India plays catch-up to influence Myanmar as China’s clout over junta and rebels grows
By Junaid Kathju
China’s involvement in mediating a peace deal between Myanmar’s rebel groups and the ruling military junta has given Beijing leverage over India as both powers jostle to bolster their strategic interests in the country.
Last month, two key members of the anti-junta Brotherhood Alliance – Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) – said they were willing to hold peace talks under China’s mediation. The announcement came shortly after a visit to Beijing by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Angshuman Choudhary, a doctoral candidate at the National University of Singapore and King’s College London, said the statements by TNLA and MNDAA underscored the leverage China has over the conflict in Myanmar.
“India will be watching this closely, with some degree of anxiety. It’s no surprise that we have seen a flurry of high-level engagements between India and the State Administration Council [SAC] in recent weeks,” said Choudhary, a researcher on Myanmar issues.
“New Delhi will be concerned that the SAC would move closer to China to protect itself. India would ideally want to have similar leverage over the SAC and some ethnic groups, such as the Arakan Army and the Chin National Front.”
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), another ethnic armed group, has sent a delegation to China for talks.
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By Junaid Kathju
China’s involvement in mediating a peace deal between Myanmar’s rebel groups and the ruling military junta has given Beijing leverage over India as both powers jostle to bolster their strategic interests in the country.
Last month, two key members of the anti-junta Brotherhood Alliance – Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) – said they were willing to hold peace talks under China’s mediation. The announcement came shortly after a visit to Beijing by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Angshuman Choudhary, a doctoral candidate at the National University of Singapore and King’s College London, said the statements by TNLA and MNDAA underscored the leverage China has over the conflict in Myanmar.
“India will be watching this closely, with some degree of anxiety. It’s no surprise that we have seen a flurry of high-level engagements between India and the State Administration Council [SAC] in recent weeks,” said Choudhary, a researcher on Myanmar issues.
“New Delhi will be concerned that the SAC would move closer to China to protect itself. India would ideally want to have similar leverage over the SAC and some ethnic groups, such as the Arakan Army and the Chin National Front.”
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), another ethnic armed group, has sent a delegation to China for talks.
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PLA releases electronic warfare ‘kill list’ for US carrier groups
By Stephen Chen
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) electronic warfare unit has produced a list of targets for a coordinated attack against US aircraft carrier strike groups.
In a potential conflict, these precisely labelled US military radars, sensors and communication systems are likely to take concentrated fire from China’s electronic warfare weapons, according to a researcher involved in the project.
This unprecedented revelation was made in the latest issue of Defence Industry Conversion in China, a magazine supervised by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. The publication aims to encourage civilian institutions and companies to participate in research on military technologies and weapon production.
“This information can provide references for the development of electronic countermeasures technology and related equipment in China’s future naval battlefields,” Mo Jiaqian, an electronic countermeasures expert with the PLA’s 92728 Unit, wrote in the report.
Her report delved into the workings and advantages of the US Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system, which is a vital component of the aircraft carrier fleet’s air defence and early warning network.
The system enables the entire fleet to share air defence resources, allowing ships to launch ship-to-air missiles for interception even if their own sensors do not detect an incoming target.
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By Stephen Chen
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) electronic warfare unit has produced a list of targets for a coordinated attack against US aircraft carrier strike groups.
In a potential conflict, these precisely labelled US military radars, sensors and communication systems are likely to take concentrated fire from China’s electronic warfare weapons, according to a researcher involved in the project.
This unprecedented revelation was made in the latest issue of Defence Industry Conversion in China, a magazine supervised by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. The publication aims to encourage civilian institutions and companies to participate in research on military technologies and weapon production.
“This information can provide references for the development of electronic countermeasures technology and related equipment in China’s future naval battlefields,” Mo Jiaqian, an electronic countermeasures expert with the PLA’s 92728 Unit, wrote in the report.
Her report delved into the workings and advantages of the US Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system, which is a vital component of the aircraft carrier fleet’s air defence and early warning network.
The system enables the entire fleet to share air defence resources, allowing ships to launch ship-to-air missiles for interception even if their own sensors do not detect an incoming target.
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Hong Kong should consider more sharing of psychiatric patient data: expert
By Emily Hung
Hong Kong authorities should allow for greater sharing of psychiatric patients’ information among professionals assisting them to better address their needs and reduce the risks of tragic incidents, a top government adviser has proposed.
Dr Lam Ching-choi, chairman of Hong Kong’s advisory committee on mental health, suggested the change after noting a case of a police officer fatally shooting a knife-wielding schizophrenic patient who had attacked his wife and mother in September.
“The committee has started a discussion on how to let different service providers know the latest condition of the patients and provide support promptly,” he said.
“If the healthcare and welfare systems can work more effectively together, can we prevent tragedies like this? I can’t say this is exactly the case, but if the information flow can be improved, we can help more patients for sure.”
One option was to grant social workers access to patients’ healthcare information so they could check up on anyone who had missed a medical appointment, he said.
He noted that such information could not currently be shared under privacy protocols, except under a special arrangement where doctors and social workers regularly updated each other on flagged patient cases.
Lam argued the arrangement was insufficient because it was not conducted in real-time and still relied heavily on direct interaction between parties.
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By Emily Hung
Hong Kong authorities should allow for greater sharing of psychiatric patients’ information among professionals assisting them to better address their needs and reduce the risks of tragic incidents, a top government adviser has proposed.
Dr Lam Ching-choi, chairman of Hong Kong’s advisory committee on mental health, suggested the change after noting a case of a police officer fatally shooting a knife-wielding schizophrenic patient who had attacked his wife and mother in September.
“The committee has started a discussion on how to let different service providers know the latest condition of the patients and provide support promptly,” he said.
“If the healthcare and welfare systems can work more effectively together, can we prevent tragedies like this? I can’t say this is exactly the case, but if the information flow can be improved, we can help more patients for sure.”
One option was to grant social workers access to patients’ healthcare information so they could check up on anyone who had missed a medical appointment, he said.
He noted that such information could not currently be shared under privacy protocols, except under a special arrangement where doctors and social workers regularly updated each other on flagged patient cases.
Lam argued the arrangement was insufficient because it was not conducted in real-time and still relied heavily on direct interaction between parties.
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Japan police hunt McDonald’s murderer who stabbed schoolgirl to death
By Kyodo
Japanese police continued their search on Monday for the man who fatally stabbed a 15-year-old schoolgirl at a McDonald’s restaurant in southwestern Japan.
Witnesses described the assailant as a man in his 40s, who also attacked a male student waiting in line with the victim. While the boy, whose name has not been disclosed, survived the brutal assault, he sustained serious injuries.
The attack took place at around 8.30pm on Saturday, as the two victims stood near the back of the queue. The man struck both of them without uttering a word, police said.
Nakashima was stabbed in the abdomen and later pronounced dead at hospital, while the boy was stabbed in the waist and remains hospitalised. He described the attack as coming from “a complete stranger”.
Both students were reportedly returning home from a cram school when they decided to stop at the fast-food restaurant.
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By Kyodo
Japanese police continued their search on Monday for the man who fatally stabbed a 15-year-old schoolgirl at a McDonald’s restaurant in southwestern Japan.
Witnesses described the assailant as a man in his 40s, who also attacked a male student waiting in line with the victim. While the boy, whose name has not been disclosed, survived the brutal assault, he sustained serious injuries.
The attack took place at around 8.30pm on Saturday, as the two victims stood near the back of the queue. The man struck both of them without uttering a word, police said.
Nakashima was stabbed in the abdomen and later pronounced dead at hospital, while the boy was stabbed in the waist and remains hospitalised. He described the attack as coming from “a complete stranger”.
Both students were reportedly returning home from a cram school when they decided to stop at the fast-food restaurant.
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China’s November consumption misses estimate, adds urgency to stimulus
By Sylvia MaJi Siqi
China’s consumption growth slowed in November, as did property investment, while the industrial sector showed limited signs of recovery, underscoring challenges to Beijing’s push for an “all-around” expansion of domestic demand in 2025 amid external uncertainties.
Retail sales, a key indicator of consumption, increased by 3 per cent year on year last month, down from the 4.8 per cent growth in October, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
The reading missed estimates of 5.3 per cent growth projected by economists polled by Chinese financial data provider Wind.
China’s overall fixed assets investment – covering major items such as infrastructure spending, manufacturing and property construction – rose by 3.3 per cent in the first 11 months of the year, compared with the 3.4 per cent increase from January to October.
Property investment, which has been a major drag of the economy, fell by 10.4 per cent year on year from January to November, compared with the 10.3 per cent fall in the first 10 months of the year.
National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Fu Linghui said that while the national economy remained generally stable, “the external environment is increasingly complicated, with demand insufficient at home”.
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By Sylvia MaJi Siqi
China’s consumption growth slowed in November, as did property investment, while the industrial sector showed limited signs of recovery, underscoring challenges to Beijing’s push for an “all-around” expansion of domestic demand in 2025 amid external uncertainties.
Retail sales, a key indicator of consumption, increased by 3 per cent year on year last month, down from the 4.8 per cent growth in October, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
The reading missed estimates of 5.3 per cent growth projected by economists polled by Chinese financial data provider Wind.
China’s overall fixed assets investment – covering major items such as infrastructure spending, manufacturing and property construction – rose by 3.3 per cent in the first 11 months of the year, compared with the 3.4 per cent increase from January to October.
Property investment, which has been a major drag of the economy, fell by 10.4 per cent year on year from January to November, compared with the 10.3 per cent fall in the first 10 months of the year.
National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Fu Linghui said that while the national economy remained generally stable, “the external environment is increasingly complicated, with demand insufficient at home”.
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Singapore looks to its neighbours to import low-carbon energy, but obstacles remain
By Jean Iau
Singapore has begun importing low-carbon electricity from Malaysia, marking a milestone in the city state’s green energy push, but experts warn that weak regional cooperation and uneven cost-sharing mechanisms could hinder both its progress and the region’s broader renewable energy transition.
As a land scarce city state with few natural resources, Singapore has limited renewable energy potential and has been actively trying to import more renewable energy from its larger neighbours.
Seng Wai Lee, director at the Energy Connections Office in the Energy Market Authority, told This Week in Asia that low-carbon electricity imports are essential to Singapore’s overall strategy to decarbonise the power sector.
The authority aims to import around 6 gigawatts of low-carbon electricity by 2035, which will account for about one-third of Singapore’s energy supply by then, Lee noted.
As part of this effort, Sembcorp Power started importing 50 megawatts of renewable electricity from Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional Berhad this month, Lee said.
“This electricity will be sourced from Malaysia’s grid, drawn from existing solar and hydropower plants or other renewable sources approved by Malaysia’s Energy Commission.” he said, adding that the countries are exploring increasing this import towards 300MW.
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By Jean Iau
Singapore has begun importing low-carbon electricity from Malaysia, marking a milestone in the city state’s green energy push, but experts warn that weak regional cooperation and uneven cost-sharing mechanisms could hinder both its progress and the region’s broader renewable energy transition.
As a land scarce city state with few natural resources, Singapore has limited renewable energy potential and has been actively trying to import more renewable energy from its larger neighbours.
Seng Wai Lee, director at the Energy Connections Office in the Energy Market Authority, told This Week in Asia that low-carbon electricity imports are essential to Singapore’s overall strategy to decarbonise the power sector.
The authority aims to import around 6 gigawatts of low-carbon electricity by 2035, which will account for about one-third of Singapore’s energy supply by then, Lee noted.
As part of this effort, Sembcorp Power started importing 50 megawatts of renewable electricity from Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional Berhad this month, Lee said.
“This electricity will be sourced from Malaysia’s grid, drawn from existing solar and hydropower plants or other renewable sources approved by Malaysia’s Energy Commission.” he said, adding that the countries are exploring increasing this import towards 300MW.
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Hong Kong officials’ rising pay doesn’t square with our financial winter
By Alice Wu
Christmas came early for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team this year, and I don’t mean his duty visit to Beijing over the weekend. It came quietly in July, when salaries for politically appointed officials increased by 1.8 per cent. These pay rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (C), which measures the impact of consumer price changes on Hong Kong’s high-spending households – the top 10 per cent splashing out HK$50,400- HK$95,900 per month, as opposed to the bottom 50 per cent spending HK$6,800-HK$29,200 monthly.
More often, we hear of adjustments to civil service pay because the process is better publicised. Every year, the Executive Council makes a decision after weighing the recommendations from the pay trend survey against factors such as the economy, the cost of living, the government’s fiscal position and civil service morale.
Although the most recent pay survey suggested raises ranging from 4.01 per cent to 5.47 per cent for different levels of the civil service, Exco decided on a 3 per cent increase across the board. It’s a dedicate balancing act, given that manpower is tight while the government is facing a deficit. At the end of the day, it has to be palatable to the public.
In justifying Exco’s June decision, the government cited a growth forecast of 2.5 to 3.5 per cent for 2024. But last month, it had to downgrade the forecast to 2.5 per cent after a weaker-than-expected third quarter expansion of only 1.8 per cent. At least we are still expected to reach the lower threshold of the forecast.
Unfortunately, the city’s deficit will more than double to HK$100 billion, from the HK$48 billion previously forecast for the 2024-25 financial year. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po broke the bad news this month, citing the property slump and weak corporate performance.
And it was against this backdrop that the pay for principal officials and civil servants returned to the limelight. Thanks to a question posed to the government by Exco convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee last week, the public found out that politically appointed officials not only got a raise in July, but that salaries for bureau chiefs and political assistants had increased by more than 24 per cent over a decade.
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By Alice Wu
Christmas came early for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team this year, and I don’t mean his duty visit to Beijing over the weekend. It came quietly in July, when salaries for politically appointed officials increased by 1.8 per cent. These pay rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (C), which measures the impact of consumer price changes on Hong Kong’s high-spending households – the top 10 per cent splashing out HK$50,400- HK$95,900 per month, as opposed to the bottom 50 per cent spending HK$6,800-HK$29,200 monthly.
More often, we hear of adjustments to civil service pay because the process is better publicised. Every year, the Executive Council makes a decision after weighing the recommendations from the pay trend survey against factors such as the economy, the cost of living, the government’s fiscal position and civil service morale.
Although the most recent pay survey suggested raises ranging from 4.01 per cent to 5.47 per cent for different levels of the civil service, Exco decided on a 3 per cent increase across the board. It’s a dedicate balancing act, given that manpower is tight while the government is facing a deficit. At the end of the day, it has to be palatable to the public.
In justifying Exco’s June decision, the government cited a growth forecast of 2.5 to 3.5 per cent for 2024. But last month, it had to downgrade the forecast to 2.5 per cent after a weaker-than-expected third quarter expansion of only 1.8 per cent. At least we are still expected to reach the lower threshold of the forecast.
Unfortunately, the city’s deficit will more than double to HK$100 billion, from the HK$48 billion previously forecast for the 2024-25 financial year. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po broke the bad news this month, citing the property slump and weak corporate performance.
And it was against this backdrop that the pay for principal officials and civil servants returned to the limelight. Thanks to a question posed to the government by Exco convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee last week, the public found out that politically appointed officials not only got a raise in July, but that salaries for bureau chiefs and political assistants had increased by more than 24 per cent over a decade.
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Malaysia’s Chinese character of 2024 isn’t ‘sinkhole’ – or ‘Madani’
By The Star
Malaysia has selected the Chinese character 升 (sheng) as its character of the year – a choice that reflects both economic advancement and the challenges of rising living costs.
The character 升, which means “increase” or “rise”, was chosen via a vote organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia and the Han Culture Centre Malaysia. It resonates with pressing societal concerns tied to everyday life, highlighting the dual nature of its meanings.
According to the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, the character 升 is open to various interpretations. It symbolises not only the challenges posed by inflation and economic issues but also the hopes for progress within the community.
Goh Hin San, president of the Han Culture Centre Malaysia, noted that the public likely connected with the character due to the recent appreciation of the Malaysian ringgit and the strengthening ties between Malaysia and China. He said 80 per cent of voters expressed a sense of economic recovery, while 20 per cent viewed the character as indicative of rising prices.
“Although the character conveys both positive and negative connotations, the positive interpretations are more prevalent,” Goh said.
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By The Star
Malaysia has selected the Chinese character 升 (sheng) as its character of the year – a choice that reflects both economic advancement and the challenges of rising living costs.
The character 升, which means “increase” or “rise”, was chosen via a vote organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia and the Han Culture Centre Malaysia. It resonates with pressing societal concerns tied to everyday life, highlighting the dual nature of its meanings.
According to the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, the character 升 is open to various interpretations. It symbolises not only the challenges posed by inflation and economic issues but also the hopes for progress within the community.
Goh Hin San, president of the Han Culture Centre Malaysia, noted that the public likely connected with the character due to the recent appreciation of the Malaysian ringgit and the strengthening ties between Malaysia and China. He said 80 per cent of voters expressed a sense of economic recovery, while 20 per cent viewed the character as indicative of rising prices.
“Although the character conveys both positive and negative connotations, the positive interpretations are more prevalent,” Goh said.
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Can Macau cash out of the casino industry? Nearby Hengqin island offers hope
By Kahon Chan
Macau’s business community is pinning its hopes on a nearby island three times its size to help diversify the city’s economy and move away from relying mainly on casinos.
The island of Hengqin, in neighbouring Zhuhai, packs the potential to help the city expand its meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry, experts have said.
Beijing has long set Macau the mission to “appropriately” diversify its economy and reduce the gambling industry’s overwhelming presence.
This was first spelled out in the 11th five-year plan released in 2005, a year after Sands, Macau’s first American-run casino, opened its doors.
Incoming chief executive Sam Hou-fai has made reducing Macau’s reliance on gambling a top priority. His inauguration on Friday will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the city’s return from Portuguese to Chinese administration.
Based on a blueprint prepared by outgoing leader Ho Iat-seng, Macau aims to grow four sectors: a “big health” industry; modern financial services; technology; and conventions, exhibitions, trade, culture and sports.
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By Kahon Chan
Macau’s business community is pinning its hopes on a nearby island three times its size to help diversify the city’s economy and move away from relying mainly on casinos.
The island of Hengqin, in neighbouring Zhuhai, packs the potential to help the city expand its meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry, experts have said.
Beijing has long set Macau the mission to “appropriately” diversify its economy and reduce the gambling industry’s overwhelming presence.
This was first spelled out in the 11th five-year plan released in 2005, a year after Sands, Macau’s first American-run casino, opened its doors.
Incoming chief executive Sam Hou-fai has made reducing Macau’s reliance on gambling a top priority. His inauguration on Friday will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the city’s return from Portuguese to Chinese administration.
Based on a blueprint prepared by outgoing leader Ho Iat-seng, Macau aims to grow four sectors: a “big health” industry; modern financial services; technology; and conventions, exhibitions, trade, culture and sports.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
More Hong Kong shops to close as retail habits change, shopping shifts online
By Cheryl Arcibal
With the shopping habits of both Hongkongers and visitors to the city going through a sea change, more brands and retailers are making online sales a central part of their strategy to navigate the shifting tides.
Hong Kong’s retail industry is witnessing an upheaval, forcing some mainstay brands to adjust their strategy, as residents increasingly cross the border to mainland China to shop and dine where the prices are lower.
More companies are likely to close shops or be cautious in their expansion plans in 2025, according to Jeanette Chan, senior director of retail at JLL in Hong Kong. However, online shopping is on an upswing.
“Before Covid, online shopping only came to about 3 to 4 per cent of Hong Kong’s total retail sales,” Chan said. “But during the pandemic this percentage increased to double digits. After Covid the percentage dropped back to single digits, but now we actually see this trend increasing again in the second half of this year as more people shop online.”
Hong Kong’s retail sales declined for the eighth consecutive month in October, dropping 2.9 per cent year on year, according to the Census and Statistics Department. Retail sales in the first 10 months of the year fell 7.1 per cent to about HK$312.3 billion (US$40.2 billion), compared with the same period in 2023, according to the government’s provisional estimates.
But online retail sales accounted for 12.3 per cent of total retail sales value in October, or HK$4 billion – a year-on-year increase of 8.4 per cent.
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By Cheryl Arcibal
With the shopping habits of both Hongkongers and visitors to the city going through a sea change, more brands and retailers are making online sales a central part of their strategy to navigate the shifting tides.
Hong Kong’s retail industry is witnessing an upheaval, forcing some mainstay brands to adjust their strategy, as residents increasingly cross the border to mainland China to shop and dine where the prices are lower.
More companies are likely to close shops or be cautious in their expansion plans in 2025, according to Jeanette Chan, senior director of retail at JLL in Hong Kong. However, online shopping is on an upswing.
“Before Covid, online shopping only came to about 3 to 4 per cent of Hong Kong’s total retail sales,” Chan said. “But during the pandemic this percentage increased to double digits. After Covid the percentage dropped back to single digits, but now we actually see this trend increasing again in the second half of this year as more people shop online.”
Hong Kong’s retail sales declined for the eighth consecutive month in October, dropping 2.9 per cent year on year, according to the Census and Statistics Department. Retail sales in the first 10 months of the year fell 7.1 per cent to about HK$312.3 billion (US$40.2 billion), compared with the same period in 2023, according to the government’s provisional estimates.
But online retail sales accounted for 12.3 per cent of total retail sales value in October, or HK$4 billion – a year-on-year increase of 8.4 per cent.
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What’s behind Japan’s family murder-suicide crisis?
By Julian Ryall
Manami Enomoto had a plan. On December 9, inside her home in Nishio, a small city in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, the 38-year-old mother carefully sealed the windows and doors with duct tape. Next to her, a stack of charcoal briquettes waited to be lit.
By the time her husband returned home from work at 9.30pm, the lives of Enomoto, her two-year-old son Wataru, and five-month-old daughter Saho had ended. The cause: carbon monoxide poisoning.
A suicide note left behind by Enomoto has not been made public, but police have classified the case as a murder-suicide – the term that’s also used when an elderly spouse kills a seriously ill husband or wife and then themselves. It’s a pattern that’s becoming disturbingly familiar in Japan, where societal pressures, financial strain, and mental health stigma are pushing more families to the brink.
New research from the Mainichi newspaper reveals the unsettling scale of these tragedies. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 254 cases of family murder-suicides were reported in Japan, claiming 486 lives. In the majority of cases – 160, to be exact – a parent killed their child before ending their own life. Other cases involved couples, siblings, or elderly family members.
And yet, these numbers likely only scratch the surface. The Mainichi’s study relied on media reports, meaning countless other tragedies may have gone unreported. Whether these incidents are rising or falling remains unclear, but experts agree on one thing: the numbers are alarmingly high.
Fujiko Yamada, founder of the Child Maltreatment Centre in Kanagawa prefecture, points to three primary drivers behind family murder-suicides: financial hardship, domestic abuse, and untreated mental health issues.
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By Julian Ryall
Manami Enomoto had a plan. On December 9, inside her home in Nishio, a small city in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, the 38-year-old mother carefully sealed the windows and doors with duct tape. Next to her, a stack of charcoal briquettes waited to be lit.
By the time her husband returned home from work at 9.30pm, the lives of Enomoto, her two-year-old son Wataru, and five-month-old daughter Saho had ended. The cause: carbon monoxide poisoning.
A suicide note left behind by Enomoto has not been made public, but police have classified the case as a murder-suicide – the term that’s also used when an elderly spouse kills a seriously ill husband or wife and then themselves. It’s a pattern that’s becoming disturbingly familiar in Japan, where societal pressures, financial strain, and mental health stigma are pushing more families to the brink.
New research from the Mainichi newspaper reveals the unsettling scale of these tragedies. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 254 cases of family murder-suicides were reported in Japan, claiming 486 lives. In the majority of cases – 160, to be exact – a parent killed their child before ending their own life. Other cases involved couples, siblings, or elderly family members.
And yet, these numbers likely only scratch the surface. The Mainichi’s study relied on media reports, meaning countless other tragedies may have gone unreported. Whether these incidents are rising or falling remains unclear, but experts agree on one thing: the numbers are alarmingly high.
Fujiko Yamada, founder of the Child Maltreatment Centre in Kanagawa prefecture, points to three primary drivers behind family murder-suicides: financial hardship, domestic abuse, and untreated mental health issues.
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