Driverless ice cream trucks, 3D avatar booths: Hangzhou shows off tech innovations at Asian Games
However, the country is still reeling from a weakened economy, and record high youth unemployment.
Questions have arisen over the billions poured in to host the mega-event, with some businesses saying they are not yet seeing the benefits.
“(The Games have had) no impact on us at the moment. Everything is the same as usual. This is not the main competition venue, so the flow of people is not so much,” said Mr Han Yi, a shop assistant at a store located in the city centre, about 12km away from the Games venue.
GAMES BRING CHANGES TO THE CITY
Others, however, said the Games have brought significant changes to the city.
“It feels like the city now has a very new look. A lot has changed. For example, in terms of the subway transport system, and the way people have become more caring,” one Hangzhou resident told CNA.
“The world has given us the opportunity to host the Asian Games, we must cherish it and be responsible Hangzhou residents. We should be civilised and polite, be friendly and help others,” said a fellow local.
The Games are estimated to draw more than 20,000 visitors to Hangzhou, sparking hopes that they will inject a much-needed boost to the Chinese economy.
“For Hangzhou to host the Asian Games, it proves that our country’s comprehensive national strength is far more than that of many countries, and it is still gradually developing. So in this case, we spend the money to hold the competition, and it is an honour for us to do so,” another resident said.
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Pomelo shampoo and body lotion: Taiwanâs farmers find new ways to cope with Chinaâs import ban
PLUNGE IN POMELO PRICES
It caused pomelo prices to plunge, as it was too late for farmers to find new markets for the seasonal fruit.
In 2021, Taiwan exported more than 7,000 tonnes of pomelos, over 95 per cent of which headed to mainland China and Hong Kong. Madou accounts for some 28 per cent of the island’s annual output for pomelos.
“Some of my friends used to export their products to China. They were very anxious when China cut the order suddenly. All they could do is to find a new market as soon as possible,” said Mr Chen.
One year on, ahead of the mid-autumn festival on Friday (Sep 29), China has yet to relax its ban.
To reduce the impact on farmers, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture has provided subsidies, while finding new overseas markets.
“We expected to face a huge impact after China’s ban. But instead, it created an opportunity,” said Taiwan’s Agriculture and Food Agency director-general Hu Jong-I.
“China is not the only market in the world. Local farmers are selling the pomelos to new overseas markets such as Canada, Japan and the UK. Over 173 tonnes of pomelos have been sent abroad (to countries other than China) so far this year. We have never managed to do that (by this time of the year) before.”
15 police who fled dinner party murder face charges
Fifteen police officers who fled when a gunman shot their colleague dead at Kamnan Nok’s dinner party in Nakhon Pathom will be charged this week with dereliction of duty, Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Jirabhop Bhuridej said on Tuesday.
He was briefing reporters on progress in the investigation into the fatal shooting of Pol Maj Siwakorn Saibua, a 32-year-old highway police inspector, at influential local businessman Praween “Kamnan Nok” Chankhlai’s house in Muang district on the night of Sept 6.
Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee was also wounded in the attack by gunman Thananchai Mamnak, who was a close aide of Mr Praween. The gunman was later shot dead by police in Kanchanaburi.
Both victims worked for Highway Police sub-division 2.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said investigators had met several times to consider taking action against police for dereliction of duty over the shooting. Investigators had examined security camera footage, witness statements and other evidence and agreed there were 29 police officers in attendance at the dinner party.
They divided the officers into four groups. The first comprised the dead and injured officers, the second consisted of six officers whose actions amounted to dereliction of duty and concealment of evidence. They are the six officers were earlier arrested and dismissed from the force.
The third group was six other officers who helped the dead and injured officers.
The fourth group comprised the 15 other officers, who would also be charged with dereliction of duty, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said.
Investigators would formally press charges against the 15 officers this week, the CIB chief said. Charges of giving false statements were still being investigated, he added.
“The meetings agreed on charges of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code. If you are a police officer and see a crime, you are duty-bound to arrest the wrongdoers unless there is a good reason not to, such as helping the injured.
“The facts are that only six officers helped the dead and injured officers. Therefore these 15 officers must also be prosecuted,’’ the CIB chief said.
According to earlier reports, Pol Maj Siwakorn rejected Mr Praween’s request during the party for the promotion of his nephew, a highway policeman. Then a gunman walked in and fired multiple shots at Pol Maj Siwakorn, also hitting Pol Lt Col Wasin.
The murder triggered widespread outrage because the other policemen at the party did not even try to arrest the killer or Mr Praween, and instead let them flee the scene.
The gunman was later shot dead. Mr Praween turned himself in. Authorities have since been examining his business affairs.
Asked about Pol Col Vachira Yaothaisong, commander of Highway Police Sub-division 2, who was present at the dinner and later shot himself dead at his house in Pathum Thani province. Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said evidence and witness accounts confirmed that Pol Col Vachira had been among those who helped the two shot officers.
Pol Col Vachira was the immediate supervisor of Pol Maj Siwakorn, who was slain, and blamed himself for inviting the man to the dinner party.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said there were 15 security cameras installed at Mr Praween’s house. Two of them were not working, 12 of them had recorded files. One of the cameras recorded the incident at the party and another had stopped recording at 10.16am, before the dinner party started, he said.
The CIB chief said existing evidence was sufficient to prosecute Mr Praween.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop was also insistent that the CIB had no involvement in the raid on deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn’s house in Bangkok on Monday.
He was responding to reports police commandos were involved in the raid.
He said the police commando unit was under the CIB, but mostly reported directly to the Royal Thai Police Office. On Monday, he believed the order came directly from the RTPO. It was not from the CIB.
15 police who fled dinner party murder face negligence charges
Fifteen police officers who fled when a gunman shot their colleague dead at Kamnan Nok’s dinner party in Nakhon Pathom will be charged this week with dereliction of duty, Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Jirabhop Bhuridej said on Tuesday.
He was briefing reporters on progress in the investigation into the fatal shooting of Pol Maj Siwakorn Saibua, a 32-year-old highway police inspector, at influential local businessman Praween “Kamnan Nok” Chankhlai’s house in Muang district on the night of Sept 6.
Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee was also wounded in the attack by gunman Thananchai Mamnak, who was a close aide of Mr Praween. The gunman was later shot dead by police in Kanchanaburi.
Both victims worked for Highway Police sub-division 2.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said investigators had met several times to consider taking action against police for dereliction of duty over the shooting. Investigators had examined security camera footage, witness statements and other evidence and agreed there were 29 police officers in attendance at the dinner party.
They divided the officers into four groups. The first comprised the dead and injured officers, the second consisted of six officers whose actions amounted to dereliction of duty and concealment of evidence. They are the six officers were earlier arrested and dismissed from the force.
The third group was six other officers who helped the dead and injured officers.
The fourth group comprised the 15 other officers, who would also be charged with dereliction of duty, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said.
Investigators would formally press charges against the 15 officers this week, the CIB chief said. Charges of giving false statements were still being investigated, he added.
“The meetings agreed on charges of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code. If you are a police officer and see a crime, you are duty-bound to arrest the wrongdoers unless there is a good reason not to, such as helping the injured.
“The facts are that only six officers helped the dead and injured officers. Therefore these 15 officers must also be prosecuted,’’ the CIB chief said.
According to earlier reports, Pol Maj Siwakorn rejected Mr Praween’s request during the party for the promotion of his nephew, a highway policeman. Then a gunman walked in and fired multiple shots at Pol Maj Siwakorn, also hitting Pol Lt Col Wasin.
The murder triggered widespread outrage because the other policemen at the party did not even try to arrest the killer or Mr Praween, and instead let them flee the scene.
The gunman was later shot dead. Mr Praween turned himself in. Authorities have since been examining his business affairs.
Asked about Pol Col Vachira Yaothaisong, commander of Highway Police Sub-division 2, who was present at the dinner and later shot himself dead at his house in Pathum Thanni. Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said evidence and witness accounts confirmed that Pol Col Vachira had been among those who helped the two shot officers.
Pol Col Vachira was the immediate supervisor of Pol Maj Siwakorn, who was slain, and blamed himself for inviting the man to the dinner party.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said there were 15 security cameras installed at Mr Praween’s house. Two of them were not working, 12 of them had recorded files. One of the cameras recorded the incident at the party and another had stopped recording at 10.16am, before the dinner party started, he said.
The CIB chief said existing evidence was sufficient to prosecute Mr Praween.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop was also insistent that the CIB had no involvement in the raid on deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn’s house in Bangkok on Monday.
He was responding to reports police commandos were involved in the raid.
He said the police commando unit was under the CIB, but mostly reported directly to the Royal Thai Police Office. On Monday, he beiieved the order came directly from the RTPO. It was not from the CIB.
NASA just retrieved largest-ever astroid sample
After a journey of billions of kilometers, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has culminated in a small black capsule blazing through the sky before touching down in the Utah desert.
Inside is likely to be the largest ever sample of dust and rock returned from an asteroid. Extracted and brought back with great technical ingenuity from an asteroid called Bennu, scientists will now study in search of clues about the origins of the Solar System and life itself.
The seven-year mission took OSIRIS-REx to a near-Earth carbon-rich asteroid, which it orbited for two and a half years, mapping its surface and measuring properties such as its density and spin. This “rubble pile” asteroid also has a (very) small chance of one day impacting Earth, so getting intricate measurements of its orbit and other dynamics was also a mission goal.
The origins of the Solar System – and life
Most asteroids are the rocky leftovers of failed planets and destructive collisions in the early Solar System, orbiting in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. They vary drastically in size, shape and composition, and finding out what they are made of can help us learn more about how the planets formed.
These primitive bodies – some more than 4.5 billion years old – can also shed light on the origins of life, because they tell us about the distribution of water, minerals and other elements such as carbon.
There is also an element of self-interest in studying these asteroids, to understand the risk they may pose if they are heading Earth’s way.
Using telescopes on Earth, we can get a rough idea of what an asteroid’s surface is made of. However, to do an in-depth chemical analysis we need to get hold of some actual samples.
Most of the asteroid samples we have are meteorites – lumps of space rock that have crashed into Earth. There are more than 70,000 meteorites in collections around the world, but we know the origins of less than 0.1% of them.
What’s more, we know the samples we have are not very representative of the kinds of asteroids in space. Part of the reason for this is that some kinds of asteroids are better than others at surviving the fiery descent through the atmosphere.
But some meteorites don’t appear to correspond to any known type of asteroid. So where do they come from?
Using dedicated camera networks such as Australia’s Desert Fireball Network we can observe incoming asteroids, recover meteorite samples and track their paths back through space to determine their origins. This process can deliver relatively uncontaminated samples to the lab.
Even still, linking a meteorite to a known parent asteroid, or even a type of asteroid observed via telescope, is very difficult.
Bringing pieces of space back to Earth
Sample return missions are the gold standard for analyzing the makeup of extraterrestrial bodies. They can bring pieces from a different planet or asteroid back to Earth to study.
The first such mission was to the moon, bringing back lunar samples for analysis. We learned the Moon was made from the same material as the Earth, and that it likely formed from the orbiting debris after a giant impact.
Sample return missions are technically very challenging. Not only does a spacecraft have to travel hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth, but it has to match speed with the target (not just zoom past), find a safe landing site, touch down to collect a sample (without crashing), stow the sample in a sealed capsule, take off again, and return to Earth. Much of this process needs to be autonomous, as the time delay for communications with Earth is too long for remote control.
Other than the lunar samples returned by the Apollo missions, OSIRIS-REx is the fourth mission to return extraterrestrial material back to Earth.
NASA’s Stardust mission, launched in 1999, returned microscopic samples from the trail of comet Wild-2. The Hayabusa mission, launched in 2003 by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, returned less than 1 milligram from asteroid Itokawa. JAXA’s Hayabusa2 (launched 2014) returned 5.4 grams of sample from asteroid Ryugu.
NASA estimates OSIRIS-REx has brought back around 250 grams from asteroid Bennu, by far the largest sample yet recovered. We will know for sure once the sample is carefully examined at Johnson Space Centre over the coming days.
The sound of fireballs
We and our colleagues at Curtin University are heavily involved in the global effort to find out what asteroids are really made of, having participated in or analyzed samples from all of these sample return missions and leading the Global Fireball Observatory.
There are six OSIRIS-REx mission scientists from Curtin (including one of us – Nick Timms), and they will be among those receiving the first wave of samples in the coming weeks.
The re-entry of the capsule also had its own incredible science value. It was essentially a human-made fireball.
Fireballs, or really bright shooting stars from large space rocks, are quite rare and impossible to predict. This is why we use dedicated camera networks to observe large areas of sky (The Desert Fireball Network observes nearly three million square kilometers of Australian skies every night).
When objects from outer space enter the atmosphere, traveling much faster than the speed of sound, they ignite the air to create a fireball and also trigger other less-studied phenomena such as shockwaves – which can be hazardous.
A sample return is a great opportunity to set out seismic sensors and other instruments to analyze the shockwave, which can tell us more about the physics of re-entry and why some meteorites survive while others don’t make it.
This was done for the Hayabusa2 sample return in 2020, and researchers from Sandia Labs and the University of Southern Queensland had detectors set up in Utah for the OSIRIS-REx return.
What’s next?
Like Hayabusa2, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft itself isn’t finished yet. Both of these spacecraft dropped their precious samples to Earth and have continued with the aim of future asteroid fly-bys.
The mission, now renamed “OSIRIS-APEX”, has already begun to redirect itself toward an asteroid called Apophis, which it will intercept not long after the asteroid zooms past Earth in April 2029.
Eleanor K. Sansom is Research Associate, Curtin University and Nick Timms, Associate Professor, Curtin University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
No early end seen for Deep South emergency decree
New government gathering feedback but deputy PM says security concerns persist
PUBLISHED : 26 Sep 2023 at 16:14
The emergency decree imposed in three southern border provinces for the past 18 years is unlikely to be scrapped anytime soon due to ongoing security concerns, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin.
A working panel is currently gathering information about conditions from security forces, local leaders and residents to help the cabinet make a decision, said Mr Somsak, who chairs the committee that oversees the administration of the emergency situation.
Information from all stakeholders in the Muslim-majority region is essential after the cabinet last week decided to extend the decree in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala for another month ending on Oct 17.
The decree is currently in force in most districts of the three provinces, except for Si Sakhon, Sungai Kolok, Waeng and Sukhirin in Narathiwat; Yaring and Mayom Mai Kaen in Pattani; and Betong and Kabang in Yala.
The cabinet’s decision to extend the decree for just one month — the normal period is three months — has led to talk about whether the government is preparing to announce a new policy initiative to deal with the restive region.
However, Mr Somsak said it would be too hasty to scrap the emergency decree entirely. Some local people disagree with the immediate lifting of the special security law while others want an adjustment of security measures, he added.
The minister also said the anti-torture law that took effect this year is a new tool expected to allay concerns about abuse of authority, as it requires law enforcement officers to follow guidelines when making arrests to prevent abuse and harassment.
The Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act came into force in its entirety on Feb 22 this year. It requires law enforcement officials to keep voice and video recordings of a suspect’s arrest and release, and guarantees the right of relatives to access information about a suspect in custody among others.
Several rights groups have been calling on the government to review the use of the special security laws in the region, such as the Internal Security Act and the emergency decree, over concerns about rights violations.
Low-level separatist violence has simmered in the border provinces for decades but it entered a new phase in 2004 after the Tak Bai massacre that resulted in 85 deaths. The emergency decree was first invoked in July 2005 and it has since been renewed every three months without fail, the latest renewal being the seventy-third.
From 2004 to the end of March 2022, the most recent date for which figures have been compiled by the monitoring group Deep South Watch, a total of 7,344 deaths and 13,641 injuries have been linked to violent incidents in the three provinces.
4 foreigners charged for working illegally as food delivery riders
SINGAPORE: Four foreigners have been charged with working illegally as food delivery riders for platforms, including foodpanda and Deliveroo, without valid work passes.
Another three men, who are Singaporean or permanent residents here, were charged with abetting these acts.
The four foreigners who were charged are Malaysians Ng Teik Chuan, 36, Chaw Soon Yaw, 28, and Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil, 27, along with 38-year-old Indian national Amanullah Faizal Navas.
They each received one charge under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act for being a self-employed foreigner without a valid work pass, and intend to plead guilty.
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a release on Tuesday (Sep 26), Ng allegedly worked as a food delivery rider through the MilkRun and LiveExpress platforms from May 2022 to March this year.
Amanullah allegedly delivered food for foodpanda in March this year using an account belonging to his friend.
Chaw is accused of delivering food for Deliveroo using his brother’s account from December 2022 to March this year.
Syazuwan allegedly used an account belonging to his ex-colleague to work as a food delivery rider for Deliveroo from November 2022 to March this year.
The men whose accounts were used were also charged for abetting the respective offences.
Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Sahul Hameed, a 47-year-old Singaporean, was charged with lending his foodpanda account to Amanullah.
Chaw Soon Song, a 23-year-old permanent resident, was charged with lending his Deliveroo account to his brother.
Low Kim Soon, a 35-year-old Singaporean, is accused of lending his Deliveroo account to his ex-colleague, Syazuwan.
According to checks by CNA earlier this year, Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts were being offered for sale on Carousell.
MOM said it had been speaking to the major food delivery platforms to enhance their processes and prevent misuse of accounts.
Both sides have also been working on educational messages to advise riders against allowing foreigners to use or share food delivery accounts. These messages have been disseminated on the various platforms’ communication channels.
Foreigners who are self-employed without a valid work pass can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$20,000 (US$14,620), or both.
On conviction, they will be permanently barred from working in Singapore, said MOM.
Local delivery platform workers who are found to have allowed foreigners to use their accounts may face similar penalties.
In 2020, a Singaporean man was fined S$5,000 for letting a Malaysian man use his foodpanda and Deliveroo rider accounts.
MOM encouraged members of the public who know of suspicious employment activities to report it to the ministry, assuring that such information will be kept strictly confidential.
‘Big Joke’ files court complaint over search warrants
Police application in contempt, concealed information from court, he says
Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn filed a complaint with the Criminal Court on Tuesday alleging contempt of court in the police application for a warrant that allowed them to search several houses he uses on Monday.
Pol Gen Surachate told reporters later that the application for search warrants concealed facts from the court.
He said it failed to inform the court that he occupied the five houses, and a large force was used in the searches in a way that tarnished his reputation.
Cyber crime police raided the houses on Vibhavadi 60 Road, in Bangkok, on Monday morning. It was part of a larger operation against an online gambling network.
The deputy police chief said the police officers who conducted the searches targeted a police inspector who is his close aide, so they would have known that he lived there.
“If the court had known that they are my houses it would have acted fairly, because I do not face prosecution,” Pol Gen Surachate said.
He said his close subordinates who were arrested during the police operation, for alleged involvement in online gambling, would also file complaints.
If the court had known that the arrest warrants targeted police officers, it would have issued summonses, not arrest warrants, because police officers were government officials whose whereabouts were clear and would not attempt to escape, the deputy national police chief said.
“This case shows concealment, and is deserving of suspicion… If a deputy national police chief does not receive fair treatment, how can the people get it?” Pol Gen Surachate said.
The requests to the court for arrest warrants for his subordinates identified the targets only by name, and omitted their police ranks, he said.
Pol Gen Surachate said he had nothing to do with any online gambling business. Some of his subordinates had a connection with a suspected online gambling host, but that was a persoal matter which should not be linked to him, Pol Gen Surachate said.
According to the deputy national police chief, his five houses were searched on Monday. He said they actually belong to a close relative, a big businessman in Udon Thani province.
He rented the houses for his convenience when staying in Bangkok, because he is a native of the southern province of Songkhla. He stayed in two of the houses, and used the three other properties for storage.
Immediately after the searches he had raised the matter with national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas.
He said the national police chief told him he had known it was possible the houses would be searched and had ordered the officers concerned to inform him in advance. However, the national police chief said he was informed of the searches only after they had been conducted, Pol Gen Surachate said.
“This means that the national police chief did not give the (search) order… I confirm that I will take legal action against everyone involved in the incident… I am sure that someone ordered it… It is about politics within the Royal Thai Police Office,” Pol Gen Surachate said.
Thailand: Leading activist Arnon Nampa jailed over calls for royal reform
One of Thailand’s most prominent political activists, Arnon Nampa, has been sentenced to four years in prison under the country’s much-criticised royal defamation, or lese-majeste law.
He was convicted by a court in Bangkok over comments he made during a protest in October 2020.
Thailand’s lese-majeste law forbids anyone from insulting the monarchy on pain of harsh jail sentences.
It has been increasingly enforced since the military took power in a 2014 coup.
Mr Arnon, a human rights lawyer, was the first activist to call publicly for a national conversation on the role of the monarchy in today’s Thailand.
The verdict follows months of public discussion of the law after the general election in May, in which the progressive Move Forward party defied expectations by winning the largest number of votes and seats in parliament on a platform of sweeping reform, including a demand that the lese-majeste law be amended.
That demand was cited by the military-appointed senate as justification for blocking Move Forward from forming a government, despite the clear majority it had with its then-coalition partners in parliament.
Simply proposing changes to the law, argued many senators, amounted to a threat to the monarchy’s status in Thailand and could not be allowed.
As a result, an alternative coalition was cobbled together, which includes many of the conservative parties from the outgoing administration. Any debate about the monarchy will now certainly be strongly discouraged.
Arnon Nampa shot to prominence on 3 August 2020, when, during student-led protests against the then-military-backed government, he broke a strict taboo by demanding that the monarchy be part of wider calls for reform.
It was a very risky thing to do. People have been jailed for 30 or 40 years in Thailand just for social media posts deemed to defame the royal family.
Defending yourself against a lese-majeste charge is very difficult too – trials are often held behind closed doors, and defendants are put under great pressure to plead guilty, in order to get the typically severe sentences reduced.
Mr Arnon’s call struck a chord with many younger Thais. Thailand’s king is officially above politics, and in public plays a largely ceremonial role, like other constitutional monarchs.
But the Thai monarchy is one of the wealthiest in the world, and in practice can exercise great power. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has personal command over the most important army units. Much of the way the palace is funded, or uses its influence, remains opaque.
A week after Mr Arnon’s taboo-breaking proposition, students at Thammasat, one of the top universities, issued a manifesto calling for wholesale changes to the monarchy. The next five months saw a series of increasingly bold demonstrations in the capital Bangkok and other cities where the monarchy was centre stage. Real change is not possible, they argued, unless the monarchy is also discussed.
Until the 2020 protests, use of the lese-majeste law had been suspended for two years, at the request of the king. Royalists quietly conceded that such prosecutions damaged the image of the monarchy.
But the open criticism, even scorn, of the royal family by some of the demonstrators prompted a rethink.
By December 2020, the lese-majeste law was being used once more against the protest leaders, in particular Arnon Nampa, who has been charged 14 times. He also faces multiple charges under other national security laws like Sedition and the Computer Crimes Act, and has already spent several months in prison.
The 2020 protests petered out by the following year. But many of the ideas of the youth movement behind them persisted, and were adopted by the Move Forward party for its 2023 election campaign. It carefully avoided any direct call for royal reform, but did talk about the need for a national conversation about the institution, as Mr Arnon had done, and wanted the lese-majeste law to be amended.
Some of Move Forward’s young candidates were themselves facing lese-majeste charges over their involvement in the 2020 protests. Some are now first-time MPs in the new parliament, where they are part of the official opposition.
The senate’s success in keeping Move Forward out of power means the public discussion it wanted about the monarchy cannot happen, for now. It has also quashed any real possibility that the lese-majeste law will be amended, or its use curtailed. Since 2020, 257 people have been charged with lese-majeste, the highest number ever seen in Thailand.
Protest leaders from the 2020 movement like Arnon Nampan will be tied up defending themselves against multiple criminal charges for many more years. He has two very young children, who may not be able to see much of their father as they grow up.
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China warns Philippines not to ‘stir up trouble’ over disputed reef
BEIJING: Beijing on Tuesday (Sep 26) warned Manila not to “stir up trouble” after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to stop Filipinos from accessing the traditional fishing ground. “China firmly upholds the sovereignty and maritimeContinue Reading