UN Investigator: Genocide Still Taking Place in Myanmar

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25 October 2018, 10:43

Jamila Begum, 35, cries in 2017 when talking about how members of Myanmar's armed forces accused of massacring civilians in her village Maung Nu, in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Photo: Wong Maye-E / Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — Genocide is still taking place against Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar and the government is increasingly demonstrating it has no interest in establishing a fully functioning democracy, U.N. investigators said Wednesday.

Marzuki Darusman, chair of the U.N. fact-finding mission on Myanmar, said thousands of Rohingya are still fleeing to Bangladesh, and the estimated 250,000 to 400,000 who have stayed following last year’s brutal military campaign in the Buddhist-majority country “continue to suffer the most severe” restrictions and repression.

“It is an ongoing genocide that is taking place at the moment,” he told a news conference Wednesday.

Darusman said the requirements for genocide, except perhaps for killings, “continue to hold” for Rohingya still in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state. These include causing serious bodily harm, inflicting conditions designed to destroy the Rohingya, and imposing measures to prevent births, he said.

Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador, Hau Do Suan, called the fact-finding mission “flawed, biased and politically motivated” and said the government “categorically rejects” its inference of “genocidal intent.”

Yanghee Lee, the U.N. special investigator on human rights in Myanmar, said she and many others in the international community hoped the situation under Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi “would be vastly different from the past – but it is really not that much different from the past.”

Lee added later that she thinks Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former political prisoner who now leads Myanmar’s civilian government, “is in total denial” about accusations that the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar raped, murdered and tortured Rohingya and burned their villages, sending over 700,000 fleeing to Bangladesh since August 2017.

“The government is increasingly demonstrating that it has no interest and capacity in establishing a fully functioning democracy where all its people equally enjoy all their rights and freedoms,” Lee said. “It is not upholding justice and rule of law” that Suu Kyi “repeatedly says is the standard to which all in Myanmar are held.”

If this were the case, she said, fair laws would be applied impartially to all people, impunity would not rein, “and the law would not be wielded as a weapon of oppression.”

Suu Kyi’s government has rejected independent international investigations into the alleged abuses of Rohingya and has commissioned its own probe. The government has also rejected the report by the fact-finding mission, which said some top military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya.

“The Myanmar government’s hardened positions are by far the greatest obstacle,” Darusman told reporters.

“Its continued denials, its attempts to shield itself under the cover of national sovereignty and its dismissal of 444 pages of details about the facts and circumstances of recent human rights violations that point to the most serious crimes under international law” strengthens the need for international action because “accountability cannot be expected from the national processes,” he said.

Darusman and Lee spoke ahead of a Security Council meeting that began with a vote on whether Darusman should be allowed to brief members.

He was given a green light with the minimum nine “yes” votes from the U.S., Britain, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Peru and Poland. China, which is Myanmar’s neighbor and ally, Russia and Bolivia voted “no” and Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan abstained.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused supporters of the briefing of “torpedoing consensus” in the council and forcing council members “to engage in loud-speaker diplomacy.”

He said the fact-finding mission didn’t go to Rakhine state, called its report “too biased,” and said the international community should help Myanmar and Bangladesh resolve the Rohingya refugee problem.

Chinese Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu later echoed Nebenzia, calling the report’s conclusions “lopsided” and “not credible” and saying the international community should work on returning the refugees.

Lee stressed that their “repatriation is not possible now.”

“I will not encourage any repatriation,” the U.N. envoy said. “Conducive conditions means they should not go back to … the oppressive laws, the discrimination. The minimum they need is freedom of movement, access to basic health services.”

Lee said “there’s been a lot of progress in terms of economic development and infrastructure, but in the area of ‘democratic space’ and people’s right to claim back their land … there is no progress.”

“Right now, it’s like an apartheid situation where Rohingyas still living in Myanmar … have no freedom of movement,” Lee said. “The camps, the shelters, the model villages that are being built, it’s more of a cementing of total segregation or separation from the Rakhine ethnic community.”

At the council meeting, Darusman said the fact-finding mission concluded that last year’s events were “a human rights catastrophe that was foreseeable and planned,” and it conservatively estimates there were “10,000 Rohingya deaths.”

“Remaining Rohingya in Rakhine state are at grave risk,” he said, and returning Rohingya from Bangladesh would be “tantamount to condemning them to life as sub-humans and further mass killing.”

Darusman said the Security Council should the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or another international tribunal and also impose an arms embargo on Myanmar, a ban on transactions with all military-related enterprises and sanctions against those alleged to be most responsible for atrocities against the Rohingya.

“There can be no ‘moving on’ from this crisis without addressing its root causes – all of which continue to exist today, primarily the presence of an unaccountable military that acts with complete impunity,” he said.

The Netherlands’ deputy U.N. ambassador, Lise Gregoire Van Haaren, said her government will push quickly for a Security Council resolution that would refer Myanmar to the ICC.

But council action appeared highly unlikely because of its deep divisions and almost certain opposition from China and Russia, both veto-wielding council members.

“I’m very aware that there might be pushback, but having pushback is never a reason not to try,” Van Haaren said. “So we are going to have a really ambitious aim for the negotiations” on a possible resolution “and let’s see where we get.”

Myanmar’s Suan said the Independent Commission of Inquiry established by the government will investigate alleged human rights violations, and “we will never accept any calls for referral of Myanmar to the ICC.”

Story: Edith M. Lederer

Malaysia’s Mahathir Discusses Insurgency During Thailand Visit

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Associated Press

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25 October 2018, 10:35

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, right claps his hands to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during a joint press conference Wednesday at the government house. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press

BANGKOK — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad met Wednesday with the junta leader and discussed peace talks in Thailand’s southern border provinces where a Muslim separatist insurgency has been raging for over a decade.

Malaysia has been a facilitator between rebel groups and the government but so far little progress has been made. Almost 7,000 people have died in the insurgency in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces since 2004.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said he and Mahathir discussed the problems facing the southern border provinces and agreed on greater cooperation.

“We understand each other better on our concerns and limitations,” Prayuth said. “I assured him that the dialogue will continue, with Malaysia as the facilitator.”

“At the same time, the two countries will expand the scope of cooperation to include other areas such as border security, economic development and measures to tackle broader security issues, particularly in countering terrorism, extremism, and transnational crime such as narcotic drugs and human trafficking,” Prayuth said.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the visit is expected to add momentum to the southern Thailand peace process.

Mahathir briefly addressed reporters at Government House in Bangkok and said closer ties between the two nations could end the conflict.

“I’m quite sure that with both our countries sincerely working toward solving the problem the problem will be reduced if not ended all together,” Mahathir said. “We see this as an opportunity to display our friendship with each other.”

“It’s not just a case of talking or drawing up treaties, it is really cooperation between two friendly neighbors and we want to continue that friendship,” Mahathir said.

Don Pathan, a security analyst based in southern Thailand, said Malaysia has to be part of the dialogue because it has a stake in the border violence and most residents in the region identify as Malay Muslims. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist.

But time is running out for both Mahathir and Prayuth to reach a breakthrough in the negotiations with the rebels, Don said. Mahathir is expected to hand over power to his designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim, in less than two years, and Prayuth’s military-led government has promised to hold elections early next year.

“And this wave of conflict has been going on for the past 14 years. What can they do in 18 months?” Don said, referring to Mahathir’s remaining time in office.

Thailand and Malaysia have each named their own facilitators for the talks who are both high-ranking security officials, but Don said both men are political appointees who will be relieved once their governments undergo administrative changes.

Mahathir is to meet with the president of Thailand’s privy council and with businesspeople and Malaysian expats on Thursday.

Bomb Found at Clintons’ New York Home: US Official

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Associated Press

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24 October 2018, 21:02

Bill and Hillary Clinton stand in the driveway of their new home in Chappaqua, New York, in a file photo. Photo: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official says a “functional explosive device” was found at Hillary and Bill Clinton’s suburban New York home.

The official says investigators believe the explosive is linked to one found Monday at the compound of liberal billionaire George Soros.

The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The device was discovered early Wednesday morning at the Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, New York.

Police in New Castle, New York, who cover Chappaqua, say they assisted the FBI, Secret Service and Westchester County authorities in “the investigation of a suspicious package.”

Story: Michael Balsamo

With ‘My Country’s Got,’ Thai Rap Voices Rare Dissent Against Junta

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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24 October 2018, 18:03

BANGKOK — A rap video criticizing the junta had been watched nearly a million times on Facebook and YouTube as of Wednesday, less than 24 hours since its release.

While a producer and rapper from the Rap Against Dictatorship crew said the song isn’t illegal, he said four of the 10 artists featured in the video covered their faces to remain anonymous for fear it would paint them as pro-democracy activists.

“They don’t want to have their lives implicated with this issue. They are not activists,” said 33-year-old Pratchayaa Surakamchonrot, one of four producers who took part in the collaboration protesting military rule.

Update: Police to Summon Rappers Who Criticized Military Govt

The 10 underground rappers, including Hockhacker, Liberate P and ET, adopted different aliases to maintain their anonymity for the song.

Pratchayaa, a former singer and songwriter with label RS, said their six months of work on the song appeared to pay off, as the song, “My Country’s Got …” (“Prathet Ku Mee”) attracted wide attention on its first day of release.

Former Pheu Thai MP Chaturon Chaisang – himself charged with sedition for challenging the junta’s claim to legitimacy after the 2014 coup – took to Facebook to say he likes the song.

The song is a rare voice of dissent from the popular culture; mainstream performers and celebrities are loathe to speak out on political matters and have been criticized for cooperating with the military government.

That reticence is absent in the 5-minute song in which the 10 rappers take turns denouncing what they see wrong with Thailand.

The lyrics speak about the hypocrisy of being under military dictatorship, the deep political division, deaths on both sides and the failure of self-righteous moralism:

“My country preaches morals but has a crime rate higher than Eiffel / My country’s parliament house is a soldiers’ playground / My country points a gun at your throat. Claims to have freedom but gives no right to choose / “My country’s government is untouchable. The police use laws to threaten people / My country asks you to stay quiet or in jail.”

Pratchayaa, who has been rapping 15 years and considers himself a pro-democracy activist, said they hope the song inspires other performers to recognize that they can make a difference, no matter how little.

“I have no concrete expectations. But I expect the idea to spread so that other hip-hop artists can do it too. They can encourage others to think and express themselves,” the rapper said, adding that he hopes a music festival against dictatorship could be organized soon. He said they would try to go ahead with one, even if it’s banned.

The song, which has been shared more than 20,000 times on Facebook, is not without the usual profanity:

“You can’t say ‘shit’ even though your mouth is full of it / Whatever you do the leader will see you / The country where assholes own the sovereignty / You must choose to either eat truth or bullets.”

On the current state and promised elections, there are more expletives: “Four years already, motherfuckers, still no elections. Free country? Fuck it! Don’t tell me that I can choose. Even the PM is still picked by the army.”

To top up the ambiance, the video was filmed on a set evoking the beating of a lynched student’s corpse during the Oct. 6, 1976, massacre at Sanam Luang by right-wing ultra-royalists.

Pratchayaa said the rappers, himself included, chose the backdrop to highlight the senselessness of Thai society back then that could return if people are not mindful.

Pasta Made Before Your Eyes, Without the Cream Coma at ‘Al Dente’

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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24 October 2018, 17:34

Enjoy Italian without all the cream in pasta made before your eyes at a new trendy Thonglor joint.

Nothing is lian – overly greasy or buttery – at Al Dente, which recently opened at Thonglorian hangout The Commons, from its seafood spaghetti to, yes, even the carbonara. What sets it apart from other pricy downtown Italian is watching one’s pasta take shape from dough ball to dish.

Taking the reliable route of polished concrete and steel, Al Dente’s space seats a cozy 20, all with a view of the open kitchen behind the counter. Watch the pasta kneaded, rolled and sliced. Yes, that was a lobster just tossed into a pan as tomato sauce is layered onto focaccia.

Image from iOS 1 1 — Bigoli carbonara (290 baht).

Lorenzo is the chef and owner, a bald, hazel-eyed Venetian who’s lived in Thailand for 26 years. Though he wouldn’t give his last name (“I am very conscious”), a recent visit found him chatting with customers and handing out pre-dinner Campari spritzers.

“When you go to La Dotta, what do you see? Can you see the pasta being made?” Lorenzo said, referencing a nearby competitor. “New pasta is made every half an hour. So if we had 20 people coming in suddenly, we would have to make everything new.”

Pasta is made fresh for each order, and diners can choose which kind of pasta to pair with their choice of sauce, from bigoli and gnocchi to tagliatelle. Both classic, well-known dishes and lesser-known options are on the menu.

The carbonara (290 baht) has just three ingredients apart from the pasta: an emulsion of egg yolk and pecorino, black pepper and cheek bacon, which Lorenzo says is the proper part of the pig for such a thing. Note the absence of cream and butter.

Image from iOS 2 2 — Spaghetti bottarga (390 baht).

“This dish is often misrepresented outside Italy. You can see that it’s not so fat; it’s digestible,” Lorenzo said.

Still, the impressive favorite of was the spaghetti bottarga (390 baht), a garlic-chili sauce with parsley, local rock lobster and grated dried gray mullet roe, the star ingredient. It’s what gives the dish a fishy, pungent punch – think of the plaa raa fermented fish found in some som tam.

Adriatic and Isaan aren’t so different, Lorenzo said.

“We all have the same ingredients. It’s only a matter of combinations,” he said.

AL DANTE 181024 0009 — Focaccia topped with parma ham (eight pieces for 390 baht).

Indeed, the Broiled Rock Lobster (390 baht), with the same rock lobsters, rests on a bed of ribboned celery and basil – full of vinaigrette, tangy and seafood – reminds one of the Thai salad dish yum, albeit an Italian version.

Recruit the baby spinach salad (330 baht) with tangy artichokes and champignons to freshen up the meal, or three balls of Deep-fried Crab Polpettes (450 baht), generously stuffed with crab and corn and easy on the batter.

While one wants to order generously at Al Dente, its Thonglor prices – with portions not big enough to justify breaking the bank – are likely to stay an ambitious appetite.

A glass of Opere 27 Lambrusco, a sparkling red for 290 baht, is sweet and fizzy enough to add cheer to any platter of pasta.

AL DANTE 181024 0001 — Deep-fried Crab Polpettes (450 baht).

Anything with bread here is good, so those seeking a quick carb recharge should grab the eight pieces of Focaccia that come topped with parma ham (390 baht) or the tomatoes and rocket salad (310 baht). The mozzarella – like all cheeses and cold cuts – are imported from Italy, and many Bangkokians will finally learn that mozzarella is meant to be whipped into soft, creamy piles rather than cold, watery wedges.

To round off the belly, get a tiny cup of espresso (70 baht) to go with the tiramisu (250 baht), made with mascarpone cheese, marsala wine and espresso-soaked ladyfingers, a generous portion of delicious bittersweetness that Lorenzo swears is just how it comes in Venice.

AL DANTE 181024 0013 — Tiramisu (250 baht).

“Other tiramisus are like eating khao pad in England,” he said.

Thais put off by the overwhelming creaminess of everything at most Italian restaurants will at this point realize they’ve made it through a whole meal without any. Now’s the time to break that streak with the panna cotta, (200 baht), a wobbly wonder ringed with berries and splashed with olive oil.

AL DANTE 181024 0014 — Panna cotta with fresh berries (200 baht).

There are plenty of vegetarian options for every category of pasta and appetizer, from non-meat focaccias to potato gnocchi with a four-cheese fondue (300 baht).

Al Dente is located in The Commons, located on Soi Thonglor 17. It’s open 5pm to 10:30pm Monday through Thursday, and noon to 10:30pm on weekends.

Photos by Chayanit Itthipongmaetee

AL DANTE 181024 0003 — Deep-fried Crab Polpettes (450 baht).

AL DANTE 181024 0016 — Broiled Rock Lobster (390 baht).

Miss Universe Drops Thai Licensee 2 Months Before Pageant

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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24 October 2018, 17:04

44173732_1800103156769149_7151655808139264000_n — Miss Universe Thailand 2018, Sophida ‘Ning’ Kanchanarin, poses for a glamor shot. Photo: Miss Universe Thailand

BANGKOK — The fate of this year’s Miss Universe pageant, set for December in Bangkok, was briefly in doubt after its domestic financier was forced to pull out.

The US-based Miss Universe Organization revoked the rights granted to TW Investment, the Thai company in charge of making the pageant happen, due to shady practices the company has blamed on unethical shareholders. A replacement firm has since been found.

In a statement, TW Investment said it would no longer be involved due to misbehavior by unnamed company shareholders.

“We can’t say whether or not the pageant will be held here,” a company spokesman who answered the phone of President Thanawat Wansom said Wednesday. “But TW will not be the organizer.”

Questions about the pageant’s return to the kingdom after a 13-year absence were soon put to rest when another firm, TPN Group, was granted the rights to the pageant.

“We will organize the pageant, and we are the new sole holder of the license,” spokeswoman Nusra Poteteeralert said by phone. “The pageant will still be held. Nothing changes.”

Read: Thailand to Host 2018 Miss Universe Pageant

In its letter, TW Investment suggested financial malfeasance and “unsavory behavior of some investors” was to blame for losing the potentially lucrative license.

“Some also did not forward the money from sponsors to pay for the distribution rights according to the regulations stipulated by the Miss Universe company,” it said.

The letter also accused the same insider as trying to hijack the job by making “secret negotiations” with Miss Universe to obtain sole distribution rights and take it away from TW.

Thailand has previously hosted Miss Universe in 1992 and 2005.

Thailand to Host 2018 Miss Universe Pageant

Netizens in Uproar Over Miss Universe Thailand

L’Artelier De JoeL Robuchon Rolls out Dazzling 3-Course Menu Celebrating the Arrival of Autumn (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

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24 October 2018, 16:21

With autumn in full swing in France, the French in the countryside are taking to the woods with a basket in hand, foraging for chestnuts, mushrooms and other edible forest produce.Autumn is associated with the harvest with fruits and crops ripening: from pumpkins and pears to blackberries and grapevines.

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To welcome the glorious autumn colours and harvest time in France, L’Artelier de JoëlRobuchon – Bangkok has designed a new 3-course menu featuring a range of seasonal produce the French countryside has to offer. The menu features dishes using some of the most prominent autumn ingredients evocative of village life and the bounties of nature in France.

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The 3-course meal is accompanied with a glass of sparkling wineserved alongsidean amuse-bouche.

The first course, “LE FOIE GRAS”, is foie gras terrine under a sweet spices jelly and poached pear. Should the diner wish to pass foie gras, there’s a choice of “LA SAINT-JACQUES”, which is Hokkaido scallop served with pumpkin soup and comfit chestnuts.

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For the second course, the diner makes a choice between a sea fish or duck.Should they prefer the former, then they will be served “LE BLACK COD”, that comes with a fillet of cod seasoned with smooth daikon mousseline and yuzu. If the diner would like the latter, then go for “LA CANETTE DE CHALLANS”, featuring Challans roasted duck breast with a duo of green and yellow mango.

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Then, indulge in a range of the restaurant’s signature patisseries and other scrumptious sweet treatsfrom a dessert trolley.

The 3-course meal costs THB2,950++per person. Prices are subject to a service charge of 10 percent and other applicable government tariffs. For more information, visit http://robuchon-bangkok.com/. Or check out the restaurant’s Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/atelier.bkk/ . Call +662-001-0698.

River City Bangkok Joins Taiwan’s National Palace Museum to Host Immersive Art Exhibit (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

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24 October 2018, 14:12

River City Bangkok, Thailand’s foremost hub of art and antiquities, in collaboration with the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong) that boasts the world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts, is organizing a groundbreaking art and culture exhibition titled “Up the River During Qingming” that has never been staged before in Thailand.

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On display in the exhibition is a dazzling array of priceless Qing-Dynasty paintings and artifacts with digital enhancements to offer an immersive, participatory art experience for a better insight into life and art in ancient China. With the opening scheduled for October 18th, the exhibition is on view until February 12th, 2019 at River City Bangkok’s second-floor RCB Galleria.

The exhibition celebrates River City Bangkok’s 33rdanniversary and its positioning as Thailand’s largest hub for art and antiques. “This first-of-its-kind exhibition will showcase valuable ancient art pieces in a new light through the use of modern multimedia technology as the medium. The installations use high-tech innovation to create an immersive virtual and augmented reality experience where the audience can step into the paintings rather than just viewing them from afar,” said Ms. Linda Cheng, Managing Director of River City Bangkok.

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The National Palace Museum (Gu Gong) is home to the world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts totaling nearly 700,000 pieces. The art exhibition – staged for the first time in Southeast Asia – features digital works inspired by hand-scroll paintings titled “Up the River During Qingming”. These hand-scrolls created during the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, depict scenes of prosperity along the banks of the Bian River in Kaifeng, the Northern Song capital. The exhibition features the finest of all the scrolls from the “Up the River During Qingming” collection from the Qing Dynasty. A digitized version of this painting is on display as a multimedia artwork, or a painting animation, with moving figures.

The exhibition signifies a dialogue between the modern Chao Phraya River and the ancient Bian River, and the coming together of two great rivers cultures. For this exhibition, the iconic “rainbow bridge” from “Up the River During Qingming” symbolizes this meaningful collaboration between River City Bangkok and the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong).

The exhibition is divided into 8 zones of installations as follows.

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“Up the River During Qingming Painting Animation” depicts everyday scenes of prosperity in China in the twilight years of the Qing Dynasty including wedding, outdoor theatre, a bustling market, and a runaway pig. The installation provides a multifaceted narrative of life in that era. “Roaming Through Fantasy Land” is inspired by the original work by Zhao Mengfu, a late Song and early Yuan Dynasty painter, called “Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains.” It is a virtual reality adaptation depicting the painting’s scenery. This immersive VR experience will transport the viewer into a virtual fantasyland where one can roam through Jinan Province.

“Marvels in the Sea Immersive Interactive Theater”, an interactive theatre, presents an immersive ancient marine experience where the audience can hear roaring waves and feel the swirling of the underwater currents. This multi-user interactive installation will allow the audience to interact with the exhibit using a fishing light in a comfortable reclining position.

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“Summer Lotus”, inspired by the “Lotuses in the Wind at Taiye” by Feng Ta-yu in the Song Dynasty, is an interactive virtual sensory installation presenting a scene of summer lotuses in a pond decorated with charming details depicted by the painter. The installation allows the audience to experience the virtual interaction with the atmosphere of life in a Chinese summer, hundreds of years ago. “Castiglione’s Virtual Flowers”, an augmented reality installation conceived by Professor Jeffrey Shaw, brings to life Giuseppe Castiglione’s still-life masterpieces “Gathering of Auspicious” and “Vase of Flowers” as life-size virtual 3D illusions.

“A Hundred Horses Co-Creative Installation”, another installation inspired by Giuseppe Castiglione’s masterpiece, adheres to the principles of co-creation. This enables the audience to color their own horse drawings, which will be uploaded onto a virtual landscape. Viewers can experience the beauty of timeas the present and the past run in parallel.

“The Heavenly Spirit of Calligraphy” is a film starting with six methods regarding the rules of Chinese character formation, demonstrating the splendid structure and forms of unique and beautiful Chinese words. The audience can experience the building up of layers of which demonstrates the writing process in this vivid video. The zone is a veritable visual feast that provides the viewer with a fascinating art experience and knowledge.

“Galaxy Adventure of NPM Guardians” features the 15th-century Vietnamese Monkey King, Western Han Dynasty Pottery Pig, and Tang Dynasty Madam Tang (Pottery Figure of Lady Playing Polo). They will take you through the adventures in the Galaxy on the Miniature Olive Stone Boat.

And don’t miss the range of special activities to be held over the four-month period of the exhibition. There’s, among other activities, a calligraphy workshop. What’s truly special is customers who hold the tickets to the exhibition “Up the River during Qingming” at River City Bangkok, or who plan to take part in the exhibition’s tie-in fun activities, have a chance to win big prizes by posting their photos taken in the exhibition with the hashtag #NPMxRCB.

Prizes up for grabs include a return air ticket to Taiwan and a complimentary ticket for the magnificent National Palace Museum. For more information, visit River City Bangkok’s Facebook fan page.

“Up the River During Qingming” is on view from October 18th to February 12th, 2019, at River City Bangkok’s second-floor RCB Galleria. Tickets areavailable at THB 350 per adult with special rates available for children, students, and family groups. Tickets are available from www.thaiticketmajor.com. For more information, call River City Bangkok at (+66) 2 237 0077-8, or visit http://www.rivercitybangkok.com .

Road Hogs: Wild Elephant Family Frolics on Khao Yai Street (Video)

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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24 October 2018, 12:14

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — Growing herds of wild elephants have been thundering down the road more frequently in Khao Yai National Park, and officials want visitors to take some precautions if they encounter one.

Park chief Kanchit Srinoppawan said Wednesday it took about an hour to chase more than 25 elephants that emerged from the forest at about 9am back into the wild. The bold pachyderms took over the road just two days after about 20 elephants decided to use it as an elephant highway, he said.

He said it’s unusual to see such a big herd on the road, and it’s still unclear why they have taken to the asphalt. He added that a special task force has been deployed in several locations across the park to monitor wild animals and keep tourists safe as the park’s peak season approaches.

Past encounters with itinerant elephants has led to injuries and smashed vehicles.

Kanchit urged visitors to be mindful of the animals and let park officials know when they find them straying from the wild.

He said visitors should stop the car at least 30 meters from any elephant they find on the street while driving. If an elephant approaches the car, they should slowly drive backward or park until the elephants depart. He said do not yell or honk the horn at them, and do not use flash to take photos.

If surrounded by a herd, Kanchit said to try and find a gap from which they can drive out very slowly. He also said if encountering them at night, turn off headlight high beams – but don’t turn them off.

Asian Shares Mostly Higher on Strong Japan Factory Data

By

Associated Press

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24 October 2018, 11:45

Specialist Peter Mazza, left, and trader Thomas Cicciari work in 2017 on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: Richard Drew / Associated Press

SINGAPORE — Asian markets have bounced back from their retreat after the report of strong preliminary manufacturing data in Japan.

Keeping Score

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index jumped 0.5 percent to 22,130.30 as a private survey suggested a recovery in manufacturing in October. The Shanghai Composite index, which closed more than 2 percent lower on Tuesday, jumped 1.5 percent to 2,634.50 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged 0.9 percent to 25,565.27. The Kospi in South Korea picked up 0.2 percent to 2,109.66. Australia’s S&P-ASX 200 lost 0.1 percent to 5,839.10. Shares were higher across the region apart from in Thailand.

Japan Factory Outlook

A rise in the preliminary, or “flash” purchasing manager’s index to 53.1 in October from 52.5 the month before raised hopes that recent sluggishness in manufacturing demand may have been transient. A revival in new export orders, to 51.7, a seven-month high, was viewed as especially good news given concerns over China-U.S. trade tensions. Readings above 50 in the survey indicate expansion.

Analyst’s Viewpoint

“Following a rather disappointing slew of PMI data over the third quarter, Japan’s manufacturing sector looks set to start Q4 on a more upbeat note. The latest survey indicated stronger expansions in all the key barometers of macroeconomic health,” Joe Hayes, economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey, said in a commentary.

Wall Street

U.S. indexes fell on Tuesday following a broad-sell off on softening growth in China and fears that tariff hikes are beginning to hurt corporate earnings. The S&P 500 index suffered its fifth-straight loss, dropping 0.6 percent to 2,740.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.5 percent to 25,191.43 and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4 percent to 7,437.54. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks was 0.8 percent lower at 1,526.59.

US Earnings

Sentiment was dampened as large U.S. companies kicked off a busy earnings week with warnings of rising costs related to tariffs. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar posted a larger profit and revenue than expected in the third quarter. But the company said Trump’s taxes on imported steel were driving up production costs, causing its shares to slip 7.6 percent to USD$118.98. 3M, the maker of Post-it notes and ceramic coatings, reported disappointing revenues and said it anticipates about $100 million in extra costs next year. That sent its shares tumbling 4.4 percent. The U.S. and China are locked in a trade dispute over technology and have raised tariffs on billions of dollars of each other’s goods.

Energy

Oil futures rose after the opening of a high-profile investment conference in Saudi Arabia, amid controversy surrounding the killing of a dissident journalist. Benchmark U.S. crude added 13 cents to $66.56 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 7 cents to settle at $66.43 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 30 cents to $76.74 per barrel. In the previous session, it dropped $3.39 to $76.44 a barrel.

Currencies

The dollar strengthened to 112.56 yen from 112.42 yen on Tuesday. The euro eased to $1.1472 from $1.1473.

Story: Annabelle Liang

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