BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Monday ahead of the signing of a U.S.-Chinese trade pact as investors shrugged off weaker-than-expected American jobs data.
Benchmarks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and South Korea advanced. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.
Investors showed little concern over Friday’s data showing American employers added fewer jobs than forecast in December. Concern over a potential U.S.-Iranian conflict faded.
Traders looked ahead to this week’s signing of an interim U.S.-Chinese trade deal, which they hope will be a step toward ending a tariff war that threatens to drag down global economic growth.
The “Phase 1” agreement has helped to ease market jitters, though economists warn it leaves major disputes unresolved and the outlook for negotiations is unclear.
Investors also were encouraged by President Donald Trump’s decision to resume a regular trade policy dialogue with Beijing that Washington pulled out of in July 2017.
Markets start the week “on a cautiously optimistic tone” as investors look ahead for the possibility of further U.S.-China trade progress, said Mizuho Bank in a report.
However, “thornier issues such as enforcement may come back to haunt further negotiation progress,” the bank warned.
The Shanghai composite Index gained just 0.2% to 3,099.82 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.9% to 28,889.29.
Seoul’s Kospi advanced 1% to 2,2228.46 while Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.4% to 6,903.70.
India’s Sensex opened up 0.7% at 41,887.16. Taiwan advanced while Singapore and New Zealand retreated.
Under the “Phase 1” trade pact due to be signed Thursday, Washington postponed planned tariff hikes and Beijing agreed to buy more American farm exports.
Details have yet to be released. Economists warn key hurdles including Beijing’s insistence that Washington role back punitive tariffs on Chinese goods have yet to be resolved.
The chief American negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, said Beijing agreed to make changes to address U.S. complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Chinese officials have yet to confirm that.
On Friday, U.S. stocks retreated from record highs following a Labor Department report employers added 145,000 jobs in December, short of the 160,000 forecast. That growth was solid enough to bolster Wall Street’s view the job market is holding up and households can spend.
The S&P 500 index fell 0.3% to 3,265.35 from its record set Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the 29,000 level for the first time but ended down 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%, to 9,178.86.
In this Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 photo, released by Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, a woman attending a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Ukraine plane crash, talks to a policeman, at the gate of Amri Kabir University in Tehran, Iran. (Mona Hoobehfekr/ISNA via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian demonstrators defied a heavy police presence Sunday night to protest their country’s days of denials that it shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane carrying 176 people, the latest unrest to roil the capital amid soaring tensions with the United States.
Videos posted online showed protesters shouting anti-government slogans and moving through subway stations and sidewalks, many around Azadi, or Freedom, Square after an earlier call for people to demonstrate there. Other videos suggested similar protests were taking place in other Iranian cities.
Protesters often wore hoods and covered their faces, probably to avoid being recognized by surveillance cameras. Some online videos purported to show police firing tear gas sporadically, though there was no immediate wholesale crackdown on demonstrators.
Meanwhile, in an emotional speech before parliament, the head of the Revolutionary Guard apologized for the shootdown and insisted it was a tragic mistake.
“I swear to almighty God that I wished I was on that plane and had crashed with them and burned but had not witnessed this tragic incident,” said Gen. Hossein Salami. “I have never been this embarrassed in my entire life. Never.”
Iran’s state-run media, as well as semiofficial news agencies and publications, did not immediately report on the demonstrations. However, international rights groups already have called on Iran to allow people to protest peacefully as allowed by the country’s constitution.
“After successive national traumas in a short time period, people should be allowed to safely grieve and demand accountability,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. “Iranians shouldn’t have to risk their lives to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.”
Riot police in black uniforms and helmets earlier massed in Vali-e Asr Square, at Tehran University and other landmarks. Revolutionary Guard members patrolled the city on motorbikes, and plainclothes security men were also out in force. People looked down as they walked briskly past police, hoping not to draw attention to themselves.
The plane crash early Wednesday killed everyone on board, mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians. After initially pointing to a technical failure and insisting the armed forces were not to blame, authorities on Saturday admitted accidentally shooting it down in the face of mounting evidence and accusations by Western leaders.
Iran downed the flight as it braced for possible American retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces. The missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad. But no retaliation came.
Protesters chant slogans and hold up posters of Gen. Qassem Soleimani while preparing to burn representations of British and Israeli flags, during a demonstration in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the plane and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the wake of the tragedy. They are also mourning the dead, which included many young people who were studying abroad.
“Even talking about it makes my heart beat faster and makes me sad,” said Zahra Razeghi, a Tehran resident. “I feel ashamed when I think about their families.”
“The denial and covering up the truth over the past three days greatly added to the suffering and pain of the families, and me,” she added.
Another individual, who identified himself only as Saeed, said Iran’s largely state-run media had concealed the cause of the crash for “political reasons.”
“Later developments changed the game, and they had to tell the truth,” he said.
Earlier Sunday, hundreds of students gathered at Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University to mourn the victims and protest against authorities for concealing the cause of the crash, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
Bahareh Arvin, a reformist member of the Tehran City Council, took to social media to say she was resigning in protest at the government’s lies and corruption. “With the current mechanism, there is no hope of reform,” she said.
Some Iranian artists, including famed director Masoud Kimiai, withdrew from an upcoming international film festival. Two state TV hosts resigned in protest over the false reporting about the cause of the plane crash.
President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for past waves of anti-government demonstrations in Iran, addressed the country’s leaders in a tweet, saying “DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS.” He later tweeted the same message again in Farsi.
“The World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching,” he tweeted.
Iranians demonstrated in November after the government hiked gas prices, holding large protests across the nation. The government shut down internet access for days, making it difficult to gauge the scale of the protests and the subsequent crackdown. Amnesty International later said more than 300 people were killed.
A candlelight ceremony late Saturday in Tehran turned into a protest, with hundreds of people chanting against the country’s leaders — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — and police dispersing them with tear gas. Protests were also held in the city of Isfahan and elsewhere.
Police briefly detained the British ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, who said he went to the vigil without knowing it would turn into a protest.
“Can confirm I wasn’t taking part in any demonstrations!” he tweeted. “Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of #PS752 tragedy. Normal to want to pay respects — some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting.”
He said he was arrested 30 minutes after leaving the area.
Britain said its envoy was detained “without grounds or explanation” and in “flagrant violation of international law.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later tweeted that Macaire was arrested “as an unknown foreigner in an illegal gathering.”
Araghchi said when police informed him that a man was arrested who claimed to be the British ambassador, he didn’t believe them. But he said that once he spoke to Macaire by phone, he realized it was him, and that the ambassador was freed 15 minutes later.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry later summoned the British ambassador over his ”illegal and inappropriate presence” at the protest, it said on its Telegram channel.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, accused the ambassador of organizing protests and called for his expulsion. Dozens of hard-liners later gathered outside the British Embassy, chanting “Death to England.” They also called for the ambassador to be expelled and the embassy to be closed.
Iranian media, meanwhile, focused on the admission of responsibility for the crash, with several newspapers calling for those responsible to apologize and resign.
The hard-line daily Vatan-e Emrouz bore the front-page headline “A sky full of sadness,” while the Hamshahri daily went with “Shame,” and the IRAN daily said “Unforgivable.”
Mehdi Karroubi, an opposition activist under house arrest, lashed out at Khamenei himself, saying that as commander in chief he was “directly responsible.”
“If you were aware and you let military and security authorities deceive people, then there is no doubt you lack the attributes of constitutional leadership,” he said in a statement.
Criticism of the supreme leader is punishable by up to two years in prison.
"Run Against Dictatorship" in Pattani, Jan. 12, 2020.
BANGKOK — Inspired by “Run Against Dictatorship” run in Bangkok, over 2,000 people organize local versions of the event in their own provinces outside the capital Sunday morning.
According to figures released by police, the largest anti-government running event outside Bangkok was held in Ubon Ratchathani, where about 400 people attended the activity. Similar events in Chiang Mai, Pattani, and Chachoengsao drew approximately 300 people each.
No violence was reported at any of these events, but police presence was heavy. In Ubon Ratchathani, runners were told they could not wear t-shirts that contained political slogans or referenced the government, so they donned shirts that depicted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra instead.
“Run Against Dictatorship” in Ubon Ratchani Jan. 12, 2020.
The authorities previously tried to block organizers in Ubon Ratchathani from hosting the run, but that order was ignored. A score of runners in Phayao, where local police put the ban on the event, also defied the prohibition and took to the streets today.
About 200 runners showed up in Phitsanulok, while a crowd of about 100 people was present in other provinces like Mahasarakham, Nakhon Pathom, and Udon Thani.
“Run Against Dictatorship” in Chiang Mai, Jan. 12, 2020.
In some provinces, such as Krabi, Tak, and Phuket, the events there were attended by about a dozen runners, police said.
The main event in Bangkok’s Suan Rot Fai itself attracted at least 10,000 people, according to a reporter and eyewitnesses at the scene. Police said they counted 13,000 runners in total.
“Run Against Dictatorship” in Phitsanulok, Jan. 12, 2020.
A foreigner holds up a sign reading "My Country is Good" at "Walk to Support Uncle" on Jan. 12, 2020.
Top: A man holds up a sign reading “My Country is Good” at “Walk to Support Uncle” on Jan. 12, 2020.
BANGKOK — Several thousands walked and beat fruit piñatas in a Sunday morning rally to show support for PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, coming hot on the heels of a rival anti-government event that drew far more participants.
At “Walk to Support Uncle” held inside Lumpini Park, organizers urge the joggers to keep their faith in the Prime Minister, whom they call by the endearing term “Uncle.” It was a semi-reunion for many who walked the streets of Bangkok years ago in a mass protest that helped Prayuth seize power in 2014.
“We’re here today to show that people who support Prayuth are no less than the others,” prominent pro-government activist Songklot “Capt. Pu Khem” Chuenchuphon said. “Prayuth is an honest person. I support him because he pours all of his heart to this country.”
He urged Prayuth’s supporters to “open their hearts to facts” and hinted that more rallies will take place in the future.
“Many indicators have shown us that Thailand is ranked among the top of the world, in contrast to what those nation-haters are trying to discredit the government,” Songklot said.
Although he said 13,000 people signed up for the walk, a reporter at the scene estimated at most 7,000-8,000 walkers showed up. An official count by the police put the figure at 8,000.
The event, though billed as a sports tournament, is a de facto rally to support the government, who has been hit by a series of scandals and corruption allegations since it formally started its term in June.
It is also widely seen as a retaliation against anti-government running event “Run Against Dictatorship” held the same morning, which reportedly attracted more people; one count estimated as many as 13,000 participants.
The 2.5 kilometers walk inside the park was mostly attended by people in their 40s to 60s. They crowded the entrance of the park holding banners and shouting chants to support the Prayuth administration.
“Why’re we here today?, to cheer up the uncle,” the protesters chanted.
“Who pays for us to be here? No one!”
Although “Run Against Dictatorship” was joined by key opposition politicians like Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, pro-government politicos were nowhere to be seen at this event in Lumpini Park.
While participants were lacing up for the walk, onlookers were encouraged to swing a bat at orange, strawberry, and watermelon piñatas. The organizers said they represented the Future Forward Party, whose official color is orange.
There were also boards for people to write Post-It notes to share their love for PM Prayuth.
Old Guards Close Ranks
Among the crowd was Mullika Boonprakob, 54, who said she came out to show her allegiance for the country’s key institutions – the nation, religion, and monarchy – as well as her love for the premier.
“I’m here to defend the nation, religion, and monarchy,” she said. “I want to protect PM Prayuth from the detractors. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He loves his country and there’s nothing wrong about him.”
Participants of “Walk to Support Uncle” kick fruit piñatas that symbolize the Future Forward Party.
Asked which policy she thought is the best for her, she took a brief pause before mentioning the new train lines.
“Everything was developed under his tenure,” Mullika said. “We got the new metro lines and better welfare. No other administration could do as good as him.”
Like many other joggers at the event, Mullika said she was a veteran of the People’s Committee for Absolute Democracy with the King as Head of State, a pro-establishment protest movement that sought to topple then-PM Yingluck Shinawatra in 2013 and paved the way for Prayuth to stage a coup a year later.
“No one paid for me to be here today. No one can buy me. In fact, I donated more than 60,000 baht for the PDRC protests in the past,” she said, using the acronym of the group’s official English name, People’s Democratic Reform Committee.
In contrast to “Run Against Dictatorship,” the event saw very little participation from members of the youth. However, a 23-year-old student who would only give his name as Waranchit said he doesn’t feel out of place in the crowd of much older supporters of the government.
“Many of my friends said I’m a salim,” he said, referring to a derogatory term used by anti-government critics to call their enemies. “But I don’t care because they’re the ones who don’t understand what’s going on in politics.”
“I want to be here to show the other side that our side is also large in numbers,” he continued. “This doesn’t mean a confrontation. We can have different ideologies, but in the end we’re all Thais.”
Waranchit said he also joined the anti-Yingluck protests seven years ago. He said his family taught him well, which allowed him to distinguish between the “good” and the “bad” in politics.
“I’m not saying that I’m outright supporter of the government. Look at Deputy PM Prawit [Wongsuwan] watch scandal for example, I know that it doesn’t look right,” he said.
Just a Walk in the Park?
Prior to today’s rally, mystery loomed over the identity of those behind the event, which was mostly organized online by anonymous pro-Prayuth Facebook page called “Cheering Uncle.”
A woman who identified herself as the administrator of that Facebook page made an appearance at the event today, but refused to speak to reporters.
The admin was quoted by Matichon in a Wednesday report as saying that she is not a part of the “information operations” led by the government or the military.
Participants of “Walk to Support Uncle” wear t-shirts depicting deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan.
She also said the page’s administrators bankrolled the event from their own pockets and went through several hurdles to organize it.
“We don’t dramatize the difficulties,” Matichon quoted her as saying. “We also had to travel to four different police stations and the city hall to seek permission.”
Police presence at “Walk to Support Uncle” was minimal, with no more than 20 uniformed officers visible around the venue.
In contrast to reported harassment by authorities at the rival event, in which “Run Against Dictator” participants were told by the police to take off their shirts and surrender their banners with political slogans, “Walk to Support Uncle” participants were free to display political banners and flags.
Lumpini police chief Nitiwat Sansing himself hinted that the police didn’t treat the rally as a political gathering. Col. Nitiwat told the media on Saturday that he’s not worried about the event because it’s “just a walk in the park.”
Correction: The original caption of the header image identified the person as a foreigner. In fact, we did not establish whether he was a naturalized Thai citizen. The caption has been amended.
Participants of "Run Against Dictatorship" flash anti-military three-finger salute in Bangkok on Jan. 12, 2020.
Top: Participants of “Run Against Dictatorship” flash anti-military three-finger salute in Bangkok on Jan. 12, 2020.
BANGKOK — As many as 10,000 people joined an anti-government running event early Sunday morning in Bangkok in what appeared to be the largest political rally since the military seized power in 2014.
The turnout at Suan Rot Fai was so high that some who previously dismissed the possibility of a large street protest in Bangkok had to give it a second thought, though it is unclear whether the same show of force by the anti-government faction can be repeated if their main opposition party is dissolved by the court.
Thammanat Pongserm, 25, a petrochemical company employee, said he joined the “Run Against Dictatorship” event in order to send a message to the Prayuth Chan-ocha administration that he is unhappy about how they are running the country.
Participants of “Run Against Dictatorship” flash anti-military three-finger salute in Bangkok on Jan. 12, 2020.
“This is effective one way or the other as many people showed up,” Thammanat said while waiting in a long queue to pick up his T-shirt and running bib for the three kilometer lapse. Thammanat paid 600-baht registration fee to join the event together.
Thammanat also said he wishes that there will be a snap elections but admitted that it’s unlikely to happen. Just hours before the event, the Parliament approved the government’s 2020 annual budget bill of 3.2 trillion baht, a rise of 4.2 per cent from 2019 fiscal year.
If anything, what looms large in participants’ minds is the growing likelihood that the leading opposition party, Future Forward, could be disbanded in the weeks ahead. The party is currently facing multiple legal challenges. Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is also accused of breaking the elections law by lending over 100 million baht to his party.
Thammanat said he is willing to join street protests if the party is dissolved, though he has reservations.
“I will come out and join but it must not be like those staged by Redshirts and Yellowshirts,” he said, referring to violence related to the two political camps behind the cycles of violent street protests in the past 15 years. “I am ready to come out in a show of force.”
Among the participants was longtime activist Chotisak Onsoong, a key member of a pro-democracy group that opposed a military coup in 2006. Chotisak said it’s inevitable that those opposing Prayuth will have to eventually take to the streets in a “traditional” means of protracted protests if they ever hope to oust him.
“Today is a symbolic show of force. In the end a street protest in a traditional sense cannot be avoided,” Chotisak said.
As if prepared for such a prospect, a booth at the park disseminates broadsheet-size pamphlets on how to stage a street demonstration, which is popularly known in Thai as mob.
“How to Protest” was the title of the pamphlet printed by Democracy Restoration Group, a network of young political activists. There were eight guidelines, including “learn about the laws and your rights before leaving home” and how to seek human rights lawyer’s help if “harassed or witch hunted”.
However, other participants complained on social media that they were forced to abandon t-shirts and stickers by the police at checkpoints because they contained “political messages.”
Senior opposition politicians were also seen at today’s event – apart from Thanathorn himself – including Pheu Thai deputy leader Kittirat na Ranong, 61, who served under the elected government deposed by the military in 2014.
“A good number of people want to express themselves and want the government to be respectful to them,” Kittirat said at 7am, his right hand holding an anti-asthma spray.
Kittirat na Ranong
Looking at the many new faces of the younger middle class joining the event, Kittirat said, he dares not speculate as to how they will react to possible escalation in the near future.
“No matter what the government does, they cannot suppress the voices of those who are unhappy with those the government manages the country,” he said.
“Run Against Dictatorship” came after weeks of much anticipation and discussion on social media, partly spurred by attempts from the authorities to shut it down. A reporter at the scene and many eyewitnesses believe at least 10,000 people showed up. An official estimate published by the police put the number at about 13,000.
Activists hand out pamphlets on how to organize anti-government protests.
The turnout was so high that even pro-democracy activist Nuttaa “Bow” Mahattana who previously downplayed a chance of a large street protest is changing her evaluation. Nuttaa spoke on the stage today, boosting the already high morale of runners and non-running participants.
“We will have to take a long shot and see. We will definitely be bearing the blunt after this,” Nuttaa said.
A pro-Prayuth walking event was also held in parallel at Lumpini Park. No confrontation has been reported.
People gather for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Ukraine plane crash, at the gate of Amri Kabir University that some of the victims of the crash were former students of, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — In the face of mounting evidence, Iran on Saturday acknowledged that it shot down the Ukrainian jetliner by accident, killing all 176 people aboard.
The admission by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard undermined the credibility of information provided by senior officials, who for three days had adamantly dismissed allegations of a missile strike as Western propaganda.
It also raised a host of new questions, such as why Iran did not shut down its international airport or airspace on Wednesday when it was bracing for the U.S. to retaliate for a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq. No one was hurt in that attack, carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad.
Iran’s acknowledgment alters the narrative around its confrontation with the U.S. in a way that could anger the Iranian public. Iran had promised harsh revenge after Soleimani’s death, but instead of killing American soldiers, its forces downed a civilian plane in which most passengers were Iranian.
On Saturday night, hundreds gathered at universities in Tehran to protest the government’s late acknowledgement of the plane being shot down. They demanded officials involved in the missile attack be removed from their positions and tried. Police broke up the demonstrations.
President Donald Trump tweeted messages of support to Iranians who back protests of the government, saying he and his administration are behind them. In the tweets, Trump called on the Iranian government to allow human rights groups to monitor the protests and expressed support for the “brave, long-suffering people” of Iran.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guard’s aerospace division, said his unit accepts full responsibility for the shootdown. In an address broadcast by state TV, he said when he learned about the downing of the plane, “I wished I was dead.”
He said he raised the possibility to his superiors that his forces shot down the plane as early as Wednesday morning because “the simultaneous occurrence of the launch and crash was suspicious.”
Hajizadeh said Guard forces ringing the capital had beefed up their air defenses and were at the “highest level of readiness,” fearing that the U.S. would retaliate. He said he suggested Tehran should close its airspace but no action was taken.
People gather for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Ukraine plane crash, at the gate of Amri Kabir University that some of the victims of the crash were former students of, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
He said the airline’s pilot and crew had done nothing wrong, but an officer made the “bad decision” to open fire on the plane after mistaking it for a cruise missile.
“We were prepared for an all-out conflict,” he said.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed his “deep sympathy” to the families of the victims and called on the armed forces to “pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the U.S, Britain, Canada and others for information about the crash and their support. He said that “undoubtedly helped” push Iran to acknowledge its responsibility for the crash. Zelenskiy said the crash investigation should continue and the “perpetrators” should be brought to justice.
The Ukrainian airline criticized Iran’s decision to leave its airspace open despite the hostilities.
“It’s absolutely irresponsible,” Ukraine International Airlines vice president Ihor Sosnovskiy told reporters. “There must be protection around ordinary people. If they are shooting somewhere from somewhere, they are obliged to close the airport.”
The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians — including many Iranians with dual citizenship — and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials.
Iranians had rallied around their leaders after the killing of Soleimani, who was seen as a national icon for building up armed groups across the region that project Iranian influence and battle the Islamic State group and other perceived enemies.
Hundreds of thousands had attended funeral processions across the country in a show of support for the Islamic Republic just weeks after authorities had quashed protestsignited by a hike in gasoline prices. Iran has been in the grip of a severe economic crisis since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.
People gather for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Ukraine plane crash, at the gate of Amri Kabir University that some of the victims of the crash were former students of, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
The shootdown of the plane and the lack of transparency around it, along with the restrained response to the killing of Soleimani, could reignite anger at the country’s leadership.
President Hassan Rouhani acknowledged Iran’s responsibility but blamed the downing of the plane in part on “threats and bullying” by the United States after the killing of Soleimani. He expressed condolences, calling for a full investigation and the prosecution of those responsible.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also deflected some of the blame, tweeting that “human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.”
The jetliner, a Boeing 737, went down on the outskirts of Tehran early Wednesday shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport.
“This is the right step for the Iranian government to admit responsibility, and it gives people a step toward closure with this admission,” said Payman Parseyan, a prominent Iranian-Canadian in western Canada who lost a number of friends in the crash.
“I think the investigation would have disclosed it whether they admitted it or not. This will give them an opportunity to save face.”
As recently as Friday, Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the national aviation department, had told reporters “with certainty” that a missile had not caused the crash.
On Thursday, Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei dismissed reports of a missile, saying they “rub salt on a painful wound” for families of the victims.
Iran has invited Ukraine, Canada, the United States and France to take part in the investigation of the crash, in keeping with international norms. The Boeing 737 was built in the United States and the engine was built by a U.S.-French consortium.
Ukraine’s president said its team of investigators, who are already on the ground in Iran, should continue their work with “full access and cooperation.”
Rouhani spoke Saturday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and said the investigation was progressing rapidly. His website quoted him accusing the United States of driving the situation in the Middle East to a “dangerous level” and said all should try to return “full stability and security” to the region.
After the call, which was unusual because Canada severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012, Trudeau said Iran’s acknowledgment was a first step but “many more steps must be taken.” He demanded a complete investigation and for Iran to take full responsibility for shooting down the plane, including the payment of compensation to the families of the dead.
While the dead included 57 Canadians, a total of 138 of the passengers were headed to Canada, many of them international students.
The Ukrainian president, who also spoke with Rouhani on Saturday, said his government will also push Iran to compensate victims’ families.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that the supreme leader on Friday morning had ordered top security officials to review the crash and announce the results.
“If some individuals, in any position, were aware of the issue but made statements contradicting the reality or hid the truth for any reason, they should be named and tried,” said Fars, which is close to the Guard.
Others speculated that the security forces may have concealed information from civilian authorities.
“Concealing the truth from the administration is dreadful,” Mohammad Fazeli, a sociology professor in Tehran, wrote on social media. “If it had not been concealed, the head of civil aviation and the government spokesmen would not have persistently denied it.”
Late Saturday, Britain accused Iran of violating international law after its ambassador was arrested and briefly detained during protests in Tehran. Iranian media said ambassador Rob Macaire was arrested outside a university and detained for more than an hour before being released.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said “the arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law.”
___
Krauss reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Rob Gillies in Toronto, Jim Heintz and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
Taiwan's 2020 presidential election candidate, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, right, and her running mate William Lai celebrate their victory with supporters in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. Taiwan's independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen won a second term in a landslide election victory Saturday, signaling strong support for her tough stance against China. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Whom do you meet the morning after winning reelection as leader of Taiwan? If you’re Tsai Ing-wen, it’s the Americans.
The Taiwanese president sat down with the top American official in Taipei on Sunday, one day after her landslide victory over challenger Han Kuo-yu of the opposition Nationalist Party.
Brent Christensen, a U.S. diplomat who is director of the American Institute in Taiwan, congratulated Tsai on her win and she thanked him for his support in a meeting at the presidential office loaded with symbolism.
Tsai has sought to deepen relations with the U.S. as she pushes back against pressure from China, and the Trump administration has reciprocated.
The U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan under the “One China” policy but is legally bound to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself against threats. Christensen is the de facto U.S. ambassador to the self-governing island of 23 million people.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and opposes any official contact with the U.S. as an interference in its domestic affairs.
President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, center, and U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military tried, but failed, to take out another senior Iranian commander on the same day that an American airstrike killed the Revolutionary Guard’s top general, U.S. officials said Friday.
The officials said a military airstrike by special operations forces targeted Abdul Reza Shahlai, a high-ranking commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but the mission was not successful. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss a classified mission.
Officials said both Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Shahlai were on approved military targeting lists, which indicates a deliberate effort by the U.S. to cripple the leadership of Iran’s Quds force, which has been designated a terror organization by the U.S. Officials would not say how the mission failed.
A U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3 killed Soleimani shortly after he landed at Baghdad International Airport. Trump administration officials have justified the killing as an act of self-defense, saying he was planning military acts that threatened large numbers of American military and diplomatic officials in the Middle East.
Iran, however, called the attack an act of terrorism, and on Jan. 8 it launched more than a dozen ballistic missilesat two bases in Iraq that house American and coalition forces. No one was killed in that retaliation.
The State Department offered a reward of $15 million early last month for information leading to the disruption of IRGC finances, including Shahlai, a key financier in the organization.
The State Department said he “has a long history of targeting Americans and U.S. allies globally,” and planned multiple assassinations of coalition forces in Iraq. It said that his activities included providing weapons and explosives to Shia militia groups and directing a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C., in 2011.
The Pentagon declined to discuss the highly-classified operation.
“We have seen the report of a January 2 airstrike in Yemen, which is long-understood as a safe space for terrorists and other adversaries to the United States. The Department of Defense does not discuss alleged operations in the region,” said Navy Cdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman.
The Washington Post first reported the development.
Activists place flowers and garlands around a small plaque memorializing the 1932 Revolution on June 24, 2015 in Bangkok.
Top: Activists place flowers and garlands around a small plaque memorializing the 1932 Revolution on June 24, 2015 in Bangkok.
At the end of last year, pro-democracy activist Arnon Nampha announced on his Facebook that in 2020, he will keep posting content about the revolt which ended absolute monarchy nearly 88 years ago “every day” because he felt its memories are being threatened.
“At least it will be a small voice that will reaffirm that we shall continue the mission of the People’s Party to the utmost,” Arnon wrote on his Facebook on Dec 31 last year. “If it’s not too much, I would like to invite friends to think and act on the matter. We shall fight together next year.”
What prompted Arnon to make the vow was the army’s decision to remove statues of two leaders of the 1932 democratic revolt and rename an artillery base in Lopburi province. The statues would be replaced by one depicting the late King Rama IX, according to the military.
The Lopburi base is currently named Fort Paholyothin Artillery Center in honor of Phraya Pahonphonphayuhasena, leader of the coup that ended absolute monarchy. The facility will be renamed Fort Bhumibol , the formal name of King Rama IX.
The move wasn’t the first which alarmed and upset people like Arnon. The sinister trend began nearly three years ago, in April 2017. That was when a plaque marking the spot where the revolt took place was mysteriously removed.
Equally mysterious – and even more baffling – was the appearance of a new plaque proclaiming a pro-monarchy slogan on the same spot soon after. No one claimed responsibility for the strange renovation.
The new plaque.
Fast forward to late Dec 2018, a much bigger monument related to the same revolt, some five-storey high, was taken away from Lak Si Intersection without any explanation. Again, no one claimed responsibility.
Disturbingly, most Thai mainstream mass media simply pretended the theft of such epic proportions was not worth reporting about. Or they were told not to report about it, though I have no hard evidence of that possibility.
The missing monument was built to commemorate the defeat of a countercoup led by Prince Boworadet in 1933 to restore monarchical absolutism. Its fate remains a mystery to this day, but many assume the relic is probably already destroyed.
Ten months later, in Oct 2019, the rebel nobleman who died in 1947 as an opponent of democracy was resurrected by the army, symbolically at least, when the newly renovated Hall of Honor at the army headquarter was named after the prince himself.
I do not think Arnon is paranoid. If anything, given the series of events, we can’t even be certain that a national landmark like Democracy Monument may not “mysteriously” vanish in the middle of the night some day.
Photos circulated on social media shows the Constitution Defense Monument being taken down on Dec. 27, 2018.
It should be clear by now that there is a deliberate and concerted effort to delete parts of Thai political history, or at least make Thai people forget about them. It was as if five years of junta’s rule wasn’t enough. Now, certain people want to take away our collective memories and replace it with a sanitized royalist version.
And they are so dishonest that they refuse to claim responsibility for their actions, preferring to hide under the shadow of anonymity.
In an attempt to remember what the public is being made to forget, people like Arnon pledged to keep the memories alive, by the means of social media.
On Sunday, Arnon republished the 1932 proclamation which contained a very scathing criticism of the absolute monarchy regime.
(Similar to many other “New Year resolutions” out there, Arnon already failed to keep his promise of posting 1932-related content less than two weeks after his vow.)
Arnon is not alone in this campaign. Some political activists, like Nitirat Subsomboon, are compiling a calendar of important dates related to Thai people’s struggle for a more equal and democratic society over the centuries. These episodes in history tend to be ignored, wilfully or not, with hardly a mention in school history textbooks.
Is Thailand heading towards an era where people have starkly different take on their own political history? If so, what will be the repercussions?
It’s now clear that there are dissidents who will not just let others tamper with their memories without putting up a fight. They are starting the preservation effort by declaring that certain Thai political history is an endangered species – at risk of being erased.
Smog over Bangkok on Jan. 10, 2019. Photo: Gusgust1993 / Twitter
BANGKOK — PM2.5 levels are skyrocketing in Bangkok for the third consecutive day Friday according to multiple air monitors, shrouding the capital with multiple potential health hazards.
Residents in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Pathum Thani are breathing in air levels ranging from unhealthy to hazardous Friday, according to both independent and government air monitoring services.
AirVisual recorded air quality at 156 AQI while the World Air Quality Index Project Team recorded an average of 163 AQI, both unhealthy levels, while some areas reached as high as 221 AQI (“very unhealthy”).
The City Hall’s air quality unit measured lower PM 2.5 levels than these two, ranging from 53 to 115 AQI. However, the government did declare that nearly all of the Bangkok districts have unhealthy air levels. The affected districts are Bang Khun Thian, Phra Nakhon, Phasi Charoen, Bangkok Noi, Khlong San, Bang Kho Laem, and Yan Nawa districts.
The only three districts with average PM 2.5 levels are Don Mueang, Khan Na Yao, and Minburi.
AirVisual recommended that people avoid outdoor exercise, close windows, wear masks outdoors, and use an air purifier. World Air Quality forecast that air quality would get even worse over the weekend.
In a Friday tweet, Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha said that cars with black smoke would be put on a watchlist, and they would be subject to tougher inspection when they renew their license.
— ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา Prayut Chan-o-cha (@prayutofficial) January 10, 2020
Saturday through Thursday, government health officials will also send out mobile health clinics in the Phasi Charoen in western Bangkok, one of the Bangkok districts with the worst air quality, according to government stats.
Thailand’s PM 2.5 crisis, which appears to be escalating in recent years, seems to have no end in sight. Government solutions typically involve spraying water into the air at affected areas and pledging tougher punishment for vehicles or buildings that contribute to pollution.
As usual, residents frustrated with the smog are airing their anger through the only venue of recourse they could find: popular hashtags like #PM25, #PM25Dust, and #BangkokDust.
