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Photo : ASEAN.org   On April 24, 10 leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, held an emergency Summit, to discuss ongoing crisis on Myanmar that has become an international humanitarian issue since February this year. At the end of Saturdays’ meeting, the leaders have reached a consensus on 1) immediate cease of violence, 2) seeking peaceful solution to the crisis via constructive dialogue, 3) sending special envoy to mediate the crisis by Brunei, ASEAN Chair of 2021, 4) providing humanitarian assistance to Myanmar in the name of ASEAN, and 5) ensuring the special envoy to meet with all parties in the crisis while visiting Myanmar. Myanmar crisis started when a military coup took over the country in opposition to the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Presently, Min Aung Hlaing is in power as military commander. Since the upheaval, some of elected government officials were prisoned, and protests over the coup rised from all over Myanmar. Protesters include teachers, lawyers, students and government workers, and military forces have employed water cannon and live ammunition to stifle the protest.    <Sources> ASEAN. (2021-04-24). Chairman’s Statement on the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, 24 April 2021 and Five-Point Consensus. ASEAN. https://asean.org/chairmans-statement-asean-leaders-meeting-24-april-2021-five-point-consensus/ Strangio, Sebastian. (2021-04-27). Assessing the Outcome of ASEAN’s Special Meeting on Myanmar. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/assessing-the-outcome-of-aseans-special-meeting-on-myanmar/

Photo : Office of Prime Minister of Pakistan Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan won a confidence vote in Parliament on March 6. PM Khan received 178 votes from members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and allies in the 342-seat National Assembly (lower house), reproving confidence thereby securing his premiership. PM Khan needed at least 172 seats to win confidence. After his party (PTI) was defeated in the upper house election on March 3, PTI failed to win a majority in the 100-seat Senate. Following the election result, the opposition parties questioned PM Khan’s leadership, putting Khan in a precarious position. After the upper house election, opposition parties demanded PM Khan’s resignation. However, PM Khan and his party have decided to seek a vote of confidence from the Parliament to confirm his leadership. The confidence vote was taken without 160 opposition members, who had announced their decision to boycott the vote session.   PM Khan won general election and became Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2018.     <Sources> Mangi, F and Dilawar, I. (2021-03-06). Imran Khan Wins Pakistan Parliament Vote to Stay Prime Minister.   Bloomgberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-06/imran-khan-wins-pakistan-parliament-vote-to-stay-prime-minister Hashim, A. (2021-03-06). Pakistani PM Khan wins vote of confidence amid opposition boycott. AlJazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/6/pakistani-pm-khan-wins-vote-of-confidence-amid-opposition-boycott  DW news. (2021-03-06). Pakistan PM Imran Khan wins vote of confidence. DW News. https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-wins-vote-of-confidence/a-56792816   BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat(mseap@assembly.go.kr)

  From February 17 to 18, IPU and UN held its Annual Parliamentary Hearing. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the meeting was, for the first time, held online. This year’s meeting was particularly designed to ensure a parliamentary contribution to the Political Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session against corruption (UNGASS 2021). Under the theme, “Fighting corruption to restore trust in government and improve development prospects,” Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the General Assembly, and Mr. Duarte Pacheco, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, made opening statements, emphasizing parliamentarians’ role in ensuring transparent distribution public and fiscal resources and encouraging participants to join Political Declaration that the UN General Assembly will adopt in June. In the following four main sessions, which are : 1) The Convention Against Corruption: building blocks and implementation challenges, 2) Corruption involving vast quantities of assets (VQA), aka “grand corruption,” 3) Gender-sensitive anti-corruption policies, 4) Key anti-corruption measures: assets disclosure and beneficial ownership, whistleblowers, and financing of political parties/elections, participants shared their determination and clear vision to strengthen international mechanism to ensure transparency, deter money laundering, government corruption and diversion of public resources for wrongful reasons.   For more information, please visit https://www.ipu.org/event/annual-parliamentary-hearing-united-nations-1   BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)  

Photo : Anadolu Agency. Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan     On February 3, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed the presidential decree on appointing Ulukbek Maripov as the new Prime Minister.   On the same day, the new Kyrgyz government was formed, after President Japarov signed the presidential decree on appointing the new heads of ministries and state agencies, of which were based on the government composition proposed by Maripov. Kyrgyz government resigned in January, when then President-elect Sadyr Japarov resigned his position as prime minister, after winning the early presidential election in the same month.   The new government is considerably streamlined, with the number of state agencies (ministries, committees, state services, etc.) reduced from 48 to 16, as well as the number of deputy prime ministers from 3 to 1. It also includes merging/coordinating of current 12 ministries. His new cabinet members are also downsized from 22 to 16.   Before starting his premiership, Maripov served as chairman of the Accounting Chamber of Kyrgyzstan, a state auditing institution, since 2016.   <Sources> AA. (2020-02-04). "Kyrgyzstan appoints new prime minister" Retrieved from https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/kyrgyzstan-appoints-new-prime-minister/2133150 Xinhuanet. (2020-02-03). "Kyrgyz parliament approves new PM" Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-02/03/c_139718892.htm Website of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan of the Republic of Korea   BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)