ASIA TODAY Activists against Hanoi for condemning Buddhist and religious monks

Today’s news: heavy snowfall over South Korea, flights canceled and four dead. Beijing frees three American citizens who had been in the country’s prisons for years. Abbas appoints Rawhi Fattouh as successor in case of impediment, paving the way for elections in Palestine. The opposition claims victory in the Jakarta gubernatorial vote, but in the other provinces the Prabowo-Jokowi alliance is advancing.

VIETNAM

Human rights groups accuse Hanoi of violating the religious freedom after a court in the southern province of Long An this week sentenced five ethnic Khmer Buddhist monks and four activists. The judges imposed sentences of between two and six years in prison for “abuse of democratic freedoms”, a formula used to repress cults and internal dissent.

SOUTH KOREA

An intense snowfall has been falling on the country for two days, causing the cancellation of dozens of flights, the blocking of ferries and the death of at least four people. It is the third most intense over the capital, Seoul, since records began in 1907, with accumulations of up to 40 cm in some areas of the capital. The phenomenon is said to be related to above-average temperatures in seas west of the Korean Peninsula that encounter cold air currents.

PALESTINE

The leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, appointed Rawhi Fattouh, president of the National Council, as successor in case the position of PA president becomes vacant, amid a crisis in the movement, whose consensus is declining among Palestinians. In the event of Fattouh’s interim promotion, he will remain in office for 90 days until the presidential elections are held.

CHINA – UNITED STATES

Beijing released yesterday to three American citizens who had been in the country’s prisons for years, for whose release – considered unjust – American diplomacy had maneuvered for a long time with its Chinese counterpart. Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung had been convicted of various crimes, including drug trafficking and espionage, despite the lack of compelling evidence. They will now be allowed to return home to their families.

INDONESIA

The opposition party of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri was declared the winner in the elections to governor of Jakarta. Indikator Politik Indonesia, Charta Politika and Lembaga Survei Indonesia give Pramono Anung about 50% of the vote, ahead of former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil, Prabowo Subianto’s candidate, with 40%. However, the alliance between the current president and his predecessor, Joko Widodo, is emerging as a winner in the rest of the important provinces.

BANGLADESH

There is maximum alert in the port city of Chittagong, where police have arrested six people after the murder of a lawyer who died in the clashes that followed the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The man had been arrested on November 25 at Dhaka airport on multiple charges, including sedition. The arrest sparked widespread protests in Dhaka and Chittagong.

RUSSIA – VATICAN

According to Novaja Gazeta, there are signs that foreshadow a meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill in the territory of Serbia, a country traditionally friendly to the Russians. At the Consistory on December 7, the head of Serbian Catholics, the Archbishop of Belgrade Ladislav Német, will be elevated to the dignity of cardinal, who would act as a mediator.

TAJIKISTAN – UZBEKISTAN

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have taken a step forward in liberalizing the transit of commercial goods, which will now be able to cross borders without complications. However, there are still requirements to obtain permits that allow transportation to continue within the territory of the two countries to a third country, which continues to slow down traffic.