Asia

December 2020International NewsAsia2020Middle East

Reports Reveal War Crimes Perpetrated by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan

The Australian government released a report on November 19 documenting war crimes committed by Australian Defense Forces (ADF) in Afghanistan. The report was part of a four-year long inquiry, led by Major General Justice Paul Brereton of the Australian Army Reserve, that investigated reports of the extrajudicial killing of civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers between 2005 to 2016.

Read More
December 2020International NewsAsia2020

China Pushes Borders into Areas of Bhutan, Straining Relations and Risking Dispute with India

In early October, China completed the construction of Pangda, a village of 100 people near the Torsa River in the Himalayas. Pangda is situated in Bhutan, a small Buddhist kingdom of 800,000 that borders southwest China. The construction of Pangda, as well as other Chinese territorial claims to Bhutan, adds further strain on already sensitive Sino-Bhutanese and Sino-Indian relations.

Read More
October 2020International NewsAsia2020

Amnesty International Halts Work in India, Citing Government Pushbacks

International human rights group Amnesty International recently announced that they are halting operations in India and laying off all staff due to the Government of India freezing the organization’s bank accounts and forcing all ongoing campaigns and research work to be paused. In their statement, the organization condemned this action, calling it the latest action in a continued “witch-hunt” of human rights organizations by the Government of India.

Read More
October 2020WorldInternational NewsAsia2020

Pandemic Stalls China Belt and Road Initiative

China’s trans-national Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has hit a roadblock as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to flare. Al Jazeera reports that most construction has been halted to stop the spread of the virus, with 20 percent of projects being seriously impacted. Now, many countries fear they may not be able to pay back their loans to China or meet their deadline obligations.

Read More