History the Weak Link in Beijing’s Maritime Claims

Published on Sep 1, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Beijing’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea are now embossed in new Chinese passports and official maps. Chinese leaders and foreign ministry spokespersons insist with increasing truculence that the islands, rocks, and reefs have been China’s “territory since ancient times.” Normally, the overlapping territorial claims to sovereignty and maritime boundaries ought to be resolved through a combination of customary international law, adjudication before the International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, or arbitration under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While China has ratified UNCLOS, the treaty by and large rejects “historically based” claims, which are precisely the....

Plight of Sombath Somphone Back in Focus

Published on Aug 30, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — The inability of the Laos government to offer a credible explanation for the disappearance of prominent activist Sombath Somphone has again drawn unwanted headlines, with demands for donor nations to think twice before committing taxpayers dollars to the one-party Communist state. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Interview: Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr

Published on Aug 28, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — As a regional middle power perched on the crossroads of the Indo-Pacific region, Australian diplomacy has entered a more challenging era. In an interview addressing a diverse array of topics, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr spoke with The Diplomat’s Sergei DeSilva-Ranasinghe about the implications of Australia’s role as a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council, the growing importance of engaging with other middle power states, expanding bilateral relations with Africa and South American nations, Australia’s key transnational security concerns, and his foreign policy agenda in view of a looming federal election.   .

Modern Mongolia: From Genghis Khan to Traffic Jams

Published on Aug 22, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — In Mongolia today there are reminders everywhere of the nation’s nomadic past. Upon arriving at Chinggis Khaan International Airport – the nation’s only international transit point – visitors are greeted by a statue of the fearless wandering conqueror of yore. Traditional portable homes – yurts – dot the outskirts of the capital city of Ulan Bator and fill the landlocked country’s vast steppe, ready to be folded up and carried to better pastures at a moment’s notice. And if you head out beyond the yurts into the hinterlands, three million wild Mongol horses can be seen running free – that’s more than the nation’s human population. Read more from Jonathan DeHart in The Diplomat. .

Drug Smuggler Schapelle Corby Could Be Freed

Published on Aug 20, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — The Australian woman convicted of smuggling nine pounds (4.2 kilograms) of marijuana into the Indonesian resort island of Bali could be released from jail before the end of this year. Schapelle Corby has been incarcerated at Bali’s Kerobokan Prison since 2005, originally sentenced to serve 20 years behind bars. Indonesia’s correctional board approved Corby’s parole and has thus reduced her sentence. “In 2010, she asked for clemency, citing her poor mental state and last year, Indonesia’s president reduced her sentence by five years,” The Jakarta Post stated. “It means that she has served two thirds of her sentence and was eligible for parole late last year.” Read more from J.T. Quigley in The Diplomat. .