South Asia Security Monitor: No. 234

April 9:

Just days after launching a multistage rocket, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has been reappointed to the country’s top defense position. The Wall Street Journal reports that at the opening of a DPRK parliamentary session lawmakers officially re-designated Mr. Kim as Chairman of the National Defense Commission, the highest office in the land, and a post which he has held since the death of his father in 1994.


April 12:

In a small Thai resort town, anti-government protestors have succeeded in forcing the postponement of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to the Washington Post, protesters prompted the Thai government to declare a state of emergency, and forced foreign leaders to be evacuated by helicopter. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was the target of the protestors, who believe he obtained power undemocratically and have called for his resignation. The goal of the ASEAN summit was to discuss the global financial crisis, Chinese investment, and the DPRK missile test. The meetings will likely be postponed for at least another two months.


April 14:

Mixed reviews are surfacing from Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to approve a law which allows Islamic law (sharia) to govern Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The Financial Times reports that Mr. Zardari signed the law into effect to quell Taliban-led violence in the Malakand region and reassert government control, but critics worry the move will only serve to strengthen the Taliban. Zardari has support from at least one corner, however; the Pakistani parliament voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.


April 15:

There is dissension in the Taliban ranks. In an interview with the Times of London, one mid-level Taliban commander has confessed that his people are tired of fighting and want to put down their weapons. “[L]ocal people do not like the Taliban or the Western forces, they even don’t like us local Taliban,” Taliban commander Mansoor tells the paper. Although it is difficult to determine how pervasive these feelings are, NATO forces may try to capitalize on this trend.


April 17:

At a conference co-hosted by Japan and the World Bank, 31 countries and 18 international organizations have met to discuss Pakistan's dire financial situation, as well as the need to combat the spread of terrorism and bolster regional stability. ABC News and the Associated Press report that participating countries have collectively contributed $5.28 billion to Pakistan. The donor group was led by Japan and the U.S., which pledged $1 billion apiece, and followed by Saudi Arabia with $700 million and EU with $640 million. The monetary donations will largely be put toward infrastructure and other projects to improve Pakistan's economy. Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari, expressed his gratitude for the largesse, but warned against complacency. "I still fear that the understanding of the danger that Pakistan faces still does not register fully in the minds of the world," Zardari said publicly. "If we lose, you lose. If we lose, the world loses."