UN to Vote on Resolution That Would Grant Palestine New Rights and Revive Its UN Membership Bid

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10 May 2024, 12:23

Israel Palestinians UN Membership and Rights — FILE - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2022, at the U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote Friday on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and call on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent, and U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear Thursday the Biden administration is opposed to the assembly resolution.

Under the U.N. Charter, prospective members of the United Nations must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval. Palestine became a U.N. non-member observer state in 2012.

“We’ve been very clear from the beginning there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and this effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that,” Wood said Thursday. “We have said from the beginning the best way to ensure Palestinian full membership in the U.N. is to do that through negotiations with Israel. That remains our position.”

But unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly and the resolution is expected to be approved by a large majority, according to three Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were private.

AP24085617721612 — Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour addresses United Nations Security Council at U.N. headquarters, Monday, March 25, 2024, (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The draft resolution “determines” that a state of Palestine is qualified for membership – dropping the original language that in the General Assembly’s judgment it is “a peace-loving state.” It therefore recommends that the Security Council reconsider its request “favorably.”

The renewed push for full Palestinian membership in the U.N. comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage. At numerous council and assembly meetings, the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians in Gaza and the killing of more than 34,000 people in the territory, according to Gaza health officials, have generated outrage from many countries.

The original draft of the assembly resolution was changed significantly to address concerns not only by the U.S. but also by Russia and China, the diplomats said.

The first draft would have conferred on Palestine “the rights and privileges necessary to ensure its full and effective participation” in the assembly’s sessions and U.N. conferences “on equal footing with member states.” It also made no reference to whether Palestine could vote in the General Assembly.

According to the diplomats, Russia and China which are strong supporters of Palestine’s U.N. membership were concerned that granting the list of rights and privileges detailed in an annex to the resolution could set a precedent for other would-be U.N. members — with Russia concerned about Kosovo and China about Taiwan.

Under longstanding legislation by the U.S. Congress, the United States is required to cut off funding to U.N. agencies that give full membership to a Palestinian state – which could mean a cutoff in dues and voluntary contributions to the U.N. from its largest contributor.

The final draft drops the language that would put Palestine “on equal footing with member states.” And to address Chinese and Russian concerns, it would decide “on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent” to adopt the rights and privileges in the annex.

The draft also adds a provision in the annex on the issue of voting, stating categorically: “The state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”

The final list of rights and privileges in the draft annex includes giving Palestine the right to speak on all issues not just those related to the Palestinians and Middle East, the right to propose agenda items and reply in debates, and the right to be elected as officers in the assembly’s main committees. It would give the Palestinians the right to participate in U.N. and international conferences convened by the United Nations — but it drops their “right to vote” which was in the original draft.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application for U.N. membership in 2011. It failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.

They went to the General Assembly and succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a U.N. observer to a non-member observer state. That opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join U.N. and other international organizations, including the International Criminal Court.

In the Security Council vote on April 18, the Palestinians got much more support for full U.N. membership. The vote was 12 in favor, the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining, and the United States voting no and vetoing the resolution.

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British Man Arrested in Bangkok on Charges of Defaming a Phuket Restaurant

By

Khaosod English

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9 May 2024, 20:20

british defamed1 — An officer from the Crime Suppression Division of the Central Investigation Bureau arrested a British man, who had been wanted in Phuket province, at a condominium near Wat Phraya Krai, Bangkok, on May 9, 2024.

BANGKOK – A British man, who had been wanted in Phuket province since the middle of last year, was arrested by officers from the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok on May 9 at a condominium near Wat Phraya Krai, Charoen Krung Road, Wat Phraya Krai Subdistrict, Bang Kho Laem District, Bangkok.

Alexander, 21, was arrested on a warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on August 23, 2023, on charges of “importing false information into a computer system in a manner likely to cause damage to the public.”

The investigation revealed that in mid-2022, Alexander, who was staying at an apartment in Phuket, had a dispute with the owner of an Italian restaurant over access to the accommodation.

Even though the restaurant allowed more convenient access to the apartment, it incurred the cost of opening the route and reserving it exclusively for clients who used their services. The restaurant advised that Alexander refrain from taking this route, which greatly upset him.

Later, the restaurant discovered that its customer review scores on Google had dropped dramatically from 4.9 out of 5 to just 3.1. According to investigation, they found that the restaurant had received one-star reviews in a short period, with the reviewer being Alexander, who used false and distorted statements to maliciously damage the restaurant. Additionally, his associates also left similar reviews.

The restaurant owner then filed a complaint at Sakhu Police Station in Phuket. The investigating officers gathered evidence and requested an arrest warrant from the court. However, Alexander quickly fled from Phuket to Bangkok, where he was recently apprehended.

He currently denied the charges, and the authorities have sent him to face prosecution at Sakhu Police Station in Phuket.

Thai Cannabis Network Opposes PM’s Move To Outlaw the Drug

By

Khaosod English

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9 May 2024, 17:05

A worker tends to cannabis plants at a farm in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand on June 5, 2022. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network issued a statement on May 9, 2024 in response to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s order instructing the Ministry of Public Health to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic substance.

The network emphasized that the definition of what constitutes an addictive substance should be based on scientific evidence. They called on the Ministry of Public Health to carry out a comparative analysis of the benefits and harms of cannabis, alcohol and cigarettes.

If it is scientifically proven that cannabis causes more harm than good compared to cigarettes and alcohol, the network will support the reclassification of cannabis as a narcotic. However, if it is proven that cannabis is not as harmful as it is currently portrayed, the network proposes the enactment of specific laws to regulate cannabis use in Thailand.

AP23193330517841 — A Japanese tourist smokes cannabis at a Dutch passion shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

The network also criticized the government, claiming that the ruling Pheu Thai Party is influenced by large capital groups and that several of its MPs have business interests in cannabis. They believe that the government intends to control cannabis cultivation, which would lead to a monopoly, and that the reclassification of cannabis as a narcotic would be a legitimate tool for such control.

“We would like to inform the public that news reports of cannabis-induced psychosis are dubious. Individuals who have used cannabis openly and daily for more than a decade have shown no signs of psychosis. However, reports of cannabis-induced psychosis often involve people who have been using cannabis for a long time or only occasionally. This raises questions about the true cause of these incidents.

In reality, these individuals may be using other illicit substances and blaming cannabis to avoid arrest, or they may be using cannabis in conjunction with other drugs. The fact remains that cannabis does not cause psychosis. We urge the Department of Public Health to investigate this matter immediately and we believe that the experiences of numerous long-term cannabis users can serve as valuable case studies,” the statement reads.

cannabisday3 — The Future of Thai Cannabis Network, together with the Cannabis for Medical Use Network held a press conference on June 9 as the Thai Cannabis Day.

The secretary general of the Thai Cannabis Future Network, Prasitchai Noonuan, announced that the network would gather to submit a petition to the Minister of Public Health within seven days. If the government continues to disregard scientific evidence in determining the status of cannabis, a rally will be organized to demand the government base its cannabis policy on facts.

Furthermore, if the government insists on reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic on June 9 2024, the second anniversary of the decriminalization of cannabis, the network is planning a large-scale protest in front of Government House.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Anutin Charnveerakul, who heads Bhumjai Thai Party which democrimialised marijuana during the Prayut administration said on Thursday that his party is no longer in charge of the Public Health Ministry.

“We have to let the current minister determine the policy, but we must provide information on why cannabis has more benefits than harm. We provide full information, and then we vote in the meeting. Whatever the outcome, we must accept it,” he said.

Anutin said that this matter is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health and the National Committee for Prevention and Suppression of Drugs because the effects of cannabis can be scientifically proven, not based on emotions or feelings.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts during news conference Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi, Thailand, after signing a measure that drops cannabis from his ministry's list of controlled drugs. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP — FILE – Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacted during news conference Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi, Thailand, after signing a measure that drops cannabis from his ministry’s list of controlled drugs. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP

If new information emerges today that cannabis is definitely harmful and addictive, he must listen and consider it, but currently, he has to wait for that information. He is not worried because the cannabis policy is included in the government’s policy statement to the parliament.

Anutin said that when he had announced the removal of cannabis from the list of narcotic drugs, over six thousand prisoners in jail for marijuana selling or consumption have already been released or went through rehab. As for the general practitioners and traditional medicine practitioners who used cannabis and were previously sentenced to imprisonment, they have also been released.

He also said that many foreigners owning marijuana shops must be arrested. Those who can open cannabis shops must be under the announcement of the Ministry of Public Health. There are already rules and regulations in place

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SNNP’s impressive Q1/24 financial statements

By

Contributor

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9 May 2024, 14:56

SNNP’s impressive Q1/24 financial statements: Revenue surges to 1,457 million baht, Actively developing new products and penetrating both domestic and international markets.

Srinanaporn Marketing Public Company Limited (SNNP) has reported exceptional performance in Q1/24, with earnings over 1,457 million-baht, and profits soaring to 158 million baht. The success is attributed to new product launches, including beverages and snacks, in the market. Mr. Wiroj Wachiradechkul, SNNP’s Executive, revealed that typically, the first quarter is a low season for businesses, coupled with an economic situation hasn’t recovered significantly. However, SNNP can still achieve growth in numbers compared to the previous year. This growth is driven by the continuous development of new products and proactive market penetration, both domestically and internationally.

Mr. Wiroj Wachiradechkul, Senior Executive Vice President of the Domestic Business Division at Srinanaporn Marketing Public Company Limited (SNNP), has revealed that the company’s overall performance in Q1/24 (ending March 31, 2024) showed a total income of 1,457 million baht, up 30 million baht or 2% compared to the same period last year. The net profit amounted to 158 million baht, up 4 million baht or 3% compared to the same period last year.

The factors supporting the continued growth in both domestic and international sales stem from several key products, including “Jele” and “Bento,” as well as the introduction of new products to the market at the beginning of the year. These new products include Jele Fresshy in a watermelon flavor, Lotus Crispy Chicken Skin with two new flavors, “Larb and Hat Yai style fried chicken flavors,” and Bento Max with three new flavors, “Sweet & Spicy, Hot & Spicy, and Spicy Larb.” Furthermore, new products in the supplementary category under the brand “Jele Fitt,” in the form of fruit-flavored jelly, have been launched. This has generated significant excitement and has strongly supported sales growth.

While in the first half of 2024, the Company is confident that the trend of product sales will increase significantly. According to the tourism sector that is very bustling during Songkran festival, including SNNP also launching new summertime products to the market with Jele Beautie 2 new flavors “Fiber Formula and Kombucha Flavor” and Magic Farm Fresh 2 new flavors “Coconut juice” and “Honey-Lemon Green Tea” quenching thirst on scorching days. Make a significant rise in sales.

In addition, SNNP also has guidelines for expanding overseas markets such as sending products to sell, participating in marketing in such countries, and appointing distributors to further support long-term growth.

In terms of Marketing communication plan, the Company intends to aggressively communicate through all channels both offline and online, such as commercial films and KOL / influencers, supporting through concert activities, including organizing roadshows to distribute products, in order to reach out to consumers and increase brand awareness.

“For the 2024 business plan, SNNP continues to create awareness and promote the consumption of products, including the release of new products both beverages and snacks continuously. The Company also plans to expand the market to foreign countries apart from Vietnam, which is the main country. We still see opportunities to market in other countries, such as the Philippines, Korea, and China, etc., The Company is confident that this year’s sales will continue to grow steadily according to the business plan,” Mr. Wirot said finally.

Contact:
Supote (M) Mobile 061-674-1234 email : [email protected]

Civilian Casualties Rise in Myanmar’s Civil War as Resistance Forces Tighten Noose Around Military

By

Associated Press

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9 May 2024, 13:17

Myanmar At A Crossroads — This undated photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, shows a monastery in Papun, Karen state, Myanmar after the monastery sheltering civilians displaced by fighting in the town was attacked on March 31, 2024 by a regime warplane. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Six months into an offensive against Myanmar ’s military government, opposition forces have made massive gains, but civilian casualties are rising sharply as regime troops increasingly turn toward scorched-earth tactics in the Southeast Asian country’s bitter civil war.

There is pressure on all fronts from powerful militias drawn from Myanmar’s ethnic minority groups and newer resistance forces. Troops are retaliating with air, naval and artillery strikes on hospitals and other facilities where the opposition could be sheltered or aided.

“When the mass of people rise up against them, I think it terrifies them,” said Dave Eubank, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier who founded the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian aid organization that has provided assistance to both combatants and civilians in Myanmar since the 1990s.

“They know that hospitals, churches, schools and monasteries are important places for human care, and gathering, and symbols — and they hammer them,” said Eubank. “That’s new.”

AP24128187690644 — This undated photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, shows a monastery destroyed by a Burmese military airstrike on March 31, 2024, in Papun, Karen state, Myanmar. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

Military forces now control l ess than half the country, but are holding on tenaciously to much of central Myanmar including the capital, Naypyidaw — recently targeted by drone attacks — and largest city, Yangon, and is far better armed than the resistance forces, with support from Russia and China.

“People have been saying that the regime was on the brink of collapse since two weeks after the coup,” in February 2021, said Morgan Michaels, an analyst with the International Institute of Strategic Studies who runs its Myanmar Conflict Map project.

“On the other hand, obviously the regime is weaker than it’s ever been…. so there’s no doubt that it’s in serious, serious trouble,” he said.

Thet Swe, a spokesman for the military government, acknowledged an email from The Associated Press seeking comment but did not respond to questions.

As the fighting has moved into more populated areas, about 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the offensive in October, contributing to the more than 3 million internally displaced people in the country of some 56 million, according to the U.N.’s humanitarian aid agency.

With the collapse of its health care system and food supplies dwindling, 18.6 million people are in need, up 1 million from a year ago, including 6 million children, the agency said.

AP24128153976910 — In this photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, families flee after a Buddhist monastery sheltering civilians displaced by fighting in the town of Papun, Karen state, Myanmar was attacked on March 31, 2024 by a regime warplane. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

HOW IT BEGAN

Opposition in Myanmar, also known as Burma, had been growing since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, but it gained new momentum in October when major militias known collectively as the Three Brotherhood Alliance launched a joint offensive.

Together, the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — among the most powerful militias formed by Myanmar’s ethnic minorities — made quick advances.

As they captured huge swaths of territory largely in the north and northeast, including economically important border crossings with China and several major military bases, other ethnic armed groups sensed momentum and joined the fighting.

At the same time, People’s Defense Forces — armed resistance groups that support the shadow National Unity Government, which views itself as Myanmar’s legitimate administration — have been increasing in number and launching their own attacks, often supported and trained by the ethnic armed militias.

Both sides claim they have inflicted heavy tolls. And the military government under Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has acknowledged it is under pressure, recently reintroducing conscription to increase its ranks.

That has pushed some young people into the resistance. Many more have fled to rural areas or neighboring countries to avoid fighting.

With the violence across its border, China helped broker a cease-fire in Myanmar’s north in January with the Three Brotherhood Alliance. But the alliance’s Arakan Army continues to fight in its home Rakhine state in the west and has made significant gains, while PDFs and other ethnic armed groups continue their own attacks elsewhere.

AP24128158226886 — In this undated photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, a mother prays for her 17-year-old daughter to live after a Buddhist monastery sheltering civilians displaced by fighting in the town of Papun, Karen state, Myanmar was attacked on March 31, 2024 by a regime warplane. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

THE LATEST FIGHTING

The fiercest fighting in recent weeks has been in the southeast, where the main ethnic Karen fighting force, the Karen National Liberation Army, claimed in early April to have seized all the military bases in Myawaddy, the main town on the border with Thailand in Kayin state.

One army battalion clung to a position beside one of Myawaddy’s two bridges, assisted by the Border Guard Force, a rival Karen group that had been in charge of border area security for years, conducting lucrative business by providing protection to area casino resorts with links to organized crime.

The force, which declared itself neutral in January, now controls the town with military government administrators still in place, highlighting how some militia groups still prioritize their own interests.

“This is not a black and white situation. This is not the regime reconquering and reconsolidating control,” Michaels said of the fighting in the area. “This is the regime hanging on, keeping a foothold by the razor’s edge.”

Meanwhile, the military has pushed KNLA and People’s Defense Forces out of Kawkareik, a strategically important town along the road that connects Myawaddy with the rest of the country.

Thousands of civilians have fled Myawaddy and Kawkareik. But many civilians haven’t managed to escape.

AP24128154139519 — In this undated photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, Dave Eubank, center, founder of the Free Burma Rangers, evacuates the wounded after a Buddhist monastery sheltering civilians displaced by fighting in the town of Papun, Karen state, Myanmar was attacked on March 31, 2024 by a regime warplane. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

At least 1,015 civilian deaths have been documented from Nov. 1 through May 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group that tracks political arrests, attacks and casualties. It says 4,962 civilians have been killed overall since the military took power three years ago.

The watchdog blamed the deaths on the military’s increasing use of scorched-earth tactics and fighting moving into more populated areas.

“The military has increasingly lost areas of control in recent months, which has only increased their use of this strategy, responding with airstrikes, shelling and so on in civilian areas,” the AAPP said in an email.

The group added that the number of civilian deaths in the recent months of fighting is likely double what it reported, if not more, but that it can’t document the numbers due to the intensification of the conflict.

Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for the shadow National Unity Government, said the military had destroyed 343 hospitals and clinics since it took power, and that those attacks had accelerated in the last two months, though he didn’t have specific details.

Eubank, with the Free Burma Rangers, said he and his teams operating near the front lines have witnessed the military, known as the Tatmadaw, fighting with a “ speed and force and a viciousness that we’ve never seen.”

But in fighting a common enemy, the resistance is showing growing unity, he said.

“The Burma army is still stronger than any of these resistance groups, and if they want to bring a division or two to bear, they will win the battle, but they’re not stronger than everybody else together,” he said.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Whether that unity will continue if the regime falls, and if the disparate resistance forces can agree on a common path ahead for Myanmar, is an open question, Michaels said.

“On one hand, Myanmar is not Syria — there is common cause in fighting the regime,” Michaels said. “But at the same time, as the regime has receded from some areas, there are at least indicators of potential future conflicts between groups.”

AP24128150751820 — In this photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, a building burns in Pasaung, Karenni state, Myanmar in March, 2024, after a Burmese military airstrike and mortars destroyed the town. (Free Burma Rangers via AP)

He noted an incident in northern Shan state last month in which troops from two members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance — the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — traded fire over a territorial dispute. One person was injured.

The groups quickly agreed to stand down, but the incident illustrates that territorial tension is real, Michaels said.

An opposition politician still inside the country, speaking on condition of anonymity for his own safety, said Myanmar’s people have a common desire for peace and stability, but the various factions still pursue their own interests.

“It is hard to predict what is ahead, and they still don’t have a single political direction or goal. I think there is quite a problem in this situation,” he said.

“Myanmar is now at a crossroads.”

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Chinese Warships Have Been Docked in Cambodia; US and Philippine Forces Sink a Ship During Drills

By

Associated Press

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9 May 2024, 00:34

Cambodia Naval Base — This satellite photo taken by Planet Labs PBC shows two Chinese corvettes docked at the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s Defense Ministry insisted Wednesday that the months-long presence of two Chinese warships in a strategically important naval base that is being newly expanded with funding from Beijing does not constitute a permanent deployment of the Chinese military in the country.

Questions had arisen after the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported last month that two Chinese corvettes that docked at the Ream Naval Base’s new pier in December had maintained a nearly permanent presence there since.

Current satellite images, analyzed by The Associated Press, confirm that the two ships remained there on Wednesday, more than five months since they initially appeared.

The United States and others have long worried that the new pier at the Ream Naval Base, built with Chinese funding, could serve as a new outpost for the Chinese navy on the Gulf of Thailand, but Cambodia has said that would not happen.

Asked about why the two ships had been there for five months, Defense Ministry spokesperson Gen. Chhum Socheat told the AP they were due to take part in a joint Cambodian-Chinese military exercise later this month, and that they were also involved in training Cambodian sailors.

“We have been clear that Cambodia is not allowing any foreign forces to be deployed on its territory,” he said. “That won’t happen; that point is in our Constitution and we are fully following it.”

He said the ships were also “testing” the new pier, and that they were on show for Cambodia, which was considering purchasing similar warships for its own navy.

“The ships are docked for the training period only, they are not staying permanently,” he said.

AP24129333230982 — This satellite photo taken by Planet Labs PBC shows two Chinese corvettes docked at the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Controversy over Ream Naval Base initially arose in 2019 when The Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of a reputed agreement seen by U.S. officials would allow China 30-year use of the base, where it would be able to post military personnel, store weapons and berth warships.

The base sits adjacent to the South China Sea, where China has aggressively asserted its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway, and also provides easy access to the Malacca Straits, a critical shipping route leading from it to the Indian Ocean.

The U.S. has refused to recognize China’s sweeping claim and routinely conducts military maneuvers there to reinforce that they are international waters.

Cambodia’s then-Prime Minister Hun Sen denied there was such an agreement. He pointed out that Cambodia’s Constitution does not allow foreign military bases to be established on its soil, but said visiting ships from all nations are welcome.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat also said in a post on Facebook late Tuesday that the current prime minister, Hun Sen’s son Hun Manet, had made similar comments in April.

In its report, however, Washington-based CSIS noted that two Japanese destroyers that had made a port call in February were routed to a different port, and that Cambodia’s own boats had continued to use the base’s older, smaller pier to the south.

China only operates one acknowledged foreign military base, in the impoverished but strategically important Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, but many believe that its military is busy establishing an overseas network.

The U.S. has more foreign military bases than any other country, including multiple facilities in the Asia-Pacific region.

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US and Philippine forces sink a ship during largescale drills in the disputed South China Sea

LAOAG, Philippines (AP) — U.S. and Philippine forces, backed by an Australian air force surveillance aircraft, unleashed a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes Wednesday and sank a mock enemy ship as part of largescale war drills in and near the disputed South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing.

Military officials and diplomats from several countries watched the display of firepower from a hilltop along a sandy coast in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s northern home province.

More than 16,000 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines, along with a few hundred Australian troops and military observers from 14 countries, were participating in annual combat-readiness drills called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder. The drills, which started April 22 and end Friday, include a scenario of a foreign invasion of the Philippine archipelago.

AP24129178105638 — U.S. troopers in battle gear walk under the scorching sun during a joint military exercise on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

It’s the latest indication of how the United States and the Philippines have bolstered a defense treaty alliance that started in the 1950s amid their concern in recent years over China’s increasingly aggressive actions in disputed territories in Asia.

Marcos has ordered his military to shift its focus to external defense from decades-long domestic anti-insurgency operations as China’s actions in the South China Sea become a top concern. That strategic shift dovetails with the efforts of U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration to reinforce an arc of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China.

China has angered the Philippines by repeatedly harassing its navy and coast guard ships with powerful water cannons, a military-grade laser, blocking movements and other dangerous maneuvers in the high seas near two disputed South China Sea shoals. They have led to minor collision that have injured several Filipino navy personnel and damaged supply boats.

AP24121303146662 — Philippine Coast Guard vessel, BRP BAGACAY (MRRV-4410) is water cannoned by Chinese Coast Guards as it tried to approach the waters near Scarborough Shoal locally known as Bajo De Masinloc at the South China Sea on Tuesday April 30, 2024. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

“We’re under the gun,” Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

“We don’t have the wherewithal to be able to fight all of this bullying coming from China so where else will we go?” Romualdez said. “We went to the right party, which is the United States and those that believe in what the U.S. is doing.”

China has accused the Philippines of setting off the hostilities in the disputed waters by encroaching in what it says are its offshore territories, demarcated by 10 dashes on a map. It says the Chinese coast guard and navy have been forced to take action to expel Philippine coast guard and other vessels from those areas. The Philippines has repeatedly cited a 2016 international arbitration ruling based on the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea that invalidated China’s claim over virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds.

China did not participate in the arbitration complaint filed by the Philippines in 2013, and has rejected the ruling and continues to defy it.

AP24124475508323 — FILE – Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4, left, is hit by two Chinese coast guard water canons as they tried to enter the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea on March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

After being hit repeatedly by missile and artillery fire and bombs dropped by U.S. and Philippine warplanes during the combat drills, the mock enemy ship sank as black smoke billowed from its stern. The target ship was made in China but decommissioned by the Philippine navy in 2020 due to mechanical and electrical issues, according to the Philippine military.

Philippine military officials said the drills were not directed at any country. China has opposed military drills involving U.S. forces as well as increasing U.S. military deployments in the region, which it warned would escalate tensions and endanger regional stability.

For the first time in years, the combat exercises were staged in and near the fiercely contested Spratly Islands area, which China has closely guarded with its coast guard, navy and suspected militia flotillas.

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Thailand’s PM Wants To Outlaw Cannabis, 2 Years After It Was Decriminalized

By

Associated Press

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8 May 2024, 22:30

Thailand Cannabis — Founder of Highland cafe Rattapon Sanrak prepares flower bud of marijuana for customers at his shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Thailand almost two years ago spawned a highly visible retail industry when it decriminalized the sale and possession of cannabis, but now appears set to tighten controls to ban its recreational use. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

BANGKOK (AP) — The prime minister of Thailand, the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis two years ago, said Wednesday that he wants to outlaw the drug again amid concerns that the lack of regulation had made it available to children and increased crimes.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin wrote on the social media platform X that he asked the Health Ministry to amend its list of narcotics to again include cannabis, and issue new rules to allow its use for medical purposes only.

Srettha also ordered local authorities to suppress criminal activities linked to the illegal drug trade and demanded to see progress within 90 days.

After cannabis was decriminalized in 2022, it was initially said that it would be allowed only for medicinal use, but in practice the market was unregulated. It has prompted public backlash and concerns over misuse and crime.

AP24044119759885 — Founder of Highland cafe Rattapon Sanrak displays flower buds of marijuana for customer at his shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Decriminalization was spearheaded by the Bhumjaithai Party, whose stronghold is in the impoverished northeast where it promised farmers cannabis would be a new cash crop.

In the 2023 elections, all major parties — including Bhumjaithai — promised to restrict cannabis for medical use.

Cannabis advocates and entrepreneurs have opposed a radical rollback, which they claimed would be damaging to the economy. Legal cannabis has fueled Thailand’s tourism and farming sectors and spawned thousands of cannabis retails ranging from shops, trucks to market stalls all over the country.

German Husband, Family Mourn Udon Thani Woman With Depression

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Khaosod English

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8 May 2024, 20:38

german udon tragic1 — Officials found Mrs. Denjai's body at the orchid nursery shortly before noon on May 8, 2024.

UDON THANI – Police officers from Huai Luang Police Station, Udon Thani Province, received a report of a person found hanged in a house in Ban Huai Charoen, Nong Hai Subdistrict, shortly before noon on May 8. They went to investigate along with a doctor on duty from Udon Thani Hospital and rescue workers.

The deceased was the homeowner, Mrs. Denjai, 58 years old. Her daughter, who had just learned the news, ran crying to see her mother’s body. The German husband and twin sons stood by, looking grief-stricken.

Mrs. Gulab Srisuwan, 60, the deceased’s older sister, provided information that her sister had previously been married to a Thai man and had one daughter. Later, she married a German husband for 17-18 years and had twin boys, now 14 years old.

Initially, they loved each other, built three houses, and constructed a greenhouse to sell orchids. However, three years ago, she caught her husband secretly having a mistress in another province, which changed their family life.

Udon Thani — The unused orchid nursery became the place where Mrs. Denjai ended her life.

Mrs. Denjai stopped working in the orchid nursery and suffered from depression, while her husband would go back and forth between the two houses. He would stay at home with the twin children for no more than a month, and most recently, he had been home for two weeks.

Mrs. Gulab said that two days ago, her sister complained to her that she no longer wanted to see her husband’s face. When she heard her husband complaining about paying her to buy medicine to treat her depression, which cost 5,000-6,000 baht per month, her sister felt even more neglected and said she no longer wanted to live. She could only console her sister, telling her to think of her children. She had never thought that her sister would actually commit suicide.

“When I arrived at my sister’s house after learning the news, I saw my German brother-in-law and my nephews trying to perform CPR on my sister, but it was too late,” said Mrs. Gulab.

Ms. Matika, 37, the deceased’s daughter, said that her mother had been suffering from depression for a long time, ever since her married life encountered problems. She had just told her mother that she was building a house that was nearly finished and would take her mother to live with her. Now, she wants to tell her mother’s spirit that she doesn’t have to worry about anything, and that she will take care of her younger siblings herself.

Based on this information, the police recorded the case with the assumption that the deceased suffered from depression. After the authorities have completed the autopsy, they will hand over the body to the relatives for the funeral rites.

According to data from the Thai Depression Knowledge Center, Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, in February 2023, on average, only 28 out of 100 patients with depression receive treatment.

It was found that females have a higher rate of depression than males, but males have a higher rate of successful suicide. People with depression have a 20 times higher rate of successful suicide compared to the general population, and 70% of patients with depression die prematurely.

In 2021, 1.5 million Thais aged 15 and above, or 2.2% of the total Thai population of 69 million, suffered from depression. Every hour, 6 patients with depression attempt suicide, amounting to more than 53,000 people throughout the year, with around 4,000 deaths.

According to the data on successful suicide rates from fiscal years 2019-2023, the trend has increased from 7.26 to 7.94 per 100,000 population. The working-age group, aged 20-59 years, had the highest number of suicides, but the elderly group, aged 60 and above, had the highest successful suicide rate at 10.39 per 100,000 population.

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EVAT Joins Hand with EGAT to Organise 3rd EMC at BTU

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Contributor

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8 May 2024, 17:49

The launch of the 3rd Electric Motorcycle Conversion Contest for Business Opportunity

On April 27, 2024, the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), along with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and Bangkok Thonburi University organized the 3rd EVAT x EGAT Electric Motorcycle Conversion Contest for Business Opportunity on April 26-27, 2024.

This event was led by Mr. Krisda Utamote, President of EVAT, along with Mr. Somsak Prangthong, Director of Demand Side Management and Social Affairs Division of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT); and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duangrit Benjathikul Chairungruang, a Member of the House of Representatives (Representative of the President of Bangkok Thonburi University)

Supporters of the 3rd EVAT x EGAT Electric Motorcycle Conversion Contest for Business Opportunity event

along with related partners and sponsors including 1. Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) 2. Grand Prix International Public Company Limited 3. BMW Thailand Co., Ltd. 4. Metropolitan Electricity Authority 5. Deco Green Energy Co., Ltd. 6. Life’s Moving Co., Ltd. 7. Nihon Denkei (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 8. Hexagon Metrology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 9. Dewesoft (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 10. Innova-Pack Co., Ltd. 11. Chuayram Engineering Co., Ltd. which provided support and attended the event at Bangkok Thonburi University

There was a total of 43 teams competing in this contest, divided into 31 educational institution teams and 12 general public teams. The results of the educational institution group competition are as follows: the first prize goes to team S27 PTL EV from Phatthalung Technical College, receiving a trophy from the Prime Minister and prize money worth 100,000 baht from EVAT. First runner-up is team S15 CHARAWAN RACING 2024 from Phichit Technical College, receiving a prize money worth 50,000 baht and a trophy. And the second runner-up prize goes to Team S07 UTCC from Uthai Thani Community College, receiving a prize money worth 30,000 baht and a trophy.

As for the general public category, the first prize goes to Team G08 Central Region Engineers, receiving a trophy from the Prime Minister and a prize money worth 100,000 baht from EVAT . First runner-up, Team G03 Phraya Phichai EV Bike, received a prize money worth 50,000 baht and a trophy. And the second runner-up prize goes to Team G04-EV Singburi, receiving a prize money worth 30,000 baht and a trophy.

This year, there are also two special awards for innovation: the Battery Innovation Award and the Safety Innovation Award for Riding (Safety). The team that won the former was Team S23 ME Electric Bike from RMUTT, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, and the team that won the latter was Team S06 Lion Dynamic from Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus, each receiving a prize worth 30,000 baht per team.

The field contest began on April 26, which was the first day of the competition. There were 3 main stations opened for vehicle testing: E1: technical inspection station, E2: insulation testing and UNR 136 inspection station, and E3: water testing station. There was also testing rounds on the first day to allow each team to test their motorcycles, as well as to provide the energy measuring meters to each team.

The riding contest around the contest field — a has a distance of approx.. 1 km per round — and in the competition on April 27, points were awarded by measuring the energy after 1 hour or when 1200 watts-hours had been used. All electric motorcycles entered in the contest must have weighed no less than 150 kg, including the rider’s weight.

Mr. Somsak Prangthong, EGAT Director of Demand Side Management and Social Affairs Division stated that EGAT has a mission to produce electricity to maintain national’s energy stability and to increase the country’s competitiveness through innovation for Thai people.

EGAT also sees the importance of utilizing clean electricity, promotes the reduction of air and environmental pollution, and supports the national carbon neutrality policy in 2050 according to government policy. We have been working to promote the use of electric vehicles and electric charging stations continuously since 2016.

Regarding the promotion of the use of electric motorcycles, EGAT has studied and developed advanced energy efficiency criteria for electric motorcycles, which has led to the Label Number 5 being given to electric motorcycles. For the Electric Motorcycle Conversion Contest for Business Opportunity project, EGAT has applied the knowledge gained to expand the results of EGAT’s own electric motorcycle conversion and expand the results of developing skills in conversion and maintenance foranyone who’re interested in this field.

In organizing this activity, EGAT is pleased and ready to support since we also see a good opportunity to be a part of the driving force to support students’ learning experiences, as well as the general public to present their engineering and safety skills in the conversion of electric vehicles and to further develop electric vehicle technology in the future.

“We also aim to create, a business model for the electric vehicle industry within the country, which contributes to the development of the circular economy and the BCG business model that will help develop the electric vehicle industry sustainably,” he said.

(Photo of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duangrit Benjathikul Chairungruang, a Member of the House of Representatives (Representative of the President of Bangkok Thonburi University))

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duangrit Benjathikul Chairungruang, a Member of the House of Representatives and Representative of the President of Bangkok Thonburi University, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host the 3rd EVAT x EGAT Electric Motorcycle Conversion Contest for Business Opportunity to jointly produce and develop manpower competency for electric vehicle industry.

This plays an important role in helping drive the development of related technology for sustainable development in the electric vehicle industry in Thailand to grow strongly and steadily, which is in line with the policy of the university to promote and develop cooperation with the public and private sectors related to the development of technological advancements, including new innovations, new opportunities for knowledge development for personnel, as well as new application of technology for the future development of society and the nation.

It is also a response to the policy of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation for the electric vehicle industry. Organizing this event is very important for the development of skills, academics, and the readiness of human resources to support the growth of the electric vehicle industry.

It also helps push Thailand towards becoming a global production base for electric vehicles and key components.

“Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in raising awareness among students, staff, and the public about the role of electric vehicles that do not emit exhaust / greenhouse gases, pollution, dust and noise. Therefore, they do not cause any negative impact on humans and are environmentally friendly, which is an important factor in moving towards a low carbon society. This is the main goal of Thailand and other countries around the world,” he said.

(Photo of Mr. Krisda Utamote, President of EVAT)

Mr. Krisda Utamote, President of EVAT, said that as Thailand has a goal of moving towards Carbon Neutrality, the transportation sector will play another important part. The government has therefore accelerated the policy to support the use of electric vehicles according to the 30@30 policy, which aims to produce vehicles that emit zero emissions (Zero Emission Vehicle: ZEV) to make up at least 30 percent of all vehicle production within the country within 2030.

Today, the important role of the association is to help develop the country into a sustainable low-carbon society with clean energy vehicles, with directors and members of the association joining to work in various areas related to electric vehicles to jointly develop the industry to grow steadily and sustainably. This activity was originated from the committee’s idea to promote and to support the conversion of motorcycles that use fossil fuels into electric ones, which not only emit no pollution and are environmentally friendly, but also help reduce fuel use.

“This activity is therefore one of the measures that will help Thailand increase the use of electric vehicles and achieve the goals set by the government. It is also a platform that allows students and the public to present ideas and innovations in the development of electric motorcycle conversion to promote and drive potential development, as well as producing personnel with knowledge and expertise in electric vehicles for the automotive industry that is currently transitioning to modern technology. This is in line with the Thai government’s goal of making the country a production hub of electric vehicles for the world market,” he said.

About the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT)

The Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand is a non-profit association. The guidelines of the association aim to promote and support the exchange of academic knowledge in technology and innovation of all types of electric vehicles including advising on regulations, standards, and operations in the development of electric vehicle technology in Thailand. At present, the association has Ms. Krisda Utamote acting as the president.

The association has members from the private sector, educational institutions, state enterprises, and the public, totaling more than 390 members. It has scheduled meetings every month and is divided into working groups in various areas to support and promote the Thai electric vehicle industry to grow steadily and sustainably. Follow the news of the association at www.evat.or.th

Government Pushes Through Political Drama, Aims to Export 10-year-old Rice

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Khaosod English

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8 May 2024, 16:49

BANGKOK – The rice-pledging scheme, which was once a political controversy that led to the fall of the Yingluck Shinawatra government, has once again become a political issue and has reignited debates about whether rice from years ago is still edible today.

Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, inspected rice produced during the Yingluck administration, which has been stored for over 10 years in two warehouses in Surin Province: the Phun Phol Trading warehouse in Chaliang district and the Kitttichai Warehouse in Prasat District, on May 6, 2024. They found that the rice still maintained sufficient quality for consumption and export.

He also demonstrated eating rice stored for ten years and distributed it to journalists for tasting in both Surin Province and Bangkok, most of whom confirmed that it was edible even though it had less aroma and stickiness than fresh rice.

However, Rames Rattanachaweng, the spokesperson for the Democrat Party, has repeatedly attacked this issue, claiming that this batch of rice might not be of genuine quality because it needs to be soaked 15 times. He also criticized the Commerce Minister for not daring to eat it fully, implying a lack of confidence in the quality of the rice.

Rames also said that the deputy prime minister had tried to portray the Yingluck government’s rice subsidy scheme as legal, even though the court had published its verdict on the scheme’s corruption.

rice yingluck5 — Rames Rattanachaweng, the spokesperson for the Democrat Party, claimed that the 10-year-old rice needs to be soaked 15 times, while Phumtham Wechayachai, Minister of Commerce, stated it needs to be soaked only 5 times or less.

On May 8, Phumtham granted another interview to the media, stating that there were officials from various departments involved in the inspection, including the Surin provincial governor, the director-general of the Department of Internal Trade, and two major rice exporters, namely Nakhon Luang Company and Thanassarn Rice Company. Therefore, he didn’t want people to speculate about the truth.

“In truth, it doesn’t matter how many times we soak the rice for cleanliness. If I remember correctly, we soaked it about 5 times. But whether it’s 10 times or 15 times, it depends on each individual’s preference. This isn’t the issue; let’s not divert the topic,” Phumtham said.

Phumtham stated that this issue was an attempt to resolve the country’s problem positively and to bring back money into the country. If the auctioned rice could reach a standard price of 17-18 baht per kilogram, there would be an income of around 200-400 million baht. As for the warehouse owners, once the clearance is completed, they would get their deposit back, which is fair.

As for whether the government wants to reconsider the rice-pledging initiative cases, Phumtham replied that he wished this issue would be resolved and that it wasn’t his duty to deal with legal matters. His duty was to sell the rice in the warehouse. If the rice could be slightly improved, it could be sold to the market for old rice, especially in Africa, rather than letting it rot, which could result in unsaleable rice bags.

Phumtham also said that the Ministry of Commerce would conduct the auction within May or at the latest by June.

Supachai Vorraapinyaporn, Chairman of Thanasarn Rice Company, stated that auctioning the ten-year-old rice for sale would not affect the confidence of buyers or the image of Thai rice because the global demand for rice varies. Some markets prefer new rice, while others prefer old rice, especially in Africa.

“In the last 3-4 years, Thailand has exported a considerable amount of aged rice to Africa, about 3-4 million tons. In my personal opinion, if the government wants to end the drama of Thai people eating old rice, it should open the auction for export. Because abroad, especially in Africa, eating old rice is not a problem,” he concluded.

rice yingluck2 — The 10-year-old rice is kept the Phun Phol Trading warehouse in Chaliang district, Surin Province.

According to the Associated Press report, the Administrative Court on April 2, 2021, repealed the military government’s order to fine former PM Yingluck Shinawatra for 35 billion baht over her loss-ridden rice subsidy program.

The court found the order issued by the finance ministry in 2016 lacks legal standing since the ministry had failed to show any clear evidence of Yingluck, whose government was overthrown in a 2014 coup, was responsible for the financial damages done to the state. It also said that the corruption happened at the operational level.

Yingluck fled Thailand in 2017, shortly before she was found guilty on charges of negligence over the same rice-pledging initiative. She was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison and a warrant was issued for her arrest, which Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party and her supporters decried the sentence as politically motivated.

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