Play The Diplomat’s Quiz: January 29, 2017 Edition

After negotiations at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the governments of Australia and Timor-Leste have come to an agreement to terminate the current treaty over their disputed maritime border. The treaty, known as the Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS), signed in 2006, established a temporary maritime border in the Timor Sea after Timor-Leste received its independence from Indonesia and became a sovereign state in 2002.

2014 had been a year of promise for Afghanistan. Peace talks between the Taliban and Pakistan were underway, the U.S.-led coalition ended its official combat mission at the end of the year, and the country had its first ever democratic transfer of power. Although the government-building process was chaotic and protracted, there was a sense of optimism, both at home and within the international community, about the country’s future.

Then, after months of rumors about the group’s emerging presence in Afghanistan, on January 26, 2015, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, Islamic State’s now-deceased spokesperson, announced an “expansion” of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s “caliphate” into the “lands of Khorasan.” A term from Islamic history that encompasses a swathe of South and Central Asia, “Khorasan Province” would come to refer to ISIS operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pakistan military has reportedly conducted the first successful flight test of a new medium range ballistic missile (MRBM), according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

The test involved the successful launch of the surface-to-surface MRBM Ababeel, reportedly capable of carrying multiple warheads using Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle technology (MIRV). The new missile purportedly has a maximum range of 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles).

The January 24 test of the Ababeel MRBM follows the first-ever test of a nuclear-capable Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) from a submerged platform off the Pakistani coast in early January.

“The test flight was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system,” the ISPS statement reads. “Ababeel is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has the capability to engage multiple targets with high precision, defeating the enemy’s hostile radars.”

In a surprise move back in June 2015, Thailand’s navy elected to buy three submarines from China in what would be one of the most expensive single acquisitions in the country’s history (See: “How Did China Just Win Thailand’s New Submarine Bid?”).

Since then, although the debate about the wider strategic significance of the billion-dollar deal has continued, the proposed purchase itself has been repeatedly delayed, thereby further postponing the country’s dream of acquiring a capability it has lacked for more than six decades (See: “Thailand Eyes Submarine Fleet”).

As we move into 2017, however, indications are we could finally see some progress on this front.

In 2009, Karl Rove, echoing many other critics during then-President Barack Obama’s administration, called his first two trips around the world an “Apology Tour.” This was later parroted in 2012 by GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and it apparently came “full circle” in 2016 with Obama’s visit to Cuba. But Obama’s reason for going to Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East was to distance himself for his predecessor but also ensure that America would not be “dismissive, even derisive,” to allies and partners again.

Keep that in mind when Secretary of Defense James Mattis travels to South Korea and Japan next week. The trip’s goal is to “underscore the commitment of the United States to our enduring alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and further strengthen U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea security cooperation” (emphasis mine). Read that line as “apologize for Trump’s statements during the campaign.”

Wednesday, Central Asia watchers were all atwitter over a surprising announcement by Kazakhstan’s long-time president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, that he would aim to devolve some of his powers to Parliament. In December, a working group began meeting in Astana to evaluate the redistribution of powers between government branches, Nazarbayev’s announcement and the draft of proposed constitutional reforms now up for public discussion are products of that process.

In his televised remarks on January 25, Nazarbayev laid out plans for government reforms and constitutional changes. But first, he laid out a defense of Kazakhstan’s to-date autocratic version of a democratic system. According to the Astana Times’ transcript, Nazarbayev defended the country’s strong presidential system as “necessary… in the course of overcoming the enormous difficulties of state formation.”

On the 26th of January, as India celebrates its 68th Republic Day, tensions are once again brewing in the Kashmir Valley and the stage is set for renewed clashes between the government, separatists, and militants. The separatist party Hurriyat has called for a statewide shutdown of activity — a bandh — and the observance of Republic Day as “black day.” The Jammu and Kashmir state government is planning to compel attendance at Republic Day festivities by students and government employees. Meanwhile, militant organizations have threatened those who participate in Republic Day activities. Once again, the average Kashmiri citizen is caught amidst competing forces with few good options.

But death or illness by overwork, for which Japan even has its own word for, karoshi, is not just Dentsu’s problem. Late last year Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare released a white paper on karoshi that found more than 20 percent of employees exceeded 80 hours of overtime a month, and among those, 12 percent put in more than 100 hours of extra time. In 2015 alone, 93 suicides and attempted suicides were officially recognized as overwork deaths and eligible for compensation, while 96 deaths were attributed to heart attacks, strokes, and other illnesses from overwork. Additionally, there were 1,515 cases of workers or families seeking compensation for overwork-related mental health problems. Japanese employees in their 20s and 30s were particularly vulnerable to depression and other psychological disorders due to grueling hours, which is concerning for both short and long term economic development for Japan.

Karoshi is often associated with men, as more men have died from overwork than women. However, according to Dr. Junko Kitanaka, a medical anthropologist from Keio University who has researched overwork suicide in Japan extensively, such views are a self-fulfilling prophecy. “The conceptualization of suicide seems more reserved for male workers and thus minimizes the importance and possible underreporting of depression in women or unemployed individuals,” Kitanaka writes. “Although Japanese male workers may be at most risk, they have also been the primary focus of suicide concern in Japan at the expense of other population groups.” While women in Japan might not be committing suicide from work as rampantly as men, they face other stresses and mental health problems, such as major depression and anxiety, due to work, which affect their ability to thrive and contribute to Japan’s economy.

On January 16, the Chinese government announced the appointment of Che Dalha (known as Qi Zhala in Chinese) as the new chair (equivalent to governor) of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Che Dalha, the former party secretary of Lhasa municipality, was given his new post during the fifth session of the 10th regional congress, which was held from January 10-16. Rumors about such a promotion had been rife for a long time, particularly among the people of Lhasa; the announcement made it official. Che Dalha is the new governor of the TAR, replacing Lobsang Gyaltsen, who occupied the post from January 2013 and will now serve as chairman of the Standing Committee of the TAR People’s Congress.