{"id":63048,"date":"2021-03-10T13:15:03","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T02:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=63048"},"modified":"2021-03-10T15:13:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T04:13:47","slug":"the-threat-spectrum-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-threat-spectrum-11\/","title":{"rendered":"The threat spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Planet A <\/strong><\/p>\n

Bangladesh has axed nine coal-fired power plant projects<\/a> as high coal prices and low overseas investment have rendered coal production financially untenable in the country. Bangladesh\u2019s shift from coal power began last year when it considered retreating<\/a> from coal projects and eventually capped its coal power<\/a> production.<\/p>\n

Several external factors led to this outcome. High production costs<\/a> have recently deterred Chinese and Japanese investment, while mounting international pressure against fossil fuels have led key financiers in Japan and Korea<\/a>, and banks including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to shift away from coal<\/a>. China\u2019s recent US$1.5 billion deal to import coal from Indonesia\u2014Bangladesh\u2019s main supplier\u2014also jeopardised Bangladeshi coal imports.<\/p>\n

Although Bangladesh promotes renewable energy as chair of the multinational Climate Vulnerable Forum, domestic renewables account for only 1.5% of its annual energy production, and renewables investment is slow. This raises concerns that Bangladesh will switch to LNG, which may be<\/a> as financially volatile and environmentally detrimental as coal.<\/p>\n

Democracy watch<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the wake of Myanmar\u2019s military coup in early February, protests have intensified across the country<\/a> as hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets. The military\u2019s crackdown on protests has intensified too, with dozens killed<\/a> and violence continuing to escalate. Recently, hundreds of young anti-coup protestors were barricaded in Yangon\u2019s Sanchaung township<\/a> overnight by troops and police to the dismay<\/a> of international<\/a> observers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The coup exemplifies Myanmar\u2019s failed democratisation process, which started with the election<\/a> of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in 2015 and ended with her defence of the military\u2019s treatment of the Rohingya people at the International Court of Justice, which is investigating potential genocide. For many, the coup did not come as a surprise<\/a> and reflects the military\u2019s enduring power over the country in the context of a global turn towards autocracy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the international community has attempted to mobilise<\/a> in defence of Myanmar\u2019s democracy, until greater pressure is brought to bear on the military, more bloodshed looks likely.<\/p>\n

Information operations<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new report<\/a> from ASPI\u2019s International Cyber Policy Centre spotlights the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s coordinated information campaign against the BBC. Jake Wallis and Albert Zhang reveal how the CCP has been leveraging social media to spread misleading narratives about the BBC in response to critical reports on sensitive issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang.<\/p>\n

The authors found that the CCP\u2019s main narratives are that the BBC \u2018spreads disinformation and is biased against China\u2019, its UK audience thinks that it\u2019s \u2018not to be trusted\u2019 and its reporting on China \u2018is instigated by foreign actors and intelligence agencies\u2019. The CCP\u2019s longstanding criticism of the BBC intensified after it reported<\/a> allegations of systemic rape in Xinjiang\u2019s internment camps and UK communications regulator Ofcom revoked<\/a> state-owned China Global Television Network\u2019s broadcast licence.<\/p>\n

Noting the CCP\u2019s desire to control global narratives, the authors argue that the party will continue to employ similar methods to contest international criticism, particularly on human rights.<\/p>\n

Follow the money<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Swiss public has voted by a narrow margin to approve<\/a> a controversial free-trade deal with Indonesia. The agreement<\/a> was signed in 2018 and later ratified by the Swiss parliament. However, its entry into force was delayed after the farmers\u2019 union<\/a> collected the more than 50,000 signatures required to put the agreement to a public vote. Opposition to the deal focused on its provision allowing corporations to import palm oil with lower tariffs. Following the vote, the government granted conditional<\/a> approval for trade to go ahead.<\/p>\n

Palm oil is a major ingredient in many foods and cosmetics, but its use is controversial. Palm farming has been cited as the key contributor to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it threatens<\/a> wildlife. The EU has classified palm oil as unsustainable, but Indonesia and Malaysia allege<\/a> that these \u2018discriminatory\u2019 statements are motived only by a desire to protect EU business interests.<\/p>\n

Although anti\u2013palm oil campaigning failed to quash the trade deal with Indonesia, environmental groups are now focusing on Switzerland\u2019s upcoming trade deal with South America\u2019s Mercosur countries.<\/p>\n

Terror byte<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pope Francis denounced religious extremism during his visit last week to Iraq<\/a>, the first papal trip to the country. During his three-day stay, the Pope met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a senior dignitary in Shia Islam; explored Mosul, a former Islamic State bastion; and spoke to Christian residents living under the IS caliphate.<\/p>\n

Religious extremism has been a near-constant source of violence in Iraq. On Sunday, during an interfaith service\u2014consisting of Shia, Sunni, Christian and Yazidi clerics\u2014the Pope said that people shouldn\u2019t remain silent when terrorism is masked as religious ideology, but instead \u2018unambiguously to dispel all misunderstandings\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The number of Iraqi residents identifying as Christians continues to dwindle, and in 2019 the Archbishop of Erbil said<\/a> Christianity was \u2018perilously close to extinction\u2019 there, adding that \u2018those \u2026 who remain must be ready to face martyrdom\u2019. The Pope\u2019s trip to Iraq and delivery of a sermon alongside different religious denominations is part of a combined effort of religious leaders to condemn religious extremism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Planet A Bangladesh has axed nine coal-fired power plant projects as high coal prices and low overseas investment have rendered coal production financially untenable in the country. Bangladesh\u2019s shift from coal power began last year …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1310,"featured_media":63051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1576,2279,212,1371],"class_list":["post-63048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-climate","tag-disinformation","tag-myanmar","tag-religion"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe threat spectrum | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-threat-spectrum-11\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The threat spectrum | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Planet A Bangladesh has axed nine coal-fired power plant projects as high coal prices and low overseas investment have rendered coal production financially untenable in the country. 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