Ebola Conference Gets Going

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Public Health is staging an international conference on Ebola-response measures in the Asean sub-region.

The two-day event, which began yesterday, is being held at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in the capital.

Those attending include the public health ministers from Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Japan and South Korea. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the opening ceremony.

World Health Organisation (WHO) director Margaret Chan gave the keynote address via video conference call from WHO headquarters in Switzerland.

The conference aims to raise awareness of Ebola and establish grounds for the handling of any cases of the deadly disease in Asean Plus 3 member countries.

Topics on the menu include prevention measures, the treatment of Ebola patients, laboratory diagnosis, cooperation in terms of medical human resources, and consideration for the possibility of sending aides to nations facing the disease.

Russians Break Into Temple, Dress As Monks

MAE HONG SON — Two Russians have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a temple in northern Thailand and dressing as Buddhist monks, police in Mae Hong Son province say.

Police received calls for help from the abbot of Wat Mae Yen temple in Pai district at around 7 am this morning. Upon arriving at the scene, officers encountered two foreign men dressed as monks sitting inside a chapel with knives on their laps.

After an hour of negotiation, the pair surrendered to police and were taken to Pai Police Station for interrogation.

Pol.Col. Worapol Polmanee, superintendent of Pai Police Station, identified the two men as Russian nationals. He said urine tests have established that the two men were under the influence of narcotics.

Asean Needs South Korea As Strategic Partner, Says Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked South Korea to remain as Asean’s strategic partner in working towards a dynamic grouping for Asia and for the world, The Star Online reported.

 

South Korea and Asean were engaged in at least four frameworks namely the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, Asean Plus Three Cooperation, East Asia Summit and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

“The RCEP brings life to the concept of the pivot towards Asia. The 10 Asean member states together with the six partners, contribute almost 30% of world trade. 

By the middle of this century, that figure could rise to 50%,” he said at the closing of the Asean-South Korea CEO Summit.

Najib arrived in Busan on Thursday for a two-day visit to attend the Asean-South Korea Commemorative Summit after ending his three-day official visit to Seoul.

The Prime Minister said deeper economic integration through the RCEP could bring significant opportunities for the region’s economies.

Najib said Korean enterprises continued to contribute to the economic advancement of Asean, driving development by supporting fast-growing businesses and investing in the future of the dynamic region.

PM Prayut To Introduce Cost System To Tackle Corruption Efficiently

BANGKOK : Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha reiterated  his government's strong determination to rid corruption off the Thai societies  with call for all people to help.
 

He introduced Cost which he said will be an effective tool to tackle corruption.

He also revealed that a national anti- corruption commission will be set up to tackle the problem in both public and private sectors.

Speaking on his weekly television programme, Gen Prayut pointed out how corruption will ruin the country as a whole, and stressed the reason why his military-led regime had brought in the system to improve the transparency of procurement by state enterprises.

He said corruption is the source of all problems that are undermining the country’s development, reputation and faith.

He then said he would introduce Cost or construction sector transparency system in all government projects, reasoning that it could ensure transparency and prevent corruption.

He said he planned to apply CoST first with the second phase expansion of the Suvarnabhumi airport as a pilot project, before extending to all projects.

But he said prevention could be achieved efficiently only that it was cooperated by all parties.

He said the national anti-corruption commission will draw representatives from all sectors to take part and will tackle  the problem both in public and private sectors.

The committee is aimed at prevention rather than suppression, he said and assures that it will not overlap with the work of other existing graft busting organisations.

It will only enhance their work, he said.

He explained further that the Cost system emphasised on the disclosure of construction information of large-scale projects  which will make them  in accordance with global standards.

He said without disclosure of information,  accusations – both factual and false – will keep being thrown back and forth between accusers and the accused.

Cost system will  reduce the channels available for those in authority for personal gain and will  boost the efficiency of the civil sector’s regulatory and inspection procedures, he assured.

Koh Tao Suspects Seek Suu Kyi’s Help

BANGKOK : Two Myanmar suspects in the murder of two British tourists in Thailand have asked fellow Myanmar national Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to help their case, reasoning they are innocent. 

 

According to Sein Htay, director of Bangkok-based Migrant Workers Network, the two suspects wanted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to help them for their justice as she is an international icon and also an influential person in Thailand.

He said they were seeking help from all sectors as they said they did nothing wrong in the case.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 21, were arrested in October and confessed to the crimes, but later retracted their confessions saying they were tortured and forced to confess.

David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found dead on September 15 on Sairee  beach on Koh Tao, 350 kilometres south of Bangkok. Ms Witheridge was also found to be raped and slain.

British and Myanmar envoys have raised concerns about the Thai investigation, with Britain sending a police team as observers.

The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand has also expressed concern about the alleged forced confessions.

But Thai police have denied the accusations of torture or misconduct.

The victims’ families said last week the evidence against the Myanmar suspects is convincing, after British detectives sent to Thailand reviewed the police findings.

 Last week, the Samui prosecutor filed five charges against Zaw Lin – the murder of Miller, the rape and murder of Witheridge, illegal entry into Thailand and staying in the country without permission.

Wai Phyo  faces the same charges and an additional charge of stealing a mobile phone and sunglasses from Miller.

Thai Princess Srirasm Resigns From Royal Title

BANGKOK: Her Royal Highness Princess Srirasm, the Royal Consort to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has stepped down from  her royal title. 
 

According to an announcement signed by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and  published in the Royal Gazette dated December 11 and released Friday,  the Royal Consort has formally  requested resignation from her royal noble title from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. The resignation was referred to His Majesty the King and was royally permitted.

Meanwhile Daily News Online reported that after her resignation from the royal title, the Crown Prince has bestowed on her the title of “Thanphuying” and was given the new name of Thanphuying Busaba Suwadi.

She has also divorced from the Crown Prince at the presence of the privy councillors as witnesses on December 10.

Her son will remain his royal title of Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti and will accompany the Crown Prince on Royal functions.

Thanphuying Busaba Suwadi was born  to a family of modest means.

She entered the service of the Crown Prince at the age of 22. She married the crown prince in February 2001.

She was born in Samut Songkram province and  was the third child of Aphirut and Wanthanee Suwadi. 

She attended college at Bangkok Business College and 1993, at age 22, entered the service of Vajiralongkorn as a “lady-in-waiting.” She enrolled in Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in 1997 and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in management science. 

Vajiralongkorn personally bestowed her with her diploma. In 2007 she received a Master of Arts degree in Home Economics from Kasetsart University.

Prosecutors Set To Arraign Myanmar Men For Koh Tao Killings

BANGKOK: -- PUBLIC PROSECUTORS are preparing to arraign two Myanmar suspects today on charges related to the murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao in September.

"Evidence presented by investigators is solid," Tawatchai Seangchaew said yesterday in his capacity as head of the Office of State Attorney Region 8.

He said police had backed their investigation report with witness statements, circumstantial evidence and forensic evidence.

Tawatchai said speculation on social media about the suspects being scapegoats may have stemmed from the fact people did not have access to complete information and full sets of evidence.

"Under the law, some items of evidence can't be disclosed publicly," he said.

Koh Tao, a usually idyllic island near Samui and Pha-ngan, was the scene of brutal crimes in mid-September. The killings of Britons David Miller and Hannah Witheridge made headlines both locally and internationally.

A few weeks later, Thai police arrested two Myanmar suspects and charged them with the murders. But Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun later |complained that they were forced into confessing to the crimes they had not committed.

Their parents have been seeking help from various organisations, including the Myanmar embassy, as they are adamant that their sons are innocent.

In the face of public suspicion that the pair may be scapegoats, Thai police arranged a DNA test for the son of an influential local before the media. Test results cleared the young man named on social media as the real suspect.

Tawatchai said yesterday parents of the victims would be notified of the latest move by Thai officials. "They can become co-plaintiffs if they want," he said.