Refugee screening ‘ripe for abuse’

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Refugee screening ‘ripe for abuse’
Vietnamese Hmong women, many of whom are seeking prison, participate in an embroidery factory in Bangkok. Fresh assessing regulations will go into effect on September 22 and Thai officials will begin screening about 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of whom are from urban areas. ( AFP photo)

Hundreds of Taiwanese refugees sing at a happy services in the church on the outskirts of Bangkok as they share some time away from their daily lives in fear of being arrested or deported.

Thailand, which is not a member to the UN Refugee Convention, makes no distinction between refugees and other workers, and thousands of people live there undetected.

Specialists claim that a new program that will go into effect later this month will enable them to distinguish between those for whom it would be too risky to return home and those who are living illegally in Thailand.

But, refugees and rights protesters are cautious, claiming that the system might be applied badly and yet hasten deportations for those deemed unsuitable for asylum.

Asian pastor Sung Seo Hoa told AFP that” as we live improperly, we are all worried and scared.”

The Christian priest, a representative of Vietnam’s Hmong minority, claimed that the socialist government had pressured him to leave the country 12 years prior.

Hoa claimed that he and other members of his neighborhood live in fear.

” We are afraid of being detained by the police, arrested, and sent up to Vietnam. 24 hours a day, that’s what we are most scared of ,” he said.

Hoa has no intention of undergoing the new testing procedure.

” Applying carries some challenges. They have the authority to send us up to Vietnam as well. I doubt I’ll submit an application, he said. ( Story is more detailed below )

After Sunday services, members of the Vietnamese Hmong community in Thailand— many of whom are asylum seekers — assemble at a Bangkok Christian church. ( Image: AFP )

” Fox in the house ,” as they say.

Thai law will start screening 5,000 generally industrial refugees and asylum seekers under the fresh National Screening Mechanism, which will go into effect on September 22.

Temporary residence grants, as well as access to healthcare and institutions, may be given to candidates who are granted” protected people” reputation, but they do not have the right to work.

The program, according to Naiyana Thanawattho of Asylum Access Thailand, which offers legal help, is” a move in a good direction ,” but it could also be” used as an out-of-the-way process, not as in-between.”

What Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Asia, referred to as a” national security escape hatch ,” is of particular concern.

Robertson stated that the government had state,” For national security motives, we don’t want to display that individual as a refugee, and we do not need to show you why.” These rules are pretty broad and vague.

He added that this might have an impact on specific groups, including North Koreans, the Rohingya Muslim majority in Myanmar, and Uyghurs in China.

As police will be in charge of the testing committee, Robertson said that the new system may be” ripe for abuse.”

” This is akin to handing control of the meat house over to the wolf.”

Information of the program, such as whether candidates may be detained for immigration purposes, are still being worked on by the Thai Immigration Bureau.

There will eventually be a specific pay-to-play match going on. People will be able to obtain standing once the system is operational if they have money, according to Robertson.

Criminal background checks may be part of the verification process, according to Patrick Phongsathorn of Fortify Rights, a campaign group that runs the risk of catching Myanmar anti-coup activists who have” false criminal charges against their names.” ( Story is more detailed below )

A Sunday services at a Christian temple in Bangkok features the singing of Hmong Christian pastor Sung Seo Hoa and his congregation. ( AFP photo )

” Rebel trade shop”

According to Patrick, Thailand’s history of deporting refugees, including 109 Uyghurs to China in 2015, was even a cause of mistrust.

He said,” We see that repressive governments in this area work together to eliminate one another’s dissidents— a swap shop, if you will.

According to US surveillance organization Freedom House, a journalist and government critic from Vietnam vanished in 2019 and then reappeared in Vietnam, where he was given the death penalty of 10 times.

In 2021, four Thai rebels who had been exiled from Thailand were likewise detained upon their return.

The Thai Department of International Organizations responded that” respect for privacy and security” are fundamental guidelines when asked if applicants’ information may get shared with foreign institutions.

The department added that it would not gain unsuccessful candidates to their countries under the usual principle of non-refoulement and that” We have a decades-long charitable tradition.”

Non-refoulement refers to the inability to return someone to a location where they would be in danger of specific basic rights violations. & nbsp,

Additionally, the office stated that candidates had 90 days to file an appeal against a rejection.

Examinations have been conducted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees under the present system, but it is unclear how long this will last.

To” establish a good, useful, and clear protection mechanism in line with global standards ,” according to the organization, it has been collaborating with Thailand.

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Indonesia, China discuss boost to investment and trade

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JAKARTA: On Friday( Sep 8 ), top officials from China and Indonesia talked about ways to enhance their bilateral trade and investment, including broadening the range of Indonesian exports products. Following this year’s East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Indonesian President Jokowi met earlier on Friday.Continue Reading

Cabbies want cash help to buy EVs

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Next week, the drivers’ organization intends to bring up the issue in discussions with the new transport minister.

Published on September 8, 2023, at 18:36

Cabbies want cash help to buy EVs
According to an industry group, approximately 20,000 Bangkok taxi cabs will quickly reach the end of their 12-year operational lifespan and require replacement, preferably with EVs. ( File image )

According to the Thai Public Taxi Association, car owners want the new transportation secretary to provide a reward program to encourage the switch to electric cars.

The association’s president, Sadit Jaitiang, stated that when the group meets on Friday to discuss a number of issues pertaining to the welfare of car owners, members will bring up the subject with Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.

He claimed that encouraging the use of EVs would lessen the capital’s sand pollution and carbon emissions.

The organization wants tax breaks and incentives, including a 300,000 baht payment for each EV unit, to stimulate car drivers to drive electric vehicles.

According to Mr. Sadit, switching to EVs without incentives may be difficult for some taxi drivers because of the lack of business they experienced during the Covid-19 crisis and the fact that they are only now recovering financially.

He predicted that about 20,000 taxi cabs would soon run out of fuel and require replacement, ideally with electric vehicles ( EVs ). About 10,000 EVs will be required for the replacement during the first step, he said.

The organization has already stated that it prefers 90 and 120 watt models and has suggested that the SME Development Bank offer low-interest loans to taxi drivers so they can make purchases.

A strategy for allowing car drivers to register with ride-hailing apps and the creation of a council to acquire new fare rates are two additional topics to be discussed with the minister.

Additionally, he stated that a taxi parking lot at Suvarnabhumi Airport was approved in 2019 but has not yet been constructed. The association may also request a roof for the airport’s vehicle waiting area.

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Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual abuse: Japan’s worst kept secret

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Johnny Kitagawashabby Pictures
Written by Shaimaa Khalil
journalist in Tokyo

For the first time, Julie Fujishima, the later Johnny Kitagawa’s daughter, has resigned as president of the most influential skills organization in Japan and admitted to the sexual abuse her brother committed.

Is Japan a place where horror exists? No, there isn’t.

” All knew, but no one did anything about it, and now it’s suddenly all out in the open ,” is the more accurate statement.

These allegations of sexual abuse have lingered over Kitagawa for centuries, and anyone who attempted to speak up was silenced. They faced off against a titan in the entertainment sector who had access to all the legal battles his kingdom could muster.

Keep in mind that he was never charged, but some of the accusations were established in a polite jury.

Physical prey Johnny Kitagawa. He had power, victory, and the aspirations of hundreds of young kids in his hands. He was also a star-maker and leader to the biggest brands in the J-pop scene around.

This was the” unspoken price for stardom ,” as one article put it, if you were a Japanese teenage boy trying to break into the business.

One sufferer, who was the subject of the BBC film Predator- The Secret Scandal of J-pop, claimed that he had been told to” put up with it” in order to protect his career.

Because of his skill, this gentleman was feared and revered.

The new supervisor Noriyuki Higashiyama is featured on the front pages of many of Friday’s magazines.

One article claimed that” My father Johnny’s sexual misuse.” Johnny Kitagawa was referred to as a leader by Mr. Higashiyama, who said,” He was like my father.”

J-pop sun Kauan Okamoto stated in a news conference on Friday that while he despised his activities,” he had no love in my heart for Johnny ,” adding that” for introducing me to the world of audio ,” after the BBC documentary aired in March.

He told investigators,” I know some people would say this is grooming, but this’s how I feel.”

Physical abuse allegations have tarnished Kitagawa’s career for years, and for decades, the media hasn’t covered the allegations.

A blogger discussed the need to look at not only the culture in the skill agency but also the advertising practices that amounted to cover-up in an afternoon talk show on the TBS network.

We need to consider why the internet hasn’t covered this, he said.

You may counter that power is the obvious solution. Imagine Harvey Weinstein, a shamed manufacturer, at the top of his Hollywood hegemony prior to being found guilty of rape and sentenced to prison.

Not only did Johnny Kitagawa control the talent at the agency, but he also controlled the channels that clamoured to attribute his bands and the advertisers who supported and paid the networks. The entertainment industry and the internet are intertwined, and Johnny Kitagawa was in charge.

Another aspect in explaining why this continued for so long and on such a large scale is Japan’s society of shame and silence regarding sexual abuse.

People in Japan may experience retaliation when they speak out about physical assaults that have been committed against them.

Get that and multiply it by a number of layers of complexity brought on by same-sex abuse committed by an older, more strong man against young boys who were vying for attention and place in his great books.

It’s difficult to predict how this will impact the Japanese pleasure sector. At the J-pop talent agency, which is regarded as the foundation of boyband society here, but much needs to change.

However, the business’s effort at a” fresh site” hasn’t off to such an encouraging start. The new employer, Mr. Higashiyama, is being questioned about alleged sexual wrongdoing.

He said,” I don’t remember clearly ,” in response to the accusations. It might have happened or it might not have. I have a hard time recalling.

Julie Fujishima has resigned, but she still holds 100 % of the stock and continues to serve as the official director to handle the victims’ compensation.

The business name is one thing that hasn’t changed much. Some victims, who have said that it’s insulting to keep it after what they’ve been through, have expressed surprise and dismay.

Johnny and Associates may have once been associated with pleasure and Japan’s J-pop culture, but today this disgraced company bears the name of a man who is to blame for the country in which there has been the biggest sexual victimization scandal.

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Japan PM Kishida set to reshuffle cabinet on Sep 13: Report

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TOKYO: Public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday( Sep 8 ) that Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will change his government on September 13. Kishida’s approval ratings have decreased as a result of several government errors that have prevented the government from implementing its plan to combine duty and social securityContinue Reading

DARPA takes LongShot at air-to-air drone missile combat

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The US is preparing to start testing an air-to-air combat drone, pushing the limits of human judgment and artificial intelligence in aerial combat while aiming to provide cheap mass for fierce flying competition.

General Atomics’ design for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency( DARPA ) LongShot program, which aims to create an unmanned aircraft vehicle ( UAV ) that can launch air-to-air missiles, is expected to start flight tests in December, according to Breaking Defense.

According to Breaking Defense, DARPA awarded General Atomics, a US energy and security company with its headquarters in San Diego, an award for Phase 3 of its LongShot project that could be worth up to$ 94 million.

According to the report, flight tests will validate key vehicle handling characteristics and lay the groundwork for follow-up development and testing. The drone is anticipated to considerably improve the engagement range and mission effectiveness of existing 4th generation jet fighters and air-to-air missiles.

According to Breaking Defense, the flight tests will support DARPA’s opinions on LongShot, an autonomous aircraft system that could be dropped from a sub or fighter and used by both the Air Force and Navy.

The project, according to the same report, aims to create a novel UAV that can significantly improve mission effectiveness, increase engagement ranges, and lower the risk to manned aircraft.

Following the announcement by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks of the” Replicator” effort to acquire hundreds of robots across various regions in the next 18 to 24 months, Breaking Defense notes that the Pentagon is prioritizing modern aircraft design.

The Replicator task, which aims to provide as a tenacious distributed system with quicker deployment closer to the military edge of operations, has been covered by Asia Times.

In addition to numerous US automatic drone initiatives aimed at revolutionizing coming warfare capabilities, Replicator places a strong emphasis on ethics and adherence to armed conflict laws to allay concerns about automatic systems in combat.

Asia Times has also written about the US Autonomous Multi-Domain Adaptive Swarms – of-Shams ( AMASS ) project, which aims to create self-sufficient drone hordes that can be launched from the sea, the air, and the land to overpower enemy air defenses.

In order to destroy an enemy’s defenses, such as anti-aircraft systems, ordnance, missile launchers, and intelligence-gathering platforms, the project aims to develop a system that can build and manage numerous robotic drones. The main goal of these aircraft flocks is to prevent or thwart a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

According to experts, a helicopter swarm’s fundamental concept is that its systems can decide for themselves. Azrobotics.com photo

The LongShot poke might develop into a devoted companion. In a possible conflict between great powers, the development of devoted friend drones addresses the need for mass-produced and biodegradable aircraft, according to Asia Times.

These drones give their operators an advantage in numbers by acting as a swarm of decoys or manned aircraft’s complement, enhancing their combat capabilities by expanding their sensor ranges and by operating in areas that are thought to be very dangerous for them due to sophisticated surface-to-air defense systems or other aerial threats.

While modern air combat and the LongShot drone may concentrate on missile-based beyond-visual-range ( BVR ) combat, the growing stealth of both drones and fighter aircraft may make it difficult for opposing forces to locate one another, unintentionally leading to a close-quarters dogfight. One of the most difficult aspects of air-to-air conflict is a dogfight, but new AI experiments have produced encouraging results.

Due to their extraordinary accuracy in aiming cannons from apparently impossible angles, AI fighters outperformed individual pilots in traditional, close-range, turning dogfights, according to DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution.

In a 2014 article for Air & amp, Space Journal, Michael Byrnes emphasizes these benefits by pointing out that AI’s superhuman level of machine-controlled maneuvering and accuracy renders every cannon round” golden bullet ,” i.e., that one AI-powered unmanned fighter with just one round of ammunition and enough fuel can effectively eliminate an entire manned combat fleet at minimal cost.

Byrnes notes that these costs can be further decreased by implementing commercial-off-the-shelf( COTS ) hardware miniaturization of components and doing away with the requirement for a one-to-one crew to – aircraft ratio.

Despite this overwhelming possible advantage, people pilots still have some important advantages that may be irreplaceable.

Rich Wordsworth notes that it is deceptively difficult to replicate the human camera’s capacity to continuously, quietly, and instantly check for dangers in an article published in Engineering & amp, Technology in May 2022.

According to him, cameras don’t give peripheral vision at the same time because they can see what is immediately in front of them, and because of who is looking out the front, drones have frequently been denied permission to fly in ordinary airspace.

Wordsworth claims that traditional air conflict is getting more and more expensive. AI may lessen pilots’ risks and the capabilities of G-forces, but it cannot protect people’s lives.

Wordsworth notes that remotely piloted aircraft are more expensive because they need a sizable staff, multiple teams assuming control of one another, and extensive support system.

LongShot aircraft design strategy. DARPA picture

Air combat is complicated and constantly changing, so people judgment will still be required to make high-risk decisions, even though AI technology has proven effective in some circumstances, such as those with clear-cut solutions.

Technology will eventually just partially remove the need for human decision-making in active weather fight situations, despite the rapid advancements in AI capabilities.

Therefore, the best man-machine framework for upcoming air operations had run on a model that combines the precision of AI technology with the adaptability of human judgment.

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Parliament to tackle food waste after public uproar

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Motion Forward MP captured with a carry-on carrier uses the opportunity to question extravagant spending

PUBLISHED: 8 September 2023 at 18:08.

Parliament to tackle food waste after public uproar
Move Forward MP Sirilapas” Mew” Kongtrakarn is seen holding a case of leftover foods from the political restaurant in an anonymous MP image that has gone viral on social media. The cover that followed was used by Ms. Sirilapas to highlight the problem of food waste.

Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the leader of Parliament, has vowed to look into the matter and talk about ways to ensure that less food ends up going to waste as a result of the controversy over leftover foods in the political dining room.

Following a social media food fight involving Move Forward MP Sirilapas” Mew” Kongtrakarn, the amount of complimentary meals and drinks offered to lawmakers has garnered widespread public attention.

After a long day in the House, an unidentified brother MP saw the former actress bringing some food from the cafeteria home. He posted the photo on Instagram along with some criticism.

Ms. Sirilapas & nbsp reposted the photo on her personal X( Twitter ) account and warned her 20,000 followers that if she hadn’t collected it, the food would have been wasted.

More people began to inquire about the government’s providing funds as a result, and calls for better management to cut back on leftovers and save the public money used to pay for lawmakers’ meals and drinks were made.

Mr. Wan claimed that he had first discussions about the matter with his deputies, including Pornpit Petcharoen, the House secretary, and other representatives. He stated that the objective should be to offer MPs suitable services without overspending.

In the middle of this quarter, he promised,” I’ll return to this topic.” To determine whether the catering expenditure needs to be reduced, I’ll need to review the funds. I’ve now asked them to address the issue as a first step.

When there are congress meetings, the House Secretariat is in charge of catering activities. In the 2023 fiscal year, about 72 million ringgit were set apart for providing services, or roughly 1, 000 Baht per person per appointment time.

On the day of a parliamentary meeting, there are essentially two meals — lunch and dinner — as well as an early-morning snack. Additional foods are also offered if the meeting lasts past 8 o’clock.

Catering services for House committee meetings cost an additional 34.8 million rmb, and opposition whip food costs 1.26 million.

Just over 108 million baht will be allocated to all food procedures for the fiscal year 2023.

Rangsima Rodrassamee, a seasoned politico, requested that the House committee on parliamentary affairs review the rules governing the catering budget and ask management to handle any unnecessary spending. & nbsp,

She suggested that MPs’ ID cards be used to transfer meal allowances so they could purchase food from the legislature canteen and return any leftover cash.

Last year, the Democrat MP for Samut Songkhram voiced opposition to other lawmakers hoarding food and demanded strict regulations that would forbid them from robbing members of the free meal boxes provided to them during political sessions.

She claimed that because there is so much free meals accessible, the nation loses a lot of money. ” They said they got them from council meetings and went for more when I asked why they had so many food bags, but they didn’t say why ,” I questioned at the restaurant.

This is a spare, don’t you think? Parliament needs to come up with a solution to this.

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Singapore’s upgraded F-16 fighter jets now armed with Python-5 missiles

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It has a brand-new electro-optical and imaging thermal seeker with great off-boresight capabilities, making them weapons that can fire at an extreme angle away from the airplane’s line of sight. According to Mr. Chen, this is” quite popular” in contemporary fighter jets.

The Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, which enables pilots of the upgraded F-16s to turn their heads to look at the enemy and fire from any angle or distance, will be used by the aircraft & nbsp.

” You see planes going behind the enemy aircraft before firing the missile ,” Mr. Chen said. That is the more conventional type of missile.

The missile may simply navigate towards the goal in the more recent models if you simply look at it. Actually, you don’t need to be behind the army aircraft. It might be right next to you.

The two waveband infrared seeker of the Python – 5 also enables pilots to capture even smaller, low-signal targets in bad weather, evening or night.

Its” lock-on after release” feature enables weapons to remain attached to a destination even after it has been launched.

The RSAF’s upgraded F-16s also have US-made air-to-air weapons like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and aIM-120, according to the data board at the empty house. & nbsp,

These, according to Mr. Chen, are a little older than the AIM-9X Sidewinder, which is said to be close to the Python-5.

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