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?
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