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

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

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

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)