PERISCOPE APRIL 2023 SUMMARY

Written by: Bernard Poobalarayen Bernita Rayen (23-I1), Dhanya Kumar Ramadoss (23-U1), Lai Xinyi, Lynn (23-E1), Maesha Tabassum (23-E3), Oon Jie Rong (23-I1), Tay Yip Teng, Terrence (23-A2), Zheng Ruiwen (23-A1)

Designed by: Lim Sher Min (23-E1)

Welcome back to another edition of our summary of the happenings around the world! From geopolitical developments to the recently viral news with TikTok, we have various interesting news summaries in store for you! Read on to find out more!

Global

Trump has been indicted

The former president of the United States Of America, Donald J. Trump has been indicted. On 4th April, the former president went to court where he was arrested, and charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. This indictment stems from a woman named Stormy Daniels who had stated that Mr Trump had an affair with her in 2006. In 2016, Ms Daniels had tried to recount the incident to the media, and in order to buy her silence Donald Trump’s lawyer Micheal Cohen had bribed her with $130 000 of hush money. The hush money itself was not illegal , but Mr Cohen’s compensation was recorded as payment for legal fees, which is illegal. Moreover the hush money was transferred 12 days before the 2016 presidential elections that Trump had surprisingly won.

This indictment has sparked a buzz in American politics as this might be the first time ever that a former US president is charged with a crime. Trump had also announced earlier last year that he will be running for the 2024 presidential election,  and he seems to still be standing his ground even after his criminal conviction. The only question now is, will America have an indicted President in 2024?

Sudan's Civil War and Biological Crisis

Fights between the Sudanese military and the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have caused chaos in a turbulent political landscape. Ever since the 2021 coup, the country has been run by a council of generals and helmed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese military, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF. While both parties have attempted to restore civilian rule to the country, they have been facing disagreements over their desired direction, resulting in brewing tensions. This has culminated in fighting between both forces since mid-April. Infighting in densely populated areas  has also caused civilians to be unwitting victims of the political struggle between the military and the RSF.

To make matters worse, given the geographical landscape of Khartoum, key strategic sites of attack are located near critical infrastructure. The National Public Health Laboratory has been affected by the fighting and more recently occupied by unknown forces. Given its proximity to the city’s main airport and the Sudanese military headquarters, it has faced the brunt of the fighting between both forces. The lab contains biological and chemical materials, including measles and cholera pathogens. This poses a severe biological hazard to the country, especially as its healthcare infrastructure has been crippled by the fighting due to supply shortages, power outages, and attacks. With frequent power cuts, medical officers have been unable to enter the lab to properly manage the hazardous materials, and the risk of a biological crisis looms close.

Regional 

Update on the Myanmar Military Coup 

The 2021 Myanmar Military Coup, staged by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other military leaders, occurred after the military’s proxy party, USDP suffered a major blow in the 2020 elections. The junta, officially known as the State Administration Council, detained and charged the de facto civilian leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi with corruption and other crimes. It placed her party’s lawmakers and other parties under house arrest.

Widespread violence has since spread throughout the country where the military started destroying villages, conducting mass extrajudicial killings and air strikes on civilians. As such, many of the locals fled their country; as reported by the United Nations (UN), in October 2022, more than 1 million people were displaced. Protests have become a daily occurrence as the civilians took to the streets and expressed their rebellion against the military in various ways; many have tattooed ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s face and the three-finger salute on their bodies.

The latest update: On 13 April, Myanmar military bombed a village in the central Sagaing region, killing dozens of civilians, among which include anti-coup fighters and even schoolchildren. ASEAN, along with the UN and the USA strongly condemned this attack. As a member of ASEAN, Myanmar’s relations are strained with its neighbours such as Malaysia and Singapore. Currently, the situation in Myanmar is only worsening. Can the citizens of Myanmar ever anticipate a true democratic system of governance or are they fated to totalitarian military rule?

Tensions in Taiwan

Taiwan has been the centre of a major flashpoint in US-China tensions since its self-proclaimed independence in 1949. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never recognised Taiwan as a sovereign state, instead seeing them as a renegade state, housing the remnants of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, the primary opposition to the CCP during and after the Chinese Civil War. In fact, the constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), written by the CCP, states that Taiwan is officially part of the PRC, despite the CCP never having controlled the territory.

However, recent events have raised tensions regarding the island-state: Firstly, in August 2022 as part of a diplomatic visit of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to “reaffirm America's unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region”, then US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. In response, China began military drills in the vicinity of Taiwan as a “condemnation” of US actions. Secondly, when the current US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen in California 8 months after Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in spite of Chinese warnings against “blatant provocation”, the CCP ordered another round of military drills around Taiwan and her waters. 

However, it is worth noting thatBeijing’s response to Mr McCarthy’s meeting with President Tsai Ing-Wen is comparatively softer than when Ms Pelosi visited Taiwan. Despite this, it is still unclear whether China will continue or change its aggressive behaviour in its cross-strait relations.

Local 

The President’s Address: Addressing Areas for GE 2025

On 10 April 2023, Singapore’s Parliament resumed sitting after a midterm recess with an address delivered by President Halimah Yaccob. The President’s Address lays out the government’s priorities for the remainder of its term:

Building a Stronger Economy 

Singapore’s economy must remain open to the world through economic transformation, such as digitalisation and supporting local firms in the global market. Additionally, workers can enjoy industry-relevant skills upgrading to remain competitive.   

Strengthening Security 

Singapore will look to tighten food security by increasing local production and focus on national security through updating current laws and engaging Singaporeans on foreign policy principles. This comes after multiple lessons delivered by international conflicts and crises have tested Singapore’s ability to secure its standing in our volatile world.

Inclusive Meritocracy 

By broadening the definition of success, more Singaporeans are empowered to move up a broader social ladder. Lower wage workers will be uplifted and senior workers will be supported if they wish to continue working. Lifelong learning was addressed by emphasising the need for more educational pathways and differentiated teaching and learning.

Looking Forward: The Motion of Thanks

The Address also focused on other emerging areas such as sustainable living, social mobility, sustaining economic growth and renewing Singapore’s social compact through the Forward Singapore exercise led by  fourth-generation leaders.

The Motion of Thanks moved and debated by parliamentarians will see matters of interest highlighted and key agenda items in the address debated, which is bound to feature Singaporeans’ aspirations moving forward.

More to be done to encourage recycling among households in Singapore

On April 23, it was reported that only about 300,000 households - or about 1 in 5 of the households in Singapore, have collected the reusable boxes for recycling that were distributed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) through vending machines in places such as community clubs and bus interchanges.

The reusable boxes, known as Bloobox, are foldable, washable and reusable boxes introduced to make recycling more convenient for residents in order to encourage regular recycling. It can hold up to 5kg of paper, plastic, metal and glass recyclables, as well as electronic waste.

Opinions on the matter

Many people stated that they did not collect the box as they did not think it would boost recycling, while others already had an incorporated recycling system at home that did not necessitate the collecting of another recycling box. 

Experts said that the low collection rate reflects the lack of willingness among households to integrate recycling into their lifestyle, and much more needs to be done in order to educate the public.

However, others brought up that more could be done to promote recycling in Singapore. Some areas of improvement include more visible cues on packaging, more accessible recycling bins, as well as clarity on where and how the people’s recyclables are recycled. Moreover, the Bloobox initiative could also be further improved, given that the recycling box can even contribute to the issue of wastage if not handled properly. 

Conclusion

We have now come to the end of this summary. See you soon! 

Bibliography

Update on the Myanmar Military Coup 

Gunia, A. (2021, February 1). How Myanmar’s Fragile Push for Democracy Collapsed in a Military Coup. Time. https://time.com/5934896/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-detained-coup/

Auto, H. (2021, March 16). In Myanmar, people protest against military coup with tattoos. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/in-myanmar-people-protest-against-military-coup-with-tattoos

Tensions in Taiwan

Haenle, P., & Sher, N. (2022, August 17). How Pelosi’s Taiwan visit has set a new Status quo for U.S-China tensions. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/08/17/how-pelosi-s-taiwan-visit-has-set-new-status-quo-for-u.s-china-tensions-pub-87696

Davidson, H. (2023, April 3). US house speaker Kevin McCarthy confirms he will meet Taiwan president in California. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/04/us-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-confirms-he-will-meet-taiwan-president-in-california

Campbell, C. (2023, April 6). China’s Response to Taiwan’s President Meeting with Kevin McCarthy Hints at Long Game. Time. https://time.com/6269158/tsai-ingwen-kevin-mccarthy-meeting-analysis/