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