Sunday, December 5, 2010

News Updates for Week of November 29th

Philippines – 10 Missing after Ship Sinks

Ten Chinese crew members were missing after their vessel went down in waters off the northernmost Philippine islands, the Philippine coastguard and police said on Saturday.

The Panamanian cargo vessel MV Hong Wei, with 24 Chinese crewmen, sank off the Batanes islands late on Friday. Fourteen crewmen were rescued by a passing ship and a Taiwan coastguard vessel, the police and coastguard said. However, 10 crew members were still missing even as Philippine and Taiwan coastguard vessels searched the waters, said coastguard spokesman Earl Paredes. The cause of the sinking is still not known but Mr Paredes said the waters in the area were known to be rough and dangerous.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610453.html

Thailand – 5 Shot Dead in the South

Suspected Islamic militants shot dead five people in attacks across Thailand's restive south, including one Muslim man gunned down by a gang apparently dressed as soldiers, police said on Saturday.

The 36-year-old deputy village headman was killed after three gunmen dressed in clothing resembling military uniforms broke into his house in Narathiwat on Friday evening, according to police. In the same province a 43-year-old Buddhist man, who worked with the local irrigation office, was also shot and killed at his home. Earlier in the day, a 55-year-old Muslim government worker died on his way back from afternoon prayers in a drive-by shooting in Pattani province. Another shooting in Pattani killed a 32-year-old security volunteer who was driving a motorcycle. His wife, who was a passenger on the vehicle, was seriously injured. In Yala province, a 41-year-old Muslim man was shot dead while returning from working at a rubber plantation on Friday afternoon.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610452.html

Malaysia - Investors to Have Confidence in Market

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission admits the business sector is highly prone to corrupt practices and the MACC and the respective chambers of commerce in the country want to fight this.

'We want to create a healthy business environment for Malaysia, so that foreign investors have stronger confidence in the country. 'We want to tell investors that Malaysia is not a corrupt-infested country and they do not have to pay extra to do business here,' said MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Sutinah Sutan, when announcing that the business community would take a pledge next week to fight corruption.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610447.html

Indonesia – On Alert for Religion-related Terrorism

Indonesia has gone on alert for terror attacks during the Christmas and New Year period after police found and defused several homemade bombs in Central Java on Wednesday.

The revelation yesterday coincided with the discovery of a cache of explosives in a warehouse in North Jakarta. National Police spokesman Iskandar Hasan told reporters yesterday that the alert has been raised across the country, particularly in areas like Bali, Java and Sumatra, which have been targets in the past.

It came after police found bombs in three separate places this week - on the roadside in front of a Christian chapel, an Islamic hospital and a police post in Kendal, Central Java. Each bomb was made up of four or five petrol-filled 600ml plastic bottles hooked up to a timer, a detonator and a battery. A police source told The Straits Times that one of them was supposed to explode at 2am, but failed to go off. 'This is a terrorist group showing their existence,' said Inspector-General Iskandar, adding that police were investigating. 'They are targeting the Christmas and New Year eves.'

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610390.html

Singapore – Dean One of Top 100 Thinkers




The dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) has been selected by Foreign Policy magazine as one of its top 100 global thinkers in 2010.

Prof Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished diplomat, is honoured by the magazine 'for being the voice of a new Asian century'.
Prof Mahbubani was appointed Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in 2004 after having served 33 years in the Singapore Foreign Service. He was the permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry from 1993 to 1998. He has also written several books such as Can Asians Think? and Beyond The Age Of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America And The World.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_608615.html

Cambodia and Thailand – Border Gate to Reopen

Cambodia plans to reopen a border gate with neighbouring Thailand at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple this weekend, officials said on Monday, indicating a thaw in relations between the two countries. The move came after the redeployment of both Cambodian and Thai soldiers away from the border. He said the tense situation there had eased and troops from both sides had covered up their bunkers in the area. Ties between the neighboring countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608657.html

Indonesia - Yogyakarta statement on Tuesday

Amid a heated debate over the President's comments on the special status of Yogyakarta, the government will issue a formal statement via the Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday, an official said.

The President's comment, which hinted that the automatic ascension of the Sultan of Yogyakarta as governor of the province was in direct conflict with democracy, has evoked the anger of people who adhere to the sultanate's special status in the country. The sultanate, under law, is given special rights due to the extraordinary contribution of the Yogyakarta Sultanate to Indonesia's birth as a republic. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said he was considering relinquishing his position as governor following the statement.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608550.html

East Timor – Wants in on ASEAN



Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Wednesday it would be symbolic if his fledgling country gained Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) membership next year when former occupier Indonesia takes over as chair of the regional bloc.
'If it is under Indonesia and Timor-Leste joins Asean as the 11th member at the summit in Jakarta in November 2011, it would elevate Indonesia's statesmanship, it would elevate Asean,' Mr Ramos-Horta said in Singapore.

Indonesia will assume the revolving chairmanship of the 10-member Asean in 2011 from Vietnam. As chair, it will host the group's annual summit and related meetings and steer the agenda for the year.

Timor Leste, a former Portuguese colony, was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 as it moved towards formal independence, starting a brutal 24-year occupation. It won its freedom in a 1999 UN-backed referendum that was marred by violence as Indonesian-backed militias laid waste to much of the country in a scorched earth campaign that displaced hundreds of thousands.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_609252.html

No to ‘Hot Money’ Controls

At 7th ASEAN Finance Minister's Investor Seminar in Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asian finance ministers said on Tuesday there was no need to coordinate on the massive inflow of foreign capital into the region, which has raised fears of destabilising economies.
The 'hot money' has nudged most Asian currencies higher, making their exports more expensive on the global market as the US allows the dollar to weaken and China keeps a tight rein on the yuan.
The influx of funds has also led to steep gains in stocks and property prices, which have stoked fears of 'bubbles' that could later burst if the money is withdrawn quickly, and prompted individual central banks to act to cool down their market.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608953.html

Cambodia – USD 8m Given to Restore Angkor Wat



Chine has given Cambodia US$6 million to help restore a deteriorating temple at the Angkor Wat temple complex, one of Asia's greatest landmarks.
Soeung Kong, an official with the agency that oversees the Angkor Archaeological Park, said on Monday the renovation of the Hindu-style Ta Keo temple will begin early next year and should be completed in eight years. He said the temple is deteriorating badly and its walls are at risk of collapse due to natural deterioration.
Ta Keo is a pyramid of five levels, built entirely of sandstone in the late 10th century to early 11th century.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608833.html

Malaysia – ‘Green’ Snowman



AEON Bandaraya shopping complex decided to go green in a record-breaking way for the coming Christmas season with the biggest snowman in the country made of recycled plastic bottles. Standing at 9.14m tall and 6.1m wide, the Frosty snowman is made of 15,000 recyclable plastic bottles and is located at the complex's centre court in Jalan Lagenda. To top things up, the giant Frosty has made its way into the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) as the biggest snowman made of recyclable bottles in Malaysia.

AEON Co (M) Bhd managing director Nagahisa Oyama said a total of 40,000 plastic bottles were collected during a recycling programme at all its shopping complexes and 90 schools nationwide. 'We hope to educate our customers on the importance of recycling, reducing (waste) and reusing items besides promoting the Green Christmas theme,' he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610006.html

Sunday, November 21, 2010

News Updates for Week of November 15th

Malaysia Celebrates Hari Raya Haji


Muslims all over Malaysia celebrated Hari Raya Haji (also known as Eid al-Adha) on Wednesday on a moderate scale, but with a sense of gratitude and the spirit of sacrifice. They attended prayers at mosques and prayer halls, and slaughtered animals such as cows and goats to mark the festival of sacrifice which comes at the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak attended prayers at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. He joined more than 10,000 fellow Muslims to perform prayers. Mr Najib, who was attired in a pink baju Melayu, was accompanied by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar as he arrived at the mosque at about 8.30am, and was greeted by the Grand Imam, Ustaz Ehsan Mohd Hosni. After the prayers, Mr Najib shook hands and exchanged Hari Raya Haji greetings with fellow Muslims who had lined up to greet the Prime Minister. Mr Najib, accompanied by Ismail, also sprinkled scented water on the grave of his father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, at the National Mausoleum at the mosque, and recited prayers.

The Eid al-Adha is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_604255.html

Thailad - Bout Deported to US


Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was flown out of Thailand on Tuesday on a special jet to face trial in the United States, bringing to an end months of legal wrangling over his extradition. The 43-year-old former Soviet air force pilot has been fighting extradition on terrorism charges since his March 2008 arrest after a sting operation in Bangkok involving undercover US agents posing as Colombian FARC rebels.

'Bout already left Thai soil at 1:27 pm (0627 GMT, 2:27 pm S'pore time) from Don Mueang airport,' Colonel Supisarn Bhakdinarunart, commander of Thailand's Crime Suppression Division, said Bout left Thai soil at 0627 GMT and is headed for a secret, final destination in the US.

Bout's sudden departure came shortly after the Thai cabinet approved his handover in a move likely to prompt further fury from Moscow which had vowed to do all it could to bring Bout home. He was escorted by police from Bang Kwang maximum security prison in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring.

The inspiration for the Hollywood film 'Lord of War", Bout is accused of using a fleet of cargo planes to deliver arms in Africa, South America and the Middle East.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603850.html

Cambodia - Landmine Kills 14

Fourteen people died in western Cambodia when their homemade tractor ran over an anti-tank mine left over from the country's civil war in the 1980s, an official said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Battambang province, 250km north-west of the capital Phnom Penh, while the farmers were on their way back home from harvesting chilies, police Major Buth Sambo said.

The police officer said the area was the site of intense battles between the Khmer Rouge and government forces in the 1980s and early 1990s and thus was seeded with numerous mines. An estimated 4 to 6 million land mines and other unexploded ordnance from more than three decades of armed conflict continue to maim or kill Cambodians each year. Prime Minister Hun Sen said earlier this year that it will still take years to clear the once war-torn nation of land mines that endanger lives in nearly half the country's villages.

Indonesia - Bali Waters Protected Zone

The Mola Mola (also known as Ocean Sunfish)

Indonesia on Sunday declared the coral-rich waters around Bali - a popular scuba diving spot which is home to the giant Mola-Mola ocean sunfish - a protected zone.

The 20,000-hectare area around Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan islands will be protected from destructive fishing, waste dumping and coral mining, project leader Marthen Welly told AFP. 'Destructive fishing is carried out by fishermen using cyanide and explosives,' Welly of the conservation group The Nature Conservancy (TNC) said. 'Many ships also throw anchors on the coral reefs and hotels and households dump wastes causing water pollution. Now they can't do these anymore,' he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605772.html

Indonesia - Merapi Cooling Down, Death Toll 304

The number of deaths caused by recent eruptions at Indonesia's most volatile volcano has risen to 304.

Slamet Sugiono from the National Disaster Management Agency said on Sunday the toll climbed after some victims succumbed to severe burns and illnesses linked to the eruption. Also, more ash-buried bodies have been found on the slopes of Mount Merapi. The volcano started erupting late last month after years of dormancy. The most significant blast on Nov 5 was Mount Merapi's deadliest in decades. The agency says volcanic activity has declined sharply and Merapi's current eruptions are not strong enough to endanger people, and so, half of nearly 400,000 evacuees have returned home in recent days.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605751.html

Scores of people were forced to flee their homes after a restive Philippine volcano shot a column of ash into the air on Sunday, showering surrounding villages, authorities said.

Philippines - Mount Bulusan Shows Activity


Residents of two villages near the 1,565-metre Mount Bulusan volcano evacuated their homes after the volcano shot a column of ash some two kilometres into the air. Evacuees were taken to government schools that are being used as relief centres, he added. More than 750 people have fled their homes since Bulusan started emitting ash on Nov 6, said Mr Lopez.

Government vulcanologists had earlier raised the alert level for Bulusan from zero to level 1, indicating abnormal activity, possibly a sign of more ash eruptions to come.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605764.html

Malaysian Hacker 'Highly Skilled'

The Malaysian accused of hacking into the system of a US central bank branch in Cleveland, Ohio, is believed to be highly skilled and collaborating with others in carrying out cyber crimes. US prosecutors described Lin Mun Poo, 32, as an 'extremely sophisticated and dangerous computer hacker' in documents obtained from the US Justice Department.

Lin made world headlines for the wrong reasons - he managed to hack into high security cyber systems of major institutions in the US, including the Federal Reserve Bank and the Pentagon's security contractors. He was caught in a New York diner by the Secret Service on Oct 21 while allegedly selling stolen credit card numbers for US$1,000 (S$1,295). It was only hours after he had arrived in the city. On Thursday, he was indicted by a grand jury on four charges, including for hacking into the central bank branch in Cleveland. If convicted, Lin faces a jail sentence of between six-and-a-half years and eight years.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605717.html

Philippines - Bomb Narrowly Missed Mayor Ampatuan

A bomb attached to a parked motorcycle exploded on Sunday in a violent southern Philippine province, wounding two people and narrowly missing the convoy of a mayor belonging to a powerful clan blamed for a massacre last year of dozens of people, officials said. The bomb constructed from a mortar round went off near a grade school in Maguindanao province's Shariff Aguak town a few minutes after the convoy of Mayor Akmad Ampatuan of nearby Datu Salibo town passed by, police said. The bomb, which wounded two residents, appeared to have been meant for Ampatuan, police said.

Several members of his clan and armed followers have been put on trial in connection with the massacre in Maguindanao last Nov 23 of 57 people, including political rivals and at least 30 media workers.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605770.html

Singapore - Third Teen Slashing Incident


Police have arrested a teenager who was involved in an attack on another youth in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday. In yet another incident of youth violence, a 17-year old , who was acquainted with the alleged attacker, also 17, was slashed on the right shoulder at Block 448, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 7pm. The New Paper reported on Friday that the two youths had got into a loud dispute and a shoving match before the victim was knifed. A police spokesman told straitstimes.com on Friday morning that the incident had nothing to do with gang activities, and investigations are ongoing. This is the third of knife fights within three weeks, the first of which ended in a teen's death, and the second of which seven youths were slashed.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_604990.html

Thailand - 2,000 Foetuses Found at Temple


THAI police investigating a strong smell emanating from a Buddhist temple have found more than 2,000 foetuses hidden in the complex's morgue that appear to have come from illegal abortion clinics. During an initial investigation at the temple in Bangkok on Tuesday, police discovered piles of plastic bags containing more than 300 foetuses. Police Lieuenant Colonel Kanathud Musiganont said workers pulled more bodies from the temple's morgue on Friday. More than 2,000 have been unearthed from vaults where bodies are traditionallyinterred pending cremation, which under some circumstances can take place years after death.

Abortion is illegal in Thailand except under three conditions - if a woman is raped, if the pregnancy affects her health or if the foetus is abnormal.

Several people have already been arrested in the case: two undertakers for hiding bodies to conceal the cause of death and an abortion clinic employee on charges of operating an unlicensed medical clinic and performing abortions.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605071.html

US House Slams Myanmar Vote

The US House of Representatives on Thursday condemned Myanmar's recent elections and said no government there can be legitimate without the participation of Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. By voice vote, lawmakers approved a symbolic resolution that 'denounces the one-sided, undemocratic, and illegitimate actions' of the country's ruling junta and accused them of consolidating their power with a 'flawed election'. 'No government in Burma can be considered democratic or legitimate without the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic nationalities,' the measure states. The resolution also demands 'the full restoration of democracy, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and internationally recognized human rights for all Burmese citizens.'

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_604966.html

Indonesia - 2 Foreigners Caught for Drugs, Possibility for Execution


A British man and a Japanese man are facing possible execution in Indonesia after customs officials found drugs in their luggage at Bali airport, authorities said on Monday. Customs officers said they had arrested British national Khuram Antonio Khan Garcia, 39, with methamphetamine and Japanese Morita Yuki, 35, with hashish as they arrived at the resort island's international airport.

Garcia was arrested on Thursday after landing on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha with 3.1kg of methamphetamine in his suitcase. The drugs had an estimated street value of six billion rupiah (USD 670,200). He told investigators someone called 'Mr. Ben' had asked him to carry the suitcase from Cameroon to Indonesia. An Indonesian suspect was arrested on Friday when he came from Jakarta to pick up the suitcase, the customs office said in a statement.

Yuki was arrested on Sunday after landing from Bangkok with 5.9kg of hashish valued at 3.5 billion rupiah (USD 390,952) hidden in paper packages in his suitcase lining.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603506.html

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Aung San Suu Kyi's 22 Years in Political Spotlight


YANGON - AUNG San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader who could soon be released from house arrest, was a political newcomer when she took up the struggle for democracy in 1988. Following are the major events in the history of her role in Myanmar's politics since a military crackdown in 1988 and the formation of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party that followed.
1988:
- August: Thousands of people are believed killed after troops open fire on mass protests. Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero Aung San, delivers a speech at Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda to a crowd of 500,000 
- September: Military takes charge with the creation of the State Law and Order Restoration Council ? Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is formed
1989:
- July: Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest
1990:
- May: Her NLD wins 392 out of 485 seats in parliamentary elections but the junta refuses to recognise the results
1991:
- October: Suu Kyi wins Nobel Peace Prize
1994:
- September/October: Talks with junta number one and three, Senior General Than Shwe and Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt
1995:
- July: Released after six years under house arrest
1996:
- May: Some 10,000 supporters of Suu Kyi march in Yangon in the biggest demonstration since 1990, which the junta declares illegal
1999:
- March: Her husband Michael Aris, a British academic, dies from cancer having not seen his wife in four years
2000:
- August: Suu Kyi defies order confining her to Yangon. Again placed under house arrest the following month after attempting to travel to Mandalay
2002:
- May: Released after 19 months under house arrest
2003:
- May: Arrested in the country's north after a violent clash between her supporters and a pro-junta group 
- September: Moved to her Yangon home and placed under house arrest for a third time
2007:
- September: Suu Kyi prays with Buddhist monks allowed to walk past her home during mass protests against escalating fuel costs, in her first public appearance since 2003
2008:
- May: Her detention is extended again three days after a referendum is held to confirm a new constitution that paves the way for an election in 2010
- August/September: Refuses food and placed on intravenous drip
- October: Appeals through her lawyers against her detention
2009:
- May: Appeal against detention is rejected
- Shortly before her expected release, Suu Kyi is put on trial over a bizarre incident in which an American man swims uninvited to her lakeside home. She is sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest.
- November: Appeals detention at Supreme Court
2010:
- February: Supreme Court rejects appeal
- March: Suu Kyi says she opposes contesting the first election in 20 years because the rules are unfair. Her party announces it will boycott the vote and is disbanded
- May: Lodges last-ditch appeal with Supreme Court against detention
- November: Suu Kyi remains in detention at her lakeside mansion on election day. Her final appeal is rejected but hopes for her release remain when her current sentence is completed
- Supporters gather as officials say her release is imminent

Source: www.straitstimes.com

News Updates for Week of November 7th

Suu Kyi Completely Free


Myanmar’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi walked free on Saturday after seven years as a prisoner in her own home, calling on a sea of jubilant supporters to unite in the face of repression. Waving and smiling, the Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared outside the crumbling lakeside mansion where she had been locked up by the military rulers, to huge cheers and clapping from the waiting crowds. 'We must work together in unison,' she told thousands of waiting people, suggesting she has no intention of giving up her long fight for democracy in what is one of the world's oldest dictatorships. Many people hugged each other with joy at the sight of the 65-year-old dissident, known in Myanmar simply as 'The Lady'. She wore a pale purple top and appeared in good health after her latest stretch of detention.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603081.html

Brunei Prince’s Lawsuit


The kinky, narcissistic spending of a flamboyant prince has been revealed in a New York courtroom.
This week the younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei fought to keep photos of the almost $1million (£617,000) pornographic statues depicting himself in various sexual positions with a fiancee away from jurors in his upcoming civil trial against former advisers. Prince Prince Jefri Bolkiah, 56, immortalized his bedroom antics with Micha Raines in life-sized bronze sculptures he had commissioned for his mansion in Long Island. Jefri is going to court next week in Manhattan against two ex-financial advisers, Thomas Derbyshire and his wife, Zaman, saying they ripped him off when they sold the 23-room estate for just $11 million.

For more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326969/Prince-Jefri-Brunei-wants-sex-statues-barred-NY-courtroom.html#ixzz15IF9LbDu

Seven Youths Slashed

Seven youths were repeatedly slashed by a group of parang-wielding men in Bukit Panjang on Monday night, in what appeared to be gang-related attacks. The victims, aged between 14 and 20, were set upon in two separate incidents - first when a 20-year-old assistant technician was slashed in the back and legs, and then when a group of 20 youths were surrounded.
In both instances, the assailants first asked their victims whether they were from a gang named 'Pak Hai Tong'. When the victims denied associations with the group, they were slashed. The gang, believed to be eight-men strong, also shouted 'Sah Lak Kau' (Hokkien for 369), another gang name, before fleeing the scene. No one has been arrested thus far.

Monday's attacks came less than two weeks after Republic Polytechnic student Darren Ng was fatally stabbed at Downtown East in Pasir Ris.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_601402.html

Mayor Shot 40 People

A policeman who witnessed an election-related massacre of 57 people last year told a court on Wednesday a former town mayor - the main suspect in the deaths - gunned down 40 victims as they pleaded for their lives.

Senior Police Officer Rainier Ebus testified he saw former Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr, the scion of the clan that was in control of southern Maguindanao province, shoot about 40 of the 57 victims after stopping their vehicles. Among the dead in the Nov 23, 2009 massacre - the worst political killings in recent Philippine history - were at least 30 media workers accompanying supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, a local politician running for governor. His rivals from the Ampatuan clan and militiamen under their command have been charged with murder. They have pleaded innocent.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601691.html

Thaksin Wants Political Freedom


Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra urged his own country on Sunday to follow Myanmar's example of freeing political prisoners after the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, said he believed the events in Myanmar would help improve 'the protection of human rights and democracy' in Southeast Asia, in particular Thailand. The situation in Myanmar shows that the release of political prisoners 'will be a starting point towards national reconciliation and creation of genuine social justice", he said in a statement.

Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile, is seen as a hero for many 'Red Shirts', whose rallies on the streets of Bangkok in April and May descended into clashes between troops and civilians that left over 90 people dead.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603181.html

Mount Bulusan Shows Activity Followed by Earthquake


Dozens of people fled their homes near a restive Philippine volcano on Wednesday, while authorities advised pilots to avoid flying near clouds of fine ash shooting out from its crater. Soldiers and police would also be posted to keep people out of a six kilometre zone around the crater and has trucks on standy to take evacuees to government-run shelters, it said.

Bulusan showered nearby communities with ash on Tuesday, with its explosions accompanied by booming sounds, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in an advisory, adding that it expects more explosions. Bulusan, 250 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila on the main island of Luzon, is one of the country's 23 active volcanoes. Also, A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippines' northern island of Luzon on Wednesday

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601599.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601623.html

Obama in Indonesia to Mend US-Muslim Relations

Barack Obama said on Wednesday much more needs to be done to repair frayed US relations with the Muslim world in an acknowledgment of the difficulties in eradicating 'years of mistrust.' He promised: 'No matter what setbacks may come, the United States is committed to human progress.” In a speech highlighting a nostalgic visit to Indonesia, where he spent four years as a young boy, Mr Obama spoke fondly of his formative years in the world's most populous Muslim country.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601526.html

Malaysia Accepts Graft Index Findings

MALAYSIA on Wednesday accepted the 'far from flattering' findings by an anti-graft watchdog that showed the country had slipped in its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score. Berlin-based Transparency International's (TI) annual survey released last month showed Malaysia had slipped from 4.5 to 4.4 out of 10 on its index scale where 1.0 is the most corrupt and 10.0 is the least corrupt. Southeast Asian neighbours like Singapore, scored 9.3, and Brunei 5.5. Hisham Nordin, a senior official with the government's anti-corruption commission, says, There is absolutely nothing to hide. But we are not discouraged because we know what we have done and put in place to fight corruption under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).” He continues, “These robust initiatives are still in their early stages of implementation and we are confident they will yield the results we want.”

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601596.html

Thanks for checking in!!! Feels good to be updated innit?
SEASA <3's

Thursday, November 11, 2010

News Updates for Week of November 1st

Myanmar – Ethnic Groups Join Forces


Six armed ethnic groups in Myanmar have forged an agreement to join forces, fearing they will be attacked by the regime after Sunday's election, an exile news agency said on Thursday.

The 'landmark deal' was struck on Tuesday in the Thai-Myanmar town of Mae Hong Son and included the most powerful ethnic armies. The reported alliance comes amid fears that civil war could break out between the government and several ethnic groups who have denounced the elections as a means to end their decades-long struggle for autonomy under a federal system. 'The Burmese army could wage wars against ethnic groups after the election. Therefore it is essential for the ethnic groups to cooperate and help each other,' the agency quoted David Tharckabaw, vice president of the Karen National Union, as saying. The other members of the alliance include organisations from the Karenni, Chin, Kachin, Mon and Shan minorities. Some, like the Karen, have been fighting the regime for decades, but others had signed cease-fire pacts that now appear in jeopardy.

With increasing tension, the government has cancelled voting in 3,400 villages in ethnic areas and has increased its military presence in the countryside. Several of the cease-fire groups are boycotting the election

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599273.html

China and Cambodia in US$1.6b deal

China will inject US$1.6 billion (S$2.05 billion) into Cambodian infrastructure over five years, officials said on Thursday, just days after the US urged the country not to become too dependent on the Asian giant. 'Within the next five years, Cambodia and China will have 23 co-operation projects,' government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters after a meeting between China's top legislator Wu Bangguo and the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen. China also plans to help Cambodia build a new railway to neighbouring Vietnam, providing one of the last missing links for a pan-Asian network that would connect Singapore with China's Kunming by train, according to the spokesman.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599422.html

Merapi Keeps on Erupting


At least 138 people have died since Mount Merapi started erupting Oct 26. It has not stopped to erupt ever since. Scientists such as Mr Surono, a state volcanologist, says It seems like Indonesia ‘may be entering an even worse stage,' 'We have no idea what's happening now'.The volcano, one of the world's most active, has erupted many times in the last century, often with deadly results. In 1994, 60 people were killed, while in 1930, more than a dozen villages were torched, leaving up to 1,300 dead.

More than 70,000 are now packed in crowded government camps well away from the base and may have to stay for weeks, or possibly months.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599296.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599088.html

Islamic Extremist Sentenced to Jail

An Islamic extremist was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for his role in anti-Christian bombings and killings in an area of Indonesia with a history of religious violence. Eko Budi Wardoyo, also known as Munsif, took part in a series of attacks on Christians in the province of Central Sulawesi, a West Jakarta district court judge said. 'We sentence him for 10-year in prison. He has inspired fear and spread terror' judge Supeno said. He said Wardoyo had advised bombers who killed 22 people at a busy market in the predominantly Christian town of Tentena in Poso district in May 2005. Also, he appointed the murderers of reverend Ms Tinulele in Palu in 2004, where three members of the congregation were also killed.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599270.html

Thai Court Fired 6 Lawmakers

Six Thai lawmakers have lost their seats after a court found them guilty of violating a conflict of interest law.
Thailand's constitution bans lawmakers from benefiting from ventures linked to state concessions. Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat - through his spouse - and Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaiwijit held shares in a state enterprise involved with oil exploration and production. The other four lawmakers, some from the opposition, also held shares in privatized state enterprises.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599088.html

2 Quantas Jet Scares

Quantas, Australia's flagship carrier, moved quickly on Saturday to protect its reputation after one of its Boeing 747 jets experienced an engine failure on Friday night and was forced to return to Singapore's Changi Airport. The incident occurred just one day after a Qantas Airbus 380 engine also combusted, raining debris down onto Batam Island in Indonesia. Both flights were travelling from Singapore to Sydney.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Singapore_20101106.html

Singaporean Terrorist Wanted in the Philippines

Singaporean terrorist Manobo, also known as Muawiyah, is one of the top three militants linked to Jemaah Islamiah being hunted in the Philippines, said security expert Rommel Banlaoi on Tuesday. In his address to the National Security Seminar, he said the bombmaker works closely with the more dangerous of the other wanted militants - Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan - and the Abu Sayyaf group. The Philippine government has announced a reward of US$50,000 for Muawiyah's capture, and for Marwan's arrest, the reward is US$5 million.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_601458.html

Malaysia’s National Front Wins Election


Malaysia’s ruling coalition celebrated impressive victories in two special elections on Thursday, signaling an apparent fall in support for the opposition that might embolden Prime Minister Najib Razak to call early national polls.
The results are a major morale boost for the National Front coalition, which has battled to regain public support after clinging on to power despite losing more than one-third of the seats in Parliament in 2008 general elections.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599296.html

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Monday, November 1, 2010

Updates for Week of October 24th

Teen Murdered in Pasir Ris, Singapore

Police arrested four men on Monday evening in connection with the brutal murder of a teenager in Downtown East last Saturday.
The four men, aged between 18 and 20, were arrested about 48 hours after Mr Darren Ng Wei Jie was hacked by choppers in cold blood and in front of shocked passers-by at the resort and amusement park in Pasir Ris.
Officers from the Special Investigation Section of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) established the identities of the suspects and, with this lead, were able to swiftly round up the four men. The case has been classified as murder, which carries the death penalty. Investigations are still ongoing.
Mr Ng, 19, a Republic Polytechnic student, was set upon by a group of 10 people at about 6pm. He and two friends were believed to have been involved in a staring incident with the group earlier. The group set upon him with choppers, but he managed to run towards a row of restaurants, where he crashed into a glass panel. Witnesses said members of the group caught up with him and continued hacking him. After the assailants fled, Mr Ng's friends dragged him away, leaving a trail of blood.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_597771.html

Merapi Erupts Again


Indonesia’s most active volcano which claimed at least 36 lives last week spewed more searing clouds of gas and ash Sunday, triggering fresh panic among locals. The volcano erupted three times last Tuesday, once last Friday, once last Saturday and again Monday morning.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595772.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/01/indonesia.volcano.erupts/index.html

Thai Floods Kill 57

Heavy downpours that caused rivers to burst around Thailand have killed 57 people in nearly two weeks of flooding. Prime Minister Abhisit said the flooding was the country's worst in 40 or 50 years due to heavy rains that dumped larger-than-normal amounts of water into dams and reservoirs and aggressive housing and business development that has affected natural drainage channels. More than 4 million sandbags were used to erect walls this week in Bangkok along stretches of the Chao Phraya River, resulting in minimal flooding in Bangkok.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596064.html

Tsunami Death Toll Reaches 449

On 26th October 2010, a three-metre (10 feet) tsunami pounded on remote islands off the coast of West Sumatera and swept away villages. By Sunday evening, death count has increased to 449 persons.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, meanwhile, cut short a state visit to Vietnam to deal with two major disasters that struck Indonesia in less than 24 hours. The country's most volatile volcano, Mount Merapi, 800 miles to the east, erupted at dusk on Tuesday, sending up searing ash clouds and killing more than two dozen people.

Disaster officials were still trying to reach more than a dozen villages on the Mentawais - a popular surfer's destination that is usually reachable only by a 12-hour boat ride. The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck late Monday just 13 miles beneath the ocean floor was followed by at least 14 aftershocks, the largest measuring 6.2.

Surprisingly, an 18-month-old baby has been found alive in a clump of trees days after the devastating tsunami, an official says. He says a 10-year-old child discovered the baby in a clump of trees on Pagai Selatan island on Wednesday. Both his parents are dead.

For more, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/31/indonesia.disaster/index.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/baby-found-in-trees-698021.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595764.html

Malaysia Set on Nuclear Energy

The Cabinet is set to give its green light to build the country's first nuclear power plant by 2021 as stipulated in the recently unveiled Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), but the choice of location remains a secret. Prime Minister Chin Fah Kui explained that the government was deliberately looking at nuclear power as an option not only to meet Malaysia's growing electricity demand post-2020, but also to further diversify the country's energy mix and to ensure future energy security.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596079.html

Paid for Philippine Massacre

A Philippine police officer on Wednesday testified in court that he was paid about US$350 (S$455) by a powerful Muslim clan scion to help carry out the country's worst political massacre. Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon said he received the money from Andal Ampatuan Jnr to set up the police checkpoint that stopped the convoy of a rival politician in the southern province of Maguindanao last year. The convoy carried relatives of Esmael Mangudadatu who were going to file his candidacy to run against Ampatuan Jnr for provincial governor.

'Do you know who our enemies are? Are you capable of killing them?' Mr Diongon quoted Ampatuan as saying. He recalled answering 'yes', but said he only did so out of fear. He said Ampatuan paid him 15,000 pesos (about S$455 dollars) for the job, adding that he saw at least three other police officials receive pay-offs as well.

When the convoy, carrying Mangudadatu's wife and other relatives, their lawyers and 32 journalists arrived, Mr Diongon said his men stopped their vehicles, allowing Ampatuan and his gunmen to take the passengers away.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595955.html

Red Shirts Call for Probe

Thailand’s 'Red Shirt' anti-government movement has urged the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government. The petition argues that the country's political and military leadership are 'criminally liable' for actions taken during two months of mass opposition protests in April and May that left more than 90 people dead, mainly civilians. The Red Shirts, many of whom support fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, accuse the government of a 'massive cover-up', according to details posted on the website of Thaksin's Canadian lawyer Robert Amsterdam.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595876.html

Equal Opportunities at 38,000 Feet

A worldwide shortage of airline pilots has given women in Malaysia a chance to break into a profession that is notoriously male dominated. And it's the world's fastest growing airline that claims to be giving them the opportunities. AirAsia has 17 female pilots -- not that impressive when you realize that they have 700 male counterparts-- but still not a bad record in a country that is deeply conservative.

The International Society of Women Airline Pilots estimates there are about 4,000 female pilots worldwide, out of 80,000 pilots in total -- that's 5 percent, so AirAsia's 2.4 per cent of female pilots might not sound much to boast about.The organization also points out that most of those 4,000 female pilots are in the U.S. There are no figures available for the number of female pilots across Asia, but in a country where Islam is the main religion and society is very traditional, Air Asia's achievement in Malaysia is suddenly seems more impressive.

For more, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/28/malaysia.female.pilots/index.html

Vietnam targets 12m visitors

Vietnam anticipates earnings of US$8.9 billion (S$11.6 billion) in 2015 as it looks forward to welcoming 12 million foreign visitors and hosting 28 million domestic travellers, according to a tourism development draft for 2010 to 2020.
During this period, the Vietnam tourism sector will promote products rather than images. The country's tourism sector has so far created specific tourism products to attract visitors. The industry will also need to focus on attracting more tourists from the European Union, North America and Australia.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596081.html

Sunday, October 24, 2010

New Updates for Week of October 17th

Suharto Rejected as National Hero

Human rights activists on Tuesday slammed proposals to honor late Indonesian dictator Suharto as a national hero. The military strongman's authoritarian rule might have brought economic progress and stability but at the expense of democracy, humanrights and the rule of law, they said.

Suharto is among 10 names nominated for the title of National Hero of Indonesia, the country's highest honor. The annual award goes to Indonesians who 'perform acts of heroism and make extraordinary contributions' to the nation.

But anti-graft campaigner Teten Masduki, of Transparency International, said Suharto was unworthy of such an honor because he led a corrupt regime that stole billions of dollars from the country. 'He was extraordinarily corrupt to the point of bankrupting Indonesia. How could such a person be made a national hero?' he told AFP. Many other critiques make the same point.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592693.html


Singaporean Vessel Hijacked

Suspected pirates attacked and hijacked a Singapore-flagged vessel off the Kenyan coast in the pirate-infested waters off east Africa on Saturday evening. The fate of the 17 crews on board the York vessel, said to comprise 14 Filipinos, two Ukrainians and a German, remained unknown last night. It was also unknown as of Sunday night if the suspected pirates have made demands. The tanker had been carrying liquefied petroleum gas.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_594676.html


Bangkok Readies for Floods

Bangkok braced for rising waters encroaching on the fortified city on Sunday as the death toll from two weeks of nationwide flooding rose to 38, emergency officials said. The floods, which began on October 10, have affected millions of people across huge swathes of the country, inundating thousands of homes and leaving authorities struggling to reach people stranded in remote areas. Thailand’s capital has reinforced its flood walls with 200,000 sandbags and will build temporary wooden bridges in 27 communities to help people cross over waterlogged streets. More than 1,000 water pumps are on standby and authorities are preparing schools, monasteries and mosques in 13 districts for evacuation.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594693.html


Malaysian Dementia Cases to Rise

The number of people suffering from dementia in Malaysia is expected to double in 10 years and more attention is needed to treat the disease. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said currently, there were 63,000 people with dementia in Malaysia and the figure was expected to increase to 127,000 patients in 2020.

As the Malaysian population ages, diseases associated with old age will become more common,' he said in his speech when opening the 13th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International yesterday. Mr Liow urged the public to bring their family members suffering from dementia to the doctor at an early stage and not wait until patients present psychological and behavioral problems. Early diagnosis is essential to rule out reversible causes of memory loss, as not all are due to Alzheimer's Disease,' he said, adding that educating and preparing patient and care giver in the early stages will prepare them for the future. To improve early detection, cognitive screening programmes were implemented for elderly patients, from age 60, at primary healthcare centres, he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594652.html


Buffalo Slur a Sore Point

JAKARTA - INDONESIAN police have warned protesters not to bring animals into Jakarta as they brace for demonstrations on the first anniversary of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new government on Wednesday. In an unusual move, police reminded the public that animals had been banned from demonstrations in Jakarta after a protester last year led a buffalo painted with Dr Yudhoyono's initials through the streets of the city. Dr Yudhoyono spoke publicly of being hurt by the suggestion that he was 'big, slow and stupid like a buffalo', and the city government moved quickly to ban similar acts of dissent.

The first Indonesian president to be democratically elected, the ex-general is seen as a weak and indecisive leader who has failed to honour promises to crack down on rampant corruption and improve governance.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592690.html


Myanmar Bars Foreign Media from Covering Election

Foreign journalists will not be allowed into Myanmar to cover the military-ruled country's first election in 20 years, election officials said on Monday, issuing the latest restriction for an election widely criticised as a sham.
The Election Commission said there was no need to grant visas for foreign reporters because there are local reporters in the country who work for foreign media. The commission also reiterated that it was 'not necessary' for foreign observers to monitor the elections.

The ruling military junta has billed the election as a key step toward democracy after five decades of military rule. Critics say that oppressive rules governing campaigning, the repression of the main opposition party and other elements ensure that the army will continue its commanding influence after the polls.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592451.html


Southeast Asian Coral Reefs Dying

Coral reefs in South-east Asia and the Indian Ocean are dying from the worst bleaching effect in more than a decade, Australian marine scientists said on Tuesday. The bleaching, triggered by a large pool of warm water which swept into the Indian Ocean in May, has caused corals from Indonesia to the Seychelles to whiten and die, Australia's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said. Reefs in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore were also affected by the phenomenon under which sea temperatures rose by several degrees Celsius in Indonesia, researcher Andrew Baird of James Cook University said. He says 'almost certainly a consequence of global warming'.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592538.html


Malaysian Student Tops Cambridge Law

A 23-YEAR-OLD Malaysian has emerged the top student in his final-year law examinations at Cambridge University.
Mr Tan Zhongshan obtained a first-class honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Law) in June this year at Queens' College.
He also received the Slaughter And May prize presented by the university's Law Faculty - an award given to those who achieve the best overall performance in the final-year law examinations. Other coveted prizes he bagged include The Norton Rose Prize For Commercial Law, the Clifford Chance Prize For European Union Law and the Herbert Smith Prize For Conflict Of Laws.
Queens' College dean Dr Martin Dixon said Mr Tan definitely stood out among the students there. 'He is probably the best Malaysian student I have seen in the last 10 years,' said Dr Dixon, adding: 'He is the most able, dedicated and one of the most likeable students I have taught in more than 20 years at Cambridge.'

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592626.html


Megi Destroys Rice and Corn Crops


Crops in the Philippines, officials said on Tuesday, warning the Southeast Asian country could be forced to import more of the foodstuffs. The crops were ready for harvest when Megi, the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines in four years, smashed the northern parts of the main island of Luzon on Monday, the officials said.

The Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, may have to buy more from overseas next year if the losses prove great.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592513.html


Frenchman Sex Convict Arrested

Cambodian police have arrested a Frenchman convicted of raping a minor in France, who fled his home country six years ago to escape arrest, officials said on Sunday.
Francis Leroun, 54, was detained in custody after his arrest on Saturday in a rented house in southern Cambodia at the request of a French court, according to provincial prosecutor Bou Bun Hang.
Cambodia launched an anti-paedophilia push in 2003 to try to shake off its reputation as a sex predators' haven. Dozens of foreigners have since been jailed for child sex crimes or deported to face trial in their home countries.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594696.html

Sunday, October 17, 2010

MUAY THAI IS HERE!


SEASA will be holding Muay Thai event this Wednesday, October 20th @ O'Connell House Grand Hall. Come join us and learn this Thai martial art/kickboxing with professionals!! You definitely don't want to miss thiss!!

New Updates for Week of October 10th

14 Dead in Vietnam Floods

Flooding on the 17th October has killed at least 14 people and forced a total of 78,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. Nghe An province where most deaths occured (8) up to 31 inches (800 millimeters) of rain fell. In the Ha Tinh province, more than 84,000 houses and thousands of hectares (acres) of crops have been inundated by floods, while over 68,000 people have been evacuated, the report by local authorities said. About 5,000 tonnes or rice are needed for local people together with medicines and clean water.

For more, look up
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591896.html

Top Indonesian Judge "Backs Death Penalty"

Constitutional Chief Muhammad Mahfud advocates the use of death sentences on people found guilty on charges of corruption. He looks into China's use of capital punishment, and claims that the Chinese "people are satisfied" with it. Mahfud claims further that in Indonesia those convicted of corruption is only given a jail sentence of three to four years, "lighter than sentences given to petty criminals." He claims this will reduce the number of corruption cases. Transparency International currently ranks Indonesia 111 of 180 countries in a corruption survey.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591851.html

Thai PM to Face Court

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is facing a five-year ban from politics, and the ruling Democratic Party could be dissolved if he is found guilty of corruption. The party faces accusations that it paid 23 million baht to advertising firms, despite only having permission to spend 19 million on billboard marketing from the Election Commission. This can further damage Thailand's currently fragile political landscape.

The Democrats, Thailand's oldest party, came to power two years ago after controversial court decisions ousted allies of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was dislodged in a 2006 military coup.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591818.html

BRIC-Beating Nation Soars 313% in 18 Months

"Emerging Market Investing -- Consider These Statistics: See if you can guess which emerging market investment I'm talking about. Take a look at these statistics.

1. It's a member of the global economic leaders club -- better known as the G-20.
2. With 240 million people, it boasts the world's fourth-largest population.
3. Its land mass is three times the size of Texas.
4. Its 10-year government bond interest rate is less than Spain's.
5. And, most importantly, it was the best-performing stock market in 2009 and continues to chug forward in 2010.

The answer is: Indonesia."

While most publicity is about the 4 BRIC nations Brazil, Russia, India and China, Indonesia is quietly going strong. Indonesia withstood the 2008-9 economic downturn with constant GDP level of 4%, and in 2010 is projected to top 6%. That puts Indonesia in the same league as Brazil and China.
The reason for this is consumption kicked 5% higher during the second quarter, while investments jumped by 8%. The country has attracted billions of dollars in foreign capital into stocks and bonds, especially with the news of good economic performance. Regarding the stock market condition, having hit rock bottom in March 2009, the Market Vectors Indonesia Index ETF(IDX_) has catapulted 313% higher. The Indonesian Rupiah has also strengthened by 24% against the U.S. dollar.

Korea and Japan are establishing many trading ties with Indonesia. For instance with Japan, Indonesia imports a lot of Japanese technology, but exports a lot of coal, resulting in healthy import-export balance. Korea is going to invest in energy in Indonesia.

For more, http://www.thestreet.com/story/10875353/bric-beating-nation-soars-313-in-18-months.html

Singaporean Tycoon lost S$100 Million in the Casino

A Singaporean businessman who is on the Forbes Top 40 Richest list of Singpore lost S$100 million in the two casinos of Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. Players and industry insiders say it is not uncommon to see wagers of $300,000 or more a hand. Also, Mr Henry Quek, managing director of Far Ocean Sea Products, who lost $26 million at RWS in three days in June. Another tycoon, from Malaysia, is said to have lost $50 million here.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_590081.html

Qatar Captain Dies on Flight

The captain of Qatar Airways departing from Manila, Philippines for Qatar passed away while the plane was in the air. The flight was diverted to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline declines to elaborate on the name of the pilot and the cause for death.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_590257.html

Indomie Noodles Safe

Singapore's Agri-food and Veterinary Authority has declared the Indomie safe after Taiwan's reports of Parahydroxy Benzoates in Indomie. Para-hyroxy Benzoates is a chemical preservative that is not allowed in instantnoodles under Singapore's food regulations. Indomie is produced by Indofood Sukses Makmur, the largest instant noodle manufacturing company in the world.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_590153.html

Cambodia's Opposition Leader Loses Jail-Term Appeal

Cambodia's fugitive opposition leader on Wednesday lost an appeal against a two-year jail term imposed in absentia for uprooting border markings. The appeals court in the capital Phnom Penh upheld Sam Rainsy's January conviction for inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging wooden posts denoting Cambodia's boundary with Vietnam.

Suu Kyi: I won't vote in coming Myanmar election




Since National League for Democracy (NLD) is not participating in the election, Suu Kyi refuses to vote. This is Myanmar's first election in two decades. The party had refused to register for the November 7th election under the country's new constitution, which automatically made the NLD illegal.

The country, also is known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Critics say the coming election aims to create a facade of democracy. Suu Kyi's party won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military junta rejected the results. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She has spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest. An estimated 2,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Myanmar.

For more, http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/14/myanmar.suu.kyi.vote/index.html

Sunday, April 11, 2010

3 soldiers killed in clash with NPA in Davao City

GMANews.TV - Monday, April 12


Three soldiers were killed in an encounter with communist rebels in Davao City on Sunday, a military spokesman said.

The soldiers, whose identities were withheld pending notification of their relatives, were earlier wounded in the clash but later died, according to Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Command.

Cabangbang said the troops were on security patrol when they caught up with a team of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels under Leoncio Pitao alias Kumander Parago in Lumiad village at about 7:10 a.m.

The military dispatched MG-520 attack helicopters to provide close air support during the encounter, but the rebels were able to flee toward the hilly portion of the village.

It was the third setback suffered by the military in two months from the hands of NPA rebels, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants crushed before her term ends on June 30, 2010.

Last month, an NPA attack in Oriental Mindoro left 11 soldiers dead. An Army investigation discovered that there was a lapse on the part of the operating troops. Six soldiers, including two officers, were sanctioned for it.

Also last month, NPA rebels attacked and burned detachment in North Cotabato, killing a militiaman and carting away dozens of firearms. - KBK, GMANews.TV

ASEAN summit tackles Myanmar polls

by Sarah Stewart Sarah Stewart – Fri Apr 9, 6:42 am ET

HANOI (AFP) – Southeast Asian leaders on Friday pressed troublesome member Myanmar to ensure its elections this year are fair and inclusive, at a summit focused on binding together the sprawling region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Vietnam's capital Hanoi has been overshadowed by the Myanmar issue, as well as political drama in Thailand which forced its premier to stay at home.

"The main message that's coming out from the summit is the importance of the elections that are coming up in 2010, and not any type of elections," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa

"But instead an election that is free, that is fair, that is democratic, that is credible. These are qualities that Myanmar itself has said they want to fulfil. So I think the clarion call... is the importance for Myanmar to live up to the commitments."

The United States has led international condemnation of laws Myanmar has enacted for the ballot, the first in the military-run country in two decades, which effectively bar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from participating.

ASEAN members are divided on how to handle Myanmar, which has always escaped formal censure from the 10-nation group as it adheres to a principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

But as Myanmar's poor record -- including allegations of massive human rights abuses as well as a failure to shift to democracy -- again threatens to discredit the region, its neighbours reminded it of its obligations.

"The elections should be fair, democratic, with the participation of all parties," the summit's host, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, said in unusually candid terms at a closing news conference.

"This will help... stabilise the country and focus resources on development," he said, adding that he had "forwarded ASEAN's message" to the ruling generals during his visit to Myanmar last week.

The main order of business for the two-day summit was efforts to propel ASEAN towards a 2015 goal to establish a community of nations encompassing 600 million people with economic, security and social ties.

"While important progress has been made... much remains to be done," Dung said as he opened the talks.

Although the meeting's slogan is "from vision to action", analysts say ASEAN is hampered by wide development gaps within the region, entrenched domestic interests and the shortcomings and instability of some members.

Its diverse membership ranges from Laos, one of Asia's poorest nations, to the Westernised city-state of Singapore, the absolute monarchy of Brunei and the vibrant democracy of Indonesia.

The group this week took another step towards tackling long-neglected human rights concerns with the inauguration of a commission to address the rights of women and children.

Ministers also fleshed out their vision of a rules-based regional community by signing a protocol to help member nations resolve conflicts.

In a joint statement, the leaders called on regional governments to prepare to wind down economic stimulus measures brought in during the global financial crisis.

They also said they want vital road, sea and air links completed more quickly to complement efforts to integrate regional economies.

And in a separate document, the leaders called for a legally binding global pact on climate change and urged richer nations to provide them with "scaled-up" financial help to combat its effects.

ASEAN also discussed expanding relations with Russia and the United States. The 43-year-old bloc is trying to ensure it is not pushed aside by proposals for new regional groupings.

"It's very important that we stay in the driver's seat," Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said.

The group invited US President Barack Obama to attend its next summit in Vietnam later this year, to deepen ties with the region on which he has placed a renewed focus.

Indonesia said it would chair ASEAN in 2011, swapping with Brunei as the venue of the group's summits and meetings, because of a scheduling clash with its APEC host duties in 2013.

Thai "red shirts" defiant after 21 die in clashes


By Ambika Ahuja Ambika Ahuja – Sun Apr 11, 11:49 am ET

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai "red shirt" protesters ruled out negotiations with the government on Sunday and said they would not give up their fight for early elections a day after clashes with security forces killed 21 people.

Bangkok was quiet, but with no resolution in sight and the prospect of more violence, the stock market, one of Asia's most buoyant, is likely to be hit when trading starts on Monday.

"The time for negotiation is up. We don't negotiate with murderers," red shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said.

The red shirts, mostly rural and working-class supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup in 2006, want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and leave the country, the scene of 18 coups since 1932.

Saturday's fighting, the worst political violence in the country since 1992 with some of it taking place in well-known tourist areas, ended after security forces pulled back late in the night.

The red shirts, still numbering in the thousands, have occupied two main areas of the capital, a city of 15 million that has been under a state of emergency since Wednesday. They made no attempt to come out of their bases on Sunday and troops did not make any move toward them.

Thaksin, writing on his Twitter account (http://twitter.com/Thaksinlive), accused the government of "bringing troops from all over the country" to crush the protests.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thausuban vowed to return order to the streets, although he conceded that troops would not be able to take control immediately after the damage suffered in Saturday's clashes.

"The government will continue the operation to take back the roads from the protesters because their occupation is unlawful," Suthep told reporters on Sunday.

Thai political historian Charnvit Kasertsiri said the lack of an outright winner in Saturday's clashes meant the chance of more fighting was high.

"The public didn't take it lying down and were responding in kind," he said. "When the government is no longer the only user of force, then it spirals into anarchy."

"TOURISM TO BE HIT"

Foreign investors have been plowing money into Thai stocks this year, boosting the market by 7.5 percent, but the outbreak of violence since the middle of last week caused them to pause. The stock market is open on Monday but closed from Tuesday to Thursday for the Thai New Year.

"Tourism will be the very first sector to be hit and the Thai stock market should react negatively on Monday. The heavy foreign buying we have seen in the past month will hold back until the political situation is clearer," said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities (Thailand).

There was tension outside Bangkok as well.

Thai media said around 500 red shirts again forced their way into the grounds of a Thaicom satellite earth station north of Bangkok, a flashpoint on Friday when the authorities blocked an opposition TV station.

Other reports said an M79 grenade was fired at the headquarters of the army-owned Channel 5 TV station in the northern province of Phayao early on Sunday.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters forced their way into government offices in two northern cities, raising the risk of a wider uprising against the 16-month-old, army-backed government.

"There is no precedent for something so massive, prolonged and disruptive on the part of the underclasses," said Federico Ferrara, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.

THAKSIN ALLIES

The protesters say Abhisit lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote following a court ruling that dissolved a pro-Thaksin ruling party. Thaksin's allies would be well-placed to win fresh elections.

Thaksin, who was elected twice but has been in self-imposed exile since 2008 when he was sentenced to jail for graft, was despised by many of the Bangkok elite but remains popular with the poor for policies like cheap health care and microcredit grants to villages.

More than 870 people were wounded on Saturday as troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators, who fought back with guns, grenades and petrol bombs near the Phan Fah bridge and Rajdumnoen Road in Bangkok's old quarter, one of the two bases for the month-old protest.

Four soldiers were among those killed.

Abhisit expressed regret to the families of the victims and said the army was only allowed to use live bullets when "firing into the air and in self-defense."

Among those killed was Reuters TV cameraman Hiro Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese national. Japan's Foreign Ministry urged the Thai government to investigate Muramoto's death.

(Additional reporting by Damir Sagolj, Warapan Worasart, Viparat Jantraprap and Jason Szep in Bangkok, Kevin Krolicki in Tokyo; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by David Chance and Michael Roddy)