Koreans Donate Kimchi to Needy at Kimchi Festival

By

-

4 November 2016, 16:32

Volunteer Kim Yeon-sook, left, tastes kimchi, Korean pickled vegetables, from her colleague Lee Hyun-sook as they make it to donate to needy neighbors for winter preparation on Friday during the Seoul kimchi festival in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press

SEOUL — Thousands of South Koreans and tourists gathered at the Seoul kimchi festival on Friday to make 50 tons of the traditional pungent vegetable by mixing cabbage, other leaves and chili sauce and donate it to needy neighbors.

It’s the third year the event has taken place and volunteers spoke of their happiness at being able to help others.

“I am very pleased that I can help financially challenged or isolated neighbors through making kimchi,” said volunteer Kang Gum-suk.

Another participant, in Kyoung-ja, said that “the fact that such a sharing culture is being spread in South Korea makes me happy.”

Hospital, Police Trade Blame as ‘Millionaire Pretty’ Treated For Stress

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

-

4 November 2016, 16:20

Kritrada Tabtimphol in a photo posted Aug. 26. Photo: Kritrada Zomy Tabtimphol / Facebook

BANGKOK — Three days after an internet celeb allegedly injured three people on a busy road, she had yet to be charged with any crime, and the results of a drug test were still unavailable.

On Friday, the case which has invited complaints about two-tiered justice didn’t seem to be moving forward, with the head police investigator and a hospital director pointing fingers at each other over delayed test results for Kritrada Tabtimphol.

Read: Cops Waived Sobriety Test for Net Idol ‘Millionaire Pretty’

Kritrada, a successful online entrepreneur known as “Millionaire Pretty,” behaved erratically after allegedly causing a multi-vehicle accident Tuesday but was allowed to depart without undergoing any sobriety test. She’s since been admitted to a hospital for treatment of “stress,” where a blood test was conducted upon her arrival.

“We submitted the request on Nov. 2, but the [hospital] still hasn’t sent it to us,” said Papinawit Senaplaeng, deputy inspector of Huai Khwang police. “They’re waiting for the director to sign it first.”

Songpol Chawaltanpipat, director of Ratchaburi Hospital, denied any request had reached him. Kritrada, 28, is being treated in his hospital’s psychiatric ward for stress.

“I haven’t received any documents from the police,” Songpol said by telephone. “When did they say they sent it to me? … Maybe it hasn’t arrived yet?”

Songpol also said hospital staff needed to check the results for accuracy before sending the report to police.

“We have to wait and confirm them. It takes a little time. There can be false positives and false negatives,” the hospital director said. He would not give any timeframe.

The crash took place Tuesday afternoon in front of the Esplanade shopping mall.
Kritlada allegedly caused eight vehicles to crash and shouted about a bomb when she exited her BMW. She also appeared to be praying or meditating in the road.

Under the law, any motorist involved in an accident who does not submit to a sobriety test is automatically charged with driving under the influence. Yet police waived that for Kritrada, saying she was too deranged.

Capt. Papinawat said police couldn’t test her at the police station because she was acting like a madman and couldn’t communicate with officers. Police eventually let her be taken away by her family. They took her to the hospital, where she was tested upon arrival.

Papinawat denied making an exception and said legal prosecution would proceed despite the delay.

“It won’t affect the case at all. If we find any substance in her body, we will simply file an additional charge [of DUI],” the police captain said. “It won’t affect the court case.”

Papinawat added that police have yet to file charges relating to reckless driving and injuring others because she was still being treated for stress, and the doctor in charge would not allow police officers to speak with her.

“I talked with the doctor yesterday, and he said the patient is not in a condition to give testimony,” Papinawat said.

The incident has prompted some to lash out at the authorities for seemingly sparing Kritrada from the full force of the law, similar to other cases of traffic accidents involving the prominent or wealthy.

“She’s just doing the same as many other well off celebrity or hiso elites have done before her,” user Baerboxer wrote in response to the news in the ThaiVisa forums.

Praewa Completes Community Service, 4 Years After Court Orders It

Out of Sight and Mind, Actress’ Fatal Crash Case Ends Without Jail Time

Prosecutor Backtracks on Bringing Red Bull Heir to Court

Thousands Protest In Jakarta Against Gov’s Alleged Blasphemy

By

Associated Press

-

4 November 2016, 16:17

Muslim protesters march Friday during a demonstration in Jakarta, Indonesia. Tens of thousands of hard-line Muslims converged Friday on the center of the Indonesian capital to demand the arrest of its minority-Christian governor for alleged blasphemy. Photo: Achmad Ibrahim / AP

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Tens of thousands of hard-line Muslims converged Friday on the center of the Indonesian capital to demand the arrest of its minority-Christian governor for alleged blasphemy.

Fearing violence, police have put on a show of force supported by soldiers and public order officers, while embassies closed, some shops shuttered and Jakarta’s normally traffic-clogged streets were nearly empty of cars.

The predominantly male demonstrators, most wearing white shirts and skull caps, massed at the Istiqlal Mosque for the protest following weekly Friday prayers and marched on the nearby presidential palace. Protests are also taking place in other cities including Medan on Sumatra, Makassar in Sulawesi and Malang in East Java.

The accusation of blasphemy against Jakarta Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese and minority Christian who is an ally of the country’s president, has galvanized his political opponents in the Muslim-majority nation of 250 million, and given a notorious group of hard-liners a national stage.

The Islamic Defenders Front, a vigilante group that wants to impose Shariah law, is demanding Ahok’s arrest after a video circulated online in which he joked to an audience about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. The governor has apologized for the comment and met with police.

“We are here because we want to defend the verses of God that have been abused by Ahok,” said Nasrullah Achmad, who came from Bekasi, a Jakarta satellite city, with dozens of others from his Islamic study group. They raised clenched fists and shouted “God is Great.”

“Only one thing can stop us: Ahok’s arrest,” said Achmad.

Some protesters snapped selfies of themselves wearing headbands emblazoned with “Arrest Ahok” and others cheered as speakers denounced him with hate-filled language. Many held aloft flags and banners with slogans such as “Ahok is an enemy of Islam.”

Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Indonesia and prosecutions have increased in the past decade though most people practice a moderate form of Islam. Amnesty International documented 106 convictions between 2004 and 2014 with some imprisoned for up to five years.

Television showed Ahok visiting a Jakarta neighborhood and talking to residents, who greeted him enthusiastically.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and other national figures have called for a peaceful demonstration amid fears Islamic State group supporters might try to cause chaos.

The simmering political climate has provided an opening for the Islamic Defenders Front to burnish its credentials as protector of Indonesia’s majority faith at the expense of mainstream Muslim groups.

Ahok, who is seeking a second term as Jakarta governor, is popular with the city’s middle class. He is adored as a blunt speaker who doesn’t tolerate corruption and articulates a vision to make the chaotic, dysfunctional city more like clean, orderly and efficient Singapore.

But the anti-corruption stance has made him enemies, and the evictions of thousands of the city’s poorest people to make way for urban improvement has stoked anger and resentment and played to a stereotype of Chinese as exploiters of Indonesia’s poor Muslim masses.

On the national stage, Ahok is ranged against former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose son is a candidate for Jakarta governor, a position that is a stepping stone to national leadership.

Story: Niniek Karmini and Ali Kotarumalos

Pet Lovers Play Cat and Mouse (and Puppy) in Bangkok’s Condos

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

-

4 November 2016, 15:51

Juju, 2, juxtaposed over a Bangkokian sunset. Background Photo: Mike Behnken / Flickr

Top: Juju, 2, juxtaposed over a Bangkok sunset. Original image: Mike Behnken / Flickr

BANGKOK — It was soon after Katrina Ganikaa Lavery accidentally shared some pics with her landlord that she realized she had made a terrible mistake. Some of the photos showed her mom playing with Juju, her 2-year-old cat.

That was in March. For months afterward she dodged questions about whether she had a pet until the landlord arranged to come check the apartment.

“I arranged with my good friend to keep my cat at her apartment for the day my landlord was supposed to come, and the whole week I was cleaning the apartment like crazy,” Katrina said.

She even hid her tall cat tree inside a closet, behind a bunch of towels and boxes. The landlord’s inspection was cursory, but soon after Lavery received a call from her cat-sitting savior.

“Apparently, someone in her building reported that they had heard a cat in her room, so her landlord was on the way to go check if there was an animal there,” said Katrina, 22. “I had to rush all the way across town to pick up my cat so that my friend wouldn’t get in trouble as well!”

That’s the reality for pet owners in Bangkok, a city with a burgeoning pet culture that runs up against “no pets allowed” at most condominiums and apartments.

“Honestly, the whole condos-not-allowing-pets-in-Bangkok is so annoying and I really find it limits the amount of animals that can be fostered and adopted in Bangkok,” said Emma Scannell, a 28-year old Briton who’s lived in Thailand four months.

Juju, 2, at her condo in the Parkland Grand Asoke.

There is no law forbidding pets in apartment complexes or condos, yet most complexes prohibit them nonetheless.

Why? Neighbors, said one developer.

“We’re concerned that pets will make loud noises, and their poop and pee may bother people living in the condo,” said Pratheep Tungmitithum, chairman of Supalai Corp., which builds homes, townhouses and condos.

Those policies are left up to each building’s management, he said, noting that 90 percent of Supalai’s condos don’t allow pets.

The Address (AP Thai) and Ideo (Ananda Development), for example, forbid all pets except fish in a tank. Developer Sansiri doesn’t allow any furry companions in their Bangkok condos, but dogs shorter than 15 inches and lighter than 10 kilograms can vacation at their Hua Hin properties.

The outcome of the battle over pets are elaborate games of cat and mouse such as that played by Lavery and Juju.

But management at some places are okay with keeping an open secret.

“Have whatever pets you want, but if management sees, we will need to issue a warning,” whispered someone answering the phone at The Lofts Ekkamai, who declined to give his name.

Hiding bark-monsters and meow-machines is a matter of discretion.

A Persian cat peeks from inside a closet. Photo: Alex / Flickr

“There are definitely people hiding their pets around, and there’s usually no problem unless the owner’s neighbors complain,” laughed a woman answering the phone at The Met Sathorn, who also didn’t want to be named for fear of repercussions from her employer.

Even in strict no-pet zones, some get by with tipping staff with cash or food to keep their secret safe.

That’s the advice Sheridan, a 29-year-old Australian woman, got from her real estate agent who showed her a condo on Soi Sukhumvit 65: Bribe security and cleaning staff money every week to keep her kitten and bunny secret. Sheridan asked that her last name be withheld for the sake of their continued cohabitation.

“Thai people always keep it a secret, and if you have rescued it they usually don’t care so much, as you have saved a life,” Sheridan recounted the agent telling her.

Then there’s Lindsay, who like Sheridan spoke on condition of anonymity, who has lived in Thailand for a decade.

When the 40-year-old American’s cat escapes outside, the security guards bring it back to her.

“Most of what we do is try and make sure that the neighbors are happy, and we give extra-nice gifts to the security guards at the end of the year,” she said.

A Shiba Inu hides under a bed. Photo: AJScharleston / Flickr

There are a few condos which allow – even welcome – pets.

Ekamai Gardens charges 5,000 baht per pet every six months, and M Condo allows all pets under 15 kilograms. Others such as Insaf Towers and portions of Happy Condo Ladprao 101 allow owners to have any pets without any charge or limit.

“We stipulated we needed pet-friendly accommodation when we were searching, and although it limited our options somewhat, we still had several options to choose from,” Kirsten Ramsay, a kiwi here already for a year with her two cats, wrote online in Bangkok Pet Lovers. At the pet-friendly Insaf Towers, neighbors even cat-sit for each other.

Petra Rylichova, 47, came from the Czech Republic to Thailand five years ago. She lives in Ekamai Gardens with her dog, two cats, hamster and fish. Although technically pets are forbidden in common areas, she said the management doesn’t care when she takes her dog for a walk.

“Pets are not allowed in common areas such as the pool or playground or your own balcony. I found that very strange and actually nobody cares. When I go out with my dog I walk through the garage and it is no problem at all.”

Ex-Maxim Model Arrested for Shoplifting at Emporium

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

-

4 November 2016, 12:22

Natcharot ‘Tak’ Ployplye arrested Thursday, at left, and in a 2010 magazine spread, at right.

BANGKOK — A former model may be charged with both theft and drug use after she was caught stealing a dress from from the Emporium shopping mall, police said Friday.

Natcharot “Tak” Ployplye, 30, a Miss Maxim contestant in 2010, was arrested Thursday morning after she attempted to run off with a 9,500 baht dress she was trying on at the high-end shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road.

Natcharot had tried on the dress and then asked store manager Woraya Seniwong Na Ayutthaya to get her a larger size. As Woraya turned to fetch her another dress, she said Natcharot started speed-walking out of the store without paying for the one she had on.

Woraya quickly called security, and Natcharot was arrested for theft by police.

“I was the one who caught her. She looked like she was on drugs but refused to give her real name and refused to pee for a urine test,” Lt. Col. Achirawet Suphanpesatch said Friday.

She later tested positive for drugs, he added, saying that Natcharot’s theft charge may be compounded by a count of drug use.

Constitution Monument Pushed Aside for Rail Line

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

-

4 November 2016, 11:50

A crane begins removal of the Defense of the Constitution

BANGKOK — In the end, no one was there to defend the Defense of the Constitution.

After standing proud in the middle of Ramintra junction for 80 years, the historic site that commemorated a victory over the royalist counterrevolution in 1933 was moved Thursday night to make way for a new elevated rail line linking Mo Chit to the northern suburb of Pathum Thani.

The operation was done without much fanfare, though a religious ceremony was briefly held for the souls of government soldiers killed in the civil strife, whose ashes are interred inside the memorial.

The Defense of the Constitution Monument, more commonly known as the Crushing Rebellion Monument, marked the government’s victory over a group of pro-palace generals who rebelled in 1933 to overturn the revolution of the previous year that replaced absolute monarchy with democracy.

The monument has mostly been ignored, its only significance being a landmark at a busy intersection. But in 2010, Redshirt supporters and progressive activists started organizing rallies there. The monument became a rallying point for those who see themselves as the reincarnation of the forces which brought democracy to Thailand 83 years ago.

But it stood in the way of construction of the Green Line, so plans were made for its relocation. The sight of a crane removing the monument in the dead of night came as some ultra-royalists threaten to destroy other legacies of the 1932 democratic revolution, such as a plaque marking the spot where revolutionary leaders announced the end of absolute monarchy.

Two years ago, authorities demolished an 80-year-old monument to the constitution in Buriram province.

However, as history geeks and activists were relieved to find out, the Defense of the Constitution Monument didn’t go far. Its new location stands just 100 meters from the original site.

An undated file photo of Redshirt rally at the Defense of the Constitution Monument. Image: Prachatai

On Anniversary of Democracy, Cops Intercept and Arrest Observers (Photos)

It Happened! Cubs Win Epic Game 7 to End Series Drought

By

Associated Press

-

4 November 2016, 11:05

Chicago Cubs fans celebrate in front of Wrigley Field in Chicago on Wednesday after the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game 7 of the baseball World Series in Cleveland. Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

CLEVELAND — Kris Bryant started to smile even before he fielded the ball. And with his throw to first for the final out, the agonizing wait ’til next year was over at last.

No more Billy Goat, no more Bartman, no more black-cat curses.

For a legion of fans who waited a lifetime, fly that W: Your Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.

Ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration, the Cubs won their first title since 1908, outlasting the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller early Thursday.

They even had to endure an extra-inning rain delay to end the drought.

“It happened. It happened. Chicago, it happened,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said after gloving the ball for the final out. “We did it. We’re world champions. I tell ya, we’re world champions. I can’t believe it.”

Rizzo put that final ball in his pocket as the Cubs piled up in the middle of the diamond, David Ross got carried off the field by his teammates and Bill Murray partied in the clubhouse.

And the whole time, blue-clad fans who traveled from Wrigley Field filled nearly the entire lower deck behind the Chicago dugout at Progressive Field, singing “Go, Cubs, Go!” in rain. They held up those white flags with the large blue “W” on a night many of their forebears had waited for in vain.

Lovable losers for generations, the Cubs nearly let this one get away, too. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman blew a 6-3 lead with two outs in the eighth when Rajai Davis hit a tying, two-run homer.

But the Cubs, after tormenting their fans one more time, came right back after a 17-minute rain delay before the top of the 10th.

Series MVP Ben Zobrist hit an RBI double and Miguel Montero singled home a run to make it 8-6. Davis delivered an RBI single with two outs in the bottom half, but Mike Montgomery closed it out at 12:47 a.m., and the celebration was on.

“I think about so many millions of people giving so much love and support to this team for so many years,” said owner Tom Ricketts, whose family bought the team in 2009.

Manager Joe Maddon’s team halted the longest stretch without a title in baseball, becoming the first club to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.

“This is an epic game. It’s epic. I can’t believe we were able to do it — 108 years in the making,” Zobrist said. “We did it.”

“They never quit, either,” Zobrist said. “They kept coming at us.”

Cleveland was trying to win its first crown since 1948, but manager Terry Francona’s club lost the last two games at home.

World Series favorites since spring training, Chicago led the majors with 103 wins this season.

The Cubs then ended more than a century of misery for their loyal fans — barely. Bryant, one of Chicago’s young stars, began to celebrate even before fielding a grounder by Michael Martinez to third base and throwing it across to Rizzo for the last out.

“It’s the best rain delay of all-time,” Rizzo said.

Zobrist got a Series-high 10 hits, a year after he helped the Royals win the championship. Zobrist was among the players brought to the Cubs by Theo Epstein, the baseball guru who added another crown to his collection. He also assembled the Red Sox team that broke Boston’s 86-year drought by winning in 2004.

From Curse of the Bambino to the Billy Goat Curse, he ended another jinx.

“We don’t need a plane to fly home,” Epstein said. “It’s fitting it’s got to be done with one of the best games of all time.”

Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward had called a meeting during the rain delay, talking to his teammates in the weight room.

“I just had to remind everybody who we are, what we’ve overcome to get here,” he said.

While Cubs fans hugged with delight, there was only despair for the Indians, who now have gone longer than anyone without a crown. In the Indians’ previous World Series appearance, they were a double-play grounder from winning the 1997 title before losing Game 7 in 11 innings to the Marlins.

“It’s going to hurt. It hurts because we care, but they need to walk with their head held high because they left nothing on the field,” Francona said.

Earlier this year, LeBron James and the Cavaliers ended Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat Golden State for the NBA title. James and teammates were in a suite, rooting hard, as the Indians absorbed the same blow as the Warriors.

After defeating San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, Chicago became the first team to earn a title by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dexter Fowler homered on Corey Kluber’s fourth pitch of the game, and 23-year-old Javier Baez and the 39-year-old Ross — set to now retire — also went deep for the Cubs, who led 5-1 in the fifth inning and 6-3 in the eighth.

Chapman wound up with the win, and Montgomery got one out for his first save in the majors.

Bryan Shaw, who gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Schwarber in the 10th, took the loss in just the fourth Game 7 that went to extra innings.

Albert Almora Jr., pinch-running for Schwarber, alertly took second on Bryant’s long fly to center. Rizzo was intentionally walked, and Zobrist slapped an opposite-field double past diving third baseman Jose Ramirez. Montero singled to make it a two-run lead.

Then in the bottom half, Carl Edwards Jr. struck out Mike Napoli, Ramirez grounded out, Brandon Guyer walked and Davis hit an RBI single. Montgomery took over, and helped set off a wild celebration on Chicago’s North Side.

Even a dedicated White Sox fan could appreciate the victory.

“It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That’s change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?” President Barack Obama tweeted.

Twenty-one other teams had won the World Series since the Cubs last were champions. They reached the top again on the 39,466th day after Orval Overall’s three-hit shutout won the 1908 finale at Detroit in a game that took 1 hour, 24 minutes — this latest Game 7 lasted 4:24, not including the rain delay.

Back then, Theodore Roosevelt was president, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states, and the first Ford Model T car was two weeks old.

The Cubs were last champions when Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance won consecutive titles in 1907-08, until now the only ones in team history. The Cubbies had not even reached the Series since 1945.

This one was for Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, who never reached the postseason.

For Gabby Hartnett, Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux, whose October runs fell short.

For Lee Elia and the “nickle-dime people” who spent so many wind-swept afternoons in the Friendly Confines watching loss after loss.

For Bill Veeck, who planted ivy vines against Wrigley Field’s outfield walls.

For William Sianis, the Billy Goat Tavern owner said to have proclaimed when he was asked to leave Wrigley with his pet during the ’45 Series: “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.”

For Steve Bartman, whose life was upended when he tried to catch a foul ball as the Cubs came apart in the 2003 playoffs.

And for Harry Caray, who promised viewers after the 1991 finale that “sure as God made green apples, someday the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series.”

Maddon, hired before the 2015 season, won his first Series title after establishing a loose clubhouse that featured at times Warren the pink flamingo, Simon the magician and the motto: “Try not to suck.”

“It was just an epic battle,” Zobrist said. “Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up, either, and I can’t believe we’re finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.”

Story: Ronald Blum

Embattled South Korea President: Scandal ‘My Fault and Mistake’

By

Associated Press

-

4 November 2016, 10:50

South Korean President Park Geun-hye speaks during an address to the nation last November at the presidential Blue House in Seoul. Photo: Ed Jones / Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea — In an extraordinary display of abject apology during a moment of supreme crisis, South Korean President Park Geun-hye took sole blame Friday for a “heartbreaking” scandal amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Park also vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but the opposition, sensing weakness, immediately said that if she doesn’t accept a prime minster chosen by the parliament and withdraw from dealing with domestic affairs, it will push for her ouster.

“I feel a huge responsibility (for the scandal) deep in my heart,” Park said, her voice shaking during the high-stakes televised address to the nation over a scandal that threatens her rule. “It is all my fault and mistake.”

Park’s comments were rife with astonishing moments, and included a frank assessment of her relationship with the woman at the heart of the scandal, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader and a longtime friend of Park’s.

“I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening,” Park said. “Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, ‘Is this the reason I became president?'”

In another exceptional moment, Park denied media speculation that she had “fallen into worshipping cult religions or that shamanistic rituals were held at the presidential Blue House.”

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency. Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while re-establishing her tarnished credibility. She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and faced criticism even before this scandal, particularly for the government’s response to a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

One national poll had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any leader in South Korea’s 68-year history.

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park said. “If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too.”

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined “public relations” issues.

Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi had went much deeper. There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers, helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park’s wardrobe.

Thousands have protested. Park has fired many of her senior aides and is replacing her prime minister.

Choi has been formally arrested, and the president’s nominee for prime minister, the country’s No. 2 job, has suggested that Park can be directly investigated, despite her immunity from prosecution.

Park said she couldn’t talk about many specifics because of the investigation, but she was frank in her comments about her involvement with Choi, who has been the subject of widespread rage.

Choi was “a person who stood with me during the hardest moment in my life,” Park said in her speech, apparently referring to the assassinations of Park’s mother and later her father, the dictator Park Chung-hee. “It’s true that I lowered my guard and my sense of wariness” of Choi.

In addition to allegations that Choi influenced Park behind the scenes, reports allege Choi pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations that she controlled.

Only Choi has been formally arrested in connection with the scandal, but On Wednesday night, prosecutors detained one of Park’s former senior presidential secretaries after summoning him for alleged involvement in extracting $70 million in donations. Prosecutors have 48 hours to determine whether to request an arrest warrant for Ahn Jong-beom or release him.

Park has fired eight presidential aides and nominated three new top Cabinet officials, including the prime minister, in an effort to regain public confidence. Opposition parties have described Park’s personnel reshuffles as a tactic to divert attention from the scandal.

Park may survive what has become the worst patch of an already rocky term. But if her choice for prime minister is rejected and she is forced to name someone chosen by the opposition, it will hamstring her authority and may end her ability to govern.

On Thursday, Park’s choice for prime minister, Kim Byong-joon, said at a news conference that he thinks it’s possible to have Park investigated, though he said the procedures and methods of any probe of the head of state must be carefully handled.

Story: Foster Klug and Hyung-Jin Kim

Myanmar’s Farmers Face Criminal Charges Over Land Rights

By

Associated Press

-

3 November 2016, 18:48

A golden stupa stands last October in a temple compound surrounded by modern buildings in Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: Elaine Kurtenbach / Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar — Despite the process of democratic transition, farmers in Myanmar’s Karen state are being pushed off their land and face arrest and prison for standing up for their rights, an international watchdog reported Thursday.

A report by Human Rights Watch shed light on land confiscation in Myanmar, which has escalated in recent years with the military and armed groups driving people from their land. Eastern Karen state, on the border with Thailand, has been engulfed in conflict between Myanmar’s troops and ethnic rebels for more than half a century, resulting in massive displacements of villagers.

Well-connected business owners, militia leaders, and government officials exploit land laws and regulatory weakness to obtain land from farmers who have been long using it, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch.

The Southeast Asian nation’s 70 percent of the population live off agriculture and depend on land for survival.

The Assistant Association for Political Prisoners, a pressure group, said that more than 40 farmers were on trial while three have been sentenced to three to five years’ imprisonment on charges of protesting usurpation of their land rights.

They are among 98 “political prisoners” and 104 political activists on trial in Myanmar, said Kyaw Soe, the group’s assistant manager.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, which took office more than five months ago following five decades of military rule, has not responded to any of the particular cases, Human Rights Watch said.

The state government in Karen did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment on Thursday.

“The authorities has not been able to solve any of the land grab issue in Karen state until now, because they have no powerful influence on the military or any armed groups and this is a great loss for many farmers,” said Naw Ohn Hla, a prominent human rights defender and land rights activist.

When civilians flee their homes to escape conflict, militias operating under the central government, police or local authorities usually confiscate the land, he said.

The government’s repressive laws on freedom of expression have suppressed dissent among farmers, who have no other form of recourse, the report said.

Story: Esther Htusan

Schoolkids Wear Eyepatches to Learn About King Bhumibol

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

-

3 November 2016, 17:48

YALA — Many on social media on Thursday were praising a teacher who instructed her fourth graders to cover their right eyes to appreciate how His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol must have felt when he toiled for the nation with only one good eye.

A photo of the activity drew widespread admiration from social media users after it was shared online Wednesday. Many comments praised the teacher, identified as Kanokkwan Rojanasawinya of Yala Anubarn School, for her creativity.

Read: King Bhumibol, Monarch and Father to Millions, 88

“First day of class… the teacher told her students to work with one eyes closed and think of someone, about how difficult it was for him to work with only one eye for us throughout decades,” the admin of Voice From Motherland page wrote in a caption to the post that had been shared more than 1,000 times by Thursday.

King Bhumibol, who died Oct. 13 at 88, lost his right eye in a car accident in Switzerland in October 1948, when he was 20. He was hospitalized in Lausanne for treatment, and it was during his recovery that he became close to his future wife, Sirikit.

The teacher behind the stunt wrote online that she did it in class Tuesday in hope her students would appreciate the late monarch’s sacrifices.

“I didn’t want to promote myself,” Kanokkwan wrote on Facebook. “My intention was hoping that this teacher would make more good people. I wanted the students to be grateful for His Majesty the King.”

Kanokkwan could not be reached for further comment Thursday.

According to the photos she posted, she teaches fourth grade at the school in the southern border province.

“When I didn’t read the caption, I thought the entire class was infected by some disease, but after I read it, I understood what the teacher was teaching. Brillant idea,” Facebook user Suwara Saibuakaew wrote in reply.

King Bhumibol was revered by many Thais as a wise fatherly figure who worked tirelessly for the nation throughout his 70 years on the throne. The government has declared a year of national mourning.

Bangkok, Famed Capital of Free-Wheeling Fun, Goes Dark Indefinitely (Photos)

Black Friday: Crowds Throng Palace For Final Glimpse of King (Photos)

Crowds Swell Along Route of King’s Journey to Palace

Prayuth Calls for Year of Mourning for King

Grief Pours Out Home and Abroad for Death of King Bhumibol

King Bhumibol, Monarch and Father to Millions, 88

Hot News

LATEST NEWS