MBM Metalworks reached facade lighting solution deal with The Forestias North Plot to integrate ecosystem with diverse range of lifestyles

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17 October 2022, 15:24

BANGKOK, October 2022: MBM Metalworks Limited, a specialist in facade and envelope systems will be providing a complete facade lighting solution to The Forestias North Plot project under The Forestias, Thailand’s largest mixed-use development project by MQDC.

MBM in collaboration with B.Grimm Trading will offer one stop facade and lighting solutions covering services and support in design, manufacturing, installation, through maintenance for a smooth and seamless experience. Customers can save time, money, and hassle of contacting multiple suppliers whilst being delivered high quality products with German engineering technology.

Mr. Arnon Harnburanaphong, Managing Director of MBM Metalworks, said “In general, facade lighting work is faced with overlapping installation given the two teams coming from different suppliers and performing works independently. As a result, the lighting team would find themselves unable to continue the task due to spec and design misalignments with the facade. In most cases, the duplicated efforts happen when there is no proper communication which results in the reworks, air and water leakage, causing increased costs and project delays. Recognizing the problems, MQDC is taking steps to prevent room for task overlap.

Under B.Grimm Group, MBM and B.Grimm Trading joined forces to offer a single comprehensive solution, providing professional advice and support in each key step of facade and lighting design, manufacturing, installation, to maintenance. Our in-house manufacturing allows us to fully practice quality control and assure high-quality, bespoke products. Customers can save money and considerable time and effort on duplicate work as we are the only point of contact they will ever need.”

In addition, MBM also offers value engineering by cooperating with designers of The Forestias to propose the most optimal design option available – provide equal functionality with less expensive alternatives; or increase the value of the product without reducing costs. MBM expects to complete the facade lighting project by Q3 of 2023.

About The Forestias

The Forestias is the country’s largest mixed-use development worth over 120 billion baht. The 300-rai project comes with the concept “Imagine Happiness” featuring multiple residential components, commercial space for offices, sports complexes, etc. plus an extraordinary 30 rais for healthier and sustainable living.

For more information, please visit:
https://bgrimmgroup.com/
https://www.mbmfacades.com/
https://bgrimmtrading.com/

China’s Party Congress Promises Continuity, Not Change

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Associated Press

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17 October 2022, 12:30

Delegates stand for a moment of silence during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein / AP

BEIJING (AP) — The overarching theme emerging from China’s ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change.

The weeklong meeting, which opened Sunday, is expected to reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in China’s modern history.

A look at what’s happened so far, and what’s to come:

MORE OF THE SAME

This is not an inflection point for the party. That happened 10 years ago when it named Xi as leader, though it wasn’t evident at the time.

Since then, Xi has reoriented China both domestically and internationally. The military has staked claims to disputed territory while diplomats have become more assertive, saying China won’t be bullied by the U.S. and others.

Xi has brought back stronger state control over the economy and society, expanding censorship and arrest to stifle dissent. An unprecedented crackdown on corruption has brought down hundreds of senior officials, including some potential political rivals.

All of that is here to stay was the message from a one-hour and 45-minute party report that Xi delivered to the opening session on Sunday, extolling the party’s efforts toward what he calls the “rejuvenation” of the nation.

ELEVATING XI

Xi has already swept away competitors and consolidated power. The question is whether he will gain even more power — and how.

Practically, he has placed himself in charge of the military, foreign policy, the economy and most other matters through a series of party working groups that he heads.

Symbolically, his ideology, known as Xi Jinping Thought, was enshrined in the party congress at the previous congress in 2017.

Another amendment to the constitution is on the agenda for this week’s congress. No details have been divulged, but analysts say it could further raise his status in the party.

THE NEW LEADERS

It is customary for the party to unveil its top leadership for the next five years the day after the congress closes, with the small group named to the Politburo Standing Committee identified for the first time when they parade out on stage.

Xi is widely expected to be at the top, getting a third five-year term. That would dispense with an unwritten agreement for party leaders to step down after two terms.

The others named to the Standing Committee, which currently has seven members, could offer clues to Xi’s future and the direction of policy.

He is expected to stack the committee with loyalists. Analysts wonder whether China’s economic slump will force him to temper his enthusiasm for a state-run economy and include supporters of a more market-oriented approach.

No obvious successor was picked for the current Standing Committee in 2017, signaling that Xi was eyeing a third term. Doing so again would suggest he plans an even longer stay.

WAIT FOR THE WEEKEND

With most of this week’s sessions behind closed doors, none of this is likely to be known until the weekend. Any amendment to the constitution would typically be announced at the closing session on Saturday, and the new leadership paraded out on Sunday.

ZERO-COVID BLUES

For many Chinese, weary of pandemic restrictions that have disrupted lives and the economy, the more immediate question is whether there be any easing after the party congress.

The answer is probably not immediately, and changes when they do come will most likely be gradual.

The Communist Party is always eager to portray the country in a positive light around the congress and avoid any societal disruptions — and a major COVID-19 outbreak would be one.

But even after the congress, it will remain uncertain how widely COVID-19 will spread if travel and other restrictions are eased, so party officials remain cautious about opening up.

Plus there’s always another major event to worry about. As a follow-up to the party congress, China’s legislature will meet next year, probably in March. Many Chinese are preparing to hunker down at least until after that.

Ukraine: Explosions Rock Kyiv a Week After Russian Strikes

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Associated Press

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17 October 2022, 12:00

Police block the perimeter at the scene of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, after some explosions rocked Kyiv in the early morning. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky / AP

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Several loud explosions rocked the center of the Ukrainian capital Monday, a week after Russia orchestrated a massive, coordinated air strike across the country.

Kyiv city mayor Vitali Klichko said the central Shevchenko district of the capital had been hit, and urged residents to take shelter. The early morning explosions sparked a fire in a non-residential building and damaged several apartment blocks, Klichko said in his Telegram channel. No further details were immediately known. There was no word yet on casualties.

The explosions came from the same central Kyiv district where a week ago a missile struck a children’s playground and intersection near the Kyiv National University’s main buildings.

Social media posts showed a fire in the area of the apparent strike, with black smoke rising into the early morning light.

Russian forces struck Kyiv with Iranian Shahed drones, wrote Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, in a post on the Telegram social media site. Russia has repeatedly been using the so-called suicide drones in recent weeks to target urban centers and infrastructure, including power stations.

Strikes in central Kyiv became a rarity in the last several months after Russian forces failed to capture the capital in the beginning of the war. Last week’s early morning strikes were the first explosions heard in Kyiv’s city center in several months, and put Kyiv as well as the rest of the country back on edge as the war nears nine months. Monday’s blasts seemed to continue what many fear could become more common occurrences in urban centers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week’s strikes were in retaliation for the bombing of a bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula with the Russian mainland. Putin blames Ukraine for masterminding the blast, which suspended traffic over the bridge and curtailed Moscow’s ability to use the bridge to supply Russian troops in the occupied regions of southern Ukraine.

The strike on Kyiv comes as fighting has intensified in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in recent days, as well as the continued Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south near Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last night in his evening address that there was heavy fighting around the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region. The Donetsk and Luhansk regions make up the bulk of the industrial east known as the Donbas, and were two of four regions annexed by Russia in September in defiance of international law.

On Sunday, the Russian-backed regime in the Donetsk region said Ukraine had shelled its central administrative building in a direct hit. No casualties were reported.

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Story: Sabra Ayresa.

“ELEVATE AND ENJOY” WITH MARRIOTT’S PREMIUM ROOM PROMOTION IN THAILAND

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Contributor

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17 October 2022, 10:52

Guests can now enjoy preferential rates on non-standard rooms, suites and villas, plus a welcome amenity, breakfast for two and daily hotel credit all across the kingdom

BANGKOK, THAILAND, October 2022 – Marriott Bonvoy is inviting its guests to elevate their next vacation in Thailand with an enticing new promotion that includes premium accommodation and a wealth of added extras.

Under the new “Elevate & Enjoy” offer, travelers can book a premium room at their chosen hotel or resort – including deluxe, club or family rooms, spacious suites or even luxurious villas – including daily breakfast for two people. Every guest will also be presented with a welcome amenity upon arrival, and daily hotel credit to be redeemed for soothing spa treatments, dining experiences, sunset drinks and more!

Available for bookings made from now until December 31st, 2022, and stays taken until March 31st, 2023, this attractive offer coincides with the high season in many dream destinations across Thailand.

So, whether you’re seeking a stylish city break in Bangkok, an idyllic island escape in Koh Samui or Phuket, a beachfront holiday in Krabi, Khao Lak, Hua Hin, Pattaya or Rayong, or an enchanting upcountry retreat in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, everyone can find their ultimate Thai vacation with Marriott.

With a selection of chic and spacious accommodation available, “Elevate & Enjoy” is ideal for guests seeking a romantic couple’s break, a special occasion or a fun-filled family vacation.

To “Elevate & Enjoy” with Marriott International in Thailand, please visit www.marriott.com/en/destinations/thailand.mi.

Opinion: Should We Be Proud of Thailand’s Abstention in UN Vote?

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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16 October 2022, 14:00

Video monitors show member nation vote in the United Nations General Assembly in favor of a resolution condemning Russia's illegal referendum in Ukraine, Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022 at U.N. headquarters. Photo: Bebeto Matthews / AP

I was asked by an up-and-coming journalist from a neighboring country earlier this week why Thailand chose to abstain from voting to condemn Russia for its annexation of Ukrainian territories in a shambolic referendum during the latest U.N. General Assembly emergency special session in New York on Wednesday.

Well, apparently, the journalist must not have believed in the explanation put forth by Thailand’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Suriya Chindawongse.

For those willing to believe it, Suriya partly wrote in English that “Thailand chose to abstain from the vote on the resolution because it takes place during an extremely volatile and emotionally charged atmosphere and situation, and thus marginalizes the chance for crisis diplomacy to bring about a peaceful and practical negotiated resolution to the conflict that may push the world towards the brink of nuclear war and global economic collapse.”

Suriya also added that Thailand feels for Ukraine nevertheless and called the situation an “absolute tragedy” but did not directly mention the aggressor.

“Thailand bemoans the physical, social and humanitarian destruction of Ukraine and the extreme hardship endured by Ukrainians. We therefore emphasize the need for all stakeholders in this absolute tragedy in Ukraine to de-escalate the conflict and violence, and try to find a peaceful means to settle the differences by addressing the pragmatic reality and concerns of all involved…”

Well, while 143 states endorsed the resolution to condemn Russia, including seven of our ASEAN neighbors, namely, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia; Thailand was among the 35 states who chose to abstain.

The list of the 35 states includes our neighbors and former client states of the USSR such as Vietnam and Laos. Others in the group of abstentionist states are Sudan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Eritrea and China – basically mostly dictatorial states and you know what I mean.

BTW, the list of the five countries which voted to oppose the resolution are North Korea, Nicaragua, Belarus, Syria and of course Russia herself.

Now, if you still do not mean in Suriya and the Thai foreign ministry which distributed the explanation note, here is my take to be empathetic to the unspeakable stance of the ministry.

First, this is not Thailand’s war so we should not get deeply involved, one way or the other. There is no need to get caught between Russia and the rest of the West. Thailand does not want to end up as another pawn of a proxy-war between the US and Russia in Ukraine, period. Many educated Thai conservatives are fully convinced that Ukraine has been used by the U.S. as a proxy to contain and confront Russia.

Second, Russia is a big tourist market for Thailand and we want more Russians to come and enjoy themselves and it may leave them with a sour taste in their mouth if these Russian tourists have learned that Thailand voted to condemn Putin, I mean Russia.

Welcome to Thailand! Come one, come all! BTW, Thai security source confirmed earlier this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending the APEC 2022 Summit in Bangkok (why Biden will not) so perhaps this is a little gesture from Thailand to massage Putin’s ego.

Third, Thailand has a historical soft spot for Russia. Most conservative Thais believe the last Tzar, Tzar Nicolas II, played an instrumental role in helping Siam keep two imperial powers, France and Britain from directly colonizing Siam by making it clear that the Siamese King, Rama V, was his friend. Even during the Soviet era, Thailand eventually managed to ensure that the USSR did not support its then-client state, Vietnam, from invading Thailand.

Fourth, choosing to abstain from taking side, Thailand continues its bamboo and Siamese diplomacy and plays it hard to get. Forget about human rights, the principle of national sovereignty of other states, these issues are very, very low on Thailand’s lists of things to keep in mind.

By abstaining to condemn Russia but also refer to the tragedy in Ukraine, the Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government hopes to appease both Russia and Ukraine and try to make sure they do not make the conflict into Thailand’s conflict.

But what about the reputation and integrity of Thailand? Can Thailand maintain respectability in the eyes of the international community by trying to have it both ways?

Bangkok Governor and CP Foods join hands to make Bangkok greener

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Contributor

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14 October 2022, 17:00

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt and Prasit Boondoungprasert, Chief Executive Officer at Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) jointly launched the “Forest in the City” Project at Lumpini Park to support Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s one-million-more- trees campaign in a bid to combat smog and make a greener city.

At the event, CP Foods CEO and the governor planted magnolia champaca trees together and giveaway saplings from different kinds of plants to people to grow at their home, including perennial plants, air-purifying trees, and other auspicious trees. These planting trees were raised in nursery that run by community in Khao Phraya Doen Thong, Lopburi, where CP Foods and Department of Forestry have operated the CPF Rak-Ni Ves at Phraya Doen Thong Mountain Project, a watershed forest conservation project in Lopburi province.

The Bangkok Governor also visited CP Foods’ reforestation exhibition, showcasing the successes of CPF’s Rak-Nives and CPF’s Grow-Share-Protect projects in conserving biodiversity in the watershed to mangrove forests as well as creating stable income and food security for those who live nearby.

The governor thanked CP Foods for taking part in Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s one-million-more- trees campaign to build better city for the next generation. In order to do so, the public and private organization collaboration is needed. CP Foods has set a good example in this regard. The company offers a helping hand, using expertise from its achievement of conservation watershed and mangrove reforest to create greener area in Bangkok. In addition, CP Foods also provides the high-quality saplings distributing for people in Bangkok.

“Together, we can create a good city from the cooperation of everyone,” He said,

Mr. Prasit pointed out that environmental stewardship is one of CP Foods’ priorities. In order for the company to achieve good performance, the society, environment, and country where it operated must be good first.

He also thanked BMA for giving CP Foods the opportunity to participate in such a good activity, mentioning that CP Foods is proud that the Forest in the city project has helped to make a greener city for people of Bangkok.

The “Forest in the City” initiative is an effort to support BMA’s one-million-more- trees campaign as well as increase green space for Thailand in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, No. 13 and No. 15 to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” and “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” respectively.

ICONSIAM launched “ICONSIAM X GOLD LINE WINTER WANDERLUST” Campaign, inviting all shopper to visit by using the Gold Line Skytrain with the chance to win a roundtrip trip ticket

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Contributor

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12 October 2022, 16:31

ICONSIAM will be doubling down for the year-end campaign called “ICONSIAM X GOLD LINE WINTER WANDERLUST”, giving shoppers the chance to travel in for the upcoming winter with a roundtrip ticket from BKK-Seoul or enjoy the northern part of Thailand with a roundtrip trip ticket from BKK- Chiang Mai from now until 30th November 2022.

Mr.Supoj Chaiwatsirikul, Managing Director of ICONSIAM Co., Ltd, said “ICONSIAM, a global landmark along The Chao Phraya River, is a global destination for tourists all over the world and a key driving force that strengthens Bangkok and the country’s tourism industry. To welcome the season of joy and the year-end celebration, ICONSIAM will have an array of amazing campaign offers for the high season of 2023, aiming to attract more local and international shoppers to visit”.

The newly-launched special campaign of “ICONSIAM X GOLD LINE WINTER WANDERLUST” aims to rewards customers who travel with the Gold Line Skytrain and offer them the chance to win the prizes of tickets from BKK-Seoul and BKK-Chiang Mai.

Special privilege will be offered to VIZ members with the ONESIAM SuperAPP. This will involve travelling to ICONSIAM by Gole Line Skytrain and display your ONESIAM Application with train ticket. As a VIZ member you will be automatically entitled to the chance to win 2 prizes (2 seats/1 prize) of a roundtrip ticket from BKK-Seoul (travelling period 1st Jan-28th Feb 2023) and 12 prizes (2 seats/1 prize) roundtrip ticket from BKK- Chiangmai. All worth more than 200,000 Baht. The winners will be announced on the 6th of December, 2022 at ICONSIAM and and on 9th of December 2022 via Facebook Page: ICONSIAM.

*Terms&Conditions could be checked at service counter.

The more you travel with Gold Line Skytrain, the more chances you will have to win the draw. Come join this ultimate year-end campaign of “ICONSIAM X GOLD LINE WINTER WANDERLUST” from now until 30th November 2022 at ICONSIAM, Charoen Nakorn Road.

Families Bid Farewell as Nong Bua Lamphu Massacre Victims Are Cremated

By

Associated Press

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12 October 2022, 11:30

Monks sit and watch at funeral pyres set to cremate those who died in the day care center attack at Wat Rat Samakee temple in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Photo: Wason Wanichakorn / AP

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP) — Hundreds of mourners and victims’ families gathered Tuesday evening to watch flames burn from rows of makeshift pyres at cremation ceremonies for the young children and others who died in last week’s mass killings at a day care center in Thailand’s rural northeast.

Families bid their final goodbyes at a Buddhist temple a short distance from the Young Children’s Development Center in the town of Uthai Sawan, where a former policeman, who was fired from his job earlier this year for using drugs, barged in last Thursday and shot and stabbed children and their caregivers.

The police sergeant, Panya Kamrap, ended up killing 36 people, 24 of them children, in the small farming community before taking his own life. It was the biggest mass killing by an individual in Thailand’s history.

Joint ceremonies for most of the victims were held at three temples to spare families from having to wait long hours for successive cremations to be completed, said Phra Kru Adisal Kijjanuwat, the abbot of the Rat Samakee temple.

A ceremony for 19 of the dead, 18 of them children, was held at his temple. With a large crowd watching, monks slowly walked out of the temple hall, followed by grieving relatives. Each family was led by one monk, with police bearing the coffin behind them.

After the coffins were placed in each of the small, brick-enclosed funeral pyres, the victims’ relatives came forward in the darkening skies to put portraits of their loved ones on top. Some family members also placed children’s toys alongside.

A large mesh barrier was set up, separating onlookers from the relatives, monks and royal palace officials tasked with lighting the fires, who began putting paper flowers along the sides of the pyres and dousing them with gasoline. The officials then ushered the family members to take the portraits and toys away, and move several meters (yards) from the coffins where they knelt on mats.

Buddhist chants played from a speaker system set up behind the relatives, as the officials and monks began lighting the pyres one by one. The coffins were soon engulfed by flames, at times stoked by the officials adding more gasoline. The victims’ relatives sat silently by, hands clasped in prayer.

“Each one of them watched the cremation with their minds in a state of conscious awareness,” said the abbot. “The support they received from people all around has blessed them, lessened the sorrow they have.”

On Tuesday morning, many of the young victims’ bodies had been outfitted as doctors, soldiers or astronauts — what they wanted to be when they grew up — before their evening cremation.

“The more we talked (to the families), we realized that these children also had dreams of becoming doctors, soldiers, astronauts, or police officers,” said volunteer rescue worker Attarith Muangmangkang, whose organization arranged for the costumes.

Petchrung Sriphirom, 73, was one of many local residents who traveled to the temple to offer condolences to the families and make a small donation to help with funeral costs, which is a common Thai custom.

“I just want to help our friends and share our thoughts with them,” said Petchrung. “We are not talking about money or anything but rather sharing our thoughts and feelings as a fellow human being,”

The perpetrator’s body was cremated Saturday in a neighboring province after temples in Uthai Sawan refused to host his funeral, Thai media reported.

Mass shootings are rare but not unheard of in Thailand, which has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Asia, with 15.1 weapons per 100 people compared to only 0.3 in Singapore and 0.25 in Japan. That’s still far lower than the U.S. rate of 120.5 per 100 people, according to a 2017 survey by Australia’s GunPolicy.org nonprofit organization.

Thailand’s previous worst mass killing involved a disgruntled soldier who opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima in 2020, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

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Story: Tassanee Vejpongsa.

Graft Convictions Extend Suu Kyi’s Prison Term to 26 Years

By

Associated Press

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12 October 2022, 11:00

FILE - Myanmar's lthen eader Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges of the International Court of Justice on the second day of three days of hearings in The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 11, 2019. Photo: Peter Dejong / AP File

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on two more corruption charges Wednesday, with two three-year sentences to be served concurrently, adding to previous convictions that now leave her with a 26-year total prison term, a legal official said.

Suu Kyi, 77, was detained on Feb. 1, 2021, when the military seized power from her elected government. She has denied the allegations against her in this case, in which she was accused of receiving $550,000 as a bribe from Maung Weik, a tycoon convicted of drug trafficking.

Corruption cases comprise the biggest share of the many charges the military has brought against the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate. Suu Kyi has been charged with 12 counts in total under the Anti-Corruption Act, with each count punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine.

Suu Kyi had already been sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, breaching the country’s official secrets act, sedition, election fraud and five corruption charges.

Her supporters and independent analysts say the charges are politically motivated and an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the military’s seizure of power while keeping her from taking part in the next election, which the military has promised in 2023.

In recent months, her trials have been held in a purpose-built courtroom in the main prison on the outskirts of the capital, Naypyitaw. She has not been seen or allowed to speak in public since she was arrested and her lawyers, who had been a source of information on the proceedings, were no longer allowed to speak publicly on her behalf or about her trial after a gag order was placed on them last year.

In the case decided Wednesday, Suu Kyi was accused of receiving a total of $550,000 in 2019 and 2020 from Maung Weik, with separate payments being treated as two offenses.

Maung Weik, a construction magnate, had a close relationship with the army generals in power during a previous military-run government, and has headed two main companies during three decades in business: Maung Weik & Family Co. Ltd., specializing in the trading of metals and agricultural products, and Sae Paing Development Ltd., a real estate and construction company.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2008 for trafficking drugs, but released in 2014 under a semi-democratic transitional government led by former General Thein Sein.

After his release from prison, Maung Weik returned to doing business with former generals and according to a 2017 report in The Irrawaddy, an online news magazine, became chairman of Mandalay Business Capital City Development, which was involved in urban development work.

Under Suu Kyi’s government, Maung Weik won a major development project that included the construction of houses, restaurants, hospitals, economic zones, a port and hotel zones in Myanmar’s central Mandalay region.

He was reportedly interrogated by the army two weeks after its takeover last year, and shortly after that, in March 2021, military-controlled state television broadcast a video in which he claimed to have given cash payoffs to government ministers to help his businesses.

He said in his video that the money included $100,000 provided to Suu Kyi in 2018 for a charitable foundation named after her mother, and another $450,000 in payments in 2019 and 2020 for purposes he did not specify.

A state-controlled newspaper, the Global New Light of Myanmar, reported in February that Suu Kyi in her position as state counselor — the country’s de facto chief executive — received $550,000 in four installments in 2019-2020 “to facilitate the business activities of a private entrepreneur.”

Suu Kyi’s close colleague, Zaw Myint Maung, who served as a chief minister in the Mandalay region, was separately accused of receiving more than $180,000 from Maung Weik and was convicted of corruption in June.

Wednesday’s verdict sentencing Suu Kyi to two three-year sentences to be served concurrently was conveyed by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities.

He added that her lawyers are expected to file an appeal in the coming days.

In separate proceedings, Suu Kyi is still being tried together with the country’s former president, Win Myint, on another five counts of corruption charges in connection with granting permits to a Cabinet minister for the rental and purchase of a helicopter.

Suu Kyi has been the face of the opposition to military rule in Myanmar for more than three decades. She was placed under house arrest by the previous military government in 1989, which continued on-and-off for 15 of the next 22 years.

Her National League for Democracy party initially came to power after winning the 2015 general election, ushering in a true civilian government for the first time since a 1962 military coup. However, democratic reforms were small and slow in coming, largely because the military retained substantial power and influence under the terms of a constitution it had enacted in 2008.

The National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory again in the 2020 election, but its lawmakers were kept from taking their seats in Parliament by the army, which also arrested the party’s top leaders.

The army said it acted because there had been massive voting fraud in the 2020 election, but independent election observers did not find any major irregularities.

The 2021 takeover was met by nationwide peaceful protests that security forces quashed with deadly force, triggering fierce armed resistance that some U.N. experts now characterize as civil war.

According to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group now based in Thailand, at least 2,343 civilians have been killed and 15,821 arrested by security forces.

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Story: Grant Peck.

TFAC hosted the 3rd Asean Federation of Accountants conference in Bangkok

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Contributor

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12 October 2022, 10:40

Mr.Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minsiter, presided over the opening ceremony of the international hybrid conference entitled “The 3rd ASEAN CPA Conference : Empowering and Enhancing Sustainability of ASEAN Business”. In this occasion, Mr.Voravit Janthanakul, president of the Federation of Accounting Professions of Thailand (TFAC), together with Mrs. Darunwan Chanpipattanachai, adviser to Commerce Minister, Mr.Tossapon Tangsubut, director-general of the Business Development Department, Mr.Supot Singhasaneh, secretary-general of TFAC and TFAC’s committees jointly welcomed the honorary guests at Centara Grand @ Central World.

The conference has allowed accountants to learn more on related laws and regulations on environment to encourage their working experiences in accountancy throughout Asean region. This is to ensure the readiness to step forwards on sustainable development of Asean Business which also well serve the global’s key milestone on sustainability. Many professional of organizations, experts in accounting from leading companies both in Thailand and several countries jointly shared their experiences together with accountants in Asean countries with 500 participants on site as well as those joining online.

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