Thailand and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional — Transforming Governmental Frameworks for Long-term Peace
By Tanvi Kothari
The winning essay for the UWCSEA-APP Peace Essay Competition
After a somewhat stagnant two years, there is a reemergence of the peace dialogue between Thailand’s government and the separatist insurgent group, Barisan Revolusi Nasional. This conflict, stemming from the invasion of the Malay sultanate Pattani and subsequent assimilation of the Muslim-majority population, has been ongoing for centuries with no apparent sign of long-term peace agreements or settlements between the two parties.
And as expected, there is no significant breakthrough in the negotiations to settle the insurgency in the Deep South or end the brutal crackdown of military rule in the region – the issues that lay at the heart of this conflict have not been addressed, in addition to the unending violence between the two actors and cases of Human Rights abuses on both sides being unearthed. A settlement of this conflict is not only necessary but imminent for Thailand’s democracy and state sovereignty, especially with increasing interstate tensions in the Asia Pacific region.
Building a process of trust between India and Pakistan on Kashmir
By Kamila Hak
The second placed entry for the UWCSEA-APP Peace Essay Competition
Pakistan and India have had three wars in over 70 years. Beginning with the issue of religion and stemming into issues of resource distribution, relations between these two states are yet to find a way into friendly territory. Kashmir has been a continual reason for the mistrust between the two regions, as both want access to the resources that Kashmir offers. In this essay, I will examine the historical context and tension between India and Pakistan and propose policies that can be implemented to improve the ongoing conflict.
The partition of Pakistan and India took place on August 14, 1947. This boundary was drawn up by a British man, Cyril Radcliffe, based on which religion dominated each area. Although Kashmir had a Muslim majority, the Maharaja, Hari Singh, was Hindu and therefore had the final say on whether Kashmir would join Pakistan or India. He instead decided that he wanted Kashmir to be independent and away from the conflict between both states. This caused an uproar against the Maharaja, which was followed by the invasion of Kashmir by Pakistani tribesmen in hopes of taking over the city of Srinagar by looting and raiding it.
Solutions towards peace along the Sino-Indian border
By Vanshika Anand
The third placed entry for the UWCSEA-APP Peace Essay Competition
“India has always given a befitting reply to anyone who has tried to disturb the prevailing atmosphere of peace and progress,” Narendra Modi proclaimed shortly after the 2020 skirmishes between China and India. The longstanding conflict between the two rising powers has fluctuated for the past century, ranging from strong economic ties to aggressive face-offs.
Beginning in the early 1900s, British-Indians proposed a border between the countries that weren’t passed by China. While India achieved their independence and China was no longer under Mao’s rule, the conflict between the two remained. In the 1950s, the region of Tibet became a source of dispute and failed to be peacefully negotiated. By 1962, a war had begun between the two nations, where the McMahon line was crossed by Chinese troops. With casualties on both sides, a cease-fire was declared by the Chinese and what was the original border had been revised. It became the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
After struggling to find a girlfriend, netizen finds a man who will marry him if he pays for the man’s sex change surgery in Thailand
A 40-year-old netizen who claimed to have had no luck with girls or dating throughout his life wanted an answer from the public as to a proposal he received recently.
In an anonymous post on popular confessions page SGWhispers, the man wrote that he has a good career and that he is not wealthy but can afford a decent life. In his post on Jun 9, he added: “I have come to the point of accepting the proposal from someone I know. Now I want to crowdsource opinion to make my decision”.
VIDEO | Critically endangered baby pangolin mistakes netizen as its father, scurries away after realising otherwise
A baby Pangolin that had mistaken a netizen for its own parent scurried away after realising its mistake. The rather adorable sight was caught on camera and posted to popular Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings by a netizen, John Lee.
In his post on Thursday (Jun 9), Mr Lee shared a video of the baby Pangolin and wrote: “Critically Endangered baby “Sunda Pangolin” or “Scaly Anteater” unexpectedly appeared r[i]ght in front of me mistaking me as his father. You will notice the smoother scale as well as the smaller size of the young juvenile Pangolin”.