ISIS flag, adapted by Abu Sayyaf for personal use. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
MANILA — The Philippine military says it has killed 70 Abu Sayyaf militants and captured 32 others in a major offensive that began in July against the group, which is accused of kidnapping sailors from neighboring countries for ransom.
Military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said Tuesday that 34 other militants surrendered under pressure from military assaults in the southern provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to destroy the Abu Sayyaf, which is accused of kidnapping Malaysian and Indonesian tugboat crewmen in a series of attacks that prompted the three countries to map out a joint strategy to strengthen sea border security.
Duterte plans to discuss the Abu Sayyaf threat when he visits Malaysia next week.
TOKYO — A popular teenage all-girls band in Japan is under fire for performing in outfits resembling Nazi-era German military uniforms.
The members of Keyakizaka46 appeared recently in dark gray capes and knee-length dresses that look like military overcoats, and wore officer caps with a Nazi-like eagle emblem.
The U.S.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center says it is disgusted by the uniforms and is calling on Sony Music and the group’s producer to apologize. The center is a human rights group focused on anti-Semitism and hate speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yazz-6K6Xg4
The Wiesenthal Center’s Rabbi Abraham Cooper said in a statement Monday that “Watching young teens on the stage and in the audience dancing in Nazi-style uniforms causes great distress to the victims of the Nazi genocide.”
Sony officials were not immediately available for comment.
ZHUHAI, China — China’s J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut at an air show on Tuesday, in the latest sign of the growing sophistication of the country’s military technology.
The fifth-generation warplane, which outwardly resembles the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor in service with the U.S. military, performed a series of maneuvers under overcast skies at Airshow China in the southern city of Zhuhai.
The long-range J-20, armed with air-to-air missiles, performed its first test flight in 2011 and has been the object of feverish attention by the nation’s aviation buffs. At least six prototypes have been produced, according to an annual report on the Chinese military issued by the Pentagon this year.
The Pentagon says a second Chinese stealth fighter under development, the FC-31, is intended for export as a competitor to the U.S. F-35. The FC-31 first flew in 2012 and debuted at Zhuhai in 2014. China is the only country apart from the U.S. to have two concurrent stealth aircraft development programs.
While the planes’ stealth capabilities remain a secret, the Pentagon said that China views the technology as key to its transformation from a “predominantly territorial air force to one capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations.”
Air force leaders “believe stealth aircraft provide an offensive operational advantage that denies an adversary the time to mobilize and to conduct defensive operations,” said the report, which estimated the two Chinese planes could enter service as early as 2018 and would “significantly improve China’s existing fleet of fourth-generation aircraft … to support regional air superiority and strike operations.”
Among other recently developed Chinese aircraft appearing at the weeklong air show is the Y-20 large transport aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tons. The plane is being introduced into the People’s Liberation Army to carry out aerial command-and-control operations and parachute drops.
Also featured is the CH-5 unmanned aerial vehicle, China’s largest combat drone, which made its first flight last year and appears to be based on the U.S. MQ-9 reaper.
BANGKOK— It’s never too late for a fright-fueled adrenaline rush and good scream.
A postponed scary movie marathon all-nighter featuring four horror films will take place at the end of November.
The spooky lineup includes 2015 baroque fantasy drama “Tale of Tales” and horror-comedy anthology “The ABCs of Death 2” (2014) which consists of 26 alphabetically arranged shorts on on all the ways to die, from accidents to murder.
The third and fourth films? The Horror Club, who is organizing the event aren’t telling but for these hints: one is a 1989 slasher film (good money’s on “Intruder” with Evil Dead alums Bruce Campbell and the Raimi bros.) and a haunted house flick which pays homage to Lucio Fulci’s “City of the Living Dead.”
All films will show in English with Thai subtitles. Tickets are 250 baht if online purchased in advance online. Tickets at the door are 350 baht.
The first film starts at 10pm on Nov. 26 and the event will run until 5am of Nov. 27 at the Knowledge Exchange Center. The 20-floor multi-purpose building is a short walk from BTS Wongwian Yai.
Horror Club is a community of horror movie buffs who share and discuss their favorite films. The group became well-known seven years ago for its popular Pantip forums dedicated to collections of thriller, gore, horror and supernatural films take place.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shake hands after a presidential debate in September at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Photo: David Goldman / Associated Press
BANGKOK — With the outcome of next week’s U.S. elections far from certain, Thai political experts predict a win by Donald Trump would lead to more erratic relations with Washington while a Clinton administration would mean continuity.
While most said a Trump presidency might herald closer relations with Thailand’s military regime due to his seeming ambivalence toward human rights and authoritarianism, they agreed less is known of what specific policies he would pursue compared to Clinton on matters of trade and geopolitical alignment.
“The challenge of assessing a Trump presidency is that he is so much of an outsider as to be an unknown quantity. We don’t even know who his Asia team is likely to be, should he win,” said Chulalongkorn University political science professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak. “For Hillary Clinton, we can sense continuity from Obama on Asia policy, including the role of people like Kurt Campbell, who was assistant secretary for East Asia and [the] Pacific.”
Thitinan noted Trump’s rise from outsider to de facto leader of the Republican Party has caused a schism between his party’s centrists and more extreme elements. Clinton, he said, is a through-and-through establishment figure.
“She represents the sleaze and privilege associated with old-style U.S. politicians,” he said. “But Trump is hardly better as a rambunctious representative of Americans who have been left out by runaway globalization and internationalization.”
A Trump presidency could upend the world order and prove unpredictable for Thailand, said professor Thanet Aphornsuvan, an expert on ASEAN and U.S. affairs at Thammasat University.
“If Trump wins, everything will shift. He may be able to negotiate with Putin and the Chinese. The old balance of powers may be discontinued under Trump. I think it will affect Thailand as Trump is likely to become more friendly with China and the relationship with the National Council for Peace and Order may be good,” Thanet said, using the ruling junta’s formal name.
On the other hand, a President Clinton would mean continuity to existing U.S. foreign policy with an emphasis on human rights, Thanet said.
“Trump doesn’t talk about human rights,” the Thammasat lecturer said.
The dean of Ubon Ratchathani University’s political science faculty predicted the election of Trump would mean issues of democracy and human rights, which have been sticking points in relations between Washington and Bangkok, would become less so.
“If Trump wins, Trump may not care about these issues, and it may be in line with those who do not want democracy in Asia,” Titipol Phakdeewanich said. “Hillary would likely be more beneficial in terms of strengthening democracy in Thailand and the rest of Asia.”
Trump has steadfastly refused to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose leadership has long been criticized by U.S. officials for its authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Instead Trump has suggested the U.S. government should find common cause with Moscow, while his critics have accused him of being too receptive toward dictators.
“The government under the National Council for Peace and Order is likely to get along better with Trump than Hillary due to Hillary’s stance on human rights,” Titipol said. “Trump may get along well with the military regime.”
U.S. marines take part in an amphibious assault joint military exercise as part of Cobra Gold 2014 at a military base in Chonburi province on Feb. 14, 2014. Photo: Narong Sangnak / EPA
Thitinan, director of Chulalongkorn’s Institute of Security and International Studies, is less sure. He said there were several reasons Trump was unlikely to forge closer ties to the junta, the primary of which being strong existing military ties.
“First, Thai-U.S. military relations are still very good under Obama. So it’s not like military-military ties are on the rocks and Trump would bring them more in line,” he said, describing ties between the two nation’s militaries as “the bedrock of what’s left.”
He also pointed to Trump’s isolationist posturing and claims he wants to bring U.S. firms and jobs back home.
“He wants to disengage to save costs and reduce international burdens. He wants to stand up to China,” he said. “Trump does not talk of democracy and human rights, and his authoritarian ways have not endorsed authoritarian rule as such. He has expressed some support for Putin on a bilateral basis, but that is far from being supportive of despotic rule.”
U.S. Ambassador Glyn Davies speaks to the media on Nov. 30, 2015, about Thailand’s possible inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Trade
On economic ties, both candidates have signaled opposition to a trade deal between Pacific Rim nations that Bangkok has expressed interest in joining. Washington has made it clear Thailand would need to institute an array of reforms and standards to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which neighbors Vietnam and Singapore endorsed with in February.
Trump has steadfastly opposed it; Clinton originally supported the agreement but now says it is flawed.
A one-time activist opposed to such agreements pointed to Trump’s daily declarations to dismantle the existing North American Free Trade Agreement and opposition to TPP as evidence he would likely pull the United States back from it.
“Trump has clearly declared that he will not support TPP,” Jacques’chai Chomthongdi said.
He noted Clinton was leaning the same way under pressure by strong populist sentiments.
“Hillary has been forced to have a clear stance on TPP, and she said the matter must be put under review,” said the anti-free-trade activist who predicted that no matter who becomes president of the United States, Thailand could face growing trade barriers as issues of labor rights and the environment could be used as a tool for protectionism.
Thammasat’s Thanet warned Trump’s protectionism would adversely affect Thailand.
“Trade negotiations will become more difficult, and the Thai economy may face greater hardship as a result,” he said.
BANGKOK — The Grand Palace re-opened Tuesday for tourists for the first time since the death of King Bhumibol last month.
Tourists can enter through the Viset Chaisri Gate, the gate normally used by visitors on the north side of the palace grounds. Mourners paying condolences to the King will use the Mani Noppharat Gate, which is also located in the north wall.
Mourners and tourists alike are encouraged to dress modestly in black, white or shades of gray when visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keaw, which is located inside the same complex.
Rescue workers at the scene of the Santika nightclub fire on Jan. 1, 2009.
BANGKOK — The high court on Monday upheld a lower court’s ruling that City Hall’s negligence contributed to the deaths of 67 people in a nightclub fire eight years ago on New Year’s Eve.
In its ruling, the Supreme Administrative Court ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to pay a total of 5.7 million baht to victims and families of those who died at Santika in an incident ranked as one of the worst fire tragedies in Thai history.
“I am happy about this verdict, but it’s incomparable to losing my son,” Esther Laopikanon, whose son Mark Laopikanon died in the fire, told reporters at the court. “Nowadays I still light candles and make merits for my son.”
Esther was one of a dozen people to file a civil suit against City Hall in 2009, accusing it of failing to inspect fire safety equipment at Santika nightclub, which burned down shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, 2009, after a pyrotechnic effect malfunctioned.
In 2012 the administrative court agreed, noting that Santika lacked many crucial safety features such as fire exit signs, smoke detectors, fire alarms and fire retardant materials. The judges also found the club was registered as a residential building instead of a commercial facility.
The court then ordered the city government to pay 5.7 million baht in compensation to the 12 plaintiffs, which included six people injured in the fire.
Esther said the families were still pursuing a separate civil suit against the club’s owners.
A previous Supreme Court verdict in 2015 found Santika owner Visuk Setsawat and pyrotechnic production firm executive Boonchoo Laosinat guilty of deadly negligence, sentencing both to three years in prison. They are currently serving their sentences.
The blaze at Santika started after an indoor fireworks show to mark the new year went wrong. The club soon caught fire, fueled by flammable materials inside the building, and many victims were blocked from escaping by metal bars installed in the windows.
The incident prompted promises of more stringent fire safety measures from the authorities but further incidents have shown the regulations have been unevenly enforced.
In May, 17 schoolgirls were killed in a fire at a boarding school in Chiang Mai. An investigation found no safety equipment such as smoke detectors or fire alarms were installed in the room where the children slept. Inspectors merely reprimanded the school’s owners for the oversight.
A group photo of 2014 Thammasat graduates. Photo: Zero Group Photos / Courtesy
BANGKOK — Thammasat University has banned celebratory signs reading “congratulations” or any other festive messages for their Saturday and Sunday graduation practice and ceremony on Nov. 12 and 13.
Three weeks into a month-long period of mourning for His Majesty the Late King, Thammasat Monday enacted the strictest of measures taken by universities seeking to balance a normally exuberant time with social expectations by banning flowers and other overt expressions of joy at graduation ceremonies.
“Because it is the mourning period for the His Majesty’s body in the Tha Prachan area, Thammasat does not deem it at all appropriate to express congratulations, merriness and color at the upcoming graduation,” said Chalie Charoenlarpnopparut, vice director of student affairs and learning.
Instead, locations for graduates to take photos will be set up around the university, with white flowers and signs expressing condolences, mourning, respect and gratitude for the King.
Graduates and relatives are encouraged to take photos at these spots rather than bringing their own flowers or congratulatory signs.
“We want this graduation to have as few flowers as possible,” Chalie said.
Many disappointed Thammasat graduates have shared the post without accompanying comments to inform their family and friends of the regulations.
Reacting to the news from Thammasat on Facebook, user Suvarat Jingkutsuburo Satayanon wrote that graduation, a once-in-a-lifetime event usually celebrated lavishly, should not be toned down to avoid offending nearby mourners at the palace, which is located adjacent to the university.
Others said it was unnecessarily strict compared to other graduations held recently.
“Even Chula didn’t have this many rules…can we just have a graduation that looks like one?” user Chayapreuk Kongchan wrote.
Last month’s graduation ceremonies at Chulalongkorn discouraged flowers and balloons but did not go so far as to ban celebratory signs.
User Nui Wannarat said the university was playing politics.
“This is the way to deal with sadness? … Damn! I’m sad, but please have some discernment. It’s two different events,” Nui wrote. “Do I have to give my condolences to graduates? The university is located close to Sanam Luang, so [they] made these overboard rules because they’re afraid of drama.”
Five prohibitions came out of the Monday meeting between Thammasat administrators, Chalie said.
“Thammasat graduates should continue His Majesty’s legacy by having each faculty and organization choose a quote or teaching by the King that goes with that faculty’s studies” for photo spots around the university, said the announcement first posted yesterday noon on the official Thammasat University Academic Affairs Division Facebook.
Signs set up by individual faculties may use pictures of the King, but should be only be in grayscale without color. Student cheers are banned.
Family and friends are welcome to bring gifts for graduates, just no flowers. The university said it would seek the cooperation of nearby vendors to not sell flowers. Black ribbons can be worn on graduation gowns.
Thammasat’s commencement ceremonies on Nov. 12 and 13 will presided over by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn.
A Turbo Caribou model of the Royal Australian Air Force, similar to the one that disappeared Sunday in Indonesia, is seen taxiing in 2009. Photo: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons
JAKARTA — Indonesia’s search and rescue agency says it has recovered four bodies from the wreckage of a cargo plane that went missing in mountainous Papua.
Henry Bambang Soelistyo, the National Search and Rescue Agency chief, said Tuesday that the wreckage was found on terrain at an elevation of about 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) in the Jayawijaya area.
The plane was delivering construction materials and had four people on board, including its two pilots.
A search for the Canadian-made DHC4 Turbo Caribou PK-SWW plane began Monday after it didn’t arrive at its destination. Search efforts were disrupted by poor weather.
Much of Papua, which is the easternmost part of the Indonesian archipelago, is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, some planes that have crashed there have never been found.
BANGKOK — There’s no more need to travel afar to hip markets in Ratchada or Khlong San, as steamed-and-grilled food truck delights will be in the On Nut area all this month.
The same folks behind Fatty’s Bar & Diner on Din Daeng Road are bringing the Lil’ Fatso food truck to Soi On Nut 25 with a variety of sliders from their signature Lil’ Fatso to the Oink Oink and Lil’ Veg. Fries with cheese sauce, jalapeno poppers, fine cocktails and IPAs will be there too.
The white truck sets up 6pm to 11pm today through the end of November at Brownstone Studio.
The studio-gallery is located on Soi Sukhumvit 77 near Soi On Nut 25, and can be reached by motorbike or taxi from BTS On Nut.
