Philippine Troops Battle Muslim Militants After Church Blast

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3 February 2019, 11:01

A police officer watches from the balcony of bullet-riddled business establishment as government troops battle with Muslim militants who continue to hold their ground in some areas of Marawi city in May in southern Philippines. Photo: Bullit Marquez / Associated Press

MANILA — Philippine troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf gunmen in fierce jungle fighting that left five soldiers and three militants dead, as the military pushed forward with a fresh offensive following a deadly church bombing last weekend.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government forces to destroy the Abu Sayyaf after the bombing last Sunday of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in the Sulu provincial capital of Jolo that killed 22 people and wounded more than 100. The attack has renewed terrorism fears across the Philippines, where the national police went on full alert and security has been strengthened in churches, shopping malls and other public areas.

Regional military spokesman Col. Gerry Besana said another five soldiers and 15 militants were wounded in nearly two hours of fighting Saturday between the army and about 150 Islamic State group-linked fighters in the jungles near Patikul town.

The militants were led by Abu Sayyaf commander Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who is suspected of helping plot the bombing. The Abu Sayyaf, which has about 300 to 400 armed fighters, has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization because of years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Government forces have over the years pressed on sporadic offensives to crush the group, including in Jolo, a poverty-wracked island of more than 700,000 people where Muslims are the majority. A few thousand Catholics live mostly in the provincial capital.

Since the church attack, the air force has launched airstrikes on suspected militant bases near Patikul and police killed a suspected militant on a raid in the city.

Duterte told reporters earlier this week that the church bombing was a suicide attack carried out by a militant couple.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said Friday that an Indonesian couple was responsible for the bombing aimed at fomenting sectarian conflict in the south. The Indonesian man reportedly used the nom de guerre Abu Huda and Philippine authorities said they would coordinate with their Indonesian counterparts to try to validate the identities of the two.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the government had not been able to confirm the involvement of Indonesian nationals in the attack.

There has been speculation that the bombing may be a diversionary move by Muslim militants after troops recently carried out an offensive that killed a number of IS-linked extremists in an encampment in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur province, also in the south. The area is near Marawi, a Muslim city that was besieged for five months in 2017 by hundreds of IS-aligned militants, including foreign fighters.

Troops quelled the insurrection, which left more 1,100 people dead, mostly militants, and the heart of the mosque-studded city in ruins.

Duterte declared martial law in the entire southern third of the country to deal with the Marawi siege, his worst security crisis. His martial law declaration has been extended to allow troops to finish off radical Muslim groups and other insurgents, but bombings and other attacks have continued.

Story: Jim Gomez

Happy Pig Year: Travel Rush Begins in China

By

Associated Press

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2 February 2019, 12:40

In this Jan. 28, 2019, photo, Chinese travelers wait for their trains at a railway station in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province. (Chinatopix via AP)

BEIJING — China is greeting next week’s Lunar New Year with celebrations and a travel rush that will see an estimated 3 billion trips by people around the country.

Thousands of passengers toted bundles of clothes and gifts at Beijing train station Friday, ahead of the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. It’s a time for people to return to their hometowns to reunite with family and friends.

“Wow, there’s a lot of people,” Li Pingping, a beauty salon worker from Henan province, said as she steeled herself for a 17-hour train ride home.

The year of the pig in the 12-year Chinese astrological cycle starts Tuesday, waving farewell to the year of the dog.

On the festival’s eve, people gather for reunion dinners, give red packets of pocket money to youngsters and light firecrackers at midnight.

The capital, Beijing, and other cities are festooned with lanterns and other decorations to mark the holiday, which is also celebrated in Vietnam and by ethnic Chinese communities around Asia.

Opinion: Ignorance of Nazis, History a Bug or Feature of Thai Education?

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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2 February 2019, 11:56

At left, invading German soldiers raise the Reichskriegsflagge on April 27, 1941, at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. At right, Pichayapa “Namsai” Natha of BNK48 wears the same flag on stage in Bangkok in January 2019 in an image from True ID.

Why do some young Thais commit the blunder of wearing clothes with Nazi symbols?

Is it a failure of the Thai education system? Is it the sheer insensitivity or ignorance of some youths? Or is it a little more complex than that?

The latest episode in Thais fronting Nazi imagery occurred last week on Friday when Pichayapa “Namsai” Natha, a member of the popular girl band BNK48, wore on stage a jersey not just emblazoned with a Nazi swastika, but actually a full reproduction of the flag personally designed by Adolf Hitler for use by his military to terrorize Europe.

It caused a stir and invited condemnations from the German and Israeli missions after Khaosod English’s report spread online.

After crying and apologizing, Pichayapa, 19, insisted she had no clue what she was wearing.

I think she was telling the truth. Many Thais are so ignorant that some controversial symbols such as the Nazi swastika are treated as “cool” if not “cute.” Without any historical context, the Nazi symbol is just a design motif, particularly to the young so far removed from the history of World War II and the Holocaust.

After all, this is a postmodern country where Argentine Marxist guerilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara is slapped onto stickers and T-shirts by lorry drivers and lame Thai youth who don’t know or care about the evil of American Imperialism or Marxism. The same can be said about Mao Zedong’s porcelain dolls put into service as a “cool” touch of Sino chic, irrespective of whether the person knows that under Mao, up to 45 million people were worked, starved or beaten to death during his “Great Leap Forward” between 1958 and 1962.

Nevermind. To these Thais, pictures and small porcelain statues of Chairman Mao are cute and exotic and the perfect decor for a dash of Chineseness.

Less lethal, sure, than the reverse and bizarre postmodern disconnect that sees Hello Kitty stickers adorning real handguns used in the street.

Thai education and Thai attitudes toward it have something to do with the phenomena as well.

The darker aspects of world history are not something Thai schools pay much attention to, much as they tune out the dark side of Thai history. Think about how little many young Thais know about the Oct. 6, 1976, massacre in which rightwing ultra-royalist mobs killed more than 40 protesters, mostly students, next door to the Grand Palace.

Also, to many Thais, there exists an ethos that is basically counter to a liberal humanist education. To many Thais these days, education is a means to an ends, and those ends are well-paid jobs. These people are only interested in education if it means more money or prestige and not becoming a well-rounded person.

History, especially world history, is thus a truly niche area in Thai education, enabling an environment of postmodern ignorance to thrive.

Those condemning the failures of Thai education in communicating the horrors of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany may want to pause and reconsider.

I fear that in fact it may be the “triumph” of Thai education that, by ensuring ignorance about the dark side of politics global or domestic, makes it easier for the minority ruling class to keep its grip on power and advantage.

It’s much easier to rule when many more Thais aspire to simply become as rich as quickly as possible, ignorant and apolitical. It’s also easier for the ruling class to continue to rule when an MBA is exponentially more valued than a degree in world history.

Many young Thais do not want to be involved in politics or devote themselves to making society better. Get rich quick and don’t waste time with anything else is a prevalent attitude reflected in the sheer number of get-rich-quick books and schemes on everything from leveraging the stock market to mimicking the seven-or-whatever habits of highly effective corporate types in the .01 percent.

In the end, ignorance about history may in fact be the greatest triumph of the Thai education’s will.

Hong Kong Makes Record Seizure of Pangolin Scales, Ivory

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Associated Press

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2 February 2019, 11:14

A customs official displays one of 136 seized illegal pangolins at a 2017 news conference at the Customs Department headquarters in Bangkok. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press

HONG KONG — Hong Kong customs officers have intercepted a record 8.3 tons of pangolin scales and hundreds of elephant tusks worth more than USD$8 million combined, underscoring the threat to endangered species from demand in Asia.

Acting on a tip from mainland Chinese authorities, local officials found the haul in mid-January in a refrigerated container labeled as frozen meat from Nigeria, officials said Friday.

They said the smugglers kept the temperature low to better disguise the smell of the illicit cargo. Police arrested two people in connection with the seizure.

It was the largest-ever seizure of pangolin scales in Hong Kong, representing the product of some 14,000 animals, and one of the largest of ivory in a decade, the officials said.

Scales of the anteater-like pangolin have for centuries been highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. The scales, made of keratin akin to fingernails, are often roasted and ground to a powder before being added into a mix of ingredients to purportedly cure arthritis, promote breast feeding for mothers and boost male virility.

Scientists have designated all species of pangolins as being at risk of extinction. In the last two decades, the number of pangolins worldwide has dropped by about 90 percent.

Ivory tusks are a cherished decorative craft material in Asia, resulting in the devastation of wild elephant populations in Africa.

Under Hong Kong law, the importation and sales of endangered species and their products can be punished by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1.3 million.

China and Hong Kong have sought to crack down on the illegal trade, although the semiautonomous port and financial center remains a major transit point for endangered species products and other contraband.

Last year, following the outlawing of ivory sales in mainland China, Hong Kong’s legislature enacted a complete ban on the local ivory trade to take effect by 2021, while raising penalties for offenders.

Meanwhile, a court in Thailand this week dismissed charges against a Thai man believed to be a kingpin in the illicit trade, according to Freeland, an organization that works with police to combat trafficking.

Police arrested Boonchai Bach just over a year ago at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of 11 kilograms (24.2 pounds) of rhino horns from Africa worth $700,000. A Chinese man and a Thai wildlife quarantine officer accused of assisting the smugglers were also arrested.

Citing a lack of evidence, the Samut Prakan Provincial Court found Boonchai Bach not guilty of multiple charges relating to wildlife trafficking, Freeland said.

Boonchai was suspected of running a large trafficking network on the Thai-Lao border that spread into Vietnam. According to Freeland, he and his family played a key role in a criminal syndicate that smuggled items including ivory, rhino horn, pangolins, tigers, lions and other rare and endangered species.

“Prosecution of a complex transnational organized crime case like this requires a multi-agency effort to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together,” said Steven Galster, founder of Freeland. “Instead, we saw a kingpin walk free after a narrowly focused case fell apart when the prosecution’s only major witness flipped in front of his boss.”

Story: Violet Law

Yastremska Beats Muguruza to Reach Thailand Open Semifinals

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Associated Press

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2 February 2019, 11:05

Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska plays Friday at the WTA Thailand Open in Hua Hin. Image: WTA / YouTube

HUA HIN, Thailand — Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska advanced to the semifinals at the Thailand Open by beating two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (5), 6-1 Friday.

The 18-year-old Yastremska also beat Muguruza last year in Luxembourg.

“I forgot about what happened last year as this is a different match,” Yastremska said. “I watched highlights (of Muguruza’s matches) to see how she played. Although I’m confident, but it was last year. I had to concentrate.”

In the tiebreaker, Yastremska jumped out to a 6-1 lead but struggled to finally win the first set. After Muguruza netted a forehand on the deciding point, the Spaniard smashed her racket on the court and received a code violation from the chair umpire.

Yastremska will next play Magda Linette of Poland, who defeated Wang Yafan 6-2, 6-3.

Also, sixth-seeded Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia beat fourth-seeded Saisai Zheng of China 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semifinals. She will next face Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia, who defeated Victorija Golubic of Switzerland 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Belarusian Model: I Gave Info on Trump to Russian Tycoon

By

Associated Press

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2 February 2019, 10:20

MOSCOW — A Belarusian model who claims to have information on ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s election campaign told The Associated Press on Friday that she has turned that material over to Russian billionaire businessman Oleg Deripaska.

Anastasia Vashukevich fueled speculation around possible ties between Trump and the Kremlin last year when she posted a video from a police van, saying she had 16 hours of audio and video proving ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign that influenced the 2016 U.S. elections.

Deripaska denied the allegations and even went to court to seek to remove the video Vashukevich posted in which he discusses U.S.-Russia ties with a senior Russian government official.

Vashukevich, who is also known as Nastya Rybka, returned to Russia last month almost a year after she was detained in Thailand on charges of soliciting sex, in what some believe was an attempt to silence her.

Vashukevich, 28, told the AP in an interview Friday that, contrary to earlier reports that she had destroyed the recordings, she had given them to Deripaska because it “relates to him” and that she “did not want any more trouble.”

Vashukevich rose to prominence in February last year when Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny published an investigation detailing dealings between Deripaska and Sergei Prikhodko, then-Russian deputy prime minister who played a prominent role in shaping Russia’s foreign policy.

Navalny drew on Vashukevich’s video from summer 2016 when Deripaska was hosting Prikhodko on his yacht and was caught on tape saying that relations between Russia and the U.S. were bad because of then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

Deripaska is close to Putin and also had a working relationship with Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager. Manafort was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the probe into the 2016 election and was convicted last year of tax and bank fraud.

Deripaska’s representative at the time dismissed the reports as “scandalous and mendacious assumptions.” He promptly filed and won a lawsuit against Vashukevich for breach of privacy and secured a court ruling to delete the videos of him and Prikhodko.

Vashukevich and her teacher, self-styled sex guru Alexander Kirillov, were in Thailand shortly after Navalny’s investigation came out, conducting a sex training seminar when they were arrested for working without a permit. Vashukevich, Kirillov and several others ended up being charged with soliciting sex and spent 11 months in jail.

In January, Vashukevich and others were sentenced by the court in Pattaya to three-year prison terms before a new ruling gave them suspended 18-month prison terms and deported them to Russia.

In the early stages of their detention, the sex training group sent a note to the U.S. Embassy via an intermediary seeking help and political asylum. Vashukevich indicated she would turn over the recordings she claimed to have if the U.S. could help secure her release, but later withdrew the offer, suggesting that she and Deripaska had reached an agreement.

Vashukevich and Kirillov initially blamed Russia for their incarceration and said they were fearful for their lives. In April, however, Vashukevich changed her tune and said it was the U.S. government that was persecuting her, not Russia.

Vashukevich later told reporters outside a Thai courtroom that she had promised Deripaska not to speak about the U.S. election interference anymore.

Vashukevich and Kirillov were briefly detained upon their arrival in Moscow late last month on suspicion of soliciting sex in Russia but were promptly released.

When pressed Friday by the AP about her previous claims, Vashukevich said she had emailed “everything I had” to Deripaska and dodged a question of whether she kept a copy for herself.

“Oleg (Deripaska) has it all. If he wants to make any of it public, if he thinks that it’s a good idea, he can do it himself,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Deripaska had no immediate comment Friday on Vashukevich’s new allegations.

The Belarusian native who penned two books about seducing rich, powerful men explained to the AP how she changed her mind about who was to blame for her plight in Thailand.

She said he received multiple visits from Americans with FBI IDs who were seeking information about her claims of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. She said they offered her safety in the U.S. or threatened her with a lengthy prison term if she refused to cooperate.

Around the time when she first publicly supported Russia, Vashukevich received a visit from Vladimir Pronin, Russia’s newly appointed consul in Pattaya, who she said helped to improve prison conditions for her and the other inmates. She credited Pronin for securing her release from the Thai prison and her deportation in January.

Russian publications The Bell and Proyekt last year pointed to another high-profile visitor who Vashukevich caught on tape spending time with Deripaska.

One video posted on her YouTube account showed a meeting between Deripaska and Adam Waldman, a U.S. lobbyist who has been working for Deripaska and who has had repeated meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The reported January 2017 meeting was several days before Waldman’s visit to Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The Democratic National Committee last year sued Trump’s campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks, saying they conspired to cheat Democrats in the 2016 election.

When asked Friday if the reports proving the Russian interference in the U.S. elections included recordings of Waldman, Prikhodko and Deripaska, the Belarusian woman said: “I didn’t tell you that.”

Vashukevich has kept a low profile since her release, a stark contrast to the racy photos that she used to post on Instagram.

On Friday, she would not respond to a question on whether she was currently collaborating with Russian authorities. Her remarks, however, indicated that she may have traded her silence for security.

“Things are so good right now, I don’t want this to change,” she said. “I don’t want to have to have to compare the Russian prison to the Thai prison. I don’t want any more trouble.”

In her old Instagram posts, Vashukevich used to take pride in manipulating rich, powerful men.

Asked Friday if she was now the one being manipulated, she swore in English and asked “What do you do?”

Story: Nataliya Vasilyeva

13,300 Flights Loaded With Tourists Inbound to Bangkok for CNY

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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1 February 2019, 17:40

Lion dances are performed in Suphanburi province on Friday to welcome the Chinese New Year festival.

BANGKOK — Thailand is expected to receive a large influx of visitors for Chinese New Year, raising hope among officials that a rebound in mainland arrivals is underway.

Up to 325,000 Chinese travelers are projected to visit the kingdom to celebrate the Year of the Pig, according to a forecast published by Kasikorn Bank, while an aviation official said at least 13,330 flights will arrive at Bangkok’s two international airports.

Aeronautical Radio director Somnuk Rongthong said air traffic controllers have been put on full alert to monitor the airspace and clear up any delays during the holiday, which lasts Feb. 4 to 10.

Total flights arriving in Thailand will increase by 6.4 percent from the same period of time last year, Somnuk said.

The Airport Authority of Thailand said at least 10,000 Chinese tourists have been arriving daily via Suvarnabhumi Airport since late December. The agency expects an average of 200,000 arrivals per day from all nations during the Chinese New Year – known as the Golden Week in China.

Chinese arrivals took a major hit after a ferry sank in July 2018, killing more than 40 Chinese passengers. Numbers of Chinese visitors to Thailand did not recover until December, when arrivals rose by 2 percent over the year prior.

In a report published today, Kasikorn Bank’s research department said Thailand will welcome about 10.9 million Chinese tourists this year, though it added that the slowing Chinese economy and competition from other countries remain threats to the industry.

“It will be a challenge to maintain and sustain the growth rate,” the report said.

New Retiree Visa Rules Bewilder Thai Immigration: Source

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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1 February 2019, 16:20

BANGKOK — Days after new rules changed how visas are processed for foreign retirees, immigration officials are already pushing back against them, according to sources inside the bureau.

Starting March 1, foreign retirees must either show a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht or hold a minimum of 800,000 baht in Thai banks. They must maintain that amount for three months after a visa or extension is granted, after which they can only take out half. The new rules also make unclear how long applicants must wait to learn whether their visas or extensions have been approved.

“We are discussing with the legal department what these new policies mean,” an immigration official involved in approving such applications said in an interview. “Right now we are all scrambling to find out what the procedures are.”

The source also said some operatives who oversee visa affairs will file memos to their commanders declaring that they are no longer sure how to process requests under the new regulations published Monday.

“We will ask them to reconsider,” said the official, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Another official at the Immigration Bureau said the changes were ordered from the top after four embassies in Thailand – Britain, the United States, Denmark and Australia – stopped issuing affidavits certifying the monthly incomes of applicants from their respective countries.

“Therefore, the Immigration Bureau has to come up with its own methods of verifying the applicants’ financial status,” the source said on the same condition of anonymity.

Col. Nitipan Kanokvejyan, the officer who signed the new regulations, could not be reached for comment as of publication time.

Under the new rules, applicants for retirement visas must be 50 and up. They must either show evidence of monthly salaries of at least 65,000 baht transferred to a Thai bank account or balances of at least 800,000 baht in their Thai bank accounts.

The accounts have to bear the same names as the applicants. Spouses’ bank accounts are not eligible.

And the minimum amount of 800,000 baht must have been deposited two months before any visa application is filed, making that the mandatory balance for at least five months, plus application processing time.

The applicants (“aliens”) must continue to maintain at least 400,000 baht at all times, and the visa must be renewed yearly.

The change departed from previous rules which only required either an affidavits declaring a 65,000 baht salary or a one-time deposit of 800,000 baht at the time of application.

Reactions on Thaivisa, a webforum frequented by expats in Thailand, was overwhelmingly negative, with many commentators saying the regulations undercut claims from Thai officials that the deposit is to ensure they have sufficient resources to get by.

“Then why keep up the charade that this money is to cover living expenses if it can only be used six months out of the year,” user Connda wrote. “So…what’s next? What’s the next hammer to drop?”

“And I thought the 800,000 baht was for living expenses, not as an interest earner for the Thai banks!” user Madmitch vented.

‘Oust Me If You Dare, Jerks,’ Raging Prayuth Says (Video)

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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1 February 2019, 15:25

Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks Friday at the Government House in Bangkok.

Update: Prayuth apologized Friday afternoon for “the crude words” said this morning. “I must apologize, because sometimes I slip. I didn’t criticize everyone, but there are some bad people out there. I meant it for them. Sometimes I just get so angry.”

BANGKOK — Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha tore into reporters in abrasive language Friday, reiterating that he would not step down ahead of March’s general election, saying “oust me if you dare, jerks.”

Gen. Prayuth had taken the dais following a briefing on junta accomplishments when he preempted any questions about whether he would resign with an angry rebuke. Making no effort to mask his anger and irritation, he said no democratic or communist leader had ever done so.

“Remember my words, in any country around this world, democratic or communist, no government leader has ever quit for an election. Barack Obama, the former US president … or Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has quit? Answer me!” he said.

He continued his unprovoked outburst by referring to the press as “meung,” a vulgar term of address.

“Don’t try so hard to chase people away. … This is what the law says. Oust me if you dare, jerks! Oust me if you can! I’m not challenging you, but I’m not quitting,” he went on, his temper flaring.

On Twitter, #OustMeIfYouDareJerks quickly leaped to become the No.1 top-trending hashtag as of Friday afternoon, with most comments expressing frustration with Prayuth’s history of coarse language that’s generally frowned upon in Thai discourse.

“His maturity is even lower than an elementary school student’s,” user @Yinglove_tigger wrote.

“Being stupid is bad enough. He’s both stupid and vulgar,” wrote @Otttpang.

Prayuth has come into criticism since he opted not to go into a caretaker role after elections were called, as the democratically elected leaders of the past have done. His decision was consistent with previous coup leaders who have refused to do so.

The retired general’s famously short fuse has led to repeated outbursts during speeches and press briefings since he seized power in 2014. His garrulous comments can veer off script into angry and personal rants. In recent years he has threatened to punch his critics in the mouth, yelled a fisherman asking him questions and “joked” about executing reporters. From time to time, he renews his vows to rein in his fury.

Here’s an unofficial translation of his comments today at the Government House:

“If you’re going to ask me again about the elections. You just can’t ask about anything else. I’d just say that the principles I have to consider on whether I’m going to resign from the premiership, have nothing to do with whether I’ll accept the nomination from a political party as a PM candidate.

“Remember my words, in any country around this world, democratic or communist, no government leader has ever quit for an election. Barack Obama, the former US president who also ran for a second term, or Chinese President Xi Jinping – who has quit? Answer me! Don’t write such nonsense thing again. This is about principle. Besides, the constitution, the rule of law, and traditions or ethics of elections worldwide, none of it says a PM candidate has to quit from an administrative position.

“Don’t try so hard to chase people away. You chase this one and they quit, and then you chase a prime minister away. This is what the law says. Oust me if you dare, jerks! Oust me if you can! I’m not challenging you, but I’m not quitting. The Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva lost the 2011 elections to Yingluck Shinawatra. Why did they lose? They were the government, why did they lose? It means that being the government shouldn’t give any significant advantages. It depends on whether they do a good job or not. If not, the people won’t vote for them.”

Prayuth Threatens to Silence Critics Amid Uptick in Detentions [Transcript]

Thai Junta Leader Unleashes Fury on Reporters [Transcript]

Request Made in Thai Court to Send Football Player to Bahrain

By

Associated Press

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1 February 2019, 14:40

Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali AlAraibi led in handcuffs at the Thai Criminal Court. — Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali AlAraibi in December led in handcuffs at the Thai Criminal Court.

BANGKOK — Prosecutors have submitted a request in court for Thailand to extradite to Bahrain a detained football player who has refugee status in Australia.

The lawyer for Hakeem al-Araibi said she will file an appeal to the prosecutors’ request made in court in Bangkok on Friday.

Lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said another court date is set for Monday when al-Araibi will be asked if he is willing to be extradited. Al-Araibi says he fled political repression there.

He had been living in Melbourne, Australia, and played for a semi-professional team. He was detained in Bangkok in November and a court ruled in December he could be held for 60 days.

Rights groups, soccer governing bodies and activists have pushed for Thailand to release al-Araibi so he can return to Australia.

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