Showing 1 - 10 of 13
Held Uyghurs need asylum
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/03/2024
» Today, exactly 10 years ago, Thai police arrested 350 Uyghurs in a forest along the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla on suspicion of passing illegally through the country en route to Malaysia to seek asylum. After the arrests, which grabbed global headlines, the Uyghurs were separated to face different destinies. The Prayut government sent 109 back to China, as requested by Beijing.
Elections and old ties grip SE Asia
News, Editorial, Published on 23/10/2022
» The Southeast Asian region is entering election mode -- starting with the upcoming snap election in Malaysia next month, followed by the national election next year in Thailand, which is tentatively set for May, and Cambodia's poll in July.
Time to neutralise cobras' venom
News, Editorial, Published on 31/07/2022
» After surviving a fraught two years under three different governments, Malaysian lawmakers finally pulled the trigger on a long-awaited move this week. In a bid to ensure improve the nation's political stability, their parliament passed a bipartisan bill to make defections illegal.
Don't kowtow over Uighurs
News, Editorial, Published on 16/01/2020
» The recent failed escape of a group of Uighurs from a detention cell in the northeastern province of Mukdahan highlights the Catch-22 situation the country has been caught in for many years with this minority Muslim group from China. It's high time to find an acceptation solution.
Stop cyber law abuses
News, Editorial, Published on 11/10/2019
» Malaysia has shown the way. Its Lower House on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal the country's much-criticised Anti-Fake News Act. There is no reason for Thai parliamentarians not to push for a similar change to this country's very troubling Computer Crime Act (CCA) because this law has become a tool for authorities to stifle online communication and turn any netizen into a criminal.
One attack, one setback
News, Editorial, Published on 26/11/2018
» The murderous attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi highlights the troubles that Beijing faces in selling its keystone international development programme. "One Belt, One Road" began with much scepticism, and 2018 has seen setback after setback. Friday morning's assault on Chinese interests killed two policemen guarding the consulate. The Pakistani separatist group behind the deaths said the Chinese are "exploiting our resources".
Rohingya crisis remains
News, Editorial, Published on 19/11/2018
» An ill-conceived plan to force abused Rohingya back to the place their troubles broke down last week. It's a mark of this group's current tragedy that the failure of the Bangladesh-to-Myanmar repatriation plan was the first good news for the Rohingya in a long time. Officials of the two countries involved wanted to pursue the reverse expulsion. But every refugee involved, the United Nations agency in charge and all aid agencies were opposed.
Malaysia right over Uighurs
News, Editorial, Published on 15/10/2018
» Malaysia has made a bold move in the continuing conundrum over the fate of refugees and illegal migrants. Last week, the Kuala Lumpur government spurned both the soft requests of Thailand and the harsh demands of China and sent 11 Chinese Uighur refugees to Turkey. The decision to free the 11 was unexpected. The new Malaysian government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was caught between a diplomatic rock and humanitarian hard place and took the more popular way out.
One belt, but many burdens
News, Editorial, Published on 05/09/2018
» China has suddenly encountered a number of problems with its grandiose scheme to revive, modernise and then massively expand the Silk Road of old. Not only have several countries questioned and even pulled out of vital parts of the project. Some have rudely questioned the motives of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), often and even better known as the One Belt, One Road programme.
Well done, can improve
News, Editorial, Published on 02/07/2018
» The annual US State Department report on efforts to combat human trafficking was released last week, with deserved praise for Thailand. For the second time in three years, the benchmark Trafficking in Persons Report raised the country's ranking against all nations of the world. The promotion to "Tier 2" caused celebration in the military regime. It also warned of serious challenges in the new campaign to raise Thailand from second place to the top.