According to state media reports, numerous flights were canceled at two terminals in Fuzhou and Quanzhou, tourist attractions and gardens were closed, and ports, coastal and river transit was suspended. After making landfall around 5 am, the storms lost power and developed into a tropical storm, according to the nationalContinue Reading
Analysts claim that the Myanmar issue has split ASEAN, with the union making the unusual choice last year to exclude the military coup from the grouping’s twice-yearly summits for leaders and meetings for foreign ministers. & nbsp,
Lina Alexandra, a Jakarta-based expert in international relations from the non-governmental organization Centre of Strategic and International Studies( CSIS ), thinks that the decision to replace Myanmar with the Philippines as ASEAN chair in 2026 will likely continue until then.
It is improbable that the issue will be resolved within the next three decades given its complexity. & nbsp,
According to Mdm Alexandra,” This issue has made ASEAN never united, but this selection( to give the Philippines the chairmanship ) will regain that unity. & nbsp,
She continued by saying that due to the transportation involved, including hosting various conferences and summits, Myanmar would not have been able to carry out its obligations as ASEAN seat in 2026. & nbsp,
Given the current state of Myanmar, Mdm Alexandra thinks it would be challenging for the rotating ASEAN head to make the chairmanship’s plan at least a year or two in progress. & nbsp,
The decision to remove Myanmar from the chair, according to Associate Professor Dinna Prapto Raharja, executive director of think-tank Synergy Policies, shows that it is a very delicate nation in comparison to the other ASEAN members.
There is very little chance that Laos, the second head, will be able to solve this issue, she said, adding that ASEAN could had done more for Myanmar. & nbsp,
Indonesia has long been hailed as the team’s big brother because it has the largest market in Southeast Asia and is one of the founding father of ASEAN. Laos, on the other hand, is a smaller nation that just joined ASEAN in 1997, 30 times after the organization’s founding. & nbsp,
It is unethical if it is being postponed until Malaysia or even the Philippines take over as seat. “& nbsp,
JAKARTA- Several contentious issues, including Myanmar’s brutal civil war and escalating tensions with China over disputed place in the South China Sea, are tearing at the unity of the bloc as South Asian leaders gather in Jakarta for the last ASEAN Summit this time.
The US, China, and Russia are all vying for control with their power competitors in the background. Prior to the leaders’ discussions on Wednesday and Thursday, foreign ministers gathered.
The conference this year will take place just days after China unveiled a contentious fresh ten-dashed range chart that includes disputed property territories with India and Russia in addition to much of the South China Sea and Taiwan.
Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, ASEAN people, all swiftly issued political protests against China’s ever-expanding states, which they and others contend are against international law as it is defined by UNCLOS.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the president of the Philippines, assured his people that he” will answer” to Beijing’s fresh map but did not offer” operational information” during his meetings with ASEAN officials this week as they grew more and more pressured to oppose the Asian powerhouse.
The agreements with China over a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which have dragged on for years as the push and pull of regional issues has intensified, are being pushed hard by both the Philippines and Vietnam.
Before leaders’ discussions on Wednesday and Thursday, there are other issues boiling over in Jarkara besides the South China Sea.
Another founding member of ASEAN, Malaysia, urged the local body to take” powerful measures” to tackle the festering conflict in Myanmar, which has revealed significant regional divisions and poses a threat of spillover effects.
While other member states like Thailand have maintained cordial relations with the isolated military government, Malaysia and Indonesia, like American forces, have sought more decisive action, including the possible expulsion of the Myanmar junta from ASEAN.
The result of ASEAN’s separation is the emergence of what some refer to as” à la carte politics,” or regional states working together with major powers to push frequently diametrically opposed positions outside of the UN framework.
That probably explains why Indonesia made finance a main topic of discussion at the ASEAN conferences this year.
The Southeast Asian energy hoped to draw attention to the region’s development as a new facility of economic weight as opposed to its current hub of political dysfunction by selecting” Epicenter of Growth” as its quarterly theme.
In the midst of the festering Sino-American New Cold War, more foreign corporations are moving their manufacturing facilities from China to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, indicating that ASEAN is expanding more quickly than China for the first time in a technology.
ASEAN has lately emerged as China’s top export location, surpassing its traditional markets in the West after decades of comparative economic growth.
Data compiled by HSBC Holdings Plc shows that in May of this year, shipments from China to ASEAN members totaled$ 600 billion, which was more than China’s deal with the US and the European Union combined.
Beijing sent leading Li Qiang, its main technocrat, to the ASEAN Summit in order to highlight its advantages and improve local diplomacy. China introduced the second ASEAN – China Week 2023 a few days earlier in the northeast Chinese city of Fuzhou.
But, politics are set to rule the summitries despite China’s wants. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, and US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is attempting to mobilize provincial support against the US’s two superpower rivals, were also present at the meeting of the foreign ministers. Both men were keen to discourage ASEAN nations from adhering to Western sanctions.
Harris is anticipated to” rely on the climate crisis, on maritime safety … and on attempts to maintain and improve international rules and norms in the region ,” according to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Even though the ASEAN circular seat has its own share of worries with both China and Russia, Indonesia probably felt betrayed by US President Joe Biden’s selection to only attend neighboring Vietnam this month.
Indonesia reportedly ignored the expanded BRICS( Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa ) last month in order to concentrate on its own goal of joining the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) countries and avoid becoming more and more Beijing-dominated.
Indonesia does indeed have a lot on its scale. Myanmar’s coup was not included in the local conferences for the second consecutive year. However, some member states are pushing for a more forceful response to the terrible dictator’s choice not to carry out an ASEAN-broken” peace plan.”
Malaysia, for its part, urged ASEAN to enact” powerful” measures to force the junta to follow the plan, which calls for the repair of Myanmar’s democratic institutions.
During the conference, Indonesian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir stated that” Malaysia and other associate countries expressed their opinion that we cannot allow this to continue without imposing strong and effective measures on the junta.”
Previous ASEAN diplomat and former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa bemoaned how the region appears” at a loss” as to how to handle the Myanmar problems.
” One may speak with beauty about one specific part country’s desire to occur in Myanmar. I get the impression that ASEAN is at a loss for suggestions.” But first and foremost, he said,” We need to hold a common ASEAN place.”
In order to engage the exiled political state, known as the National Unity Government, more completely at the United Nations and different sites, proposals have been made to completely remove the Myanmar dictatorship. Additionally, a call has been made to postpone Myanmar’s future ASEAN chairmanship, which is expected to take place in 2026.
The ongoing conflicts in the South China Sea are also becoming insurmountable. In the final statement, ASEAN officials are anticipated to express worry about” area restoration, activities, serious occurrences” in the disputed waters due to a concerted effort led by member states like the Philippines.
Indonesia also wants to put an end to decades-old COC conversations or, at the very least, get a” hard date.”
With the goal of achieving a secure, safe, and relaxing South China Sea, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry stated in an earlier statement that the CoC is expected to get” a code of conduct that reflects global standards, principles and rules in line with international law, mainly UNCLOS.”
During the ASEAN international ministers’ meeting with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in July, recommendations for a finalized COC were adopted.
The two sides agreed to wrap up the CoC discussions by the middle of this century, according to Rolliansyah Soemirat, the ASEAN security chief of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. During the ASEAN – China Summit this week in Jakarta, the COC recommendations are anticipated to be approved.
However, the impatience of different member state is rising. There are numerous obstacles, including the various regional interests. An official from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs( DFA ) stated before the summit,” We have to come up with a compromise every step of the way because there are several countries and ASEAN is also involved.”
China, for its part, insists that things are generally” stable” and that the COC negotiations are progressing properly.
Foreign Minister Wang asserted that”[ a ] ttempts by certain forces outside the region to undermine peace in the South China Sea will not succeed, and the evil claws behind the scenes must be uncovered” during a weekend event at Jakarta’s Global Town Hall 2023. Wang blamed external powers, blaming the US and its regional allies.
At @ Richeydarian on X, formerly known as Twitter, you can follow Richard Javad HeyDarian.
Water scarcity and inadequate waste management are a result of hospitality and urbanization.
5 October 2023 at 18: 59 PUBLISHED
PHUKET: Plans to address Phuket’s issues with water shortages, flooding, and poor wastewater management are being accelerated by the Office of the National Water Resources ( ONWR ).
Surasri Kidtimonton, the ONWR secretary-general, paid a visit to Phuket on Monday to monitor the development of the Kathu district’s water management strategy and wood conservation efforts.
Phuket, according to Mr. Surasri, is the province with the highest level of tourism importance, but the island experiences an annual water shortage of about 25.5 million cubic meters( m3 ), primarily during the dry season.
Overflowing rivers on the island cause flood issues during the moist season. Buildings that block withdrawals and high tides are the result of inadequate town planning.
According to him, the island’s industrial growth and high number of tourists have resulted in a decline in wood support. Additionally, a lot of rain is washing away the soil.
Additionally, the amount of waste that the island’s areas and amusement venues discharged went beyond what could be treated.
According to Mr. Surasri, the ONWR is conducting an area-based investigation to assist Phuket in more closely adhering to its 20-year water management master plan.
According to him, the goal is to treat up to 5 million m3 of waste annually and increase the monthly water supply to around 60.5 million.
Damage to soil was likewise a pressing problem, and appropriate management was required to restore the forest ecosystem.
Building test rivers in trees to slow down the flow of water during heavy rains and lessen the issue of soil erosion was the original plan for the wet season. In the Ban Nam Tok Kathu neighborhood of the Katu area, local authorities will immediately erect a check reservoir. Over a 291 ray location, this may aid in preventing topsoil erosion.
The ONWR will even offer recommendations for how Phuket residents and businesses can conserve water, such as by installing water feet in showers. He added that this had been successful in other nations and that Phuket had not yet been affected by the El Nino climate design.
Water scarcity and inadequate waste management are a result of hospitality and urbanization.
PUBLISHED: September 5, 2023, at 18:59
PHUKET: Plans to address Phuket’s issues with water shortages, flooding, and poor wastewater management are being accelerated by the Office of the National Water Resources ( ONWR ).
Surasri Kidtimonton, the ONWR secretary-general, paid a visit to Phuket on Monday to monitor the development of the Kathu district’s water management strategy and wood conservation efforts.
Phuket, according to Mr. Surasri, is the most significant province for tourism, but the island experiences an annual water shortage of about 25.5 million cubic meters( m3 ), primarily during the dry season.
The area also experiences flooding issues with overflowing rivers during the moist season. Buildings that block flows and high tides are the result of inadequate town planning.
According to him, the island’s expanding community and high number of tourists have resulted in industrial growth and a decrease in forest cover. Additionally, a lot of weather is washing away the soil.
Additionally, the amount of waste that the island’s communities and amusement venues discharged went beyond what could be treated.
According to Mr. Surasri, the ONWR is conducting an area-based review to assist Phuket in more closely adhering to its 20-year water management master plan.
According to him, the goal is to handle up to 5 million m3 of waste annually and increase the monthly water supply to around 60.5 million.
In order to recover the forest ecology, topsoil damage needed to be properly managed.
Building check rivers in trees to slow down water circulation during heavy rains and lessen the issue of soil erosion was the original plan for the wet season. A search dam will immediately be constructed by local authorities in the Ban Nam Tok Kathu neighborhood of the Katu district. This would aid in preventing soil deterioration over a 291 rai area.
The ONWR may even offer recommendations for how individuals and organizations in Phuket can conserve water, such as by installing water feet in showers. He added that this had been successful in other nations and that Phuket had not yet been affected by the El Nino temperature pattern, with no decrease in rain as of yet.
shabby graphicsAfter Prime Minister Modi, Narendra’s government used the term” Bharat” in an official invitation to the G20 Summit that was sent on behalf of the president, a controversy erupted in India.
India is known in Hindi as Bharat.
President Droupadi Murmu refers to her as the” President of Bharat” in the breakfast invitation he sent to the summit’s foreign leaders.
The walk was supported by a number of officials from the ruling BJP group, but opposition leaders questioned its motivations.
The decision comes in the midst of rumors that the government is considering actually changing the nation’s name to Bharat, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Ms. Murmu is still referred to as the President of India on X ( previously Twitter ) and all official websites in India still use the phrase” government of india.”
The use of Bharat in the invitation, however, comes just two days after Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh( RSS ), the BJP’s ideological compass, suggested that the nation be referred to as India instead.
” We occasionally use India so that people who speak English will comprehend. But we have to give up on this. No matter where you go in the world, the name of the nation Bharat may always refer to it, according to Mr. Bhagwat.
Some BJP politicians praised the action on Tuesday, describing it as a happy moment for the nation.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam position, tweeted,” Happy and proud that our civilization is marching forward boldly towards Amrit Kaal.”
The prime minister and other government officials refer to the years leading up to 2047, when India will turn 100, as Amrit Kaal, which loosely translates as the” golden era.” By then, according to reports, India will be one of the most advanced and rich countries in the world.
Manoj Jha, the head of the Rashtriya Janata Dal party in the state of Bihar, tweeted,” It has only been a few weeks since we named our ally as INDIA and BJP has started sending offers with’ Republic of Bharat’ rather of’ Republic of India.”
He continued,” Neither Bharat nor India may be taken from us by you.”
The state has previously used Bharat in connection with the G20. According to BBC’s legal editor Umang Poddar, the phrase has also been used for international members in a manual titled Bharat, The Mother of Democracy.
India is also referred to as Bharat in the Indian Constitution, though only once; Article 1 states that” India, it is Bhart, may be a Union of States.”
However, the nation is referred to as India everywhere else in the organisation.
Supreme Court cases have previously been brought to include India’s name changed to Bharat. However, the judges have refrained from getting involved in the debate and have once requested that the applicant contact the authorities.
A few magistrates have made dental comments about the discussion, but they are unenforceable.
Former Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde again said,” India is now referred to as Bharat in the law.” It was up to the people to decide whether they wanted to call it India or Bharat, according to another former chief justice TS Thakur.
India is hosting the G20 summit this year, which will take place from September 9 to 10 in the nation’s money, Delhi.
Along with the European Union, the G20 includes the 19 richest nations in the world. The G20 administration, which is now held by India, is rotated yearly.
In his oath, the investigating officer also claimed that Singapore authorities had used” a foreign authority’s” knowledge to find US$ 30 million in property they were unaware of.
Without disclosing which authorities these were, Mr. Ng stated that CAD is also awaiting word from international regulators regarding their desire for Vang.
According to Mr. Ng,” This is one of the largest money laundering circumstances ever investigated in Singapore ,” according to the public history. ” The authorities have asked for the amount of time to conduct investigations precisely because this situation is so complex and large-scale.”
Vang is allegedly strongly related to co-accused Su Haijin and Su Baolin, according to the petition.
The Chinese government is looking for Vang and his nephew Wang Shuiting because they engaged in illegal gambling.
One of the eight persons wanted by the Singapore law is Vang’s brother.
In addition to all of this, the judge learned that Vang was in contact with Suspect X, another suspect who is also wanted by the law and is no longer in Singapore.
According to Mr. Ng, these connections appear to be connected to another illegal activities, and Suspect X’s assets totaling about S$ 260 million have been seized.
Chinese authorities likewise want criminal X to be charged with engaging in illegal gambling.
The risk of cooperation and contaminants of any information is” very clear” given these connections, according to Mr. Ng. He added that CAD has granted all of Mr. Wong’s requests and that it was” simply not feasible for endless unrestrained access” to guidance to be given.
The defense’s applications were rejected by Justice Vincent Hoong because they fell short of the strict requirements for a legal correction.
There must have been” a major inequity” in order to do that.
Additionally, he reprimanded the defense attorneys for submitting their claims the previous evening at 11.29 p.m. They spent the entire trip in Bangkok for a business trip.
The judge claimed that in order to clean his journal for this essential application, he had” bent over backwards” and had stayed up late reading the defense’s soon submissions.
The defense apologized heavily.
Vang is one of the 10 defendants in the case, and he will make a court appearance tomorrow to receive additional discusses.
BANGKOK: On Tuesday( Sept. 5 ), Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn swore in 11-party coalition leaders, including Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and cabinet ministers. During the meeting at the Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Trettha, whose Pheu Thai party is the coalition’s leader, and 33 government ministers swore allegiance to the king.Continue Reading
Benefits of assessments conducted by officials and members of the public are released by the anti-graft system.
Published on September 5, 2023, at 17:57
According to the National Anti-Corruption Commission( NACC ), 86 % of nearly 1,500 police stations across the country have failed to pass integrity and transparency tests.
The NACC chairman, Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, revealed the information on Tuesday when he released the findings of the district offices’ and police stations’ annual integrity and transparency assessments( ITA ).
A least ITA tally of 85 is required for each agency to be admitted, with a minimum of 95 or higher being regarded as excellent.
However, Pol Gen Watcharapol said that police stations were a cause for concern because their typical score was too small.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau’s activities and police stations across the country were evaluated by a full of 111, 305 police officers and 830, 822 members of the general public. All 1, 484 stations had an average ITA tally of 67.43.
The ITA check was passed by merely 208 stations, while 1,276 stations failed.
Yan Nawa Police Station, which is a part of Metropolitan Police Division 6, received the highest score, with 99.02 items.
24 facilities were given zero points. They included Napho depot in Ubon Ratchathani, Hin Lek Fai in Buri Ram, Mueang Chan and Tum in Si Sa Ket, and Laem Ngop and Ao Cho in Tak state.
With an entire passing degree of 93.95, 43, 574 officials and 33, 206 members of the public assessed Bangkok’s city offices in addition to police stations. Just one district office was unable to pass the test.
The Phasicharoen department received the highest score, 99.09, while Phra Nakhon’s report was the lowest, at 84.28, just shy of the required 85.
229, 490 officers and 602, 023 citizens participated in surveys in the provinces, with city practices receiving an ordinary passing score of 91.21. While 14 % or 123 district headquarters did not receive passing levels, 86 % or 755 did.
Umphang in Tak had the highest scoring area office, with 98.94 items. Surat Thani’s Wiang Sa city received the lowest rating of 53.98.
Benefits of assessments conducted by officials and the general public are released by the anti-graft system.
5 Sep 2023 at 17: 57 PUBLISHED
According to the National Anti-Corruption Commission( NACC ), 86 % of nearly 1,500 police stations across the country have failed integrity and transparency tests.
The NACC chairman, Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, revealed the information on Tuesday as he released the findings of the yearly integrity and transparency assessments( ITA ) of district offices and police stations.
A least ITA report of 85 is required for each agency to be admitted, with a minimum of 95 or higher being regarded as outstanding.
However, Pol Gen Watcharapol said that police stations were a source of concern because their average rating was very small.
The analyses of Metropolitan Police Bureau activities and police stations across the country were conducted by a full of 111, 305 police officers and 830, 822 members of the general public. The ITA report was 67.43 on average for all 1, 484 channels.
The ITA analyze just yielded 208 facilities, while a full of 1, 276 failed.
Yan Nawa Police Station, which is a part of Metropolitan Police Division 6, received the highest score with 99.02 items.
24 channels were given zero points. They included Napho place in Ubon Ratchathani, Hin Lek Fai in Buri Ram, Mueang Chan and Tum in Si Sa Ket, and Laem Ngop and Ao Cho in Tak state.
With an entire passing degree of 93.95, 43, 574 officials and 33,206 members of the public evaluated Bangkok’s city offices in addition to police stations. Just one city office was unable to pass the test.
Phra Nakhon received the lowest rating at 84.28, just below the pass level of 85, while the Phasicharoen business scored the highest at 99.09.
229, 490 officers and 602, 023 citizens participated in surveys in the provinces, with city practices receiving an ordinary passing score of 91.21. While 14 % or 123 district headquarters did not receive passing results, 86 % or 755 did.
Umphang in Tak received 98.94 items, making it the city office with the highest score. Surat Thani’s Wiang Sa neighborhood received the lowest rating of 53.98.
