China's ruling party censors its past as centenary nears - CNA

SHANGHAI: At the house where Mao Zedong and 12 others met 100 years ago to found the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping recently led his politburo in reciting an oath to uphold principles and "sacrifice everything" for the party and the people.

The obscure Shanghai courtyard of 1921 is now a lavish memorial hall, a focal point as China celebrates the centenary on Thursday (Jul 1) of the party that controls the world's most populous nation and second-biggest economy.

The site of that first party congress now chronicles China's "humiliation" at the hands of warlords and imperialists, its "awakening" in the early 20th century and its revival after the party's 1949 victory in a civil war that sent Chiang Kai-shek's nationalists into exile in Taiwan.

The commemorations in what has become an upscale neighbourhood of boutiques and restaurants reflect something broader: A myth-making project to amplify China's message at home and abroad, aligning with Xi's call this month to tell more positive stories about China.

But even as China celebrates, it erases.

A boy dressed in a replica uniform of Red Army poses with a Chinese flag outside the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, ahead of the 100th founding anniversary of the party, in Shanghai, China June 22, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

A stirring video montage highlights China's proudest achievements, including its first atomic bomb, the construction of prestige infrastructure and the recent unmanned mission to Mars.

Ignored are the major tumults of the 20th century that historians reckon killed millions: The "Great Leap Forward" famine of 1958 to 1960, the decade of chaos in the "Cultural Revolution" from 1966 and the crackdown that killed hundreds or even thousands of people in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"There's a lot of its history (the party) needs to forget," said Robert Bickers, a historian of the party at Britain's University of Bristol. "It has devoted a great deal of effort throughout the course of its 100 years ensuring that there is an agreed text of a history that needs to be celebrated."

READ: Police checks and patriotic flowers: Beijing leaves nothing to chance ahead of Party centenary

Neither the State Council Information Office nor the CCP's Party History and Literature Research Office responded to faxed requests for comment.

Tourists ride on a bus marking the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, in Shanghai, China June 13, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

"HISTORICAL NIHILISM"

The party has long sought to control history. That effort has intensified under Xi, who has spearheaded a campaign against "historical nihilism", defined as any attempt to use the past to question the party's leading role or the "inevitability" of Chinese socialism.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has established a specialist history unit to propagate the official version of the past. This year Beijing set up a hotline for citizens to report historical nihilism to authorities.

Glenn Tiffert, a historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said this campaign reflects the party's insecurity and is rooted in Xi's fears that it could collapse like its Soviet counterpart, ousted in 1991.

"It seems to be a particular preoccupation of his from the very beginning," he said. "It is part of a more systematic, integrated approach to re-establishing the authority of the party and ensuring it does not go the way of the Soviet Communist Party."

Workers build an installation ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, in Shanghai, China June 15, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

Despite Xi's efforts to emphasise the continuity of the party's century-long efforts to rejuvenate China, the new memorial hall shows that the party has moved far from its roots.

While it describes its first decades as a triumph of Marxist ideas, there is no mention of the theoretical contortions that allowed the party to jettison the collectivism of the Maoist era and launch market reforms that transformed its economy into the world's second-largest and also one of its most unequal.

A list of party "facts and figures" published by the official Shanghai Daily this month barely mentions ideology, saying the party's mission is "to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation".

"It's not about the belief in communism anymore, it's about delivering the goods," said Tiffert. "And in order to sustain that, they want to cover up all of the missteps."

WATCH: Boom in 'red tourism' ahead of Chinese Communist Party centenary

Yang Xuzhen, an 89-year-old visiting the memorial hall in a wheelchair, was happy to remember the party's achievements, saying the organisation she joined seven decades ago had rescued her from hard labour and servitude.

The Communist Party "has helped change so much in this country, especially for people in the countryside, the poor people and all of the minorities," she said.

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2021-06-29 01:08:44Z
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Taiwan to get vaccine boost with more Moderna shots on their way - CNA

TAIPEI: Taiwan will discuss easing the import and export of COVID-19 vaccines with the United States when it holds trade talks with Washington this week, which will help in bringing the pandemic under control, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday (Jun 29).

The two sides are due to resume long-stalled trade discussions on Wednesday as Washington seeks to deepen its support for the Chinese-claimed island, and at a time when Taiwan is dealing with a cluster of domestic COVID-19 cases.

In an address from her office, Tsai said the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement talks, or TIFA, would include what she referred to as an "important" topic.

"That is to simplify the import and export process of vaccines and other medical supplies. This substantive cooperation will bring important help to our current epidemic situation. I have asked our negotiating team to go all out," Tsai said.

"If Taiwan's epidemic is brought under control and economic fluctuations are reduced, it will be a further contribution to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region."

Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors, a global shortage of which has reverberated around the world, though the island's domestic COVID-19 outbreak has not had a substantial impact on supplies.

READ: Taiwan to extend COVID-19 curbs into July

A further 410,000 doses of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen said earlier on Tuesday, part of its direct order for 5.05 million doses from the company.

Only about 8 per cent of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one of the two shot regimen against COVID-19, and the government has been under pressure to speed up deliveries of the millions of doses it has on order.

When asked if a government-run research centre is in talks with Moderna to make COVID-19 vaccines, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the government "will not give up any opportunity" and is currently reviewing its vaccine manufacturing capacity for international companies.

"We are reviewing related capacity, willingness and division of labour domestically. That will smooth things out in a negotiation," Chen told a daily news briefing, without giving details.

Taiwan has received a total of 4.85 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to date, including 1.24 million donated by Japan and 2.5 million donated by the United States. Japan has pledged another 1 million, while Lithuania is giving Taiwan 20,000.

READ: Taiwan's COVID-19 cases fall to month-and-a-half low

Taiwan's own domestic outbreak of the virus is being brought under control, but it remains wary about a handful of cases of the highly contagious Delta variant in southern Taiwan.

The island reported 54 new domestic infections on Tuesday, down from 60 a day earlier, marking the smallest daily rise since May 15, when the government raised the alert level for Taipei and its neighbouring city in the wake of a sudden spike of domestic cases. 

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2021-06-29 02:46:10Z
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Half of Australia's population in lockdown as Covid-19 Delta variant spreads - The Straits Times

SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) - More than 12 million Australians - close to half of the population - are now in lockdown as the nation struggles to contain a spread of the Delta coronavirus variant.

On Tuesday (June 29), Brisbane became Australia's fourth regional capital city to restrict movement outside of homes except for essential reasons such as shopping and exercise for at least three days, less than 24 hours after a similar move in Perth.

They followed Sydney and Darwin, which over the weekend announced longer lockdowns of up to two weeks. An outbreak in New South Wales (NSW) capital Sydney linked to the variant has grown to nearly 150 cases.

Worries the strain could spark major outbreaks have forced lockdowns in the major cities and some form of curbs in several others - affecting more than 20 million Australians, or about 80 per cent of the population.

The Queensland capital city of Brisbane, along with other areas of South-east Queensland state, including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast and the more remote regions of Townsville city, Palm Island and Magnetic Island, will enter a three-day lockdown from 6pm on  Tuesday.

"We need to go hard and we need to go fast," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday after two new local cases were recorded from the previous day.

"There will be a lockdown for three days and I don't want it to be 30 days." In a late night press conference in Perth on Monday, Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan announced a snap four-day lockdown for that city - the nation's unofficial resources capital - after a woman returned to the city from Sydney while infectious.

Sydney, home to one-fifth of Australia's 25 million population, is under a two-week lockdown until July 9 while the lockdown in the northern city of Darwin was extended for another 72 hours until Friday.

Tough restrictions, including mandatory masks and fewer gatherings, are in place elsewhere. NSW reported 19 new locally acquired infections, detected from a record 67,000 tests, versus 18 cases a day ago.

The outbreaks are ramping up pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to increase the pace of a tardy vaccine roll-out. The Delta variant is leaking out of the nation's hotels being used for quarantine, with the current outbreaks also linked to mining workers and airline crew who have travelled around the nation.

The clusters show the limits of Australia's so-called "Covid-zero" strategy, which has relied on closed international borders and rigorous testing to eliminate community transmission of the virus.

While nations such as Britain and the US are preparing to open up their economies after widespread vaccinations, a slow roll-out in Australia means the economy, particularly domestic tourism, remains vulnerable.

While international borders are closed to most, Queensland and Victoria state leaders have asked PM Morrison's government to reduce the number of arrivals into the nation until dedicated quarantine facilities are built or a large proportion of the population are vaccinated.

The nation's current system has proven unable to contain the Delta variant, Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday.

"Right around the country right now there is a lot going on with this pandemic," Mr Miles said.

The outbreaks could all "be traced back to international arrivals. In fact, every day we have new cases in hotel quarantine from people who have travelled from overseas. Our international borders are supposed to be closed."

Contact tracers around the nation are battling to keep up with a growing list of exposure sites, including some domestic Virgin Australia flights after a cabin crew member tested positive.

Meanwhile, an outbreak at a mining site in a remote region of the Outback in central Australia has raised fears that the nation's indigenous population is at the greatest risk since the pandemic began.

In response to the clusters emerging around Australia, states and territories are reimposing domestic border restrictions, while a quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand has been suspended.

To head off infections, Australia late on Monday announced steps to increase Covid-19 vaccinations such as mandatory shots for high-risk aged-care workers and employees in quarantine hotels as well as making the AstraZeneca vaccine available to people under the age of 60.

Officials had earlier limited the use of the AstraZeneca shot to only people above 60 due to blood clot worries, while recommending Pfizer shots to everyone under 60 in a major change that slowed Australia's immunisation drive.

The authorities have now said people under 60 could request the AstraZeneca vaccine if approved by their doctors, who will be covered by a no-fault indemnity scheme matching a wider practice seen overseas.

Health officials say the AstraZeneca vaccine offers a high level of protection against Covid-19 and its benefits far outweigh any risks.

Lockdowns, swift contact tracing and strict social distancing rules have helped Australia keep its Covid-19 numbers relatively low, with just over 30,500 cases and 910 deaths, even as its vaccine roll-out has hit several roadblocks.

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2021-06-29 03:18:39Z
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Bali, Jakarta bombings suspect Hambali to be tried on Aug 30 by US military - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON - The world will soon get a new look at the man accused of plotting the October 2002 bombing in Kuta, Bali, that killed 202 people, and the 2003 attacks at the JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton hotels in Jakarta that killed 11.

Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, and his two associates will face a formal arraignment in front of a United States military commission in Guantanamo Bay on Aug 30.

It has been some 18 years coming. Hambali, now about 57, was captured in Ayutthaya, Thailand, on Aug 14, 2003 in a joint US-Thai operation and transferred to Guantanamo in September 2006.

He is believed by investigators to have masterminded the strategy of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror organisation of striking at soft targets. JI has previously been linked to Al-Qaeda and later to the Islamic State.

Hambali was not formally charged in the US with any crime until January this year and remains wanted in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in connection with terrorist plots.    

In Dec 2001, 15 JI operatives were arrested in Singapore for planning attacks on government buildings, embassies and US servicemen in the Republic.

In 2002 came the Bali bombing - the worst terrorist attack ever on Indonesian soil. Then in 2003, the group carried out the twin suicide bombings on the JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton in Jakarta.

The charges list Hambali as "Encep Nurjaman, also known as Riduan bin Isomudin, alias HAMBALI".

Two others who will stand trial with him are Mohammed Nazir Lep, alias Lillie, and Mohammed Farik Amin, also known as Zubair.

An appendix provides a long list of other aliases of the three.

The charge sheet dated April 2019 lays out, in chilling detail, planning by the three as "principals, as co-conspirators, and as participants" of the Bali and Jakarta attacks, and a string of other plans for attacks against Americans and American interests - including the idea of attacking American servicemen and sinking an American warship in Singapore.

The three are classified as "alien unprivileged enemy belligerents".

The trio is standing trial on Aug 30 for "offences triable by military commission, including murder in violation of the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, terrorism, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, and destruction of property in violation of the law of war".

A file photo shows an armed Indonesian policeman in front of what remains of the Padi club in Denpasar, Bali, following a car bombing on Oct 13, 2002. PHOTO: AFP

Defence attorneys appointed by the military will speak in their defence. One of the principal points they will be making is that Hambali was tortured in detention.

Additionally, the charge sheet states that "From on or about August 1996 to on or about August 2003, at multiple locations in or around Afghanistan, South-east Asia and elsewhere, the three knowingly conspired and agreed with… Usama bin Laden, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Abu Ba'aysir, Abdullah Sungkar and others, known and unknown".

The Pakistani militant Khalid Shaikh Mohammad is accused of masterminding the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the US and is also being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison on terrorism-related charges.

As the 20th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks approaches, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad may also finally see a long-delayed formal trial. In summer 2019, a military judge set the date for January 2021, but amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it was again postponed. A new date has not been set.

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2021-06-28 22:00:00Z
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Restaurant owners in Thailand frustrated by renewed dining-in ban to curb COVID-19 - CNA

BANGKOK: Owners of eateries in Bangkok and nearby provinces were left frustrated after a ban on dining-in was reimposed on Monday (Jun 28), a week after the government relaxed COVID-19 control measures.

The ban was announced late Saturday night after Thailand’s daily case numbers rose above 2,000 for several weeks. It was enforced along with other restrictions on interprovincial travel, construction sites and gatherings in various parts of the country, and will last at least 30 days.

This came as a blow to many restaurant owners, some of whom had just begun to recover from the previous dining-in ban.

“How did I feel when I heard about the latest restrictions? Exasperated,” said Mika Apichatsakol. Her vegan eatery Bangkok City Diner had suspended its dining-in services from May 1 to follow the government’s order. Since then, it has only managed to serve food for deliveries.

READ: Thailand to reimpose COVID-19 curbs to contain outbreak

"We had actually planned to reopen for dine-in on Jul 1. We announced it about a week ago, and now we'll just be going back to deliveries only,” Mika told CNA.

It's that feeling of constantly taking a step forward and then a step back again.

Bangkok City Diner posted this image on its Facebook page on Jun 23, 2021, as it planned to reopen for dine-in services in July. This came shortly before the government reimposed a ban on dining-in at eateries to control COVID-19. (Photo: Bangkok City Diner)

Thailand is battling a third wave of COVID-19 infections, which started in April when a cluster was found at high-end nightclubs in Bangkok. 

More than 220,000 people have since tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 1,840 patients have died from the disease.

To curb the spread, the government imposed restrictions on eateries and various businesses. Still, the situation worsened last month when the virus infected inmates in crowded prisons and detention facilities nationwide.

Last week, some control measures were eased and food and beverage outlets were allowed to stay open for diners until 11pm. But that did not last long. 

READ: Thailand to shut construction sites, seal off camps to contain COVID-19

Many new clusters were reported and a number of them involved workers in construction and service industries. 

According to Thailand's Disease Control Department, health officials are monitoring more than 100 clusters in Bangkok alone.

The situation prompted Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to impose certain restrictions in areas with high COVID-19 infections such as Bangkok and its nearby provinces.

Bangkok City Diner is one of many eateries in Bangkok and nearby provinces that were affected by a ban on dining-in reimposed by the government on Jun 28. 2021. (Photo: Bangkok City Diner)

For some restaurateurs, the return of the ban on dining-in services has devastating impact on their businesses and staff members. Each wave of outbreaks came with restrictions that slashed their income and shrank their capital with hardly any compensation from the government.

“I was watching the news until 1am and I was puzzled,” said restaurateur Thavalsak Grajangpho from Ruean Rim Nam in Bangkok.

“I think it’s the same for every restaurant that had done so – all of a sudden, in the morning, we had to cancel all our orders,” he added. 

I was quite surprised and I think it’s unfair.

On Monday, Gen Prayut promised compensation for entrepreneurs and employees affected by his latest order. They include restaurant owners, their staff members, construction workers and their employers in Bangkok and its vicinity.

“We’re no less affected than you are, even more so actually because we have to make sure everybody can live through this period. Let me tell you, many countries even have it worse than we do right now,” he said in a press briefing after meeting economic advisors at the Government House.

“I’ll do my best to take care.”

Ruean Rim Nam is one of many restaurants in Bangkok affected by the government's new order to ban dining-in at eateries for one month. (Photo: Thavalsak Grajangpho)

According to Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, employees affected by the new set of restrictions will receive 50 per cent of their salary but no more than 7,500 baht (US$235) from the government, with an additional 2,000 baht (US$63), if they are registered in the social security system.

Employers will receive 3,000 baht (US$94) for every employee as long as they too are registered in the system. However, the number of employees is capped at 200.

“In case entrepreneurs and employees are not in the system but need help, please quickly register yourselves in the social security system,” Danucha said in a press conference at the Government House on Monday.

“Employers will then receive 3,000 baht for each employee they have. Employees of Thai nationality will then get 2,000 baht each as well.”

However, these employees will not receive the subsidy, which is worth half of their salary. They are required by law to contribute to the social security fund for at least six months before they can receive the subsidy, according to Danucha. The subsidy is available for one month. 

For restaurant owners like Thavalsak, who still have to pay rent and workers, the future remains uncertain.

“This wave is worse than the first time and there is no guarantee that after a month of closure, it will really be over,” he told CNA. “I’m angry, definitely. I feel like they don’t empathise with SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) like us at all.”

“I think everyone is wondering why restaurants are shut and not venues like malls, and how many of the COVID-19 clusters are actually caused by restaurants,” Mika added.

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2021-06-28 22:33:10Z
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Hong Kong bans passenger flights from UK to curb COVID-19 - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong will ban all passenger flights from the United Kingdom from Thursday (Jul 1) to curb the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the government said on Monday.

Britain will be specified as extremely high-risk, and people who have stayed in the country for more than two hours will be unable to board passenger flights bound for Hong Kong, it said.

It is the second time Hong Kong has barred arrivals from Britain after a ban that was in force from December 2020 until May.

The government said the ban was due to "the recent rebound of the epidemic situation in the UK and the widespread Delta variant virus strain there, coupled with a number of cases with L452R mutant virus strains detected by tests from people arriving from the UK".

Parents in Hong Kong with children in Britain reacted with shock. They complained that they had paid large sums to comply with COVID-19 testing rules but their children would now be stranded.

Hong Kong already has bans in place on arrivals from Indonesia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines.

READ: Hong Kong bans flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines over mutant COVID-19 strain

The Chinese special administrative region has recorded more than 11,900 cases and 211 deaths because of COVID-19. Most of the city's recent cases over the past month have been imported.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-06-28 11:58:47Z
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PM Muhyiddin unveils additional RM150 billion stimulus package as Malaysia extends total lockdown - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled a new economic stimulus package worth RM150 billion (US$36.2 billion) on Monday (Jun 28), in an attempt to mitigate the impacts of a continued total lockdown. 

Speaking during a televised national address, Mr Muhyiddin said the package – named people protection and economic recovery package (Pemulih) – aims to allow people to cope with the financial difficulties arising from COVID-19.

"I hope this financial package is able to help you continue with your lives in the coming months. I am aware many of you are impacted badly, as a result of battling the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year," he said.

"Even though millions of Malaysians have received financial help from the government since March 2020 ... I understand that help must be extended as long as the pandemic is ongoing."

He said that RM4.6 billion will be set aside under the special COVID-19 assistance scheme (BKC) to help 11 million people, mainly the elderly and those who have yet to get married. 

This includes those in the B40 (bottom 40 per cent) and M40 (middle 40 per cent) categories, who are set to receive between RM250 and RM1,300.

Mr Muhyiddin added that another RM500 million would be set aside for those who have lost income as a result of the pandemic. Under this scheme, around 1 million residents are likely to receive RM500 each.

To help the public with their utilities expenses, the government will give electricity bill discounts of between 5 to 40 per cent to households for three months from July, with a maximum limit of 900 kilowatt hours a month. 

For small and medium-sized businesses, Mr Muhyiddin said that the government has agreed to provide additional payments under the special prihatin grant (GKP), where companies which qualify will receive RM500 in September and another RM500 in November. 

The Prime Minister said that this scheme could help  improve the cash flow for around 1 million small and medium enterprises such as barbers, workshop owners, bakeries and health care centres. 

LOAN MORATORIUMS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESS OWNERS 

Mr Muhyiddin also announced that under the Pemulih package, individuals from the B40, M40 and T20 (top 20 per cent) groups, as well as business owners, will be able to receive an automatic six-month moratorium from banks. 

Unlike in the previous scheme, applicants for the loan moratorium will no longer be held back by several conditions including requirements to show proof of loss of income or employment due to the pandemic. 

"I hope this moratorium initiative will go someway in helping individual borrowers and SMEs in managing their cash flow problems during this challenging period. However, I would also advise the public to resort to this for emergency use only and not to make any additional financial commitments," he said. 

A general view of Malaysia's Prime Minister's office, in Putrajaya, Malaysia October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

Prior to Monday's announcement, Putrajaya had rolled out seven stimulus packages worth a total of RM380 billion.

READ: PM Muhyiddin unveils RM40 billion economic stimulus package as Malaysia is set to enter total lockdown

On Sunday, Mr Muhyiddin announced that Malaysia will extend phase 1 of its national lockdown beyond Jun 28 to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The restrictions were set to end on Monday but Mr Muhyiddin said that they will not be eased until daily cases fell below 4,000. 

He also told reporters that a more comprehensive financial assistance package will be extended to lower-income families as well as small and medium enterprises impacted by the pandemic. 

"Everyone is waiting to see how the government is going to help those who are impacted. I would like to stress here that assistance will be given to the B40 and M40 groups, and loan moratorium for the T20 group, we will also consider their needs. It will be a comprehensive package," said Mr Muhyiddin at the weekend.

"What's important is for us to give support to all levels of society, and in the current climate, around 12 million individuals are affected. We may increase the level of assistance provided to them," he added. 

In a statement on Sunday evening, Senior Minister for Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that phase 1 of the movement control order (MCO) will be maintained until the three key threshold value indicators are achieved.

The indicators are that the number of daily COVID-19 cases drop to below 4,000, the rate of bed usage in intensive care units is at a moderate level and that 10 per cent of the population has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Based on the risk evaluation carried out by the Ministry of Health, the government will maintain the phase 1 period nationwide," said Mr Ismail Sabri in a statement. 

"This takes into account the current situation, which has yet to successfully transition from phase 1 to phase 2, where the graph on daily COVID-19 positive cases shows a horizontal trend," he added.

On Monday, Malaysia recorded 5,218 new COVID-19 cases. There are now more than 735,000 cases nationwide. More than 4,900 people have died from COVID-19 in Malaysia. 

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2021-06-28 10:41:15Z
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