asiapacificresearch--2020-11-11--Trade Deals Handing Japanese Seeds to Multinational Corporations

This summer , during the 201st session of the Japanese parliament , a bill to amend the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act ( PVP Act ) was submitted .
Hoping for an immediate vote without a plenary session or any substantive debate , the government and the ruling party reassured opposition lawmakers in advance , insisting that the bill was non-confrontational .
A petition , however , by the Japan National Federation of Farmers ’ Movements , Nouminren , is contesting the government ’ s amendment move.1 With a number of prominent figures also speaking out against it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to postpone the amendment procedure temporarily .
But what lies behind these efforts to amend the PVP Act ?
Since World War II , Japan national and local governments have played a major role in breeding rice varieties and other major agricultural crops as well as in their distribution to farmers through agricultural cooperatives and other organizations .
In addition to rice and other major crops , public varieties are still predominant in the region ’ s mainstay fields , such as potatoes in Hokkaido and sugarcane in Okinawa .
Despite this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the development of indigenous seed varieties and seedlings traditionally grown by local farmers , the system has nevertheless allowed each prefecture to produce and provide a stable supply of culturally and climatically appropriate seeds and seedlings for their regions .
In November 2017 , a notice was sent to local governments by the Ministry of Agriculture ( MAFF ) that Prefectures ’ roles were providing private companies the know-how of seeds production and management and that when the time came , these private companies would be taking over.2 Very soon after , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided that seed management should be transferred from the public to the private sector .
In April 2018 , in another major move against the public management of seeds , the Seed Act for Major Crops was abolished .
The Act had until then held the national and local governments responsible for the stable production of major crop seeds : rice , wheat and soybean .
To ensure that no shortages of seeds for major crops would occur , local governments were required to create annual plans .
This act laid the foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from public to private sector is well underway in a number of areas , including wholesale markets , water supply , forestry and fisheries , as well as health care , education , and welfare .
The amendment to the PVP Act can not be separated from this context .
The Agricultural Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act , better known as the PVP Act , came into force in 1947 .
It was revised in 1978 and then substantially a second time in 1998 to be compliant with the UPOV 1991 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Varieties of Plants ) .
The current revision attempt of the PVP Act , in a nutshell , aims to strengthen breeder ’ s rights even further.3 In the Act ’ s current form , farmers have been allowed to save seeds of the registered varieties despite some exceptions .
If the amendment to the PVP Act is passed , however , farmers will no longer be able to reproduce registered varieties without permission from the breeder .
Violations by individuals would result in imprisonment for up to ten years or fines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95,000 USD ) , in the case of a business it could reach 300 million yen ( 3 million USD ) .
The proposed amendment will also reduce the filing and registration fee for any new seed variety submitted .
Until now , the cases of PVP Act violations have been very few .
Which is one of the reasons why most farmers have never heard of the PVP Act .
The proposed amendments to the law will make it easier for breeders to sue farmers and seed sellers for violations of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered seed thinks that a certain farmer is propagating a similar seed , then the MAFF can simply compare the characteristics using a list , and if they ’ re the same then the farmer can be directly accused of infringing the PVP Act without any other evidence or court decision .
Germination of Koshihikari rice .
Koshihikari rice was first created by Fukui Prefectural Agricultural Research in 1956 and it is now developed by several prefectures .
Photo : Koji Ishizuka What would happen if all seed work went from public to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breed 300 different varieties of rice suited to each region across Japan .
This diversity is made possible because they are public projects .
It would not be possible for private companies to secure profits if they breed different rice varieties for small local markets .
Breeding a single rice variety can take up to 10 years and most private companies involved in the rice business market only one to a few varieties .
If the seed business is given to the private sector , the diversity will be drastically reduced , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will skyrocket .
Japan is a small country , but the climate and soils vary from north to south .
In the colder regions , varieties have been developed that can withstand the climate and continue to support farmers there .
Hokkaido is now one of the top rice producers in Japan , and this has been possible because of the development of varieties that are suited to the climate .
Even in the same region , conditions are quite different in the mountainous regions than in the flatlands .
That is why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of seeds .
Switching to private-sector varieties will also bring about a major change in the way agriculture is carried out .
Unlike public seeds , the use of agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers is specified in license agreements with private companies , and their use becomes mandatory in some cases .
This is the case with Sumitomo Chemical ’ s rice variety , “ Tsukuba SD ” , for example .
The license agreement specifies which pesticides and chemical fertilizers should be used , and farmers are not allowed to freely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Japan , producers and consumers have built a face-to-face relationship called “ Sanchoku-Teikei ” and this has led to the production of safer agricultural products .
This relationship will be cut off by the private sector if they control the seeds .
This could change the way we produce foods and even the way we eat .
Seed saving is the foundation of agriculture The major difference between intellectual property rights for seeds and other industrial products lies in the fact that seeds are living things .
The soil and climate are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeds in the local soil will transform them into seeds that are suited to the local environment .
This is where the farmer ’ s real pleasure lies : creating his own unique flavor .
Therefore , farm-saved seeds are essential to obtain seeds that are suited to the region .
Farm saved-seeds are not just copies but living organisms , and they are constantly changing .
As many farmers multiply their own seedlings , new varieties may be born .
This is how seeds and seedlings have developed over a long history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the act of breeding new varieties .
Certain crops do not reproduce through seeds as such , but by means of other plant materials such as tubers , cuttings , rhizomes and stolons or runners .
These plant parts have also been privatized under UPOV 91 and other variety laws .
A big problem is that those that sell these plant parts for sugar cane , potatoes and strawberries do not have the production and supply capacity to meet farmers ’ needs .
In other words , on-farm seed saving and plant reproduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agriculture that can not be lost .
Why does the Japanese government want to ban seed saving now ?
Japan ratified UPOV 1991 in 1998 but seed saving of registered varieties has been allowed until now .
Since ratifying UPOV 1991 , Japan has been ruthlessly pulling developing countries into UPOV with its FTAs , including trying to change the scope of other countries ’ patent laws to give Japanese corporations more power over biodiversity , although some of these attempts were successfully resisted.4 In 2007 , Japan initiated the set up of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its membership consists of the 10 ASEAN countries ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations ) plus China , Japan and South Korea with Japan serving as secretariat .
Its main goal : to ensure that all of its members join UPOV and harmonise their plant variety protection laws.5 However , the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement ( CPTPP ) , enacted at the end of 2018 , requires the ratification and strict implementation of the UPOV 1991 Treaty , and the revision of Japan ’ s PVP Act should be seen as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( TPP ) .
In 2015 , MAFF announced its Intellectual Property Strategy 2020 .
According to them , agriculture is “ an information and knowledge industry ” .
Its strategy is to make money by selling food-related intellectual property to the rest of the world .
This is in line with the Abe administration ’ s strategy of taking a stand for intellectual property .
And the focus of intellectual property in agriculture is about rights on seeds and seedlings .
The main strategy is to promote the acquisition of breeder ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patents under the Patent Law.6 In a report in 2018 , MAFF concluded that Sakata and Takii , two of Japan ’ s biggest seed corporationsy are among the world ’ s top 10 seed companies and that while the domestic market is not expected to grow , international competition for seeds and seedlings is expected to intensify .
Reason for which , they conclude , it is important to expand their exports and facilitate their overseas activities .
Japan is among the countries strongly advocating for the strengthening of breeders ’ rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new seed registrations by foreign corporations has been steadily increasing in Japan .
It accounted for 36 % of the total seed variety registration in 2017 .
The ministry has been reassuring that there is no need to worry about the high ratio of foreign corporations because most of them are mainly flower producers and only a few are food-related .
But this is just a reflection of the current situation where private companies are forced to concentrate on flowers .
Officials says that only a small number of varieties will be targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly misleading , as over five thousand seed varieties will be affected .
The revision of the PVP Act may encourage multinational companies to expand their presence in Japan , not only in flower seeds , but into fields hitherto occupied by farmers and the public sector .
Towards the preservation of local and traditional seeds As the world becomes more dependent on the tiny number of seed varieties produced by corporations , there is an increased risk of food insecurity due to pests and diseases .
Movements to create local seed banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native species have emerged in many parts of the world .
In South Korea , local governments are increasingly promoting the conservation and use of local traditional species .
In recent years , a noteworthy ordinance known as the “ Local Food Promotion and support Ordinance ” , was carried out in many municipalities in Korea .
The ordinance not only supports the saving of local seeds , but also promotes the use of agriculture produce grown from these seeds in school lunches and hospitals .
Crops grown locally from these seeds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sold in local food stores and promoted in local markets .
A Local Food Council has been formed by local citizens and NGOs , as well as farmers and food retailers to develop a policy on food and plan the promotion of local foods.8 The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement has hurt South Korean agriculture , but these policies have rallied local farmers .
School lunches in most regions of Korea now serve organic rice .
This success story is one that could serve as inspiration for Japan .
Local movements that support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan and the voices demanding organic school meals is getting stronger .
These movements can bring about a turning point in Japan ’ s agricultural policy .
What we need is a local food system that protects our lives and the environment , and not the revision of the PVP Act .
Since the Seed Act for Major Crops was abolished , more than 20 local governments covering almost half of Japan have passed a Major Crop Seeds ordinance , to ensure the continuation of stable production of major crop seeds .
Stopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not enough .
We need a policy that is based on a major shift from industrial agriculture to agroecology by small farmers .
For this to be possible Japan must pull out of TPP and other similar FTAs .
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2 Administrative Vice Minister of Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry and Fisheries ( MAFF ) 3 Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act Act ’ , Article 21 ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) , 1998 , http : //www.hinshu2.maff.go.jp/en/about/pvpsa.pdf 4 GRAIN , ‘ Japan digs its claws into biodiversity through FTAs ’ , 2007 , https : //grain.org/e/172 7 Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry and Fisheries , Food Industry Bureau , Intellectual Property Division , “ The Situation on Seeds and Seedlings ” http : //www.hinshu2.maff.go.jp/pvr/jyousei/jyousei.pdf Featured image : Mintoken farmers preparing rice seedling .
Mintoken ( Civil Institute of Organic Rice Cultivation ) founded by Mr. Inaba Mitsukuni , defender of seeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rice cultivation method with low input and higher harvest .
Photo : Fukazawa Shimpei

This summer, during the 201st session of the Japanese parliament, a bill to amend the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act (PVP Act) was submitted. Hoping for an immediate vote without a plenary session or any substantive debate, the government and the ruling party reassured opposition lawmakers in advance, insisting that the bill was non-confrontational. A petition, however, by the Japan National Federation of Farmers’ Movements, Nouminren, is contesting the government’s amendment move.1 With a number of prominent figures also speaking out against it, farmers and civil society opposition has been able to postpone the amendment procedure temporarily.
But what lies behind these efforts to amend the PVP Act?
Japanese “Monsanto Act” : From public seeds to private
Since World War II, Japan national and local governments have played a major role in breeding rice varieties and other major agricultural crops as well as in their distribution to farmers through agricultural cooperatives and other organizations. In addition to rice and other major crops, public varieties are still predominant in the region’s mainstay fields, such as potatoes in Hokkaido and sugarcane in Okinawa.
Despite this system becoming so dominant to it stunts the development of indigenous seed varieties and seedlings traditionally grown by local farmers, the system has nevertheless allowed each prefecture to produce and provide a stable supply of culturally and climatically appropriate seeds and seedlings for their regions.
In November 2017, a notice was sent to local governments by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) that Prefectures’ roles were providing private companies the know-how of seeds production and management and that when the time came, these private companies would be taking over.2 Very soon after, the time “came” and the government decided that seed management should be transferred from the public to the private sector.
In April 2018, in another major move against the public management of seeds, the Seed Act for Major Crops was abolished. The Act had until then held the national and local governments responsible for the stable production of major crop seeds: rice, wheat and soybean. To ensure that no shortages of seeds for major crops would occur, local governments were required to create annual plans. This act laid the foundation for post-war Japanese agriculture.
The switch from public to private sector is well underway in a number of areas, including wholesale markets, water supply, forestry and fisheries, as well as health care, education, and welfare. The amendment to the PVP Act cannot be separated from this context.
The Agricultural Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act, better known as the PVP Act, came into force in 1947. It was revised in 1978 and then substantially a second time in 1998 to be compliant with the UPOV 1991 (The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). The current revision attempt of the PVP Act, in a nutshell, aims to strengthen breeder’s rights even further.3
In the Act’s current form, farmers have been allowed to save seeds of the registered varieties despite some exceptions. If the amendment to the PVP Act is passed, however, farmers will no longer be able to reproduce registered varieties without permission from the breeder. Violations by individuals would result in imprisonment for up to ten years or fines for up to 10 million yen (95,000 USD), in the case of a business it could reach 300 million yen (3 million USD). The proposed amendment will also reduce the filing and registration fee for any new seed variety submitted.
Until now, the cases of PVP Act violations have been very few. Which is one of the reasons why most farmers have never heard of the PVP Act. The proposed amendments to the law will make it easier for breeders to sue farmers and seed sellers for violations of the Act. If the owner of a registered seed thinks that a certain farmer is propagating a similar seed, then the MAFF can simply compare the characteristics using a list, and if they’re the same then the farmer can be directly accused of infringing the PVP Act without any other evidence or court decision.
Germination of Koshihikari rice. Koshihikari rice was first created by Fukui Prefectural Agricultural Research in 1956 and it is now developed by several prefectures. Photo: Koji Ishizuka
What would happen if all seed work went from public to private entities?
National and local governments breed 300 different varieties of rice suited to each region across Japan. This diversity is made possible because they are public projects. It would not be possible for private companies to secure profits if they breed different rice varieties for small local markets. Breeding a single rice variety can take up to 10 years and most private companies involved in the rice business market only one to a few varieties. If the seed business is given to the private sector, the diversity will be drastically reduced, and the price of rice and other crops will skyrocket.
Japan is a small country, but the climate and soils vary from north to south. In the colder regions, varieties have been developed that can withstand the climate and continue to support farmers there. Hokkaido is now one of the top rice producers in Japan, and this has been possible because of the development of varieties that are suited to the climate. Even in the same region, conditions are quite different in the mountainous regions than in the flatlands. That is why it is important to secure a wide variety of seeds.
Switching to private-sector varieties will also bring about a major change in the way agriculture is carried out. Unlike public seeds, the use of agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers is specified in license agreements with private companies, and their use becomes mandatory in some cases. This is the case with Sumitomo Chemical’s rice variety, “Tsukuba SD”, for example. The license agreement specifies which pesticides and chemical fertilizers should be used, and farmers are not allowed to freely decide how to grow the rice.
In Japan, producers and consumers have built a face-to-face relationship called “Sanchoku-Teikei” and this has led to the production of safer agricultural products. This relationship will be cut off by the private sector if they control the seeds. This could change the way we produce foods and even the way we eat.
Seed saving is the foundation of agriculture
The major difference between intellectual property rights for seeds and other industrial products lies in the fact that seeds are living things. The soil and climate are imprinted on the seed. Repeatedly saving seeds in the local soil will transform them into seeds that are suited to the local environment. This is where the farmer’s real pleasure lies: creating his own unique flavor.
Therefore, farm-saved seeds are essential to obtain seeds that are suited to the region. Farm saved-seeds are not just copies but living organisms, and they are constantly changing. As many farmers multiply their own seedlings, new varieties may be born. This is how seeds and seedlings have developed over a long history. Seed savings by farmers has been the act of breeding new varieties.
Certain crops do not reproduce through seeds as such, but by means of other plant materials such as tubers, cuttings, rhizomes and stolons or runners. These plant parts have also been privatized under UPOV 91 and other variety laws. A big problem is that those that sell these plant parts for sugar cane, potatoes and strawberries do not have the production and supply capacity to meet farmers’ needs. In other words, on-farm seed saving and plant reproduction is an important process for modern Japanese agriculture that cannot be lost.
Why does the Japanese government want to ban seed saving now?
Pressure from free trade agreements (FTAs)
Japan ratified UPOV 1991 in 1998 but seed saving of registered varieties has been allowed until now. Since ratifying UPOV 1991, Japan has been ruthlessly pulling developing countries into UPOV with its FTAs, including trying to change the scope of other countries’ patent laws to give Japanese corporations more power over biodiversity, although some of these attempts were successfully resisted.4 In 2007, Japan initiated the set up of The East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum. Its membership consists of the 10 ASEAN countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plus China, Japan and South Korea with Japan serving as secretariat. Its main goal: to ensure that all of its members join UPOV and harmonise their plant variety protection laws.5 However, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), enacted at the end of 2018, requires the ratification and strict implementation of the UPOV 1991 Treaty, and the revision of Japan’s PVP Act should be seen as part of the deregulations made by the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In 2015, MAFF announced its Intellectual Property Strategy 2020. According to them, agriculture is “an information and knowledge industry”. Its strategy is to make money by selling food-related intellectual property to the rest of the world. This is in line with the Abe administration’s strategy of taking a stand for intellectual property. And the focus of intellectual property in agriculture is about rights on seeds and seedlings. The main strategy is to promote the acquisition of breeder’s rights under the PVP Act and patents under the Patent Law.6
Black rice for cultivation. Photo: Koji Ishizuka
In a report in 2018, MAFF concluded that Sakata and Takii, two of Japan’s biggest seed corporationsy are among the world’s top 10 seed companies and that while the domestic market is not expected to grow, international competition for seeds and seedlings is expected to intensify. Reason for which, they conclude, it is important to expand their exports and facilitate their overseas activities. Japan is among the countries strongly advocating for the strengthening of breeders’ rights under the TPP.
The percentage of new seed registrations by foreign corporations has been steadily increasing in Japan. It accounted for 36% of the total seed variety registration in 2017. The ministry has been reassuring that there is no need to worry about the high ratio of foreign corporations because most of them are mainly flower producers and only a few are food-related. But this is just a reflection of the current situation where private companies are forced to concentrate on flowers. Officials says that only a small number of varieties will be targeted by the amendment, but this is highly misleading, as over five thousand seed varieties will be affected. The revision of the PVP Act may encourage multinational companies to expand their presence in Japan, not only in flower seeds, but into fields hitherto occupied by farmers and the public sector.
Towards the preservation of local and traditional seeds
As the world becomes more dependent on the tiny number of seed varieties produced by corporations, there is an increased risk of food insecurity due to pests and diseases. Movements to create local seed banks and to increase the number of valuable native species have emerged in many parts of the world.
In South Korea, local governments are increasingly promoting the conservation and use of local traditional species. In recent years, a noteworthy ordinance known as the “Local Food Promotion and support Ordinance”, was carried out in many municipalities in Korea. The ordinance not only supports the saving of local seeds, but also promotes the use of agriculture produce grown from these seeds in school lunches and hospitals. Crops grown locally from these seeds are certified as “local foods” and are sold in local food stores and promoted in local markets. A Local Food Council has been formed by local citizens and NGOs, as well as farmers and food retailers to develop a policy on food and plan the promotion of local foods.8 The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement has hurt South Korean agriculture, but these policies have rallied local farmers. School lunches in most regions of Korea now serve organic rice. This success story is one that could serve as inspiration for Japan.
Local movements that support organic foods have started to grow throughout Japan and the voices demanding organic school meals is getting stronger. These movements can bring about a turning point in Japan’s agricultural policy. What we need is a local food system that protects our lives and the environment, and not the revision of the PVP Act.
Since the Seed Act for Major Crops was abolished, more than 20 local governments covering almost half of Japan have passed a Major Crop Seeds ordinance, to ensure the continuation of stable production of major crop seeds. Stopping the revision of the PVP Act is not enough. We need a policy that is based on a major shift from industrial agriculture to agroecology by small farmers. For this to be possible Japan must pull out of TPP and other similar FTAs.
*
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Notes
2 Administrative Vice Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
3 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, ‘Japan Plant Variety Protection Act Act’, Article 21(2) and (3), 1998, http://www.hinshu2.maff.go.jp/en/about/pvpsa.pdf
4 GRAIN, ‘Japan digs its claws into biodiversity through FTAs’, 2007, https://grain.org/e/172
5 GRAIN, ‘Asia under threat of UPOV91’, 2019, https://www.grain.org/en/article/6372-asia-under-threat-of-upov-91
6 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Intellectual Property Strategy 2020 https://www.maff.go.jp/j/kanbo/tizai/brand/b_senryaku/pdf/tizai_senryaku_2020.pdf
7 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Food Industry Bureau, Intellectual Property Division, “The Situation on Seeds and Seedlings” http://www.hinshu2.maff.go.jp/pvr/jyousei/jyousei.pdf
Featured image: Mintoken farmers preparing rice seedling. Mintoken (Civil Institute of Organic Rice Cultivation) founded by Mr. Inaba Mitsukuni, defender of seeds and organic agriculture, has developed organic rice cultivation method with low input and higher harvest. Photo: Fukazawa Shimpei


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-12--China-backed Deal to be Signed with Southeast Asia

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations are set to sign an enormous free trade deal at an online summit that started Thursday , with the pact seen as a coup for China in extending its influence across the region .
Once signed , the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) will be the world ’ s largest trade pact in terms of GDP , according to analysts .
The pact , which was first proposed in 2012 and viewed as a Chinese-led rival to a now-defunct US trade initiative , loops in 10 Southeast Asian economies along with China , Japan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vietnam ’ s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also confirmed the pact would be signed this week during opening remarks at the online summit .
India had been due to sign the pact but pulled out last year over concerns about cheap Chinese goods entering the country , though it can join at a later date if it reverses its position .
The RCEP – whose members account for about 30 % of global GDP – would be a “ major positive step forward for trade and investment liberalization ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pacific chief economist at global business consultancy IHS Markit .
The pact ’ s expected signing comes as the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) fight to mitigate the crippling cost of the coronavirus , which has ravaged their economies and left many battling a severe public health crisis .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations are set to sign an enormous free trade deal at an online summit that started Thursday, with the pact seen as a coup for China in extending its influence across the region.
Once signed, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the world’s largest trade pact in terms of GDP, according to analysts.
The pact, which was first proposed in 2012 and viewed as a Chinese-led rival to a now-defunct US trade initiative, loops in 10 Southeast Asian economies along with China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.
“After eight years of negotiating with blood, sweat and tears, we have finally come to the moment where we will seal the RCEP Agreement this Sunday,” said Malaysia’s trade minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, ahead of the virtual meeting.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also confirmed the pact would be signed this week during opening remarks at the online summit.
India had been due to sign the pact but pulled out last year over concerns about cheap Chinese goods entering the country, though it can join at a later date if it reverses its position.
The RCEP – whose members account for about 30% of global GDP – would be a “major positive step forward for trade and investment liberalization” in the region, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at global business consultancy IHS Markit.
“RCEP will be the world’s biggest free trade area measured in terms of GDP,” he said.
The pact’s expected signing comes as the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fight to mitigate the crippling cost of the coronavirus, which has ravaged their economies and left many battling a severe public health crisis.
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asiapacificresearch--2020-11-13--ASEAN Identity: Imagined or Real?

ASEAN Identity: Imagined or Real?

This article was originally published on Reporting ASEAN in November 2019 .
Fifty-two years after its creation and over a decade after its charter came into effect , ASEAN has come quite a way in making its identity more visible .
But its identity markers have largely been institutional and confined to bureaucratic circles – having an ASEAN flag for instance – instead of seeping into the public , popular sphere .
These existential identities , which also include having an ASEAN emblem , ASEAN Day ( 8thof August ) and an ASEAN anthem , have in fact gradually become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to broaden the appeal of an ‘ ASEAN identity ’ from the ground up .
But the process of bringing this further has been far from easy , or straightforward – to think that 2020 has been designated the ‘ Year of ASEAN Identity ’ .
Under the ASEAN Charter , ASEAN member states are supposed to set up ‘ ASEAN lanes ’ at their international entry points in order to facilitate people-to-people exchange .
However , not all members have complied with this .
Thailand was the first to set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the ASEAN Charter ’ s mandate .
Three permanent ASEAN lanes were set up at Suvarnabhumi International Airport last year .
Since its ASEAN chairmanship in 2016 , Malaysia has been encouraging visitors from ASEAN countries to use their ASEAN lanes .
All these are so different from what the European Union ’ s member countries have done .
All of their international points of entry have two lanes – one for non-EU travelers and another for EU nationals .
It is hard to comprehend why some ASEAN members still resist this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also supposed to be able to travel visa-free in all member states , using passports that bear an ASEAN emblem .
This may seem a very basic matter .
But unfortunately , for the time being , ASEAN has not been able to reach a consensus on adopting a common ASEAN logo on its nationals ’ passports , even though the topic has been under discussion for the past decade as a tangible sign of having become the long-awaited ASEAN Community .
The Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat is meant to serve as the nerve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identities .
This , however , remains a tall order as each member country remains heavily focused on carrying out the steps they need to take under their integration commitments under ASEAN Vision 2025 .
The factors behind why the promotion of a shared identity among 10 diverse ASEAN countries is not an easy , or natural , process lie in ASEAN ’ s own nature , its history , its expansion .
ASEAN is a community of peoples from diverse political , economic and cultural settings .
Since its establishment in 1967 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stick together for their own survival .
From the view of outsiders , ASEAN had no real identity before the ASEAN Charter came into being in 2008 .
They saw the grouping as a loose gathering of developing nations that had basically decided to tolerate one another ’ s existence and avoid conflict among themselves .
Article 35 of the ASEAN Charter mandates member states to promote a common identity and a sense of belonging among its peoples to achieve “ its shared destiny , goal and values ” .
Therefore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motto as “ One Vision , One Identity , One Community ” .
Southeast Asian countries , except for Thailand , had emerged from Western colonization and quickly moved to the nation-building process to reinstitute their indigenous traditions and ways of life .
Before long , they also realized that inward-looking and domestic consolidation were no longer sufficient conditions to ensure their countries ’ development and progress .
In short , they realized they needed to connect to one another .
In 1976 , 10 years after ASEAN was founded , its Treaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was enacted .
This was the first regional instrument that codified the rules of engagement among ASEAN countries .
Among ASEAN members , it is known as the ‘ ASEAN Way ’ .
Its key principles are non-interference and refraining from the threat or use of force , in addition to consensus making and cooperation .
The ASEAN Way gained further traction during the Cambodian conflict in the 1970s to the 1990s , due to the association ’ s distinct ways of engaging the global community at the United Nations to attain peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ASEAN ’ s way of doing things , the ASEAN Way has become ASEAN ’ s top brand .
After the expansion of its membership in 1995 to 1999 , ASEAN has become more diverse with new members that come from different political and economic systems .
Today , ASEAN is the Disneyland of world politics .
Its member states represent all the political systems in the world , ranging from one-party rule to a totalitarian regime , and from liberal democracies to absolute and constitutional monarchies .
ASEAN is also home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , Indonesia , some of today ’ s largest Buddhist-majority nations such as Thailand , Myanmar , Cambodia and Laos , as well as Asia ’ s largest Christian nation , the Philippines .
Its diversity and richness have made ASEAN more tolerant and more resilient .
This , in turn , helps explain why ASEAN does not follow the EU-style of governance through a supranational organization .
Unlike the EU , ASEAN does not conduct a common defense and foreign policy and approach .
But it does maintain common positions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extremism and maritime security .
However , developing and looking after a sense of belonging in ASEAN is not something that states and governments can nurture by pronouncing policies .
Hopefully , the widespread use of social media among ASEAN citizens provides more popular ways to further strengthen the ASEAN Community and its peoples .
Only then can multiple ASEAN identities emerge from the ground up – without resorting to the habitual intervention from the top .
( Reporting ASEAN/KC/Edited by Johanna Son ) Note to readers : please click the share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
Kavi Chongkittavorn is a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies , Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok , Thailand .
This analysis is part of the Reporting ASEAN series .
All images in this article are from Reporting ASEAN unless otherwise stated

This article was originally published on Reporting ASEAN in November 2019.
Fifty-two years after its creation and over a decade after its charter came into effect, ASEAN has come quite a way in making its identity more visible. But its identity markers have largely been institutional and confined to bureaucratic circles – having an ASEAN flag for instance – instead of seeping into the public, popular sphere.
These existential identities, which also include having an ASEAN emblem, ASEAN Day (8thof August) and an ASEAN anthem, have in fact gradually become a rallying force in highlighting the very need to broaden the appeal of an ‘ASEAN identity’ from the ground up.
But the process of bringing this further has been far from easy, or straightforward – to think that 2020 has been designated the ‘Year of ASEAN Identity’.
Under the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN member states are supposed to set up ‘ASEAN lanes’ at their international entry points in order to facilitate people-to-people exchange. However, not all members have complied with this.
Thailand was the first to set up an ASEAN lane in 1995, long before the ASEAN Charter’s mandate. Three permanent ASEAN lanes were set up at Suvarnabhumi International Airport last year. Since its ASEAN chairmanship in 2016, Malaysia has been encouraging visitors from ASEAN countries to use their ASEAN lanes.
All these are so different from what the European Union’s member countries have done. All of their international points of entry have two lanes – one for non-EU travelers and another for EU nationals.
It is hard to comprehend why some ASEAN members still resist this practice.
Illustration by Porhour Ly
ASEAN Brands
Citizens of ASEAN countries are also supposed to be able to travel visa-free in all member states, using passports that bear an ASEAN emblem. This may seem a very basic matter. But unfortunately, for the time being, ASEAN has not been able to reach a consensus on adopting a common ASEAN logo on its nationals’ passports, even though the topic has been under discussion for the past decade as a tangible sign of having become the long-awaited ASEAN Community.
The Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat is meant to serve as the nerve center for promoting all forms of ASEAN identities. This, however, remains a tall order as each member country remains heavily focused on carrying out the steps they need to take under their integration commitments under ASEAN Vision 2025.
The factors behind why the promotion of a shared identity among 10 diverse ASEAN countries is not an easy, or natural, process lie in ASEAN’s own nature, its history, its expansion.
ASEAN is a community of peoples from diverse political, economic and cultural settings. Since its establishment in 1967, its leaders and peoples have chosen to stick together for their own survival.
From the view of outsiders, ASEAN had no real identity before the ASEAN Charter came into being in 2008. They saw the grouping as a loose gathering of developing nations that had basically decided to tolerate one another’s existence and avoid conflict among themselves.
Article 35 of the ASEAN Charter mandates member states to promote a common identity and a sense of belonging among its peoples to achieve “its shared destiny, goal and values”. Therefore, its drafters set the group’s motto as “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
Southeast Asian countries, except for Thailand, had emerged from Western colonization and quickly moved to the nation-building process to reinstitute their indigenous traditions and ways of life. Before long, they also realized that inward-looking and domestic consolidation were no longer sufficient conditions to ensure their countries’ development and progress. In short, they realized they needed to connect to one another.
In 1976, 10 years after ASEAN was founded, its Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia was enacted. This was the first regional instrument that codified the rules of engagement among ASEAN countries. Among ASEAN members, it is known as the ‘ASEAN Way’.
Its key principles are non-interference and refraining from the threat or use of force, in addition to consensus making and cooperation. The ASEAN Way gained further traction during the Cambodian conflict in the 1970s to the 1990s, due to the association’s distinct ways of engaging the global community at the United Nations to attain peace in Southeast Asia.
Now synonymous with ASEAN’s way of doing things, the ASEAN Way has become ASEAN’s top brand.
After the expansion of its membership in 1995 to 1999, ASEAN has become more diverse with new members that come from different political and economic systems.
Welcome to Disneyland
Today, ASEAN is the Disneyland of world politics. Its member states represent all the political systems in the world, ranging from one-party rule to a totalitarian regime, and from liberal democracies to absolute and constitutional monarchies. ASEAN is also home to the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, some of today’s largest Buddhist-majority nations such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, as well as Asia’s largest Christian nation, the Philippines.
Its diversity and richness have made ASEAN more tolerant and more resilient. This, in turn, helps explain why ASEAN does not follow the EU-style of governance through a supranational organization.
Unlike the EU, ASEAN does not conduct a common defense and foreign policy and approach. But it does maintain common positions on key global issues such as climate change, extremism and maritime security.
However, developing and looking after a sense of belonging in ASEAN is not something that states and governments can nurture by pronouncing policies.
Hopefully, the widespread use of social media among ASEAN citizens provides more popular ways to further strengthen the ASEAN Community and its peoples. Only then can multiple ASEAN identities emerge from the ground up – without resorting to the habitual intervention from the top. (Reporting ASEAN/KC/Edited by Johanna Son)
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Kavi Chongkittavorn is a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. This analysis is part of the Reporting ASEAN series.
All images in this article are from Reporting ASEAN unless otherwise stated


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-13--India, Myanmar Agree Strategic Port Operation in Rakhine Next Year

India and Myanmar agreed this week to move forward on a number of initiatives that are central to New Delhi ’ s efforts to counter China ’ s influence in Myanmar , during a visit by a high-level Indian delegation .
In particular , the two sides agreed the Indian-backed Sittwe Port project in the capital of Myanmar ’ s western Rakhine State on the Bay of Bengal would be up and running by next year .
The Sittwe Port project is a key part of the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project under India ’ s ambitious Act East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integration with Southeast and East Asia while providing a counterweight to China ’ s influence in the region .
The long-delayed Kaladan project is expected to open sea routes and a highway transport system to link the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with the country ’ s landlocked northeastern state of Mizoram through Myanmar ’ s Rakhine and Chin states .
An Indian delegation led by Indian army chief General Manoi Mukund Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited Myanmar on Sunday and Monday .
During the trip , the Indian officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Suu Kyi , Commander in Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other high-level officials in Naypyitaw , the capital of Myanmar .
A press release from India ’ s Ministry of External Affairs said that during the meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi , “ both [ sides ] agreed to work towards operationalization of Sittwe Port in the Rakhine State in the first quarter of 2021 ” .
Myanmar and India also discussed progress on other ongoing Indian-assisted infrastructure projects such as the Trilateral Highway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement signed in Myanmar in 2008 , the Kaladan project will connect Sittwe seaport to Paletwa via the Kaladan River , and Paletwa to Aizawl , the capital of Mizoram State , by road .
The project includes 158 km of waterway on the Kaladan River from Sittwe to Paletwa in Myanmar and a 109-km road component from Paletwa to Zorinpui along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram .
The total US $ 480-million ( 622.65-billion-kyat ) estimated cost of the project is being borne by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the travel distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by about 1,328 km , reducing by three or four days the time needed to transport goods which currently must travel through the narrow Siliguri corridor , also known as the “ Chicken ’ s Neck.
” Indian officials hand over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir to the Myanmar State Counselor after the bilateral meeting in Naypyitaw , the capital of Myanmar , on Monday .
/ Indian Embassy in Myanmar / Facebook New Delhi ’ s strategic goal is to create a Special Economic Zone surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing , cement India ’ s footprint in Rakhine and boost its presence in the Bay of Bengal .
The Sittwe Port is meant to be India ’ s answer to the Chinese-funded Kyaukphyu Port in Rakhine under the Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) , which is intended to cement China ’ s geostrategic footprint in the state .
Myanmar ’ s land border with northeastern India stretches for some 1,624 km , and Myanmar ’ s geographic position gives it a key role in New Delhi ’ s Act East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit , the two sides also signed an agreement to upgrade agricultural productivity by using farm machinery and equipment more effectively as a part of the Rakhine State Development Program ( RSDP ) .
Under the RSDP , the Indian government has committed to provide socioeconomic development assistance for projects pertaining to health , education , agriculture and allied activities in Rakhine State .
The statement said that considerable progress had been made under the RSDP and proposed finalizing projects under Phase III of the program , including the setting up of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also announced a $ 2-million grant for the construction of the border haat ( market ) bridge at Byanyu/Sarsichauk in Myanmar ’ s Chin State , which will provide increased economic connectivity between Mizoram and Myanmar .
A quota of 150,000 tonnes of urad ( Vigna mungo beans ) for import from Myanmar was also announced , effective through March 31 , 2021 .
During the trip , a virtual inauguration was also held for the Center of Excellence in Software Development and Training in Myitkyina , the capital of Kachin State .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Province , Kachin State plays a strategically important role in China ’ s ambitious BRI .
The network of infrastructure projects across the region is Chinese President Xi Jinping ’ s signature foreign policy initiative .
Kachin is already home to massive Chinese investments including dam , mining and industrial projects as well as tissue culture banana plantations , among others .
Under the BRI plan , China is set to invest $ 400 million in the Myitkyina EconomicZone on 4,700 acres ( 1,900 hectares ) of land along the Ledo Road and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the border town of Kanpiketi , which will bring the state even more firmly into China ’ s economic orbit .
Moreover , the state also plays a vital role in China ’ s planned China-Myanmar Irrawaddy Economic Belt , a strategic land and water transport route expected to start in Kunming and run through Yunnan ’ s Longchuan to Kachin ’ s Bhamo , then to Yangon and the Indian Ocean .
In March , Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar visited Myitkyina and met with leaders of a popular Kachin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baptist Convention ( KBC ) .
During the visit , the Indian ambassador sought possible investment opportunities including reconstructing a segment of the Ledo Road in Kachin State .
The Ledo Road was built during World War II to enable the Western allies to deliver supplies to China and thus aid the war effort against Japanese forces .
It was an overland connection between Ledo in India ’ s Assam State and Kunming in China ’ s Yunnan Province .
China has made the area a strategic priority , with the ultimate aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its BRI , although India strongly opposes the initiative .
During the recent visit , officials from both sides also inaugurated the Indian Embassy Liaison Office in Naypyitaw .
The press release said that both sides agreed to further strengthen connectivity projects , capacity building , power and energy , deepen economic and trade ties , and further facilitate people-to-people and cultural exchanges .
India also promised to prioritize Myanmar in sharing vaccines as and when these become available and handed over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir , an antiviral drug that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the delegation ’ s meeting with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing , the two sides discussed maintenance of security and stability in border areas and reiterated mutual commitment between the two countries not to allow their respective territories to be used for activities inimical to each other , the statement said .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
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Nan Lwin is Senior Reporter at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image : Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ( right ) and Indian officials ( left ) after the bilateral meeting in Naypyitaw , the capital of Myanmar , on Monday .
/ Myanmar State Counselor / Facebook

India and Myanmar agreed this week to move forward on a number of initiatives that are central to New Delhi’s efforts to counter China’s influence in Myanmar, during a visit by a high-level Indian delegation. In particular, the two sides agreed the Indian-backed Sittwe Port project in the capital of Myanmar’s western Rakhine State on the Bay of Bengal would be up and running by next year.
The Sittwe Port project is a key part of the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project under India’s ambitious Act East policy, which aims to boost economic integration with Southeast and East Asia while providing a counterweight to China’s influence in the region. The long-delayed Kaladan project is expected to open sea routes and a highway transport system to link the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with the country’s landlocked northeastern state of Mizoram through Myanmar’s Rakhine and Chin states.
An Indian delegation led by Indian army chief General Manoi Mukund Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited Myanmar on Sunday and Monday. During the trip, the Indian officials met with Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Commander in Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other high-level officials in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar.
A press release from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that during the meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, “both [sides] agreed to work towards operationalization of Sittwe Port in the Rakhine State in the first quarter of 2021”.
Myanmar and India also discussed progress on other ongoing Indian-assisted infrastructure projects such as the Trilateral Highway, the statement said.
Under a framework agreement signed in Myanmar in 2008, the Kaladan project will connect Sittwe seaport to Paletwa via the Kaladan River, and Paletwa to Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram State, by road. The project includes 158 km of waterway on the Kaladan River from Sittwe to Paletwa in Myanmar and a 109-km road component from Paletwa to Zorinpui along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram. The total US$480-million (622.65-billion-kyat) estimated cost of the project is being borne by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The project aims to reduce the travel distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by about 1,328 km, reducing by three or four days the time needed to transport goods which currently must travel through the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck.”
Indian officials hand over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir to the Myanmar State Counselor after the bilateral meeting in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Monday. / Indian Embassy in Myanmar / Facebook
New Delhi’s strategic goal is to create a Special Economic Zone surrounding the Sittwe Port, and in so doing, cement India’s footprint in Rakhine and boost its presence in the Bay of Bengal. The Sittwe Port is meant to be India’s answer to the Chinese-funded Kyaukphyu Port in Rakhine under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is intended to cement China’s geostrategic footprint in the state.
Myanmar’s land border with northeastern India stretches for some 1,624 km, and Myanmar’s geographic position gives it a key role in New Delhi’s Act East policy.
During this week’s visit, the two sides also signed an agreement to upgrade agricultural productivity by using farm machinery and equipment more effectively as a part of the Rakhine State Development Program (RSDP). Under the RSDP, the Indian government has committed to provide socioeconomic development assistance for projects pertaining to health, education, agriculture and allied activities in Rakhine State.
The statement said that considerable progress had been made under the RSDP and proposed finalizing projects under Phase III of the program, including the setting up of a skills training center.
Moreover, India also announced a $2-million grant for the construction of the border haat (market) bridge at Byanyu/Sarsichauk in Myanmar’s Chin State, which will provide increased economic connectivity between Mizoram and Myanmar. A quota of 150,000 tonnes of urad (Vigna mungo beans) for import from Myanmar was also announced, effective through March 31, 2021.
During the trip, a virtual inauguration was also held for the Center of Excellence in Software Development and Training in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.
Lying next to China’s Yunnan Province, Kachin State plays a strategically important role in China’s ambitious BRI. The network of infrastructure projects across the region is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy initiative. Kachin is already home to massive Chinese investments including dam, mining and industrial projects as well as tissue culture banana plantations, among others.
Under the BRI plan, China is set to invest $400 million in the Myitkyina EconomicZone on 4,700 acres (1,900 hectares) of land along the Ledo Road and $22.4 million in an industrial park in the border town of Kanpiketi, which will bring the state even more firmly into China’s economic orbit. Moreover, the state also plays a vital role in China’s planned China-Myanmar Irrawaddy Economic Belt, a strategic land and water transport route expected to start in Kunming and run through Yunnan’s Longchuan to Kachin’s Bhamo, then to Yangon and the Indian Ocean.
In March, Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar visited Myitkyina and met with leaders of a popular Kachin party and the president of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC). During the visit, the Indian ambassador sought possible investment opportunities including reconstructing a segment of the Ledo Road in Kachin State.
The Ledo Road was built during World War II to enable the Western allies to deliver supplies to China and thus aid the war effort against Japanese forces. It was an overland connection between Ledo in India’s Assam State and Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province. China has made the area a strategic priority, with the ultimate aim of linking it with India as part of its BRI, although India strongly opposes the initiative.
During the recent visit, officials from both sides also inaugurated the Indian Embassy Liaison Office in Naypyitaw. The press release said that both sides agreed to further strengthen connectivity projects, capacity building, power and energy, deepen economic and trade ties, and further facilitate people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
India also promised to prioritize Myanmar in sharing vaccines as and when these become available and handed over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug that is currently being used to treat the coronavirus.
During the delegation’s meeting with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the two sides discussed maintenance of security and stability in border areas and reiterated mutual commitment between the two countries not to allow their respective territories to be used for activities inimical to each other, the statement said.
*
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Nan Lwin is Senior Reporter at the English edition of The Irrawaddy.
Featured image: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (right) and Indian officials (left) after the bilateral meeting in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Monday. / Myanmar State Counselor / Facebook


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-13--In Just 2 Years, a Nepal Peak Becomes Snowless

Mountaineers , scientists , climate researchers , and local shepherds are all flabbergasted by a 7,000m high mountain in remote far western Nepal which seems to have lost almost all snow in the past two years .
The long glacial valley below Mt Saipal offers one of the most iconic mountain views in Nepal , its rare beauty enhanced by the sheer inaccessibility of the place .
It takes an hour-long flight from Kathmandu , an arduous 12-hour jeep ride over treacherous switchbacks , and a week of trekking to get to Ranikharka at the base of the mountain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and first trekked up to this stunning valley in 2002 .
Since then , he has been there every year with fellow villagers to graze sheep and pick yarsagumba .
“ It was a difficult journey to take the sheep up those paths , but once up there it was like heaven , with the ice wall of Saipal right above us , ” Dhami recalls , “ I would not get tired of looking at the frozen face of that beautiful mountain .
And sometimes when there was not much work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turquoise glacial lake and right to the base of that gigantic wall .
Saipal is beautiful in every season , even when it is cloudy and you only get an occasional peek at it.
” Dhami used to spend months up there , collecting the valuable caterpillar fungus on the moraine slopes below Mt Saipal , which is 7,031m high and the second-highest mountain in the range on Nepal ’ s western border with India .
The meadows have lush grass in the summer , and the yarsagumba fetches a good price from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border to sell to traders in China , where the fungus is believed to have medicinal properties in traditional medicine .
In the 2017 local elections , Dhami stood for Chair of Saipal Municipality and won .
But even after that , the mountain constantly beckoned him , and he has been lobbying to make Mt Saipal the centre of a new tourism destination project .
So , this Dasain he took the MP of the Federal Parliament Asha BK to his favourite place .
What he saw shocked him .
Mt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2018 and 2020 .
Photos : Wanda Vivequin and Basant Pratap Shah Jabbare Bohara is 72 , and has been walking up to Ranikharka since he was 10 to graze sheep in the monsoon .
He tells us : “ In the last 60 years , I have never seen anything like it .
It is just bare rock .
It used to have snow even during periods of long drought.
” Strangely , this winter Bajhang saw record snowfalls , the heaviest in 25 years .
Even the lowest point in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow .
Dhami ’ s theory is that because of the excess snow this winter , there might have been a huge avalanche that took all the snow down .
However , the more likely explanation is that climate heating that has caused glaciers to shrink , and snowlines retreat at an unprecedented and accelerated rate across the world ’ s highest mountain range .
In a report last year , the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ( ICIMOD ) predicted that at the rate the mountains were melting , one-third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone during this century .
And that was just their best-case scenario .
View from the summit of Mt Saipal looking down at the northeast ridge and to the Ranikharka Valley with the glacial lake to the south .
Ranikharka Valley with the glacial lake to the south .
Photo courtesy : Wild West Nepal A Pictorial Journey Bharat Bandhu Thapa Indeed , visitors have noted that Nepal ’ s other famous mountain , Mt Machapuchre ( 6,990m ) north of Pokhara , this year looks like a black rock pyramid .
Glaciers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large and expanding lakes .
Saipal ’ s south face is almost vertical , and it is not easy for snow accumulation .
In winter the jet stream lashes Himalayan peaks above 7,000m with high winds , blowing away even the snow that clings to the rock face .
Studies done in Langtang Glacier and other parts of Nepal have also shown that deposition of soot particles from industrial pollution and forest fires on snow slopes accelerate their melting by 20 % .
Since Saipal is directly north of the industrial heartland of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be getting the dust and soot which reduces the snow ’ s reflective capacity , melting it faster .
A NASA satellite image taken at noon on Monday , 9 November 2020 showing smoke from crop residue fires in north India being blown towards Nepal .
“ It may be a combination of a steep south-facing rock face and global warming which triggered a massive avalanche that swept the snow down , ” says Arun Bhakta Shrestha , a climate expert at ICIMOD .
“ It is all the more puzzling because this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been heavy snowfall .
This needs more study.
” When shown the most recent photos from last week , a member of an unsuccessful Spanish expedition to Mt Saipal two years ago also expressed surprise that so much snow could melt so quickly on a 7,000m peak .
Even Sudeep Thakuri a professor of environmental science at Tribhuvan University is astonished .
He says : “ From the pictures , I notice that the south face has lost not just its snow but also the ice cover .
It must be a combination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .

Mountaineers, scientists, climate researchers, and local shepherds are all flabbergasted by a 7,000m high mountain in remote far western Nepal which seems to have lost almost all snow in the past two years.
The long glacial valley below Mt Saipal offers one of the most iconic mountain views in Nepal, its rare beauty enhanced by the sheer inaccessibility of the place. It takes an hour-long flight from Kathmandu, an arduous 12-hour jeep ride over treacherous switchbacks, and a week of trekking to get to Ranikharka at the base of the mountain.
Rajendra Dhami is 41 years old, and first trekked up to this stunning valley in 2002. Since then, he has been there every year with fellow villagers to graze sheep and pick yarsagumba.
“It was a difficult journey to take the sheep up those paths, but once up there it was like heaven, with the ice wall of Saipal right above us,” Dhami recalls, “I would not get tired of looking at the frozen face of that beautiful mountain. And sometimes when there was not much work, I used to walk up to the turquoise glacial lake and right to the base of that gigantic wall. Saipal is beautiful in every season, even when it is cloudy and you only get an occasional peek at it.”
Dhami used to spend months up there, collecting the valuable caterpillar fungus on the moraine slopes below Mt Saipal, which is 7,031m high and the second-highest mountain in the range on Nepal’s western border with India.
The meadows have lush grass in the summer, and the yarsagumba fetches a good price from middle men who take them up to the border to sell to traders in China, where the fungus is believed to have medicinal properties in traditional medicine.
In the 2017 local elections, Dhami stood for Chair of Saipal Municipality and won. But even after that, the mountain constantly beckoned him, and he has been lobbying to make Mt Saipal the centre of a new tourism destination project. So, this Dasain he took the MP of the Federal Parliament Asha BK to his favourite place. What he saw shocked him.
“The south face of Saipal was virtually snowless, I could not believe my eyes, I could not recognise the mountain I knew by heart,” he says. “How could all that snow have suddenly melted, especially when peaks lower than Saipal still have snow?”
Mt Saipal from Ranikharka taken in October 2008, 2018 and 2020. Photos: Wanda Vivequin and Basant Pratap Shah
Jabbare Bohara is 72, and has been walking up to Ranikharka since he was 10 to graze sheep in the monsoon. He tells us: “In the last 60 years, I have never seen anything like it. It is just bare rock. It used to have snow even during periods of long drought.”
Strangely, this winter Bajhang saw record snowfalls, the heaviest in 25 years. Even the lowest point in the district at 917m was covered in snow. Dhami’s theory is that because of the excess snow this winter, there might have been a huge avalanche that took all the snow down.
However, the more likely explanation is that climate heating that has caused glaciers to shrink, and snowlines retreat at an unprecedented and accelerated rate across the world’s highest mountain range.
In a report last year, the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) predicted that at the rate the mountains were melting, one-third of Himalayan ice and snow would be gone during this century. And that was just their best-case scenario.
View from the summit of Mt Saipal looking down at the northeast ridge and to the Ranikharka Valley with the glacial lake to the south. Ranikharka Valley with the glacial lake to the south. Photo courtesy: Wild West Nepal A Pictorial Journey Bharat Bandhu Thapa
Indeed, visitors have noted that Nepal’s other famous mountain, Mt Machapuchre (6,990m) north of Pokhara, this year looks like a black rock pyramid. Glaciers in eastern Nepal have been replaced by large and expanding lakes.
Saipal’s south face is almost vertical, and it is not easy for snow accumulation. In winter the jet stream lashes Himalayan peaks above 7,000m with high winds, blowing away even the snow that clings to the rock face.
Studies done in Langtang Glacier and other parts of Nepal have also shown that deposition of soot particles from industrial pollution and forest fires on snow slopes accelerate their melting by 20%. Since Saipal is directly north of the industrial heartland of north India, experts say it may be getting the dust and soot which reduces the snow’s reflective capacity, melting it faster.
A NASA satellite image taken at noon on Monday, 9 November 2020 showing smoke from crop residue fires in north India being blown towards Nepal.
“It may be a combination of a steep south-facing rock face and global warming which triggered a massive avalanche that swept the snow down,” says Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a climate expert at ICIMOD. “It is all the more puzzling because this happened in a year when there has been heavy snowfall. This needs more study.”When shown the most recent photos from last week, a member of an unsuccessful Spanish expedition to Mt Saipal two years ago also expressed surprise that so much snow could melt so quickly on a 7,000m peak.
Even Sudeep Thakuri a professor of environmental science at Tribhuvan University is astonished. He says: “From the pictures, I notice that the south face has lost not just its snow but also the ice cover. It must be a combination of climate change and high winds.”
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asiapacificresearch--2020-11-15--Making Sense of the Oriental Mindframe

Making Sense of the Oriental Mindframe

“ Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes .
Don ’ t resist them – that only creates sorrow .
Let reality be reality .
Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
” – Lao Tzu “ Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else ; you are the one who gets burned.
” – Buddha “ Real knowledge is to know the extent of one ’ s ignorance.
” – Confucius “ Nothing hurts a good soul and a kind heart more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand it.
” – Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu-Talib “ Can we truly understand the oriental mind ?
” could be a rhetorical question asked by someone who doesn ’ t really expect an answer .
It could even be a derisive query from someone who thinks that the “ oriental mind ” is a myth and thus understanding such a “ mind ” is a non-issue at all .
In fact , in the present post-modern era called the Age of Information or the Third-Wave Civilization , the sweeping cultural influence of western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eclipsing what still remains in non-western cultural vestiges .
What then is the sense in problematizing the “ oriental mind ” ?
Besides , a closer look at the matter brings us to the concept of the “ orient ” which geographically points to continental Asia that horizontally runs from the eastern and southeastern frontiers of Europe to the Pacific Ocean .
To think of a monolithic type of people called “ oriental ” is highly inaccurate as we consider the multi-racial Asian stocks from the Arabic , the Caucasian , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among others .
Or perhaps there has been a distillation of certain dominant intellectual and emotional characters in these tremendously multi-variegated Asian racial stocks that have evolved through time .
In this connection , the superficial aspect of physico-racial differences doesn ’ t seriously count at all .
It might even be of the essence to explore the issue of the “ oriental mind ” against the backdrop of the prominent Asian wisdom traditions that dominated past mainstream civilizations in this part of the globe and have in the process been generally absorbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the typical Asian whether s/he is Arabic , Hindu , Caucasian , Mongol or Malay .
With the typical Asian in mind , we are treading on the idealism of Platonic variety — an amalgam of different virtuous qualities that constitute a philosophical Asian .
Let ’ s call this the “ Asian mind ” .
But how do we understand the Asian mind ?
What do we mean by the word “ understand ” in the present context ?
In the western philosophical context which is basically discursive , critical , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone to capture in unambiguous and precise terms what is being said by another .
In this sense , the issue of understanding is purely on the discursive level .
Meaningfulness is gauged in an exclusively linguistic focal point .
One speaks , the other listens ; one explains , the other clarifies and ascertains ; one expresses her/his thoughts , the other understands .
And now we rehearse the original question at hand : Can we truly understand the oriental mind ?
Taking the question in the western context is very limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on utterances .
In other words , the key issue here lies in what is said and one ’ s understanding of it is wholly hermeneutical , i.e.
, a matter of correct interpretation which largely depends on one ’ s mastery of a common language-game whereof both the speaker and the addressee are “ natives ” .
This is the point where west is west and east is east , so to speak .
Western understanding is linguistic while eastern understanding goes beyond the sphere of the spoken words .
The “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the oriental mind doesn ’ t stop at what is spoken but tries to “ get into ” the realm of the other person who speaks .
Understanding in the oriental sense is an act of probing into the other ’ s inner person with deep concern on where the latter is coming from as s/he utters what comes out of her/his mind .
The major concern of oriental understanding is therefore the unpronounced , i.e.
, internal , motivation of the other person in her/his utterance .
If this is how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the question , “ Can we truly understand the oriental mind ?
” , surely we can indeed understand the oriental mind .
The oriental mind ’ s presupposition is : We speak from experience .
What therefore matters more is not solely what is spoken of ( though of course , it has also its own degree of importance ) but the experience — shallow or deep — that leads to the utterance .
In this sense , the oriental mind is not quick to criticize and judge on the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been said could sound very offensive on the basis of a superficial evaluation but normally , the oriental mind doesn ’ t get offended .
The oriental mind is an exploring mind for it traces the depth of experience from which an offensive utterance emanated .
This condition further describes the oriental mind as non-confrontational .
The oriental mind is not offended and at the same time never offensive .
It is not because s/he is scared to get into trouble ; s/he simply believes that offenses and troublesome events don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hence , more inconveniences , difficulties , and distress .
The oriental mind doesn ’ t put too much magnitude on words that have been said but on the experience — past or present — from which the person is coming while expressing her/his point .
The oriental mind is not only peaceable but tranquil amidst conflict and dissent .
Discourse may lead to a linguistic understanding of what is being said but the oriental mind is more used to being reflective on serious issues with all the pros and cons considered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s/he doesn ’ t get discursive .
Discourse is something normal in the human condition but the oriental mind puts more importance on reflection , even on meditation to refresh the mental capacity and get to much better and more enlightening insights .
The oriental mind is therefore not only reflective but meditative .
In the process , s/he doesn ’ t only capture the “ atomic ” elements of a particular experience but also the total scenario where these elements are located as well as the past experiences — distant or recent– @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hence a part of a much larger circumstance .
In this way , reflection and meditation make the oriental mind holistic .
S/he doesn ’ t only see particular trees in a forest but likewise the entire landscape where the whole forest is located .
In this situation , the oriental mind is more synthetic than analytic .
Of course , the whole is made up of parts but what is the use of the parts if they are not put together to constitute the functional reality of an implement that serves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oriental mind pragmatic .
What matters is not all discourse but action that enhances life .
Inaction in a reflective/meditative state is not an end in itself but a significant path to meaningful action .
True to the mystical character of the pragmatic oriental mind is the notion that “ he who speaks doesn ’ t know and he who knows doesn ’ t speak.
” With this in mind , the silent moment comes and it ’ s time for me to quit talking .
Note to readers : please click the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
Prof. Ruel F. Pepa is a Filipino philosopher based in Madrid , Spain .
A retired academic ( Associate Professor IV ) , he taught Philosophy and Social Sciences for more than fifteen years at Trinity University of Asia , an Anglican university in the Philippines .
Featured image is an art by Eliza Chen

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius
“Nothing hurts a good soul and a kind heart more than to live amongst people who cannot understand it.” – Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu-Talib
“Can we truly understand the oriental mind?” could be a rhetorical question asked by someone who doesn’t really expect an answer. It could even be a derisive query from someone who thinks that the “oriental mind” is a myth and thus understanding such a “mind” is a non-issue at all. In fact, in the present post-modern era called the Age of Information or the Third-Wave Civilization, the sweeping cultural influence of western science and technology has reached global proportions eclipsing what still remains in non-western cultural vestiges. What then is the sense in problematizing the “oriental mind”? Besides, a closer look at the matter brings us to the concept of the “orient” which geographically points to continental Asia that horizontally runs from the eastern and southeastern frontiers of Europe to the Pacific Ocean. To think of a monolithic type of people called “oriental” is highly inaccurate as we consider the multi-racial Asian stocks from the Arabic, the Caucasian, and the Indic to the Mongolian and the Malayo-Polynesian among others.
Or perhaps there has been a distillation of certain dominant intellectual and emotional characters in these tremendously multi-variegated Asian racial stocks that have evolved through time. In this connection, the superficial aspect of physico-racial differences doesn’t seriously count at all. It might even be of the essence to explore the issue of the “oriental mind” against the backdrop of the prominent Asian wisdom traditions that dominated past mainstream civilizations in this part of the globe and have in the process been generally absorbed actively or latently within the collective consciousness of the typical Asian whether s/he is Arabic, Hindu, Caucasian, Mongol or Malay. With the typical Asian in mind, we are treading on the idealism of Platonic variety — an amalgam of different virtuous qualities that constitute a philosophical Asian. Let’s call this the “Asian mind”.
But how do we understand the Asian mind? What do we mean by the word “understand” in the present context? In the western philosophical context which is basically discursive, critical, and analytic, to understand is for someone to capture in unambiguous and precise terms what is being said by another. In this sense, the issue of understanding is purely on the discursive level. Meaningfulness is gauged in an exclusively linguistic focal point. One speaks, the other listens; one explains, the other clarifies and ascertains; one expresses her/his thoughts, the other understands. And now we rehearse the original question at hand: Can we truly understand the oriental mind? Taking the question in the western context is very limited for its fundamental concern is simply focused on utterances. In other words, the key issue here lies in what is said and one’s understanding of it is wholly hermeneutical, i.e., a matter of correct interpretation which largely depends on one’s mastery of a common language-game whereof both the speaker and the addressee are “natives”. This is the point where west is west and east is east, so to speak.
Western understanding is linguistic while eastern understanding goes beyond the sphere of the spoken words. The “occidental mind” understands manifest statements while the oriental mind doesn’t stop at what is spoken but tries to “get into” the realm of the other person who speaks. Understanding in the oriental sense is an act of probing into the other’s inner person with deep concern on where the latter is coming from as s/he utters what comes out of her/his mind. The major concern of oriental understanding is therefore the unpronounced, i.e., internal, motivation of the other person in her/his utterance. If this is how we understand the meaning of “understand” in the question, “Can we truly understand the oriental mind?”, surely we can indeed understand the oriental mind.
The oriental mind’s presupposition is: We speak from experience. What therefore matters more is not solely what is spoken of (though of course, it has also its own degree of importance) but the experience — shallow or deep — that leads to the utterance. In this sense, the oriental mind is not quick to criticize and judge on the basis of what is said. What has been said could sound very offensive on the basis of a superficial evaluation but normally, the oriental mind doesn’t get offended. The oriental mind is an exploring mind for it traces the depth of experience from which an offensive utterance emanated. This condition further describes the oriental mind as non-confrontational. The oriental mind is not offended and at the same time never offensive. It is not because s/he is scared to get into trouble; s/he simply believes that offenses and troublesome events don’t solve problems but add more troubles and hence, more inconveniences, difficulties, and distress. The oriental mind doesn’t put too much magnitude on words that have been said but on the experience — past or present — from which the person is coming while expressing her/his point.
The oriental mind is not only peaceable but tranquil amidst conflict and dissent. Discourse may lead to a linguistic understanding of what is being said but the oriental mind is more used to being reflective on serious issues with all the pros and cons considered. It doesn’t however mean that s/he doesn’t get discursive. Discourse is something normal in the human condition but the oriental mind puts more importance on reflection, even on meditation to refresh the mental capacity and get to much better and more enlightening insights. The oriental mind is therefore not only reflective but meditative. In the process, s/he doesn’t only capture the “atomic” elements of a particular experience but also the total scenario where these elements are located as well as the past experiences — distant or recent– to which such particular experience is connected and hence a part of a much larger circumstance. In this way, reflection and meditation make the oriental mind holistic. S/he doesn’t only see particular trees in a forest but likewise the entire landscape where the whole forest is located.
In this situation, the oriental mind is more synthetic than analytic. Of course, the whole is made up of parts but what is the use of the parts if they are not put together to constitute the functional reality of an implement that serves life? This very thought makes the oriental mind pragmatic. What matters is not all discourse but action that enhances life. Inaction in a reflective/meditative state is not an end in itself but a significant path to meaningful action. True to the mystical character of the pragmatic oriental mind is the notion that “he who speaks doesn’t know and he who knows doesn’t speak.” With this in mind, the silent moment comes and it’s time for me to quit talking.
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Prof. Ruel F. Pepa is a Filipino philosopher based in Madrid, Spain. A retired academic (Associate Professor IV), he taught Philosophy and Social Sciences for more than fifteen years at Trinity University of Asia, an Anglican university in the Philippines.
Featured image is an art by Eliza Chen