Derek Tonkin    's Avatar

Derek Tonkin

@derektonkin.bsky.social

Nonagenerian, aspiring polymath, former UK Ambassador (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam)

43 Followers  |  24 Following  |  33 Posts  |  Joined: 14.11.2024  |  1.5861

Latest posts by derektonkin.bsky.social on Bluesky

sper

12.01.2026 18:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Why Peace Keeps Failing on the Cambodia–Thailand Border A resolution to the two nations’ acrimonious border dispute seems remote amid their current conflict, but there could be one viable way forward.

Why Peace Keeps Failing on the Cambodia–Thailand Border
thediplomat.com/2025/12/why-...

23.12.2025 18:33 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
β€˜Cruelest forms of torture’: freed Palestinians describe horrors of Israeli jail Men who were held in Nafha prison say they were brutally beaten, bound at the hands and feet, verbally abused, allowed to contract fungal and skin diseases, and assaulted with loud music for up to two...

Almost no media coverage and very little political attention paid to the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli jails. So much focus only on the Israeli hostages. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

15.10.2025 00:58 β€” πŸ‘ 132    πŸ” 64    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 2
Video thumbnail

Rachel Reeves has acknowledged what previous governments refused to admit.

Brexit has left deep, lasting damage to the British economy, driving up costs and stalling growth. The Chancellor now says it is partly to blame for the black hole in November’s Budget.

The reckoning has begun.

15.10.2025 10:55 β€” πŸ‘ 62    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy Even when he’s partly right, he’s wrong.

Even when he’s partly right, he’s wrong. foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/19/t...

20.08.2025 18:47 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Rohingya Power Struggles Before the UN Conference Rohingya activists warn of β€œa repeated cycle: fragmentation, new group names, personal ambitions replacing real strategy.” Meanwhile, the Rohingya themselves continue to suffer.

Rohingya Power Struggles Before the UN Conference
thediplomat.com/2025/07/rohi...

22.07.2025 18:32 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Mongolia’s Government Transition: Democracy in Action or Foreign Interference? A recent report alleges that Mongolia’s change in government was the product of a Moscow-linked influence operation. Far from it.

Mongolia’s Government Transition: Democracy in Action or Foreign Interference?
thediplomat.com/2025/06/mong...

28.06.2025 11:22 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
In War-Torn Nations, Trump’s Travel Ban Brings a New Hardship

In War-Torn Nations, Trump’s Travel Ban Brings a New Hardship www.nytimes.com/2025/06/05/w...

06.06.2025 07:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
UN agency, Rohingya refugees allege Indian authorities cast dozens of them into the sea near Myanmar Indian authorities last week allegedly forced dozens of Rohingya refugees off a naval vessel into the sea near Myanmar after providing them with life jackets, a United Nations agency, family members o...

apnews.com/article/indi... agency, Rohingya refugees allege Indian authorities cast dozens of them into the sea near Myanmar

17.05.2025 07:41 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

A critical analysis of the Argentine ruling in the universal jurisdiction case against State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Htin Kyaw.

11.03.2025 11:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Argentina arrest warrants a step toward justice in Myanmar - DVB Guest contributor Khin Ohmar Holding the Myanmar military junta accountable for its atrocity crimes and human rights abuses has been the priority of activists from Burma through decades of oppression ...

english.dvb.no/argentina-ar... shows a positive approach to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's inclusion. No country though is ever likely to surrender DASSK to Argentina, whose release has been repeatedly called for by the UNGA and UNSC, including Argentina, though she might well offer to go on her own choice.

26.02.2025 18:17 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The West Will Regret Abandoning the Georgian People to the Clutches of Russia Europe and the US must wake up to the threat posed by Georgia's repressive Russian-aligned regime, writes the UK's former ambassador to the country

πŸ”΄The West Will Regret Abandoning the Georgian People to the Clutches of Russia

Europe and the US must wake up to the threat posed by Georgia’s repressive Russian-aligned regime, writes the UK’s former ambassador to the country @alexhh.bsky.social

bylinetimes.com/2024/12/17/t...

17.12.2024 08:02 β€” πŸ‘ 361    πŸ” 161    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 7
Preview
The mirage of safe zones in Rakhine State For decades, the Rohingya of Myanmar have endured persecution and displacement. When violence reached a crescendo in 2017, over a million Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, seeking refuge from the brutal &l...

Shafiur Rahman: "Safe zones, seductive in their simplicity, offer neither. They are dangerous illusions, promising safety while risking catastrophe."
tinyurl.com/2dzjp32v

07.12.2024 10:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Slovenia intervenes against Myanmar in International Court of Justice genocide case Slovenia applied for intervention against Myanmar on Wednesday in an International Court of Justice case that accuses Myanmar of genocide against its Rohingya population. The right to intervene is for...

Slovenia intervenes against Myanmar in International Court of Justice genocide case www.jurist.org/news/?p=266090

06.12.2024 12:54 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

2. The main benefit of the ICC Prosecutor's application is to focus international attention again on the crisis in Rakhine and elsewhere in Myanmar. No doubt the timing was political in the ICC context. The issue of an arrest warrant would be highly symbolic, if nothing else.

29.11.2024 13:16 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

1. Veiled Chinese criticism of the ICC determination to allow the Prosecutor to make a case on the grounds of alleged "deportation". Khan really had no choice as time was running out. A main impetus to his statement was the need to boost flagging Rohingya morale.

29.11.2024 13:16 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Though the judges gave the ICC Prosecutor the green light to examine crimes against humanity completed (!) in Bangladesh, their first hurdle is surely to determine whether "deportation" in fact took place. My common sense tells me that it did, but the legal arguments could rage profoundly.

27.11.2024 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

"There is no deadline for a decision."

27.11.2024 11:03 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Third Committee Approves 5 Draft Resolutions, Including Texts Addressing Human Rights Offenses in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Iran | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved five draft resolutions addressing the human rights situations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Iran, Syria and th...

Leaving this here…

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

press.un.org/en/2024/gash...

26.11.2024 01:11 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Apply for a Home Office travel document How to apply for a document to travel outside the UK if you're not British and you cannot use or get your own national passport.

Most countries have effective schemes for issuing international travel documents when passports or renewals are denied to their nationals. UK scheme is at www.gov.uk/apply-home-o... No doubt South Korea has something similar. No one can travel anywhere on an expired passport.

25.11.2024 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

She can't possibly do her job properly unless she meets MAL. In this she would have the full support of all 15 Security Council Members.

25.11.2024 12:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

ICAO-recommended international passport practice is to have date of expiry absolutely clear ASAP on opening passport. No immigration officer anywhere is going to look inside passport for irregular renewals by seal. Expired passport still useful as ID for visa extension, not international travel.

25.11.2024 12:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As I commented elsewhere: "From all accounts Bishop and Kittikhoun impressed. Private (closed) meetings often achieve much more than megaphone public confrontations for which activists constantly press." Important to keep China and Russia engaged in the Security Council.

25.11.2024 12:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

6. I do hope that groups like ANFREL and @cartercenter.bsky.social can now submit the UEC report to detailed and rigorous analysis. NUG Myanmar and Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun at the UN should ensure that the UNGA and UN Security Council are fully briefed.

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

5. Voter list irregularities and a dispute over the legality of IDs other than CSCs (citizenship scrutiny cards) are not however evidence of actual fraud at the elections. The UEC report is on the whole convincing on technical irregularities, but totally unconvincing on actual fraud.

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

4. As for irregularities in voting procedures, I am quite prepared to believe that on the day 4.87 m voters out of 27.10 m (19.97%) used IDs other than CSCs for identification. The UEC complaint seems to be that an instruction by the former UEC dated 19 Aug 2020 authorising this was illegal.

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

3. I have no reason to doubt the UEC’s allegations about voter list irregularities. These lists have been a shambles ever since the 1990 Elections. The NLD was very critical of them, but failed to resolve the problem before the elections.

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

2. My initial reading is that there is nothing new in the report which might persuade me to change one word in my original critique at www.networkmyanmar.org/ESW/Files/UE....

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Union Election Commission

1. The UEC has now published its report on alleged fraud at the November 2020 elections. 2020election.uec.gov.mm?lang=gb . The report expands on, but does not change data already released after the 1 Feb 2021 coup.

23.11.2024 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
China to give Myanmar junta 1 billion yuan in aid for election, other projects Leaked documents obtained by Myanmar Now indicate that China is increasing its financial as well as political support for the regime

China is lending #Myanmar's junta another Y100b ($138m). 15% will be earmarked for the census & "elections." The remainder for Chinese infrastructure projects & "surveillance". 110% support for the junta. myanmar-now.org/en/news/chin...

22.11.2024 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

@derektonkin is following 20 prominent accounts