Rescuers Search for Victims in Afghan Avalanches

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1 March 2015, 02:23

Kabul (DPA) – Rescue teams worked into a fourth day of searching for victims of avalanches in north-eastern Afghanistan Saturday, officials said.

At least 184 bodies had been found so far in different areas of Panjsher province, provincial police chief Abdul Aziz Ghairat said.

"The rescue teams are continuing their mission to find the victims and to rescue people who are trapped," Ghairat said. "Still many more are under the snow and the death toll could rise."

President Ashraf Ghani and chief executive Abdullah Abdullah visited the affected areas on Friday and made a plea for international assistance.

"We have asked the international and Afghan air forces to drop first-aid packages from the air," Ghani said.

"I have assigned an engineering team of international troops to observe the situation, especially, the situation of rivers in order to take measurements for possible floods."

At least 233 people were killed by avalanches in different provinces of Afghanistan this week after heavy snowfall.

Avalanches killed 25 people in Badakhshan province, 13 in Parwan, three in Baghlan, four in Badghis and four in Bamiyan, according to authorities.

President Ghani announced a three-day national mourning and donated 20 million Afghanis (350,877 dollars) to affected families in Panjsher province.

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Malaysia's Petronas Suffers 2-Billion-Dollar Quarterly Loss

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1 March 2015, 02:19

Kuala Lumpur (DPA) – Malaysia state-owned energy firm Petronas suffered a 7.27 billion ringgit (2 billion dollars) loss in the final quarter of 2014 due to lower oil prices, the company said Saturday.

Malaysia's only Fortune 500 company – and the largest contributor to government revenue – said the October to December performance was a reversal from the 12.76 billion ringgit profit it generated for the same period in 2013.

The showing pulled down the company's profit for the whole year to 47.6 billion ringgit from 65.6 billion ringgit in the previous year, it said.

The company warned of more tough going as crude oil prices are expected to remain depressed.

"Based on the crude oil prices outlook whereby the average prices for 2015 are expected to be significantly lower than that of 2014, Petronas expects its 2015 performance to be impacted," it said.

The company said it would take steps to reduce planned capital investments and operating expenditures in order to mitigate the potential adverse impact of low oil prices on its profitability.

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Chiang Mai Administrator Draws Gun on Officials in Meeting

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28 February 2015, 18:01

CHIANG MAI – The chairman of a local administrative agency in Chiang Mai province has been arrested for taking out a gun during a budget meeting yesterday.

The incident occurred during a meeting attended by around 30 local officials in Mueang district yesterday.

Shortly after the meeting began, Anurut na Naan, the 62-year-old chairman of the Municipal Councilor of San Phee Suea district, reportedly stood up, locked both doors of the meeting room, and told officials not to leave their seats.

He then spent the next 30 minutes speaking into a microphone and apologizing for his failure to work for the people over the past eight years as Municipal Councilor, witnesses said.

Kamdee Boonchala, one of the local adminstators present at the meeting, told Khaosod that in the middle of the speech Anurut suddenly drew his pistol, waved it around, placed it on the table, and told the officials, "If any of you have a problem with me, you can file a complaint. Who has any problem here?"

Some officials tried to leave the meeting room, but could not unlock the doors, while other scurried for cover under tables, Kamdee said.

Several officials eventually tackled Anurut, disarmed him, and alerted the police.

Police say Anurut was carrying a handgun, two magazines, and more than 70 bullets at the time. Anurut has been charged with carrying a firearm into residential and public areas without a permit. Police add that more charges may be filed against Anurut, pending further testimonies from the witnesses.

Lak Boonchala, mayor of San Phee Suea district, told reporters that Anurut appeared to be mentally unstable and said the administration will "likely" remove him from the position.

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Emergency Prank Calls Revealed to be Accidents

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28 February 2015, 18:01

Supot Angkham, 29, showing his phone to police at Hua Hin station, 28 Feb 2015.

PRACHUAP KIRI KHAN – A man arrested for prank calling an emergency hotline has been released after police determined he didn't make the calls intentionally.

Supot Angkham, 29, was summoned to Hua Hin Police Station this morning for calling Thailand’s 191 emergency hotline more than 100 times over the past few months, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Kitsana Chaemsawang, commander of Prachuap Kiri Khan Provincial Police.

After interrogating him, police determined that Supot's phone was dialing the emergency number without his knowledge.

"The number 191 was set as emergency number in the phone," Pol.Maj.Gen. Kitsana told reporters. "I believe Mr. Supot had no clue about it, and he had no intention to do such thing. So we reprimanded him and inspected his phone before we released him. Mr. Supot apologized to us about what happened."

Pol.Maj.Gen. Kitsana added that police are still investigating other serial prank callers, including an individual who reportedly called the emergency number 2,000 times in the past few months.

"I would like to warn all these reckless individuals and prank callers to 191 that their action violates the law. They can be prosecuted," Pol.Maj.Gen. Kitsana said, "Please reserve that number for people in trouble who want to call for help."

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Prayuth Threatens to Summon TV Hosts 'For Discussion'

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28 February 2015, 14:56

File photo of junta chairman and Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha.

BANGKOK — Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha warned last night that any news anchors or talking heads who present opposing views about his government on television may be summoned for discussion.

Gen. Prayuth said last night that certain TV channels have “incorrectly” discussed the junta's national reform effort without seeking input from the government.

"Learn to use the correct channel," Gen. Prayuth told the nation in his weekly television address last night. "I listen to [certain channels] and wonder, eh, why don't they understand us? Sometimes they talk in a totally opposite manner."

"Many shows and many channels still have problem with this," he continued. "I may need to summon you for a discussion. I am not censoring you. But you invite academics and guests who give totally opposite views of the issues. They talk about things that are incorrect and inaccurate."

Gen. Prayuth suggested that all media commentators focus on "helping move the country forward," instead of engaging in debates.

"I want all of you to help move the country forward and create reconciliation," Gen. Prayuth said. "Let each group do their work and only comment on it in the end. Don't cause a fight with each other."

Since seizing power from an elected government on 22 May 2014, Gen. Prayuth has significantly curtailed civil rights in Thailand by imposing a ban on public protests, sending violators to face trial in martial court, and urging the media not to criticize his regime, among other restrictions.

On 3 December 2014, Gen. Prayuth personally held a meeting with editors and executives from 16 newspapers, including Khaosod, and asked them cooperate with the government.

Many news agencies in Thailand have exercised self-censorship in the face of intimidation from the junta, which is known officially as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). Although Gen. Prayuth has stopped short of fully censoring the press, in November 2014 the army ordered a TV channel to drop a talk show that was airing complaints about the coup.

The military junta says it will hold a general election in 2016 at the earliest, given that a new constitution has been finalized and the political climate is deemed stable.

In his hour-long address last night, Gen. Prayuth also stressed that the junta is still the highest body of governance in the post-coup administration, which also includes his Cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly, the National Reform Council, and the Constitution Drafting Committee. Together with the NCPO, these five bodies are known as the "Five Rivers.”

"As for the solving problems and moving the country forward, the government has been doing it continuously. They do it with NCPO. The NCPO is the source, you know. What they have been calling the Five Rivers actually flows down from the NCPO," Gen. Prayuth said. "Therefore, the NCPO has to be informed about everything, and everything needs the NCPO's agreement."

He then assured his audience "But I will not give a guideline like, hey, go eliminate someone, or take special action against someone. No such thing. I have never done it."

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Famous Thai Temple to Build Separate Toilets for Non-Chinese

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28 February 2015, 14:42

A photo made available on 25 December 2012 shows a view of Wat Rong Khun, a temple designed by Thai artists Chalermchai Kositpipat in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK <br /> — A photo made available on 25 December 2012 shows a view of Wat Rong Khun, a temple designed by Thai artists Chalermchai Kositpipat in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

BANGKOK (DPA) — A famous temple in northern Thailand will build separate toilets for Thais and other non-Chinese tourists, officials confirmed Saturday.

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, in the province of Chiang Rai will add the new toilets as a solution to complaints about the lack of bathroom etiquette by Chinese tourists, temple officials said.

A photo made available on 25 December 2012 shows a view of Wat Rong Khun, a temple designed by Thai artists Chalermchai Kositpipat in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. EPA / Narong Sangnak
Previously, the temple had banned Chinese tourists altogether after Chinese tour groups had left the toilets in a state of disrepair.

“They had defecated on the floor, urinated on the walls outside and left sanitary pads on the wall of the bathrooms,” said an official who requested anonymity.

The temple’s designer, Chalermchai Kositpipat, said in a television interview that it was “impossible” for other tourists to use the bathrooms after the Chinese tours, so he would build new ones.

Famous Thai Temple to Build Separate Toilets for Non-Chinese

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Khaosod English

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28 February 2015, 12:16

<br />
A picture made available on 25 December 2012 shows Wat Rong Khun, a temple in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. Wat Rong Khun will build separate toilets for Thais and other non-Chinese tourists. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK — A picture made available on 25 December 2012 shows Wat Rong Khun, a temple in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. Wat Rong Khun will build separate toilets for Thais and other non-Chinese tourists. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

BANGKOK (DPA) — A famous temple in northern Thailand will build separate toilets for Thais and other non-Chinese tourists, officials confirmed Saturday.

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, in the province of Chiang Rai will add the new toilets as a solution to complaints about the lack of bathroom etiquette by Chinese tourists, temple officials said.

A photo made available on 25 December 2012 shows a view of Wat Rong Khun, a temple designed by Thai artists Chalermchai Kositpipat in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, 07 December 2012. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

Previously, the temple had banned Chinese tourists altogether after Chinese tour groups had left the toilets in a state of disrepair.

"They had defecated on the floor, urinated on the walls outside and left sanitary pads on the wall of the bathrooms," said an official who requested anonymity.

The temple's designer, Chalermchai Kositpipat, said in a television interview that it was "impossible" for other tourists to use the bathrooms after the Chinese tours, so he would build new ones.

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Army Chief Promises Partial Troop Withdrawal From Deep South

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28 February 2015, 12:16

Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr at the Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok, 21 July 2014.<br /> — Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr at the Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok, 21 July 2014.

BANGKOK — The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army has pledged to begin withdrawing some troops from Thailand’s insurgency-plagued south in April 2015.

Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr said the partial withdrawal is a part of the military's new approach to battling Islamic insurgents in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala, where 60,000 security officers are currently deployed. Many of the soldiers have been drafted from other regions of Thailand.

Security officers inspect the scene of a car bomb in front of a branch of Islamic Bank of Thailand in Yala province, 6 August 2012.

"[The new phase] will focus on building peace and sustainable development, so we will decrease the number troops in the region, and there will be a reshuffle," Gen. Udomdet said. "We want regional troops to be in charge of their own area. We will decrease troops from armies in other regions."

Under the new plan, the 4^th Region Army will take a leading role in the region, said Gen. Udomdet. The troop reduction is set to begin in April, starting with areas that are ready for the withdrawal.

The army chief also insisted that the situation in the region, known as the Deep South, has been improving despite the recent car bombin the town center of Naratiwat that injured at least 13 people.

"If we talk about number of attacks and number of casualties, when compared with the previous period, we have managed to cut the statistics in half, even though the bombs in Narathiwat affected public feeling and damaged the community," Gen. Udomdet told reporters.

"We are sorry about that, and we are working with police officers in the region," he continued. "There has been progress. We have issued arrest warrants for two individuals that we believe were behind the violent incident. We are also waiting for an investigation to connect them with other individuals. I expect that the suspects will be arrested soon."

The near-daily bombings and gun attacks that have plagued the Deep South over the past decade have been carried out by a network of shadowy insurgent groups who aim to revive the independent sultanate of Pattani, which was incorporated into Thailand in early 20th century.

At least 6,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the violence broke out in early 2004, rights groups estimate.

According to the Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Center, the number of fatalities in the Deep South decreased to 212 deaths in 2014, compared to 322 in 2013 and 326 in 2012.

The latest incident of violence at the time of publication took place at around 8 am this morning, when ten soldiers on patrol encountered a roadside explosion in Yala province. No one was injured, as the bomb went off several seconds after the patrol vehicles passed the site.

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Army Chief Promises Partial Troop Withdrawal From Deep South

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28 February 2015, 12:16

Security officers inspect the scene of a car bomb in front of a branch of Islamic Bank of Thailand in Yala province, 6 August 2012.

BANGKOK — The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army has pledged to begin withdrawing some troops from Thailand’s insurgency-plagued south in April 2015.

Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr said the partial withdrawal is a part of the military's new approach to battling Islamic insurgents in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala, where 60,000 security officers are currently deployed. Many of the soldiers have been drafted from other regions of Thailand.

Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr at the Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok, 21 July 2014.

"[The new phase] will focus on building peace and sustainable development, so we will decrease the number troops in the region, and there will be a reshuffle," Gen. Udomdet said. "We want regional troops to be in charge of their own area. We will decrease troops from armies in other regions."

Under the new plan, the 4^th Region Army will take a leading role in the region, said Gen. Udomdet. The troop reduction is set to begin in April, starting with areas that are ready for the withdrawal.

The army chief also insisted that the situation in the region, known as the Deep South, has been improving despite the recent car bomb in the town center of Naratiwat that injured at least 13 people.

"If we talk about number of attacks and number of casualties, when compared with the previous period, we have managed to cut the statistics in half, even though the bombs in Narathiwat affected public feeling and damaged the community," Gen. Udomdet told reporters.

"We are sorry about that, and we are working with police officers in the region," he continued. "There has been progress. We have issued arrest warrants for two individuals that we believe were behind the violent incident. We are also waiting for an investigation to connect them with other individuals. I expect that the suspects will be arrested soon."

The near-daily bombings and gun attacks that have plagued the Deep South over the past decade have been carried out by a network of shadowy insurgent groups who aim to revive the independent sultanate of Pattani, which was incorporated into Thailand in early 20th century.

At least 6,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the violence broke out in early 2004, rights groups estimate.

According to the Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Center, the number of fatalities in the Deep South decreased to 212 deaths in 2014, compared to 322 in 2013 and 326 in 2012.

The latest incident of violence at the time of publication took place at around 8 am this morning, when ten soldiers on patrol encountered a roadside explosion in Yala province. No one was injured, as the bomb went off several seconds after the patrol vehicles passed the site.

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Thai Government Defends Hiring Relatives

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28 February 2015, 12:16

BANGKOK — Top officials in Thailand’s military government have defended using the state budget to employee relatives, after it emerged that fifty-seven members of the junta’s legislature have hired family members as personal aides.

A report published by the investigative newsite Isra News revealed that 57 lawmakers in the 220-member National Legislative Assembly (NLA) have hired their own spouses, siblings, children, and cousins as staff.

Salaries for the aides range from 15,000 – 24,000 baht per month. The positions awarded to relatives include legislative specialists, who must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, experts, who need at least three years of relevant work experience, and assistants, who must be at least 18 years old.

NLA chairman Pornpetch Wichitcholchai insisted yesterday that the practice is not corrupt, because no laws forbid it.

"The NLA regulations do not prohibit appointing children, wives, and relatives to serve as experts for the NLA members," Pornpetch said. "The regulation about the jobs' qualification merely states that they should have proper expertise, and that they must not have been charged with any crimes. There's no prohibition about relatives."

He added, "The NLA members may need to find someone they can trust as their aides to help with their work, so they appoint people close to them as the aides."

The NLA, which was appointed by the junta shortly after the coup in 22 May, has made rooting out corruption a top priority. Last month, the body voted to retroactively impeach former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for failing to stop graft in her government’s rice policy.

Today a member of the ruling military junta also came out to defend the practice.

"I share the same view as Mr. Pornpetch. They didn't break any laws," said army chief and junta member Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr. "Your relatives have knowledge and expertise, and be qualified for the jobs. This is personal matter, and it is in accordance with the regulations about what is prohibited and what is not prohibited."

The general continued, "The chairman of the NLA has already explained to you. Please listen to him about what is appropriate."

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