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GATHERINGS:
An informed guide to happenings throughout the region.
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Vietnam
opens consulate in Macau
From
News Reports:
Hanoi, January 9: Vietnam's Hong Kong Consulate General
launched a consulate office in the Macau Special Administrative
Region of China on Friday, reports the Vietnam News Service.
Consulate General of Hong Kong, Tran Than Huan, said at
the launching ceremony that the office aims to better
ensure the rights of Vietnamese citizens and tourists
in the region.
He said that the consulate office in Macau will provide
easier access to information about Vietnam, saying that
it would boost friendship and co-operation between Vietnam
and Macau.
The Consulate General said that the office expected to
recieve support from local organisations including the
Vietnam Fellow Countrymen Friendship Association in Macau.
More than 20,000 Vietnamse are employed as domestic workers,
in the service industry at Macau's casino's.
Vietnamese also operate tourist and services companies.
The
Southeast Asian Times
US invites Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary to
the White House
From News
Reports:
Hanoi, July 6, 2015: The General Secretary of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam will visit
the United States from July 6 to July 10 at the invitiation
of the United States State Department in a "landmark"
visit, Rueters reports.
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party Nguyen Phu Trong will meet United States President
Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday.
Rueters quotes a senior state department official
saying that the meeting between the General Secretary
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the
President of the United States "would skirt protocol"
because the General Secretary is "not part of a government".
"Obama saw the visit as crucial", Rueters reports
the senior state department official as saying.
Rueters also quotes the senior state department official
saying that "there was a broad agreement that it
made sense to treat General
Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
Nguyen Phu Trong as the visit of "the top
leader of the country".
"It's a pretty big event," Rueters quotes the
state department official as saying.
The
Southeast Asian Times
France
agrees to return Aboriginal remains home to Australia
From
News Reports:
Canberra, November 25: French president Francois Hollande
and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott have agreed
to work together to return Aboriginal remains to Australia
during the first official visit by a French head of state
to Australia last week, reports Australian Associated
Press.
The French head of state and the Australian prime minister
said that a joint expert committee is to be established
to help identify the origin of the Aboriginal remains
held in France.
The head of state and prime minister said in a joint statement
that the identification process would respect the sensitivities
and values of the two countries and consider the requests
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities including
the French legal system.
"The French government will examine possible solutions
to enable the return of the Aboriginal human remains to
their community of origin." the statement said.
Australia believes the remains of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islanders are being held in Museum collections
around the world including in Europe and the
United States.
In 2010 a British museum agreed to return 138 sets of
Aboriginal skeletal remains to Australia including the
severed head of Australian Aboriginal warrior, Yagan,
to the Noongar of South West Western Australia after being
missing in action for about 177 years. Yagan was shot
dead for his resistance to British settlement on the Swan
river.
The
Southeast Asian Times
"No " to proposal to delete religion from Indonesian
national identity card
From News Reports:
Jakarta, November 10: Islamic-based political party politicians
oppose the proposal put by the newly selected Home Minister
Tjahjo Kumolo, that national identity cards (KTP) do not
include the religion of the car holder.
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Aboebakar Al
Habsy said that not to include the religion of the card
holder on national identity cards (KTP)
contradicted the country’s founding philosophy of
Pancasila
“If we believe that Pancasila is our state ideology
and our national identity, then why should we be ashamed
of including our religion on our national identity card,"
he said
Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo also proposed that the regious
beliefs of Indonesian citizens be omitted from official
government documents.
He said that the religion of Indonesian citizens on national
identity cards (KTP) or in official government documents
should not be imposed.
"It's up to the people", he said.
The
Souheast Asian Times
The
Wolf bridge: An insult to Thai monarchy
From News Reports:
Bangkok, October 31: Thai University students, Patiwat
Saraiyaem, 23, and Pornthip Mankong, 26, were charged
in the Ratrachada Court on Monday, with defamation of
the Thai monarchy in a play titled "The Wolf Bridge"
performed at the Thammasat university in October 2013,
reports the Bangkok Post.
The students were charged with insulting the Royal Thai
family in the fictional depiction of the monarchy in a
play performed in commemoration of the 37th and 40th anniversaries
of the October 6, 1976 and October 14, 1973 pro-democracy
student uprisings at Thammasat University.
The prosecution cites nine passages from the plays's script,
a work of fiction that depicts a fictional monarch, that
allegedly insults the monarchy and as such is in violation
of the lese majeste law.
Patiwat Saraiyaem, actor and Pornthip Mankong, producer
of the play, in detention since arrested on 13 August,
have been refused bail are scheduled to appear in court
to enter pleas on December 29.
The
Southeast Asian Times
World
including
Asean PM's and Presidents to attend inauguaration of Indonesian
president
From News Reports:
Jakarta, October 18: World Prime ministers, Presidents
and State representatives including US Secretary of State,
John Kerry and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will
attend the inauguaration of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo
as President of Indonesiaon on Monday.
The speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
Zulkifli Hasan said that representatives from the ten
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member
nations have also been invited to attend the swearing
in of the former governor of Jakarta, Joko “Jokowi”
Widodo as president of Indonesia.
"The Prime Ministers and Presidents of Malaysia,
Singapore, Japan and South Korea are also expected to
attend", he said.
He said that the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) has also invited "domestic VIP's" including
former Presidents and Vice-Presidents.
“All chairpersons of political parties have also
be invited,” said the speaker.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Banned ISIS flag found flying in Aceh
From
News Reports:
Jakarta, September 12: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) flag found flying from a coconut tree in Aceh on
Sunday has been torn down, reports the Jakarta Post.
The discovery of the banned ISIS flag was reportedly the
first in Aceh.
Police chief First Inspecter Azwan said that the flag
of the nationally banned movement was discovered by chess
players sitting at a food stall near the coconut tree
in the Sungai Raya district of East Aceh regency in Aceh.
He said that a bomb disposal team inspected the area before
the flag was taken down.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced Indonesia's
rejection of the State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and
banned the teaching of ISIL ideology in Indonesia last
month at his parliamentary state-of-the-nation address
and ahead of the 69th anniversary of Indonesias Independence.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Singapore passes Trans- boundary Haze Pollution Act
From News Reports:
Singapore, August, 18: The passing of the 2014 Trans-boundary
Haze Pollution Act by the Singapore parliament last week
will enable Singapore regulators to sue individuals or
companies in neighbouring countries for causing severe
air pollution in Singapore.
The Act that was first proposed in 2013 would enable Singapore
to impose fines of up to S$2 million on companies that
cause or contribute to transboundary haze pollution in
Singapore.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
said that under the Act, Singapore will have the legal
right under the Objective Territorial Principle to take
legal action against air polluters.
"While neighbouring countries have the sovereign
right to exploit their natural resources in accordance
with their policies they also have a responsibility to
ensure that "slash and burn" agricultural practices
do not cause damage to Singapore", he said.
The passing of the 2014 Trans-boundary Haze Pollution
Act gives Singapore the legal power to serve notices on
those that do not have assets or a presence in Singapore.
Indonesia is yet to ratify an Agreement on Transboundary
Haze Pollution that was signed by ASEAN member counries
in November 2003 in order to
address haze pollution arising from land and forest fires.
A bill passed in the Indonesian House of Representatives
in July 2013 gave the Indonesian goverment the power to
seize assetts gained from illegal logging and illegal
clearing of forests for palm oil plantations.
The new bill, designed to protect more than 13 million
hectres from deforestation, gave the Indonesian government
a mandate to establish a task force including police to
monitor the prevention and eradication of deforestation.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Papua
Biak massacre remembered in Sydney
with 136 white carnations
From
News Reports:
Sydney, July 5: A ceremony to mark the 16th anniversary
of the Biak Massacre in West Papua ua on 6 July 1998 will
be held at the Waverley Cliffs cemetery in Sydney on Sunday.
The Waverley Cliffs community will throw 136 white carnations
from the waverley cliffs into the Pacific Ocean in memory
of the Biak massacre.
A citizens tribunal, hosted by the Centre for Peace and
Conflict Studies (CPACS) at the University of Sydney last
year on the 15th anniversary of the Biak massacre found
that 136 West Papuan protesters were thrown into the sea
by Indonesian security forces.
The tribunal heard eye witness testimony that the West
Papuan demand for the right to vote for independence from
Indonesia was met with gunfire by Indonesian security
forces.
Survivors of the massacre told the international team
of jurists that the unarmed West Papuan protesters were
surrounded and shot by Indonesian security forces and
that survivors were thrown into the sea on 6 July 1998.
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Philippines
revive call for federalism
ahead of May elections
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Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte
and Senator Aquilino Pimental
who said that the drive for
federalism remained a high priority
for the Senate when both Houses
of Congress resumed session
in May
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From News Reports:
Manila, March 23: Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte has revived his call for the proposed
shift to federalism ahead of the general
elections on May 13, with Senator Aquilino
Pimental saying that the shift to federalism
will gain more ground in the Senate under
the 18th Congress, reports the Philippine
Inquirer.
Senator Aquilino Pimental said that he
expected more federal government supporters
after the polls, saying that "many
of the winners will come from Duterte-backed
candidates".
"We need to increase the number of
federal government advocates in the Senate,
he said.
Philippine President Rodrigo Deturte candidate,
Francis Tolentino, said that he is confident
that the shift to a federal government
will get a boost in the next Congress.
"I think it will be revived",
he said.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called
for a major revision of the constitution
in order to pave the way for a shift to
a federal government in a bid to decentralize
powers of the state to the provinces from
“Imperial Manila,” following his
election to President in June 2016.
He said then that 260 legislators belonging
to the majority coalition in the House of
Representatives were amenable to the idea
of dividing Congress into 12 states, saying
that the 12 states would come from the existing
regions that divide the country: Northern
Luzon for Regions I, II and III and Cordillera
Administrative Region; Central Luzon; Metro
Manila; Southern Tagalog; Bicol; Western
Visayas; Eastern Visayas; Central Visayas;
Northern Mindanao; Western Mindanao; Southern
Mindanao, and Bangsamoro.
"Federation would resolve decades-long
unrest among Muslim Filipinos who have
felt left out of economic development
that has been achieved by other regions,"
he said.
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Vietnam
calls for ASEAN unity and
ASEAN intra-state liberalisation
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Konrad
Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Vietnam
represenative, Peter Girke,
right, said at the workshop
on ASEAN community: identity
and centrality held in Hanoi
on Tuesday, that Vietnam has
built a stong community, was
active in regional and global
affairs and was open to learning
from past experiences and international
best practices, saying that
these practices would benefit
ASEAN when Vietnam takes the
ASEAN 2020 chair
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From News reports:
Hanoi, March 22: Vietnam's Ministery of
Foreign Affairs called for Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) unity and
the "fostering of intra-bloc liberalisation"
at a workshop on ASEAN community: identity
and centrality in Hanoi on Tuesday, ahead
of Vietnam taking the rotating ASEAN chair
in 2020, reports the Vietnam News Service.
Vietnam Minister of Foreign Affairs assistant,
Nguyen Van Thao, said that the ASEAN chair
in 2020 is an opportunity for Vietnam to
make a contribution to the ASEAN community
"Vietnam attaches great importance
in making careful preparation for the
ASEAN chair,” he said.
The workshop that was held by the Diplomatic
Academy of Vietnam and Konrad Adenauer
Stiftung (KAS) was attended by more than
100 including diplomats from Vietnam and
the ASEAN member states to discuss ASEAN
Community identity and the ASEAN role
in a changing world.
Vietnam Minister of Foreign Affairs assistant,
Nguyen Van Thao, said that ASEAN has demonstrated
its important role in acting as a “glue”
to connect the peoples of ASEAN member
states in Southeast Asia and in the Indo-Asia
Pacific region since its establishment
in 1967.
“Preserving ASEAN identity and fostering
its central role requires active engagement
of all ASEAN member states at both inter-governmental
and national levels," he said.
Former Indonesian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Marty Natalegawa, said that ASEAN
required a cooperative outlook between
member states, saying that this can only
be accomplished by the development of
state practice.
Former Vietnam deputy prime minister Vu
Khoan said that ASEAN should concentrate
on fostering intra-bloc liberalisation
by shifting growth models and reducing
reliance on a young labour force and depleting
natural resources.
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Vietnam
represenative, Peter Girke, said that
an ASEAN's goal of building a people-centred
united community as stated in the ASEAN
Community Vision towards 2025 can assure
long term success for a regional bloc
like the European Union (EU) saying that
"the same is true for ASEAN".
In January 2019 Thailand said from the
position as Asean chair for 2019 that
Thailand would push forward the proposed
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), that recognises ASEAN centrality,
with the 10 ASEAN member states reaffirming
the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) commitment to ASEAN centrality
in the Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) agreement.
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Timor-Leste
calls for justice for 4000
missing during Indonesian
occupation
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Timore-Leste's
Commission of Friendship, Truth,
and Reconciliation (CAVR) executive
director, Hugo Fernandes, says
that the perpretators of crimes
against humanity are still living
in Timor-Leste
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From
News reports:
Dili, March 21: The Timor-Leste Commission
of Friendship, Truth, and Reconciliation
(CAVR) has called for justice for the victims
of Indonesia's occupation of Timore-Leste
from 1975 to 1999, saying that there has
been no justice for the East Timorese survivors
of crimes committed by Indonesia because
"the perpetrators are still at large",
reports the Dili Weekly.
Commission of Friendship, Truth, and Reconciliation
(CAVR) executive director, Hugo Fernandes,
said that crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste
were committed by Indonesian Armed Forces
(Tentara Nasional IndonesiaTNI) and by pro-Indonesia
militia, now living overseas.
"But some of the perpetrators are still
living in Timor-Leste", he said.
He said that there is no justice for the
victims of Indonesia's occupation of Timore-Leste
because Timor-Leste does not have the judicial
power to apprehend the perpetrators.
He said that the Commission of Friendship,
Truth, and Reconciliation (CAVR) has called
on the Indonesian government to conduct
investigations into the 4,000 Timorese who
went missing during the 24 year Indonesian
occupation, "but so far this has not
happened," he said.
The Commission of Friendship, Truth, and
Reconciliation (CAVR) investigations reportedly
show that children were removed from their
families during the Indonesian occupation
of Timore Leste to work for the Indonesian
military, saying that "many of those
taken to Indonesia did not return to Timor-Leste
after 1999".
In June 2016 The Timore Leste parliament
called on the Indonesian government to find
thousands of Timorese who went missing between
1975 and 1999, with National Member of Parliament,
Arao Noe de Jesus Amaral, saying that the
Indonesian government has made no commitment
to work with Timor-Leste "to find what
happened to the missing Timorese."
"The Timore Leste government has allocated
$100,000 to the Human Rights and Justice
Ombudsmen to help find the missing,”
he said.
Deputy head of Indonesia’s National
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM),
Dianto Bachariadi, said in 2016 that attempts
to discuss the
missing with the Indonesian government had
failed but that the commission would continue
to press the Indonesian government to work
with the Commission to take action to locate
the missing people.
The commission called on the Indonesian
government to establish a special commission
of inquiry "to find what happened to
the missing people," saying that without
the establishment of a special commission
of enquiry "the responsibility of finding
Timor's missing rested with organizations
such as the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Timor-Leste
office of the Provedor for Human Rights
and Justice (PDHJ).
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Cambodia
issues arrest warrants for
dissolved opposition party
exiles
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The
Phnom Penh court has issued
arrest warrants for
dissolved opposition Cambodia
National Rescue Party (CNRP)
members
including former party president,
Sam Rainsy |
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From
News Reports:
Phnom Penh, March 20: Cambodia has issued
an arrest warrant for eight former high
ranking members of the dissolved Cambodia
National Rescue Party (CNRP) incuding former
party president, Sam Rainsy, in exile in
France, for plotting against the government
and for incitement, reports the Phnom Penh
Post.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court also issued
arrest warrants for former vice presidents
Mu Sochua and Eng Chhai Eang, former legislators
Long Ry, Men Sothavarin, Ou Chanrath, Tok
Vanchan and Ho Vann, in the US all charged
with plotting and incitement.
The eight former members of the Cambodia
National Rescue Party (CNRP) that was dissolved
by the Phnom Penh Supreme Court in 2017
are reportedly charged with plotting to
commit offences in Cambodia and other places
on January 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 in
accordance with articles 453, 494 and 495
of the Criminal Code.
The eight former high ranking members of
the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party
(CNRP) are charged with holding meetings
including in Lowell, Massachusetts in the
United States on 20 January where the former
members planned the return of the former
president of the party, Sam Rainsy, to Cambodia,
including the raising of funds and creating
a network to welcome his return to Cambodia.
Former legislator of the dissolved Cambodia
National Rescue Party (CNRP), Ou Chanrath,
denied charges of plotting and incitement
saying that the meeting on 20 January in
the United States was the first meeting
to be held following the reinstatement of
Sam Rainsy as president of the re-activated
Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).
"I don't know the reason for these
charges", he said.
The Cambodian Supreme Court dissolution
of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)
opposition party in November 2017 followed
the arrest of the then Cambodia National
Rescue Party (CNRP) party president, Kem
Sokha, who had replaced exiled Sam Rainsy,
on charges of plotting to overthrowing the
Hun Sen government with the help of the
United States.
The then party president was arrested on
September 3 2017 and charged with treason
on grounds that a 2013 video showed he had
received assistance from the US.
Following the dissolution, Prime minister
Hun Sen called on the Cambodia National
Rescue Party's (CNRP) more than 5000 elected
officials to defect to his Cambodian People's
Party (CPP).
The majority of the opposition Cambodia
National Rescue Party (CNRP) seats were
allocated to the Prince Norodom Ranariddh's
royalist National United Front for an Independent,
Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative (FUNCINPEC)
party or Prince Norodom Ranariddh’s
Funcinpec party (NRP) that was registered
with the National Election Committe (NEC)
in May to contest the 2018 national elections.
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Vietnamese
to stand trial in Malaysia
despite calls for her release
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Murder
trial of Vietnamese national
Doan Thi Huong, 28, to proceed
in Malaysia despite calls for
her release from Vietnam's Minister
of Justice |
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From
News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 19: The trial of Vietnamese
national Doan Thi Huong, 28, charged with
the murder of Kim Jong Nam, half brother
of Democratic People’s Republic of
North Korea Chairman Kim Jong, is to proceed
despite calls from Vietnam for her release
following the withdrawal of similar charges
against Indonesian national Siti Aisyah,
25, last week, reports Rueters.
The trial of Vietnamese national Doan
Thi Huong, who was charged together with
Indonesian national, Siti Aisyah, 25,
with the murder of Kim Jong Nam
is to continue despite the withdrawal
of the murder charges against the Indonesian
national at the Kuala Lumpur Supreme Court
last week, reportedly without grounds
given for the withdrawal by the prosecution.
Judge Azmin Ariffin told the Kuala Lumpur
Supreme Court last week that Indonesian
national, Siti Aisyah accused of applying
the banned VX deadly nerve agent to Kim
Jong Nam's face at the crowded Kuala Lumpur
International airport, killing him within
20 minutes, was free to return to Indonesia.
Vietnam ambassador to Malaysia, Le Quy
Quynh said that he was "very disappointed"
with the decision by the court for the
trial of Vietnamese national Doan Thi
Huong to continue, saying that Vietnam's
Minister of Justce Le Thanh Long had sent
a letter to Malaysia's Attorney General,
Tommy Thomas, asking Malaysia to free
the Vietnamese woman.
Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said that the
courts decision to proceed with the trial
of Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong was
"perverse", saying that the charges
against Vietnamese national and Indonesian
national Siti Aisyah were similar and that
"Huong is entitled to the same consideration
as Aisyah.”
"Very obviously, there is discrimination.
The Attorney General favoured one party
over the other,'' he said.
Indonesian national, Siti Aisyah, maintained
her innocence throughout the trial that
began in October 2017 saying that she
had been recruited by a North Korean at
a Kuala Lumpur Hotel in January 2017 to
star in a prank show, a month before Kim
Jong Nam was found dead at the Kuala Lumpur
International airport.
Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong whose
trial began the day after the withdrawal
of charges against Indonesian national,
Siti Aisyah, is also on trial for the
murder of Kim Jong Nam, half brother of
Democratic People’s Republic of North
Korea Chairman Kim Jong charges with applying
the banned VX deadly nerve agent to Kim
Jong Nam's face at the crowded Kuala Lumpur
International airport where he was found
dead on February, 13 2017.
Lawyers for the two women chargeed claim
that photographs and recordings on mobile
phones provide evidence that the women as
claimed, believed they were acting in a
television prankat the Kuala Lumpur airport
on the day that Kim Jong-nam was found dead
from the effects of the banned VX deadly
nerve agent.
The lawyers claim that the women were
pawns in a political assassination with
clear links to the North Korean Embassy
in Kuala Lumpur and that the prosecution
failed to show the women had any intention
to kill.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Malaysian Christians condemn attack on
Muslims in New Zealand
From
News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 18: The Christian
Federation of Malaysia (CFM) condemned
the attack on Muslims at two mosques in
Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday that
left 50 dead and more than forty injured
including three Malaysian Muslims, reports
the Star.
“The Christian Federation of Malaysia
condemns the senseless and deadly acts
of violence", said chairman of the
Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM),
Archbishop Julian Leow.
The three Malaysian Muslims who are undergoing
surgery in Christchurch were reportedly
inside the Masjid al Noor mosque when
Australian, Brenton Harrison Tarrant,
28, armed with a semi-auto weapon shot
and killed 50 including at a second mosque
in suburban Linwood.
"We extend our deepest condolences
to the families of the victims and urge
churches in Malaysia to pray for those
who are grieving their loss,” said
chairman of the Christian Federation of
Malaysia (CFM), Archbishop Julian Leow.
An unidentified Malaysian Muslim financier
from Christchurch on business in Malaysia
reportedly said that the Masjid al Noor
mosque in Christchurch was 1 kilometre
away from his home and was the mosque
in which he attended Friday prayers.
He said it was the largest mosque in Christchurch
and was attended by mostly Muslims from
the Middle East and Somalians.
He reportedly said that he was very worried
about his family's safety, saying that
his daughter and her children were stranded
at a daycare center during the lockdown.
"I wish they could leave Christchurch
and come to Malaysia", he said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki
Yahya said that it was not necessary to
bring back the more than 1,200 Malaysian
nationals living in Christchurch who were
registered with the Malaysian High Commission
in Christchurch.
“We will take necessary measures
such as bringing them back if the situation
became more serious," saying that
"the tragedy was not a war but acts
of terrorism carried out by an individual
at a place considered to be peaceful and
calm".
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
said following the attack on the mosques
in Christchurch on Friday that "it
is clear that this can now only be described
as a terrorist attack."
Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison
described Australian, Brenton Harrison
Tarrant, 28, who was arrested on Friday
and charged with one count of murder yesterday
with further charges yet to be laid "an
extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist".
The
Southeast Asian Times
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Indonesia
calls on Muslims in New Zealand
to remain cautious
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Australian,
Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28,
who was arrested on Friday,
appeared in a Christchurch court
on Saturday to be charged with
one count of murder with further
charges to be laid, in the killing
of 49 Muslims at two Christchurch
mosques on Friday
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From News Reports:
Jakarta, March 17: The Indonesian Foreign
Ministry has called on 331 Indonesian Muslims
including 134 students living in Christchurch
New Zealand to remain cautious and to maintain
vigilant, following the attack on two Muslim
mosques in Christchurch on Friday that left
49 dead and more than 40 injured, reports
the Jakarta Post.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P.
Marsudi said that six Indonesians were inside
the Masjid al Noor mosque in central Christchurch
when Australian, Brenton Harrison Tarrant,
28, armed with a semi-auto weapon began
shooting, killing 45 and a further 4 at
a second mosque in suburban Linwood.
Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi said
that three Indonesians survived the shootings
but that three others remain unaccounted
for, saying that
"the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington
has dispatched officials to Christchurch,
about 440 kilometers away from Wellington."
She said that Indonesian Embassy officials
will coordinate with New Zealand security
authorities, hospitals and the Indonesian
Students Association (PPI) in Christchurch
in order to locate three unaccounted Indonesians
in the aftermath of the attack on the mosques.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
said following the attack on the mosques
on Friday that New Zealand had lifted the
level of threat from low to high, saying
that "agencies at the border, at airports
and at every level have heightened their
response."
"It is clear that this can now only
be described as a terrorist attack",
she said.
Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison
described Australian, Brenton Harrison Tarrant,
28, who was arrested on Friday and charged
with one count of murder yesterday with
further charges yet to be laid "an
extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist".
The
Southeast Asian Times
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"Boeung
Kak 13" protest at Russian
Embassy in Phnom Penh for
release of imprisoned translator
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Boeung
Kak lake land rights activist,
Nhet Khun, 77, one of the "Boeung
Kak 13" says that she will
continue to help Rath Rott Mony
because she wants justice
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From News Report:|
Phnom Penh, March 16: The "Boeung
Kak 13" land rights activists who
protested the eviction of thousands from
Boeung Kak lake in Phnom Penh in 2012
are calling for help from the Russian
Embassy in Phnom Penh for the release
of Construction Workers Trade Union Federation
(CCTUF) president Rath Rott Mony, imprisoned
for his role as translator in a Russian
documentary, accused of making false claims
on sex trafficking in Cambodia, reports
the Phnom Penh Post.
The Construction Workers Trade Union Federation
president Rath Rott Mony was arrested
December 7, 2018 for his involvement in
the production of a documentary that investigates
sex trafficking in Cambodia, shown on
Russian state news network RT with the
title "My mother sold me."
Rath Rott Mony claims that his involvment
in the production of the documentary was
limited to the role of intermediary and
translator.
Boeung Kak lake land rights activists,
Nhet Khun, 77, one of the "Boeung
Kak 13" arrested in May 2012 at the
site of her former dwelling at Boeung
Kak lake in Phnom Penh and sentenced to
the Prey Sar prison for up to 30 months,
has called on the Russian Embassy in Phnom
Penh to intervene.
"We will continue to help Rath Rott
Mony because we want justice,” she
said.
The "Boeung Kak 13" activists
including Kim Touch, were found guilty
of “aggravated rebellion” and
the illegal occupation of land when they
appeared before Phnom Penh municipal court
judge Phou Povsun in 2012 , reportedly
without legal representation.
"Boeung Kak 13" activist Kim
Touch, who said that the "Boeung
Kak 13" would continue their protest
for the release of Rath Rott Mony at the
Russian Embassy if the Russians failed
to intervene, says that "the Russian
government is obliged to help free Rath
Rott Mony".
She said that the Russian state news network
RT is a Russian-controlled media company
and that the Russian government is responsible
for the production of the documentary,
accused of making false claims.
"The arrest of Rath Rott Mony was
unfair," she said.
“Rath Rott Mony was merely a translator
but he was imprisoned," she said.
Long Kimheang, wife of detained Rath Rott
Mony said that she will keep protesting
at the Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh for
the release of her husband.
She said that the Russian government should
intervene to free the translator from
prison, saying that "the film did
not make false claims about sex trafficking
in Cambodia."
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Three arrested
for dumping toxic waste in
Malaysia's Sungai Kim Kim
river
|
|
|
|
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School
children suffered breathing
difficulties, dizziness, nausea
and vomiting after inhaling
toxic fumes from chemical waste
dumped in the Sungai Kim Kim
river in the industrial town
of Pasir Gudang in the Malaysian
southern state of Johor last
week |
|
From News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 15: Two chemical factory
operators and a worker were arrested on
Wednesday for dumping toxic waste in the
Sungai Kim Kim river in the industrial town
of Pasir Gudang in the Malaysian southern
state of Johor, poisoning hundreds including
school children and teachers, reports Rueters.
More than 500, including school children
received medical treatment after inhaling
toxic fumes, with 44 admitted to hospital,
six to intensive care, following the dumping
of toxic waste in the river from a chemical
factory and a factory that used chemicals
to dissolve scrap metal last week.
Education Minister Maszlee Malik ordered
the closure of 111 schools on Wednesday
on the advice of Disaster Management and
Relief Committee (DMRC) who believe that
the poisoning of children and teachers was
caused by fumes from toxic waste that was
dumped in the Sungai Kim Kim river near
the schools.
Illegally dumped marine oil into the river
that emitted flammable methane and benzene
fumes across a wide area reportedly caused
breathing difficulties, dizziness, nausea
and vomiting in those affected.
"I've ordered all schools within a
three-kilometre radius to shut immediately,"
said Education Minister Maszlee Malik.
Disaster Management and Relief Committee
(DMRC) chairman Osman Sapian said on Wednesday
that "the situation along Sungai Kim
Kim was under control, saying that there
was no need to evacuate residents living
along the river.
"The fumes mainly affected schools
along the Sungai Kim Kim river and not residential
areas in Pasir Gudang," he said.
The chairman said that school children were
affected due to the open nature of schools
that allowed the hazardous fumes to enter
the buildings, saying that "the heat
can trigger fumes".
"The clean-up work along the 1.5km
stretch of contaminated river will be implemented
immediately and is expected to be completed
within a week," he said.
The owner of a chemical factory in Kulai
and the owner and a worker of the scrap
metal factor in Taman Pasir Puteh in Pasir
Gudang who were arrested on Monday are to
be charged under Section 34B of the Environmental
Quality Act 1974 for dumping marine oil
that is a scheduled waste and requires proper
disposal due to its hazardous nature in
the river.
If convicted the three accused face a maximum
fine of RM500,000 and imprisonment of up
to five years.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Vietnam
wants Malaysia to give Vietnamese
woman charged with murder
of north Korean a fair trial
|
|
|
|
|
The
trial of Vietnamese national
Doan Thi Huong, 28, charged
with the murder of Kim Jong
Nam, half brother of Democratic
People’s Republic of North
Korea Chairman Kim Jong, begins
in Kuala Lumpur today
|
|
From News Reports:
Hanoi, March 14: Vietnam Foreign Minister
Pham Binh Minh has called on Malaysia's
Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah for
a fair trial for Vietnamese national,
Doan Thi Huong, 28, who is on trial for
the murder of Kim Jong Nam, half brother
of Democratic People’s Republic of
North Korea Chairman Kim Jong, following
calls for protection of her legal rights
from the Vietnam Bar Association, reports
the Vietnam News Service.
The Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) has reportedly
called on Vietnam's Ministry of Justice
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
protect the legal rights of Vietnamese
national Doan Thi Huong during her trial
that begins in Kuala Lumpur today.
Representatives from Vietnam's embassy
in Malaysia are to provide assistance
to Doan Thi Huong during her trial with
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
saying that the embassy in Malaysia has
"closely monitored the case"
since the her arrest for the alleged murder
of Kim Jong Nam at the Kuala Lumpur International
airport two years ago.
The trial of Vietnamese national Doan
Thi Huong, who was charged together with
Indonesian national, Siti Aisyah, 25,
with the murder of Kim Jong Nam
is to continue today despite the withdrawal
of the murder charges against Indonesian
national Siti Aisyah at the Kuala Lumpur
Supreme Court on Monday, reportedly without
grounds given by the prosecution for the
withdrawal .
Judge Azmin Ariffin told the Kuala Lumpur
Supreme Court on Monday that Indonesian
national, Siti Aisyah accused of applying
the banned VX deadly nerve agent to Kim
Jong Nam's face at the crowded Kuala Lumpur
International airport, killing him within
20 minutes, was free to return to Indonesia.
Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong said
following the withdrawal of charges against
Indonesian national that she was surprised
that the murder charge against her were
withdrawn with her lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh
Teik saying that "Huong is entitled
to the same kind of consideration as Aisyah.”
Indonesian national, Siti Aisyah, maintained
her innocence throughout the trial that
began in October 2017 saying that she
had been recruited by a North Korean at
a Kuala Lumpur Hotel in January 2017 to
star in a prank show, a month before Kim
Jong Nam was found dead at the Kuala Lumpur
International airport.
Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong is
accused of applying the banned VX deadly
nerve agent to Kim Jong Nam's face at
the crowded Kuala Lumpur International
airport where he was found dead on February,
13 2017.
Lawyers for Indonesian national Siti Aisyah
and Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong
claim that photographs and recordings
on mobile phones provide evidence that
the women as claimed, believed that they
were acting in a television prankat the
Kuala Lumpur airport on the day that Kim
Jong-nam was found dead from the effects
of the banned VX deadly nerve agent.
The lawyers claim that the women were
pawns in a political assassination with
clear links to the North Korean Embassy
in Kuala Lumpur and that the prosecution
failed to show the women had any intention
to kill.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Malaysian
Court withdraws murder charge
against Indonesian woman in
death of North Korean
|
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|
|
Indonesia's
ambassador to Malaysia Rusdi
Kirana, second left, said after
murder charges against Indonesian
national Siti Aisyah, 25, third
left, were withdrawn: "We
are pleased with the court decision"
|
|
From
News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 13: One of two women
charged with the murder of Kim Jong Nam,
half brother of Democratic People’s
Republic of North Korea Chairman Kim Jong,
at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
in February 2017, was released from prison
on Monday after murder charges against
her were withdrawn, in a reportedly "shock
decision", reports the Associated
Press.
Judge Azmin Ariffin told the Kuala Lumpur
Supreme Court that Indonesian national,
Siti Aisyah, 25, accused of applying the
banned VX deadly nerve agent to Kim Jong
Nam's face at the crowded Kuala Lumpur
International airport, killing him within
20 minutes, was "free"
"She can leave now," he said.
Judge Azmin Ariffin reportedly released
Indonesian natinal, Siti Aisyah, after prosecutor
Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad asked the court
to withdraw all charges against her.
Prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad reportedly
gave no reason for the request that the
murder charge against Siti Aisyah be withdrawn
and that she be discharged.
Siti Aisyah maintained her inocence throughout
the trial that began in October 2017 saying
that she had been recruited by a North Korean
at a Kuala Lumpur Hotel in January 2017,
a month before Kim Jong Nam was found dead
at the Kuala Lumpur International airport,
to star in a prank show.
She told the court that the north Korean
recruited her to rub oil or pepper sauce
on strangers at malls, hotels and airports,
recording the event, saying that she was
paid $100-$200 for each prank and that
she hoped the income would allow her to
stop working as a prostitute.
The Indonesian woman said she was directed
to apply various substances including
oil and pepper sauce on strangers at the
Kuala Lumpur airport for several days
before the banned VX deadly nerve agent
was applied to Kim Jon-nam's face.
Lawyers for Indonesian national Siti Aisyah,
25, and Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong,
28, claim that photographs and recordings
on mobile phones provide evidence that
the women as claimed, believed that they
were acting in a television prank show
at the Kuala Lumpur airport on the day
that Kim Jong-nam was found dead from
the effects of the banned VX deadly nerve
agent.
The lawyers claim that the women were
pawns in a political assassination with
clear links to the North Korean Embassy
in Kuala Lumpur and that the prosecution
failed to show the women had any intention
to kill.
The murder trial for Vietnamese national
Doan Thi Huong, 28, that was to begin
on Monday has been put on hold.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Malaysia
calls on Australia to take
its radioactive waste home
|
|
|
|
|
Malaysia's
Deputy Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department, Fuziah
Salleh, says that water leach
purification (WLP) thorium radio
active waste from the Australian
Lynas Advanced Materials Plant
(lamp) rare earth radioactive
refinery in Gebeng industrial
zone, Pahang must be sent back
to its country of origin
|
|
From
News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 12: Malaysia's Prime
Minister's Department called on the Australian
Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (lamp)
rare earth radioactive refinery in Gebeng
industrial zone, Pahang to send the plants
radio active waste back to Australia,
reports the Star.
Malaysia's Deputy Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department, Fuziah Salleh, called
on Australia's radio active processing plant
in Malaysia to send its water leach purification
(WLP) thorium radioactive residue back to
Australia, accusing Lynas of "dilly-dallying."
She said that the Energy, Science, Technology,
Environment and Climate Change Ministry
(MESTECC) was very clear that there should
be no research into water leach purification
(WLP) thorium radioactive residue that
is produced during the rare earth extraction
process.
Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh said that
the Australian rare earth radio active refinery
in Malaysia was "obscuring public understanding
of the health, safety and environmental
aspects of the radio active processing plant
by pushing for research into water leach
purification (WLP) thorium radioactive residue."
Australian Lynas Advanced Materials Plant
(lamp) has proposed a study of Water Leach
Purification (WLP) residue for possible
thorium radioactive waste extraction reportedly
to delay sending the waste to Australia.
"Rather than dilly-dally and talk about
this and that, Lynas had better focus on
the ministry's suggestion that Linas should
send its water leach purification (WLP)
thorium radioactive waste from its refinery
in Malaysia back to Australia," she
said.
She said that Malaysia's Prime Minister's
Department was doing its best to assist
Australian Lynas Advanced Materials Plant
(lamp) to send its water leach purification
(WLP) thorium radioactive waste back to
Australia.
Opposition to the construction of the
Australian Lynas Advanced Materials Plant
(lamp) refinery in Malaysia began in May
2011 with then Kuantan Member of Parliament
for the People's Justice Party and now
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department, Fuziah Salleh, coordinating
protests against the proposed plant saying
that "thorium radioactive waste would
be left behind long after the rare earth
from Australia was completely mined".
The Australian Lynas Advanced Materials
Plant (lamp) refinery had proposed to process
ores from Lynas's Mount Weld mine in Western
Australia in Malaysia with production beginning
in September 2011 and with the expectation
to earn up to $1.3billion a year.
In December 2012 four Malaysia government
ministers warned Australian Lynas Advanced
Materials Plant (lamp) that the licence
for its rare-earth processing plant in
the Gebeng industrial zone, Pahang, could
be revoked if the waste generated was
not exported.
“Should Lynas fail to comply with this
condition, the Atomic Energy Licensing Board
is empowered to suspend or revoke the license
and order Lynas to immediately cease operation,”
said the four ministers.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
First
transgender candidate for
PM
to stand for election in Thailand
|
|
|
|
|
Pauline
Ngarmpring, 49, is Thailand's
first transgender candidate
to stand for election |
|
From
News Reports:
Bangkok, March 10: Thailand's first transgender
candidate for Prime Minister is to stand
for election in the general election to
be held later this month, reports the Bangkok
Post.
Pauline Ngarmpring, 49, a former news reporter,
sports promoter and an advocate for Lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights
is one of three candidates selected by the
Mahachon Party.
Pauline Ngarmpring claims that she had been
invited to join a political party as a male
not as a woman, saying that she was not
in the 'right frame of mind' to join a political
party until after she transitioned.
"I am ready, but are people ready to
accept a transgender candidate?" she
said.
The elections, to be held on 24 March, are
reportedly set to be a contest between the
Royal Thai Armed Forces retired general
officer, head of the National Council for
Peace and Order (NCPO), also serving as
Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayuth Chan-ocha
and supporters of former fugitive prime
minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Former fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
was charged with malfeasance for ordering
the Finance Ministery to administer a rehabilitation
plan for the bankrupt private company, Thai
Petrochemical Industry (TPI) in 2003 but
has since been acquited of the charges.
The Mahachon Party is reportedly campaigning
on an agenda of human rights and equality
across gender, social, economic and political
lines.
Its manifesto includes decriminalising sex
work and greater Lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) rights including
changing gender on official documents, not
permitted in Thailand.
In March 2011 The Thai Defence Ministry
changed the Conscription Act 1954 to accommodate
new classifications for transgender conscripts
to the Thai Royal Thai Armed Forces and
Army Reserve Force.
Transgender conscripts to the Thai army
were to be classified as “Type 2”
or “Type 3” rather than suffering
a “psychological abnormality”
or a “gender identity disorder.”
Type 2 refers to men who have undergone
breast augmentation, while Type 3 comprises
people who have undergone gender change.
The purpose of the change was to eliminate
the section that exempts transgender Thais
from conscription because they were considered
psychologically abnormal.
The
Southeast Asian Times
West
Papuan separatists ambush Indonesian military
From
News Reports:
Jakarta, March 10: Indonesia's National
Armed Forces (TNI) were reportedly attacked
by armed West Papuan separatists as the
soldiers arrived to secure the construction
of the Trans-Papua road project in West
Papua's Nduga district on Thursday, leaving
three dead, reports the Jakarta Post.
National Armed Forces (TNI) spokesman
Maj. Gen. Sisriadi said that the military
was attacked by West Papuan separatists,
Kelompok Kriminal Bersenjata (KKSB) led
by Egianus Kogoya as the soldiers arrived
in Mugi District.
He said that the West Papuan separatists
attacked a platoon of 25 soldiers as they
arrived in Mugi District to join the Gakkum
Taskforce who had been deployed to secure
the construction of the Trans-Papua road
project earlier this week.
"The platoon was ambushed by about
50 to 70 men armed with military standard
firearms," he said.
He said that the West Papua separatists
fled into the jungle after multiple exchanges
with the National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers,
saying that the separatists left one dead
and weapons behind.
Earlier this week the Indonesian Defense
Forces (TNI) and Indonesian Police (Polri)
deployed 600 military personnel to secure
the construction of the Trans-Papua road
project following resumption of the construction
of the Yigi River bridge in Nduga district
in West Papua last week.
The construction of the Yigi River bridge
in Nduga district in West Papua was suspended
following the attack on construction workers
by armed gunmen on December 2 last year.
The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB)
claimed responsibility for the attack
on 2 December last year on construction
workers employed by Indonesia's state-owned
company, PT Istaka Kar, saying they were
not armed criminals as claimed by Indonesian
Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Marshal
Hadi Tjahjanto, "but true fighters
for the freedom of the Republic of West
Papua".
The attack on the construction of the
Trans Papua road followed simultaneous
rallies held by West Papuan pro-independence
separatists in capital cities throughout
Indonesia to mark the 57th anniversary
of raising the West Papua independence
Bintang Kejora or Morning Star separatist
flag, calling on the Indonesian government
to hold a referendum for West Papua independence.
The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB)
spokesman Sebby Sanbom said then that
"through this attack on the construction
of the trans Papua highway we are telling
the colonialist country of Indonesia that
we are not armed criminals but true fighters
for the freedom of the Republic of West
Papua,” saying that the workers shot
dead were not civilians but Indonesian
Defense Forces (TNI) engineers.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Court orders dissolution of
political party that nominated
Thai Royal for PM
|
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|
%20party%20leader%20Lt%20Preechapol%20Pongpanich%20center.jpg)
|
|
Thai
Raksa Chart (TRC) party leader
Lt Preechapol Pongpanich, center,
said after the court ruling
that he and other party executives
were “deeply saddened”
by the court order to dissolve
the party |
|
From News Reports:
Bangkok, March 9: The Thai Constitutional
Court has unanimously ordered the dissolution
of the Thai Raksa Chart (TRC) party and
banned its executive members from running
for election for 10 years, for nominating
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana
Barnavadi, 67, as a candidate for Prime
Minister in the general elections to be
held later this month, reports the Bangkok
Post.
The Constitutional Court ruled 6 for and
3 against to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart
(TRC) party and to ban 14 Thai Raksa Chart
(TRC) party executives from running in
the elections scheduled for March 24,
citing customery law.
“The Raksa Chart (TRC) action must
not have an adverse effect or undermine
the rule of constitutional monarchy or
compromise the political neutrality of
the monarchy,” said the Court.
The Election Commission (EC) rejected
the Thai Raksa Chart Party's nomination
of Princess Ubolratana as its candidate
for Prime Minister last month, citing
the Thai Royal ruling that members of
the royal family are above politics and
are not permitted to stand for election.
Princess Ubolratana who relinquished her
royal status in 1972, when she married a
"commoner" an American, argues
that she is a "commmoner with the freedom
and rights of an ordinary Thai to register
with the Election Commission (EC) to be
the candidate for the Thai Raksa Chart Party
(TRC)
“My acceptance of the Thai Raksa
Chart Party’s invitation to be its
PM candidate is a constitutional right,
not a privilege,” she said.
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn says that
although princess Ubolratana, who is the
eldest daughter of late Thai King Bhumibol
and the elder sister of His Majesty King
Maha Vajiralongkorn, has relinquished
her royal status she is still a royal
family member by tradition, saying that
"the princess still performed activities
on behalf of the royal family."
The Constitutional Court ruling that is
final and binding, was delivered at the
court on Chaeng Wattana Road in Bangkok
on Thursday afternoon amid 1,000-strong
security within a 500m radius.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Malaysia
rules mandatory death sentence
unconstitutional
|
|
|
|
|
Lawyer
Gopal Sri Ram says that "the
death penalty was not commensurate
punishment for all drug offences". |
|
From
News Report:
Kuala Lumpur, March 8: Malaysia's Federal
Court ruled on Wednesday that it was unconstitutional
to impose the mandatory death sentence for
drug trafficking under the amendment to
the Dangerous Drugs Act 1983 that was introduced
in March last year, reports the Star.
Lawyer Gopal Sri Ram said the amendment
to the Act had removed the court's discretion
to impose either life imprisonment or death
sentence for the offence.
He said that the power to pass sentences
and to determine the measure of punishment
are both part of judicial powers, saying
that "the judicial function must be
exercised by the judiciary and not by Parliament."
He said the removal of the discretion by
the legislature amounted to an interference
of judicial function and went against the
doctrine of separation of powers.
"The amendment to the Act had reduced
the court's discretion to a mere "rubber-stamping"
exercise", he said.
Judges were given the discretion to either
impose the death penalty or life imprisonment
after finding the accused guilty of drug
trafficking before the
amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act 1983
on 15 March last year.
Lawyer Gopal Sri Ram. who is representing
Peruvian Jorge Crespo Gomes, South Africans
Letitia Bosman and Benjamin William Hawkes
who were separately convicted and sentenced
to death by the High Court between 2015
and 2016 for trafficking in drugs and who
had lost their appeal, said that "the
death penalty was not commensurate punishment
for all drug offences".
The three convicted drug trafffickers cannot
benefit from the Federal Court ruling on
Wednesday that deemed the mandatory death
sentence unconstitutional becasue the ruling
does not have a retrospective effect.
Procecutor Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman said
Parliament passed the law based on policy
considerations of the executive at the time,
saying that "the
reason for the mandatory death sentence
being imposed was because the drug menace
was serious and a threat to the security
of the nation."
"The duty of the court is to pass a
sentence according to the law as it stood",
he said.
The death penalty in Malaysia is mandatory
for 12 offences including murder, kidnapping,
possession of firearms, drug trafficking
and treason with 20 other offences punishable
with discretionary death penalty.
In October 2018 more than 1200 death row
inmates were set to win a reprieve with
Malaysia's decision to abolish the death
penalty to be tabled in the Parliament.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department,
Datuk Liew Vui Keong, said then that the
Cabinet has decided to abolish the death
penalty, saying "as of now all executions
have been halted".
"The Attorney General (AG) has given
the green light for the abolishment of the
death penalty to be tabled in Parliament",
he said.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Student
activists condemn red tagging
by Philippine military
|
|
|
|
|
Students
at the University of the Philippines
Los Baños (UPLB) protest
against the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) militarisation
or red tagging of student activists |
|
From
News Reports:
Manila, March 7: The Philippines Los Banos
(UPLB) University Student Council condemned
the militarisation or red tagging of student
activists by
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
who were at the university on a recruitment
drive for the National Service Training
Program (NSTP) on Monday, believed to
counter the "massive recruitment"
of students by the New Peoples Army (NPA)
the armed wing of the Communist Party
of the Philippines (CPP), reports the
Philippine Inquirer.
The Los Baños (UPLB) University
Student Council said in a statement that
it condemns the “red-tagging of students
and organizations” saying that the
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
on the recruitment drive for the National
Service Training Program (NSTP) had "flashed
pictures of student protest rallies and
identified the students with the New Peoples
Army (NPA) and the Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP).
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry
Division Maj. Gen. Rhoderick Parayno,
who was among the “high caliber military
officials" who spoke at the campus
forum attended by about 400 students,
said that "recent armed encounters
in Southern Tagalog showed there were
Los Baños (UPLB) University students
among the rebel ranks.
He said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) believed there had been a “massive
recruitment” by the the New Peoples
Army (NPA) the armed wing of the Communist
Party of the Philippines (CPP) particularly
at the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) University.
He said that the Philippines Los Banos
(UPLB) student John Carlo Alberto, who
was killed in a clash between the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the
New Peoples Army (NPA) and the Communist
Party of the Philippines (CPP) was recruited
by the New Peoples Army (NPA).
In December 2018 Philippine president
Rodrigo Duterte signed the proclaimation
that classifies the Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing
the New People's Army as terrorists under
the Republic Act 10168 and the Terrorism
Financing Prevention and Suppression Act
of 2012.
Organizations or group or persons under
the Acts are reportedly defined as "any
person or entity designated and/or identified
as a terrorist, one who finances terrorism,
or a terrorist organization or group under
the applicable United Nations Security
Council Resolution or by another jurisdiction
or supranational jurisdiction.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called
for the implementation of tactics used
by President Suharto in 1965-66 to eliminate
communists in Indonesia in eliminating
the Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP), New Peoples Army (NPA) in a speech
to the 10th Infantry Division Headquarters
at Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr. in Mawab,
Compostela Valley Province in Mindanao
in the southern Philippines in December.
The President said that he would adopt
the late President Suharto's campaign
against communism that led to the killing
of up to two million Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI) members and supporters.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Indonesia's
military deployed to secure
construction of Trans Papua
highway
|
|
 |
|
Indonesian
Defense Forces (TNI) and Indonesian
Police (Polri) at the Soekarno-Hatta
container terminal in Makassar,
south Sulawesi on Sunday ready
to secure the construction of
the 4,600-kilometer Trans Papua
road project |
|
From
News Reports:
Jakarta, March 6: Indonesian Defense Forces
(TNI) and Indonesian Police (Polri) have
deployed military personnel to secure the
construction of the Trans-Papua road project
following resumption of construction of
the Yigi River bridge in Nduga district
in West Papua that was suspended following
the attack on construction workers by armed
gunmen on December 2 last year, Reports
Antara.
Chief of the Hasanuddin Regional Military
Command XIV Major General Surawahadi deployed
600 military personnel to safeguard the
construction of the Trans Papua road project
on Sunday.
He called on the 450 military from the Battalion
Infantry Raider 431 of the Strategic Reserve
Command (Kostrad) and 150 military from
the Combat Engineers Battalion"to perform
their duties optimally while safeguarding
the construction of the bridge on the Trans
Papua road," at a ceremony held at
the Soekarno-Hatta container terminal in
Makassar.
"You have heavy tasks and responsibilities
to safeguard the construction of the Trans
Papua road including dealing with security
threats from the armed separatist group,"
he said.
Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and Indonesian
Police (Polri) established a joint security
team to secure the construction of bridges
and roads that are part of the 4,600-kilometer
Trans Papua road project following the attack
on the Yigi River bridge.
Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Commander
Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto suspended construction
of Yigi bridge following the attack that
left up to 31 Indonesian construction workers
dead, reportedly describing the armed gunmen
as "armed criminal group members"
The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed
responsibility for the attack on construction
workers employed by Indonesia's state-owned
company, PT Istaka Kar December 2 last year,
saying they were not armed criminals as
claimed by Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI)
Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, "but
true fighters for the freedom of the Republic
of West Papua".
The attack on the construction of the Trans
Papua road followed simultaneous rallies
held by West Papuan pro-independence separatists
in capital cities throughout Indonesia to
mark the 57th anniversary of raising the
West Papua independence Bintang Kejora or
Morning Star separatist flag, calling on
the Indonesian government to hold a referendum
for West Papua independence.
The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) spokesman
Sebby Sanbom said that "through this
attack on the construction of the trans
Papua highway we are telling the colonialist
country of Indonesia that we are not armed
criminals but true fighters for the freedom
of the Republic of West Papua,” saying
that the workers shot dead were not civilians
but Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) engineers.
Indonesian House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo
urged the United Nations (UN) to list the
Free Papua Movement (OPM) as a terrorist
organization, at the House plenary session
in Parliament following the attack on the
Yigi River bridge, saying "they have
brutally murdered and terrorized innocent
civilians."
"We urge the United Nations to put
the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on the list
of terrorist organisations as stated in
the United Nations definition", he
said.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Indonesia
calls on
Islamic world
to support
Palestine independence
|
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Indonesian
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi
at the two day Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
meeting "Fifty Years of
Islamic Cooperation: Roadmap
for Prosperity and Development"
in Abu Dhabi on Sunday |
|
From
News Reports:
Indonesia, February 5: Indonesian Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi called on the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 57 country
members
to provide support to Palestine at the 46th
OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting
that ended in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), on Sunday, saying that all
OIC country members should support the Palestine
struggle for independence, reports the Jakarta
Post.
"The only choice for the OIC is to
strengthen solidarity and concrete support
for Palestine", she said.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that
Indonesia, as a non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council, will continue to
provide its full support to the Palestinian
cause, calling on OIC cooperation in the
settlement of the Rohingya Muslim conflict
in Myanmar.
She said that one of the concrete measures
taken by Indonesia to help Palestine is
to provide finanacial assistance to the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) for desalinating water facilities
in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also called
on the OIC to fully support ASEAN's efforts
in the repatriation of Muslim Rohingya
Rakhine refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar's
Rakhin State.
"ASEAN continues to assist the repatriation
process in providing suitable conditions
in Myanmar's Rankin State for the repatriation
of the Muslim Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh,"
she said.
The Indonesian government submitted three
draft resolutions to the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries
on the establishment of the OIC Contact
Group for Peace and Dialogue, the Global
Pact on Migration and the Islamic Office
for the Boycott of Israel.
In March 2016 member countries of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
called on the organisation and the international
community to ban products made in or produced
by Israel in an effort to pressure Israel
to end its occupation of Palestinian territories
at 5th Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) Extraordinary Summit on Palestine
in Jakarta.
The call to ban Israeli products was reportedly
made by 605 delegates from 55 countries
including the United Nations and the European
Union in support of Palestine.
In the week following the call to ban
Israeli products, Indonesia's Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi, who was scheduled
to inaugurate the first honorary Indonesian
consulate in the Palestinian territories,
was denied entry to Palestine by Israeli
officials.
Israel would not grant a flight permit
for the helicopter that would fly the
Indonesia foreign minister Retno Marsudi
from Jordan to the West Bank.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Australia
and Indonesia, two largest
economies in Southeast Asia,
to sign historic trade agreement
|
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Australia-Indonesia
Business Council vice chair
and independent member of Australia's
Northern Territory Parliament,
Terry Mills, says that the Indonesia
-Australia Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA),
"has big complications
for the Northern Territory" |
|
From
News Reports:
Darwin, March 4: Australia and Indonesia,
the two largest economies in Southeast
Asia, are to sign the Indonesia -Australia
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
(IA-CEPA), a two-way trade in goods and
services agreement in Jakarta today, building
on commitments under the existing ASEAN-Australia-New
Zealand Free Trade Agreement, reports
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT).
Australia and Indonesia reportedly reactivated
negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) in March
2016 after the launch of negotiations
in 2010, saying that the agreement will
allow business in Australia and Indonesia
to expand and diversify.
Australia-Indonesia Business Council, vice
chair, former Chief Minister of the Northern
Territory and independent member of Australia's
Northern Territory Parliament, Terry Mills,
who is to attend the signing of the agreement
in Jakarta today, says that the signing
of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (IA-CEPA) "has big complications
for the Northern Territory", reports
the NT News.
He said that Agriculture and Education
are the two main sectors to gain considerable
consessions in this agreement, saying
that "for the first time foreign
investment in education will reach a market
with 95 million under the age of 30."
"In agriculture the promise of zero
or reduced tariffs for a range of products
including live cattle and horticulture
will be a boost for the Northern Territory".
The signing of the agreement in Jakarta
today will be followed by the tabling
of the agreement in Australia's Parliament
and an inquiry by the Joint Standing Committie
on Treaties (JSCOT)
The Indonesia -Australia Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA)
reportedly ensures that Australia is well-placed
to "deepen economic cooperation and
share in Indonesia's growth" with
Indonesia expected to be the world's fifth-largest
economy by 2030.
In March 2018 the 10 Association of Southeast
Asian (ASEAN) heads of state attending
the inaugural ASEAN-Australian Special
Summit held
in Sydney acknowledged in a joint statement
"The Sydney Declaration" that
"the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit
marks a new era in the increasingly close
ASEAN-Australia relationship, elevated
to a Strategic Partnership in 2014. This
Summit reaffirms that we are partners
with a vital stake in a dynamic region
undergoing major changes. We commit to
intensify our shared work to shape a secure
and prosperous region for our people."
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Philippine
Health workers charged with
deaths in school immunization
program
|
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Former
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary
Janette Garin charged with reckless
imprudence resulting in death
in the innoculation against
dengue fever with Dengvaxia
in a school immunization program
|
|
From
News Reports:
Manila, March 3: The Philippines Department
of Justice (DOJ) has charged 20 high ranking
officials including the former Department
of Health (DOH) Secretary Janette Garin
with reckless imprudence resulting in
death in the innoculation agianst dengue
fever with Dengvaxia in a school immunization
program conducted by the Philippines Department
of Health (DOH) in December 2017, reports
the Philippine Inquirer.
Officials from the Department of Health
(DOH), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
(RITM), the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), and executives from the Sanofi Pasteur
Inc., were among those charged with reckless
imprudence resulting in death.
Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary
Markk Perete said that former Department
of Health (DOH) Secretary Janette Garin
and others were liable for “inexcusable
lack of precaution and foresight”
due to the undue haste in procuring Dengvaxia
and administering mass inoculation in
schools.
"Department of Health (DOH) Secretary
Janette Garin totally disregarded the
identified risks and adverse effects of
the vaccine that led to the children’s
deaths", he said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretay
Markk Perete claims that clinical trials
for the vaccine were to be completed in
2017 and 2018 but that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved the registration
of Dengvaxia as a prescription drug in
2016.
Undersecretay Markk Perete says that the
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has
attributed the death of 8 children aged
between 10 and 13 to the innoculation
of Dengvaxia, saying that there was insufficient
evidence to attribute innoculation as
the cause of death to a ninth child.
In January 2018 the Public Attorney’s
Office (PAO) director of Forensic Laboratory,
Dr Erwin Erfe, said that forensic examiners
had observed a pattern in the death of
five children who had been inoculated
with Dengvaxia, saying that the Public
Attorney’s Office (PAO) Forensic
Laboratory examined the body of an 11-year-old
boy from Bataan province, who died within
12 hours of developing a headache and
fever following the innoculation of Dengvaxia
in December 2017.
Last month the mother of one of the children,
who died after innoculation agianst dengue
fever with Dengvaxia in December 2017,
claimed that a Department of Health (DOH)
health worker had offered 'financial assistance'
in exchange for her son's medical documents.
Janet Eliphane said that the offer by
the Department of Health (DOH) health
worker was made after the body of her
son, Melvin Karl, 12, who died 5 December
2017, was exhumed from the public cemetery
at San Isidro Nueva Ecija in February
2018 and an autospsy conducted on the
orders of the Public Attorney's Office
(PAO)
The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) Persida
Acosta ordered the exhumation and autopsy
following alegations of bribary against
Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Francisco Duque III, and Department of Health
(DOH) health workers who offered the families
of the dead children 'financial assistance'
in exchange for not pursuing a lawsuit.
The Department of Health (DOH) halted
the immunization programme on December
1, 2017 three days after French pharmaceutical
company, Sanofi Pasteur, that developed
Dengvaxia announced that the vaccine worsened
symptoms in those vaccinated who had no
previous exposure to the dengue virus.
More than 830,000 schoolchildren had received
at least one dose of Dengvaxia before
the Department of Health (DOH) stopped
the immunization program.
Records from the Cavite provincial Rural
Health Unit (RHU) reportedly show that
68,366 schoolchildren had received the
first dose of Dengvaxia, while 37,966
had received the second dose and 36,860
had completed the three doses.
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
North Korea and US denuclearisation
talks end with no further
agreement
|
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Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea
Chairman Kim Jong Un and US
President Donald Trump in Hanoi
for second denuclearisation
summit |
|
From
News Reports:
Hanoi, March 2: Talks between US President
Donald Trump and Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un over
the
denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula
at the DPRK - US two day summit held in
Hanoi came to an abrupt end on Thursday
with no agreement reached on further committment
by North Korea to the US call for irriversable
denuclearisation, reports the Vietnam News.
President Trump said that he walked away
from negotiations with North Korea chairman
Kim Jong Un after the chairman refused to
meet the US demands for further committment
to denuclearisation, saying that "the
sticking point with Kim Jon Un was about
US sanctions".
“Basically the North Koreans want the
sanctions lifted in their entirety and we
couldn’t do that," he said.
President Trump said that the North Koreans
were willing to denuclearise a large portion
of the areas the US wanted but the US could
not give up all the sanctions for that.
"Current sanctions will remain in place”,
he said.
North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho
said in Hanoi on Thursday following the
end of the two day summit that failed to
reach further committment to denuclearisation
that the Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea had offered the US realistic proposals
but that the US wanted more.
"The two sides could not reconcile
their differences", he said.
North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho
said that North Korea had attempted to get
the US to lift five sanctions adopted in
2016 and 2017 under the 11 United Nations
Security Council resolutions.
"The sanctions have hampered the North
Korean economy and the livelihoods of our
people," he said.
North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho
said that the US wanted the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea to "completely and
permanently dismantle all nuclear material
production facilities in the Yongbyon area
including plutonium and uranium under the
supervision of experts from both the US
and North Korea".
"North Korea did not seek a complete
removal of all sanctions only partial removal",
he said.
North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho
said that north Korea had pledged a complete
halt to nuclear and missile testing including
rocket launches but that the US insisted
on "one more step" after North
Korea's agreement to shut down the Yongbyon
plant, North Korea's main nuclear facility.
“Our principle stands and remains invariable
and our proposal will never change in the
future even if the US wants further talks,”
he said.
US President Donald Trump hailed the first
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(DPRK) - US summit on the denuclearisation
held in Singapore in June 2018 a success
saying "the North Korean nuclear threat
was over" despite US officials including
United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo,
saying that North Korea has not begun talks
on defining denuclearization.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said then
that "the complete, verifiable and
irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean
peninsula was the only outcome that the
United States would accept."
The
Southeast Asian Times
|
Darwin
reporter John Loizou asks
a survivor of the 1965 killings
in Bali "why didn't you
try to stop them" in
"Remembering the slaughter
in Paradise"
........open
page here
|
|
| "Goodbye
America"
says B.A. Hamzah as he calls
for Asians to determine their
own political destiny in "Time
for Asia to set it's own course,
minus the U.S."...open
here |
|
| Is
prescribed burning of grasslands
in northern Australia out of
control? ......Chris
Ray reports ...
open page here |
|
| "Rockefeller
and the Demise of Ibu Pertiwi"
by Kerry B. Collison "is
undoubtedly fictional but by
no means improbable, "
says Johannes Nugroho ....open
page here |
|
Viet
Nam is planning to go nuclear
by the year 2020.reports
John Loizou in
"Calculating
the costs of nuclear energy
in Vietnam"
...open
page here |
|
| Bombed
by the Americans for Christmas
in 1972, Ha Noi Bach Mai hospital
is still a war zone...Christina
Pas reports...Open
page here |
|
|
The
founder of the Revolutionary
Front of Independent East
Timor (Fretilin), Mari Alkatiri,
the now former Prime Minister
of Timor Leste, after losing
the May 12, 2018 election
to the National Congress for
Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT)
party, led by Xanana Gusmao,
has accused the opposition
of a coup attempt.
Twelve years ago Mari Alkatiri
also accused the opposition
of a coup attemp claiming
then that the crises that
led to his resignation was
the result of a conspiracy.
"I have no doubt about
that" he told Darwin
reporter John Loizou in an
interview in Dili on 6 November
2006
......open
page here
|
|
| Benedict
Anderson, a man without a country,
dies in Indonesia
Jeet Heer reports.....open
page here |
|
|
Thousands
of Northern Australia's indigenous
rock art sites are under threat
from buffalo, fire and feral
animals.
Tim Lee reports
........open page here
|
|
| Copy
of letter 29 May 2012 from Vietnam
Womens Union to International
Olympic Committee...open
here |
|
| A
cartoon goes inside the tour
bus in Manila on the day that
ended with the slaying of eight
Hong Kong tourists
...Open
page here |
|
| .MEDIA
CHECK |
|
The
Yogyakarta Alliance of
Independent Journalists
(AJI) want
the murder of Yogyakarta
journalist in 1996 remembered
in proposed Anti-Violence
against Journalists Day...open
here |
|
|
Published
by Pas Loizou Press Darwin Northern Territory
Australia
PASLOIZOUPRESSDARWIN@bigpond.com
|
The
Southeast Asian Times cannot be
bought
|
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Oz $ buys
|
|
Updated daily.
Prices indicative only
|
US...0.7582
Brunei...1.0310
Cambodia...3,115.36
China..Yuan..5,0710
East Timor...0.7582
Euro..0.6794
HongsKong...5.8808
Indonesia Rupiah.9,997.47
Japan..78.8528
Laos..6,140.58
Malaysia Ringgit.....3.0900
Myanmar..923.19
Papua New Guinea..2.4033
Philippines Peso..35.3212
Singapore dollar...1.0308
...Baht..26.2521
Viet Nam Dong..16,849.44
Singapore
properties listed for sale in Myanmar
From News Reports:
Yangon, November 25: Singapore's largest property developer, the
Far East Organization, is to partner with Myanmar's local property
sales and marketing company, Min Zin Agency, in Yangon to sell
condos in Singapore.
Managing director of the Min Zin Agency in Yangon, Ko Kyaw Min
Zin, said that Singapore's Far East Organization has expanded
its sales and marketing efforts into Myanmar.
“The Far East Organisation has been selling their Singapore
properties to Myanmar buyers since 2009,” he said.
The Far East Organisation reportedly have over 750 properties
in Singapore’s residential, hospitality, retail, commercial
and industrial sectors,
including 45,500 or one in every six private homes in Singapore
listed with the Min Zin Agency in Yangon.
The
Southeast Asian Times
China to invest in rail and road construction
in Indonesia
From News Reports:
Jakarta, November 10: Indonesia's Railway
Corporation (PT KAI) and state construction company PT Jasa Marga
signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with China Investment Fund (CIF) to develop indonesia's
railway services and toll road construction.
Witness to the signing, coordinating Minister for the Economy
Sofyan Djalil, said that the MoU will provide the groundwork for
further cooperation between China Railway and P KAI and China
Investment Fund (CIF).
"The MoU is the first step towards further development of
public services between China and Indonesia" he said.
Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia, Xie Feng said that the MoU would
spark more cooperations between China and Indonesia and would
bring about "real benefits to the public."
The Southeast Asian Times
Penang health department
shuts down soya bean factory
From News Reports:
Penang, October 19: Five Penang food factories including a 100
year old soya bean factory at Tanjong Bungah were ordered closed
by the state health department for failure to observe health standards.
State health, food safety and quality division, deputy director
Ku Nafishah Ku Ariffin said soya bean products were processed
in an unclean "rusty and moldy kitchen".
"Our inspectors found that wet products were left to dry
on "dirty" bamboo sticks along with bathing towels.
The bamboo sticks were also dirty and dusty," she said.
A "sweets" factory in Teluk Kumbar, a noodle factory
in Simpang Ampat and a sauce factory in Bukit Metajam were also
closed by the state health department
The
Southeast Asian Times
Fuel
smugglers including military personnel under arrest
From News Reports:
Jakarta, September 15: Riau Islands Police have arrested 30 suspects
including several Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and seized
64 cars, two boats and 106 tons of fuel.
Riau Islands Police chief Brig. Gen. Arman Depary said in Batam
last week that the seized cars had been modified to hold 100 litres
of fuel.
"The Military (TNI) personnel are suspected of fuel smuggling
and have been handed over to the military base", he said.
TNI Commander Gen. Moeldoko said that the alleged suspected fuel
smugglers are honor-based service military personnel.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Thai
coup blammed for fall in tourist arrivals
From News
Reports:
Bangkok, August 18: The Thai tourism sector suffered its largest
fall in international visitors to Thailand in June, the first
month after the establishment of marshal law and the military
seizure of the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
Tourism reportedly accounts for 10 percent of the Thai economy.
Data from the Thai Department of Tourism shows that inernational
tourist arrival numbers in July fell by 10.9 percent compared
to the same time last year.
International arrivals in July totalled 1.91 million compared
to 2.15 million in July 2013.
Arrivals from China with a18 percent share of all visitors to
thailand and the largest group of visitors to Thailand, fell by
25.3 percent.
Arrivals from the United Kingdom with a 4 percent share of all
visitors to Thailand, was one of the few large markets to record
a gain, of 6.2 percent
The
Southeast Asian Times
US
Senate approves sales of nuclear equipment to Vietnam
From News Reports:
Hanoi, July 31: The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations passed
legislation approving a 123 agreement on civil nuclear commerce
with Vietnam at a business meeting of the committee last week.
The 123 agreement under the US Atomic energy Act of 1954 establishes
a civil nuclear commerce agreement that allows the US to export
nuclear reactors, research information and equipment to Vietnam.
The civil nuclear commerce agreement between the US and Vietnam
is "part of Vietnam's effort to ease its shortage of energy
towards meeting over 10 percent of the domestic power demand by
2030", reports the Vietnam News Service
The
Southeast Asian Times
Court for construction
Industry
established
in Malaysia
From News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, May 3: The first two Construction Courts for Malaysia
were opened by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria in Kuala Lumpur
and Shah Alam last week, reports the Star.
The courts will deal with disputes in the construction industry.
Works Minister Datuk Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof said that the
establishment of the courts will transform the way the construction
business in the country operates.
"The construction industry stakerholders can now have their
disputes resolved by judges with expert knowledge and experience
in construction industry disputes', he said.
The proposal by the Construction Industry Board (CIDB) for the
establishment of the construction courts was first put to the
Judiciary in January 2013.
Britain is the only other country that has a specially designated
court that deals with construction industry disputes.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Bali communities want larger share of tourism revenue
From News Reports:
Denpasar, April 14: Bali community-based tourism operators have
called for amendments to regulations that stipulate that the local
community pay the Bali regency administration 60 percent of their
total tourism revenue.
Penglipuran tourist village in Bangli, community-based tourism
manager, Nengah Moneng, said that he objected to the fact that
his community received only 40 percent of the total revenue.
"We want to have 60 percent share of the tourist revenue
to pay for operating costs", he said.
The Penglipuran tourism manager said that operating costs for
trekking, traditional dance, cultural shows including religious
rituals had increased.
The cost of operating lodges and community halls for tourism had
also increased.
"An increase in revenue for not only the Bangli community
but for tourism based communities across Bali would benefit tourism
island-wide" said the tourism manager.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Riau
forest fires force Chevron to shut down oil wells
From News Reports:
Jakarta, March 21: PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI), the Indonesian
subsidiary of US-based oil company Chevron has shut down 573 oil
wells in the Riau province of Sumatra.
The deteriorating quality of air due to forest fires that have
been raging for the last month has forced PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia
(CPI) to shut down its oil wells and evacuate workers and there
families.
Indonesia's upstream oil and gas regulator, SKK Migas, public
relations officer, Handoyo Budi Santoso, said that oil assets
in Riau province are important to national crude oil production.
"The biggest production loss came from the shutdown of Rokan
block, operated by Chevron Pacific Indonesia, the country's biggest
producer of crude oil production", he said
The Jakarta Posts reports that potential losses are estimated
at about 12,000 barrels of oil a day.
The Southeast Asian Times
Sabah caters to influx of tourists from China
From News Reports:
Kuala Lumpur, March 5:
The New Straits Times reports that there was an 86 percent increase
in tourist arrivals from China
to Sabah in the last two years.
Data from the Sabah Tourism Board reportedly shows that 193,010
tourist tourists arrived in Sabah from China in 2011 increasing
to 360,361 in 2013
Sabah West Coast Coffeeshop Association chairman, Yong Chee Yun,
said coffee shop operators were catering to the influx of tourists
from China.
"Coffee shops displayed tourist friendly signs in Chinese
saying 'how are you?' and menues included China's favourite foods",
he said.
Sabah and Labuan Chapter chairman of the Malaysian Association
of Hotels and general manager of the At Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru
Resort,
said that staff members are encouraged to learn Mandarin.
"So that they can converse better with guests" he said.
The
Southeast Asian Times
Pilots
strike forces Merpati to cancel
flights
From
News Reports:
Jakarta,January 29: A pilots strike forced State-owned PT Merpati
Nusantara Airlines to cancelled all scheduled flights to Surabaya,
Merauke and Timika on Saturday, reports The Jakarta Post.
Merpati corporate secretary Riswanto Chendra Putra said that the
airline had not paid salaries to pilots and cabin crew for two
months.
The Jakarta Post reports that PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines was
required to restructure its operations.
Merpati corporate secretary Riswanto Chendra Putra says that Merpati
has signed a memorndum of understanding (MoU) with PT Armagedon
Indonesia and PT Bentang Persada Gemilang to restructure the company.
The airline has debts of Rp 6.5 trillion (US$533 million) reports
the Jakarta Post.
"The management would pay the salaries around March or early
April, said the Merpati corporate secretary.
Merpati’s workers union advisory board official, Erry Wardhana,
said about 200 Merpati pilots planned to strike again next Saturday
for an indefinite period.
"The pilots would strike until 1,600 Merpati employees were
paid", he said.
The union advisory board official says that this is the first
time that Merpati workers have gone on strike over unpaid wages.
The pilots are owed wages for December and January reports the
Jakarta Post.
The
Southeast Asian Times
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