This week, China announced the end of a three-month crackdown on organized crime, an operation codenamed Thunderbolt 15. Through a series of raids in Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangdong province, more than 19,000 people were arrested for alleged activities relating to triads, a series of organized crime syndicates that often operate in China. Most suspects were arrested under the suspicion of dealing drugs, gambling, illegal lending, and facilitating prostitution. More than 11,000 arrests occurred in Guangdong, 3,977 in Macau, and 4,343 in Hong Kong. The police confiscated USD 13 million in cash, illegal drugs, weapons, pirated DVDs, and contraband cigarettes while searching more than 7,500 properties. Authorities also detained more than 31,000 people under the suspicion of being drug addicts. China conducts operations against the triad frequently, but Thunderbolt 15 is perhaps its most ambitious to date. Comment: Triads are international organized-crime groups that operate around the world, but are most active in Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand. The current crackdown comes as triads continue to expand their activities into mainland China. The operation was canceled last year due to the Occupy protests in Hong Kong, leading to a more robust operation this year. (BBC Business Insider South China Morning Post)

 

Japan's parliament approved a security bill that would give the military latitude to use force overseas in the event that its own security or that of its allies is severely threatened. The legislation reinterprets Article 9 of Japan's post WWII Constitution that reads: "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." Although the bill does not change Article 9's language - which would require a constitutional amendment - it does reinterpret the language to make "collective self-defense" permissible. The controversy over this bill has sparked widespread protests and even led to a scuffle between lawmakers in parliament itself. Comment: Although this bill gives the military the ability to intervene if its allies are attacked, many limitations still remain in place. Nonetheless, both the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministries have issued statements urging Japan to learn from history and remain dedicated to the spirit of peace. (CNN The Atlantic Washington Post)

 

Malaysian police announced Wednesday that they have arrested another six people, in addition to the two arrested Monday, on suspicion of aiding the bombers who killed 20 people at a Hindu shrine in Bangkok in August. The six are not directly linked to the bombing, but to a human-trafficking gang, and are accused of having helped one of the bombers escape from Thailand. Four of the arrested persons are Malaysian, and four are foreign nationals thought to be minority Uighur Muslims from far-western China. Comment: Thousands of Uighurs have fled in the past few years, alleging persecution. The connection could be significant, as Thailand forcibly repatriated 109 Uighurs back to China in July at Beijing's request. A linked political motive between the forced repatriation and the bombing has been dismissed by Thai police, who suggest the reason for the attack was instead a response from the human trafficking gang to recent police crackdowns on their activity. (Bangkok Post NewsAsia Reuters)