Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister who had meteoric rise and swift removal
Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi’s interactions with foreign leaders. As ministry spokesman, he stood out for being one of the first diplomats to speak aggressively in defence of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy,Continue Reading
First two deaths in 2023 from dengue infection in Singapore; number of cases, clusters decline
SINGAPORE: Two people died of dengue infection in Singapore from April to June this year, marking the first deaths from local dengue infection in 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in its second-quarter update on Tuesday (Jul 25). According to NEA data as of December 2022, there were a totalContinue Reading
Paedophile nabbed in Thailand gets 30 years in UK
Five-year investigation finally led to offender’s capture in Thailand in September last year
PUBLISHED : 25 Jul 2023 at 18:56
A former children’s entertainer extradited from Thailand to the United Kingdom was jailed on Monday for 30 years for multiple sex offences involving children.
McKee, who is originally from Wallasey Village on Merseyside in the UK, was found and arrested in Thailand in September 2022 by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) before being extradited to stand trial in Liverpool.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the CIB commissioner, told the Bangkok Post following the sentencing that the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom had worked closely with the CIB in arresting and securing McKee’s extradition.
“It was a big crime case in the UK. All foreign suspects fleeing to Thailand will be arrested and deported [like McKee],” he said.
McKee was found guilty in Liverpool Crown Court last month and jailed on Monday for 30 years with a further four years on extended licence.
“The offences McKee committed were truly horrific and spanned a number of years and victims,” said Detective Constable Graeme Beacall of Merseyside Police said.
“Our investigation commenced in 2017 when his victims first came forward. At that time McKee had moved out of the UK and was confirmed to be living in Thailand but at no point did he return to the UK to assist with our lengthy and prolonged inquiries.
“When the charges against him were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service the extradition process was initiated. McKee was located and arrested by Royal Thai Police in September 2022 and spent a period on remand in Bangkok before being returned to the UK.
“He then chose to prolong his victims’ agony by pleading not guilty and forcing them to suffer the ordeal of a trial.
“Thankfully today, due to the courage of the victims, justice has been served and he will now serve a considerable period of time behind bars. I hope that McKee’s conviction and sentence will provide a sense of closure for his victims and finally allow them to move on with their lives.
“This case has proven that time and distance is no barrier to justice and that we will do everything within our powers to find the people responsible for committing crimes such as this and bringing them to justice, even when they attempt to flee to other countries.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Crime Agency and the Royal Thai Police for their assistance in bringing McKee to justice.”
Dave Coyle, the National Crime Agency’s regional manager for Thailand said: “McKee believed he could evade justice by fleeing the UK, but thanks to the joint work between Merseyside Police, the NCA’s international network, the Royal Thai Police and the Thai Attorney General’s Office, he was located, arrested and extradited to the UK, and we are pleased he has been brought to justice for his crimes.”
India suspends another drugmaker’s licence over tainted cough syrup
NEW DELHI: India has suspended a drugmaker’s manufacturing licence after the World Health Organization (WHO) flagged contamination in its cough syrups found in the Mashall Islands and Micronesia in April, the government told the parliament on Tuesday (Jul 25). Indian regulators are inspecting drugmakers after cough syrups made in theContinue Reading
Qin Gang: China removes foreign minister months after appointment
China has removed Qin Gang as foreign minister less than seven months after he was appointed to the post.
The role will be taken up by the Communist Party’s foreign affairs chief, Wang Yi, who was previously foreign minister.
Mr Qin’s prolonged disappearance from public view – and his ministry’s silence over it – has fuelled furious speculation.
His last known engagements were on 25 June.
China appoints Wang Yi as its new foreign minister, replacing absent Qin Gang
BEIJING: China named Wang Yi as its new foreign minister on Tuesday (Jul 25), replacing Qin Gang who has left the post after a one-month absence, state media reported. “China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister … as it convened a session on Tuesday,” state mediaContinue Reading
Ex-iTV anchor meets police on Pita case
Video raised questions about whether long-dormant broadcaster was still ‘operating a media business’
PUBLISHED : 25 Jul 2023 at 18:21
Thapanee Eadsrichai, a well-known TV reporter who previously worked at the television channel iTV, on Tuesday met police investigators and gave a statement in a case linked with the iTV shareholding of Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP).
Thapanee Eadsrichai, a well-known TV reporter who previously worked at the television channel iTV, yesterday met police investigators and gave a statement in a case linked with the iTV shareholding of Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP).
Ms Thapanee has also worked as a presenter for the Khao Sam Miti late-night news programme on Channel 3. In one investigative report, she revealed a discrepancy between the official minutes from the iTV annual shareholders’ meeting on April 26 and what was shown in a video taken at the event.
The minutes have been cited as documentary proof that iTV still operates as a media company. The accuser said that since Mr Pita was holding shares in a media firm, he has committed a legal violation in contesting a political election.
The law forbids a person applying to be an MP from holding shares in a media business.
Ms Thapanee, who is being treated as a witness by the police, confirmed the information that she had reported previously was true.
She received a tip-off about where to obtain the video of the April 26 meeting from a source whose identity she said needs to be protected.
Ms Thapanee said she had carefully studied the hours-long recording, and conducted more research and checked the facts.
She also handed to the police a video of the Khao Sam Miti TV programme containing the recording of the iTV shareholders’ meeting.
The investigation followed a complaint lodged with the Thung Song Hong police by lawyer Rachapon Sirisakorn, who accused the chairman of the April 26 meeting, as well as political activist Ruangkrai Leekitwatthana, of falsifying documents pertaining to its details.
The details of the shareholders’ meeting were believed to have been used by Mr Ruangkrai in lodging a petition with the Election Commission (EC) against Mr Pita.
The EC subsequently forwarded the iTV case to the Constitutional Court, which agreed to hear it. The court last week suspended Mr Pita from his duties as an MP pending its ruling.
Mr Pita said attempts were being made to mislead people into believing iTV was still functioning as a media company, in a bid to block him from becoming prime minister.
The MFP leader could be disqualified as an MP if he is found to have applied to be a list-MP candidate while knowing he might not have been eligible in the first place.
Many Move Forward supporters believe that iTV has ceased to operate as a media company, which would enable Mr Pita to avoid legal disqualification.
The discrepancy between what was in the video and the minutes has triggered a fierce debate over whether iTV was still functioning as a media company.
While iTV stopped broadcasting in 2007 and was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014, it earned some income from a small media subsidiary for several years.
In the last financial year, however, the company’s only reported revenue was interest income from bank deposits and bonds.
The company’s business licence is still active because it is involved in an ongoing legal dispute with the government over concession fees. The Administrative Court is expected to issue its ruling sometime this year.
Thaksin asks driver’s kin to delay rites so he can attend
Shares given to ‘Loong Pok’ figured in allegations against then-PM in 2001
PUBLISHED : 25 Jul 2023 at 18:05
Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to return to Thailand to join the cremation ceremony for his driver.
Wichai Changlek, his former personal driver, died last week at the age of 73. His funeral rites were held from July 20-24 at Wat Khemaphitaram Rajaworaviharn in Nonthaburi.
The Shinawatra family, including Thaksin’s two daughters Paetongtarn and Pinthongta, attended the funeral.
Thaksin sent a wreath. He also sent a message of condolences to Wichai’s family and urged them to wait for his return before holding the cremation, so that he could pay his respects in person.
Thaksin, who was ousted from office by a military coup in 2006, has lived abroad since 2008, when he fled the country ahead of sentencing for abuse of authority. He has said several times in recent months that he wants to return to Thailand and is ready to face the legal consequences.
He had been hoping to come back this week but recently changed his mind, saying he didn’t want to be a distraction at a time of political uncertainty.
Wichai, informally known as “Loong (uncle) Pok”, was in the spotlight after a case surfaced in 2001 concerning the concealment of shares held by Thaksin and his family.
At that time, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) accused Thaksin, who was then prime minister-elect and leader of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, of failing to disclose assets worth about 2.37 billion baht.
The NACC found he had used his domestic staff, including Wichai, as proxy shareholders and had transferred the shares he owned to his domestic helpers to conceal his ownership.
The investigation showed that Wichai had shares in some Shinawatra-owned companies, including 346,500 shares in Shinawatra Computer and Communication and 24,988,986 shares in Alpine Golf and Sports Club.
In 2001, Wichai explained to the Constitutional Court that Thaksin’s then-wife, Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, told him she wanted to use his name as a shareholder without explaining the reasons.
The court ruled 8-7 that the billionaire prime minister did not have any intention of hiding his wealth and accepted it was an “honest mistake”. Thaksin became prime minister that same year.
Thaksin mentioned Wichai in his 2022 autobiography, Thaksin Shinawatra Theory and Thought. In the book, Wichai reportedly said he wanted to thank Thaksin for all his kindness, and that being reunited with his former boss back in Thailand would be “the happiest moment of my life”.
He was also quoted as saying that if Thaksin returned and asked him to resume his former driving job, he would not hesitate to accept.
Matty Healy: Malaysia LGBT community angry at 1975 ‘white saviour stunt’
Getty ImagesBritish pop singer Matty Healy’s protest stunt at a concert in Malaysia has sparked fury from LGBT activists and allies in the country.
Many have described the 1975 singer’s sweary rant at the Malaysian government – and kiss with a male bandmate – as an act of “performative activism” that would make their lives even harder.
Homosexuality remains a crime in Malaysia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conservative Islam remains the dominant political and cultural force in the country, restricting sexuality, alcohol and other perceived threats to traditional values and “public decency” standards.
In a statement after Friday’s show, a source close to the band said Healy had wanted to stand up for the LGBT community.
But while many locals appreciated the intent, they say he crashed a precarious political environment for LGBT Malaysians and caused greater damage.
“Unfortunately, local activists are now having to deal with the fall-out and the potential policies and restrictions that might come from it,” said Dhia Rezki, an activist with Kuala Lumpur-based support group JEKAKA.
What did Healy do?
Last Friday, indie-pop band The 1975 was headlining a music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur when Healy – who has a history of derogatory comments about women and minorities – launched into a tirade against Malaysia’s anti-LGBT laws and kissed his bandmate in protest.
He had already been drinking on stage and destroyed a drone belonging to concert organisers. Attendees reported him spitting on fans.
Swaggering around the stage, the 34-year-old insulted the Malaysian government and said he was “furious” he’d made “a mistake when we were booking shows”.
“I don’t see the [expletive] point, right, I do not see the point of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” he said.
“I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel good,” he said. He then grabbed his bandmate’s face and kissed him.
The band’s set was shut down soon after. “Alright, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later,” he yelled to the audience.
The next day authorities ordered the closure of the entire Good Vibes festival which still had two days to go and other international acts due to perform like The Kid Laroi, The Strokes and Ty Dollar $ign. Festival goers had paid hundreds of dollars to attend, many travelling from other parts of Southeast Asia.
Healy and his band flew out a few hours later. They cancelled the rest of their Asia tour dates – they’d also been due to play in devoutly Muslim Indonesia and Taiwan.
What’s the response?
While Healy was ranting to the crowd in Kuala Lumpur, he said: “I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool” – comments which drew scattered cheers.
But videos from the night also show the audience’s silence and fans’ growing unease. TikToks show people’s faces falling and locals grimacing.
“Just sing the damn song,” mutters one girl in a pink headscarf and glittery eye make-up. “I mean you come here and then insult our country…” she says, swapping glances with her friend in the clip viewed millions of times. She captioned the video “Iykyk”.
That was reflective of the broader reaction across Malaysian social media on the weekend.
The TikTok commentary was overwhelmingly critical, and in many of the most popular videos, young LGBT Malaysians are furious.
“I’m seeing a lot of like ‘Oh Matt Healy stood up for the rights of the Malaysian queer community’ – No, Matt Healy, you’re an idiot. Do you have any idea of repercussions… do you have any idea how hard it is for queer people to just exist now?” one user said in another TikTok that’s been viewed more than 2m times since Saturday.
“I hate this white saviour complex of people coming to regions like Southeast Asia – with no prior research whatsoever to what the culture is, or the repercussions of doing acts like this – and ruining it not for them but for the people who actually live here.”
Young Malaysians told the BBC they felt the act reflected a patronising Western attitude to Asia.
“It is very reminiscent of the whole white saviour complex, this narrative again and again of how ‘uncivilised or un-progressive’ the people in the East are and how the white person has to come into a country to save or better the people,” said Dee May Tan, an arts creative in Kuala Lumpur.
“The way he went about it was just purely culturally insensitive. Like it’s very self-righteous, entitled, ignorant and doesn’t gel with what he’s trying to promote.”
The criticism is in part also fuelled by Healy’s reputation. There’s a long-running internet joke that his bandmates cut him off on stage before he says something problematic. British-Japanese singer Rina Sawayama at Glastonbury last month called him out for his racist comments about Asian people.
Earlier this year in a podcast, he mocked American rapper Ice Spice, mimicked Asian and Hawaiian accents and asked the show’s hosts to do impressions of Japanese people labouring in concentration camps. He has apologised for some of the comments, saying people misinterpreted his sense of humour.
LGBT community fears reprisals
Healy had tried to do the right thing, but in the wrong way, suggested artist Jerome Kugan, who recently organised an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur allowing local LGBT artists to showcase their works.
“I understand and commend him for wanting to express his opinions about the regressive laws against LGBTQ+ folks in Malaysia and other parts of the world,” he said. “But I think he could’ve chosen a more conducive platform to do it.”
Malaysian activist Dhia Rezki also felt Healy’s protest message was genuine but feared his high profile stunt could reinforce LGBT repression.
Conservative groups have described the incident as a violation of “family values” and could point to it as evidence of the LGBT community “taking things too far, crossing the line”, he said.
“They’ll use it to target anything done by LGBT people, be it holding hands, kissing or even posting about relationships online.”
Malaysia has seen a noticeable shift to more conservative parties advocating harsher laws. There is outright state hostility.
Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in office 2020-2021, described LGBT people as a threat to Islam, backed by “foreign influences”. He said they had a “disorder” that requires counselling.
Malaysia is ranked the second-worst place for transgender people in the world, and one study by local advocates Pelangi Campaign found nearly half of those who identify as LGBT have faced harassment and threats.
And while there are more open-minded views in cities like Kuala Lumpur, it’s different in other parts of the country.
“We’re still seeing people fired due to their sexual orientation, young people are outed, bullied or evicted,” said Mr Rezki.
“We agree that visibility is important, and at some point, we would like to have more public displays of our activism, but we have always planned carefully around how we intend to do it so that members of our community are not jeopardised.”
TAT: Long holiday could bring B2.2bn to Phuket
Government employees ready to enjoy six-day break
PUBLISHED : 25 Jul 2023 at 17:16
PHUKET: The long holiday at the end of the month is expected to generate more than 2 billion baht in tourism revenue for Phuket, according to the local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
From Friday to Sunday, the TAT projects 234,035 people will visit the southern resort island and generate about 2.2 billion baht, said Lertchai Wangtrakuldee, the director of the office.
Phuket has 1,890 hotels with 101,556 rooms. Hotel occupancy was currently at 65.9% with the average stay 1.7 days per visitor, he said on Tuesday.
The caretaker cabinet on Tuesday declared Monday, July 31 a special government holiday, creating a six-day vacation period from July 28 to Aug 2 to spur travel and help the economy.
July 28 is His Majesty the King’s birthday, Aug 1 is Asana Bucha Day and Aug 2 the beginning of Buddhist Lent, all government holidays. The extra day makes it an uninterrupted six day-weekend for government employees.