Pheu Thai Ex-Spokesman Prompong, Another MP To Serve One-Year Jail Term

BANGKOK: -- PHEU THAI Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit and another party politician were sentenced to a year in jail yesterday for libelling former Constitution Court president Wasant Soypisut.

The Supreme Court found Prompong and Kiart-udom Menasawat, both former Pheu Thai MPs, guilty of making slanderous statements via media against Wasant in June 2010.

In the statement, Prompong and Kiart-udom accused Wasant of lacking neutrality and credibility as a judge, which prompted him to file a lawsuit a week later.

In July 2012, a lower court found both defendants guilty and sentenced them to a year in jail each, but suspended the punishment for two years, as they had no criminal record. They were also ordered to publish an apology in three newspapers for seven consecutive days.

However, the politicians appealed against the verdict and in December 2013, the Appeals Court found them guilty and sentenced them to a year in jail with no option for a suspended sentence. Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld this ruling.

The politicians' friends and relatives were in the courtroom for moral support, and when Pichit Chuenban - a party member and former legal adviser to ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra - hugged Prompong, the latter was heard saying "it's OK, I'm still fine".

Prompong and Kiart-udom were later escorted out of the courtroom by corrections officials.

Separately, the Supreme Court yesterday discussed the defamation case against former and current Democrat Party politicians filed by Prommin Lertsuridej, an executive of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party. After deliberation, the judges decided to dismiss the case against former Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban, who is now a Buddhist monk, party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and former party spokesman Ongart Klampaiboon.

After hearing the verdict, the three defendants walked out of the courtroom without speaking to reporters.

Prommin had sued the Democrat Party and the three politicians for accusing him of being involved in electoral fraud.

When a lower court dismissed the case in 2009, Prommin appealed and the Appeals Court in 2012 sentenced Suthep to a suspended sentence of four months in jail.

The Supreme Court yesterday altered the ruling and dismissed the case.

Cambodian Senate OKs Restrictions On Non-Government Groups

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's Senate on Friday approved tight restrictions on non-governmental organizations, rejecting appeals from rights groups that say the law could be used for political repression.

 

About 400 protesters gathered peacefully outside Parliament during the vote on the bill, which states that local and foreign non-governmental organizations must register with the government, and that all NGOs must be politically neutral. It also gives the government unchecked power to block registrations and dissolve groups in the name of national security.

 

Senators from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party boycotted the session in protest against the bill, as the party's lawmakers in the lower house did last week when the bill passed there.

 

All 44 Senators present from the ruling Cambodian People's Party approved the bill, which now faces the formalities of a legal review and signing by King Norodom Sihamoni.

 

The U.N. human rights office in Geneva said the draft law "falls significantly short of international human rights laws and norms governing the right to freedom of association.

 

"The draft law threatens the existence of a free and independent civil society in Cambodia and the crucial work that NGOs in the country carry out on development, governance, and human rights," its statement said.

 

Cambodian opponents of the bill said they would not give up the fight.

 

Chak Sopheap, executive director of Cambodian Center for Human Rights, called the draft that passed "unacceptable and in contravention with our constitution and international law." She said her group would "advocate for a review from the Constitutional Council and for the King not to promulgate this law."

 

According to figures from the Interior Ministry, there are about 5,000 associations and NGOs operating in Cambodia.

Six UK Men Convicted In Child Sex Ring Case Involving Two Girls

LONDON (AP) — Six men in Britain aged 29 to 45 have been found guilty of multiple crimes involving a child sex ring that preyed on two schoolgirls for years.

Four other defendants were cleared Friday and the jury failed to reach a verdict on another man. The offenses took place between 2006 and 2012 in the small English city of Aylesbury, northwest of London.

The girls spent days giving evidence to the Old Bailey court. The charges included multiple rape of a child under 13, child prostitution and sedating a girl in order to have sexual activity. The guilty will be sentenced Sept. 7.

Britain has been plagued with several child sex abuse cases in recent years, including others like this that involve the grooming of young girls by older men.

Myanmar Ethnic Peace Talks Recess Without Peace Agreement

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A three-day round of talks between the government and leaders of ethnic rebel groups concluded Friday without a sought-after ceasefire draft agreement to end decades of fighting.

 

Hla Maung Shwe, the special adviser to the government peace negotiating team, told reporters that both sides agreed to resume talks in the first week of August after further discussions among leaders of the various armed ethnic minority groups. The two sides have been negotiating for more than 18 months.

 

More than a dozen ethnic minority groups, mostly in Myanmar's border areas, have been struggling for greater autonomy since the country attained independence from Britain 67 years ago. Several have fielded substantial guerrilla armies, though the government over the past 25 years has reached shaky provisional ceasefires with many.

 

Pu Zing Cung, a spokesman for the ethnic rebels, said Friday they are confident that they can finalize the ceasefire agreement in August.

 

Among the issues to be resolved are participation of all armed ethnic groups and which local and international representatives will witness the signing.

 

The ethnic leaders want President Thein Sein and army chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to sign the proposed ceasefire but the government wants chief peace negotiator Aung Min to sign.

 

They also insist on an "all inclusive" signing including other ethnic armed groups not taking part in the talks, such as the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army — all of whom are currently engaged in armed combat with government troops.

 

Pu Zing Cung, from the Chin minority, said this might be the most difficult issue to solve.

 

During the meeting ethnic leaders have expressed concern over escalating government military operations in ethnic areas, including Kachin State on the border with China, where the fighting has been sporadic but bitter.

 

Ahead of this week's meeting, Hla Maung Shwe warned that failure to reach an accord could trigger a fresh round of fighting if the military takes action. The general election, which would usher in a new president, takes place in November.

 

"If negotiations fail and the military believe that the nationwide ceasefire agreement cannot be signed under the present government, they will have no choice but to launch military operations," he said.

 

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in a recent interview with the BBC said that Myanmar's military will play a leading role in the country's politics as long as there is ethnic fighting and until peace deals have been concluded.

 

Myanmar was under military rule from 1962 to 2011, when an elected government took power. However, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party was formed as a vehicle for the military, and a constitution implemented during army rule ensure that the military retains a dominant role in running the country.

Baht Unlikely To Slide Below 35/$

BANGKOK: -- ECONOMISTS believe the country's status as net creditor and the current account surplus will strengthen the baht after it had hit a six-year low to the US dollar on Thursday, however the global price of gold is expected to continue to drop due to the strengthening of the US dollar.

Usara Wilaipich, senior economist at Standard Chartered Bank, expects the baht that is currently weakening because of overseas factors and the drop in the gold price, to strengthen after the short-term psychological effect dies down due to its strong backup.

"It is like trying to kick a football up the hill; it will eventually roll down since you are kicking it up the slope without anything to provide upward momentum," she said.

Maybank Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) expects the baht to be at 34.5 by the end of the third quarter.

The baht has slid from Bt32.835 to the greenback on April 29 (the day of the second consecutive cut of the policy interest rate this year) to trade at Bt34.936 as of 4pm yesterday. The global gold price has also continued to drop to $1,084 per ounce at the same time yesterday compared with $1,160 per ounce on July 12 (the day that the value of the precious metal started to decline amid the strengthening of the US dollar).

She explained that the reason why the baht had outperformed other currencies before the consecutive cuts in the policy interest rate in March and April was because Thailand was a net creditor: The country's current lending in US dollars is around $190 billion while its foreign debts stand at around $140 billion, which means the Kingdom is a net lender of around US$50 billion.

Somchai Amornthum, executive vice president at Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM) said the baht was unlikely to slide that much further than Bt35 to the US dollar, as the country's current account surplus is expected to continue to expand. Imports normally increased in July and August every year but oil price has dropped 50 per cent. "Although exports have continued to contract since the beginning of the year, in the overall scenario the surplus in the current account will be even bigger," he said.

"The global oil price is also expected to be in the region of $50 per barrel for quite some time due to the increase in supply and that is another support for surplus in the current account, as Thailand is a net importer of oil," he added.

Thailand currently carries a current account surplus of $2.127 billion as of May 2015.

Kamolthun Pornphaisarnvichit, director of the Gold Research Centre, said the global gold price is expected to drop by about $30 to around $1,050 per ounce during the period of expectation of an expected Fed rate hike around September this year. If the US interest rate is hiked in September, then gold is expected to trade around $1,050-$1,150 per ounce in September and October.

"The gold price in Thailand has dropped less than the global gold price because of the weakening baht. The price in Thailand has dropped by 3.2 per cent to around Bt18,000 per gold bar since the beginning of the month until now while the global gold price has dropped by 4.5 per cent in the same period of time," he said.

Thai Junta Uses Special Power To Stop Youth Drinking

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's interim premier used special powers under the junta-installed constitution to tackle illegal street racing and alcohol sales near schools and universities.

 

The measures were taken to protect youths from risky behaviors and vices that could lead to societal problems in the future, Deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Friday. The five-page order was published in the Royal Gazette and became effective on Thursday.

 

Under the order, public gatherings intended to conduct street racing are banned and parents must take responsibility if their children are involved in such activities. New or harsher penalties than under past laws are possible for those involved.

 

Police and state officials can temporarily confiscate cars or motorcycles suspected of being raced and can arrest suspected racers and spectators.

 

The measures were intended to "tackle the issue comprehensively, not only to go after the youth racers," Sansern said.

 

The order follows a major crackdown in May on the longstanding problem, in which youth blocked streets at night in order to race.

 

The constitution put in place after the coup last year empowered Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to issue any orders he considered necessary to maintain security and public order. He has exercised the vast powers under Article 44 on several occasions, sometimes to bypass the law and to remove civil servants to inactive posts.

 

Sansern said a recent ban on alcohol sales within 300 meters (feet) of educational institutes should be strictly followed.

 

"Please think about the future of the youths, which will become the future of the country. Do not look at the commercial benefits only," Sansern said. "If you stop selling alcohol and sell food only, you can continue your business as normal

Australian Islamic State Group Medic Arrested On Return Home

SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian nurse who says he was forced by Islamic State militants to work as a medic in Syria was arrested after returning home and faces potential terrorism-related charges.

Adam Brookman, 39, was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Friday night on a Victoria state warrant relating to his alleged involvement in the conflict in Syria, Australian Federal Police said in a statement.

He appeared from a police cell by video link in the Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, where a magistrate granted an application by the Melbourne Joint Counter Terrorism Team to extradite him to Victoria. He is to appear in a Melbourne court no later than Monday morning.

The court heard a warrant for Brookman's arrest was issued on Friday. Police did not detail the charges he could face.

Brookman did not speak during his brief appearance.

He surrendered to Turkish officials in Turkey on Tuesday. He voluntarily flew back to Australia with a police escort.

Brookman, a Muslim convert and father of five children who live in Melbourne, told Fairfax Media in May that he went to Syria last year to do humanitarian work for civilians caught in the war. He said he was innocent of any crime.

Brookman said he was forced to join Islamic State militants after being injured in an airstrike and taken to a hospital controlled by the group.

"After I recovered, they wouldn't let me leave," he told Fairfax.

He won the militants' trust by working as a medic and was able to escape to Turkey in December.

Brookman told Fairfax that he opposed the violent and extreme actions of the militants, including the beheading of their captives.

"Of course there will be an investigation. That is fine. Hopefully things don't look that bad," Brookman told Fairfax.

It is not clear whether Brookman was still in Syria on Dec. 4, when Australia made a presence in the Islamic State stronghold of al-Raqqa province in Syria a crime punishable by 10 years in prison. If charged, the onus would be on Brookman to prove he had a legitimate reason to be in the terrorist hotspot.

Supporting a terrorist organization is a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.