, Trump should be informed that not everything is negotiable, and too much pressure can have unintended, even though anticipatable, consequences.

Although the US may be bound by domestic law to provide the island with the means to defend itself－a legacy of history and perhaps the lingering view that the island be considered an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”－China resolutely opposes any meddling in its internal affairs, and it has made that clear in the protest it has lodged against the content relating to China’s sovereignty in the act.

Should the US breach the three communiqués, which in their pledges to respect each other’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity are the very foundation for relations between the two countries, Beijing will have every reason to do whatever it considers appropriate to deal with the subsequent crisis in its best interests.

However, while the use of military force for the reunification of the island with the motherland is always an option on the table for Beijing, as its anti-secession law dictates, it has long sought to realize this by peaceful means, which is in the interests of people on both sides of the Straits. This remains the case today. On Wednesday, Beijing again made clear it was willing to communicate with any political party, organization or individual who adheres to the one-China principle.

However, there are those on the island who have become emboldened in their separatist intention by recent US posturing, and they have pinned their hopes on arms sales and military intervention from the United States for the realization of their untenable aspiration.

Washington should not give sustenance to their fantasies. US policymakers would do well to bear in mind there is a line that should not be crossed when it comes to Taiwan.

(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201712/15/WS5a3306eba3108bc8c6734c47.html)

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

No Interference will be Brooked in Internal Affairs