De facto leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha (left) seen here with exiled leader Sam Rainsy in 2012 in Manila, Philippines. Photo: VOA / Wikimedia Commons
PHNOM PENH — A Cambodian court has found the country’s exiled opposition leader guilty of defamation for alleging that a senior government official sought to inflate Prime Minister Hun Sen’s online popularity by buying “likes” for his Facebook page.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday found Sam Rainsy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of 10 million riel ($2,500) in addition to 15 million riel ($3,750) in compensation to Sam Soeun, a senior official assigned to oversee Hun Sen’s Facebook page.
There has been a flurry of cases against opposition members in Cambodia’s courts, widely believed to be under the influence of Hun Sen’s government, with the intention of disrupting their organizing efforts ahead of local elections in June.
Don't believe everything you read. From fake obits to 'Songkran canceled,' these real-looking stories were all fakes.
BANGKOK — Ultra-conservative activist Suthep Thaugsuban died suddenly in May, according to the website of “Khaosod TV Online.”
Two months later, a tourist was raped and murdered aboard a river raft in Kanchanaburi, “Matichorn” declared in a news report.
Just last month, police arrested a woman for selling yaba at the Sanam Luang, where throngs of people were mourning His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol, according to “Nalnar.”
Published under believable domain names using the same fonts and formats of the news sites they sought to mimic, those outrageous stories were just a few in the torrent of hoax news stories by sites masquerading as actual news agencies such as Khaosod, Matichon and Naewna.
As newspapers have chased revenues from print to the web, the past year has seen an explosion of fake news stories ensnaring gullible readers and leaving newspaper executives scrambling to make them stop.
“It’s certainly a huge problem for brand owners. It destroys their reputation,” said Nattapong Tiandee, an online personality known as Por Mor and an exec of Spokedark, a popular social media news platform. “The other day, some aunties in a Line chat group posted a link to a fake Khaosod website. They kept cursing Khaosod for reporting fake news, but actually it was a fake website.”
The hoax sites share common tactics: They pose as major news sites and post short stories on the biggest current events or subjects sure to draw readers, such as outlandish crime stories complete with graphic, misleading photos. They spread fast on social media, where sharing such items has become second nature to users.
There are more than a dozen variations of Khaosod alone, including Khosaod (khosaod.com), Khosod (khosod.com), Khaosod-Online (khaosod-online.com) and Khaosod.Online (khaosod.online.com).
Just this weekend, as the internet buzzed about a viral video of a celebrity punching a motorcyclist and forcing him to prostrate to his car, yet another Khaosod clone (this one “Khaosob”) falsely reported the motorcyclist was the nephew of folk rock legend Aed Carabao.
Catch Me if You Can (You Can’t)
Hoax stories first grabbed wide attention in December when a popular television star’s comatose condition became a national obsession fueled by minute-by-minute reports from many media outlets.
A number of faux obits heralding the death of Thrisadee “Por” Sahawong began appearing on social media, but instead of taking readers to fake news stories, then went directly to porn sites.
A month later, an article spread about a 15-year-old boy eaten by a crocodile at a Kanchanaburi resort. It even included a convincing photo of what appeared to be rescue workers removing a human arm from a croc’s belly. The resort filed a lawsuit.
Image of the alleged crocodile attack as reported by hoax news site Khaosod.Online, which poses as the legit news site Khaosod Online
Why go to such lengths? It’s not simply trolling reporters and newsreaders. It’s about money, according to Nattapong, who also serves as a marketing adviser to Matichon Group, the parent company of Khaosod English.
Nattapong said site creators simply place auto-generated ads and wait for the clicks (and money) to come in from unscrupulous ad networks.
He said it’s difficult to estimate how much money they make, as it depends on traffic volume and arrangements with specific networks. A report by the state-owned Thai News Agency said low-grade ads pay about USD$1 dollar per CPM, the standard metric used online for every 1,000 ads served. That means a modestly successful hoax story can earn 3,500 baht in a day.
Nattapong grudgingly admitted it’s a sound business model. All one needs is a copywriter to write convincing, eye-catching stories, a registered domain name and a server somewhere. They’re also very hard to catch.
Khaosod, Matichon, Thairath and Naewna are among news agencies that have filed complaints with the police to prosecute their impersonators. But Nattapong said he hasn’t heard of a single case of someone actually getting caught.
Therdsak Pintasai, a lawyer for Sanook.com, one of the kingdom’s most popular sites, said his team has to go to the police station at least once a month to report Sanook imposters.
“I’m more annoyed than angry, to be honest,” he said.
The fake news post shared on social media was designed to look like it came from Khaosod Online.
It is illegal. Posting false information online is a crime under the Computer Crime Act. Cases filed under the offense are investigated by the Technology Crime Suppression Division, but even the tech cops don’t have the capability to track hoaxes to their source and ask Sanook for help the lawyer said.
Therdsak said his IT team tracked one of the fake sites to a server in the United States. The most they could do was write to its web host and ask for help exposing the identity of the hoaxers.
“I don’t know if they would cooperate,” he said.
Spokedark’s Nattapong said it’s near impossible to pinpoint who’s behind such operations, but he believes their servers are overseas, and some go so far as to pay for online mercenaries to cover their tracks.
When Sharing is Snaring
Readers aren’t the only victims. Some people, disgusted by graphic content or misinformation on the hoax sites, direct their anger at the real news agencies being spoofed.
Nattapong said he worries the trend will harm the credibility of news outlets. The only response is to educate readers on how to spot fake news sites, he said.
“It affects gullible people. I don’t know what percent of newsreaders that is,” he said. “We have to tell readers how to spot fakes.”
The trend comes at a time people’s consumption of news has changed. Readers find stories through social media, where they often only read headlines, said Subhatra Bhumiprabhas, director of watchdog group Media Inside Out.
“I often have this problem,” Subhatra said. “I see on my chat groups. My friends sometimes share hoax news or old news, and I have to intervene and tell them.”
She said it’s the responsibility of news consumers to actually read and exercise caution before believing or sharing stories. Many hoax news are easy to spot if readers look carefully enough.
“For example, there were many people who misunderstood and took ‘Pujadkuan’ as actual news, too,” Subhatra said, referring to a satirical column in Manager newspaper. “It’s because people don’t read much. In fact, they say right there that it’s satire news.”
She agreed with Nattapong that news executives should try to keep their readers informed about hoax news and resort to legal action if the offenders don’t stop.
Vitit Muntarbhorn, a Chulalongkorn University law professor, was appointed in September by the U.N. Human Rights Council to be the first independent expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Photo: Associated Press
BANGKOK — Activists in Thailand worry that a threat to the U.N. appointment of a Thai rights expert as the body’s first independent expert on the protection of LGBT rights would also be a setback to their cause at home.
After welcoming the recent news law professor Vitit Muntarbhorn would be named to the newly appointed position, several LGBT activists spoke of their concerns after the position’s legality was challenged Friday by a bloc of African nations who want to see it eliminated.
“The position might not be guaranteed to solve all problems, but at least there would be someone to gather information and make change for the world’s LGBT situation,” said Chumaporn Taengkliang of Togetherness for Equality and Action. “If the opposition reaches its goal and the position is canceled, it will delay human rights development for LGBT communities in every country.”
The resolution to suspend the position was scheduled for a vote later today. If passed, activists said it would damage the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations by interfering with the actions of its own Human Rights Council.
Chumaporn said the appointment of the 64-year-old Chulalongkorn University law professor would mean having someone to formally report abuses propagated in certain countries where governments infringe on LGBT rights. He would also be positioned to seek solutions for such issues.
“The position aims to open a venue for countries to discuss, exchange and protect their LGBT citizens,” said Paisarn Likhitpreechakul, co-founder of Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice of Thailand.
The position, created in a June resolution by the U.N. Human Rights Council, would study the laws, provide advice and create dialogue on matters of abuse and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity – aka SOGI.
Paisarn said that resolution barely made it through, with 23 of 47 nations voting in favor and six abstaining after intense debate.
“SOGI is new and isn’t accepted in some countries,” Paisarn said, adding that LGBT matters are still culturally sensitive issue in Africa, where homosexuality is illegal in many nations and punishable by death in some.
World Matters at Home
Vitit declined requests to be interviewed, saying he would speak to a reporter after the appointment process was concluded later this month. On Tuesday, attempts to reach him by telephone were unsuccessful.
Prior to his appointment, he had been assigned to North Korean issues by the United Nations and had consulted with its various agencies.
His most notable achievement came in 2006 when he helped draft the Yogyakarta Principles, a nonbinding set of principles endorsing human rights protections on matters of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Apart from his experience on the international stage, Vitit has worked to push forward LGBT issues at home, where many believe there would be many benefits if he maintains the position.
“It was an honor that Vitit was appointed as the independent expert to support LGBT rights. Also, he’s Thai,” said Midnight Poonkasetwattana, executive director APCOM Foundation.
Midnight’s organization signed onto a joint statement with other regional groups rejecting the annulment if the position.
Chumaporn of Togetherness for Equality and Action said Vitit could help to improve LGBT rights not only in Thailand but throughout the Asia Pacific region.
“As the independent expert position wasn’t given to someone from a first world country, I feel proud of Vitit, as he can represent views of Asia and developing countries in improving rights and liberties for everyone,” she said.
She said there are problems that need to be addressed in Thai law, such as the right to marry or change legal titles to match their identity, which creates many practical obstacles in people’s daily lives.
“Vitit will help make Thai people realize and be more active in protecting their rights regardless of sexual orientation, as he clearly understands the issues and problems,” Chumaporn said.
Part of that owes to his prestige, said Paisarn of the SOGI Rights and Justice Foundation.
“Vitit is highly regarded in the public sector,” Paisarn said, which would facilitate finding solutions and increased engagement on issues before more laws are pushed through by those who otherwise ignore them.
“The real problem here is that they don’t understand or listen to civil society, and when we oppose something, they say we should be glad we were born in Thailand and not Iraq or Africa.”
He looks forward to a future where the community’s issues are embraced by all as human issues.
“LGBT issues will be seen more as human rights concerns, not just [matters of] sympathy or sin,” he said. “It’s important for LGBT people to be treated as human beings.”
Taken through a tinted glass, Rurik Jutting, a British banker, sitting in a prison bus arrives at a court in 2014 in Hong Kong. Photo: Vincent Yu / Associated Press
HONG KONG — A British banker was convicted of murder Tuesday for killing two Indonesian women in Hong Kong, torturing one of them over three days while using cocaine in a gruesome case that shocked the Chinese financial hub.
The nine-person jury returned unanimous verdicts against Rurik Jutting after a two-week trial in the High Court. The slayings in 2014 and the disclosures as the case developed highlighted Hong Kong’s significant inequality as well as the decadent lifestyles of some members of the former British colony’s expatriate elite.
Jutting faces a mandatory life sentence. In a statement his lawyer asked to be read into the court record, Jutting said he was sorry and accepted the verdicts as “just and appropriate punishment.” He also said he was haunted by his actions and the pain he’d caused to the women’s loved ones.
He was convicted for killing 23-year-old Sumarti Ningsih and killing 26-year-old Seneng Mujiasih days later.
Jurors were shown graphic smartphone video clips filmed by Jutting in which he tortured Sumarti before slitting her throat and then stuffed her body inside a suitcase that he left on the balcony of his upscale apartment near Hong Kong’s famous Wan Chai red-light district.
Jutting had attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. Prosecutors rejected that argument but the jury could have considered it on its own.
The Cambridge University graduate was working at the Hong Kong office of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in structured equity finance and trading at the time of the killings.
He had offered both women large sums of money to come back to his apartment to have sex.
Seneng was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa after an earlier stay as a foreign maid. Sumarti was officially on a maid visa but was working at a bar. They were among Hong Kong’s more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers, most of them women from Indonesia or the Philippines.
Yang Zheng, at left, is led Tuesday morning to the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court in Bangkok.
BANGKOK — Four Chinese men were ordered imprisoned for over 30 years for the bungled attempted robbery of a gun shop in Chinatown nine months ago.
Yang Zheng, Geng Ma, Kunpeng Li and Junwei Sun were convicted on multiple counts and sentenced to lengthy prison terms Tuesday morning at the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok.
On March 4, four Chinese-speaking men armed with BB guns and knives entered the Interarms gunshop on Charoen Krung Road with a poorly considered plan to rob it. The well-armed owner and staff at the store opened fire on them, killing Xingjun Wu.
The would-be robbers fled but were quickly captured. Gang leader Yang Cheng didn’t take part in the failed robbery and fled Bangkok. He was caught the next day in Nakhon Sawan province on a train bound for Chiang Mai.
Police said they had traveled to Thailand from Harbin in the north of China on orders to steal guns in Bangkok.
Junwei Sun was convicted on five counts including attempted murder, forgery, weapon possession and assaulting police. He was sentenced to 35 years and four months behind bars in addition to a fine of 3,000 baht.
The other three — Yang Zheng, Geng Ma and Kunpeng Li — were convicted of four charges and sentenced to 34 years and 10 months in jail, along with the 3,000 baht fine.
Dixville Notche's first voter Clay Smith drops his ballot into the box as moderator Tom Tillotson watches Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Photo: Jim Cole / Associated Press
DIXVILLE, New Hampshire — Hillary Clinton got off to a very early lead in the 2016 presidential election, winning over the voters of Dixville, New Hampshire, by a 4-2 margin over Donald Trump.
Polls in the tiny New Hampshire towns of Dixville, Hart’s Location and Millsfield opened just after midnight Tuesday and closed as soon as everyone had voted. These die-hard voters are proud to have the first word on the big vote.
While Clinton won half the Dixville votes, Libertarian Gary Johnson took one and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney got a write-in vote.
Under New Hampshire state law, communities with fewer than 100 voters can get permission to open their polls at midnight and close them as soon as all registered voters have cast their ballots.
Containers are loaded onto a cargo ship in 2010 at the Tianjin port in China. Photo: Andy Wong / Associated Press
BEIJING — China’s exports fell again in October in a fresh sign that weak global demand is complicating efforts by Beijing leaders to shore up economic growth and reduce reliance on trade and investment.
Exports contracted by 7.3 percent from a year earlier to USD $178.1 billion, an improvement from September’s 10 percent decline, customs data showed Tuesday. Imports fell 1.4 percent to USD $129.1 billion, compared with the previous month’s 1.9 percent decline.
“Goods exports improved somewhat in October after the major setback in September, but not enough to prevent a further loss of momentum and underscoring that the recent trend toward somewhat stronger global demand growth remains fragile,” Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics said in a report.
Growth in the world’s second-largest economy held steady at 6.7 percent in the three months ending in September, but that was the lowest quarterly level since the 2008 global crisis. Growth was shored up by consumer spending and a bank lending boom but forecasters expect it to weaken because regulators are trying to cool a surge in real estate prices and credit.
Exports for the first 10 months of this year are down 7.7 percent from the same period of last year, while imports are off 7.5 percent.
China’s global trade surplus widened to USD $49 billion in October from September’s USD $42 billion. The surplus with the United States was USD $23.7 billion and that with the 27-nation European Union, China’s biggest trading partner, was USD $12.1 billion.
Chinese leaders want to reduce reliance on trade but their plans call for keeping exports stable to avoid politically dangerous job losses.
The trade weakness has temporarily set back reform plans by forcing Beijing to shore up growth with higher spending on public works construction and bank lending.
Chinese leaders have warned the economic outlook will be “L-shaped,” meaning its five-year-long decline is expected to level off but there is no sharp rebound in sight.
“Imports continued to do better than exports, signaling that domestic demand held up well through October, although we expect downward pressures on domestic demand to remain going forward,” said Kuijs.
A supermoon is observed Sept. 9, 2014 Photo: Dave Grubb / Flickr
BANGKOK — Moon and river will come together for an exceptional Loy Krathong this year.
Monday’s full moon will not only be the brightest and biggest of the year but its closest orbital approach to the Earth in 68 years, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand.
In fact it will be the closest approach since 1948 and won’t be repeated until 2034, according to NASA.
Monday’s event, in which the full moon coincides with the closest approach, is known as a supermoon.
A mere 356,511 kilometers from the earth at its closest approach, the moon will look 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, the institute said. It will be visible in the eastern sky from sunset at about 6pm onward.
The institute will provide telescopes for public use at their regional observatories in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chachoengsao provinces, as well as Chiang Mai’s CentralFestival shopping mall.
BANGKOK — A new music video of the Royal Anthem that will be played in cinemas nationwide was approved Tuesday by junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha.
The new version, which will replace the current one shown before films and performances, is 10-minutes long according to producer Chatrichalerm Yukol. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Sanam Luang on Oct. 22 to sing the anthem for filming, one of the largest public rallies in recent history.
“The prime minister watched it. He was pleased with it, and he liked it a lot,” Chatrichalerm, a royal descendant who’s produced other films in honor of the monarchy, told reporters at Government House.
Written in 1913, the song honors the presiding monarch and typically plays before films, concerts and other entertainment events, during which time the audience is asked to stand in respect. The current version pays homage to King Bhumibol, who died on Oct. 13 at 88.
The next step is to submit the video to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn for approval, the filmmaker said.
The music video will be simultaneously released on television and in cinemas across the country, Chatrichalerm said. There will be only one version of the video, he added.
Actor Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie arrive for the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2007 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Angelina Jolie Pitt will continue to have sole custody of her six children with Brad Pitt in a joint agreement reached by the actors, a representative for the actress said Monday.
The agreement calls for the former couple’s six children, who range in ages from 8 to 15, to continue to have “therapeutic visits” with Pitt.
Jolie Pitt filed for divorce in September, days after Pitt was involved in a disturbance during a private fight with his family. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakup, and an attorney said at the time she filed for divorce “for the health of the family.”
Monday’s statement said the agreement was reached more than a week ago in consultation with childcare professionals. It says no further details could be provided, and it makes no mention of an investigation by child welfare workers into the plane incident.
Pitt and Jolie Pitt reached a temporary custody agreement in late September that included at least some of the same terms – visitation with his children and both sides agreeing to meetings with therapists.
“We believe that all sides are committed to healing the family and ask for your consideration during this difficult time,” Monday’s statement said.
A representative for Pitt declined comment.
The actor filed a legal response to the divorce on Friday and sought joint custody of the children. Whether a judge will have to weigh in on the agreement was not immediately clear, although many parents are able to work out custody agreements without a formal hearing.
Pitt’s filing does not include any new details about the couple’s breakup. Pitt cited irreconcilable differences and makes no mention of a prenuptial agreement that will govern how the pair divides their assets. He also cites Sept. 15 as the day of their separation, one day after the alleged plane altercation between Pitt and his 15-year-old son, Maddox.
Pitt was accused of being abusive toward the teenager, sources told The Associated Press, but authorities were not notified when the plane landed in Minnesota. Several sources said the incident was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, but the agency said it could not confirm whether it was involved.
The actors were married for two years and together for 12 years after becoming close while filming 2005’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”
