CP Foods mobilizes to assist flood victims in Sing Buri province

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20 October 2022, 09:47

Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited or CP Foods company is continuing its “CPF Food from the Heart Against Flood” initiative to assist flood-hit villagers in Sing Buri province. So far, the company has distributed safe food and relief supplies to those affected by flood in 24 provinces throughout Thailand.

Dr. Kunnawutt Krualoy, CP Foods’ Vice President for Swine Business, said that Sing Buri is one provinces has been hit by heavy flood for several weeks, so the company’s swine business’s disaster volunteers team quickly mobilized to provide fresh meat, eggs and drinking water to the Royal mobile kitchen in collaboration with the Friends in Need (of “Pa”) Volunteers Foundation under the Thai Red Cross Society through Singburi Provincial Livestock Office to give freshly cooked meals to 5,484 households in 4 subdistricts where suffered from flooding.

“We are appreciated the immediate assistance provided by CP Foods volunteers. We hope that everyone can get through this crisis together,” said the head of the Singburi Provincial Livestock Office.

Moreover, the company provided 60 kilograms of pork meat, 1,200 fresh eggs,1,200 bottles of drinking water, canned food, milk and food supplies to Thubya villagers whose houses and rice fields were submerged.

“The food aids from CP Foods help flood relief to more than 320 households in Thubya subdistrict with 650 people affected by hard-hit flooding,” said Mitree Imkaew, Head of Thubya Village.

Accomplishment Declaration of Spine Center between Nakornthon Hospital and Bumrungrad Health Network with “Spine Trip…Back to the Better Life”

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Contributor

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19 October 2022, 16:12

Assoc. Prof. Yandhet Thongsima, President of Nakornthon Hospital, and Ms. Artirat Charukitpipat, Chief Executive Officer of Bumrungrad International Hospital together with Mr. Somsak Vivattanasinchai, Chief Executive Officer of Bumrungrad Health Network, held a press conference to declare the success of Nakornthon Absolute Spine Care, powered by Bumrungrad Health Network under the concept of “Spine Trip”. There is a health talk session “Back to the Better Life” by Dr. Verapan Kuansongtham, and the medical team of Absolute Spine Care, along with a sharing session from their patients.

At Nakornthon Absolute Spine Care, there is a multidisciplinary medical team; consisting of at least 4 specialized doctors to discuss and provide the optimal treatment for the patients. Therefore, the patients can fully trust that the service is personalized for them. They do not have to search for more information or visit many hospitals. At Nakornthon, we provided you the comprehensive services.

For more than a decade of the experiences, with the outnumbered than 10,000 patients, we treated, we cured the symptoms of back pain, and neck pain by giving medication, strengthening a muscle through physical rehabilitation, pain relief by injection, or even surgery operations. For those who are not able to cure by oral medication or have had severe symptoms since the very beginning, a doctor will suggest the procedure of “Intervention” which is a procedure with a non-surgical process with the best result. Nevertheless, a patient has the full right to judge and consider whether which is the best choice for them.

Endoscopic Spinal Surgery and Microscopic are the techniques that help to minimize the pain and are less affected by the internal organs. The endoscope is a small tube less than 1 cm in diameter with a lens attached to the tip. It is functional like a surgeon’s eyes with optical fiber which make the vision clearer and makes the diagnosis more accurate. Moreover, we do have the O-Arm navigation, a 3D X-Ray as a supporting tool to get the best diagnosis and result.

Ms. Daowipa Chayangam, according to what she had the interviews, said that “the symptom starts from the pain around the hip radiating down the leg on the right size. And the pain started to get more severe day by day that she can easily describe it was affected much of her daily life”. She had been given the medication together with the physical therapy before deciding to have advanced technology like the endoscopy procedure.

“I was worried that the longer pain I have, the more chance I’ve got the less able to walk. After I decided to be treated by endoscopic spinal surgery at Nakornthon Hospital, my life has never been better. I can walk normally with confidence and the pain never comes back as my troublemaker again. As a remarkable voice from her, she suggested to those who feel the same pain as her along with numbness and muscle weakness. They should not wait and should consult directly with a doctor for the right diagnosis and suitable treatment.

Ms. Pailin Suranatkittithorn, is another one of our patients at Nakornthon Absolute Spine care Center. She was worried and frightened about the surgery as she had had the other technique of spine surgery before.

She said that “Her previous experience was in so much pain and took a long period of recovery and that was causing her trauma and afraid of the surgery. Unlike this time, she consulted with our doctor and received a good treatment plan and the right diagnosis. A doctor said that the procedure of endoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery, with less recovery time right after the surgery. It’s far from worries and it takes only one day to resume back to my normal life”.

Mr. Rachanon Eamlaor told us about his own experiences regarding chronic neck pain treatment at Nakornthon Absolute Spine Center. He works as an accountant and his working posture has caused him trouble as he has to sit in the same position for a long period. The pain starts from the neck radiating down the arm and shoulder. Choking is one of the main reasons and a turning point that he considered seeing a doctor immediately. He said he feels the electricity running through his body from the head to the toes which causes his body, including the arm feel no strength. Even writing seemed to be very difficult for him. Once he has the consultation with our doctor, he received a good explanation of what should be the cause of the symptoms and also a clear diagnosis and treatment plan. With a full explanation of how the Spinal endoscopic procedures are and with less operating time and minimally invasive surgery. He can rest assured that he will be safe and had decided to receive the treatment.

He said that “After he got the surgery, without noticing he can live a normal life. He can write, do housework, and play with his kids like he was before”

If you are now having symptoms of chronic neck pain, back pain radiating down the arm or leg, or a numbness symptom on your arm and leg. These should not be ignored or overlooked, rushing up and consulting with the specialized doctor and finding the best way of treatment. Live your life freely and back to a normal life. For more information, please contact our contact center at Nakornthon Hospital.

Source: https://en.nakornthon.com/home

CP Foods distributes safe food to vulnerable people in honour of World Food Day

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Contributor

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19 October 2022, 14:47

To celebrate World Food Day on October 16th, Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CP Foods) pledges to collaborate with all sectors to eradicate hunger in line with this year theme, “Leave NO ONE behind”.

Wuthichai Sithipreedanant, Senior Vice President at CP Foods said that CP Foods commits to ensuring food security to achieve its goal of becoming the “Kitchen of the World”. The company has integrated the Circular Economy principle throughout the value chain. Meanwhile, the company is working to reduce amount of food waste from operations to landfill to zero by 2030.

“We are committed to creating value to our resources without waste (Waste to Value), as well as helping vulnerable groups in society to access safe and sufficient foods,” he said.

CP Foods and its partners – Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS Thailand) and GEPP Sa-Ard Co., Ltd. – have turned surplus food from value chain to 74,906 delicious, clean and safe meals for the disadvantaged in 85 communities in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces as a part of “The “Circular Meal…This Meal Changes the World” Project.

All the three partners forged the collaboration as guided by the Circular Economy concept. CP Foods and SOS outlined the operational strategy and designed target areas. As CP Foods gathered surplus food from its distribution centers and delivered to SOS foundation handled turning the surplus food into ready-to-eat meals. Meanwhile, GEPP Sa-Ard handles the recovery of plastic food packaging (Takeback system) for recycling process, to assist the communities in reducing plastic waste. Since 2021, more than 6,000 containers of surplus food have been recovered and non-recyclable parts were managed properly to reduce waste going to landfill.

In line with World Food Day’s “Leave NO ONE behind” theme this year, the company, together with the SOS Foundation and partners giveaway 2,500 meals to vulnerable groups, turning surplus food into delicious, clean, safe foods for residents in Lat Phrao District, Huai Khwang District and Chatuchak District.

Tawee Impoolsup, Food Program & Safety Supervisor at SOS Foundation, said that the Foundation hosted this activity to celebrate World Food Day, October 16, 2022. The delicious dishes were all made from surplus meat and ingredient given by CP Foods. The meals were cooked and delivered by volunteers from community, Social Development and Human Security and the District Office Meanwhile, the post-consumer plastic packaging will be washed and collected back to the SOS Foundation for recycling processing by GEPP.

“We would like to encourage private sector to donate surplus food through the SOS Foundation to pass on quality meals in order to improve nutrition for vulnerable people,” he said

“CP Foods launched the “Circular Meal…This Meal Changes the World” Project with an aim at providing healthy and safe food to those in need as well as minimizing food waste in line with the company’s “Waste to Value” commitment. As part of the CPF 2030 Sustainability in Action strategy, the aim is to reduce food waste to zero by 2030.

Ukraine’s Power, Water Supplies Under Russian Attack Again

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Associated Press

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19 October 2022, 10:30

Emergency workers load debris of a warplane on a truck at the scene of a plane crash in a residential area in Yeysk, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Photo: AP

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Airstrikes cut power and water supplies to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians on Tuesday, part of what the country’s president called an expanding Russian campaign to drive the nation into the cold and dark and make peace talks impossible.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said nearly one-third of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed in the past week, “causing massive blackouts across the country.”

“No space left for negotiations with Putin’s regime,” he tweeted.

Depriving people of water, electricity and heat as winter begins to bite, and the broadening use of so-called suicide drones that nosedive into targets have opened a new phase in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. The bombardments appear aimed at wearing down the notable resilience Ukrainians have shown in the nearly eight months since Moscow invaded.

Meanwhile, along the front lines, things remained “very difficult” for Russian troops in the southern region and city of Kherson, according to Russia’s new commander, Sergei Surovikin.

He told reporters in Moscow that the Russian military would help evacuate civilians ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive.

Kherson is one of four regions illegally annexed by Russia last month. Regional head Vladimir Saldo said Tuesday that residents of Berislav, Belozersky, Snigiryovsky and Alexandrovsky were to be moved across the Dnieper River, away from Russian troops building “large-scale defensive fortifications.”

Saldo urged residents to stay calm and said they would “remain under the reliable protection of the Russian army.”

On Friday, too, Saldo had urged Kherson residents to evacuate. Russian authorities promise free travel and accommodations to those who leave for Russia, the only route out that they have offered.

Across Ukraine, even far from front lines, basic utilities are no longer certainties, with daily Russian strikes reaching far into the country and damaging key facilities.

The latest city shorn of power was Zhytomyr, home to military bases, industries and leafy boulevards, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of Kyiv. The mayor said the whole city of 250,000 lost power and also water initially. Repairs quickly reconnected some homes but 150,000 people were still without electricity hours after the morning strike, regional authorities said.

Pavlo Raboschuk, a 33-year-old computer repairman in Zhytomyr, said that only small shops that could get by without electricity were open on his route to work.

“Only swear words come to mind,” he said. He’s bracing “for a tough and dark winter,” with dehydrated foods, warm clothes and batteries already stockpiled at home.

City hospitals switched to backup power after the double missile strike Tuesday on an energy facility, said Mayor Serhiy Sukhomlyn.

In the capital, Kyiv, missile strikes damaged two power facilities and killed two people, city authorities said. The attack left 50,000 people without power for a few hours, the facilities’ operator said.

Missiles also severely damaged an energy facility in the south-central city of Dnipro, and strikes hit the northeastern region of Sumy.

Russia is mixing up its modes of attack.

Suicide drones set ablaze an infrastructure facility in the partly Russian-occupied southern Zaporizhzhia region, the regional governor said.

Air-defense S-300 missiles, which Russia has been repurposing as ground-attack weapons as its stocks diminish, were used to strike the southern city of Mykolaiv. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, eight rockets fired from across the nearby border with Russia hit an industrial area, the regional governor said.

In Zhytomyr, school director Iryna Kolodzynska had students back at their desks within 30 minutes of the air raid all-clear. Without power for their computers, they used the class board to work on math equations.

“We must not break down,” she said. “There are regions that suffered much more from the war than we did.”

Waves of the explosives-laden suicide drones also struck Kyiv on Monday. One slammed into a residential building, killing four people.

The Iranian-made Shahed drones that hit Kyiv have also been widely used elsewhere in Ukraine in recent weeks. An Associated Press photographer caught one on camera Monday, its triangle-shaped wing and pointed warhead clearly visible, though the Kremlin refused to confirm their use.

The U.N. Security Council scheduled closed consultations Wednesday afternoon on the Iranian-made drones at the request of the United States, Britain and France. They contend that supplying them to Russia violates the 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six countries.

A Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence, said Russia is pursuing a strategy of “attempting to destroy Ukraine’s electricity network” with long-range strikes that are causing civilian casualties rather than degrading its military.

The official said the Iranian drones “are playing an increasingly significant role, although we can see that Ukraine is effectively neutralizing many of them before they hit their targets.”

In a televised address on Monday night, Zelenskyy said Russia is using the drones because it is losing ground in the war.

“Russia doesn’t have any chance on the battlefield, and it tries to compensate for its military defeats with terror,” he said. “Why this terror? To put pressure on us, on Europe, on the entire world.”

Zelenskyy’s tweet ruling out talks with Putin wasn’t the first time he’s said that he won’t negotiate with the Russian leader. Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of talks in the first month after Moscow’s invasion but they fell apart. The Kremlin has said talks could only be possible if Ukraine meets Russian demands and accepts its land-grabs of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine has flatly ruled out talks on those terms

In other developments:

— Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said Russian forces have detained two more senior employees at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Energoatom said their whereabouts are unknown. Also unknown are the whereabouts of another executive who was detained earlier in October.

— In Russia, the death toll from Monday’s crash of a Russian warplane into a residential area rose to 15. The Su-34 bomber came down in the port city of Yeysk after one of its engines caught fire during takeoff for a training mission, the Defense Ministry said. Both crew members bailed out safely, but the plane struck a neighborhood, causing a huge blaze, officials said.

China Claims Right To Protect Consulate; UK Decries Assault

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Associated Press

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19 October 2022, 10:00

The Chinese consulate in Manchester, England, Monday Oct. 17, 2022. Photo: Lindsey Parnaby / PA via AP

LONDON (AP) — China’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday its diplomatic missions abroad have the right to “take necessary measures” to maintain security after British police opened an investigation into the assault of a Hong Kong protester who alleged he was dragged into the Chinese Consulate in Manchester and beaten up during a demonstration.

Britain’s foreign secretary summoned China’s second-most senior diplomat in the U.K. on Tuesday to express the U.K.’s “deep concern” about the assault allegations and to demand an explanation for the actions of the Chinese consulate staff.

Police in the English city of Manchester said a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Consulate on Sunday turned into a “hostile” situation when unidentified men came out of the building, dragged one protester into the consulate grounds and assaulted him. Police said officers had to intervene and remove the man.

The man, who is in his 30s, told reporters that he was beaten up when protesters tried to stop the masked men from tearing down their anti-government placards outside the gates of the consulate. The protesters had gathered at the consulate as the Chinese Communist Party opened its weeklong congress in Beijing on Sunday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin rejected the accounts of the protester and Manchester police. He told reporters Tuesday that the protester had “illegally entered” the consulate and “jeopardized the security of the Chinese diplomatic premises.”

“The diplomatic missions of all countries have the right to take necessary measures to maintain the peace and dignity of the premises,” Wang said in Beijing. “What I want to stress is that the peace and dignity of Chinese embassies and consulates abroad must not be violated.”

He added that the British government should step up protection for Chinese diplomatic posts and personnel in the U.K.

Downing Street said the incident was “deeply concerning” and a Foreign Office official summoned Chinese charge d’affaires Yang Xiaoguang on Tuesday.

“Today we have made our view clear to the Chinese authorities: the right to peaceful protest in the U.K. must be respected,” said Foreign Office minister Zac Goldsmith.

Several U.K. lawmakers pressed the British government to take tougher action.

“We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to import their beating of protesters and their silencing of free speech … to British soil,” said Alicia Kearns, chair of Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

The Chinese consul general was among the men who ripped down the protesters’ posters, Kearns added.

Video on the BBC website showed a scuffle breaking out in front of the consulate after masked men tore down the protesters’ placards. The video appeared to show several men wearing face masks beating up someone who had been pushed to the ground.

Police said the protester was taken to a hospital to treat his injuries. No arrests have been made.

The Chinese Consulate in Manchester didn’t respond to a request for comment.

At a media briefing Tuesday, Hong Kong leader John Lee said he did not have the full details about the case but trusted that the U.K. government would handle the incident in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and British law.

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Story: Sylvia Hui. AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presided over the Grand Opening of the “Weaving the Way: A Journey of Thai Silk”

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Contributor

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18 October 2022, 17:28

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presided over the Grand Opening of the “Weaving the Way: A Journey of Thai Silk” Exhibition on the occasion of 90th Birthday Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother

HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presided over the Grand Opening of the “Weaving the Way: A Journey of Thai Silk” Exhibition on the occasion of 90th Birthday Anniversary of HM Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother at Charoen Nakhon Hall, ICONSIAM. The Grand Opening was attended by H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry’s executives and officials, members of diplomatic corps and spouses as well as media.

This Exhibition is organised to honour Her Majesty’s dedication to preserve and promote Thai textiles on the global arena for more than 7 decades as well as HRH the Princess’ determination to continue, preserve and develop Her Majesty’s work. The Exhibition is divided into 3 parts as follows:

The first part is the beginning of the Thai Silk Journey where HM Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother became enchanted by the beauty of Mudmee Thai silk while visiting flood victims in Na Waa District, Nakorn Phanom Province, with HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great in 1970. From that visit, Her Majesty initiated a project to encourage and support the weaving of textiles as a means of creating steady secondary income for Thai women. Her Majesty then established the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupation and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) on 21 July 1976, ensuring that the diverse crafts of Thailand have survived to this day.

This part also displays various photographs of HM Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother graciously granting the opportunity to both local and international designers to create attires for HM to wear during State Visits, welcoming royal guests, as well as attending royal functions. The use of Mudmee, Prae Wa, Yok and Hilltribe textiles in her wardrobe shed a keen light on the beauty of Thai fabrics.

The second part involves the story of HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya setting Her heart out to continue, preserve and develop HM Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother’s work in conserving, reviving and promoting the arts and crafts of Thailand, especially in the support of textile weaving and product development for a more modern market to promote Thailand’s fashion and textile industry onto the international arena.

The final part is a display of bespoke masterpieces from Thai textiles by international designers and leading brands. These include clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. This is a great example of how to turn cultural assets into value-added products. It also demonstrates that Thai textiles can be used to make apparel that is modern and recognised by leading designers.

Prestige Thailand Launches it’s 40 Under 40 List for 2022

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Contributor

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18 October 2022, 17:18

One of Thailand’s most anticipated annual awards ceremonies that pays tribute to a new-generation of young achievers, Prestige Thailand’s “40 Under 40” list, was officially launched on September 20 during a glamorous red-carpet event at Capella Bangkok.

Representing the diverse worlds of commerce, entrepreneurship, art and culture, tech startups and other sectors, the 2022 “40 Under 40” awardees were treated to an evening of curated culinary experiences before receiving their awards.

According to Waraporn Siriboonma, Co-Managing Director of BurdaLuxury and Publisher of Prestige (Thailand), initiatives like “40 Under 40” bring together a collective of like-minded individuals – some of the brightest minds in the country – who are doing extraordinary things. “Here at Prestige, we are cultivating a dynamic community of high achievers, thought leaders and trailblazers who are not only acknowledged, but provided with an opportunity to network with their peers, and to empower each other.”

The “40 Under 40” is also presented annually by editions of Prestige in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia – all of which are published by BurdaLuxury.

This year’s award ceremony coincided with Prestige celebrating its 17th anniversary in Thailand, and having recently re-launched a brand-new logo and design.

Nigeria Races to Assist Flood Victims; Death Toll Tops 600

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Associated Press

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18 October 2022, 12:30

FILE- A view of stranded people due to floods following several days of downpours in Kogi Nigeria, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Photo: Fatai Campbell / AP File

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from floods in Nigeria this year has increased to 603 as local authorities race to get relief items to hundreds of thousands being evacuated from their submerged homes.

More than 1.3 million people have been displaced by the disaster, which has affected people across 33 of Nigeria’s 36 states, the nation’s humanitarian affairs ministry said late Sunday.

At least 340,000 hectares of land also have been affected, worsening fears of food supply disruptions. Armed conflict already has threatened production in the northwest and central regions of Nigeria, which produce much of what the country eats.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari directed “all concerned to work for the restoration of normalcy,” according to a statement issued by the presidency.

Nigeria experiences annual flooding especially in coastal areas but this year’s floods are the worst in more than a decade. Authorities blame the disaster this year on the release of excess water from Lagdo dam in neighboring Cameroon and on unusual rainfalls.

The flooding has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria where armed violence especially in the troubled northern region has already displaced more than 3 million people, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.

Sadiya Umar Farouq, Nigeria’s minister of humanitarian affairs, warned that five states are still at risk of experiencing floods up till the end of November.

“We are calling on the respective state governments, local government councils and communities to prepare for more flooding by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds,” Farouq said.

Last week, President Buhari approved 12,000 metric tons of grains for the flood victims, the humanitarian affairs minister said.

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Story: Chinedu Asadu.

China Party Says Nearly 5 Million Members Probed for Graft

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Associated Press

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18 October 2022, 12:00

FILE - Delegates wearing masks attend the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein / AP File

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party says it has investigated almost 5 million members for possible corruption over the last decade, with formal criminal cases brought against 553.

Whether that will curb a widening economic slowdown and restore faith in the authoritarian system remains unclear.

The party has 96 million members and has long run its own internal system of keeping cadres in line through a mix of offering privileges and threatening severe punishment for taking bribes, selling offices or otherwise abusing authority.

At a briefing Monday on the sidelines of the party’s national congress held every five years, the deputy secretary of the party’s Committee for Discipline and Inspection, Xiao Pei, said 207,000 party officials in total had been handed some form of punishment in the 10 years since party leader Xi Jinping took power.

Now seeking a third term as head of the party, government and military, Xi has made fighting corruption a hallmark of his administration.

Xiao said most of those caught by anti-graft investigators were long-term offenders and just 11% of those punished had committed their first offense in the past five years.

“The spread of graft has been resolutely contained,” Xiao said, adding that “directed policies and high pressure” had persuaded 80,000 party members to voluntarily admit to violations over the past five years.

The anti-corruption campaign, one of Xi’s key policies, has been largely popular with the public and has conveniently enabled him to sideline potential rivals.

A former justice minister and a former deputy public security minister received suspended death sentences last month after being convicted on various charges of bribe-taking and other abuses of office.

Chinese courts are beholden to the party and have a near 100% conviction rate. After being investigated internally and expelled from the party, even high government and military officials can expect lengthy prison terms, although death sentences have become somewhat rarer in high-profile cases.

Xi, 69, reaffirmed the party’s total control of Chinese politics, economy and society in a speech Sunday at the opening session of the party congress.

“The next five years will be crucial,” Xi said in a televised speech to some 2,000 delegates in the cavernous Great Hall of the People. He repeatedly invoked his slogan of the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” which includes reviving the party’s role as economic and social leader in a throwback to what Xi regards as a golden age after it took power in 1949.

The congress will install leaders for the next five years. Xi is expected to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as party general secretary and promote allies who share his ideals.

Xi has his own experience with the capriciousness of party justice.

His father, Xi Zhongxun, was a former vice premier and guerrilla commander in the civil war that brought Mao Zedong’s Communists to power in 1949.

Just years later, the senior Xi was placed under detention as Mao turned on his former comrades, and Xi Jinping was driven from his home during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, which banished intellectuals to the countryside and subjected many to public humiliation and brutal beatings in the name of class struggle.

Xi later attended Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University and rose steadily through the bureaucracy in the provinces, rising to party secretary — the top position — in China’s biggest city and financial hub of Shanghai in 2007, after his predecessor fell in a corruption scandal.

Xi has taken control of economic and military matters and had his name enshrined in the party constitution alongside Mao by adding a reference to his ideology.

“Xi Jinping Thought” emphasizes reviving the party’s mission as China’s political, economic, social and cultural leader and its central role in achieving the goal of “national rejuvenation,” the restoration of the country to a position of prominence in the world.

Xi has pushed a more assertive foreign policy and swept aside concerns over an economy that has been hard hit by pandemic restrictions and a government crackdown on spiraling real estate debt. The economy appears set to grow by only about half of the official target of 5.5.% this year, while unemployment is rising among recent college graduates to levels not seen before.

Despite the drag on the economy, the government has stuck with the policy known as “zero-COVID,” which mandates lockdowns, travel restrictions and near-daily testing. The approach earlier was seen as a success as COVID-19 ravaged other parts of the world.

While dissatisfaction simmers, particularly as life returns to normal in other parts of the world, most people don’t dare to speak out and Xi has indicated no upcoming changes on health policy and other major issues.

The “Red Bull heir” case : A case study in juridical process.

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Contributor

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17 October 2022, 17:02

On October 12, 2022, high-profile lawyer Sukit Poonsrikasem posted on his Facebook wall about the case of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhaya who stands accused of crashing his Ferrari into Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean Klaprasert and dragging his body along the road before fleeing the scene.

Mr Sukit defended Mr Vorayuth against the accusations.

@ The background and issues

On September 3, 2012 around five o’ clock in the morning, a Ferrari collided with the motorcycle being ridden by Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean who was attached to Thong Lor Police station, killing him.

Following the incident, a Thong Lor police inspector escorted Suwet Hom-Ubon, a housekeeper of the Yoovidhya family, to surrender to police investigators, claiming that he was the person behind the wheel of the Ferrari.

Mr Suwet said he turned himself in order to repay the kindness of the Yoovidhya family. However, Mr Vorayuth later admitted that he was driving the car.

The police investigation team led by Pol Col Wiradon Tuptimdee filed a lawsuit against the accused who confessed to his crime. A judge ordered a jail sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to the offense. Prosecutors did not appeal the judge’s decision.

The move had sparked public outrage, which Mr Sukit sees as a threat to judicial independence.

Thong Lor police were accused of coming up with false evidence, trying to cover up the crime by turning Mr Sumet in to police as a scapegoat, and releasing fake news that the body of the policeman was dragged by the luxury car for as far as 200 meters down the road following the fatal crash.

According to a statement made by prosecutor to the Police Committee, however, no road rash were found on the body of Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean.

Mr Vorayuth or “Boss” later turned himself in to police investigators and pleaded in the alternative. He admitted that he hit the policeman. But he claimed that the policeman’s motorcycle had cut in front of him. Mr Vorayuth was tested and found to have excessive alcohol in his blood. But he said this was from drinking at home after the accident.

Mr Vorayuth faced several charges following the fatal crash and was released on bail. He left Thailand for an unknown destination. Since the accident, he has managed to avoid appearing in court as he has remained abroad. It seems that the police are not serious about having him extradited to stand trial in Thailand.

This has caused widespread outrage.

Authorities and officials within the judiciary including investigating officers, public prosecutors, supervisors, members of the National Legislative Assembly, politicians and lawyers have been accused of interfering with the Central Police Forensic Science Division’s operation, abusing power, creating false evidence and conducting a conspiracy for trying to help Mr Vorayuth.

Authorities have worked under pressure from society.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered that a panel be set up chaired by Vicha Mahakun, a former member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, to look into the alleged mishandling in the hit-and-run case involving the Red Bull scion amid public outage over public prosecutors’ decision not to indict Mr Vorayuth.

The investigation by the Vicha-led committee revealed that new pieces of evidence involved statements where witnesses had recanted their testimony.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) then ordered the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and Thong Lor Police Station to take legal action against Mr Vorayuth in response to the Vicha-led panel’s recommendations.

In Mr Sukit’s view, the move opposes the Rule of Law.

@ Facts and case summary

On September 3, 2012 around five o’clock in the morning, police said they were alerted to a fatal crash on Sukhumvit Soi 45 where a Ferrari had slammed into the motorcycle of Thong Lor policeman Wichian Klanprasert, killing him.

Police investigators filed charges of reckless driving causing death, reckless driving causing damage to assets and failing to stop and help a crash victim against Mr Vorayuth.

In this case, Mr Sukit said what must be considered is whether the accused is found guilty as charged.

The lawyer argued that:

Police said that testimony given by eye-witness Jaruchart Madthong obtained during questioning is the same as what is shown on the playback of CCTV footage from a street camera near the crime scene.

Jaruchart told police who questioned him that the accused was driving at a normal speed when the accident happened. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean was riding his motorbike in the far left lane with no lights. The policeman then lost control of his motorbike and moved across into the lane in which the accused was driving and cut in front of him.

Citing the autopsy report, police said no signs of road rash were found on the policeman’s body.

Mr Sukit said that if consideration were given to the incident based on the CCTV footage, the oral evidence stating that Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean was not riding in his lane when the accident took place, combined with his autopsy report, Mr Vorayuth would not be guilty of the crime.

Pol Lt Col Surapol Dejrattanawichai, who is an expert witness, said the accused was driving at less than 80 kilometers per hour when the accident occurred.

It can be assumed that the policeman had changed lanes abruptly, making it difficult for the accused to avoid crashing into him no matter how fast he was driving.

Therefore, the crash was not clearly identified as the direct cause of death of Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichean in spite of witness recantation.

Pol Col Thanasit Tangjan, who calculated the speeds of the cars, recanted his testimony on the condition of the vehicles involved in the accident.

However, police investigators and public prosecutors decided not to include Pol Lt Col Surapol’s statements and the results of the car’s speed at the time of the accident as evidence in the case.

This doesn’t affect the prosecution according to the verdict of Supreme Court. That means the defendant has not been proven guilty of reckless driving, causing death as charged according to the judgement of Supreme Court 4883/2553.

It should be noted that Prime Minister Gen Prayut himself views this case as a normal criminal case (reckless driving and causing death), albeit one that no one wanted to happen. However, he ordered the setting up of the Vicha-led committee to look into this case because he didn’t want people, particularly foreigners, to think it was all about politics.

Speaking respectfully, Mr Sukit said: “Investigation procedures must be carried out in compliance with international guidelines and with no ‘bias’.”

He argued that the issues that need to be considered are: whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute as society is demanding; whether the authorities that include investigators, public prosecutors, politicians and lawyers have given help to the accused to avoid punishment; whether the head of the investigation committee’s recommendations are applicable under laws and regulations; and whether his opinion is against the verdict of Supreme Court.

The Vicha-led committee’s recommendations have caused the high-ranking officials accused of interfering with the law in relation to the case to face disciplinary probes by the RTP and the OAG. They are also being punished for a crime they didn’t commit.

Source : https://www.khaosod.co.th/monitor-news/news_7313003
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