Thailand’s Pheu Thai party finds new partners to try to form government

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BANGKOK: Thailand’s populist Pheu Thai party announced on Monday (Aug 7) it was forming an alliance with the Bhumjaithai party and was open to other parties joining in to form a government nearly three months after elections.

Pheu Thai, led by the billionaire Shinawatra family, won the second-largest share of votes in the May election and last week stepped up to try and form a government after winner Move Forward’s attempts were blocked twice in parliament.

Pheu Thai came second in the May 14 general election with 141 House seats, followed by Bhumjaithai with 71.

“Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai party will form the government with the support of other parties,” said Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew, adding that real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin remained the party’s candidate for prime minister.

“We would like to thank Bhumjaithai for accepting the invitation so that we can step over this political deadlock,” he told a news conference.

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy has been beset by political uncertainty since opposition parties rode a wave of anti-establishment support to crush the incumbent military-backed rulers at the polls in May.

Move Forward, a progressive outfit that had campaigned on reforming the country’s controversial lese majeste laws, failed twice to find enough support in the royalist-dominated Senate to get party leader Pita Limjaroenrat voted in as prime minister.

The party has since then been sidelined, prompting some Thais to take to the streets and call for politicians to respect the will of the people.

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Australia test-fires short-range ballistic missiles

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Australia continues to stock up on long-range precision firepower to deter China’s rapidly growing military footprint in the Pacific, with the first test-firing of the US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in its territory underscoring that effort. 

This month, The Warzone reported that the US Army fired the ATACMS for the first time in Australia during the ongoing Exercise Talisman Saber 2023 in the latter’s territory.

The source notes that a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) from the US Army’s 17th Field Artillery Brigade fired the ATACMS, with a US Air Force MC-130J Commando II aircraft moving the rocket launcher into position from eastern Australia to the Northern Territory. 

The Warzone notes that the HIMARS is designed to be air-transportable and have good cross-country mobility, since moving military assets within Australia, much more than in the Pacific, requires significant logistical effort. 

As for the ATACMS variant fired during the test, the source notes that the missile flew 260 kilometers to the Bradshaw Field Training Area target area, hitting the target with a high-explosive unitary warhead.

It says the ATACMS version used in the test was the MGM-161A, introduced in the early 2000s, which has a 226-kilogram warhead with a range of 300km. The Warzone notes that that missile can be used against static fortified targets with high terminal speed, enabling it to burrow into the ground and destroy underground structures. 

HIMARS tested

Aside from the ATACMS, the US has also recently tested the HIMARS system in Australia. Early this month, Australia Defence Magazine reported that two HIMARS rocket launchers from the US Army’s 17th Field Artillery Brigade were deployed for Exercise Highball in Western Australia, aiming to develop how the Australian Defense Force (ADF) employs long-range land-based precision rocket systems for land and maritime strike roles.

Australia Defence Magazine also said that Exercise Highball responded to the Defense Strategic Review’s direction to accelerate and expand the introduction of long-range land-based maritime strike capabilities, particularly the HIMARS acquisition. 

The source noted the urgent need to integrate long-range fires into the ADF’s operational capability and mentioned that using by US Army HIMARS strike package already in Australia for Exercise Talisman Saber 2023, the ADF would accelerate its understanding of employing and projecting the weapons system.

It also said Exercise Highball would enhance US interoperability with the ADF’s targeting capabilities and the operational employment of land-based, precision multi-domain fires.

In connection with that, Asia Times reported in January that Australia had finalized the purchase of 20 HIMARS rocket launchers to be delivered in 2026 while signing a separate agreement for Norwegian naval strike missiles (NSMs) to replace the aging US-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles on its Hobart-class destroyers and Anzac-class frigates in 2024. 

Those purchases are intended to improve Australia’s long-range strike capabilities, with ATACMS and HIMARS enabling it to hit targets 300km away. Also, Australia has a joint program with the US to develop a precision-strike missile that can hit targets beyond 499km.

The deployment of HIMARS by Australia in Southeast Asia or the Pacific is being considered, following the US Marine Corps example. The USMC has been exercising with the system under the presumption that it would need to be deployed somewhere in those regions during a clash over Taiwan or the South China Sea.

Also, the stealthy sea-skimming NSMs would double the range of Australia’s warships to 185km. 

Moreover, Asia Times reported in July 2022 that aside from the HIMARS and NSM, the US has approved the US$235 million sale of 80 units of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) to Australia. Those stealthy cruise missiles could be launched from the Royal Australian Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II or F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters, giving Australia much-sought-after long-range strike capabilities.

China’s perceived risk to Australia’s strategic security may have figured heavily in the latter’s decision to acquire long-range strike capabilities.

China’s rapidly improving long-range strike capabilities centered on bombers, submarines and missiles have put US military facilities in Australia within striking range, and its increasing footprint in Solomon Islands may be a prelude to a more significant military presence that can cut off Australia from the US and New Zealand. 

Refueling challenge

The RAAF’s F-35 Lighting IIs do not have the range to reach the South China Sea and Taiwan without aerial refueling. Also, aerial tankers may not always be available over contested airspace.

Using Indonesian airspace to support Australian aerial refueling operations may be a hard sell, as the former does not allow its territory to be used as a military facility base for any other country. Hence Australia needs long-range strike capabilities that can operate from its own or friendly territories in the Pacific to impose unacceptable costs on potential adversaries. 

However, Australia might blind-fire its long-range missiles without long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.  

In a January article for The Strategist, Malcolm Davis notes that while Australia urgently needs long-range strike capabilities, it needs to see far to shoot far. However, Davis points out that China’s improving anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities can put Australia’s  P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and MQ-4B Triton drones at risk and reduce their time on station.

At the same time, he says Australia’s nuclear attack submarines (SSN-AUKUS) will not be ready until the 2030s. Davis notes that surface warships would be increasingly vulnerable to long-range missiles and surveillance systems. 

Given those threats, Davis advocates space-based ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities for hemispheric surveillance and long-range strike, recommending Australia have its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to provide high-resolution imagery and precision tracking.

He also says that such an LEO satellite constellation would follow a “small, cheap, and many” design philosophy, making it difficult to attack and easy and cheap to maintain, and would ensure strategic independence when it comes to that critical military capability while allowing for interoperability with allies and partners. 

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Overriding appeals, ICC to investigate Philippines drug-war killing

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Even though the terrible war on drugs that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte organized may have faded into the background, it is still taking a toll on people.

The Philippines’ appeal to halt an international investigation into alleged crimes committed between 2011 and 2019 under a mantle of legitimacy was rejected by the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) on July 18. A member of the civil society claimed that shortly after the ICC’s decision, an elderly person who was still mourning the murder of her grandson in 2019 passed away while still waiting for justice.

Deaconess Rubylin G. Litao, representative of the United Methodist Church-led organization Rise Up for Life and for Rights, said,” This is a kind of success but still needs more work to be done.” She spoke after attending the woman’s death in Manila as a brother organizer, but she chose not to reveal her name out of respect for the family who were still alive.

According to Litao, some people have waited for this for about ten years, while others haven’t lived long enough. ” There are still unnamed patients who have died as a result of this battle. More families are attempting to destroy the reality while remaining silent.

Actually, between 2016 and 2019, the war on drugs claimed the lives of about 6,000 people. Since the ICC attorney has asserted that as many as 30, 000 people were killed during that same period, Litao and her empire believe that thousands more victims have not been identified.

Around a year after the ICC announced its intention to look into deaths connected to the drugs assault, the Philippines officially withdrew from the organization in 2019. Two years later, in 2021, the ICC attorney asked the pre-trial room for permission to start an inspection. & nbsp,

The ICC, however, upheld last quarter its ability to continue its international investigation and rejected the Philippines’ request to keep things under wraps after years of controversy over the alleged ineptitude and partiality of a private investigation into the war on drugs. Despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘ s earlier declaration that he intends to stay out of it, the most recent court decision means that the inspection will continue. & nbsp,

He recently raised” very serious concerns about their authority and about what we consider to be meddling and assaults on the independence of the Republic” in remarks to the Filipino push.

According to Marcos Jr.,” we are largely disengaging from any phone or conversation with the ICC.”

Rodrigo Duterte, a past president of the Philippines, gestures to the activists in Quezon City on July 24, 2017. After giving his next State of the Nation Address, Deuterte addressed the crowd. EPA pictures by Mark R. Cristino.

Duterte started a harsh assault on drug-related atrocities not long after he was elected president in 2016. Under two operations, or” plans ,” disguised as a” Double Barrel” campaign, he gave police the authority to detain or kill those in possession of illegal drugs. & nbsp,

These operations included” Tokhang,” which targeted alleged low-level users or dealers at their residences, and” High-Value Target ,” aimed at major industry players.

The ICC’s research is centered on this strategy, but its proposed scope may go even further, starting in November 2011 when the Philippines joined the court and ending in March 2019.

As part of that, the jury agreed to include the so-called” Davao Death Squad” in its investigation beyond Duterte’s war on drugs.

Local officials are said to have carried out 385 illegal murders while Duterte was mayor of Davao City between 2011 and 2016 and before his election as president. Deuterte adopted a hard-core strategy for dealing with drug-related crimes and publicly stated during his national plan that he would fund an aggressive” war on drugs.”

The Philippines requested a recess shortly after the ICC approved the analysis, arguing that the judge lacked jurisdiction over acts committed in the nation after it withdrew from the tribunal. The pre-trial bedroom agreed to the lawyer’s request to begin the investigation in January of this year, reiterating the court as having jurisdiction over actions taken while the Philippines was a associate. Another charm was submitted by Marcos Jr., but the court’s most recent pre-trial bedroom ruling rejected it. & nbsp,

The ICC attorney’s business, which is looking into the matter, stated that it had collaborated with the Filipino government on the postponement process and” hopes to discover ways to engage with all parties concerned.”

One of them is the bond of Litao. The organization is dedicated to keeping up its involvement with the neighborhood and helping people fight for their loved ones’ rights.

According to Litao,” I think the global community saw the problems of the Filipino people, particularly the victims’ households.” ” We are pleased and would like to continue working on this research with the International Criminal Court.”

According to attorney Theodore O. Te, regional coordinator for the National Capital Region at the Free Legal Assistance Group( FLAG ), the nation’s civil society is bolstering its defense of the patients before the ICC. & nbsp,

He stated that” we are assisting some of the claims and supporting our attorneys who have requested ICC approval to serve as assistant counsel.” ” Honestly, I don’t think the prosecutor’s office can anticipate official support from the Spanish government.”

Although less severe, it is still present. There are still murders happening. “& nbsp,

The Free Legal Assistance Group’s local representative, Theodore O. Te

The Marcos management has been accused by rights activists of continuing the violence in a more subdued manner and has yet to negate any of Duterte’s standard documents that served as the legal justification for judicial executions or other human rights violations.

FLAG is currently awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision after challenging these statements from the Duterte period. According to Te, the war on drugs loses its recognized authority and legitimacy if the jury declares these securities to be unlawful or illegal. & nbsp,

Te thinks there is little opportunity the killings can be dealt with on a national level under the existing administration, even though home justice continues to be the top priority. He claimed that the ICC appears to be the only obtainable legal mechanism. & nbsp,

The idea of having to go to the ICC is never particularly appealing to Filipinos. ” We don’t have a choice ,” he declared. However, we are also aware that the ICC is hardly faultless. “& nbsp,

Te stated that the Filipino people themselves will need to clear the way for responsibilities to be upheld on a local level. According to him, that can only be accomplished through a deliberate social process that prioritizes human rights over murder. & nbsp,

” The war on drugs was formally started by Duterte.” Then, in a way, it has changed. Although less powerful, it is still present. There are still murders going on,” Te said.

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Marcos squeezed between allies

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After a surprise meeting this week between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and past Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, Presidential Communications Office minister Cheloy Garafil stated that the former leader” gave some nice pieces of advice to President Marcoses.”

Without offering any specifics, Malacaang Palace said that the two men talked about” another problems” as well as the former president’s recent trip to Beijing. & nbsp,

The contentious vacation last month, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping requested Duterte’s help to improve diplomatic relations, was unsuccessful in Manila. Rumors of a falling out between the two were fueled by Deuterte’s outspoken criticism of Marcos Jr. ‘ military cooperation with the West as well as his choice to omit his subsequent State of the Nation Address( SONA ) last week. & nbsp,

But, Duterte and Marcos both expressed 1 during their meeting this year, reiterating their long-standing ally as the de facto ruling alliance in the Philippines. According to reports, Deuterte pushed Marcos to change his foreign coverage, particularly his harsh position against China in the South China Sea. & nbsp,

However, Marcos has also been put under increasing pressure to maintain his lessons by his friends in the West. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, traveled to Manila this week to advocate for a new age of EU-Philippines security cooperation with an attention toward China. & nbsp,

The US Embassy in Manila, however, openly criticized a Chinese company’s involvement in an ongoing, massive renewal project in the Spanish cash. The infamously conflict-averse Marcos Jr., who is now in his second month in business, has all of a sudden found himself caught between rival friends, both at home and abroad. & nbsp,

Duterte has been more vocal with his views on foreign policy in recent months, despite his earlier promise to leave from office completely. Marcos Jr. visited Beijing without consulting with Philippine officials after openly criticizing his choice to increase military cooperation with Washington under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement( EDCA ). & nbsp,

Duterte was asked to” continue to play an important role in the pleasant participation” between the two places during a high-profile conference with Xi. The incident caused a commotion at apartment, with Marcos backers and opponents criticizing the journey. & nbsp,

The trip to Beijing by Duterte raises questions.

Duterte allies have attempted to portray the contentious explore as a proper exercise in covert diplomacy in an effort to counter accusations of the original president interfering with foreign policy. & nbsp,

Given the author’s” good position” with the Beijing management, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, former foreign minister to Duterte, was quick to describe his former benefactor as a positive contribution to bilateral diplomacy. & nbsp,

” President Duterte has never been seen to compromise and sell the Philippines. In response to reviewers who claimed Duterte was acting as Beijing’s proxies, Cayetano told the media that although his eloquent tongue is different and he speaks separately,” he never sold out and will not sell out the Philippines.” & nbsp,

Marcos himself attempted to downplay the event in an effort to avoid a fight with an important ally. & nbsp,

The president told the media in advance of his meeting with Duterte this week,” As long as there will be someone who can aid, I am sure that he shall be able to tell us what happened during their talk and see how that affects us.”

The former president even met with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, and special aide to President Secretary Antonio Lagdameo during his visit to Malacaang. & nbsp,

Marcos’ corporate calculus appears to have been impacted by Duterte’s treatment. He just had a meeting with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to talk about the South China Sea’s aggressive behavior against Spanish ships, which were just proposed to be” highly condemned” by China.

The Philippine Coast Guard( PCG) accused Chinese ships of & nbsp earlier this year after directing a military-grade laser at the PCG crew.

The Senate ultimately decided on a watered-down resolution, which eschewed opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros’ call for the & nbsp, Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately take China’s actions to the United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA ), likely as the result of the president intervening. & nbsp,

West seduces Marcos Jr.

Von der Leyen discussed the need to” promote a new age of teamwork” between the Philippines and the European Union during her visit to Manila, emphasizing how the two” share so many values and interests” as other democracies, including the necessity of maintaining” the global rules-based get.” American allies have intensified their efforts to win over Marcos Jr.

During her meeting with Marcos, she criticized China for failing to” assume fully its responsibility under the UN Charter to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” as well as” China’s more assertive stance in your region ] Southeast Asia.”

In the midst of rising tensions in the South China Sea, she emphasized the EU’s commitment to” strengthen cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security ,” including by improving” the capacity of your National Coast Watch Center( NCWC ) and your Coast Guard.” & nbsp,

The US Embassy, which is situated in the Manila Bay region, has even publicly criticized a Taiwanese firm that has been blacklisted for its role in restoration efforts there. & nbsp,

According to ambassador official Kanishka Gangopadhyay,” we have expressed concerns about the potential long-term and catastrophic impacts on the culture, the tenacity to biological hazards of Manila and adjacent areas, and to commerce.”

The embassy focused in particular on & nbsp, China Communications Construction Co ( CCCC ), a business that has received US Department of Commerce Entity List sanctions for” assisting the Chinese military construct and militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea.” The World Bank has also placed the Chinese firm on a blacklist due to dubious business techniques. & nbsp,

The Duterte administration, which approved large-scale allows between 2019 and 2021 for a total of 13 restoration projects covering 5, 000 acres in the Manila Bay region, left behind the presence of CCCC. & nbsp,

The US, which is possible even worried about its own security, hopes that the Marcos Jr. administration will rethink Duterte-era projects given to Foreign businesses. Due to a lack of funding and high interest rates, Manila suspended two large-ticket railroad jobs next year under the auspices of Beijing. & nbsp,

Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, the current culture minister, vowed to examine the projects based on concerns voiced by the relevant sectors. & nbsp,

Restoration has a certain value, evidently in terms of the economy, in my opinion. Loyzaga emphasized the Marcos government’s willingness to examine contentious Duterte-era projects, including those with Chinese connections, while stating that” we need to do the cost-benefit analysis in terms of the effect to the biodiversity and the longer-term impact, possibly what could result from climate change.” & nbsp,

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Chula Uni raises the alarm on mpox

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3 August 2023 at 04: 12 PUBLISHED

Chula Uni raises the alarm on mpox
The government’s first known case of monkeypox was discovered on July 22, 2022, and a group of municipal health officials cleaned the apartment in Phuket. ( Image: Department of Health Control )

According to a pathologist from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand now has the highest amount of monkeypox cases in Southeast Asia and has more than 120 cases of the disease.

According to the World Health Organization, what was formerly known as monkeypox is now known by the novel name mpoX. Rather, it is now being used in an effort to lessen a surge in allegedly racist and stigmatizing language linked to the condition.

Approximately 90,000 mpox cases were reported globally, according to Dr. Yong Poovorawan, director of the college’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, with the highest number of confirmed cases occurring in the US.

” In Thailand, which is the highest in Southeast Asia, more than 120 people were found to have contracted mpox.” According to him, the disease charge reached its peak in June. According to Dr. Yong, the majority of people seem to be less vigilant.

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Soft Space partners Hong Leong Bank, JCBI to drive JCB Card acceptance in Malaysia

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Partnership enables the parties to support increasing numbers of digital consumers.The functions will capitalize on M’sia, which has 16.1 million visitors and$ 10.89 billion in revenue in 2023.With strong post-pandemic economic recovery prospects, Soft Space Sdn Bhd, JCB International Co, Ltd.( JCBI ), the international operations subsidiary of the top international…Continue Reading

Vietnam’s rapid ‘rescue flight’ trial stokes anti-corruption fervour

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The convictions on Friday of four formerly high-ranking Vietnamese Communist Party officials amidst a highly public corruption trial with dozens of defendants has some people questioning the motivations of party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Eighteen days into what has been called the “rescue flight” trial and was expected to last a month, the four ex-officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, health and public security received life sentences. Charged for their involvement in bribery-related schemes, fraud and abuses of power that resulted in a multi-million-dollar scandal within Vietnam’s 2020 Covid-19 response, they avoided the death penalty recommended by prosecutors.

Though none of the 54 total defendants convicted in the trial were sentenced to death, 18 were eligible for capital punishment. Among the wide net of defendants were 10 businesspeople and civilians who received suspended sentences.

The verdict appears to confirm a sensational flare in the “blazing furnace” campaign (chiến dịch đốt lò), an anti-corruption purge spearheaded by party leader Trong. It’s the same campaign that led to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s abrupt resignation earlier this year – an unorthodox move in Vietnam, where most political redirections are carefully orchestrated. 

This latest trial focused on additional graft allegations from deals made at the height of the country’s pandemic response. Previously, private medical company Viet A Technologies was found guilty of collecting $22 million (about 521 billion VND) in illegal revenue by overcharging for Covid testing kits in collusion with hospital managers and senior officials nationwide. 

“I don’t like disciplining my comrades … but I have to do it. As Uncle Ho said, I have to cut off a wormy tree branch to save the whole tree,” Trong said publicly after sentencing in that trial.

In this newest round, a wave of prominent ex-party members, including former Hanoi Deputy Mayor Chu Xuan Dung and Vietnam’s former ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam, were found guilty of manipulating the organisation of Covid-era repatriation flights. The stipulations of “combo flights” required citizens who were abroad during the pandemic to make a single payment for plane tickets back to Vietnam and subsequent quarantine fees. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed a total of 772 repatriation flights. To win licensing, air transport providers bribed senior officials to broker 372 combo flights and, presumably, the balance of the 400 other flights.

Hoang Dieu Mo, general director of the An Binh Trading, Tourism and Aviation Services Co., caught wind of this bribery scheme early, according to documents presented by state media.  One of the 10 businesspeople caught up in the trial, she received licensing for 66 of the 372 flights, spending nearly $1.5 million (about 35 billion VND) to bribe eight officials from the five ministries involved in the licensing process.

The collusion between airlines, tourism companies and officials to “rip-off” desperate expatriates, students and foreign workers trying to get back to Vietnam during the pandemic caused major public outrage, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Although ticket prices were already exceptionally high, he said, excess demand for the limited seating on repatriation flights resulted in a system of waiting lists.

“Because some people could not be put on the list they had to actually bribe officers in the (Vietnamese) embassies,” said Giang. 

The trial that we are witnessing right now is multifaceted – not only purifying the party or cleaning up bad roots.”

Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute

As the case fueled citizens’ outrage, some experts were left asserting the purge and its sensational coverage by state media reflects an attempt by Trong to either ostracise outliers with forced resignations, summary stripping and public trial, or to simply consolidate the party and its image.

“The anti-corruption campaign has many different goals and the trial that we are witnessing right now is multifaceted – not only purifying the party or cleaning up bad roots that the party has been propagating,” said Giang a day before the sentencing. He saw the anti-corruption purge as an opportunity for party members to take out rivals, taking into account that the next party congress is scheduled in less than three years. 

Bill Hayton, associate fellow with the Asia-Pacific programme at the policy institute Chatham House, concurred. 

“The general secretary is using the campaign to take out his opponents. And I think it’s fair to say that he perceives his opponents as a corrupt class,” said Hayton. “People who are willing to damage the interests of the Communist Party as a whole for their own personal benefit pose a threat to the legitimacy of the Communist Party system because they’re willing to allow individual ambition over party discipline.”

As the public uproar metastasized, the Hanoi People’s Court disclosed during the trial that total bribery money equaled $9.5 million (more than 224 billion VND), of which $2.65 million was given to police officials to avoid prosecution. 

Pham Trung Kien, former secretary to the deputy health minister, was found guilty of accepting 253 bribes totaling $1.8 million during an 11-month period. One of the four convicted officials, he received a life sentence for his involvement in the graft scandal. 

“I did not ask any firm to be granted a certificate for rescue flights. Instead, they contacted me for help,” he pleaded during the hearing.

During the proceedings, prosecutors said 21 officials and civil servants were charged directly for receiving nearly $7 million in bribes from 100 businesses “to solve administrative procedures for repatriation”. 

Thirty-three others faced such charges as enabling bribes, fraud and power abuse, according to the indictment. Some officials such as Dung, who was the most senior in the pool and received 16 years in prison, and Nam, who was sentenced to 30 months, each returned $75,000 to the state as a means to “fix the consequences”, state media reported.

“The system is designed to get people to confess, so that investigators can get people higher up the food chain,” said Hayton.

According to Vietnam’s appellate procedures, the defendants may file an appeal with the immediate superior court within 15 days of the judgement. 

“I think some might choose this option, as their sentences are harsher than proposed,” said Giang.

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