COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

June 7-13

• Robert Gates: US will not ask Britain to pledge more troops in Afghanistan; New British PM Cameron visits Kabul, reaffirms British support for Afghanistan; NATO Chief Rasmussen: The alliance should start handing over security responsibility to Afghan forces "as soon as possible", Holbrooke: Afghan Government must outline utilization process of international funds aimed at Taliban’s reintegration; At least 39 killed in a suicide attack on a wedding ceremony in Kandahar; Karzai appeals community leaders to support Kandahar operation; Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey hold trilateral meeting on security in Istanbul

June 14-20

• NATO establishes a new Regional Command Southwest (RC-SW) for its operations in Southern Afghanistan; The restructuring brings majority of British troops in Afghanistan under the US command; LSE Report: Pakistan’s ISI funds, trains and support Taliban militants in Afghanistan; US Defence Secretary Gates warns of scaling back of defense operations in Afghanistan if Congress fails to approve billions in additional war funding urgently; President Karzai thanks Japan for its 6.5 billion $ assistance to Afghanistan; UN Report: Violence level in Afghanistan sharply increased this year; Reports: Afghanistan has mineral deposits worth one trillion US $

Pakistan

June 7-13

• United States to establish an audit office in Islamabad to manage the US aid to Pakistan; US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake: India is supportive of financial assistance to “stabilize Pakistan”; Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey reach an understanding to eliminate militancy; Clash between Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims 21 lives; US missiles kill 15 militants in North Waziristan

June 14-20

• LSE study establishes deep linkages between ISI and the Taliban; Richard Holbrooke: US aid to Pakistan would increase; Pakistan demands advanced US helicopters to fight militants in the tribal areas; US provides evidence against the Haqqani network to Pakistan, urges strict action against the network; PAF plane sent to bring back Pakistani students from Kyrgyzstan

Bhutan

• Lhasa strives to build a cross-Himalaya tourist destination; India’s army chief visits Bhutan, assures India’s continued support to Bhutan’s security interests; India to raise 16 more battalions of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to guard Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal border; US expresses interest in taking more Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal

East Asia

Japan
June 7-13

• Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigns; Japanese Cabinet: US Marine Corps stationed in Okinawa Prefecture are important deterrent force for Japan; Naoto Kan takes over as new Prime Minister of Japan; Kan expresses wish to rebuild ties with Washington; Kan rejects opposition demand for snap general elections; Kan assures US president Obama ‘to make strenuous efforts’ on Okinawa issue

June 14-20

• Ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) outlines its determination to rebuild the nation's finances; Kan survives no confidence motion in Parliament; Kan announces his decision not to visit Yasukuni Shrine during his tenure; Prime ministerial hotline activated between Japan and China

Southeast Asia

June 7-13

• Malaysia to launch a signature campaign to condemn recent Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla; Malaysian Prime Minister will seek agreement from like minded countries to hold a special session of the UN to condemn Israeli attack; Malaysia and Czecch Republic plans to boost bilateral ties; Malaysia urges ASEAN members states to deliberate upon enhancing cooperation with both the US and Russia; Thai reconciliation plan launched on June 10; Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva emphasises on people’s active participation to make the reconciliation successful; India hopes for a broad-based political reform in Myanmar.

June 14-20

• India Navy vessels reach Malaysia on a four-day good will visit; Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak expresses hope of national reconciliation in Myanmar; Kyrgyzstan seeks humanitarian aid from Malaysia to deal with ongoing unrest in the country; Thai government to conduct opinion polls on reconciliation plan from June 18.