Author: Kantsom Sutabuhr

After months awaiting a response, Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced it had received confirmation from Myanmar’s military junta that it misused two Japan-funded civilian vessels to transport soldiers and weapons in Rakhine State in September 2022. A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Japan protested the misuse and the junta “expressed regret over the situation,” saying it will do its “utmost to prevent recurrence.” Human Rights Watch reported on the incident in October 2022 after analyzing letters from Myanmar officials that stated that two of three vessels delivered by Japan between 2017 and 2019 had been used to transport more than 100 soldiers and materiel to…

Political opposition and activism within Russia has always been fraught with risks but it has become increasingly impossible in recent years, with political analysts saying it is now “extremely dangerous” to oppose the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Being a politician and openly against war and Putin’s rule in Russia is close to impossible,” Anton Barbashin, a Russian political analyst and the editorial director of online journal Riddle Russia, told CNBC. “All of the opposition political leaders are either in jail or under restrictive measures or outside of the country. I would not say opposition is dead. Opposition is fully…

Carlsberg has opened an investigation into claims the brewer had ties to the military regime in Myanmar years after the Tuborg owner said it left the market. The Denmark-based group announced in 1996 it would no longer be doing business in the country. In April, documents leaked by non-profit Distributed Denial of Secrets claim that after Carlsberg left Myanmar, it later used a proxy company, Brewinvest, to enter a joint venture (JV) with two military-tied companies – Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanma Golden Star – to create Dagon Beverages. Dagon Beverages brewed and sold Skol beer in Myanmar, a brand Carlsberg…

Tighter U.S. rules to ban imports from China’s Xinjiang are compounding pressure on Vietnam’s apparel and footwear makers, hitting a sector that has already shed nearly 90,000 jobs since October in the global manufacturing hub as demand slowed. Among garment exporters, Vietnam has faced the worst hit from the the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), a Reuters review of official U.S. data showed. The law, in place since June, requires companies to prove that they do not use raw material or components produced with Xinjiang’s forced labor. The U.S. clampdown hurts as it comes on top of a drop…

IF it comes to it, veteran Thai politician Sudarat Keyuraphan (pic) would rather her political party stand in the opposition camp than join a coalition government with coup-makers. “Our position is quite clear. We are pro-democracy, and that can take many shades. But for our party, it is democracy for the people,” the 61-year-old leader of the Thai Sang Thai party said. And should the possible post-election government involve parties whose leaders have links to past military coups, she has no qualms sitting out that coalition rather than compromise. As the May 14 general election in Thailand nears, battle lines…

PRESSURE is now on Indonesia as Asean chair this year to tackle the humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Myanmar that are now in their third year. Asean has been struggling to get Myanmar’s military junta to come on board and adhere to the five-point consensus (5PC) drawn up by the regional grouping after a coup threw out the democratically elected government in February 2021, triggering violence that killed thousands and displaced more than a million people. Two months after the coup, Asean leaders sat down for an emergency summit in Jakarta and adopted the 5PC that called for…

Today’s significant AUKUS announcement about Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines is the single biggest investment in our defence capability in our history and represents a transformational moment for our nation, our Defence Force and our economy. The agreement will: Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have agreed to a phased approach that delivers on the commitments of the Albanese Government and provides significant, long-term strategic benefits for all three countries. For Australia, the three key elements are: Australia and the UK will deliver SSN-AUKUS, a new conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine, based on a UK design, incorporating cutting edge Australian,…

Washington: White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US has in some cases, significant concerns about China’s behaviour, particularly its coercive and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea. “In some cases, we have significant concerns about China’s behaviour, particularly their coercive and aggressive behaviour for instance in the South China Sea in pursuing false maritime claims, concerns about intellectual theft and some trade practices,” Kirby said in response to a question by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy on US’ relationship with China. Doocy had asked if President Biden thinks China is abiding by the international rules…

VinFast announced it will officially deliver the first batch of full-size VF 9 SUVs to customers on March 27, 2023. The delivery ceremony will be held simultaneously in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, and deliveries will be continued at all VinFast stores across Vietnam in the following days. Belonging to the E segment, VF 9 is the largest SUV in VinFast’s current electric vehicle lineup with overall dimensions (LxWxH) of 5,118 x 2,254 x 1,696 (mm). Its wheelbase of up to 3,150 mm and refined structure allow ample interior space, optimal for full-size 7-seater or 6-seater configurations…

The average monthly nominal salary in Tajikistan in January of this year amounted to 1,878 somoni ($184), which is 12.3% less compared to the previous month, according to the latest statistical report “Socio-economic situation in the Republic of Tajikistan.” “The level of real wages (adjusted for inflation) in January 2023 compared to December 2022 decreased by 12.7%,” the report says. The minimum wage in the republic is 600 somoni ($55). Relatively high salaries in the first month of this year were received by employees of banks and insurance companies, where the average salary is 4,861 somoni ($477). The lowest wages remain…