Category: Politics

SEOUL, South Korea has proposed holding top-level diplomatic talks with Japan and China late next month, which Tokyo is positively considering, a Japanese media report said Thursday, in what could open the way for the first trilateral summit among their leaders in four years.

“South Korea, as the rotating chair of the trilateral framework, has sounded them out about the three-way talks on around Nov. 26 in Busan, and Japan is positive about the plan,” Japan’s Kyodo News said in its English-language report, citing diplomatic sources.

The envisioned talks in the southeastern port city of Busan would likely bring together South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, along with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Wang Yi, respectively.

The top diplomats may also hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of their gathering, Kyodo said, adding that final arrangements will be made for the talks “taking into consideration Beijing’s responses and the latest international situations.”

The Japanese report anticipated the possible ministerial talks could pave the way for a trilateral summit, which last took place in the southeastern Chinese city of Chengdu in December 2019.

An official in Seoul’s foreign ministry said the three countries have concurred on holding the diplomatic talks in Busan and are at the stage of scheduling a suitable date.

Three-way talks among Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo typically start with working level discussions and progress into ministerial talks, and a summit, raising the prospect of a long-stalled summit this year.

In a high-level meeting of foreign officials last month, South Korea, China and Japan agreed to resume their trilateral summit at the “earliest convenient time” and swiftly convene a ministerial meeting for preparations.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, South Korea has proposed holding top-level diplomatic talks with Japan and China late next month, which Tokyo is positively considering, a Japanese media report said Thursday.

“South Korea, as the rotating chair of the trilateral framework, has sounded them out about the three-way talks on around Nov. 26 in Busan, and Japan is positive about the plan,” Japan’s Kyodo News said in its English-language report, citing diplomatic sources.

The envisioned talks in the southeastern port city of Busan would likely bring together South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, along with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Wang Yi, respectively.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Law and Human Rights and the General Elections Commission (KPU) concurred on realizing human rights-friendly 2024 General Elections.”The implementation of general elections, going forward, will be human rights-friendly, which means paying attention to vulnerable groups and others,” the ministry’s Director General of Human Rights, Dhahana Putra, stated after an audience with members of KPU at KPU’s office here on Friday.

One of the efforts to realize human rights-friendly elections is paying attention to all community groups and setting up special posts, such as in prisons.

“They, as citizens, also have the right to vote,” Putra remarked.

The audience between the ministry and KPU was also held as a follow-up to both parties’ memorandum of understanding in 2022 that covers two aspects as the focus, namely strengthening information technology and education.

“We have a big responsibility to carry out general elections well, in a luber (direct, general, free, and confidential) manner and peacefully,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, KPU member Idham Holik stated that Putra’s visit to KPU’s office had reaffirmed the sound relations between KPU and the ministry to continue to make efforts to realize human rights-friendly general elections.

ccording to Holik, the two parties continue to focus on increasing the quality of inclusive general elections, namely elections that are designed to ensure all citizens have the same opportunity to participate.

This includes recognizing and protecting the political rights of all citizens, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic background, as long as they meet the requirements.

“Electoral inclusiveness represents the extent to which human rights in elections can be realized,” he stated.

The General Elections are scheduled to be held on February 14, 2024, with around 204.8 million voters spread across 514 districts and cities across Indonesia. The number of voters also includes those living abroad in 128 countries.

Source: Antara News Agency

Solo, Central Java (ANTARA) – Religious Affairs Minister, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, urged that religion should not be used as a tool for politics.”Religion should not be used as a tool to seize power in politics. Do not make religion as a political tool,” he emphasized in Solo, Central Java, on Friday.

Especially since Indonesia is entering a political year, the minister noted that the general election is only a mechanism to determine the leader of the nation.

“The general election is just a mechanism, not a war or a life or death battle,” he remarked.

Hence, he expressed hope that as religious communities, all Indonesians must maintain a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for the general election next year.

“We cannot hate each other or insult each other. Religious people should realize that elections and political years are only a mechanism to determine the country’s leader,” he remarked.

However, Qoumas reminded that electing a leader should not be done carelessly.

“As religious communities, we have an obligation to choose the right leaders, so that the religion that we believe in can be maintained. The leader we chose should guarantee people can carry out their worship without any disturbance,” he remarked.

He also urged voters to check the track record of potential leaders and not be deceived by physical appearances.

ccording to the minister, religion and politics cannot be separated. However, religion should not be used as a political tool to fulfill the lust for power.

“Do not use religion to fulfill the desire to seize power. Those who have different choices than us should not be hated. We still remember a bad use of religion in politics some time ago, during the Jakarta Governor election and the presidential election,” Qoumas remarked.

Hence, he urged all parties to maintain their respective religion.

“We must ensure that our religion is not used as a tool to fight for power. Do not elect a candidate who uses religion for their political interests,” he highlighted.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudihas called on all countries in the world to revive global trust and solidarity at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the US, on Saturday.”The world now is at a strategic crossroad. Global solidarity and collective responsibility are the only answer to address trust deficit and global inequality,” she said as quoted in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The call was taken from the core message of the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, West Java, in 1955, according to the statement. Through the 10 Bandung Principles, Indonesia called for all countries to respect human rights, the UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality, and resolving conflicts peacefully, as well as encouraging the promotion of cooperation and mutual interests. “The Bandung spirit enables Indonesia to listen and become part of the solution,” Marsudi said. She explained that for Indonesia, global leadership should not only be about power or the influence to dictate others. lobal leadership is about listening to others, building bridges for various interests, respecting international laws consistently, and respecting all nations equally. Regarding the uncertain global situation with declining trust and sharpening rivalries, Marsudi explained that it had prevented developing countries from meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets. To this end, she outlined three strategies to rebuild global trust and reignite global solidarity. First, Indonesia urges collective global leadership. “The fate of the world cannot be defined by the mighty few,” she said. She emphasized that a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world is the collective right and responsibility of all countries, whether big or small, north or south, developed or developing countries. She also urged all parties to uphold international laws, especially the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensure that disputes would be settled on the negotiating table rather than at the battlefield. Particularly, collective responsibility is deemed essential for saving the people of Palestine and Afghanistan. “For far too long we have allowed our Palestinian brothers and sisters to suffer. Indonesia will not back an inch in our support for Palestinian statehood,” she remarked. Second, Indonesia encourages development for all. The minister noted that all countries have the same right to develop and grow. However, she said that global architecture currently only benefits several countries. She pointed out that discriminatory trade policies still continue, global supply chains are still monopolized, and developing countries are still burdened by foreign debt. All of this contributes to the erosion of trust and solidarity. “Therefore, it is time for us to make a real change. Industrial down-streaming must not be an exclusive call of developing countries. Developed countries should also support this call to build a stronger future together,” she said. Regarding climate change issues, the minister also called on developed countries to fulfill their responsibilities, including in climate change financing, green investment, and technology transfer. Meanwhile, regarding technological issues, she hoped that the latest digital technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) could also be accessed by developing countries because it is crucial for their sustainable growth. Third, Indonesia encourages efforts to bolster regional cooperation. “Regional institutions should be net contributors and building blocks for global peace and prosperity,” she highlighted. ccording to Marsudi, ASEAN is an example of regional cooperation that is effective and contributes to peace and global prosperity. As ASEAN’s chair this year, Indonesia has succeeded in navigating ASEAN through difficult geopolitical dynamics in the region. “We will not let our region be a pawn of rivalries. Instead, Southeast Asia must be an Epicentrum of Growth, where all countries can benefit meaningfully,” she said. She further said that during Indonesia’s chairmanship, ASEAN remained united and its centrality has gotten stronger. SEAN has also started the discussion on the long-term vision for ASEAN 2045 and established a closer partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum and the Indian Ocean Rim Association for a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific. In addition, ASEAN has also implemented the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific into concrete and inclusive cooperation. Regarding the Myanmar issue, she emphasized that ASEAN will continue to urge the military junta to implement the Five Point Consensus. “ASEAN will spare no effort to ensure the people of Myanmar are not left alone,” she said. t the end of her speech, she highlighted the need to reform the current multilateral system and invited countries to translate their commitment into concrete actions.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on Friday (September 22, 2023) invited Costa Rica to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Minister Marsudi extended the invite to Costa Rican FM Arnoldo Andre Tinoco during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States. ccording to a written statement received from the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry here on Saturday, she delivered the invitation in response to the Central American country’s strong interest in enhancing engagement with ASEAN. The minister said she believes that Costa Rica’s accession to TAC would pave the way for close relations between the country and the bloc, which is currently chaired by Indonesia. Established in 1976, the TAC is a pact that promotes the adoption of the principle of non-aggression by the member countries of ASEAN as well as partner countries of the Southeast Asian bloc. On the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) hosted by Indonesia in Jakarta on September 4, Serbia, Panama, and Kuwait became the 52nd, 53rd, and 54th countries to adopt the treaty. Marsudi and Tinoco also discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation during their meeting. Pertaining to bilateral cooperation, they highlighted possible measures for bolstering cooperation in the fields of creative economy, disaster management, and renewable energy. They also pushed for the ratification of the framework cooperation agreement previously agreed upon by them. Meanwhile, regarding multilateral cooperation, the two ministers talked about Indonesia’s proposal to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Human Rights Council. Minister Tinoco, on his part, extended the support of his country, which will co-host the OECD annual conference in 2025, for Indonesia’s OECD membership application.

Source: Antara News Agency

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Lee Kang-in will join the South Korean men’s Asian Games football team in the middle of the group stage in China, the sport’s national governing body announced Friday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said PSG agreed to release Lee for South Korea after their UEFA Champions League group stage match Tuesday. Lee is then scheduled to leave France on Wednesday for Hangzhou, China, to join South Korea’s under-24 squad at the Asian Games.

The KFA said the agreement with the French club was reached late Thursday night.

Coached by Hwang Sun-hong, South Korea will open Group E action against Kuwait on Tuesday, and then play Thailand on Thursday and Bahrain on Sept. 24.

All three South Korean matches will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (local time) at Jinhua Sports Centre Stadium in Jinhua, south of Hangzhou.

Lee will miss the Kuwait match and is unlikely to be available against Thailand.

The Asian Games men’s football tournament isn’t part of the FIFA international window, and clubs aren’t required to release their players.

According to the KFA, PSG had initially offered on Wednesday to release Lee for the Asian Games if South Korea would agree to let the French club hold on to the player a little longer before the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament in January in Qatar.

By Thursday, though, PSG decided to let Lee play at the Asian Games without any preconditions.

South Korea will try to win their third straight gold medal in men’s football.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The General Elections Commission (KPU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the 2024 elections with the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry, and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).”An MoU was signed by the KPU and three institutions, namely the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry, and PPATK,” KPU Chairperson Hasyim Asy’ari informed at a press conference here on Friday. ccording to him, the general election is a moment of democracy that cannot be handled by one party. There are many aspects where joint efforts will be needed, he added. “The general election must involve many parties,” he said. He explained that the number of first-time voters in next year’s election will be large. Therefore, the KPU will seek to bring the spirit of sportsmanship into election implementation by cooperating with the Youth and Sports Ministry. “The proportion of young voters is extraordinarily large, and they are spread across various youth organizations and student organizations, and, of course, we want to carry the spirit of sportsmanship that can contribute to the election contests,” he said. Meanwhile, cooperation with PPATK is needed since KPU requires election contestants to report their campaign funds. The commission needs to cooperate with PPATK to handle financial transactions and reporting of campaign funds, Asy’ari said. “Election contestants need to report campaign funds. There must be a special bank account for campaign funds, and the institution that oversees the transactions is PPATK,” he explained. Meanwhile, KPU will cooperate with the Religious Affairs Ministry to ensure the optimization of education related to elections at educational institutions supervised by the ministry. “There are students and college students that are part of the voter categories, and teachers, educational staff, and lecturers that can contribute to educating about the election,” he said.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Communication and Information has cut off access to 1,950,794 items of pornographic content as of September 14, 2023.”There are around 1,211,573 items of pornographic content on websites, 737,146 on social media, and 2,075 on file-sharing platforms,” said Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi on Friday. He said that since he took office on July 17, a total of 60,791 items of pornographic content have been handled under his leadership. They comprise 42,521 items on social media platforms, 18,219 on websites, and 51 on file-sharing platforms. The authority of the ministry to cut off access to pornographic content is regulated by Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019. The same regulation grants the ministry the authority to immediately cut off access to gambling websites.

Source: Antara News Agency

Adisorn” praises the opposition for doing a good job in debate. It may not be accurate, but the policy cannot write all the details. I am confident that the Prime Minister will successfully push digital wallets.

Mr. Adisorn Piangkaset, Pheu Thai Party list MP, gave an interview about the discussion of the government’s policy announcement that Overview of the discussion yesterday (Sept. 11), both the Prime Minister, Ministers, Senators (Senators), especially the opposition, performed their duties very well. It’s a constructive discussion. It is different from the policy statements of many past governments. I would like to encourage both the opposition and the Senate. As for the Prime Minister and ministers, they will try to answer questions regarding policy. The policy announcement forum is a forum for the opposition investigative department. Today (September 12) is the last day. I want you to follow me. If there is any information, come and debate. Although there may be some people who may have some concerns about the past, such as Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit regarding the rice pledging. The court ruled that he was not guilty.

“The most criticized policy is the 10,000 baht digital wallet of the Pheu Thai Party or the Thai Rak Thai Party. Whatever policy is proposed is always met with the utmost opposition. In the past, the policy of 30 baht cured every disease. There are people who attack that 30 baht kills every disease. Village fund. Tell me you can’t do it. Where will the money come from? The digital wallet of 10,000 baht is the same. It is believed that the government of Mr. Settha Thaweesin will definitely push this policy until it is successful. It may not be in line with the opposition. But the policy will not allow you to write all the details. But every minister was able to stand up and explain. For example, the electric train policy of 20 baht throughout the line. Today’s discussion therefore wants it to be like yesterday. The people will praise all sides,” Mr. Adisorn said

Source: Thai News Agency