US dismisses Myanmar election plan, urges ASEAN pressure - CNA

WASHINGTON: The United States said on Monday (Aug 2) that Myanmar's junta was playing for time with a two-year election timeframe as Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to encourage ASEAN to appoint an envoy.

Blinken is participating virtually in a week of talks involving foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the latest bid by President Joe Biden's administration to engage a region at the frontlines of US competition with China.

Ahead of the ASEAN talks, Myanmar's junta chief promised to hold elections and lift a state of emergency by August 2023, extending an initial timeline given when the military deposed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb 1.

The announcement is "a call for ASEAN to have to step up its effort because it's clear that the Burmese junta is just stalling for time and wants to keep prolonging the calendar to its own advantage", said a senior US official, using Myanmar's former name of Burma.

"All the more reason why ASEAN has to engage on this and live up and uphold the terms of the five-point consensus that Myanmar also signed up to."

READ: Myanmar military ruler pledges elections, cooperation with ASEAN

READ: What's happening in Myanmar, six months after the coup?

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the military’s announcement is "not taking us in the right direction".

“It’s moving us further away from what we have been calling for, member states have been calling for, which is a return to democratic rule, a release of all … political prisoners, a halt on the violence and the crackdown,” he said.

He called the situation six months after the takeover “precarious” and worsening as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, with wider implications “threatening regional stability".

“The protracted crisis has impacted humanitarian access to people in need, as well as education, health, and the fight against COVID-19,” Dujarric said. “It has also, of course, affected the basic rights of the people of Myanmar to express themselves and have a government that represents them.”

“For us, a unified international response remains paramount."

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attended a meeting with ASEAN members on the crisis in April that led to the so-called consensus statement that called for an immediate end to violence and a regional special envoy.

But the junta leader later distanced himself from the statement, no envoy has been appointed and more than 900 people have been reported killed in the six-month crackdown on dissent.

ASEAN is not known for its collective diplomatic clout and its meetings have frequently pitted the United States and China against each other as they seek influence.

READ: Myanmar junta cancels results of 2020 polls won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party
READ: Myanmar should return to democratically elected government, says UK

The US official said Blinken would address Beijing's "coercion" against ASEAN nations in the dispute-rife South China Sea and also highlight human rights concerns within China.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Southeast Asia last week, where he hammered in on the South China Sea, saying Beijing's claims had no basis in international law.

Vice President Kamala Harris plans this month to visit historic US partner Singapore as well as Vietnam, which has moved increasingly close to Washington despite war memories.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is expected to meet Blinken in person in Washington this week, while Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier visited Indonesia and Thailand as well as Cambodia - often seen as the most pro-Beijing ASEAN nation.

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2021-08-02 23:19:22Z
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Olympics-Politics and drama as Biles, Belarus and New Zealand's Hubbard in focus - CNA

TOKYO -Three women dominated the focus at the Olympics on Monday: U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/belarus-athlete-in-hands-authorities-ioc-2021-08-02 and New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/weightlifting-nzs-hubbard-becomes-first-transgender-olympian-exits-early-2021-08-02: as politics and personal issues played out at the Tokyo Games.

China's team sprinters took the first gold on offer in the track cycling programme, powering to victory and helping solidify China's leading medal haul. In gymnastics, American Jade Carey won the gold medal in the women's floor event.

In athletics, Netherlands' Sifan Hassan unleashed her sizzling pace https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/athletics-one-down-two-go-hassan-kicks-off-treble-bid-with-5000m-gold-2021-08-02 in the final lap to leave a gaping distance to the chasing pack and claim the women's 5,000 metres gold, kicking off her bid for an unprecedented Olympic treble.

Biles will compete in the balance beam competition, officials said on Monday, in what would be the superstar gymnast's last chance for gold in Tokyo after pulling out of other events citing mental health issues.

Biles shocked the world last week when she withdrew from several events, putting a focus on athletes' mental health and deepening the drama at a Games that have seen plenty of controversy.

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was granted a humanitarian visa by Poland after taking refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo. She had refused her team's orders to board a flight home early from the Games on Sunday.

Tsimanouskaya plans to leave for Poland in the coming days, a Polish deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, told Reuters. She is "safe and in good condition" after walking into the embassy on Monday morning, he said.

New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard made history on Monday by becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete at an Olympic Games, but suffered disappointment with an early exit from the women's +87 kg final after failing to make three lifts.

USA Gymnastics said Biles will take part in the balance beam final and they were "excited" about the prospect.

The 24-year-old Biles, who won four golds at the 2016 Rio Games, dropped out of the all-around, floor exercise, vault and asymmetric bars finals in Tokyo.

STRICT MEASURES

The Games are taking place without spectators and under strict measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic, an unprecedented event in the history of the modern Olympics.

The Tokyo Olympics have already been hit by public opposition, as polls have shown that most Japanese people oppose holding the Games amid the worsening pandemic.

China has pulled ahead on the medals tally https://graphics.reuters.com/OLYMPICS-2020/MEDALTALLY/rlgpdynkjvo/media-embed.html with 29 golds, followed by the United States with 22 and Japan on 17.

Even as Biles stole the spotlight, China's Liu Yang, South Korea's Shin Jea-hwan and American Carey all claimed gold in gymnastics.

China's cycling team sprinters, Bao Shanju and Zhong Tianshi, broke their world record in the first round and although they were fractionally slower in the final, it was enough to beat Germany and retain the title.

Fans are allowed into the venue, which is outside Tokyo and the only indoor arena at the Olympics to permit spectators.

POWERED BY COFFEE

Dutchwoman Hassan began the day by falling on the last lap of her 1,500 metres heat, only to spring up and charge through the field to finish first.

Fuelled by caffeine, she returned to the track in the evening and was in total control of a slowly-run 5,000 metres, sitting in the pack before unleashing her trademark last-lap burst.

"Before the race here I didn't even care. I was so tired. Without coffee I would never be Olympic champion," she said.

In the 100 metres hurdles, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/athletics-camacho-quinn-dazzles-100m-hurdles-gold-tentoglou-grabs-long-jump-2021-08-02 won the first Olympic gold medal in athletics for Puerto Rico at the Games.

She exploded off the blocks to finish in 12.37 seconds despite hitting one hurdle, beating American world record holder Kendra Harrison who came in second with 12.52.

Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece won the men's long jump in spectacular https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/athletics-camacho-quinn-dazzles-100m-hurdles-gold-tentoglou-grabs-long-jump-2021-08-02 fashion as he leapt 8.41 metres in his final attempt to snatch the gold medal from Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarria.

Tentoglou was the world leader coming into Tokyo with an 8.60 metres leap at a domestic competition in May but struggled to find his form and was outside the medals positions as he hit the runway for the final time.

The World Cup-winning United States suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat by Canada in the women's soccer tournament semi-finals, with Jessie Fleming grabbing the winner with a 75th minute penalty.

PROTEST AND SPORT

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is meanwhile looking into the gesture U.S. shot putter Raven Saunders made after the silver medallist raised her arms in an X above her head on Sunday, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told a briefing.

Saunders later said the gesture was intended as a sign of support for the downtrodden, while the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said it did not breach IOC rules.

While the IOC forbids overt political expression or interference, last month it relaxed its Rule 50 that prevented athletes from protesting. Athletes are allowed to make gestures on the field, providing they do so without disruption and with respect for fellow competitors.

However, the threat of sanctions remains if any protests are made on the podium during the medal ceremony.

"Let them try and take this medal," Saunders said in a late night post on social media in an apparent reference to the IOC's rules restricting protests.

(Reporting by Reuters Olympics Team; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Ken Ferris)

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2021-08-02 14:48:45Z
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Malaysia's opposition lawmakers march on parliament, demand PM Muhyiddin resigns - CNA

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2021-08-02 13:51:55Z
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Olympics-Reaction to athlete's refusal to return to Belarus - CNA

Sport

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, in Japan for the Olympic Games, took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday, a day after refusing to board a flight home with her team.

Accreditation card of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is seen at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

02 Aug 2021 09:05PM

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TOKYO: Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, in Japan for the Olympic Games, took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday, a day after refusing to board a flight home with her team.

Tsimanouskaya, 24, said she was taken against her will to Tokyo's Haneda airport after complaining on social media about her national coaches. At the airport, she sought protection from Japanese police. She plans to leave for Poland in the coming days, a Polish deputy foreign minister said.

Here are quotes from officials and others involved in reaction to the developments:

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO BELARUS, JULIE FISHER:

"Thanks to the quick action of Japanese and Polish authorities, Tsimanouskaya is able to evade the attempts of the Lukashenko regime to discredit and humiliate this #Tokyo2020 athlete for expressing her views," Fisher wrote on Twitter.

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, MARIA ADEBAHR:

"We call on the authorities in Belarus to respect basic democratic rights, including freedom of the media, freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

"This applies to every citizen of Belarus and, of course, to sportsmen and sportswomen."

FRENCH EUROPEAN AFFAIRS MINISTER CLEMENT BEAUNE:

"Political asylum - it would be an honour for Europe to do so," Beaune told RFI radio.

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SPOKESPERSON MARK ADAMS:

"Our duty to her is to make sure she is safe and secure and she's told us that she is. We were in touch with her last night and we are in touch with her again today and continue to be in touch with her. But in the end if there are wider issues that isn't for the IOC to deal with.

"We are supporting her and we want to make sure that she gets what she wants and we support her in that.

JAPAN CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY KATSUNOBU KATO:

"The Belarusian athlete has been kept safe with cooperation with relevant parties.

"The Japanese government understands that relevant parties such as Tokyo 2020 organisers, IOC are checking her intentions.

"Japan is coordinating with relevant parties and continue to take appropriate action."

POLISH DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MARCIN PRZYDACZ:

"Poland is ready to help (Krystsina) Tsimanouskaya...she was offered a humanitarian visa and is free to pursue her sporting career in Poland if she so chooses."

CZECH REPUBLIC FOREIGN MINISTER JAKUB KULHANEK:

"I consider the situation around the Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya to be scandalous. The Czech Republic is ready to help...we offer her a visa to enter the country so that she can apply for international protection with us. Our embassy in Tokyo is also ready to help."

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PROGRAMME OFFICER IN TOKYO TEPPEI KASAI:

"Japanese authorities as well as the IOC should take seriously Krystsina Tsimanouskaya's concerns and continue to offer her appropriate protection on humanitarian grounds.

"The Japanese government should continue to do everything it can, including coordination with other governments, to ensure she is not forced back to Belarus, and that her family back home is also protected from government repression."

(Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Hugh Lawson)

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2021-08-02 13:07:05Z
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Umno mulls over internal coup as Malaysia PM Muhyiddin stands ground - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Umno has been weighing up a bold move to replace Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, with his newly minted deputy Ismail Sabri Yaakob emerging as a contender.

This comes amid growing calls for the premier to resign over a damaging clash with Malaysia's revered King.

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2021-08-02 09:07:53Z
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COVID-19: Delta variant bears down on China just as its economy loses steam - CNA

BEIJING: The Delta variant poses new risks for the world's second-biggest economy as it spreads from the coast to China's inland cities and presents fresh challenges to authorities who have for months managed to avert any widespread outbreak of the coronavirus.

Barely a month after disrupting industry in the southern export hub of Guangdong, cases of the Delta variant were detected in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province on the coast. The infections were traced back to a flight from Russia.

Since Nanjing confirmed its first Delta cases on Jul 20, numerous cities in southern China and a few in the north including Beijing have reported infections. The tally of locally transmitted cases stood at 353 as of Sunday (Aug 1).

It was not immediately clear whether Nanjing was the source of all the infections, as some authorities have yet to disclose the outcome of their virus-tracing efforts.

Jiangsu, the province with the second-largest economic output after Guangdong in 2020, is by far the worst-hit, accounting for about 80 per cent of the confirmed cases.

READ: Chinese cities test millions as COVID-19 cases surge

The emergence of the variant, which is more transmissible than the original strain first detected in the city of Wuhan in late 2019, has seen the return of tough counter-epidemic measures.

Many cities have warned against non-essential travel, required proof of negative tests for those who do travel, and launched mass-testing for the virus.

Policymakers are under pressure to ensure that while populations are protected, economies are not excessively strained.

China's overall economy is not invulnerable. It grew more slowly than expected in April to June, due to persistently high raw material prices, cautious consumer spending and a subdued real estate market.

"The Delta variant is the biggest test of China's zero-COVID strategy since the initial outbreak last year," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics.

"But given the country's track record in dealing with the virus so far, our assumption is that they will quash the outbreak before it gets out of control. Of course, doing so will come at some economic cost."

READ: Delta variant drives COVID-19 spread to 3 China provinces

Yangzhou, near Nanjing, has been battling rising coronavirus cases since last Wednesday. Many factories and logistics firms in the city of 5 million have been shut as employees joined queues of people to get tested, some up to three times a week.

"We cannot deliver goods because the delivery firm informed us that they've suspended their services," said a manager of a toy factory surnamed Wang.

"In the past few days, many places have been gradually locked down. We were officially told to stop operations today, and all our employees didn't come to the factory."

TOURISM VULNERABLE

Tourism in some smaller cities could take a hit in August, usually a peak travel season due to the summer school break.

Zhangjiajie, where dramatic stone pillars inspired the Hallelujah Mountains in the 2009 blockbuster "Avatar", has seen an outbreak, linked to Nanjing, traced to a theatrical performance at a tourist site on July 22.

Zhong Nanshan, a coronavirus expert who helped shape China's COVID-19 response, told a conference on the weekend that he was not too worried about the ability of big cities, like Nanjing, to tackle the virus with their "excellent" control systems, state media reported.

But there were questions about the ability of smaller places, like Zhangjiajie, with limited resources when suddenly having to test and trace the 2,000 people in the audience for the show as well as their close contacts, he said.

Zhangjiajie, nestled in the mountains of Hunan province, has gone into a semi-lockdown, closed tourist sites and indoor entertainment venues, and told people to avoid unnecessary trips.

"All staff at our hotel must take nucleic acid tests every two days," said a front desk attendant surnamed Li at the Zhangjiajie Huatian Hotel.

The hotel is not open to the public and its online reservation system is suspended.

A staffer surnamed Yin at Zhangjiajie China International Travel Agency said everyone at her agency had been sent home for a "vacation".

"We're waiting for the notice on when we can start working again," she said.

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

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2021-08-02 12:06:13Z
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Indonesia urges Myanmar to approve appointment of ASEAN envoy - CNA

JAKARTA: Indonesia's foreign minister urged Myanmar on Monday (Aug 2) to approve the appointment of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special envoy and said little progress had been made on a plan to promote talks between Myanmar's rival sides.

Six months after the military toppled Myanmar's democratically elected government, ASEAN foreign ministers met on Monday to finalise the envoy tasked with ending violence and promoting dialogue between the junta and its opponents.

Talking to media by video conference, Indonesia's Retno Marsudi said the group had made "no significant progress" on implementing its five-point plan to stop the turmoil in Myanmar, which was announced in April.

The delay "does ASEAN no good" and, if inaction went on, the issue should be returned to leaders to give directions, she said.

Myanmar has been racked by a deadly crackdown on protests, economic collapse and a refugee exodus since the Feb 1 coup. A surge in coronavirus infections has overwhelmed its health system, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the past month.

READ: After months of failed talks, ASEAN under pressure to name Myanmar envoy

The United Nations and many countries, including the United States and China, have urged the Southeast Asian bloc, whose 10 members include Myanmar, to spearhead diplomatic efforts to restore stability in Myanmar.

"Indonesia hopes that Myanmar will immediately approve ASEAN's proposal for the appointment of a Special Envoy," Retno said.

Indonesia's foreign minister said the envoy should move freely in Myanmar and have full access to "various parties", an apparent reference to ousted lawmakers, many of whom are in prison.

Retno did not specify who had been selected for the post of envoy, but diplomats told Reuters that Brunei's second minister for foreign affairs, Erywan Yusof, was strongly favoured to take the position.

READ: Myanmar military ruler pledges elections, cooperation with ASEAN

Myanmar's military ruler, Min Aung Hlaing, said in a speech on Sunday that the military regime wanted Thailand's former deputy foreign minister Virasakdi Futrakul as envoy, but "new proposals were released and we could not keep moving onwards".

"Myanmar is ready to work on ASEAN cooperation within the ASEAN framework, including dialogue with the ASEAN special envoy in Myanmar," he said.

ASEAN operates under consensus decision-making principles. This means Myanmar will have to support the envoy's appointment, diplomats said.

Myanmar has shown little willingness to adopt ASEAN's five-point plan, instead referring to its own plans for Myanmar's future. In a speech on Sunday, Min Aung Hlaing repeated a pledge to hold elections by 2023.

READ: What's happening in Myanmar, six months after the coup?

Retno said ASEAN must provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, as well as explore a mechanism for sharing COVID-19 vaccines.

"We must not be silent and allow the suffering of the Myanmar people to continue," she said.

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2021-08-02 08:55:36Z
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