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Senin, 22 Maret 2021

Activists freed from Chinese jail back in custody in Hong Kong - CNA

HONG KONG: Eight Hong Kong activists, jailed in China last year after being captured at sea, arrived back in the city and were immediately detained on Monday (Mar 22) in a case that has drawn international attention and concern over their treatment.

Dubbed by supporters as "The Hong Kong 12", the group was picked up by Chinese coast guard last August as they tried to make a break for nearby Taiwan.

Those on board were being prosecuted for actions linked to Hong Kong's huge and often violent protests in 2019.

The charges they faced ranged from rioting and attempted arson to possession of offensive weapons and making explosives.

They were eventually convicted by a Shenzhen court of illegally crossing the maritime border and sentenced to seven-month jail terms.

READ: Families of captured Hong Kong activists demand their return from Chinese detention

On Monday, eight of them were handed over to Hong Kong police having completed their sentences.

"They have been deported in batches on the day in accordance with the law," police in Yantian, the mainland district where the group were jailed, said in a statement.

Hong Kong police confirmed their return in a separate statement.

Images published by local media showed some of those being returned had black hoods placed over their heads as they were marched by officers into a Hong Kong police station close to the border with the mainland.

READ: Hong Kong leader praises China's plan to install 'patriots'

Among those returned into Hong Kong custody on Monday was Andy Li. Before he fled, he was arrested under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong last year.

More than 100 people have been arrested under the law which carries up to life in prison.

Another of the returned fugitives is a dual national with Hong Kong and Portuguese citizenship.

Two teens in the group - a 16- and 17-year old - were returned to Hong Kong last December.

The two remaining members of the group were given longer sentences for organising an illegal border crossing and remain in prison on the mainland.

READ: 'Not much we can do' - Critics resigned to Beijing's plans to revamp Hong Kong political system

Activist and barrister Chow Hang-tung, speaking on behalf of a concern group for the defendants, said she was unhappy with the handover arrangements for them.

"(Authorities) never communicated with the family about the whole arrangement so the family members are forced to come here and wait all day until now," Chow said at a press briefing outside a Hong Kong police station close to the mainland border.

"Just for the very thin hope of seeing their families, waving to them, shouting to them, even till now, they still haven’t had any chance to meet their sons."

Johnny Patterson, policy director for rights group Hong Kong Watch, said the "appalling ordeal" the group faced "shines a spotlight on the draconian new normal in Hong Kong."

"It's a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire."

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities have taken a tougher stance on the city's protest movement over the past year, implementing a tough national security law aimed at cracking down on dissent.

In February, 47 activists and lawmakers were charged for subversion under the security law over their involvement in an unofficial primary election that authorities say was part of a plan to paralyse the government. Most of the city’s prominent activists are currently in jail or in self-exile abroad.

Hong Kong was promised it would be allowed to maintain its separate political, economic and social systems for 50 years following the handover, including considerably greater freedoms of speech and protest than permitted in mainland China.

Critics say Chinese moves, including the imposition of the national security law, widespread arrests of critics and the impending changes to Hong Kong's electoral system, have all but nullified that pledge.

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2021-03-22 11:15:00Z
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Myanmar activists find new ways to protest as EU approves sanctions on junta - CNA

YANGON: Protesters honked car horns in Myanmar on Monday (Mar 22) and planted posters in an empty square to avoid arrest, injury or death as the European Union approved sanctions on 11 people linked to last month's coup and subsequent crackdown.

At least 250 people have been killed so far in anti-junta protests which the security forces are trying to stamp out, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.

"The number of murders has reached an unbearable extent, which is why we will not be able to avoid imposing sanctions," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting with his EU counterparts.

Maas later said the "excesses of violence" in Myanmar was "absolutely unacceptable".

The EU placed Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on an assets freeze and visa ban blacklist.

Min Aung Hlaing is "responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar", the bloc's official journal said.

The bloc also hit nine other senior military officers and the head of Myanmar's election commission with sanctions in the form of travel bans and asset freezes.

READ: Myanmar protesters voice defiance as junta reminds of 'external threats'

According to diplomats and two internal documents seen by Reuters last week, the EU is also planning to target companies "generating revenue for, or providing financial support to, the Myanmar Armed Forces".

"We don't intend to punish the people of Myanmar but those who blatantly violate human rights," Maas said.

A spokesman for the junta did not respond to calls seeking comment. He has previously said security forces have used force only when necessary.

The Southeast Asian nation has been locked in crisis since the elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown by the military on Feb 1.

The violence has forced many citizens to think up novel ways to express their rejection of a return to army rule.

CAR HORNS, SHOTS

In downtown areas of the commercial capital Yangon, motorists honked car horns in response to a call on social media to mark the one-month anniversary of the launch of one of the biggest demonstrations since the coup.

In the western town of Mindat in Chin state, protesters planted scores of posters in a square in front of the main market saying "Military dictatorship must fail".

READ: Myanmar military's use of lethal force 'disastrous', but sense can still prevail: PM Lee

In the latest violence, one person was killed in the country's second city of Mandalay, aid workers and news reports said.

Four people were killed and several wounded in the city on Sunday when security forces opened fire after residents tried to resist efforts by the military to set up a base in a school, the Myanmar Now news portal reported.

One man was shot dead and several were wounded when police opened fire on a group setting up a barricade in the central town of Monywa, a doctor there said on Sunday as a community group issued a call on Facebook for blood donors.

"Sniper, sniper," people can be heard shouting in a video clip shortly after the man was shot in the head in Monywa and more shots rang out.

State media said on Sunday that men on motorcycles attacked a member of the security forces who later died. The military said two policemen were killed in earlier protests.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN DIPLOMATIC PUSH

The junta says a Nov 8 election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party was fraudulent, an accusation rejected by the electoral commission. Military leaders have promised a new election but have not set a date.

Asian neighbours, who have for years avoided criticising each other, have begun speaking out.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Brunei Darussalam on Monday before going to Malaysia and Indonesia, which are seeking an urgent meeting of Southeast Asia's ASEAN regional grouping, of which Myanmar is a member.

READ: 2 journalists detained as Myanmar junta clamps down on press

Myanmar has been shaken by massive protests against the February coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government. (Photo: AFP)

Heng Swee Keat, deputy prime minister of Singapore, said his country was "appalled by the violent crackdowns against civilians" and called for a return to the democratic transition.

Singapore, which has deep economic ties with Myanmar, has previously called the military action a "national shame".

The BBC said on Monday that one of its reporters in Myanmar who was detained by plainclothes men three days ago had been freed. Aung Thura, from the BBC's Burmese service, was detained on Friday along with a journalist who works for the domestic Mizzima news service.

There was no immediate word on the whereabouts of the Mizzima reporter.

READ: Myanmar's UN ambassador vows to continue fighting after junta fires him

The military has unleashed a crackdown against anti-coup protesters. (Photo: AFP)

Australian media reported that two Australian business consultants were detained as they tried to leave Myanmar, but it was not clear why. An Australian foreign ministry spokesperson said it was providing consular assistance but declined to comment further for privacy reasons.

Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was detained last month. The army has not announced any charges against Turnell, who is among nearly 2,000 people the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says have been detained since the coup.

"Every day I imagine the moment my phone rings and you are at the other end of the line, telling me you are your way home," Turnell's wife Ha Vu wrote on her Facebook page on Monday. "I pray for that day to be soon. In the meantime, I irrevocably believe that you are still treated well, with dignity and respect."

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2021-03-22 10:57:04Z
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Taiwan loses two fighter jets in apparent collision, third such crash in six months - CNA

TAIPEI: Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forced are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.

While Taiwan's air force is well-trained and well-equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control.

Taiwan's National Rescue Command Centre said two air force F-5E fighters, each with one pilot aboard, crashed into the sea off the island's southeastern coast after they apparently collided in mid-air during a training mission.

An air force helicopter, coast guard and other rescue ships have been scrambled to look for the pilots, it added.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said it was working on a statement, and provided no other immediate comment. The official Central News Agency said the air force had now grounded the F-5 fleet that operates from the Chihhang air base, where the aircraft are based.

The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the late 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet.

Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, whose pilot also died.

In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei.

The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force.

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2021-03-22 09:49:34Z
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HSA starts review of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Monday (Mar 22) it has started reviewing data on China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.

It has also asked the biopharmaceutical company for additional data and is waiting for it, said HSA in response to CNA queries.

Singapore received its first shipment of the Sinovac vaccine on Feb 23. HSA said then that Sinovac had started submitting initial data, and that it was awaiting the submission of all necessary information to carry out its assessment.

The vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech has been approved for general use in China, and is already in use in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

In Singapore, the Sinovac vaccine is being evaluated but has not yet been authorised for use, said HSA.

"HSA has requested from the company additional data required to assess if it can meet the required standards for quality, safety and efficacy for interim authorisation under the Pandemic Special Access Route, and is still waiting for the company to submit the data," said the authority.

READ: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Sinovac – A look at three key COVID-19 vaccines

On Monday, HSA said that it has also been in talks with various companies, including AstraZeneca, on their submission plans for COVID-19 vaccines.

"All vaccines are rigorously evaluated by HSA on their quality, safety and efficacy before they are approved for use in Singapore," said the authority.

READ: EU, UK drug regulators rally behind AstraZeneca vaccine after safety concerns

More than a dozen countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccines earlier this month, after reports of blood clotting among some recipients in Europe.

Many countries – including France, Germany and Indonesia – have since said they will resume use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, after an investigation by the European Medicines Agency concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks.

READ: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is 'haram', but permissible due to urgent situation – Indonesia Islamic body

Singapore has so far authorised two COVID-19 vaccines for use.

The country started its vaccination drive in December with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, the first vaccine to arrive in Singapore.

Moderna's vaccine was approved for use in early February, with the first shipment arriving two weeks later.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2021-03-22 06:10:01Z
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Asia accelerates AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs, even as trust plunges in Europe - CNA

TAIPEI: Many Asian countries are accelerating the roll-out of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after confidence in its safety was hit, following reports that the shot was linked to rare blood clots in Europe earlier this month.

After briefly halting its use, many European countries have resumed using the shot in their inoculation programmes after a regional regulator said it was safe, while several country leaders are also taking the vaccine to boost confidence.

READ: EU, UK drug regulators rally behind AstraZeneca vaccine after safety concerns

The AstraZeneca shot was among the first and cheapest of the COVID-19 vaccines to be developed and launched at volume and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world.

But its brief suspension raised concerns that a slowdown in vaccination roll-outs could hurt the global fight against the pandemic, as coronavirus cases surge in some countries, overwhelming healthcare systems and hurting economies.

"I have just finished getting the (AstraZeneca) injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no soreness of the body," Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters as the island launched its inoculation campaign on Monday.

Thailand's prime minister also became the first person in the country to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine after its roll-out was temporarily put on hold over safety concerns, while Indonesia began using it on Monday after suspending it last week. But Indonesia's Food and Drug agency has warned against its use on people with blood clotting disorders.

READ: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is 'haram', but permissible due to urgent situation - Indonesia Islamic body

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, 68, plans to get the shot on Tuesday after the government said it could be used on older people.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, saying he "did not feel a thing".

HEADWINDS

The European Medicines Agency regulator said on Thursday the vaccine is effective and not linked with a rise in the overall risk of blood clots.

Yet a survey released on Monday showed that people in seven European countries were more likely to see the vaccine as unsafe than as safe.

Many Asian countries heavily rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine to end the pandemic, as the shot is being used in inoculation programmes in Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and India.

Some countries could face supply issues.

India, which has the highest coronavirus caseload after the United States and Brazil, is delaying supplies of the vaccine to several countries, as it faces a second surge in cases, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

READ: Second COVID-19 surge grips India on first anniversary of lockdown

The Serum Institute of India, which produces the AstraZeneca vaccine, has told Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Morocco that further supplies will be delayed due to surging demand at home, the person said.

Australia, which has inoculated just 1 per cent of its population so far, is also accelerating vaccination after the country's pharmaceutical regulator approved on Sunday the local manufacturing of the AstraZeneca vaccine by CSL.

Within 12 weeks, CSL is expected to produce 1 million doses of the vaccine each week.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2021-03-22 06:29:39Z
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Australia to evacuate thousands as Sydney faces worst floods in 60 years - CNA

SYDNEY: Australian authorities are planning to evacuate thousands more people on Monday (Mar 22) from flood-affected suburbs in Sydney's west, which is set for its worst flooding in 60 years with drenching rain expected to continue for the next few days.

Unrelenting rains over the past three days swelled rivers in Australia's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW), causing widespread damage and triggering calls for mass evacuations.

"We need to brace ourselves, it will be a very difficult week," NSW state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.

Torrential rain which has submerged large swathes of NSW is in stark contrast to the weather conditions in the same regions a year ago, when authorities were battling drought and catastrophic bushfires.

"I don't know any time in a state history where we have had these extreme weather conditions in such quick succession in the middle of a pandemic," Berejiklian said.

Heavy rain, flash flooding batter Australia's east coast — A still image taken from video shows a flooded area following heavy rains in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia March 20, 2021. Alex McNaught, roving-rye.com photography/via REUTERS

Sydney on Sunday recorded the wettest day of the year with almost 111mm of rain, while some regions in NSW's north coast received nearly 900mm of rain in the last six days, more than three times the March average, government data showed.

Authorities said around 18,000 people have been evacuated from low lying areas of the state.

FLOODING STOPS COAL RAIL DELIVERIES

Australia's Hunter Valley coal rail lines have been shut due to flooding in the state of New South Wales, the Australian Rail Track Corp said on Monday, halting deliveries into the port of Newcastle, the world's biggest coal export port.

"High rainfall, potential for more severe flooding beyond the current impacts to the network, strong winds, fallen trees and debris, power failures and fallen power lines and power poles are all concerns which led to operations being halted," said a spokesman at ARTC, which runs the rail lines.

It said tracks would be reopened when conditions are safe and water levels recede.

The Hunter Valley network serves mines run by BHP Group Ltd , Glencore PLC, New Hope Corp Ltd, Whitehaven Coal, and Yancoal Australia Ltd, among others.

The companies were not immediately available to comment on the impact on their operations.

The Port of Newcastle has two coal terminals with a total annual capacity of 145 million tonnes.

Large parts of the country's east coast will get hit by more heavy rains from Monday due to the combination of a tropical low over northern Western Australia and a coastal trough off NSW, the Bureau of Meteorology official Jane Golding said.

"We expect this heavy rain to fall on areas that haven't seen as much rain over the last few days, we expect the flood risk to develop in those areas as well," Golding told reporters.

Some places in Sydney's western regions have seen the worst flooding since 1961, authorities said, as they expect the wild weather to continue until Wednesday.

A severe flood warning has been issued for large parts of NSW as well as neighbouring Queensland.

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2021-03-22 03:36:52Z
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HSA begins review of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for use in Singapore, asks Chinese firm for more data - TODAYonline

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HSA begins review of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for use in Singapore, asks Chinese firm for more data TODAYonline
AstraZeneca allays Indonesian Muslims' concerns over vaccine, SE Asia News & Top Stories The Straits Times
AstraZeneca counters Indonesian Muslim concerns over Covid-19 vaccine Times of India
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2021-03-22 03:47:31Z
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