Most Thais against reopening country, fear tourists will bring in new Covid-19 cases - The Straits Times

BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A recent poll shows that most Thais are against reopening the country because they fear tourists will bring in new infections and that not enough locals have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

The poll, by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, asked 1,392 respondents what they thought about Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's plan to open the country to fully vaccinated foreign tourists from Nov 1.

Most respondents (59.86 per cent) rejected the plan, while 60.10 per cent said it was not the right time to reopen the country.

The respondents also said Thailand should open its doors to foreigners only if more than 70 per cent of the population has been vaccinated, the outbreak is brought under control and public health facilities are prepared to deal with new variations of the virus.

While the capital Bangkok has fully vaccinated more than 65 per cent of its population, only about 35 per cent nationwide have received both jabs.

The survey also showed that most business owners and employees wanted the country to be reopened, though the latter group is also concerned about new infections.

Meanwhile, opening the country from Nov 1 will give Thailand's tourism industry a much-needed boost, and positive economic growth can be expected next year if the Covid-19 situation is well-managed, the Kasikorn Research Centre said on Saturday (Oct 16).

The centre said the number of foreign arrivals should rise by 64 per cent, especially since the Nov 1 opening falls within Thailand's high season.

The centre predicts that 2021 will see a total of 180,000 foreign tourists, 30,000 more than it forecast previously, generating revenue of at least 13.5 billion baht (S$545 million).

The research centre also said the key factors drawing visitors to the country include provinces with low infection rates, special tourist visas and sandbox schemes. The Phuket Sandbox scheme launched in July has proved to be very popular among tourists from the United States, Britain, Germany and the Middle East.

In another development, Google's travel insight data shows that more people have been hunting for hotel or accommodation deals in Thailand. Countries with the highest number of searches include Russia, the US, Britain, Germany and India.

The search centred around Bangkok, Pattaya city, Koh Samui in Surat Thani and Phuket's Karon and Patong areas.

The research centre added that the most crucial factor to bring Thailand's tourism sector back would be to properly manage the pandemic by getting more than 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated.

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2021-10-17 07:59:22Z
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British MP's killer was referred to counter-terrorism scheme: Reports - The Straits Times

LONDON (AFP) - The attacker who fatally stabbed British lawmaker David Amess was referred to an official counter-terrorist scheme for those thought to be at risk of radicalisation, according to media reports.

Police said late Saturday (Oct 16) that detectives had until Friday to question the suspect after he was detained under the Terrorism Act, which allowed them to extend his detention.

Veteran Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) David Amess, 69, was talking with voters at a church in the small town of Leigh-on-Sea east of London when he was stabbed to death on Friday.

Police have said they are investigating "a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism". The investigation is being led by Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command.

The BBC said it had received confirmation from Whitehall officials that the man's name is Ali Harbi Ali.

Ali, a British citizen of Somali heritage, had been referred to Prevent, the Britain's scheme for those thought at risk of radicalisation a few years ago, the BBC reported.

Ali is believed not to have spent long on the programme, which is voluntary in nature, and was never formally a "subject of interest" to MI5, the domestic security agency, said the BBC.

Police and security services believe the attacker acted alone and was "self-radicalised", The Sunday Times reported, while he may have been inspired by Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Somalia.

Ali's father Harbi Ali Kullane, a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia, confirmed to The Sunday Times that his son was in custody, adding: "I'm feeling very traumatised." Police said they have been carrying out searches at three addresses in the London area in a "fast-paced investigation".

The Sun tabloid reported that the attacker stabbed Mr Amess multiple times in the presence of two women staff members, before sitting down and waiting for police to arrive.

The Daily Mail newspaper reported that he had booked an appointment a week ahead.

On Saturday evening, hundreds of mourners attended a candlelit vigil at a sports field near the scene of the crime, holding a minute's silence in the MP's memory.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier visited the crime scene to pay his respects on Saturday, laying floral wreaths outside the church with the leader of the opposition, Labour leader Keir Starmer, in a rare show of unity.

Local residents, including members of the Muslim community, also heaped bouquets next to the police tape.

Britain's politicians were stunned by the highly public attack, which recalled the murder of a pro-European Union lawmaker ahead of the Brexit referendum.

In June 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist, prompting demands for action against what lawmakers said was "a rising tide" of public abuse and threats against elected representatives.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday ordered police across the country to review security arrangements for all 650 MPs and The Sunday Times reported that every MP could be granted security protection when meeting the public.

"We will carry on... We live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by any individual," Ms Patel told journalists after laying a wreath for her fellow Essex MP.

Mr Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who tried to save a stabbed police officer during a 2017 terror attack near the Houses of Parliament, on Twitter urged "a temporary pause in surgeries, or face-to-face meetings with constituents, until the security review is complete".

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle in The Observer wrote that "we need to take stock" and review whether security measures introduced after Ms Cox's murder are "adequate to safeguard members, staff and constituents, especially during surgeries".

MPs and their staff have been attacked before, although it is rare.

But their safety was thrown into sharp focus by Brexit, which stoked deep political divisions and has led to often angry, partisan rhetoric.

Ms Cox's killer repeatedly shouted "Britain first" before shooting and stabbing the 41-year-old MP outside her constituency meeting near Leeds, northern England.

Mr Amess was at the other end of the political spectrum and backed Brexit.

A specialist police unit set up to investigate threats against MPs in the aftermath of Ms Cox's murder said 678 crimes against lawmakers were reported between 2016 and 2020.

Mr Amess himself wrote about public harassment and online abuse in his book Ayes & Ears: A Survivor's Guide To Westminster, published last year.

"These increasing attacks have rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians," he said.

MPs have had to install security cameras and meet constituents only by appointment, he added.

Unlike some MPs, Mr Amess publicised meeting times for constituents on Twitter and held them in public places, while asking people to book ahead.

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2021-10-17 01:55:16Z
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British MP's killer was referred to counter-terrorism scheme: Reports - CNA

The BBC said it had received confirmation from Whitehall officials that the man's name is Ali Harbi Ali.

Ali, a British citizen of Somali heritage, had been referred to Prevent, the UK's scheme for those thought at risk of radicalisation a few years ago, the BBC reported.

FAST-PACED INVESTIGATION 

Ali is believed not to have spent long on the programme, which is voluntary in nature, and was never formally a "subject of interest" to MI5, the domestic security agency, said the BBC.

Police and security services believe the attacker acted alone and was "self-radicalised", The Sunday Times reported, while he may have been inspired by Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Somalia.

Ali's father Harbi Ali Kullane, a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia, confirmed to The Sunday Times that his son was in custody, adding: "I'm feeling very traumatised."

Police said they have been carrying out searches at three addresses in the London area in a "fast-paced investigation".

The Sun tabloid reported that the attacker stabbed Amess multiple times in the presence of two women staff, before sitting down and waiting for police to arrive.

The Daily Mail newspaper reported that he had booked an appointment a week ahead.

CANDLE-LIT VIGIL

On Saturday evening, hundreds of mourners attended a candle-lit vigil at a sports field near the scene of the crime, holding a minute's silence in the MP's memory.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier visited the crime scene to pay his respects on Saturday, laying floral wreaths outside the church with the leader of the opposition, Labour leader Keir Starmer in a rare show of unity.

Local residents including members of the Muslim community also heaped bouquets next to the police tape.

Britain's politicians were stunned by the highly public attack, which recalled the murder of a pro-EU lawmaker ahead of the Brexit referendum.

In June 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist, prompting demands for action against what lawmakers said was "a rising tide" of public abuse and threats against elected representatives.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday ordered police across the country to review security arrangements for all 650 MPs and The Sunday Times reported that every MP could be granted security protection when meeting the public.

'CANNOT BE COWED'

"We will carry on ... We live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by any individual," Patel told journalists after laying a wreath for her fellow Essex MP.

Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who tried to save a stabbed police officer during a 2017 terror attack near the Houses of Parliament, on Twitter urged "a temporary pause in surgeries, or face-to-face meetings with constituents, until the security review is complete".

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle in The Observer wrote that "we need to take stock" and review whether security measures introduced after Cox's murder are "adequate to safeguard members, staff and constituents, especially during surgeries".

INCREASING THREATS

MPs and their staff have been attacked before, although it is rare.

But their safety was thrown into sharp focus by Brexit, which stoked deep political divisions and has led to often angry, partisan rhetoric.

Cox's killer repeatedly shouted "Britain first" before shooting and stabbing the 41-year-old MP outside her constituency meeting near Leeds, northern England.

Amess was at the other end of the political spectrum and backed Brexit.

A specialist police unit set up to investigate threats against MPs in the aftermath of Cox's murder said 678 crimes against lawmakers were reported between 2016 and 2020.

Amess himself wrote about public harassment and online abuse in his book "Ayes & Ears: A Survivor's Guide to Westminster", published last year.

"These increasing attacks have rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians," he said.

MPs have had to install security cameras and only meet constituents by appointment, he added.

Unlike some MPs, Amess publicised meeting times for constituents on Twitter and held them in public places, while asking people to book ahead.

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2021-10-16 23:15:57Z
52781939773107

Myanmar junta 'extremely disappointed' over ASEAN summit snub: Official - CNA

YANGON: Myanmar's junta said on Saturday (Oct 16) it was "extremely disappointed" with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) decision to exclude its leader Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit, amid concerns by the regional bloc over his military government's commitment to solving a deadly political stalemate.

"Myanmar is extremely disappointed and strongly objected (to) the outcomes of the emergency foreign ministers meeting, as the discussions and decision on Myanmar's representation issue was done without consensus and was against the objectives of ASEAN," the Myanmar Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Foreign ministers from ASEAN agreed at an emergency meeting late on Friday that a "non-political representative" for Myanmar would be invited to the Oct 26 to Oct 28 summit, current ASEAN chair Brunei said in a statement.

Earlier, junta spokesman brigadier general Zaw Min Tun told the BBC Burmese section that "interference" from non-ASEAN countries had also been a factor.

He seized on talks between the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and ASEAN special envoy, Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, ahead of the meeting and also singled out EU pressure.

The bloc took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests that a special envoy meets with "all stakeholders" in Myanmar - a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The statement noted "insufficient progress" in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by ASEAN leaders in April to end turmoil following a coup in February.

It also said that the situation in Myanmar "was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN".

ASEAN has been under international pressure to address unrest that erupted after the putsch, including massive protests; renewed clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in border regions; and an economy spiralling into freefall.

The bloc has expressed disappointment at a lack of cooperation from the junta, which continues to crack down brutally on dissent. Almost 1,200 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group.

Part of the consensus was to allow a long-delayed visit by a special envoy, Brunei Second Foreign Minister Yusof.

ASEAN has insisted that he meets with all parties concerned, but the junta rejected any proposed meetings with people on trial, among them Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing various charges.

Aung Myo Min, the human rights minister of a shadow government of ousted Myanmar lawmakers called the NUG, praised the exclusion as "a very strong action" and voiced hope ASEAN would recognise the NUG as Myanmar's legitimate government.

Political activist Minn Khant Kyaw Linn, 23, who organised a protest in Mandalay where the ASEAN flag was burnt in June, said it was time for the bloc to allow NUG representatives to its meetings.

The junta - officially known as the State Administration Council - has promised to hold elections and lift a state of emergency by August 2023.

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2021-10-16 15:35:39Z
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Murder of British MP puts spotlight on safety and constituency politics - The Straits Times

LONDON - Police in Britain have officially declared the killing of a Member of Parliament a "terrorist incident", claiming that initial investigations revealed "Islamist extremism as a potential motivation".

Mr David Amess, a 69-year-old MP from the ruling Conservative party, was stabbed several times with a knife while meeting his constituents in a church in the town of Leigh-on-Sea, east of London.

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2021-10-16 09:13:29Z
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Singapore supports move to invite 'non-political representative' from Myanmar to attend ASEAN summits - CNA

Brunei will host the 38th and 39th ASEAN summits and related summits from Oct 26 to Oct 28. 

Brunei's Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof was picked by his ASEAN counterparts in August as the bloc's special envoy to Myanmar. There have been calls for him to meet ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, something the Myanmar junta has already said no to.

The MFA spokesperson said that Singapore "commends" the efforts by Mr Erywan and reiterates its "full support" for the special envoy's mission and Brunei's ASEAN chairmanship. 

"Singapore urges the Myanmar military authorities to cooperate with the Special Envoy to swiftly and fully implement the Five-Point Consensus," the MFA spokesperson said. 

NO CONSENSUS AFTER FRIDAY'S MEETING

In a statement on Friday, Brunei said no consensus had reached for a political representative to attend the meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan.

"As there had been insufficient progress ... as well as concerns over Myanmar’s commitment, in particular on establishing constructive dialogue among all concerned parties, some ASEAN Member States recommended that ASEAN give space to Myanmar to restore its internal affairs and return to normalcy," Brunei said.

The statement did not mention Min Aung Hlaing or name the non-political figure to be invited in his stead.

Brunei added that some ASEAN member states had received requests from Myanmar's National Unity Government, formed by opponents of the junta, to attend the summit.

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2021-10-16 08:25:52Z
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Anwar defends MOU with Malaysian government, cautions against early polls - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has defended the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached between his Pakatan Harapan coalition and the government led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, insisting that it led to parliamentary reforms and an agreement to implement the new lower voting age before the end of the year.

But Datuk Seri Anwar stressed that many contentious issues remained on the table, particularly over the issue of corruption, and warned that PH support for the upcoming budget later this month was far from guaranteed.

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2021-10-15 21:00:00Z
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