Japan to Lift Part of Sanctions on North Korea

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3 July 2014, 12:50

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a televised news conference held at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced Thursday that Japan is planning to ease some of its unilateral sanctions on North Korea. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA<br /> — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a televised news conference held at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced Thursday that Japan is planning to ease some of its unilateral sanctions on North Korea. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA

TOKYO (DPA) — Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe said Thursday that his country would ease some of its unilateral sanction on North Korea.

The move came after diplomats from the two countries held talks in Beijing on Tuesday about North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and recent missile launches.

The decision was motivated by North Korea's apparent efforts to give real authority to an abduction probe panel it is setting up, the Kyodo News agency reported.

The panel includes a powerful Defence Commission member, Abe said.

In May, North Korea promised to launch the reinvestigation of the abductions during a bilateral diplomatic talks in Stockholm.

Japan officially lists 17 nationals abducted by North Korea. Five of them were returned alive in 2002.

BKK Airport's Extension Plan 'Suspended By Junta'

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3 July 2014, 12:50

A stranded passenger dozes off during the occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport by "Yellowshirt" protesters, 26 November 2008.

BANGKOK — The Thai military junta has ordered Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport to shelve the plan to extend its facilities, a state official says.

The decision was made by a committee on public spending installed by the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), according to Mekhanin Petchplai, a managing director of Airports of Thailand.

Mr. Mekhanin said the panel advised the airport authorities to "reconsider" the plan and make it more transparent.

"We are willing to comply with every policy of NCPO," Mr. Mekhanin said yesterday, "If they want us to adjust the plan, we are willing to do so."

However, Mr. Mekhanin said the airport extension plan, called "Phase Two," is necessary to accommodate more visitors to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"At the present time, Suvarnabhumi Airport has already exceeded its maximum capacity," said Mr. Mekhanin, explaining that the airport is now hosting more than 51 million passengers per year even though it was built to accommodate only 45 million visitors per year.

He vowed to push ahead with the plan and finish the extension by late 2015, with the aim of raising the airport's capacity to 60 million people per year.

However, the Airports of Thailand director admitted that overall number of visitors to Thai airports has been on the decline, partly due to the political turmoil that had plagued Thailand for six months.

He expected that growth in the number of visitors to Thai airport would only stand at 2-3% by the end of 2014, which is far lower than the 9% rise from last year, as well as the 6.5% growth enjoyed by other airports in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

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Thai Ivory Trade Trebles Amid Illegal Trade Concerns

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3 July 2014, 11:45

A file photograph showing Thai customs officers pack up confiscated smuggled African elephant tusks in Bangkok, 30 August 2013. Ivory sales are booming in Thailand despite limited legitimate supplies, pointing to a suspected boost in illegal wares according to conservationist group TRAFFIC. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT<br /> — A file photograph showing Thai customs officers pack up confiscated smuggled African elephant tusks in Bangkok, 30 August 2013. Ivory sales are booming in Thailand despite limited legitimate supplies, pointing to a suspected boost in illegal wares according to conservationist group TRAFFIC. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

BANGKOK (DPA) — Ivory sales in Thailand are booming despite limited legitimate supplies, a conservationist group said Thursday, pointing to a suspected boost in illegal wares.

The number of ivory items recorded on sale in the country jumped from 5,715 in January 2013 to 14,512 in December of the same year, according to a report released by TRAFFIC.

Thailand produces only 650 kilograms of legitimate ivory per year, making it "extremely unlikely that local domesticated elephants are capable of supplying a market the scale of Thailand's," the group said.

It also noted that there was probably much more ivory traded that it was not able to survey.

"Thailand's efforts to regulate local ivory markets have failed," said Naomi Doak, TRAFFIC's co-ordinator for the region.

"TRAFFIC calls on Thailand to act swiftly and decisively against the rampant ivory trade that is…fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa and seriously tarnishing Thailand's global image."

Thailand's Department of National Parks, responsible for overseeing the ivory trade, declined to comment on the report, but said the issue would be discussed at a July 8 meeting, along with the possibility of destroying seized stockpiles of illegal ivory.

Anti-Coup Leader Released On Bail, Charged With Lese Majeste

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2 July 2014, 18:03

Prominent anti-coup activist Sombat Boonngarm-anong on 12 June, 2014.

BANGKOK — A prominent anti-coup activist has been released on bail after receiving an additional charge of lese majeste, an offense that could add fifteen years to his possible prison sentence.

Sombat Boonngarm-anong, aka the Dotted Editor, was transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to Roi Et province in Thailand’s northeast yesterday to hear charges of defaming the royal family (lese majeste) before he was released on bail.

Prior to the transfer, Mr. Sombat was held at Bangkok Remand Prison for nearly a month on charges of “inciting unrest,” violating the Computer Crimes Act, and defying a summons order from the military junta's National Council for Peace and Order. Mr. Sombat was later charged with lese majeste, which carries a prison sentence of up to fifteen years, after pro-monarchy activist Wiput Sukprasert filed a complaint with the provincial police in Roi Et.

Yesterday, Mr. Sombat's wife posted a bail of 300,000 baht, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Kittirat Noiponthong, a police commander in Roi Et province. Mr. Sombat has been ordered not to incite any unrest, instigate any illegal activity, or leave the country without the court's permission under the conditions of his bail release, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kittirat said.

Mr. Sombat will also be required to report to Roi Et police every 30 days and to the military court in Bangkok every 12 days, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kittirat added.

The NCPO summoned Mr. Sombat, along with hundreds of other activists, politicians, and academics to report to the military shortly after it staged a coup against the elected government on 22 May.

Mr. Sombat refused to turn himself in and took to social media to organise flash mob protests against the military junta in Bangkok. Police arrested Mr. Sombat two weeks later at his hiding place in Chonburi province on 5 June, claiming to have tracked him down using his IP address.

Mr. Sombat’s arrest came as a major setback to the budding anti-coup movement that he had played a central role in organizing. Anti-coup demonstrations, which were originally held daily and with attendance in the hundreds, have become increasingly infrequent and rarely draw numbers in the double digits.

Mr. Sombat was also an active campaigner against the last military coup in September 2006, when he co-founded the 19 Sep Network Against Coup D'etat. He later split from the network and founded his own group, "Thais Say No," whose members adopted red shirts as their trademark, preceding today's Redshirt movement by a year.

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Nong Khai Man Arrested With Fake Passport Stamps

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2 July 2014, 18:03

NONG KHAI — Police have arrested a man in Nong Khai province who allegedly provided foreign tourists with fake departure stamps in their passports.

The suspect, Chatchai Chaikhamthong, 40, was arrested at a parking lot in Wat Sri Muang temple yesterday in a sting operation, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop Suriyakul na Ayutthaya.

According to Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop, the suspect had been offering the fake stamp service to foreign tourists — mostly Chinese and Vietnamese — who wished to leave the country via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The stamps exempted these tourists from having to have their immigration documents examined when they passed through checkpoints, the officer said.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop said the tourists who sought Mr. Chatchai's service were those who either overstayed their visas or had arrest warrants on their records. Mr. Chatchai reportedly charged tourists 5,000 baht per stamp.

A search of Mr. Chatchai's home by military officers turned up four passport rubber stamps and boxes of departure (TM 6) immigration forms.

Mr. Chatchai claimed he had the rubber stamps made at a shop in Nong Khai province and acquired the immigration forms from a contact in Bangkok, police say.

However, Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop said police are trying to determine whether Mr. Chatchai may have actually acquired the stamps from immigration officers, because each stamp bears a number that belongs to a respective official.

Mr. Chatchai reportedly said he has been offering the service for two years.

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Myanmar's Trade Deficit Rises as Economy Opens Up

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2 July 2014, 16:41

A file photo showing a man carrying a rice bag as a cargo ship loads containers in the background on the Yangon river, 27 September 2012 [DPA].

YANGON (DPA) — Myanmar's quarterly trade deficit reached over 1.4 billion dollars, as the economy continues to open up to foreign investment, the government said Wednesday.

The value of exports – including oil, gas and timber – during April-June was more than 2.2 billion dollars, but 3.6 billion dollars was spent on imports, the Central Statistical Organization said.

"Due to the decrease in exports of timber, fisheries and mineral products, Myanmar is likely to suffer a trade deficit for the whole year," said Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The deficit grew by 1 billion dollars compared to the same period last year, according to government data.

The country's main exports are agricultural and farm products, minerals, timber, industrial products and oil and gas. It relies heavily on imported machinery, consumer products, commodities and raw materials.

Anti-Coup Leader Released On Bail, Charged With Lese Majeste

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2 July 2014, 16:14

Anti-coup protesters wear masks of key leader Sombat Boonngarm-anong's face.