Anti-China protests in Vietnam; China approves deployment of military garrison in West Philippine Sea; India- Singapore to share information on tax evaders; Myanmar President visits Thailand; Indonesia offers to mediate in the South China Sea dispute
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    • India
    Period: 
    6-12

    According to reports, for the third time in July, 2012, hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets of Hanoi to protest against China's claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea. Protestors stopped mid-morning traffic as they carried banners and Vietnamese flags, while shouting "The Spratly and Paracel Islands belong to Vietnam!" and "Down with Chinese aggression!". However, demonstrators were turned away by police who had cordoned off the area. Similar rallies last year were broken up by police.1
    In another developments, reports noted that China’s central military authority- the People’s Liberation Army, has approved the deployment of a military garrison in Sansha city, which is in the West Philippine Sea. A report in that regard was posted on the website of China’s Ministry of National Defense. Aside from the Spratly Islands, Sansha City—which was established by the Chinese Cabinet June 21 2011—also claims political sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank. Portions of these territories are also being claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. 2

    According to reports, India and Singapore will share a list of suspected tax evaders and cases related to black money as part of bilateral financial enforcement cooperation between the two countries. A top-level team of Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) will meet officials of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Income Tax department to exchange data on a number of cases of black money that India suspects is routed from the banking and financial institutions of the Southeast Asian country. The team, reportedly, had come with the official entourage of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who visited India in July 2012. 3

    President of Myanmar, Thein Sein on July 22, 2012, began a twice-postponed visit to neighboring Thailand expected to focus on economic ties. Thein Sein arrived for his first trip to Thailand since he became president in March 2011 and initiated political and economic reforms after almost five decades of repressive military rule. He will meet with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Crown Princess Sirindhorn before departing on July 24, 2012. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, after the recent rift which is believed to be responsible in failing to produce a joint statement at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Foreign ministers of Indonesia and Cambodia said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hoped to agree on a "number of issues" over the territorial dispute in South China Sea. ASEAN failed to reach a common ground over the South China Sea dispute. For the first time in its 45-year history, it failed to produce a joint statement at a regional summit in Cambodia last week. Though the disagreement was attributed to overlapping claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia on certain parts of the South China Sea, it also exposed how Chinese pressure has polarized the regional politics. 5 Indonesia had also offered to mediate in the dispute between China the Southeast Asian nations. 6

    2012
    Country Review
    South Asia

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