ASIA SUMMARY
April 22, 2024
Australia, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, Maldives,
Philippines, Taiwan
WEEKEND
- INDONESIA (volcanic eruption). Mount Ruang erupted on April 16, 19 and 20, prompting the authorities to evacuate several thousand people living nearby and to close the nearest international airport.
- AUSTRALIA (security). On Friday, April 19, thousands of worshippers gathered in the mosques of Sydney for Friday prayers - despite the possible risk of reprisals - after the terrorist attack on a bishop earlier this week.
INDIA (elections On Friday, April 19, nationwide general elections began, stretching over 7 successive phases until June 1. This 1st phase included voting in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh States. - BURMA (civil war). On Saturday, April 20, several hundred people fled to western Thailand after fighting broke out between the Burmese army and various armed pro-democracy ethnic groups close to the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge linking the Burmese border city of Myawaddy with Mae Sot (Thailand).
- INDONESIA (health). On Saturday, April 20, the regional government of Bali has suggested that foreign tourists staying on the island get vaccinated against dengue fever, as the number of reported cases is clearly on the rise.
- TAIWAN (tensions with China). On Sunday, April 21, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported the presence (in the past 24 hours) of 21 Chinese military aircraft and 7 ships in the immediate vicinity of Taiwan.
- MALDIVES (elections). On Sunday, April 21, President Muizzu's party won the parliamentary elections by a wide margin, with voters clearly supporting the new head of state's pro-Beijing policies, thereby irritating India.
UP NEXT (over the next few days)
- CHINA (severe weather). Since April 18, the Guangdong province has been hit by exceptionally heavy rainfall and powerful storms, generating the annual flood season well in advance of the usual periods.
- TAIWAN (heatwave). Since April 21, a dozen towns in the south of the island have been on heatwave alert (temperatures over 36°C): Chiayi City, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Nanyou, Yunlin, Chiayi and Taitung county.
- PHILIPPINES (defense). On Monday, April 22, 17,000 Filipino and US soldiers began the joint Balikatan 2024 exercise (over 3 weeks), concentrated in the northern and western parts of the archipelago, near the South China Sea and Taiwan.
- NORTH KOREA (defense). On Monday, April 22, North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea/Sea of Japan, 3 days after launching cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea.
INDIA (public order). On Monday, April 22, the ruling party (BJP) calls on its supporters to demonstrate in the Karnataka State (Hubbali and Bangalore), following the murder of a student in Hubbali on April 18. - PAKISTAN (security). The authorities have decreed extremely strict security measures in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore for the visit of the Iranian president (until April 24) and various dignitaries, due to the risk of terrorism.
- INDIA (heatwave). The heatwave is set to continue over the next few days in eastern India, lasting at least until April 26, with temperatures in excess of 40°C. in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh States.
OUTLOOK & RECOMMENDATIONS
- Natural hazards / weather conditions: individuals present in Southeast Asia (INDONESIA), South Asia (INDIA), Oceania (AUSTRALIA) and East Asia (CHINA, TAIWAN) will be alert to local inclement weather (cf. heavy rain; floods; high winds; heatwave), natural hazards (cf. landslides; volcanic eruption) that may impact safety and travel and will willingly comply with instructions from local authorities.
- Public order / security: as popular gatherings may impact travel or even degenerate into clashes, individuals present in INDIA (elections underway), BURMA (civil war), PAKISTAN (major political tensions), AFGHANISTAN, HONG KONG or THAILAND and AUSTRALIA will, as a precaution, stay away from any such demonstrations.
- With the security threat (terrorism, civil war, kidnapping) remaining at its highest, and Western governments suggesting that their citizens should not travel to these countries unless there is a compelling reason to do so, travel to AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH, BURMA and PAPUA-NG remains inadvisable.
- Finally, in view of the tense relations between Beijing and Taipei, the volatily in the South China Sea (Beijing/Manila) and the erratic / provocative behavior of NORTH KOREA, we cannot rule out the occurrence of events in the Asia-Pacific region over the next few days that could have consequences for regional stability and the smooth running/relevance of travel.
Author(s)
