VOLUME II | ISSUE III

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DECEMBER 08, 2015 gucaravel.comfacebook.com/

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Kurds, Americans Liberate Sinjar p.8

OPEC Strategy Poses Uncertain Rewards for

Saudi Arabia p.9

Opposition Leader Killed in Venezuela p.6

Cuba, U.S. Hold Talks Amidst Regional

Migration Crisis p.7

Opinion: Human Trash, Human Garbage p.4

Russian Aviation Faces Unclear Future p.5

E. ASIA & OCEANIA

LATAM & THE CARIBBEAN

MIDDLE EAST & N. AFRICA

E. EUROPE & C. ASIA

Japan Seeks Australian Submarine Contract p.2

Hong Kong Voters: Record Turnout p.3

WESTERN EUROPEParis Attacks Renew

A Security Dilemma p.14

COP21 Highlights EU Environmentalism p.15

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Myanmar Turns to Democracy, Mostly p.12

Facing Terrorism, Leaders Deradicalize

p.13

Burundi’s Violence: A Cause for Concern? p.10

Fragile Peace Assaulted After Mali Hotel Crisis

p.11

S. & SE. ASIA

Eunsun Cho, The AnchorNicole Carolin, The Anchor

Worldwide, one in every 122 people is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report, released in June, announced the highest displacement figures recorded since the agency’s creation in 1950.

At the end of 2014, the number of forcibly displaced people reached 59.5 million, a sizable jump from 52.1 million in 2013. The leap is the biggest recorded in a single year. Although the report only includes statistics up to 2014, there are no indications of a change in trajectory for 2015.

Although Syria dominates as the world’s largest source of refugees (3.88 million at the end of 2014), the crisis ranges further than Syria. Refugees have also fled from Afghanistan, Somalia, Ukraine, Eritrea, Colombia,

and Myanmar, among others. Yet refugees of other nationalities have fallen out of the spotlight due to the urgency of the Syrian crisis, and because their respective situations have remained unchanged for years–or in some cases, decades.

The scope of the global refugee crisis has overstretched the resources of international agencies, threatening their ability to meet refugees’ basic needs. The United Nation’s humanitarian agencies are on the verge of bankruptcy due to the surge in the number of people needing shelter, water, sanitation, food, and medical assistance.

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. High Commissioner To Refugees, informed The Guardian that aside from adjusting to the influx, the UNHCR will face an estimated 10 percent revenue drop in 2015. As a result, conditions in refugee camps may become increasingly uninhabitable.See Refugees, p.16

The Cold War ended in 1991, but developments in the Syrian Civil War have sparked renewed tensions between Russia and the West.

In early September, media outlets reported that Russia has stationed 200 naval infantry soldiers and placed at least seven battle tanks, temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station, and components for an air defense system at an airfield south of Latakia in northwest Syria. Latakia is currently controlled by the Syrian regime, but rebels control nearby regions.

Two weeks later, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would begin airstrikes in

Alex Barnes, The Anchor

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Tensions two decades removed, reemerge on the battlegrounds of Syria

Professor Susan Martin, Director of the Institute for the Study of International Migration, and Mark Giordano, Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Science, Technology and International Affairs, are conducting State Department-funded research on the environmental impact on refugee camps. The Caravel sat down with Professor Martin to discuss the project.

How does the natural resource consumption pattern of refugee camps differ from conventional societies?

It’s not so much that the resources used in refugee camps are different. What happens is that refugee camps are usually established in locations with small populations to begin with. Since a refugee camp can be the size of a small—or even large—city, the principal issue is the sudden influx of a large volume of people.

Governments assume that refugee

camps will be temporary and often don’t think through long-term consequences. In reality, the average duration of stay for refugees is 17 years, which adds up to a destructive effect on the environment. As such, the aim of this research project is to find better resource management systems that reflect the relative permanence of refugee camps.

What are some problems that host countries suffer from?

Often, refugee camps are erected in parts of the host country where people are poor and have little political power. These local hosts already live marginal lives, and the sudden influx of refugees and aid workers leaves a big impact. Sometimes it’s positive: they might get jobs or access to health care. Sometimes, however, the welfare programs are not open to local residents, leaving them embittered as they see their trees cut down and their See Interview, p.16

SYRIA: A GLOBAL CHALLENGESyria to combat the group known as the Islamic State (IS), giving U.S. forces just an hour’s notice before launching the first strikes and requesting all U.S. forces and aircraft be removed from the targeted area.

While launching unilateral airstrikes in Syria represents a clear challenge to U.S. leadership, Russia’s intervention may also present another layer of complexity. Homs and Hama, the first cities targeted by Russian airstrikes, are not IS strongholds and are located in a region generally considered to be controlled by a combination of the Syrian regime and the rebel opposition.

Although there is little reason to doubt that Putin opposes IS and sees See Cold War, p.16

SYRIA: THE NEW COLD WAR?

The Plight of Displaced Persons Interview: Green Refugee Camps

EAST ASIA & OCEANIAAndrea Moneton

EDITOR’S NOTE:

O n Nov. 30, the International Monetary Fund announced that China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB) would be included in the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR) currency basket as of Octo-ber 2016.

The SDR basket is a collec-tion of select currencies labeled as global reserve currencies. Until now, it has included only the dollar, euro, pound, and yen. Inclusion in the basket determines a currency’s use in IMF loans and bailouts and denotes the currency as stable enough for widespread use in international trade.

This decision comes as a victo-ry for China. The debate over RMB inclusion in the basket has been ongoing since early 2015. Howev-er, it also places China at a cross-roads. China must now commit to liberalizing its financial system and fairly evaluating its currency, both of which had previously been under tight government control. Concretely, this means relinquish-ing power and is sure to trigger much internal debate. However, the path is clear: In order for the world to truly see China as a global power with widespread influence, it must continue reforms.

China now also faces an iden-tity crisis of sorts between being a developing nation and a developed one. Its growth rate slowdown, increasing urbanization, and inclusion in a basket of currencies that belong to highly developed nations demonstrate how far Chi-na has come since Deng Xiaoping’s Reform and Opening up in the 1980s. Still, development comes with other implications for issues like human rights and inequality. Ultimately, China’s development will hinge on more than just eco-nomic factors, as inclusion in the SDR basket is only a piece of the development puzzle.

Japan Seeks Australian Submarine ContractDavid Lim

Japan submitted its bid for the right to conduct joint research with Australia on submarine development, indicating a possible shift in the balance of power in the Pacific.

Australia’s submarine plan focuses on building up to 12 new submarines to replace its old fleet and boosting its domestic economy through the $36 billion project.

Japan’s rivals include France, which partnered with the French industrial group DCNS, and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The Japanese government has teamed up with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to win exclusive access to Australia’s contract.

After its defeat in World War II, Japan pledged to refrain from exporting weapons to communists, nations subject to UN embargos, and nations involved in international conflicts. Only in 2014 did Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lift the export bans, a move that China criticized as an attempt to

remilitarize Japan. A Japanese contract victory would represent Japan’s first major opportunity to export military weapons in decades.

Both prominent allies of the United States, Japan and Australia have refrained from making explicit security commitments to one another. The first Trilateral Strategic Dialogue was held among United States, Japan, and Australia in 2006, and the two signed the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation in 2007.

Australia’s submarine program has been in the works since 2014, and Japan swiftly expressed interest. However, concerns in Canberra pressured then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott to invite other nations to submit bids. Labor unions and politicians also expressed disapproval because the original plan was set to develop submarines abroad rather than in Australia.

At that point, France and Germany joined the contest, offering to build the submarines in South Australian shipyards, attracted by the promise of job creation brought by the project.

A Japanese government official said he was “confident” that Japan would win the bid. Details of the plan have not been announced, but sources suspect that Japan’s proposal includes production of Soryu-diesel electric submarines, which would take place in Australia.

Australia’s Defense Minister David Johnston lauded Japan’s Soryu-class submarines in a conference last year. “The Japanese design is the nearest design to our requirements,” he said. “There’s no other diesel electric sub of that size and dimension.”

Selecting Japan as the contract winner, however, might strain Australian relations with China.

“It’s not the fact that Australians

and Japanese are building submarines that will grab Chinese attention,” said Dr. Arthur Alexander, an expert on Japan at Georgetown University. “It’s the emerging partnership between Australia and Japan that the Chinese will be distressed about.”

Submarines are highly classified military technologies and sharing that signifies that the nations are willing to bring relations to a new level.

China could perceive a Japanese-Australian coalition in submarine development as a threat to its operations in the South China Sea, which both nations oppose. Rumors of a potential economic retaliation have surfaced, which could be consequential as China is Australia’s largest trading partner.

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A Japanese Sōryū-class submarine in Guam in 2013

Jee Young Kim

In a statement to the Hong Kong Stock exchange on Thursday, the board of South China Morning Post (SCMP) Group confirmed that the company has been approached by a group inter-ested in acquiring its media assets. Al-though the official announcement did not disclose the identity of the third party, people familiar with the matter have revealed that Jack Ma, the found-er of Alibaba, is the potential buyer.

This negotiation marks the latest addition to Alibaba’s media deals. In June, Alibaba invested 1.2 billion yuan ($187.8 million) in Yicai, a prominent financial news provider. More recently, Alibaba made a bid for Youku Tudou, a video-sharing platform and Chinese equivalent to YouTube.

Considering that SCMP’s market value of $543.9 million is only a tiny

fraction of Alibaba’s market value of $200 billion, some people, including former reporter Andrew Collier, re-mark that Alibaba’s move does not im-mediately make sense business-wise. Collier stated, “It is not clear why Alib-aba would want to own a newspaper in Hong Kong given that its revenues are a fraction of Alibaba’s.”

The political implications of the ac-quisition could provide a better expla-nation for Alibaba’s interest in SCMP. As Hong Kong’s most widely circulat-ed English language newspaper, SCMP has garnered a reputation for report-ing on stories that would normally be censored in mainland China. If this deal gives Alibaba a controlling major-ity of the media outlet, the Internet gi-ant headquartered in mainland China could cause SCMP’s content to more closely align with the Chinese Com-munist Party’s ideals.

Alibaba Weighs SCMP Acquisition

2 | DEC. 08, 2015

Source: IMF, WTO, South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Voters: Record TurnoutJulia Rhodes

Hong Kong took to the polls in record numbers to elect District Representatives on Nov. 24., which helped assess the impact of last year’s pro-democracy movement. Though these officials only handle daily ad-ministration for constituencies of less than 20,000 people, the elections have attracted global attention.

In 2014, college students protested China’s de facto control over the ap-pointments of politicians in the terri-tory, a policy established after Britain handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997. The nonviolent demonstra-tors created large traffic jams in the financial districts and faced retaliation from police. China proposed a plan to allow a direct, popular vote for the chief executive in 2017, but stipulated that the Chinese government would have to approve the list of potential candidates. Pro-democracy and establishment forces vetoed the pro-posal, leaving the traditional system unchanged.

Though some former protest lead-ers won seats, voters generally elected

establishment candidates. Hong Kong Free Press reports pro-Chinese parties conducted a “relentless professional campaign” against the democracy candidates, who generally lacked coordination and struggled to stand up for their cause. Though The China Post calls the results a victory for Beijing, pro-democracy parties won 30 more seats than they did in 2011, unseating some veteran politicians. While these candidates did not win an outright majority, pro-democracy forces can begin to claim success in building up momentum for the cause.

The pro-democracy forces see the District Council as a starting point to effect change on a local level and gain experience in the political realm. However, some view the movement as too dangerous, preferring the “stabil-ity and peace” promised by Beijing’s parties. Views of the demonstrations tend to break down on a generational divide. While the young have taken to the streets, the city’s older generation fears potential reprisals from China, similarly to the results of the violent leftist riots of 1967 in Hong Kong. The recent elections highlight not only

an ideological gap but also differing opinions of practicality and history.

Forty-seven percent of eligible citizens voted, the highest number for any District Council election. Alice Wu, a political consultant, said the participation rate “sent a clear message to politicians and Beijing that political apathy is a myth … people care about politics and the way it is conducted.” Therefore, the elections illustrate what the pro-democracy forces posited all along: Hong Kong can peacefully and efficiently handle its own politics.

While the distribution of seats in the councils did not change drasti-cally from 2011, the recent election marks the pro-democracy movement’s progression from the streets into mainstream politics. The results may provide these politicians an impetus to concentrate on full political auton-omy, as well as economic issues and local concerns that traditionally fell by the wayside. The new, pro-democracy District Representatives therefore have a chance to legitimize themselves and shape the way the uncertain pub-lic views the movement.

China’s New Animal Cloning CenterJackie Landry

Last week, the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area management committee announced plans to open a new animal cloning center.

Though cloning research began in the 19th century, it became a reality in 1996, when Scottish scientists successfully cloned the first mammal, Dolly the sheep. Cloning experiments subsequently expanded to cats, cattle, and pigs.

Previously, Chinese scientists were limited to research on animal cloning. However, this policy has changed as a growing number of companies have shown interest in investing in cloning. A breakthrough occurred in 2014 when Chinese scientists successfully cloned three purebred Tibetan dogs, marking the beginning of China’s venture into cloning.

The intended investment of 200 million yuan ($31 million) will allow the Yingke Boya Genetic Technologies company to host the government-sponsored center in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development area. The announcement is the result of an

international effort that is sponsored by Sinica, Peking University’s Institute of Molecular Medicine; the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine; and South Korea’s Sooam Biotech Research Foundation.

The center, slated for completion by June 2016, will include a 15,000 square meter laboratory, a gene bank, an animal center, and a science and education exhibition hall. It will focus

on cloning pet dogs, cattle, racehorses, and non-human primates.

Unsurprisingly, ethical questions have arisen. However, since the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a genome-sequencing center in China, started to commercially clone pigs, scientists have adopted a progressive stance to justify large scale cloning.

BGI’s chief executive Wang Jun explains that three important criteria for cloning are taste, appearance, and potential for industrial use. For these scientists, cloning does not cheat the laws of nature; rather, it is a way to satisfy popular demand.

North Korean Refugees Face Extradition From China

Lynn Lee

Nine North Korean defectors, including an 11-month-old baby, are believed to be held by the Chinese police in the Tumen River region, near China’s border with North Korea.

The defectors were initially detained by the Vietnamese police on Oct. 22 due to the lack of travel documents in the Vietnamese city of Mong Cai, near the Chinese border. A few days later, the Vietnamese police handed them over to the Chinese police. At the time of arrest, the baby was taken away from the group while the other eight North Koreans were later transported to Shenyang in Northeast China.

The exact whereabouts of the defectors are currently unknown. Human Rights Watch (HRW), a non-governmental organization based in the U.S., says that the defectors are possibly being detained in a military garrison near the Tumen River. Given the proximity of the Tumen River

The center will focus on cloning pet dogs,

cattle, and racehorses

Cattle will be a major focus of the plant, as China must meet the growing demand for food. The center has initial plans to create 100,000 cattle embryos per year, with long-run goal of one million embryos per year. Additionally, as China’s upper class continues to grow, its members desire stylish dogs to fit their lifestyle, a demand the center will also attempt to meet.

However, this announcement comes at a time when animal cloning faces resistance. Last year, the European Parliament voted to ban all farm animal cloning and distribution of any cloned animal products. European lawmakers argue that consumers would feel uncomfortable purchasing cloned-animal products, and that cloning negatively impacts animal welfare. Studies show that cloned animals have low long-term survival rates. Dolly the sheep, for example, survived a mere 6 years, half a sheep’s typical life expectancy.

Despite these objections, China continues to forge ahead and capitalize on public demand. Clearly, cloning is no longer a myth of science fiction.

China regularly sends defectors back to North Korea because

they are labeled economic migrantsrepatriation of the defectors could

be imminent.North Korean defectors held in

China are also usually extradited back to North Korea where they face imprisonment, torture, or even death. According to HRW, extradited North Koreans are accused of “treachery against the nation,” which is punishable by death. Most of the accused are sent to political prison camps that are characterized by “torture, violence, forced abortion, and severe deprivation.”

The 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol prohibit a state from returning refugees to a “place

where their life or freedom would be threatened.” Nevertheless, and despite being a signatory of this convention, China regularly sends defectors back to North Korea because they are labeled economic migrants instead of political refugees. Furthermore, China justifies

Park Geun-hye announced South

Korea will consider all diplomatic means to

prevent forced return of the nine refugees

repatriation based on the “Mutual Cooperation Protocol for the Work of Maintaining National Security and Social Order and the Border Areas,” an agreement signed in 1986 that “obliges China and North Korea to prevent illegal border crossings of residents.”

In an open letter, HRW urged the South Korean government to dissuade China from repatriating the defectors caught in Vietnam. South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s office announced that it will consider all diplomatic means to prevent forced return of the nine North Koreans and to secure their freedom to travel to the destination of their choice.

Since the 1990s, almost 28,000 North Koreans have escaped North Korea and resettled in South Korea. In the peak year in 2009 alone, more than 2,900 North Koreans escaped to South Korea. However, due to tightened border surveillance and security in North Korea since Kim Jong Un came to power, the number of defectors has gradually decreased. This year, only 1200 refugees are expected to resettle in South Korea, the lowest rate since 2005.

In addition to government efforts to secure safety of the nine North Korean defectors, several activist groups have staged protests demanding their freedom in front of the Chinese embassies in Seoul and Washington, D.C. However, China has yet to comment on this subject or release any

DEC. 08, 2015 | 3

EASTERN EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIARomanian Prime Minister Forced to Resign

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his government have resigned following massive protests over a nightclub fire in the Bucharest that killed over 50 people. Twenty thousand people gathered in Bucharest to protest the fire, which they saw as a consequence of corruption that led to lax safety standards.

President Klaus Iohannis appeared to confirm this opinion when he described the nightclub as “completely unfit.” In addition, the head of Romania’s emergency rescue service claimed that no permits had been

Denis Tchaouchev

Opinion: Human Trash, Human GarbageMichael Newton

Polish Member of the European Parliament Janusz Korwin-Mikke claimed in the European Parliament that the acceptance of immigrants who do not want to work has lead to “an invasion of human trash. Human garbage, that doesn’t want to work.” He stated prior to this that, “If we abolished all benefits, then people who don’t want to work, and want to live from benefits, wouldn’t come to Poland and the rest of Europe.”

Some people may remember this from John Oliver’s late-night talk show, but I remember almost these exact works being said by people in the street about Poles who arrived where I live in the U.K. a little more than a decade ago.

Three years ago, I lived near Slough, the most diverse part of the United Kingdom outside of London, and home to possibly one of the most vibrant Polish expatriate communities with delis, bookshops, even a Polish version of the local Reading Chronicle. An estimated 8,000 Poles live in Slough and alongside nearly

140,000 people from many other cultures. So, many other European states are asking, if Eastern Europeans can integrate into a multicultural Western European nation, why is it not possible for immigrants to integrate into Eastern European nations?

It seems to me that many Eastern European states’ national identities are based on the very fact that they have survived, through thick and thin. The concept of “Polishness” survived for almost 125 years without actually

being protected by the structure of a state. Some say its repression by other nations, such as Russia, Prussia, and Austria, forced the Poles to forge and protect their culture and identity, no matter the cost. The opening lines of the Polish national anthem in fact translate as “Poland has yet not perished / So long as we still live.”

The same could be said for another country, which has implemented policy during the current migrant crisis and has angered much of Europe: Hungary. The Hungarians have one of the most unique cultures in Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, along with political parties and citizens groups, has taken it upon himself to defend this cultural identity.

Orban stated, “I think we have a right to decide that we do not want a large number of Muslim people in our country,” and further added, “We do not like the consequences.”

Orban also made a statement in Brussels on Sept 3, saying, “Please don’t come. We cannot guarantee that you will be accepted here.” He is referring to the last historical mass migration of Muslims to Hungary, the Ottomans. Orban’s fear has created a fence which stretches across the Hungary-Serbia border and is currently being extended along Hungary’s border with Croatia, despite the fact that Croatia is an EU member.

The Slovakian government is also reluctant to accept further immigrants, stating that it would only take in Christian refugees. The Interior Ministry spokesman claimed it was because, “We don’t have any mosques in Slovakia so how can Muslims be integrated if they are not going to like it here?”

In Poland, thousands turned out for an anti-immigration protest led

4 | DEC. 08, 2015

In 2014, 732 foreigners were given asylum by the government, of whom only 115 were from Syria, The Guardian reports. According to UNHCR, Poland plans to take in only another 100 Syrian refugees from 2016 to 2020.

Further, a senior member of the ruling Civic Platform party said that, “People just don’t want immigrants here,” and that, “They don’t understand them, they don’t like them, and believe that their maintenance is too expensive.”

It seems that change is coming to Eastern Europe. With thousands of people from very different cultural backgrounds are arriving at their doorstep, these countries now are trying to define what will remain of their past national identity and what the future will hold for people who have held their uniqueness so close to their hearts for centuries.

by far-right groups on Sept 27 in outrage to the government’s decision to provide financial assistance to refugees. The Polish government’s extremely low acceptance rates of refugees only compounds the problem for the EU.

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Polish migrants at a berry picking farm in 1909.

I remember those exact words being said

about Poles a little more than a decade ago

Prime Minister Ponta became the

first Romanian Prime Minister to face

corruption charges while in office

issued to the nightclub that allowed it to launch fireworks or to host the amount of people in the nightclub during the night of the fire.

Prime Minister Ponta had already faced scrutiny earlier this year in September when he was put on trial for corruption, becoming the first Romanian Prime Minister to face corruption charges while in office.

Last Tuesday, Dacian Ciolos was selected to replace Ponta as prime minister, and was described by President Iohannis as “an independent prime minister, a clean person with integrity.” Ciolos had earlier served as Romania’s agriculture minister and as Agriculture Commissioner for the European Commission. He has begun to appoint a cabinet of technocrats and will now face the challenge of preparing a budget for next year.

Poland plans to take in only another 100

Syrian refugees from 2016-2020

Montenegro, NATO’s newest prospective member, has a defense budget of $54 million. This is roughly equivalent to 3 weeks of Russia’s Syria campaign … and Donald Trump’s first mansion.

To Rent a Plane...

Morgan Forde

EDITOR’S NOTE:

F or a time, the woes in Eastern Europe caused by an unstable Ukrainian government and Putin’s response to the Euromaidan protests remained separate from the broader conflicts in the Middle East. However, as the Syrian Civil War and the rise of the group known as the Islamic State began to threaten Russian interests, the two regions are increasingly tied together.

IS recruitment efforts in Chechnya and Dagestan as well as the recent downing of a passenger jet over Sinai, among other factors, have drawn the Kremlin into the conflict. Russia has been seemingly willing to cooperate with U.S. and allied efforts in the Middle East; however, it has also shown that it will place its own interests and desire for influence in Iraq and Syria above those of the broader coalition.

The Sinai and Paris attacks in recent weeks, both claimed by IS, while tragic, were seen as a shock that could encourage the international community to disregard national interests in favor of putting up a unified front against the terrorist organization.

In many ways, this was complicated when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. In his national address last week, Putin claimed that Russian intelligence has long detected suspicious oil shipments between Ankara and IS, accusing the nation of supplying the terrorist organization in this regard.

Turkey is a NATO member, and citing Russian violations of its airspace, has drawn the organization directly into the conflict. Given Russia’s several “mistaken” airstrikes on allied and separatist targets (as opposed to IS strongholds) in recent months, cooperation will not be easy. The burgeoning refugee crisis has polarized domestic opinion on how best to resolve the humanitarian crisis that is the Syrian Civil War, and crush the increasingly brazen IS.

A simple call for international unity will not be sufficient to tackle this exponentially complicated conflict, however it will be an important start if we are ever to return to stability.

“Winter Is Coming”: Kasparov Talks Book, PutinTamara Evdokimova

“Who is Vladimir Putin in this book?” asked Garry Kasparov, a world chess champion turned political activ-ist. “Tywin Lannister. Why? Because Tywin Lannister died unexpectedly. That’s what happens when you stay in power for so long that you think you are invincible.”

Kasparov was invited by the GU Lecture Fund to speak about his new book, Winter is Coming: Why Vladi-mir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped.

“I knew there would be a crowd for his political views but invited him mainly based on my passion for chess,” explained Benjamin Foresti-er, a member of the Lecture Fund’s Associate Board. “However, because Mr. Kasparov knew Georgetown was the cradle for future American policy leaders I was able to leverage that in my negotiations with him.”

Kasparov certainly had a lot to say about current American leaders and the inefficacy of their foreign policy toward Russia. Criticizing the U.S. position on Putin for its lack of

consistency, Kasparov lamented that although the Obama administration “has been gradually moving in the right direction,” they spend too much time compromising with the Russian leader.

“I’ve read enough history books to tell you that appeasement killed more people than deterrence,” Kasparov declared.

The chess grandmaster has long advocated for a more direct con-frontation of Putin’s authoritarian regime. A strong believer in the moral authority of free world democracies, Kasparov wrote his book hoping to inspire policy makers to seek a new approach to the Putin problem.

“[The book] is an attempt to analyze what’s happening and what is to be done,” Kasparov told the crowd. “We’ve all seen the dangers of confronting Vladimir Putin or Iranian mullahs or the Islamic State, or who-ever else is threatening world peace … The lesson of history is that weakness always provokes further aggression.”

Throughout the lecture, Kasparov repeatedly likened Putin’s regime to those of Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong-Un, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Having fled Russia in 2013 for fear of im-prisonment and after seeing his close friend, Boris Nemtsov, murdered in front of the Kremlin this February, Kasparov takes Putin’s actions person-W

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Kasparov, a former chess champion, now dedicates his time to promoting human rights.

Alex Snyder

One of the world’s most important players in commercial and military avi-ation today is Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The UAC was founded by decree of President Vlad-imir Putin in 2006, in a move intend-ed to consolidate Russia’s struggling aviation industry. The decree merged the country’s leading civil and military aerospace companies into a single con-glomerate, in which the government has a majority stake of 80 percent.

According to UAC’s mission state-ment, the move was designed to “pro-tect” the innovation of Russian civil and military aircraft technologies. Billions of dollars have been invested in the new company, with a hundred billion ruble capital injection as re-cently as March 2015. Despite this, manufacturing capacity falls woefully short of demand. According to Avia-tion Week, the conglomerate is expect-ed to produce a mere 36 planes, leaving 192 units unfulfilled. Additionally, the

UAC is struggling to attract foreign airlines outside of the former Soviet republics to purchase its jets.

The recent halving of the ruble’s value relative to the dollar also compli-cates the situation. The ruble’s devalu-ation has caused the cost of important components to double. This has led some to suggest Russian suppliers can keep costs down through import sub-stitution, a practice which incentivizes local industries to manufacture parts that they would otherwise import.

The feasibility of this remains to be seen, however, as the Russian-devel-oped components necessary for air-plane production have not undergone foreign commercial certifications. This would make the planes ineligible for purchase by foreign airlines.

Furthermore, internal and external political issues have plagued the UAC. Internally, members of the company’s high-level management have extreme-ly close ties to Putin and the former KGB. The majority of order requests for the UAC’s new Sukhoi superjet

Russian Aviation Faces Unclear Futurehave come from state-owned airlines with a stake in the UAC’s success, call-ing the UAC’s integrity into question.

Externally, onflict with Ukraine and Russia’s troop deployment along its border with Poland and the Baltics have caused some former Soviet coun-tries to pull out of joint-UAC ventures.

China has been the one ray of hope in Russia’s project to expand the aircraft industry. This year, Chinese airlines signed a purchase agreement

with UAC to order 100 Superjets over the next 3 years. The UAC, as deeply indebted to foreign countries as it is to the Russian government, is eager to pursue more contracts with Beijing.

If the UAC is to succeed as a com-petitor to Boeing or Airbus, it must look beyond its borders for new cus-tomers and increase its accountability and reliability to ensure it retains them in the future.

ally. He repeatedly pointed to Russia’s recent crackdown on political oppo-sition as reflective of the dictatorial nature of Putin’s government.

“For protesting Putin’s regime, you could spend five, ten days in jail [in 2009-2010],” he said. “Now, you can get five to ten years or worse.”

A 2014 Russian law criminalizing repeated protests prescribes “fines ranging from 600,000 to 1 million rubles ($17,124 to $28,540) or ... up to five years of forced labor or prison.” The recent measure, which Putin en-dorsed, was a reaction to the tumultu-ous situation in Ukraine that resulted in the removal of former President Yanukovich from power.

Although Kasparov’s accusations of misgovernance and repression res-onate with many opponents of Putin’s regime, his forceful suggestion of imposing tougher economic sanctions against Russia may ultimately do more damage by escalating tensions.

Kasparov may reminisce about the comprehensiveness of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War, but it is hard to imagine any benefits in start-ing Cold War 2.0. The West has given Putin plenty of slaps on the wrist for his shenanigans in Ukraine. Economic sanctions may have crippled the Rus-sian economy, but ultimately, they did little to Putin’s geopolitical ambitions in Syria or his approval ratings

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General Roger Brady, USAFE Commander, is shown with a dummy B61 nuclear weapon.

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEANJason Ilieve

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The past several weeks have been historic for opposition parties around the world, and no less in Latin America. In Venezuela, the party of popular revolution was voted out. In Argentina, a dynas-ty’s successor lost a crucial runoff. When it came to Guatemala, the jokes wrote themselves.

Comedian Jimmy Morales was elected President of Guatemala campaigning on his incompatibili-ty with this post. Morales defeated former first lady Sandra Torres by a more than two-to-one margin despite representing a party that still holds only seven percent of seats in parliament. His tradi-tional values, successful standup career, and catchy slogan - neither corrupt, nor criminal - built a memorable impression.

Venezuela’s parliamentary election pitted the United Socialist Party (PSUV) against a coalition of almost the entire opposition spectrum. Like in Guatemala, the opposition won in a landslide. PSUV’s incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro, successor to anti-imperi-alism icon Hugo Chávez, has failed to detach his administration’s approval rating from global oil’s price flucutations.

And nearly two decades of Kirchner rule in Argentina came to an end when Mauricio Macri took down the family’s successor Scioli in a contested runoff. Néstor and Cristina Kirchner’s shift of policy eastward and to the left proved unable to curb the inflation and corruption that defined Ar-gentina’s new millennium.

The “pink tide” which brought China and the Castros back into vogue with Latin American gov-ernments seems to have receded in the aftermath of these elections. The region’s fragility has not been undone by the snappy rhetoric and new alliances that attracted attention years ago. Yet while uncertainly remains a hallmark, for the first time democracy has proven capable of providing the response.

China, Argentina Expand Nuclear FootprintBrendan Keenan

Despite economic downturns, Ar-gentina and China finalized a historic nuclear power deal for Latin America on Nov. 17. Against the backdrop of the G20 meeting in Turkey, the two governments signed a deal for China to begin construction on two new nu-clear plants in Argentina worth a com-bined $15 billion.

With the deal settled, China is moving forward with an ambitious plan to position itself as a leader in nuclear technology. Promising easy financing and affordable equipment to prospective partners, China hopes to use the Argentine project as a show-ground for its newly developed Hua-long-1 reactor.

China will be using this technology to build the second of its two Argen-tine plants. The first will use the “Cad-nu” design, or Canadian Deuterium Uranium, a method popular outside the United States and Europe.

Expectations of the deal have al-ready helped China move into the European market. Last month, Chi-na assumed one-third ownership of a

French-led project to construct a se-ries of new nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom and is now allocating $7.6 billion toward a nuclear energy deal with Romania.

Recently celebrating the comple-tion of its third plant, Atucha 2, Ar-gentina’s appetite for nuclear power is growing. Between its three existing plants alone, World Nuclear News re-ports that Argentina is set to expand nuclear power’s share of its energy production to 10 percent.

The country’s abysmal credit rat-ing has stymided attempts to further increase that percentage, killing any attempt at raising capital. Standard & Poor’s rates Argentina’s credit at 20 out of 100. For perspective, Nigeria, which is currently plagued by corruption, low oil prices, and a brutal war against Boko Haram, holds a credit rating of 22.

The low credit rating is only part of Argentina’s economic woes. The country is currently dealing with a 15 percent inflation rate, an estimate dis-puted my some experts such as Tim Umberger, an advisor at East Capital who places the actual inflation rate at 30 percent. This difficulty is com-

pounded by the dwindling foreign currency reserves in Argentine banks. Forbes notes the combination of these factors has scared off prospective for-eign investors, leaving few funding op-tions open.

One of those options is China, whose willingness to invest billions of dollars in Argentina has not faltered even in the face of its own econom-ic slowdown. Its deal with Argentina comes on the back of strengthening economic ties between the two coun-tries. Since 2007, The Financial Times has traced $19 billion in Argentine infrastructure development to Chi-nese investment. In 2014, China even participated in an $11 billion currency swap.

Sino-Argentine ties have also pushed into the soy business where Argentina has found an eager market in China. By comparison, data pub-lished by the government on foreign assistance show the United States has invested just over $11 million, one thousand times less, in the same peri-od. Consequently, China is acquiring a remarkable foothold in Latin America, a region historically seen as the United States’s backyard.

However, with Mauricio Macri’s presidential victory on Nov. 22, the feasibility of the Sino-Argentine deal could change. A member of the cen-ter-right, Mr. Macri has signaled plans to shift Argentine foreign policy away from leftist regimes in Latin America and toward more open relations with the United States and Europe. This shift will also include reducing ties established under Cristina Kirchner with China, Russia, and Iran.

With final veto power over the nuclear plant agreement, Mr. Macri walks a tenuous line. Pushing the deal forward would strengthen his coun-try’s energy program at the expense of deepening Argentina’s reliance on China and alienating the United States. However, undoing the deal would mean siding with Washington, whose purse strings are neither as loose nor as generous as Beijing’s. Economic woes dominating the domestic agen-da may prove crucial to charting the country’s future, pushing Mr. Macri to act on precedent and pragmatism rather than on hopes of rekindling a relationship with no cash value.

Raquel Rosenbloom

Luis Manuel Diaz, a local official for the Democratic Action Party, was shot dead at a campaign rally in the Venezuelan town of Altagracia de Orituco on Nov. 25, just two weeks before Venezuela’s parliamentary elections.

Diaz was part of an opposition coalition that poses the strongest challenge in sixteen years to the socialist government. With Venezuela’s oil boom ending, the promises of its current political leaders for a brighter future are falling on deaf ears.

Opposition politicians have reported that their candidates are being targeted in the lead-up to the election. The BBC reports that incidents have occurred in state of Miranda, as well as in the capital, Caracas.

Accusations blaming the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which currently holds the majority

in the National Assembly, have been rebuffed. According to CNN, PSUV officials instead blame the murder on a dispute between gangs but have made no arrests.

The U.N. Human Rights Commissioner (UNHRC) has nevertheless expressed concern about the safety of political opponents and any individual who questions the state. The UNHCR has joined dozens of human rights groups,the U.S., and the South American regional bloc UNASUR in criticizing Maduro’s government.

The Inquirer reports that on Thursday, the Venezuelan President publicly promised a full investigation of the murder. But in the same speech, Maduro did not miss the opportunity to shift the focus toward the UNHCR. “Mr. Trash,” he said, “I’m waiting for you to apologize for meddling in our affairs.”

Opposition Leader Killed in Venezuela

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Syrian Migrants Stuck South of U.S.Jesse Reiff

Five Syrian men with stolen Greek passports were arrested in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on Nov. 18. The next day, two Syrian families turned themselves over to U.S. immigration authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border in Loredo, Texas. Three days later, yet another group of Syrian refugees turned themselves over to U.S. immigration authorities in Loredo. These encounters have contributed to speculation that Central America is becoming a popular transit corridor for Syrian refugees to the United States.

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, at least 40 Syrian refugees have been detained in Mexico for trying to enter the United States illegally. However, despite fears to the contrary, none of these refugees, thus far, have known links to terrorism. Anibal Baca, a police spokeswoman in Honduras, announced that the Syrians arrested earlier this month in Tegucigalpa were “normal Syrians” seeking refuge from the Syrian Civil War.

Immigration of this sort reflects a global trend of refugees taking long detours to get to the United States. According to The Guardian, refugees from Nepal, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Pakistan have also increasingly attempted to enter the United States via Mexico. This immigration is primarily driven by

the ease of gaining legal entry into Latin America relative to entering the United States.

Many Latin American states have offered to accept quotas of Syrian refugees from as few as 100 families in Chile to as many as 20,000 refugees in Venezuela, The Guardian reports. Argentina currently offers special humanitarian visas to Syrians fleeing the conflict which make them eligible for permanent residence after three years. Since 2013, Brazil has allowed Syrian refugees to enter the country even before applying for refugee status, which it has granted to 2,000

Evo Morales Talks Nuclear in BoloviaKyle Tillotson

In a speech on Nov 20, Bolivia’s president Evo Morales announced ambitious plans for the development of nuclear energy in the country. Speaking in the town of El Alto, he declared, “This will be the site of the nuclear center, which will be the largest in South America.”

In addition to the $300 million cost of the plant, which would be Bolivia’s first, TeleSUR reports that Bolivia will invest $2 billion in research and infrastructure for its nuclear energy program. Preliminary plans for the site announced by Morales include a nuclear reactor, a cyclotron for the production of radiopharmaceuticals, and a multi-purpose gamma irradiation plant.

Russian nuclear company Rosatom has agreed to assist in conducting the project. In addition, Argentina has also signed on to assist Bolivia in developing the technical and bureaucratic infrastructure necessary for such a program. In 2010, The Guardian reported that Bolivia had a similar agreement with Iran, although nothing has materialized yet.

Bolivia’s choice of investment

partners reflects a shift away from the United States and the West that has become Evo Morales’ hallmark. Since his presidency began, the Bolivian government has nationalized many of the country’s industries and strengthened ties with leftist administrations in Cuba and Ecuador.

On the nuclear front, Morales’

ambitious goals have not been without opposition. According to The Guardian, locals have expressed concerns over the environmental footprint of the plant. In fact, the project was originally planned for the capital of La Paz before local protests forced it out. More recently, critics have cited a lack of transparency in the proceedings.

The potential to launch a nuclear project, however, has entranced others because of its potential to rejuvenate a struggling city. Speaking to TeleSUR,

Cuba, U.S. Hold Talks Amidst Regional Migration Crisis

Valeria Balza

U.S. and Cuban officials met last Monday in Washington, DC for the biannual Migration Talks, amid a crisis that has caused several countries in Central America to grapple with increasing numbers of Cubans attempting to reach the United States.

The Cuban delegation criticized U.S. migratory policy, claiming it encourages illegal immigration and thus violates the 1996 U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, which provide for the safe, orderly, and legal migration of Cubans to the United States, the Miami Herald reports.

Recently, thousands of Cubans have also made their way to Central America, fearing that the normalizing of relations between the United States and Cuba that began last December will end to the U.S. wet-foot, dry-foot

policy, which allows undocumented Cubans to apply for permanent residency after one year in the U.S under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

This concern has prompted a 66 percent increase from the last fiscal year of Cuban migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the Pew Research Center. To reach the United States, many migrants now labeled “dusty-foot migrants” have flown to Ecuador, which until recently did not require Cubans to hold visas, and have made their way through Colombia and Central America. Although it is certainly a longer journey, these “dusty-foot” migrants often choose this path over journeying to Florida by boat, a more treacherous journey, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Today, thousands of Cubans are

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One local leader indicated his support

for the project, declaring “we do not fear nuclear energy”

one local leader indicated his support for the project, declaring “we do not fear nuclear energy.” The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) also supports Bolivia’s efforts to develop a nuclear energy program.

In an interview with state news agency ABI, IAEA representative Pablo Delfang called Bolivia’s program a “sovereign decision” and reiterated that the IAEA will ensure that “all global standards of excellence in terms of safety, good technological practices and the best processes are applied.” He further added that these types of programs generally take seven to ten years to develop, after they get off the ground.

However, the president’s remarks in El Alto did more to praise his project’s vision than ensure people of its feasibility. “It poses no risk to humans or to Mother Earth,” he said to The Guardian. “It doesn’t contaminate the ground, nor water, nor air.”

If the project comes to fruition, Bolivia would become only the fourth nuclear energy producer in Latin America, following Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.

The U.S. has accepted only 0.04% of Syrian refugees registered

Syrians so far.According to the New York Times,

the U.S. has accepted only 1,854 Syrian refugees in 2015. This number reflects 0.04 percent of the more than 4 million Syrian refugees currently registered under the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The United States government has not been open to approving requests from Middle Eastern asylum-seekers, and it has attained a reputation as such. Syrian refugees denied entry into the United States commonly seek entry to Latin America, taking advantage of their lax immigration policies before traveling northward for a better shot at crossing the border.

According to the UNHCR, the number of globally registered Syrian refugees has increased 134 percent over the past year. With the Syrian Civil War still ongoing, the Syrian refugee crisis is likely to worsen. Though U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the U.S. would accept more refugees next year, the U.S. can expect continued attempts of Syrian refugees to enter the United States via its southern border.

And migrants keep coming: Around 200

Cuban migrants arrive in Costa Rica every day

stuck in Costa Rica, after Nicaragua, the country’s northern neighbor, deployed troops along its border to refuse the migrants’ passing. Although Costa Rica argued that Cubans should be offered a “humanitarian corridor” to the United States, Nicaragua, a long-time Cuban ally, responded that it would not allow illegal immigration over its borders, the Agence France Presse reports.

In response, the Cuban delegation in the Migration Talks expressed its “profound concern over the continued politicization of the migration issue.” Although the Miami Herald reported the talks were being held in a “respectful and professional atmosphere,” no agreements were reached and the migration impasse continues.

With the amount of “dusty-foot” migrants rising, some members of Congress have advocated for a change in U.S. migratory policy.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) even introduced legislation to repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act. “If President Obama has normalized relations with Cuba, why would we treat illegal immigrants from that nation any different than those from other countries,” he asked. Other Republican lawemakers, such as Marco Rubio, argued that the Cuban Adjustment Act should be updated, not repealed.

In a statement released by the U.S. State Department, the United States reiterated that it does not plan to alter its current migratory policy regarding Cuba. And migrants keep coming; according to the Agence-France Presse, around 200 Cuban migrants arrive in Costa Rica every day.

At the conclusion of the talks, Cuba asked to hold another session early next year. Foreign ministers from the Central American Integration System are expected to meet soon in El Salvador to discuss the migratory crisis and develop a possible solution.

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICAKing of Jordan Calls for End to IS

In a speech given on Nov. 15, King Abdullah II of Jordan strongly de-nounced terrorism in the Middle East and called for other Muslim countries to fight “against those who seek to hijack our societies and future gen-erations with intolerant Takfiri ideol-ogy.” Takfiri refers to the practice of denouncing other Muslims as infidels, a practice which in the past has rarely been used, and which Al-Qaeda itself does not employ.

On top of this denunciation, King Abdullah called for a “comprehensive political solution” in Syria, which he stressed must include both regional and international actors.

Andrew Schneider

Kurds, Americans Liberate Sinjar Nick Simon

Kurdish troops and American co-alition forces launched an offensive strike to liberate the northern Iraqi re-gion of Sinjar from occupation by the group known as the Islamic State (IS).

Sinjar is home to a majority of the ethno-religious group known as the Yazidis, who practice a monotheistic religion and have been a persecuted minority throughout their history. IS forces captured the city in August 2014, unleashing a wave of mass vio-lence, rape, and enslavement now re-ferred to as the Sinjar Massacre. The massacre was one of the militants’ first publicized acts of violence that spurred U.S. President Barack Obama to form the coalition against IS.

The offensive to recover Sinjar be-gan on Nov. 11 when 7,500 Peshmerga troops attacked the IS stronghold. The U.S.-led coalition coordinated with the Peshmerga forces and used airstrikes to back the Kurdish ground offen-sive. Al Jazeera reported hundreds of

Yazidis and Kurdish troops loyal to the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) also joined the fight of their own accord.

Between four hundred and six hundred IS militants were stationed in Sinjar before the assault. According to Col. Steven Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, coalition air-strikes killed approximately two hun-dred IS troops during the battle and Kurdish troops killed several hundred more in combat on the ground. After a day of fighting, the remaining IS mili-tants retreated from the city and Kurd-ish and American troops regained control.

The Kurds arrived to discover mass graves containing the bodies of thousands of Yazidis murdered by IS during its year-long occupation of Sin-jar. Much of the city had been razed by the last year’s battles. Kurdish teams also encountered deadly handmade explosive booby traps and mines hid-den in the rubble left behind by IS.

Sinjar is an important point on IS’s supply route as it is located on a high-

way linking Raqqa, IS’s self-declared capital city, and Mosul, the other ma-jor IS-controlled Iraqi city captured during IS’s initial surge during the summer of 2014.

Following the liberation of Sinjar, Iraqi, American, and Kurdish forces are looking to replicate their success in Syria. U.S. troops arrived in two groups from Turkey and the territory of Iraq controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government to organize and train Kurdish and Syrian forces. Al Arabiya reported that these American soldiers are stationed in Kobane, a Syr-ian city near the Turkish border, in the

east Syrian province of Hasakeh. However, the Sinjar community re-

mains split along political divisions be-tween the major Iraqi Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and their local Yazidi affiliates. Before the IS occupation, many Yazidis claimed they were underrepresented in Sinjar’s government despite the fact that they make up the majority of the local pop-ulation. These political squabbles will likely undermine Sinjar’s stability in the future.

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Kurd forces patrol outside of Sinjar.

Shamshad Ali

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to execute 55 people convicted of ter-rorism. Saudi Arabia claims that the convicts were involved with al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups that have killed many since 2003. One of these terrorists was even reported to have attempted to purchase $1.5 million worth of nuclear material from Yemen.

Also among those sentenced to death are protestors from the eastern town of Awamiya. The activists from this largely Shia town were protesting unequal rule and marginalization at the hands of Saudi rulers. Their ac-tions were taken as attempts at desta-bilization by the Saudi government.

These 55 executions come in a year where Saudi Arabia has already execut-ed at least 150 people, the most since 1995. Sixty-three of the death penalty

offenses were drug related and 71 of those executed were foreign nationals, many of whom were migrant workers.

Opponents of the executions argue that the Saudi government has prose-cuted political enemies with the death penalty under the guise of terrorism, especially in the case of the Awamiya activists. Some of these activists had been convicted of the crimes as chil-dren and have described their confes-sions as being forced through torture.

Non-governmental organizations have called for called for dramatic changes to the Saudi legal system, with a priority on increased transparency. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian media has continued to focus on terrorism, espe-cially recent attacks by al-Qaeda. The Saudi government has ignored con-troversy over the executions, instead reaffirming a commitment to security.

Saudi Executions Raise Human Rights Concerns

8 | DEC. 08, 2015

Other regional leaders have not echoed King Abdullah’s call for

greater involvementThe speech comes shortly after

the Lebanese capital was targeted by the group known as the Islamic State (IS), when two bombs detonated in Beirut, killing 46 people. It was also followed by the attacks in Paris, where 136 people were killed by IS-affiliated attackers, as well as the bombing of a Russian airliner in Egypt, killing over 200 people.

Other regional leaders have not echoed King Abdullah’s call for great-er involvement by other Gulf States, many of whom have so far done little to combat or suppress IS. While Leb-anon has taken in refugees from the Syrian crisis, neighboring states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran have refused to do the same. Moreover, some IS funding appears to be connected to wealthy members within the states.

It has yet to be seen if the increased attacks on foreign soil will lead other Gulf states to form a coalition to fight IS, or if the conflict will devolve into a proxy war between regional Sunni and Shia states.

REGIONAL CULTURAL MAKEUP: SPOTLIGHT ON LANGUAGEMENA is blessed with a wide diversity of languages. Here is how they are distributed:

Source: Amanda Doyle, 2012. “Middle East Languages.”

Margaret Schaack

EDITOR’S NOTE:

I n Arabic, the full translation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is l-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa al-Sham. The resulting acronym is DAIISH, or Daesh (as it is nor-mally spelled in English). As The Guardian explains, Daesh sounds similar to the Arabic word “dahes” which translates as “one who sows discord.” IS views this connotation as insulting, and has banned the use of Daesh within the territory it controls.

While many Western govern-ments, as well as governments in the Middle East and North Africa use Daesh, Western media organi-zations have stuck by the use of IS, ISIS, or ISIL. They argue that these terms more succinctly depict the organization to readers who may be unfamiliar with Arabic.

The Caravel has struggled to decide which term to use. While our mission as a newspaper is to deliver international news from a local perspective, our location and readership makes it valuable for us to uphold American media con-ventions. For this reason, MENA has used the Islamic State or IS to denote the terrorist organization.

However, the term “Islamic State” is not an accurate one. The group’s beliefs do not represent Islam as it is practiced by millions around the world today. The group is not a state. Their “territory” has been ripped out of the hands of legitimate governments through the use of brutal force, and their claims to sovereignty are not and should not be recognized by the international community.

To use this moniker for these terrorists offers them a sense of legitimacy to which they have no legitimate claim. It does public discourse a disservice to suggest that Daesh is anything other than a violent terrorist group motivated by beliefs that are out of sync with the modern world. Perhaps most importantly, it does their victims a disservice to use the name that these murderers have chosen for themselves.

The Middle East, North Africa, and much of Europe have already made the switch to Daesh. The United States should do the same.

OPEC Strategy Poses Uncertain Rewards for SaudisMatthieu de Gaudemar

Saudi Arabia’s economy is being severely impacted by the global over-production of oil and it has so far been unable to counter the effects of di-minishing demand. The OPEC group is pursuing risky strategies while also seeking alternative economic paths to maintain GDP growth.

Recent developments such as the shale oil boom in the U.S. and slower economic growth in China have con-tributed to an increase in supply and a decrease in projected demand of oil, leading to a sudden price decrease. This change has been significant, with

oil prices going from a high of $115 per barrel last year to a more than 50 percent decrease that reflects current low energy prices.

Instead of decreasing production to lower supply and therefore increase prices, Saudi Arabia and many of the Gulf States are increasing it. In doing

so, they hope to maintain low enough prices for a sufficient period of time to make it impossible for their com-petitors, such as U.S. shale producers, to maintain their current production levels.

The International Monetary Fund has expressed concern that the effects of the artificially high oil production have spun out of control, with prices dropping much lower than anticipat-ed. It is currently unclear whether Sau-di Arabia, which relies on oil exports for 80 percent of its budget revenues, can sustain production without mak-ing major cuts to other parts of its economy.

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Daily Saudi oil production in barrels: 1950-2015

Guillaume Biganzoli

A suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying members of the presidential guard in Tunis on Nov. 24, killing at least 12 officers and injuring dozens more civilians. The group known as the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, the third one of its kind this year in Tunisia. President Béji Caïd Essebsi immediately announced the re-establishment of a state of emergency for 30 days and the establishment of a curfew in Tunis.

“I saw at least five corpses on the ground … this was not an ordinary explosion,” Bassem Trifi, a human rights lawyer who was present, told the Washington Post.

The attack led Tunisia to close its border with Libya and to escalate its security controls and operations. The Ministry of Interior has ordered over 1,000 raids and placed almost 150 people under house arrest since the bombing.

While the first two terrorist strikes in 2015 targeted the Tunisian tourism industry and foreigners, the most recent attack hit the very heart of the capital within walking distance of ministerial headquarters. “Now the jihadists’ war on the Tunisian government has come into the cities,” noted Farah Samti in Foreign Policy.

Though seemingly warranted, affording more power to Tunisian special forces could prove harmful to Tunisia’s democratic achievements. According to Vanessa Szakal from Nawaat, “the actions of security forces … have kept alive the notion that effective security requires the relinquishing of certain rights and liberties.” Representative Mustapha Ben Ahmed instead argued that “we have a surplus of useless liberties.”

Responding to the arrest and injury of several journalists by security agents at the scene of the blast, Borhen Bsaies, a TV anchor for Nessma TV, went as far as to say that “sometimes… it occurs that security forces arrest and

After Attack, Tunis Weighs Security, Liberty

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A protester in a solidarity march against terrorism.

beat up a poor innocent citizen. We respect police agents and we give them the benefit of the doubt in this context.” Similarly, a recent poll showed that 78 percent of Tunisians are ready to relinquish some of their liberties in exchange for greater security.

The government should be wary, “not [to] succumb to the temptation of reestablishing the barrier of fear between the ordinary citizen and the

political institutions,” argued Michael Ayari in Le Monde. The Secretary General of the ruling Nidaa Tounes party, Mohsen Marzouk, summarized, “Some people … are asking for less liberties and more security because of terrorism. But we think that democracy and freedom is an army, is a weapon against terrorism.”

The Saudis had estimated that their increased production would cause prices to drop to no lower than $80 dollars per barrel, still giving them a sufficient revenue margin to outlast their non-OPEC competitors. After the prices dropped to half that value, it seems that OPEC is harming itself as much as it is harming its competition.

DEC. 08, 2015 | 9

Saudi Arabia released a pledge to cut its carbon emissions by 130 million tons a year

by 2030

The IMF recently warned that Sau-di Arabia could use up its entire finan-cial reserves within 5 years unless its undergoes major budget cuts or ben-efits from oil prices returning to their pre-2014 levels of more than $100 per barrel.

The newest development in Sau-di energy policy, while not directly impacting its oil production levels, is perhaps a reflection that the OPEC leader is growing more concerned of the effects of low oil prices. Saudi Arabia released a pledge for the U.N. Paris talks to cut its carbon emissions by 130 million tons a year by 2030. It plans to achieve this goal through a combination of increased investments in renewable energy and the adoption of energy efficiency measures to re-duce its consumption in fossil fuels. The ensuing economic diversification that would occur in the country will be sure to counteract at least in part the potentially enduring low oil prices.

Despite these issues, the Saudi Kingdom has not indicated a change in its production levels, maintaining its confidence in an eventual price in-crease. It is now a question of whether it, its neighbors, and the rest of OPEC can survive on their current financial reserves and increased austerity until this price change occurs.

The IMF expressed concern that the effects of the artificially high oil production have spun out of control

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICABurundi’s Violence: A Cause for Concern?

Several months of ongoing vio-lence in Burundi have caused alarm among international observers. Since sitting President Pierre Nkurunziza won a controversial third term in July, the country has experienced a wide-spread government crackdown and a series of politically-motivated killings. According to the BBC, more than 240 people were killed since April and 200,000 fled to neighboring countries.

The international community has become increasingly concerned. The U.N. has drawn up plans to send peacekeeping troops to Burundi and the U.S. has placed sanctions on sever-al top-level Burundian officials, freez-ing their assets and restricting visas.

Anirudha Vaddadi

Sao Tome, the “Dubai of Africa”Anirudha Vaddadi, Sophie Haggerty

In November, Sao Tome and Prin-cipe, an island nation off the coast of equatorial West Africa, announced its plan to become a regional transporta-tion and tourism hub: The prime min-ister has dubbed this a plan to become the “Dubai of Africa.”

Since independence from Portugal in 1975, the archipelago’s cash crop economy based on cocoa, coffee, and sugar exports declined, forcing the government to engage in hundreds of millions of dollars in international debt relief in recent years.

Without external financial assis-tance, Sao Tome’s ambitions seem impossible to achieve. The country is home to just under two hundred thou-sand people. In 2009, 66.2 percent of the population lived under the $1.98 a day poverty line. Public debt consti-tutes around 70 percent of GDP, and commodities with tumbling global de-mand make up 80 percent of exports. In 2014, Sao Tome ran a significant

trade deficit of $128.2 million.Sao Tome’s plan to become the

“Dubai of Africa” by 2019 requires an initial investment of $800 million to construct a world-class deep-water port serving the rapidly growing pet-ro-economies located around the Gulf of Guinea. On its own, the country will be unable to afford this.

Enter China, which reached a deal with the archipelago to provide loans for a massive segment of the project. The loan will cover not only the port but also an overhaul of downtown Sao Tome, last renovated in the 1950s un-der Portuguese colonial rule. Some ob-servers question why the second-larg-est economy in the world more than 7,000 miles away would display inter-est in the rejuvenation of Sao Tome.

Unexpectedly, the answer to this geopolitical puzzle is rooted in the diplomatic rivalry between Taiwan and China. At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the Communists es-tablished the People’s Republic of Chi-na (PRC) on the Chinese mainland,

while the Nationalists relocated the Republic of China (ROC) government to Taiwan. While both governments continued to claim legitimate rule over the whole of China, only one can be recognized as the official government of China under the One-China Policy.

The majority of African states that gained independence in the 1960s and 1970s initially sided with the ROC, until growing support for Beijing en-abled the PRC to seize the Permanent Member seat from Taiwan on the U.N. Security Council in 1971.

In addition, over the past two decades, China’s economic rise has spurred a trade and investment boom in some African countries, forcing Tai-wan’s remaining allies in the region to

reevaluate their allegiances. Just three countries in Africa remain supporters of Taiwan today: Burkina Faso, Sao Tome and Principe, and Swaziland.

China’s establishment of a trade office in Sao Tome and Principe a few years ago raised concerns in Taiwan. The recent decision to finance Sao Tome may cause further fears of Tai-wan’s marginalization in the interna-tional arena.

Much like Sao Tome and Princi-pe, strategic countries in Africa could stand to benefit from playing off China and Taiwan against each other to vie for much-needed aid and investment. However, they will have to be wary of potential consequences, especially the development of sizeable foreign debt.

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Sao Tome’s primary airport

Edwin Lopez

The Nigerian Senate presented a draft bill last week that could find social media users who “propagate false information” or disseminate “abusive statements” punishable by fines and prison sentences, accord-ing to reports by the Nigeria-based Premium Times and Vanguard.

The proposed legislation sparked outrage and controversy in Nige-ria, where citizens turned to media outlets to express their disapproval.

“If Nigerian senators can’t stom-ach criticism, they have no business being in the senate #SayNoToSocial-MediaBill,” tweeted @ZahrahMusa. Others used the hashtag to organize activism against the bill across Nigeria.

The Premium Times published an opinion piece claiming that the laws were “primitive, misguided,” and redundant given libel and def-

amation laws already exist. It fur-ther criticized leaders for not fo-cusing instead on fighting Boko Haram, corruption, and impunity.

Yet the Senate President, Buko-la Saraki, stated the bill would ad-vance despite criticisms, reports Van-guard. Other senate leaders explained their motivations to quell concerns.

“I have been a journalist all my life and the major and important tenet of that profession is that you must be fair to all concerned,” said Senator Biodun Olujimi. “But on this issue of social media, nobody is fair to anybody.”

Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate Minority Leader, denied the concerns, and instead asked social media users to “rest easy,” through a series of tweets on Dec. 3.

“[There] was no plan whatsoev-er to gag social media,” he claimed, “Even if there was ever such a plan, it will not fly. But no plans at all.”

Anti-Social Media Bill Presented in Nigeria

10 | DEC. 08, 2015

A comparison of two measures used to evaluate development provides some insight into how gains in GDP are actually distributed in a way that raises standards of living for the average citizens.

The situation is reaching genocidal

proportions

The current level of violence is alarming, with various media outlets warning that the situation is reaching genocidal proportions. The govern-ment has been unwilling to back down and continued to send troops into re-gions held by opposition parties.

However, it is important to note that the situation in Burundi differs from the conditions that brought about other past African genocides, like the 1994 Rwandan genocide, de-spite similarities in the two nations’ ethnic breakdown. The armed forces in Burundi are now equally split be-tween Hutu and Tutsi, while the gov-ernment is just 60 percent Hutu.

Additionally, violence has mostly been limited to Bujumbura, the capital, while rural areas have remained large-ly unaffected by these tensions. The killings launched by the government thus far have been geared toward indi-viduals on the basis of political rather than ethnic affiliation. It is likely that recent events are a move by Nkurun-ziza to consolidate power and establish stronger control over the country.

Sophie Haggerty, Jonathan Dörnhofer

EDITOR’S NOTE:

I n the past few months, dem-ocratic progress in Sub-Saharan Africa has challenged the status quo of authoritarian institutions that have long been a central component of many African states. Underlining this hopeful trend are peaceful regime changes following largely free and fair elections in Tanzania and Burkina Faso. At the same time, the presidents of Burundi, Rwanda, and Con-go-Brazzaville have taken steps to manipulate their respective constitutions to allow for their continued rule. The situation in Burundi came with the most dire consequences, as violence engulfed the country for weeks.

These examples highlight the pervasive trend of African leaders extending their rule through extra-constitutional means, and legitimizing those moves through often undemocratic changes to those very constitutions.

This phenomenon is most com-mon in countries in which leaders have low accountability vis-a-vis their people, but sufficient resourc-es to rule without constructing representative institutions. This disregard for representation typi-cally arises from extractive natural resource rents or high foreign aid and investment, through which leaders are able to derive power independent of their citizens. This corrupt incentive structure often creates authoritarian leaders, poor institutions, and under-served populations, leading to the familiar scourges of the resource curse and aid curse. Inequality overshadows instances of sustainable growth, and the average citizen suffers.

As falling global commodi-ty prices lead to lower resource rents for authoritarian leaders, this traditional power base could see decreased influence. This will doubtless affect the numerous presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled across the continent in 2016, when leaders, recognizing their eroding support, will be forced to choose between violently clinging to power and stepping aside in a peaceful transi-tion. No matter which trend wins out, 2016 will prove to be both an exciting and critical time to follow African politics.

Fragile Peace Assaulted After Mali Hotel CrisisJonathan Dörnhofer

Armed men stormed an upscale hotel in central Bamako on Nov. 20, killing 19 and temporarily holding over 100 others hostage. According to Al Jazeera, jihadist group al-Mourabitoun has claimed credit for the attacks on the Radisson Blu hotel, which took place while a peace conference aiming to end a multi-year conflict in the fractured Sahelian country went on inside.

The gunmen, whom CNN reports arrived at the hotel’s compound in at least one car with diplomatic plates,

seized the building around 7 a.m., using several grenades and bursts of gunfire against guards at the main entrance.

In addition to killing 19 people, the perpetrators held between 140 and 170 people hostage according to The Guardian. Malian and French security forces responded to the emergency, driving back the gunmen and freeing the hostages.

The attacks come in the context of an Islamist insurgency that has gripped Mali since al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and associated groups like al-Mourabitoun

took over the territory of Azawad in the northern two-thirds of the country and declared an independent state under their interpretation of Sharia law in 2012.

France, which colonized Mali for 68 years until independence in 1960, intervened militarily in 2013, retaking the territory held by Islamist forces in 23 days.

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Street Scene from Kidal, Northern Mali

Nicolás Alonso

Ethiopia inaugurated the first metro system in Sub-Saharan Africa, taking the first step to solve the conti-nent-wide problem of inner-city trans-port in its fast-growing capital of Addis Ababa.

Commuting in large African cities is largely inconvenient. Most states in Sub-Saharan Africa lack an institution-alized public transportation system. Workers of middle and lower classes are forced to find alternative methods, mostly in the form of privately owned minivans that determine rates based on distance and demand, to make their way to work every day.

“It’s really exciting,” said Behailu Sintayehu, the manager of the Light Rail Project. Mr. Sintayehu also em-phasized that three years ago he did not think the project would be done by now. He added that his organization, Ethiopian Railways Corporation, is ea-ger to open more lines.

The metro system in Addis Aba-

ba, a city of 4 million people, was in-augurated on Sept. 21 and, according to CNN, the single open line runs 11 miles from industrial areas in the south of the capital to the city center. A second line that runs east to west across the city is still under construc-tion. The railway system is powered by independent sources of hydropower, namely several water dams that are spread throughout the country. At

Ethiopia First on Continent with Metro

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Addis Ababa Light Rail Engine

full capacity, both lines will be able to transport up to 60,000 individuals at a current cost of $0.27 per passenger.

The project, as The Economist re-ports, was largely funded by a Chinese loan that paid 85 percent of the $475 million and was constructed in just three years with substantial foreign

assistance. For the next five years, the Shenzhen Metro Group and the China Railway Engineering Corporation will manage the project.

Other cities across the continent have yet to implement transit systems. In Africa’s most heavily populated urban center, Lagos, Nigeria, plans

The Guardian has reported a series of smaller attacks by groups previously in control of Azawad that have plagued Mali since then, including a siege that killed nine at a hotel in Sevare in the central part of the country and an attack on a restaurant in Bamako in March that killed five. Al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility for both of these acts.

All told, the New York Times estimates that 55 people have been killed in seven terror attacks across Mali this year alone, most of which were claimed by AQIM, al-Mourabitoun, or Ansar Dine, another Islamist group that helped to establish the short-lived Azawad state.

Two of these attacks and 24 of the

DEC. 08, 2015 | 11

55 people have been killed in seven terror

attacks across Mali this year alone

deaths have occurred since the Malian Government and Islamists signed a peace deal in June. The deal’s fragility was one of the factors that led to the conference that was taking place at the Radisson Blu on Friday.

Globally, the siege comes on the heels of several high-profile terror attacks, including the bombing of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, twin blasts in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, and a coordinated series of bombings and shootings in Paris.

The attack is a blow to Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who was elected in 2013 on promises to restore peace to the country that the New York Times once considered one of the region’s most stable. Instead, the 70-year-old’s reign has been marred by insurgency and continued fighting, leading to doubts about his continued ability to rule the fractured country.

Al Jazeera cites al-Mourabitoun’s main demand as the release of prisoners in France and Mali taken in the war against the insurgency, though no releases have taken place. Furthermore, the group claims to fight for a cessation of intervention in Azawad.

The project was largely funded by a

Chinese loan that paid 85% of the $475 million

to construct a light rail metro system have been delayed for several years, despite commitments by the World Bank to assist in development. Other big cities such as Nairobi, Kenya, have chosen to focus investment on im-proving road infrastructure instead.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIADiwali: Bridging Religious Differences

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Coun-cil organized a Diwali celebration on Nov. 11 that sought to foster commu-nal amity by incorporating members of various faith traditions, according to ANI News. The event, organized in the region of Kochi within the state of Kerala, was attended by religious leaders from the Jain, Sikh, and Hindu communities as well as residents in the area.

The Kochi celebration is one of sev-eral Diwali festivities that aim to bring adherents of different faiths together within the country. In 2012, employ-ees of the Indian Railway Services in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh participated in Diwali celebrations that united Hin-dus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs. Last year, the arrival of the festival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat saw Muslim ar-tisans preparing ledgers for Hindu cli-ents, for many of whom Diwali marks the beginning of a new business year.

The purpose of Diwali differs across faith traditions. Hindus, for ex-ample, celebrate the return of Prince Rama from exile to the city of Ayod-hya, as well as the defeat of the demon Narakasura by divine forces. For Jains, the festival marks the commemoration of the spiritual master Lord Mahavi-ra. Sikhs celebrate the release of the spiritual leader Guru Hargobind from Mughal captivity, while Buddhists re-member Ashoka and his adoption of the principle of nonviolence. Despite such differences in its significance however, Diwali appears to be capable of being a unifying rather than divisive force within India, as demonstrated by the prevalence of interfaith cele-brations of the festival throughout the country. At a time in which incidents of religious violence have increased by 24 percent in the first half of this year, the role of Diwali in encouraging com-munal harmony is particularly mean-ingful and certainly comforting.

Arista Jhanjee

Myanmar Turns to Democracy, MostlyPhalguni Vetrichelvan

Myanmar’s most recent election, held on Nov. 8 was seen as the most democratic in the country for the past 25 years. In an interview with the BBC, Aung San Suu Kyi, a key political fig-ure in Myanmar, said the polls were not fair but “largely free.” Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democ-racy (NLD), had a winning majority by gaining two-thirds of the contested seats.

Suu Kyi also mentioned in her in-terview that there had been “areas of intimidation,” which refers to the ban-ning of the Rohingya Muslim minority from voting in the election, the lack of transparency in the advance voting process, and inconsistencies in mak-ing preliminary results available at the constituency level.

The military-backed Union Soli-darity Development Party (USDP) has been in power in Myanmar since 2011 when the country began its transition from decades of military rule to a ci-

vilian government. However, the con-stitution written by the military junta organization in 2008 is still in effect today. A clause in this document bars Suu Kyi from becoming president due to her children’s foreign citizenship. Yet, Suu Kyi claims that after this elec-tion “she will be making all the deci-sions” regardless of who holds the of-ficial title.

The military-drafted constitution guarantees that unelected military representatives will take up 25 percent of the seats in the parliament and will have a veto over constitutional chang-es. This is what the generals call “disci-plined democracy,” a system nominaly democratic but in essence still retain-ing its autocratic roots. In addition, the security ministries, including those for defense, home affairs, and border af-fairs, are selected by the head of the army, not the president.

Furthermore, there can be no change to the constitution without military approval. This is similar to former Indonesian and Thai constitu-

tions, which guaranteed a significant portion of power to unelected officials.

One of the themes in the last five years has been the emergence of the parliament as an important political force. It is predicted to become more vocal and assertive after this election, possessing the power to push legisla-tion against the president’s wishes. The parliament also has the responsibility to choose the president. Since a sig-nificant majority of its members are appointed military elites, this under-mines the legitimacy of the new gov-ernment. Though the general election happened in November, the position of president will likely not be deter-

mined until March 2016, severely af-fecting the projected level of democra-cy this election is expected to bring to the country.

The NLD’s landslide victory in the general elections shows that Myan-mar’s citizens desire a more democrat-ic government. However, the country’s “democratic status” remains question-able. With the military controling a significant portion of the parliament, and the presidency still undetermined, Myanmar still has a long way to go before claiming status as a true dem-ocratic nation.

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Voter participating in the 2012 by-elections in Myanmar.

Jessica Li

Parents, student unions, teachers’ organizations, and schools in Nepal participated in a massive protest earlier last week in opposition to the unofficial blockade by India.

The two month long blockade was triggered by the ratification of Nepal’s new constitution, which the Madhesi ethnic minority in Nepal criticizes as discriminatory. Since early August, the Madhesis have blocked border checkpoints, preventing the move-ment of fuel, cooking gas, medicine and other crucial supplies. The Indian government denies any sort of inter-vention; nonetheless, recent events have contributed to growing anti-In-dian sentiments.

Nepal imports nearly 60 percent of its medicine from India, and the blockade has thwarted recovery efforts for the April earthquake that devastat-

ed Nepal. Without necessary supplies, many schools in the area are unable to reopen. The Himalayan Times estimates over 7.1 million children are affected.

The protests yielded both support and criticism. By using students in human chains, protesters hope to draw attention to situation and engender positive changes. Offi-cials from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the Central Children Welfare Board, however, expressed concern over the use of children in human chains. A National Human Rights Commission spokesperson said “Using children in programs like bandhs and strikes is against the United Nations Conven-tion on the Rights of the Child, 1989 and the Children’s Act, 1992.”

As the blockade continues, Napal’s recovery efforts remain stagnant with no end in sight.

Nepalese Students Protest Blockade

12 | DEC. 08, 2015

Internet Penetration

EDITORIAL COLUMN:

Ho Yao Nian

EDITOR’S NOTE:

South and Southeast Asia have traditionally been portrayed in international media as regions relevant insofar as they are vul-nerable to great power politics. Indeed, during the colonial era, the British, French, Spanish and even the Dutch competed in a race of exploitation for lands and resources. After World War II, the Cold War brought about proxy conflicts across the region, most notably in Vietnam. Even today, while both regions wield consider-able political and economic clout, they remain susceptible to the maneuvers of major powers.

Over the past few months, American and Chinese involve-ment in both regions have preoc-cupied international media. In the South China Sea, China’s contin-ued occupation and construction on disputed coastal reefs threaten regional solidarity in ASEAN as member nations, of which four out of ten are claimant states, struggle to establish a formal code of conduct. On the American end, the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership represents a concrete victory in increased regional engagement. In South Asia, the regional hegemon India has found itself in an uneasy position balanc-ing strategic security cooperation with the U.S. and the economic pull of China’s Maritime Silk Road.

And yet, we miss out on so much when the media only shines light on the region’s role in great power politics. In The Caravel, I aspire to show that the West can learn from these countries, which have faced similar problems and innovated unique solutions. Against the backdrop of a resur-gence of racial divides, populism, and Islamophobia in the West, India’s experience with its religious tensions and Singapore with its racial ones could prove instru-mental, while those in Myanmar and Malaysia serve as important cautionary tales.

The international media tend to obscure these important lessons in favor of what is “relevant” to the world. As such, I hope the SSEA section in The Caravel and this issue in particular makes it clear that these regions do matter in more ways than one.

Indonesia to Improve Infrastructure, ConnectivityTheresa Romualdez

Earlier this November, the Indo-nesian government launched the Sea Toll Road transportation program and designated 11 seaports to facilitate passenger traffic and 13 to expedite freighting. According to Global Risk Insights, the Sea Toll Road is predict-ed to “completely upgrade Indone-sia’s port network” and is projected to shrink logistical costs by 10 to 15 percent.

Lack of inter-island freighter ser-vices and inefficient operations at the ports on its 8,000 inhabited islands have represented one of Indonesia’s greatest challenges in recent decades. The prices of goods in eastern regions can be 30 times more expensive than the same goods in western regions. Logistical costs amounted to almost a quarter of the country’s $811 billion economy. Cargoes at some ports have a dwelling time of between four to six

Bohesa Won

Wanted Malaysian militants hid-ing in the southern Philippines are currently attempting to form an of-ficial faction of the group known as the Islamic State (IS), according to the Straits Times. The militants, who have been on Malaysia’s most want-ed list since last April, plan to form a regional terror group by uniting ex-isting terrorist organizations in Ma-laysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The militants’ plans were among several terrorist-related developments that have recently emerged in Ma-laysia. Last month, militants of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) behead-ed Malaysian citizen Bernard Then, who had been abducted in May. The Malay Mail reported that Then is be-lieved to be the first Malaysian hos-tage killed by the terrorist group.

Malaysia’s counterterrorism frame-work has been successful in past years and arrested more than 150 terror sus-pects since 2013. However, recent po-lice intelligence suggests that the coun-try’s counterterrorism actions may result in progressively more severe consequences. According to Channel NewsAsia, police believe that Malay-

sia’s active role in fighting IS has caused Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, to become a target of terror attacks.

The recent developments in Malay-sia and fears over future attacks have elicited greater scrutiny over terrorist recruitment in Southeast Asia. The Muslim-dominated populations in countries such as Indonesia, home to 205 million Muslims, make the region a “ripe location” for recruitment. Sin-gaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien

Facing Terrorism, Leaders Deradicalize

Loong detailed the state of the region, explaining, “Southeast Asia is a key recruitment center for [IS]. More than 500 Indonesians have joined this ter-rorist group. ... [IS] has so many Indo-nesian and Malaysian fighters that they form them into a unit by themselves.”

The terrorist groups have recruit-ed members through novel methods on multiple fronts to gain traction. A USAID report published in Septem-ber draws attention to one particu-larly susceptible area in Indonesia: its prisons. “Due to overcrowding and limited resources, Indonesian pris-on officials struggle to isolate jihadist inmates from the general jail popula-tion. … Numerous inmates have been converted to Islamic militancy in jail,” the report described. Terrorists of-ten radicalized youths through the Internet, where terrorist propaganda abounds. Two self-radicalized Singa-porean youths were arrested earlier this year, the Straits Times reported.

National leaders have identified deradicalization as an important ap-proach to counter the evolving ter-rorist threats. Following the ASEAN Political and Security Community Council meeting, Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrish-nan identified deradicalization pro-grams as a key area of collaboration for ASEAN countries. He also added, “Dealing with terrorism is not just enforcement, or military or police op-eration ... there is also a need to reach out to our young people and to show

days, and in Semarang it can take 10 days to move containers through the container port. These inefficiencies make it cheaper to import commodi-ties to Jakarta from China than from Borneo, which is a quarter of the dis-tance.

The Sea Toll Road initiative reflects newly elected President Joko Widodo’s commitment to enhancing inter-island connectivity as a priority in Indonesia’s economic development. Upon his vic-tory in the 2014 general elections, In-donesia Investments published an arti-cle outlining his “Ambitions, Strategies and Promises” where Widodo prom-ised to develop heavy infrastructure and untangle bureaucracies in order to achieve a target GDP growth of seven percent.

Last year, Indonesia’s economy grew only 4.7 percent, the slowest pace since 2009. This was lower than in Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philip-pines.

According to the World Bank, con-necting “remote regions to the major economic growth poles” is crucial for raising living standards. The increased connectivity brought about by the initiative, if successful, would bring

DEC. 08, 2015 | 13

together the “commodity-rich” outer islands of Indonesia with the manufac-turing centers in Java.

Already, major port operations corporations have begun to invest in improving the capacity of major feed-er ports. Djarwo Surjanto, Managing Director of Port Corporation Three, announced that his company would invest up to $1 billion to develop ports that comply with international stan-dards.

In addition, Widodo has confirmed that the government will spend $429 billion to upgrade infrastructure in the next five years.

However, concerns remain over the exact implementation of the plans. In particular, President Director of Maersk Line Indonesia Jakob Sorensen noted the uneven development of ports, with a disproportionate empha-sis on the West over the East.

Overall, the Sea Toll Road is an encouraging move by the Widodo ad-ministration to tap the immense eco-nomic potential of the country which will bring positive spillover effects to the region.

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KMP SMS Kartanegara, Port of Merak

them that there are better and more effective ways to achieve progress, to discover identity, to assert value.”

A concerted regional effort at de-radicalization may be put forward next

ASEAN leaders must “recognize that

problems of extremism today require new

solutions”year, as an international conference on deradicalization in the ASEAN region will be held in Kuala Lumpur in Janu-ary. The announcement followed a Spe-cial Regional Meeting on Radicaliza-tion and Extremism (SAMMRRAVE), also held in Kuala Lumpur in October, The Diplomat reports. The conference will attempt to establish international-ly accepted standards and procedures for programs to combat terrorism.

As President Aquino of the Phil-ippines expressed during the 27th ASEAN summit, ASEAN leaders must “recognize that problems of ex-tremism today require new solutions,” and improved deradicalization pro-grams may be the crucial first step.

Muslim-dominated populations in

countries such as Indonesia, home to

205 million Muslims, make the region a “ripe location” for

recruitment.

WESTERN EUROPE14 | DEC. 08, 2015

Burqa Ban Divides Luxem-bourg

Although the Luxembourg government decided against a national ban on wearing burkas or niqabs on Nov. 24, four of its five largest communes—the smallest territorial-administrative divisions in Luxembourg—enacted legislation during the last week of November that bans all face coverings. These laws indirectly prohibit the wearing of burkas and niqabs, full veils with slits where the eyes are.

Differdange, a commune in southwestern Luxembourg and the country’s third largest, is the outlier. The only legislation in Differdange regarding the burka states that, “any hidden or disguised person shall carry a form of ID which must be presented upon the request of a member of the police force.”

In contrast, Luxembourg City, the commune housing the capital, along with Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Ettelbruck, has forbidden citizens from covering their faces in public squares and streets.

The federal government’s decision not to enact legislation at the national level has opened doors to criticism. The Mayor of Ettelbruck, Jean-Paul Shaaf, told the Luxemburger Wort, a national newspaper, on Nov. 30 that “the government is contradicting itself ” by failing to legislate while giving communes the opportunity to legislate independently.

According to the Luxemburger Wort, however, the new laws in communes will affect few people. In fact, only 16 Muslim women in Luxembourg currently wear the niqab, and none wear the burka.

Still, high levels of migration to Europe in conjunction with November’s terror attacks in Paris have bred vigilance in Western Europe, increasing the likelihood that these laws will become more relevant in the coming months amid concerns that face coverings present a public security threat.

Mary Zuccarello

Paris Attacks Renew a Security DilemmaTancrède Fulconis

According to the official numbers released by France’s Interior Ministry, 130 people were killed in Paris during a series of coordinated attacks on the night of Nov. 13. Terrorists targeted street cafes, The Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people lost their lives, as well as the Stade de France, where France was playing against Germany in a high profile friendly football match attended by President Francois Hollande. The terrorist group known as the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Shortly after the attacks, President Francois Hollande gave a brief speech on the television channel France 2 in which he declared a state of emergency, closed France’s borders, and called for all available forces, be they military or police, to be deployed in Paris to prevent further attacks. The state of emergency, according to Le Monde, heightens police powers, reinforces control of the press, allows

the police to search any house it deems suspicious, and establishes a curfew.

This is the first time since 2005 and only the second time in France’s history that the president has declared a state of emergency. On Nov. 16, the National Assembly extended the state of emergency, which will remain in place until the executive sees fit to end it.

The state of emergency appeared useful the morning after the attacks, as the RAID (France’s special intervention forces) located the apartment of the individuals who organized the attacks. According to Le Monde, French police also closed three mosques accused of preaching radical thoughts, arrested 232 individuals, and seized 334 weapons.

The state of emergency and its extension is a contentious issue among the French political class. Currently, French political discourse is characterized by a real security dilemma.

Former Prime Minister and

current Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin stated in an interview with BFMTV that “[France] needs to limit the state of emergency to the minimum required.” For him, a prolonged state of emergency would considerably weaken institutions and democracy in France and would only benefit the extremist right wing party, the National Front.

Vehement criticism also comes from the Leftist Front’s charismatic leader Jean-Luc Mélanchon, who, in an interview with the Senate Television Channel on Nov. 16, claimed that the “The only result [of the state of emergency] was to diminish our freedom.”

To some extent, many critics have noted that the emergency measures taken by the government seem to overshadow earlier calls for national unity made by Hollande. According to Le Monde, some politicians have brought severe measures to the table, most of which are unconstitutional or damage foundational values of the French Republic. The most extreme positions ask for the internment of all the residents accused for radicalization or to stop refugees from coming into the country altogether. Amid this security crisis, many French citizens have called for France to remember its values of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

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French police gather outside the Bataclan Theater on Nov. 14.

Rachel Rodgers

Sweden announced a series of measures aimed at decreasing gun vi-olence and organized crime on Dec. 1.

These measures were introduced following reports by Svenska Dagbla-det that last year, Sweden experienced its highest levels of gun violence in the past 15 years. Over 100 people were shot, and 25 were killed, in 2014.

The new proposals include work-ing with Balkan countries to establish weapons amnesties, initiatives that encourage people to turn over illic-it weapons to the government with the guarantee that they will not be prosecuted for possession. Officials believe that amnesty will help curb the flow of foreign-made guns into Sweden. Another measure would criminalize proposition and con-spiracy to commit grand larceny.

In response to criticisms that the

new measures are too weak, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman stated in an interview with Svenska Dagbla-det, “The shootings cannot be reg-ulated only by law. But we should make it harder for criminals to obtain weapons, and we will make it easi-er to arrest those guilty of larceny.”

Swedes are also trying to concen-trate efforts on areas in which gun violence occurs at a disproportion-ate level. At a press conference on Nov. 25, national police chief Dan Eliasson stated that the police iden-tified 14 “areas of priority” on which they would focus more intently.

When asked where the police would find the resources to pursue this effort, Eliasson responded that redistributing pre-existing resources would be key.

The effectiveness of these new measures remains to be seen, but Swedes seem to appear cautiously optimistic about the new regulations.

Sweden Poised to Tackle Gun Violence

Per capita Beer Consumption (2014)

Source: The Brewers of Europe, 2015.

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Brandon Greenblatt

EDITOR’S NOTE:

When the Western Europe section sat down to brainstorm for this month’s print issue, we were enormously conflicted. What picture of Western Europe did we want to portray to our readers? With so many countries, functional issues, and countless intriguing storylines to choose from, we had a tough time picking just five article ideas.

We felt compelled to cover the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, but to do so without focusing entirely on uncertainty and fear. COP21 is a monumental event with regional and global implications in the the fight against climate change, and we wanted to reflect our cautious optimism about the European Union’s unique role in U.N. negotiations. And, of course, Western Europe is so much more than terrorism and climate change, and thus we needed to devote attention to stories in countries like Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden as well.

Ultimately, and much like our print issue in October, we settled on a theme of transition. The five stories we’ve selected reflect a Western Europe coming to grips with a series of long-term but pressing issues.

In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris, France has seen justifiable security concerns clash with the very French desires for liberty and freedom. Luxembourg, a country rarely covered by The Caravel but one incredibly relevant to this issue, is simultaneously experiencing its own struggles with Islamophobia. As Sweden starts to reform its gun control regulations, the topic hits home for many of us here in the United States. Spain, as it tries to remove monuments to a 20th century fascist dictator, confronts its own history and attempts to move forward. Soon, on Dec. 11, we’ll finally see how policymakers at COP21 have shaped the future of our global climate.

The articles you’ll read across these two pages capture our worst fears and highest hopes about Western Europe, and we hope you’ll understand that the region, constantly in transition, lands somewhere in the middle.

Dismantling of Franco’s Regime ContinuesWilliam Reid

Daybreak in Madrid on March 17, 2005 marked a symbolic end of an era for many Spaniards when the city’s last remaining statue of former dictator Francisco Franco was removed. Ten years later, several proposals have re-ignited the debate to further purge the city, and country, of Francoist symbols.

Citizens and politicians renewed their calls for the removal of Franco’s remains from the Valley of the Fallen, where forty thousand fallen civil war soldiers are buried, and to change the names of Madrid’s streets that bear ref-erence to the Franco Regime.

Supporters of these changes say reminders of Franco, who led an au-thoritarian government for 39 years following Spain’s civil war (1936-1939) and directed the killing of hundreds of thousands of political opponents, should not remain four decades after El Caudillo, or the leader, fell from power.

The Valley of the Fallen, con-structed near Madrid during Franco’s regime, is a memorial to those killed during the civil war. To some, the placement of Franco’s remains at the memorial is a tribute to fascism, which many associate with the regime.

“[The memorial] is the only case

in Europe in which the remains of a criminal coup rest beside those of its victims, a monument to public owner-ship,” the Forum for Memory Federa-tion, which supports these removals, stated in November.

Madrid’s street names are not ex-empt from scrutiny either.

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The Valle de los Caídos, a memorial to honor those killed during the Spanish Civil War

Tara Subramaniam

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change con-vened the 21st session of the Confer-ence of the Parties (COP21) in Paris on Nov. 30. This conference, set to conclude on Dec. 11, is the U.N.’s first major set of talks focused on limiting greenhouse gas emissions in over five years, since COP15 was held in Co-penhagen in 2009.

In late November, Christiana Figueres, the conference’s Executive Secretary, asserted that climate change requires policy reform on a never-be-fore attempted scale. Figueres ex-pressed hope that the summit in Paris would serve as a global turning point in the fight against climate change by commemorating recent efforts and in-spiring further action.

While COP21 indicates a shift in international prioritization of en-vironmental issues, environmental stewardship has long been a focus of EU policy. Since the Treaty of Amster-

dam was ratified in 1997, developing sustainable energy sources has been one the EU’s primary goals and has re-ceived popular support. According to the 2014 Eurobarometer survey by the European Commission, 95 percent of Europeans consider protecting the en-vironment to be personally important.

While the European Environmen-tal Agency reported this October that EU greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 23 percent since 1990, many EU leaders have pushed for further progress in anticipation of COP21.

Just before the official start of the summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her hopes, noting, “For the first time, [the conference] gives us the chance to achieve our goal of a treaty.”

Even so, the EU continues to push for environmental reform inde-pendently of global policy develop-ment at COP21. The Circular Econo-my Package, adopted by the European Commission on Dec. 2, aims to align business interests with environmental

COP21 Highlights EU Environmentalism

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Executive Secretary Figueres offered opening remarks at COP21.

goals. According to EU Business, the re-

vised plan outlines policies that will “stimulate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy which will boost global competitiveness, foster sustain-able economic growth, and generate new jobs.” The plan will focus on more energy-efficient means of production, increasing use of biodegradable ma-terials, reducing food waste, and pro-moting increased reparability, durabil-

ity, and recyclability of products. EU leaders hope the plan will inspire sim-ilar legislation from the policymakers at COP21.

Given the European Union’s com-mitment to minimizing the effects of climate change, many believe that Par-is was a logical host site for COP21. As the summit draws to a close on Dec. 11, both EU and U.N. leaders remain hopeful that new environmental poli-cies will spur lasting global change.

According to El País, a street ref-erencing the División Azul, a military division of Spanish soldiers Franco summoned to fight alongside the Na-zis on the Eastern Front, and Plaza de Arriba España, a street named after the slogan of Franco’s political movement (“Up with Spain”), are included among street names up for change.

In 2005, Madrid’s last statue of Franco was removed due to general public sentiment. Now, any new re-movals or street name changes must work within the Historical Memory Law, passed in 2007. The law calls for the removal of all Francoist symbols

To some, the placement of Franco’s

remains at the memorial is a tribute

to fascism, which many associate with

the regime

in public spaces and prevents public funds from being used for private enti-ties still displaying such symbols.

While the Historical Memory Law gives impetus to a more widespread purge of Francoist symbols, the insti-tutionalized process slows down the actual removal by requiring political consensus, as opposed to public sen-timent.

Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena of the leftist party Now Madrid plans to comply with the law and stated, “[we] will change the names that are not in line with the state law on His-torical Memory,” but, she added, it will require “a coordinated effort between neighborhoods and social entities,” ac-cording to El País.

This “coordinated effort” is prov-ing precarious. On Nov. 25, during a Madrid vote to change Franco-relat-ed street names, Carmena’s party ab-stained, amid a wide lack of consensus led by opposition from the conserva-tive Popular Party.

In a debate muddled by a country that has never officially investigated the crimes of Franco’s regime, many believe a sweeping removal of Fran-coistsymbols will not come quickly.

THE ANCHORSam Kim, Max Fiege

EDITORS’ NOTE:

T he attacks on Paris and Beirut caused many casualties and comparable levels of uncertainty. Nations in which terrorist attacks have occurred are struggling to de-tect plans for and prevent the next mass murder or suicide bombing.

The refugee crisis is worsen-ing as fears of terrorism make developed states more reluctant to accept refugees, even as developing nations continue to bear the brunt of immigration. Meanwhile, Rus-sia’s involvement in Syria brought back Cold War era suspicions in the United States.

While The Anchor seeks to address these recent developments, we have done so through lenses beyond that of security.

The European refugee crisis led to protests from climate activist, who demand measures to make burgeoning refugee communities sustainable. Indeed, environmen-tally friendly residences for refu-gees could redefine the relation-ship between refugee communities and host nations. Conversations surrounding these issues have to start somewhere, and fast.

Interview, from p.1borders becoming more porous.

Have any countries effectively managed resources for both local residents and refugees?

The Kenyan government appears to be trying to tackle this issue. They have had this large refugee camp in the Kakuma province since 1991. Back then, there was little understanding of the potential environmental impact. Due to the camp’s prolonged existence, the Kenyan government plans to conduct an environmental impact assessment and develop appropriate action plans.

So adequate measures to prevent such environmental problems will increase local residents’ willingness to accept refugees?

I think so. One thing we’re looking into is the viability of a common resource management system that involves both local populations and refugees. But governments aren’t always willing to accept such programs, because they think the international community, not individual governments, is responsible for refugees.

What are your recommendations for European countries now suffering from a refugee crisis?

European governments should be able to provide temporary protections until they can sort out which refugees will receive legal status. It would be useful to have legal ways to admit refugees from their places of origin. If Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey don’t have access to education or jobs, they have few legal ways of getting out of these countries. As a result, thousands are resorting to irregular, perilous measures to get to Europe.

The U.S. could resettle refugees and provide more assistance to refugee-hosting countries. Europe should also encourage its neighbors to provide better services to refugees, including some work options. Because these primary destinations for refugees also often have high unemployment, they are wary of increasing competition in the labor market. They will need to develop local labor infrastructures to help their own populations, while at the same time providing humanitarian aid to refugees.

Cold War, from p.1its elimination as part of his foreign policy platform, his rationale seems distinct from that of the U.S. and its Western allies. The choice to focus initial airstrikes on the U.S.-backed rebels may indicate that Putin sees the Syrian conflict as an opportunity to assert Russia’s prominence in international affairs and particularly in the Middle East while propping

up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, a critical regional ally.

Furthermore, Russia and the West have radically divergent imagined outcomes. President Obama maintains that the Syrian Civil War cannot end with Assad in office. Russia, on the other hand, seems committed to retaining Assad (and therefore Syria) as an ally in the Middle East. As President Obama implies, even if the United States saw Assad in a neutral light, his continued presence will likely mean a continuation of the civil war unless

Russia can neutralize the rebel forces. Tensions have escalated further

after Turkey, a member of NATO, shot down a Russian fighter jet after it neglected to heed warnings to leave Turkish airspace. Putin called the act, which resulted in the death of a Russian pilot, “a stab in the back” and issued economic sanctions against Turkey. NATO has expressed its full support for Turkey and affirmed its right to defend its airspace and to

Refugees, from p.1In Dadaab, a Kenyan town home to

some 300,000 Somali refugees and the largest refugee camp in the world, the World Food Program has struggled to fund its operations.The program dropped rations by 30 percent this summer, meaning refugees now

receive less than the bare minimum amount of calories recommended by the United Nations.

To meet its own standards, the U.N. must turn to individual member states, whose voluntary contributions fund the U.N.’s humanitarian relief and development agencies.

According to the U.N., developing states have increasingly borne a

Co-Founder & PublisherCo-Founder & Editor-in-ChiefCo-Founder & East Asia and Oceania EditorExecutive Director

EXECUTIVE BOARDDeputy Executive DirectorPrint Layout EditorDirector of Web Design

EDITORIAL BOARDCopy ChiefEast Asia and Oceania Associate EditorEastern Europe and Central Asia EditorEastern Europe and Central Asia Associate EditorLatin America and the Caribbean EditorMiddle East and North Africa EditorSouth and Southeast Asia Co-EditorSouth and Southeast Asia Co-EditorSub-Saharan Africa EditorSub-Saharan Africa Associate EditorThe Anchor EditorThe Anchor Associate Editor Western Europe Editor

Edwin LopezKelly Lui

Tomoyuki ShikataTomas Alvarez Belon

Kathy WangRainier Go

Nivedita Jejurikar

Eric HenshallAndrea Moneton

Morgan FordeLuis Joy

Jason IlieveMargaret Schaack

Ho Yao NianKevin Chen

Sophie Haggerty Jonathan Dörnhofer

Samuel KimMaximilian Fiege

Brandon Greenblatt

16 | DEC. 08, 2015

Cold War II? Susan Martin

Global Refugees

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The Zaatari refugee camp, in Jordan

86 percent of the world’s refugees

reside in developing countries

larger part of the burden of caring for refugees. Indeed, 86 percent of the world’s refugees reside in developing countries. Meanwhile, wealthy countries care for a mere 14 percent.

Some countries, including Germany and Sweden, have taken the lead by adopting generous measures for refugees. However, many European leaders are wary of the impact an influx of migrants will have on their levels of political support, as an increasing amount of voters become hostile to refugees.

The international community must renew its commitment to stop violence before more refugees find themselves dependent on the goodwill and resources of humanitarian agencies and countries. Instead of framing the refugee crisis as a Syrian or European problem, the international community should recognize that the refugee question is a global crisis that requires a coordinated, comprehensive response.

Russia and the West have radically divergent imagined

outcomes

refuse an apology to Russia.The situation in Syria involves the

clash of important U.S. and Russian interests with respect to the conflict itself, the wider Middle East, and global power dynamics. If Russia and the West cannot work together to establish a common strategy for defeating their common enemy in IS despite their opposing visions for Syria’s future, conflict may be unavoidable.