Say ‘Da’ to This Snug Russia-Themed Cafe in Sathorn

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15 February 2021, 11:04

BANGKOK — Belka (meaning “squirrel” in Russian), is a cozy cafe in the city’s commercial center that brings out the милый (sweet, pleasant) in Russian culture through cute cakes.

Soft Tchaikovsky plays over the speakers as diners pour tea to go with slices of medovik, under framed maps and paintings of the world’s largest country. Despite its size and influence, there’s barely any establishment in Bangkok that pays homage to Russia, the cafe owner noted.

“There’s already so many Japanese and Korean-themed cafes,” owner Ranistha Chartisathian said. “Russia has a huge, diverse culture and many tourist attractions. Thais may have the perception that it’s a scary, unfriendly country. But Russians all love Thailand.”

She continued, “So I want Thais to get to know Russia. It’s not ruthless like you see in the movies.”

Ranistha, 30, opened the cafe on the Si Wiang Road in Sathorn neighborhood back in August, after her work as a tour guide for Thais going to Russia dried up due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the pandemic broke out, Ranistha led Thai tour groups across Russia and countries in the former Soviet Union, like Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The guide, who graduated from a university in Moscow, also explained Russian history and taking tourists to photo hotspots.

“I took Thais around to restaurants and cafes and arranged tour group’s menus, so I know what kind of Russian things appeal to Thais,” she said. “I looked for the cute parts of Russian culture and put it into this cafe.”

The star of Belka is by far the Medovik (90 baht), a honey cake made with delicate layers and sandwiched with sour cream, with a deep, rich honey taste. It was the cake we finished first with almost inhuman speed.

The Napoleon Cake (90 baht) is one adaptation by Ranistha. In Russia, she explained, Napoleon cakes can be served in large squares. She made the portion at her shop smaller, and added sour strawberry sauce to make sure it’s not too lian, or overly creamy or buttery-tasting, as well as a strawberry garnish to improve its IG-worthy appearances.

The Strawberry Pavlova (120 baht) is a delightfully light, creamy meringue cloud that’s a pleasure to crack with a spoon, while the Eskimo Cake (120 baht) is a slightly salty cookie-base cream tart topped with chocolate.

Her souvenirs from travelling, such as matryoshkas, paintings, and books about Russia are part of the cafe’s decor, for customers to peruse. Did we have a little bit too much fun with the matryoshkas of Russia’s past political leaders? Yes.

“Russia and Thailand have a long relationship; our countries are brother and sister,” Ranistha said.

DSCF2562 copy — The medovik cake next to books about Russia.

The low prices are due to the cafe’s proximity to the Bangkok Christian College School. Ranistha chose a squirrel for the name and mascot since it was one of the cuter-sounding animals in Russian, and one can actually see squirrels scrambling around the trees in the area.

Coffees, juices, and soda drinks run from 50 baht to 80 baht. We recommend the selection of hot teas (60 baht per pot), especially the playful, fruity White Tea with Pineapple.

Those hankering for something savory may enjoy the pork stroganoff (99 baht) – changed from beef to appeal to more Thais, or the non-Russian rice with baked chicken (79 baht).

The cosy cafe can sit about a maximum of 18. It’s usually populated in after-school hours by students and their parents. One memorable group of regulars is a half-Thai, half-Russian student and their Russian dad.

DSCF2647 copy — Ranistha Chartisathian holds some Napoleon Cakes.

Belka is located on Si Wiang Road, connected to Sathorn Nuea Road by Pramuan Road. It’s a walking distance from BTS Surasak. The cafe is open from 10am to 7pm every day except Friday, but closes at 4pm on Sundays. This review is unsponsored and is based on a hosted visit.

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Impeachment Isn’t the Final Word on Capitol Riot for Trump

By

Associated Press

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15 February 2021, 09:01

1000 (1) — In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as President in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. The next step for the former president could be the courts.

Now a private citizen, Trump is stripped of his protection from legal liability that the presidency gave him. That change in status is something that even Republicans who voted on Saturday to acquit of inciting the Jan. 6 attack are stressing as they urge Americans to move on from impeachment.

“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said after that vote. He insisted that the courts were a more appropriate venue to hold Trump accountable than a Senate trial.

“He didn’t get away with anything yet,” McConnell said. “Yet.”

The insurrection at the Capitol, in which five people died, is just one of the legal cases shadowing Trump in the months after he was voted out of office. He also faces legal exposure in Georgia over an alleged pressure campaign on state election officials, and in Manhattan over hush-money payments and business deals.

But Trump’s culpability under the law for inciting the riot is by no means clear-cut. The standard is high under court decisions reaching back 50 years. Trump could also be sued by victims, though he has some constitutional protections, including if he acted while carrying out the duties of president. Those cases would come down to his intent.

Legal scholars say a proper criminal investigation takes time, and there are at least five years on the statute of limitations to bring a federal case. New evidence is emerging every day.

“They’re way too early in their investigation to know,” said Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and former federal prosecutor. “The have arrested 200 people, they’re pursuing hundreds more, all of those people could be potential witnesses because some have said ‘Trump made me do it’.”

What’s not known, she said, is what Trump was doing during the time of the riot, and that could be the key. Impeachment didn’t produce many answers. But federal investigators in a criminal inquiry have much more power to compel evidence through grand jury subpoenas.

“It’s not an easy case, but that’s only because what we know now, and that can change,” Levenson said.

The legal issue is whether Trump or any of the speakers at the rally near the White House that preceded the assault on the Capitol incited violence and whether they knew their words would have that effect. That’s the standard the Supreme Court laid out in its 1969 decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio, which overturned the conviction of a Ku Klux Klan leader.

Trump urged the crowd on Jan. 6 to march on the Capitol, where Congress was meeting to affirm Joe Biden’s presidential election, Trump even promised to go with his supporters, though he didn’t in the end. “You’ll never take our country back with weakness,” Trump said.

He also had spent weeks spinning up supporters over his increasingly combative language and false election claims urging them to “stop the steal.”

1000 8 — U.S. Capitol Police with guns drawn stand near a barricaded door as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump’s impeachment lawyers said he didn’t do anything illegal. Trump, in a statement after the acquittal, did not admit to any wrongdoing.

Federal prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles of the assault on the Capitol and whether the violence had been incited. The attorney general for the District of Columbia, Karl Racine, has said that district prosecutors are considering whether to charge Trump under local law that criminalizes statements that motivate people to violence.

“Let it be known that the office of attorney general has a potential charge that it may utilize,” Racine told MSNBC last month. The charge would be a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

Trump’s top White House lawyer repeatedly warned Trump on Jan. 6 that he could be held liable. That message was delivered in part to prompt Trump to condemn the violence that was carried out in his name and acknowledge that he would leave office Jan. 20, when Biden was inaugurated. He did depart the White House that day.

Since then, many of those charged in the riots say they were acting directly on Trump’s orders. Some offered to testify. A phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy emerged during the impeachment trial in which McCarthy, as rioters stormed the Capitol, begged Trump to call off the mob. Trump replied: “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.”

The McCarthy call is significant because it could point to Trump’s intent, state of mind and knowledge of the rioters’ actions.

Court cases that try to prove incitement often bump up against the First Amendment. In recent years, federal judges have taken a hard line against the anti-riot law. The federal appeals court in Virginia narrowed the Anti-Riot Act, with a maximum prison term of five years, because it swept up constitutionally protected speech. The court found invalid parts of the law that encompassed speech tending to “encourage” or “promote” a riot, as well as speech “urging” others to riot or involving mere advocacy of violence.

The same court upheld the convictions of two members of a white supremacist group who admitted they punched and kicked counter-demonstrators during the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It’s possible federal prosecutors will decide not to bring charges, and if Trump were indicted in one of the many other separate investigations, federal prosecutors could decide justice would be done elsewhere.

Atlanta prosecutors have recently opened a criminal investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn his election loss in Georgia, including a Jan. 2 phone call in which he urged that state’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” enough votes to reverse Biden’s narrow victory.

And Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., is in the midst of an 18-month criminal grand jury investigation focusing in part on hush-money payments paid to women on Trump’s behalf, and whether Trump or his businesses manipulated the value of assets — inflating them in some cases and minimizing them in others — to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who voted to acquit along with McConnell and 41 other Republicans, argued that because Trump is no longer in office, impeachment is not the right way to hold him to account.

“The ultimate accountability is through our criminal justice system where political passions are checked and due process is constitutionally mandated. No president is above the law or immune from criminal prosecution, and that includes former President Trump.”

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Associated Press writers Jim Mustian and Michael R. Sisak in New York and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

U.S. Expresses ‘Deep Concerns’ Over WHO Probe Into Virus Origin

By

Kyodo News

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15 February 2021, 09:01

S__24060327 — Members of a World Health Organization team leave their hotel for the airport at the end of their mission to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 10, 2021. (Kyodo)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Saturday the United States has “deep concerns” about the way the early findings were communicated following the World Health Organization’s investigation into the origins of the coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

“It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government,” Sullivan said in a statement, calling for China to “make available” the data it holds from the earliest days of the outbreak.

Continue reading the story here.

Myanmar Rattled by Army Movements, Apparent Internet Cutoff

By

Associated Press

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15 February 2021, 09:00

1000 (12) — Anti-coup protesters hold posters with an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi as they gather outside the U.N. Information Office in Yangon, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo)

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Sightings of armored personnel carriers in Myanmar’s biggest city and an internet shutdown raised political tensions late Sunday, after vast numbers of people around the country flouted orders against demonstrations to protest the military’s seizure of power.

Public concern has already been heightened for the past few nights by what many charge is the military’s manipulation of criminals released from prison to carry out nighttime violence and stir up panic.

Ambassadors from the United States and Canada and 12 European nations called on Myanmar’s security forces to refrain from violence against those “protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government.” They condemned the arrests of political leaders and activists as well as the military’s interference with communications.

1000 3 17 — *In this image made from video by the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), two armored personnel carriers were seen traversing on a road in Yangon, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (DVB via AP)*

“We support the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy, freedom, peace, and prosperity,” they said in a joint statement issued late Sunday night. “The world is watching.”

The military seized power on Feb. 1, detaining the country’s elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and members of her government and preventing recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament.

The junta, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said it was forced to step in because the government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last year’s election, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The state election commission found no evidence to support the allegations.

There was no official word about why armored personnel carriers traversed the streets of Yangon in broad daylight Sunday, making their way through busy traffic. As night fell, there were videos and other reports on social media of the movement of trucks packed with soldiers, and in the central city of Mandalay as well.

An order that appears to be from the Ministry of Transport and Communications told mobile phone service providers to shut down internet connections from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday. It circulated widely on social media, as did a notice said to be from service provider Oredoo Myanmar containing the same details. Several users contacted through other means confirmed that access though Myanmar’s broadband and mobile services were cut as scheduled.

1000 8 10 — Mandalay University graduates hold posters that say “Stop arresting people illegally at midnight” “Save Myanmar” during an anti-coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo)

Monday holds the prospect of two flashpoints for the political standoff.

Suu Kyi remains under house arrest, but a remand order holding her on a minor charge of possessing unregistered imported walkie-talkies expires Monday and a court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is supposed to take action on her case. Her freedom is a major demand of the protest movement.

Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer asked by Suu Kyi’s party to represent her, said he was uncertain if she would have a court appearance Monday, and it could be delayed by a day. He has not been able to make contact with Suu Kyi.

There is also the possibility that a young woman who was shot during a demonstration last week, also in Naypyitaw, will be declared legally dead. She has been on life support in a hospital in the capital, and unofficial memorial services were held for her Sunday at protests in Yangon and Mandalay, the country’s two biggest cities.

Large demonstrations were also held in Naypyitaw and far-flung corners of the country dominated by ethnic minorities.

Resistance also took place in cyberspace, as a group calling itself BrotherHood of Myanmar Hackers defaced the government’s Myanmar Digital News website, replacing content on its home page with words and pictures against the military takeover.

Protesters in Yangon again rallied outside the Chinese and U.S. embassies. They accuse Beijing of propping up the military regime and applaud Washington’s actions sanctioning the military. There were scattered appeals on Twitter for armed intervention by the United States.

Other protesters carried signs urging people to boycott businesses linked to the military.

Eight days of street demonstrations are estimated to have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the streets despite the threat of six months’ imprisonment for violating an order banning gatherings of five or more people. The same order imposes an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew.

Sunday’s activism took place after the ruling junta issued a new order suspending several basic civil liberties.

1000 4 12 — Mandalay University graduates bow their heads as they hold posters with an image of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a 19-year old woman shot by police on Feb. 9 in Naypyitaw, during an anti-coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo)

The order, issued late Saturday and published Sunday in state newspapers, suspends provisions in an existing law on security and privacy protection, allowing the authorities to carry out searches and make arrests without court warrants.

It also allows the interception of electronic and other communications without a warrant and permits the detention of detainees for more than 24 hours without court permission.

Civil servants have been very active in the protests, and social media postings on Sunday indicated that state railway workers have joined them, with some unconfirmed claims that they have gone on strike.

The public at large has been alarmed since the government last week declared an amnesty that led to the release of more than 23,000 convicts. There are many claims on social media that some have been recruited by the authorities to carry out violent activities at night in residential areas to spread panic, especially by setting fires. Some areas have responded by setting up their own neighborhood watch groups.

The truth of the allegations about government-directed thugs is difficult to verify, even with videos claiming to show their activities. There is historical precedent, as the military released convicts to carry out violence and cause chaos in 1988 during a failed popular uprising against a military dictatorship.

People have also been rattled by police raids carried out during curfew hours to seize individuals seen as opposed to the coup. In several cases, nearby residents rushed to the scene in such numbers that security forces abandoned their attempts to haul in their targets.

The independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says 400 people have been detained since the coup, with 375 still being held.

Detainees have included political leaders, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leaders. Medical personnel have been singled out because their community initiated the civil disobedience campaign against the military takeover and remains in its vanguard.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa To Introduce Purpose-Driven Environmental Protection Experience as Part of ‘Good Travel With Marriott Bonvoy’

By

Khaosod English

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15 February 2021, 06:00

Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, and with travelers increasingly aspiring to make a positive impact on the communities they visit whether locally or abroad, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa introduces the Turtle Shelter, as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa joins 14 other Marriott International properties across Asia Pacific as part of the program’s pilot launch.

Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is a program offering meaningful travel across Asia Pacific, aiming to create opportunities for guests to forge first-hand connections with local communities and the environment during their stay, promoting both cultural understanding and positive change.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is nestled on Mai Khao Beach, next to Sirinat National Park, which is where leatherback sea turtles come to nest and lay eggs. As custodians of this land, the resort understands that it has a responsibility to protect these endangered reptiles.

The Turtle Shelter is a dedicated facility at the property, operated in partnership with the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center and Phuket Marine Biology Center, which helps to care for the turtles that are disable and injured on Mai Khao Beach. Hotel guests can visit the shelter, learn about the turtles’ life-cycle, observe feeding sessions and be educated about the environmental issues that impact their survival.

The resort’s turtle mascot, Nong Ta Wahn, is on-hand meet and greet guests and all visitors will receive a turtle bracelet made by the local community. The hotel has also created plenty of turtle-themed features around the resort, especially at the kid’s club and pool, and guests can take part in turtle towel-folding classes!

The 16^th Mai Khao Turtle Run is taking place virtually this year, to raise awareness of the project. The overall aim is to deliver meaningful experiences for every guest, which raise awareness about the plight of leatherback sea turtles and support their conservation, while also working with the local community and generating benefits for the entire area.

Every year during Songkran Festival, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa together with Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center organize an annual “Sea Turtles Release Ceremony”. The aim of this event is to release fully recovered turtles back to their natural habitat in the ocean.

“One of the growing trends we’re observing is how conscious people are of their personal impact on the environment and the destinations they visit,” said George Varughese, General Manager, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.

“The Turtle Shelter offered at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa provides an excellent opportunity for our guests to connect with nature, allowing them to give back while staying with us. We are excited to launch the Turtle Shelter as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy and look forward to bringing truly meaningful travel to our guests at home, or from abroad once international travel resumes.”

The experience is complimentary for hotel guest, who can make a booking through this link.

As of launch time, Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy features 15 meaningful experiences across three distinct pillars – environmental protection, community engagement and marine conservation.

Two Most Effective Ways to Clean your Injection Molding Machine

By

Khaosod English

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15 February 2021, 06:00

Manufacturers using injection molding machines need to know the importance of performing routine maintenance and repair on their machines. Because of the incredible cost of the machines, it is critical to schedule time for maintenance, which for injection molding machines means cleaning. Properly cleaning a machine is one of the basic tenets of preventative maintenance and should be a part of any facility’s schedule.

Cleaning an injection molding machine is critically important for a few simple reasons. If you consider how an injection molding machine works, you can understand how buildup and residue may form along the tubes and grooves of each part of the machine.

The superhot liquid material that is injected into the molding has a high chance of cooling and forming reside along its path. Enough residue built up inside the machine increases the risk for malfunction, which could lead to costly repairs and facility shut down. There are two main ways to clean an injection molding machine, each with its own benefits.

Purging Compound

Purging compounds are liquids that are run through an injection molding machine as if they were the normal liquified material. The compound attacks and disintegrates the built-up residue, which then gets pushed out through the exit valve.

This method for cleaning injection molding machines has a few key unique advantages that make it stand out as a superior method of cleaning. Primarily, using purging compounds saves a significant amount of time over manually cleaning a machine. This is because the cleaning process mimics the machine’s normal running process; no extra steps are needed for cleaning.

Managers know how important time management is for running an efficient facility and need to maximize the amount of time their machines are running and producing goods. Less time spent on cleaning means more time spent operating.

In addition to the time savings, purging compounds are effective in that they can clean difficult to reach areas, such as corners or grooves in machine parts. During manual cleaning, these areas are hard to reach.

Manual Cleaning

Aside from purging compounds, the other main way to clean an injection molding machine is to do it manually. To do this, expert technicians first need to disassemble the machine so that each part can be cleaned. Next, the cleaning technicians need to chip away and scrub at the residue to make sure all of it is removed. After completing this step, technicians need to reassemble the machine with precision.

While manual cleaning can be the more effective way to clean an injection molding machine, it is certainly more time-consuming. The process of disassembling and reassembling the machine adds a considerable amount of time that would better be used for manufacturing. Plus, the technicians need to make sure they put the machine back together with accuracy, otherwise, there is a high chance the machine could break down.

Ultimately, it is best to decide which cleaning method is best for you. Perhaps a monthly manual clean with weekly cleanings using purging compounds would be the best solution for robust maintenance.

Protesters Reclaim Democracy Monument, Clash With Police

By

Associated Press

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14 February 2021, 10:00

S__5890080 — Protesters flash the three-finger salute atop Democracy Monument after wrapping it with a huge red banner during a rally in Bangkok on Feb. 13, 2021.

BANGKOK (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand clashed with police Saturday night while seeking the release of four comrades awaiting trial on charges of defaming the monarchy.

The four top leaders of the student-led movement were ordered to stay in custody Tuesday on the so-called lese majeste charge, which carries a punishment of three to 15 years in prison. They were also charged with sedition.

The protest movement campaigned last year for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government to step down, the constitution to be amended to make it more democratic and the monarchy reformed to make it more accountable.

The demand about the monarchy is the most controversial, because the institution has been widely considered an untouchable, bedrock element of Thai nationalism.

Police deputy spokesperson Krissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police were injured and seven or eight protesters detained. There was no information on the number of protesters hurt when they tried to breach heavily defended police lines.

At one point, footage showed riot police descending on and beating a medical volunteer who was waiting for his friend, another volunteer, to fix his motorcycle. The man wore a green vest identifying him as part of medical volunteers offering service at protests.

The volunteer service said the man was taken to a police station, and police said he was released Sunday morning.

UPDATE: Police spokesman Kissana Phattanacharoen said riot police only employed “shields and bare hands” to secure the rally site. He also insisted police were properly following their protocols in their conduct.

We’ll let you judge for yourself. #KE #Thailand #ม็อบ13กุมภา pic.twitter.com/8ORE9glYGe

— Khaosod English (@KhaosodEnglish) February 13, 2021

The protest began at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, where participants were urged to write their wishes for Thailand’s future on a big red cloth that was wrapped around the structure as those present sang the national anthem.

Members of the crowd of about 1,000 also removed plants that had been placed around the monument, alleging they had been put there last week to deny space for protesting.

Attapol Buapat, one of the protest leaders, said that if their friends were not freed from jail within seven days, protesters from around the country would head to Bangkok to join a big rally next Saturday.

1000 12 12 — *Pro-democracy protesters remove flowers and plant pots from around the Democracy Monument during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)*

“They should have been allowed bail,” said Attapol, also known as as Kru Yai.

The protesters then tried to march to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine, the capital’s symbolic spiritual center, which is treated as the protector of the country and the monarchy.

At least 100 police in riot gear backed up by two water cannon trucks blocked their path. Attapol won agreement from the police to allow four protest representatives to carry out activities at the shrine. However, he could not control the crowd and front-line protesters dismantled barriers set up by police and threw bottles and smoke bombs at them.

After the four protest representatives returned from the shrine, organizers declared an end to the rally and the crowd began to disperse.

1000 3 18 — *Pro-democracy protesters regroup after a brief scuffle with police as they try to march forward, during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)*

1000 4 13 — *Red paint thrown by pro-democracy protesters is splattered on the shields of riot police standing guard outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)*

1000 8 11 — *Pro-democracy protesters position themselves on the sidewalk during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)*

Cops Say They Don’t Use Tear Gas During Clash at Police Station

By

Khaosod English

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12 February 2021, 12:30

Reporters and demonstrators wash their faces after feeling the effect of tear gas during a clash on Feb. 10, 2021.

BANGKOK — A police commander on Thursday said a tear gas canister which went off during clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and riot police on Wednesday night wasn’t used by the security forces.

Although Bangkok police chief Phukphong Phongpetra admitted that the canister, which was found on the street near Pathumwan Police Station, was the same model of crowd-control munition used by the force, he said it is likely to be stolen and thrown by someone else.

The skirmish on Wednesday evening also left seven police officers injured, he said.

“Many government properties were stolen in past demonstrations,” Lt. Gen. Phukphong said. “If the police are going to use tear gas, we have to make a notification. Officers will have to adjust their movement formations and wear protective gear as well. They did none of that last night.”

FC868572 C705 4C64 9853 37CFF588B722 2 — *The tear gas canister found close to Pathumwan Police Station on Feb. 10, 2021.*

Wednesday’s rally was originally held at nearby Pathumwan Intersection to protest the government’s mishandling of the pandemic and the excessive use of lese majeste law.

Protesters then marched to Pathumwan Police Station after word spread that several demonstrators were arrested, and gave the police a deadline at 8.30pm for the release of all protesters.

Shortly before the deadline, at least two loud bangs were heard at Suanluang Square plaza behind the police station. A group of riot police moved in to inspect the explosion and a brief confrontation ensued.

Several people, including Thapanee Eadsrichai, a Channel 3 anchorwoman and founder of online news agency The Reporters, immediately reported feeling eye irritation – one of the effects of tear gas exposure. The canister could be seen with its safety pin ring still attached.

“I heard a loud bang and I can smell tear gas in the air,” Thapanee said during her live broadcast for The Reporters. “I thought it was a firecracker, but after a few minutes I could experience the effects of tear gas.”

110361 — *Police hold shields in tight formation as pro-democracy protesters demanding the release of pro-democracy activists march in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021.*

Vendors at nearby restaurants also filed a report to the Pathumwan police on Wednesday night and asked police to take responsibility for what happened.

Despite earlier reports saying 10 protesters were detained, police said Thursday they arrested only four. All of the detained protesters were released on Wednesday night.

Police said one of them was charged with violating the public cleanliness act for drawing graffiti, while the rest were charged with possessing walkie-talkies and batons without permit.

Metro police commander Phukphong said investigators are checking the serial number of the tear gas canister found at the scene to see which units it belonged to.

He also said that the force is also considering deploying more equipment such as net guns and rubber bullets after many officers were injured during the past protests.

“They will be used as a last resort,” Phukphong said.

Opinion: The Future of Thai and Myanmar Protesters in Bangkok

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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12 February 2021, 12:00

110233 — Thai and Burmese protesters hold up signs during a protest at Pathumwan Intersection on Feb. 10, 2021.

Beyond the heart-warming images of Thai anti-government demonstrators and Burmese anti-coup protesters in Bangkok demonstrating side by side on Wednesday lie major challenges facing both groups.

While the sight at Pathumwan Intersection gives hope for both respective groups, the struggles may be protracted and difficult.

Let’s start with the Burmese group in Bangkok and Thailand in general first. Although there are an estimated three to four million people from Myanmar in Thailand, most are poor and consumed by the need to work hard to send some remittance back home.

What’s more, they are often treated as second-class citizens. In fact they are not Thai citizens so they are more vulnerable to arrest and harassment, or even possible deportation. Over a thousand have bravely come out to protests against the Myanmar coup in Bangkok over the past week.

I witnessed intimidation by Thai police in front of the Myanmar Embassy on Tuesday. On that evening, only five showed up to hold placards denouncing Burmese coup leader Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Thai police, both immigration non-immigration police, quickly demanded the demonstrators to produce their ID cards and took photos of the IDs.

Then they were told they have five minutes left to protest but the demonstrators bravely bargained for more time. If this is not an act of intimidation then I do not know what it was. I fear for their security in Thailand. Who knows what kind of visits or official letters they will receive from Thai police after that evening.

And God forbid if their identities leak to the Burmese junta’s side or the embassy as it may affect them and families back in Myanmar.

A male 31-year-old demonstrator by the nickname of KK told me he’s not afraid to take the risk, however. KK came from Kachin state, the northernmost state of Myanmar bordering China. He has spent the past 17 years in Thailand, first as a refugee and after failing to emigrate to the United States, as a migrant worker in Thailand. He’s currently working as a waiter at a restaurant in Bangkok and took a day off to come to protest in front of the embassy.

Earlier on Sunday, when a thousand Burmese demonstrators assembled in front of the United Nations Building in Bangkok in the afternoon, they were eventually chased away by anti-riot police. Seeing them fleeing in fear of being arrested was heart wrenching to me and repeated viewing of the images I captured on video made me ask myself made me feel shame of Thailand and being a Thai.

Things are complicated, however. Now that some rejoice at the news of the US government sanctioning Myanmar coup leaders and associated businesses, a Burmese in Bangkok wrote on Facebook: “Brace yourself, the US sanctions are coming. Why the US haven’t learn anything from the past experiences with the Burmese junta? Sanctions are not effective, citizens will suffer more,” he wrote, adding that this will only make the ties between the Burmese junta and China closer.

Burmese in Thailand who are committed to democracy will have to prepare to fight a protracted struggle and Thai citizens should do what they can to offer shelter and support.

At a Burmese restaurant in Bangkok, Mandalay Food House on Petchaburi Rd, Soi 15, has been doing just that since the coup. Its owner, Sai Lao Mai, has been making news as he offered ‘free’ food for diners in exchange for donations to support the struggle against the Burmese junta.

Meanwhile, fighting the Thai junta is equally complicated. The Thai junta no longer exists by law. What we have is former junta leader Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha who continues to rule as prime minister an elected government and the senate nearly fully selected by him before he relinquished his dictatorial power.

A year after the students launched a struggle against Prayut regime, calling for a new charter and later demanding monarchy reform, 58 have been charged with the crimes of insulting the monarchy. Four of 58 are now under pre-trial detention, including top protest leaders Arnon Nampa, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Somyot Prueksakasemsuk. At least three others charged lese majeste told me earlier this week that they are preparing to accept the same fate of joining Arnon, Parit and Somyot in pre-trial detention soon as well.

But they told me they will fight on.

Fighting on requires an adequate number of people on the streets, however. And while tens of thousands took to the streets in various cities in Myanmar to oppose the Burmese coup leaders, Thais demonstrators in Bangkok on Wednesday could muster no more than 2,000 when they held their first major rally in 2021.

Trying to shore up confidence and maintain morale, protest leader Panusaya “Rung” Sithijarawattanakul told the press before calling the end to the rally on Wednesday night that they will mobilize 2 million demonstrators this year. That’s 1,000 times the number of those who showed up on Wednesday. Far-fetch or not we shall see.

Personally I think getting 500,000 people out on the streets would itself be a major achievement and arduous task as many have become jaded to the situations. The general election is supposed to be just two years away, anyway.

None of the 10-point calls for monarchy reforms have been met. Some have become disheartened and confused with various demands and ideologies. A faction of the demonstrators have also become increasingly aggressive after a few clashes with police over the months.

Brief clashes with police are now sporadic and almost common. It happened again on Wednesday night after police briefly detained 10 people, one for spray-painting graffiti calling for the abolition of the lese majeste law, which is one of the 10 demands for monarchy reforms.

It was another graffiti which caught my attention and disturbed me, however. One police pickup truck was vandalized with white spray paints containing messages not just only against the lese majeste.

“Your father is a Laotian,” the racial slur message read. Century-old sense of false cultural superiority as a result of nationalistic education, or indoctrination, dies hard.

Apparently, ethno-chauvinism is still lurking in the dark, even among some who may profess to be fighting for equality and democracy.

I pointed this out Thursday morning on my Twitter and Facebook accounts and some accused me of trying to sabotage the movement while some others unapologetically said it wasn’t a big deal.

Writer’s Note: In the early hour on Friday, the protest group Ratsadon issued a statement expressing regrets about the incident after some local media reported about my photo and the stance I made. The statement by The Ratsadon group was also published on the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration social media accounts simultaneously. Part of it read: “We sincerely apologise. And insists that the society we’re fighting for, will be the society where all the people are equally treated and well-respected…regardless of social status, gender, and ethnicity.”

1st COVID Vaccine Doses Arrive in Japan, Approval Eyed for Sunday

By

Kyodo News

-

12 February 2021, 09:01

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan received its first doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Friday and is planning to make the vaccine the first approved for domestic use against COVID-19 on Sunday, sources familiar with the matter said.

With an acceleration of administrative procedures, the government is considering starting vaccinations on Wednesday for around 20,000 doctors and nurses who have consented to receive the shots, the sources said.

Continue reading the story here.

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