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Sabtu, 17 Oktober 2020

Thai protesters rally for 4th day in Bangkok despite ban on large gatherings - CNA

BANGKOK: Thousands of protesters gathered at several locations in Bangkok on Saturday (Oct 17) to call for an end to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government, despite clashes on Friday night which saw police using water cannon to disperse crowds.

A number of protesters were arrested.

Despite an emergency decree banning gatherings, protesters rallied for a fourth straight day, with a youth-led movement, now known as the People, announcing that it will regroup.

Protest organisers said on Saturday morning that the gathering in Bangkok would take place at 4pm local time.

They later called on protesters to be present at every BTS Skytrain station by 3pm, and to consider them protest sites in case the skytrain stops operations before that time.

Bangkok has been under a state of serious emergency since 4am on Thursday, banning any gathering of five people or more as well as any action that would incite unrest.

Publication of news and electronic information with messages that could instil fear among the public, intentionally distort facts, or cause misunderstanding that would affect the national security, or peace and order is also prohibited.

The order was issued by Prime Minister Prayut to control anti-government protesters, who have staged mass demonstrations since Wednesday.

READ: Thai protesters vow to return to streets after Friday clashes

The protests first took place at the Democracy Monument before demonstrators moved to occupy areas outside Government House. Protesters were dispersed the following morning by riot police and several protest leaders were arrested.

On Thursday, a big rally took place at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok’s business district. According to police, at least 10,000 people joined the protest.

READ: Thailand bans protests as challenge to establishment escalates

On Friday, protesters regrouped at the Pathumwan intersection, which is located near the Ratchaprasong intersection. At 6.30pm, police in full riot gear started approaching the protesters before hitting them with water cannon.

According to police, the water was mixed with non-toxic blue dye and chemical irritants. Several protesters were injured and a few others were arrested.

The police told reporters that their actions were in line with international standards and are legal under Thai law. Police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen expressed condolences to the injured protesters but said it would not have happened “if no unlawful act had been committed”.

The use of water cannon and chemical irritants has been criticised as unnecessary as protesters appeared to be unarmed and many of them are youths.

[embedded content]

READ: Thai protest leaders declare end to demonstration after police fire water cannon in Bangkok

The anti-government movement has been calling for an end to Prime Minister Prayut’s rule, reform of the monarchy and a change to the current constitution, which was drafted and passed during the rule of Prayut’s military government.

In 2014, Prayut led a military coup to topple a democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. He controlled Thailand for five years, before an election in 2019 installed his political party to government.

READ: 'I want freedom' - Thais protest despite government's ban on gatherings

READ: 2 activists charged with endangering Thai queen as Bangkok protests continue

The anti-government movement is driven by a coalition of youth groups from across Thailand.

They were first known collectively as the People’s Party, a symbolic reference to a group of revolutionaries behind Thailand’s transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in 1932. However, the name has been changed to the People.

The movement took to the streets after a parliamentary session on Sep 24, when lawmakers decided not to vote on six proposals for charter amendment submitted by the ruling coalition and opposition parties.

Instead, a committee was formed to study the proposals for a month first. The move was said to be the government’s attempt to delay changes to the constitution despite months of pressure from the public.

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2020-10-17 09:56:15Z
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New Zealand's Ardern wins landslide election victory as opposition concedes defeat - CNA

WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's centre-left Labour Party won a landslide victory in New Zealand's general election on Saturday (Oct 17) as voters rewarded her for a decisive response to COVID-19.

The mandate means Ardern, 40, could form the first single-party government in decades, and face the challenge of delivering on the progressive transformation she promised but failed to deliver in her first term, where Labour shared power with a nationalist party.

"New Zealand has shown the Labour Party its greatest support in almost 50 years," Ardern told supporters after her landslide victory.

"We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander," she said.

Labour was on track to win 64 of the 120 seats in the country's unicameral parliament, the highest by any party since New Zealand adopted a proportional voting system in 1996.

If Labour wins more than half the seats, Ardern could form the first single-party government under the current system.

"This is a historic shift," said political commentator Bryce Edwards of Victoria University in Wellington, describing the vote as one of the biggest swings in New Zealand's electoral history in 80 years.

READ: Commentary: The transformation of Jacinda Ardern is almost complete

Opposition National Party leader Judith Collins said she had called the prime minister to congratulate her.

"To Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who I have phoned, congratulations on your result because it is, I believe, an outstanding result for the Labour Party," Collins said in a televised speech.

Labour had 49 per cent of the votes, far ahead of National at 27 per cent, the Electoral Commission said, with 77 per cent of ballots counted in an election that was largely a referendum on Ardern's aggressive handling of COVID-19.

"People were very grateful and very happy with how we’ve handled COVID, they like the shape of the plan that we’ve got going forward from here for the economy," said Finance Minister Grant Robertson, a top Labour MP.

Geoffrey Miller, analyst at political website Democracy Project, said the victory was "very much a personal triumph for Jacinda Ardern's 'superstar' popularity and brand."

Of Ardern's current coalition partners, the nationalist New Zealand First Party had 2.6 per cent and the Green Party 7.6 per cent. If she is unable to form a Labour-only government, she is expected to continue to rely on the minor Greens while jettisoning New Zealand First.

A Labour-Green coalition would be the first fully left-leaning government since the 1970s, a scenario that National's Collins warned would mean more taxes and an environment hostile to business.

Ardern has pledged to raise taxes on top earners, while Collins promised short-term tax cuts, but they have otherwise shown few major differences on policy.

“BE STRONG, BE KIND”

The prime minister won global acclaim for her handling of a mass shooting last year by a white supremacist in Christchurch, with her inclusive "be strong, be kind" mantra and swift action to ban guns.

She burnished that reputation this year with a "go hard, go early" approach to the new coronavirus, which has eliminated locally spread COVID-19 in the nation.

The election was delayed by a month after new COVID-19 infections in Auckland that led to a second lockdown in the country's largest city.

READ: Ardern vows to quit if she loses New Zealand election

While known internationally for promoting progressive causes such as woman's rights and social justice, at home Ardern faced criticism that her government failed on a promise to be transformational.

Life is back to normal in New Zealand, but its borders are still shut, its tourism sector is bleeding and economists predict a lasting recession after the harsh lockdowns.

The economy shrank at a 12.2 per cent annual clip in the second quarter, its steepest drop since the Great Depression. Debt is forecast to rise to 56 per cent of gross domestic product from less than 20 per cent before the pandemic.

New Zealanders also voted on Saturday in referendums to legalise euthanasia and recreational marijuana, with results to be announced on Oct 30.

The latter vote could make New Zealand only the third country in the world to allow the adult use and sale of cannabis nationwide, after Uruguay and Canada.

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2020-10-17 10:07:30Z
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Thai protesters rally for 4th day in Bangkok despite ban on large gatherings - CNA

BANGKOK: Protesters gathered again in Bangkok on Saturday (Oct 17) to call for an end to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government despite clashes on Friday night which saw police using water cannon to disperse crowds.

A number of protesters were arrested.

Despite a ban on large gatherings, protesters rallied for a fourth straight day, with a youth-led movement, now known as the People, announcing that it will regroup.

Protest organisers said on Saturday morning that the gathering in Bangkok would take place at 4pm local time.

They later called on protesters to be present at every BTS Skytrain station by 3pm, and to consider them protest sites in case the skytrain stops operations before that time.

READ: Thai protesters vow to return to streets after Friday clashes

Bangkok has been under a state of serious emergency since 4am on Thursday, banning any gathering of five people or more as well as any action that would incite unrest.

The order was issued by Prime Minister Prayut to control anti-government protesters, who have staged mass demonstrations since Wednesday.

On Thursday, a big rally took place at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok’s business district. According to police, at least 10,000 people joined the protest.

READ: Thailand bans protests as challenge to establishment escalates

According to police, the water was mixed with non-toxic blue dye and chemical irritants. Several protesters were injured and a few others were arrested.

The use of water cannon and chemical irritants has been criticised as unnecessary as protesters appeared to be unarmed and many of them are youths.

[embedded content]

READ: Thai protest leaders declare end to demonstration after police fire water cannon in Bangkok

READ: 'I want freedom' - Thais protest despite government's ban on gatherings

READ: 2 activists charged with endangering Thai queen as Bangkok protests continue

The anti-government movement is driven by a coalition of youth groups from across Thailand.

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Malaysian police probing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over six cases - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian police are investigating opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for his role in six cases, including the circulation of a purported list of Members of Parliament who he claimed are backing his bid to become Prime Minister.

In a statement on Saturday (Oct 17), Federal Criminal Investigation Department Director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said that the police recorded a statement from Datuk Seri Anwar on Friday.

The former deputy prime minister is being investigated for disturbing public order in relation to the list, among other things.

The list purportedly identifies 121 MPs who are backing Mr Anwar's bid to form a new parliamentary majority and become Malaysia's third prime minister in 2020.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government hold a narrow two-seat majority after leading mass defections from the Pakatan Harapan coalition to form the PN government in March this year. PN has 113 MPs in the 222-strong House.

Several MPs, whose names were on the list, had lodged police reports while denying they backed Mr Anwar.

"So far we have received 113 police reports pertaining to this matter," the police said.

"We urge the people to give us space so that we can carry out this investigation in a transparent and fair manner," they said.

Mr Anwar is also being investigated for comments he had made at a press conference after an audience with Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah on Tuesday, during which he provided documentation to back his majority claim.

Another separate probe is for sodomy, an offence that Mr Anwar has been convicted of twice previously.

Mr Anwar's audience with Sultan Abdullah did not immediately result in him succeeding in his bid to become prime minister, with the King expected to verify his claims with several party leaders after partial coronavirus lockdowns end later this month.

Mr Anwar on Friday said that he refused to divulge the actual list of his backers to the police, as the matter was between him and the King.

The Royal Palace on Tuesday said that while Mr Anwar did furnish the number of MPs who purportedly backed him, he did not disclose the names of the MPs.

Meeting with reporters after giving his statement to the police on Friday, Mr Anwar criticised the men in blue to asking him questions about the list of MPs said to be backing his bid to form a new government.

“I gave the fullest cooperation to the police. But what is mind-boggling is that why focus on the 121 names of the Members of Parliament?" Mr Anwar said.

“I am not here to cooperate with their political masters to give names. It is not their business. It is between me and His Highness, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King), ” he said.

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2020-10-17 06:05:11Z
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Thai protesters vow to return to streets after Friday clashes - CNA

BANGKOK: Thai protesters said on Saturday (Oct 17) they would defy an emergency decree banning gatherings for a third consecutive day after confrontations the previous night saw riot police use water cannons against the mainly young activists.

About 3,000 demonstrators in the city's main shopping mall district demanded the release of arrested protesters, and some shouted obscenities against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha before they were dispersed by police.

Free Youth, one of the main protest groups, on Saturday morning called on its supporters to return to the streets later in the day.

"Be prepared both physically and mentally for the demonstration and to cope with a crackdown if it happens," the group's online post said.

Several hundred riot police dispersed the protesters on Friday by firing blue-dyed water laced with a chemical agent from the cannons.

Police later said the dye would mark protesters for future legal action.

[embedded content]

The youth-led movement has jolted the kingdom's political elite with its demands for the government to step down and reforms of the previously unassailable monarchy.

The ultra-wealthy and powerful King Maha Vajiralongkorn has not addressed the civil unrest directly but during a ceremony broadcast on Friday reminded people that Thailand "needs people who love the country, people who love the institution of the monarchy".

"IMPUNITY"

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights told AFP that 65 activists had been arrested since Tuesday, including nine of the most prominent figures of the pro-democracy movement.

Earlier on Friday, two activists were arrested under a rarely used law banning violence against the queen because they were among a group surrounding a royal motorcade on Wednesday during a large demonstration.

Both men could face life in prison if convicted.

A Thai journalist was also briefly detained during Friday's protest, according to his online news outlet, Prachathai.

Prayut has extended the emergency decree banning gatherings of more than four people until mid-November, ignoring activists' calls for him to resign.

The former army chief was the mastermind behind a 2014 coup before being voted into power in last year's election which protesters say was rigged in his favour.

READ: 'I want freedom': Thais protest despite government's ban on gatherings

Opposition party Pheu Thai has called on the government to lift emergency measures and free those detained.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday warned the emergency decree gave police "the green light to commit rights abuses with impunity" and called for international condemnation.

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2020-10-17 05:38:09Z
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Jumat, 16 Oktober 2020

Trudeau: Canada will not be cowed by China on human rights - CNA

OTTAWA: Canada will continue to defend human rights in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged Friday (Oct 16), after a top Chinese diplomat warned Ottawa against welcoming Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.

China's ambassador to Ottawa, Cong Peiwu, warned Canada on Thursday against granting asylum to Hong Kong activists, which he said could have consequences for the "health and security" for the 300,000 Canadians living in the theoretically autonomous Chinese territory.

The Canadian daily The Globe and Mail said Ottawa had recently granted asylum to a Hong Kong couple, which the Canadian government has neither confirmed nor denied.

"We will stand up loudly and clearly for human rights, all around the world, whether it's talking about the situation faced by the Uighurs, whether it's talking about the very concerning situation in Hong Kong, whether it's calling out China for its coercive diplomacy," said Trudeau when asked about the Chinese ambassador's comments.

But he added: "We don't look to escalate."

READ: China warns Canada against granting Hong Kongers sanctuary

READ: Canadian detained in China 'relieved' by virtual visit

In a sign of the rising tensions between the two countries, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne had earlier slammed the ambassador's remarks as "totally unacceptable and disturbing."

For his part, the new leader of the conservative opposition, Erin O'Toole, called on the Chinese diplomat "to fully retract his remarks and issue a public apology."

"Should the Ambassador fail to do so expeditiously, we expect the government to withdraw his credentials," he said.

Relations between China and Canada have been icy since December 2018 when Canada, acting on a US warrant, arrested the chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

Washington accused her of violating US sanctions against Iran and is pushing for her extradition.

Shortly after her arrest, China jailed a former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig, and a Canadian businessman, Michael Spavor, on charges of spying, an act widely seen in western capitals as an act of reprisal by Beijing.

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2020-10-16 22:08:02Z
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Organisers declare end to Thai protests after police fire water cannon in Bangkok - CNA

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Organisers declare end to Thai protests after police fire water cannon in Bangkok CNA
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn says people should love country and monarchy The Straits Times
Hundreds of Thai protesters gather under pouring rain to defy ban for second day CNA
The Thai military has assured that protesters take on the monarchy South China Morning Post
Thai police use water cannon against Bangkok protesters Yahoo Singapore News
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2020-10-16 16:30:23Z
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Sabtu, 17 Oktober 2020

READ: Thai protesters vow to return to streets after Friday clashes​​​​​​​

Jumat, 16 Oktober 2020

READ: Thai protesters vow to return to streets after Friday clashes