Bazaar Hotel Bangkok fined 1.3m baht over controversial sculpture - Thaiger

Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchadaphisek Co, operating the Bazaar Hotel Bangkok, has been slapped with a fine of 1.3 million baht (US$38,033). The penalty comes after the company allowed for the installation of a gargoyle-like sculpture, known as Khru Kai Kaew, on its rented premises. The half-god, half-demon figure sparked controversy due to its frightening appearance leading to numerous complaints from the public.

The contentious 4-metre by 3.5m sculpture was initially positioned at the hotel’s front, on land leased from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Following the backlash, the sculpture was moved to the rear of the hotel, covered with a sheet, and is awaiting collection by its owner, according to the company’s CEO, Pairot Thungthong.

Under an SRT directive, the sculpture’s removal was mandated within 30 days, set to end tomorrow. The company complied with the order and also settled the 1.3 million baht fine (US$38,033) on December 22. The fine was issued for a violation of the Building Control Act, which bars any construction on the specific SRT land without prior permission., reports Bangkok Post.

In an interesting twist, before the removal began, a ritual was conducted by five monks to free any spirits believed to be trapped within the sculpture. Just as the work was about to commence, Theppharit Paensuk, the managing director of Khrukaikaew Co, which owns the sculpture, made an unexpected appearance.

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Theppharit contested the removal, citing a contract with the hotel that permitted the sculpture’s installation. A lawyer representing the hotel clarified that the contract was void, as the hotel’s prior management, which had signed the agreement with Khrukaikaew Co, lacked the legal authority to sub-lease the space. Despite his protest, Theppharit had no option but to allow the removal, warning of legal action if the sculpture, allegedly worth millions of baht, sustained any damage during the process.

In related news, Lampang woman wins 100,000 baht lottery, credits six-year faith in revered Kai Kaew.

Home/News/Thailand News/Bazaar Hotel Bangkok fined 1.3m baht over controversial sculpture

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2023-12-29 02:59:24Z
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Former Hong Kong independence group leader Tony Chung seeks asylum in Britain - CNA

WASHINGTON: The former leader of a Hong Kong pro-independence group, who was sentenced under a national security law imposed by China, fled to Britain and will seek asylum over there, he told the Washington Post.

In November 2021, Tony Chung, who was then 20, was sentenced to 43 months in prison for trying to separate the city from China, and for money laundering. Chung was charged with secession under the sweeping national security law in 2020 and denied bail.

Beijing imposed the national security law on the Asian financial hub in 2020 after months of anti-government protests. The law punishes acts including subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and extremism with up to life in prison.

The trauma of detention and continued surveillance left Chung with a feeling of "immense pressure and fear", compelling him to leave, he told the newspaper.

Chung also said he was made to take part in a compulsory "deradicalisation" program in detention.

Guards "kept telling us (him and others in prison) that the United States government is really bad and that we had been manipulated by the United States," Chung was quoted as saying. "We felt like we had to agree with them, that we couldn't disagree or argue back."

Chung was eventually released in June 2023 after his time was reduced for good behaviour, according to the Washington Post. He plans to continue his studies and told the Post he will contribute everything he can in exile, "just as before".

Chung is the former leader of Hong Kong pro-independence group Studentlocalism that dissolved in 2020 before the security law came into effect.

Prosecutors had said at the time he was charged that he acted as an administrator for the Facebook pages of the US branch of Studentlocalism and an organisation called the Initiative Independence Party. They also said pro-independence T-shirts, flags and books were seized from his home.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of a high degree of autonomy. Democracy activists and some Western governments say China broke that promise, an allegation that Beijing denies.

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2023-12-29 00:54:14Z
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Nothing but a political witch hunt: Ex-finance minister breaks silence on Malaysian graft probe - The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA – A former finance minister has hit out at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigations of him and his family, saying that it is nothing short of a political witch hunt, due to the “animus” of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

In a statement on Dec 28, Tun Daim Zainuddin broke his silence and said that, to date, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki had not informed him of the offence he had allegedly committed.

“As a former senior government member, and out of respect for the investigative process, I have kept silent until now.

“However, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki have not shown the same respect for the process with their continuing uncalled-for comments and statements, leaving me with no choice but to respond, in order to protect my reputation and good name.”

He added that he was referring to statements issued by Mr Anwar on the investigation.

“I deny categorically any corrupt act or wrongdoing of whatsoever nature by myself or my family. This investigation is nothing short of a political witch hunt against us.

“Till today, I have not been informed as to what offence I am alleged to have committed despite my repeated written queries to the MACC.”

Said Mr Daim: “I can reveal that we received a letter signed by Azam himself declining point-blank to tell me what the offence is. Yet, there has been an organised effort to discredit me by releasing misinformation and baseless insinuations against me.

“It is public knowledge that Anwar – for reasons best known to him – regards me as a political threat and foe who must be discredited. It would be futile and dishonest for him to deny this.”

Mr Daim then said that it was an “irrefutable fact” that, under the MACC Act 2009, the chief commissioner is dependent on the prime minister for his appointment or extension of tenure.

He said: “Anwar’s latest tirade against me in December, which stated, ‘It is an open secret. Someone had reaped so much wealth’, is a reckless and unsubstantiated insinuation that I am guilty of some unspecified offences.

“This amply shows his animus against me. It is also highly inappropriate and an abuse of power for a prime minister to interfere or influence an ongoing investigation by making blatant public insinuations of guilt. I have consulted my lawyers on this and will take the appropriate action in due course.

“As regards to the MACC chief Azam, it is unacceptable, unprofessional and suspicious that he has resorted to making various prejudicial comments against me in public whilst the investigation is still ongoing.”

Mr Daim added: “As head of the organisation, Azam must also be held responsible for a slew of ‘source’ news leaks on the purported investigation. These so-called ‘sources’ can only be coming from within the MACC as it purports to reveal details of the said investigation.

“The purpose of the leaks is clearly to justify their high-handed actions against me and to paint myself as a corrupt person and offender. Not being told of the offences against me, I am in no position to answer them or defend myself.”

He said he had extended his fullest cooperation to the MACC since the start of the investigation, and regularly communicated with them via his lawyers. “As such, it is patently false for the MACC ‘sources’ to claim that I have not made a proper disclosure of the financial details demanded by MACC.”

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2023-12-28 10:10:00Z
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Vietnam's 'bamboo diplomacy' shifts into higher gear - CNA

HANOI: Communist Party-ruled Vietnam has upgraded ties with the world's top powers, including former foes, China and the United States, as part of its "bamboo diplomacy", which it has pro-actively pursued since 2021 to navigate rising global tensions.

After a string of deals this year and last, the Southeast Asian country's top partners include the United States, China, India, South Korea and Russia, which for decades has supplied most of Vietnam's military equipment.

Below are details of Vietnam's increasingly dynamic foreign policy approach and its most important diplomatic agreements over the last 12 months.

WHAT IS "BAMBOO DIPLOMACY"?

A regional manufacturing powerhouse, Vietnam is an increasingly strategic player in global supply chains.

To bolster this position, the country's most powerful figure, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, used in 2021 the imagery of "strong roots, stout trunk, and flexible branches" of the bamboo plant to describe Vietnam's foreign policy approach of having "more friends, fewer foes".

CHINA

Vietnam and China earlier this month agreed to build a community with a "shared future" during a visit to Hanoi by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first to an Asian country this year.

The two nations signed 36 cooperation documents in areas such as transport infrastructure, trade, security and digital economy, and published a joint declaration with wide-ranging commitments.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and a vital source of imports for its manufacturing sector, but the two communist countries have been for years embroiled in disputes in the South China Sea - the latest in May. Tensions have subsided somewhat more recently as Beijing's attention has focused on another claimant in the waterway, the Philippines.

UNITED STATES

Vietnam and the United States elevated in September their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level in Vietnam's ranking, and announced closer cooperation on semiconductors and critical minerals during a visit to Hanoi by US President Joe Biden.

The United States, which is the top importer of Vietnam's goods, pushed for the upgrade as part of its strategy to secure uninterrupted access to global supply chains and to contain China in the South China Sea.

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2023-12-28 05:20:38Z
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Commentary: US-China tensions make it harder for Southeast Asia to go green - CNA

A case in point is the 2022 US Commerce Department investigation into eight solar panel companies in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia) accused of skirting US tariffs on Chinese-sourced materials.

That the US is heavily reliant on these four countries for photovoltaic panels – accounting for about 75 per cent on imports in 2021 – was not enough to defend against bipartisan determination to crack down on “unfair” Chinese trade practices.

Not only did the Commerce Department find the exporters guilty of skirting tariffs, but the US Congress voted to reinstate tariffs of up to 254 per cent on solar panels from Southeast Asia. President Joe Biden vetoed this legislative bid, but his waiver on retroactive tariffs only extends until June 2024.

In effect, Southeast Asian firms are caught between a rock and a hard place. They might be forced to choose between Chinese expertise and the lucrative US market, limiting their ability to grow and support their home country’s green transition.

NAVIGATING ROUGH WATERS, WITH HELP

The costs of a failed green transition are especially stark for Southeast Asia. One model by Deloitte predicted that the region could lose US$28 trillion over the next 50 years in losses from tourism, services and manufacturing if its carbon emissions are not addressed.

While these challenges are steep, they are not insurmountable. There is still room to leverage the competition between the two superpowers to support the region’s green transition.

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2023-12-27 22:00:00Z
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Actor Lee of Oscar-winning 'Parasite' found dead amid drugs probe - Yahoo! Voices

By Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi

SEOUL (Reuters) -Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor who drew global attention with his performance as the wealthy patriarch in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite", was found dead on Wednesday in an apparent suicide in a Seoul park, officials in the capital said.

Lee, 48, who met a gory end in the 2019 film, South Korea's first to win any Oscar, had faced police questioning three times over accusations of illegal drug use amid a government crackdown, with one session running 19 hours over the weekend.

The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs by a bar hostess trying to blackmail him, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Authorities found Lee in a search triggered by a missing person report, a fire official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, as the matter is a sensitive one.

Lee was found in a car at a park in Seoul, after his manager told police the actor had left home, leaving behind an apparent suicide note, a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, did not respond to calls.

However, domestic media cited a statement by the agency that expressed sadness at the death, while urging restraint regarding false information, speculation, or malicious reports.

Infringements of South Korea's tough drug laws can lead to six months in jail, or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.

A dark-comedy thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” won the Academy Award in 2020 in the four categories of best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best international feature film, off six Oscar nominations.

The film became the first non-English language movie to win the best picture award. Bong hailed its popularity as a sign that the "one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles" was no longer a stumbling block to global success.

In the film, Lee played the character of Mr Park, whose affluent home is infiltrated by members of a lower-class family posing as highly qualified domestic workers in a tangled scheme that ends in violence.

Lee, born in 1975, had leading roles in South Korean films such as the 2012 thriller "Helpless" and 2014's "All About My Wife", as well as the acclaimed 2018 TV series "My Mister".

He played the lead in Apple TV+'s first Korean-language original series, rolled out in 2021.

A six-episode sci-fi thriller, "Dr. Brain" featured a cold-hearted neurologist hunting for clues to a mysterious family accident through brain experiments.

Lee's wife is award-winning actress Jeon Hye-jin, and the couple had two children.

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Josh Smith, and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Minwoo Park and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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2023-12-27 05:38:00Z
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Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead amid drug allegations - Channel NewsAsia

Authorities found Lee in a search triggered by the report that he was missing, the fire official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, as the matter is a sensitive one.

Earlier, citing police, Yonhap said Lee was found in a car at a park in Seoul, after his manager told police the actor had left home, leaving an apparent suicide note. The news agency had also earlier reported that he was found unconscious next to charcoal briquettes inside the vehicle.

Officials at Seoul's Jongno and Seongbuk police stations did not immediately respond to telephone calls from Reuters to seek comment.

Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, also did not respond to calls.

Infringements of South Korea's tough drug laws can lead to six months in jail, or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.

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2023-12-27 03:02:00Z
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