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☆ Thailand's opposition parties meet for coalition talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK, May 17 (Reuters) - Thailand's opposition parties, which trounced their military-allied rivals in this week's election, met for coalition talks on Wednesday as the liberal Move Forward Party, which won the most votes, looks to form a government. Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat was seen greeting senior officials from five other parties at a Bangkok restaurant before ushering them upstairs for closed-door talks. Pita earlier this week said that together with five other opposition parties, his coalition will be able control about 310 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. The parties Pita has approached are Pheu Thai, Thai Sang Thai, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai and Fair parties. On Wednesday, some Thais questioned the senate's role in electing a prime minister, asking 'why do we need a senate' on social media like Twitter.

☆ Aid groups seek green light from Myanmar junta to access cyclone-hit state
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view of the damage caused by Cyclone Mocha in Sittwe, Myanmar in this handout image released May 17, 2023. The U.N. Development Programme, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) and U.N. refugee agency UNHCR also said their requests were pending approval. "It is important for humanitarian actors to ascertain damage, needs and provide immediate lifesaving assistance, not least as the monsoon season nears," UNHCR spokesperson Reuben Lim Wende said. State media on Wednesday said junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had visited affected areas in Bagan, another region, and separately met with a UNHCR representative to discuss relief efforts. About 5.4 million people were expected to have been in the storm's path, the majority of whom were considered vulnerable.

☆ Indonesia communications minister arrested for graft
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, May 17 (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities on Wednesday arrested a senior cabinet minister on corruption charges in a case they said caused more than half a billion dollars in state losses. Johnny G. Plate is the fifth minister in President Joko Widodo's administrations to be charged with corruption. Johnny was arrested "as a user of the budget and as a minister", said AGO official Kuntadi, without detailing the minister's specific role. Another official Ketut Sumedana said the minister allegedly violated Indonesia's corruption law, which carries a maximum life sentence. According to global graft watchdog Transparency International, Indonesia dropped four points on its corruption perception index last year to 110 out of 180 countries.

☆ Political analysts, business groups react to Thailand election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK, CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY"The top two parties will be Pheu Thai and Move Forward. "Pheu Thai fought the wrong war, the populism war that it already won. That's the new battleground in Thai politics. KEN MATHIS LOHATEPANONT, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN"Since 2001, Pheu Thai has won the largest number of seats at every election comfortably. After two decades, this certainty of Thai politics has been overturned.

☆ Cambodia poll body disqualifies sole opposition party from July election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHNOM PENH, May 15 (Reuters) - Cambodia's election commission on Monday disqualified the sole opposition Candlelight Party from contesting elections in July over its failure to submit proper registration documents. Other parties have signed up to contest the general election, but Candlelight's disqualification means the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) looks set to run virtually unopposed. Hun Sen has previously said the CPP will dominate politics for up to 100 years. Scores of former CNRP members have been detained or convicted of crimes, many in absentia having fled into exile amid Hun Sen's sweeping crackdown on critics. It took aim at Hun Sen for what it said were warnings against criticising his government ahead of the election.

☆ Thai PM candidate casts vote in marijuana-print shirt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 56-year-old is the prime ministerial candidate for the Bhumjaithai Party, which has campaigned on a promise to promote medical marijuana after successfully pushing for the substance to be decriminalised last year. Without associated regulations in place, recreational use surged, angering the Southeast Asian country's conservatives. Anutin has promised that if re-elected, he will tighten regulations to curb recreational use and restrict cannabis use to medical purposes only. Anutin flashed a smile as he emerged from a voting booth and declined to answer reporters' questions about the symbolism of his shirt. Prayuth faces off against the populist platform of the opposition Pheu Thai party, backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family, which has won every election in Thailand since 2001.

[1/2] Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, looks up at the crowd during the general election in Bangkok, Thailand, May 14, 2023. Move Forward has shaken the political landscape, long dominated by military-backed parties or the opposition Pheu Thai party driven by the billionaire Shinawatra family. Move Forward's charismatic prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat was jubilant. A chunk of Move Forward's support has come from young voters, including 3.3 million eligible to vote for the first time. "I feel like my vote has improved the country," she said, dressed in orange, Move Forward's colour, at party headquarters.

☆ Factbox: Preliminary results of Thailand's election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, meets with the media members on the day of the general election in Bangkok, Thailand, May 14, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge SilvaBANGKOK, May 14 (Reuters) - Thailand's opposition parties Move Forward and Pheu Thai won the most seats in Sunday's election, paving the way for a challenge to the military-backed government, which has been in power for nearly a decade. Parliamentary seats are distributed based on 400 open constituency seats and 100 'party-list' seats - or seats won by parties based on their share of national votes. Below are preliminary results of Sunday's ballot, according to the Election Commission of Thailand, with 97% of the vote counted. The tabulation of party-list seats is based on a Reuters tally of voting data made available by the election commission.

JAKARTA, May 10 (Reuters) - Sales of electric cars in Indonesia jumped last month after the government launched tax incentives, auto executives said, in an early sign that electric vehicle (EV) adoption is gaining traction in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Effective from April, Indonesia cut the value-added tax (VAT) on electric cars from 11% to just 1%, provided they are manufactured with at least 40% local content. Hyundai aims to sell 10,000 units of IONIQ 5 in Indonesia this year, helped by the tax cut and as a shortage in semiconductor chips eases, he said. The two models are the most popular electric cars in Indonesia. Hyundai's Yoon said the South Korean company plans to introduce more battery-EV models in Indonesia to capture the growing market.

☆ Myanmar conflict centre stage as Southeast Asian leaders hold summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Will ASEAN only be silent or will ASEAN be able to become the driver or peace or growth? The prime minister of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony bordering Indonesia that is seeking ASEAN membership, stressed the need to restore order in Myanmar. "We also have the obligation to push ASEAN and the international community to create peace in Myanmar," Taur Matan Ruak said. Indonesia has also been quietly engaging Myanmar's military, its shadow government and armed ethnic groups to try to kick-start peace talks. But some have called on ASEAN to take a harder line with Myanmar's junta.

SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) - China is hammering out details with Singapore on a bilateral visa-free travel arrangement, according to Beijing's embassy, a move that could boost arrivals in the city-state from what was its biggest pre-pandemic tourism market. There were 3.6 million Chinese visitors to Singapore in 2019, more than any other country, who spent a combined S$4.1 billion ($3.09 billion). Many Chinese have in recent years been keen to invest, move assets or relocate to Singapore, with some buying into luxury real estate. Among Singapore's 4 million citizens and permanent residents, three-quarters are of Chinese ethnicity and many speak Mandarin, making it easy for mainland Chinese to navigate the country. Singaporeans were allowed 15-day visa-free visits prior to the pandemic.

☆ Chinese automaker BYD to make EVs in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, May 8 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker BYD Co. (002594.SZ) plans to expand into electric vehicles manufacturing and assembly in Vietnam, according to a Vietnamese government statement citing the company's chair. Reuters in January exclusively reported that the Xian-based EV maker had plans to open a plant in Vietnam to produce car parts, with the aim to export components to an assembly plant planned in neighbouring Thailand. The statement did not mention how much new investment BYD would top up for the expansion. The presence of BYD would pose a direct challenge to VinFast, a Vietnamese EV maker that began selling cars in 2019 and plans to expand in the United States and Europe. Last September, BYD, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced that it would build an EV assembly plant in Thailand with annual capacity of 150,000 cars from 2024.

☆ Joint Philippines-U.S. patrols in South China Sea may begin by third quarter - envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, May 8 (Reuters) - Joint patrols between the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea may begin later this year, a top diplomat said on Monday, just days after Washington clarified its commitment to defend Manila from an attack at sea. Discussions were continuing on the joint maritime patrols, which were announced in February, said Philippine ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced in February he and his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez, have agreed to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which former President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought warmer ties with China, had suspended after he took office in 2016. But Philippine Defense Secretary Galvez told reporters on Monday there were no formal discussions on the joint patrols with the United States and Australia. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion of world trade is shipped every year.

☆ Thailand's Pita tops PM poll as opposition leads opinion surveys
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Forward Party's leader and prime ministerial candidate, reacts during an upcoming election campaign event in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2023. Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, the charismatic leader of the Move Forward party, jumped ahead of Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the main opposition Pheu Thai, with 29.37% support versus her 27.55% in a countrywide survey by Nation media group. Reuters GraphicsBoth polls showed the pro-military Palang Pracharat party, the Democrats and Bhumjaithai - current coalition partners - trailing the opposition by a large margin. Most experts believe Pheu Thai will need to form an alliance to govern and Paetongtarn on Wednesday hinted it could partner with Move Forward and ruled out military-backed parties. Separately, a Super Poll survey on parties released on Friday of 14,332 people also showed Pheu Thai leading with 139 of 500 parliamentary seats, followed by Bhumjaithai with 112 seats, and Move Forward with 63 seats.

☆ Indonesia held multiple engagements on Myanmar, urges end to violence, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JAKARTA, May 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's foreign minister on Friday confirmed her country had engaged with Thailand, China, India and the United Nations on the crisis in Myanmar, as well as Myanmar's key stakeholders, during which it called for an immediate halt to violence. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press conference it was crucial to build trust and not use megaphone diplomacy. Retno earlier on Friday told Reuters exclusively that Indonesia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), had been communicating with key stakeholders in Myanmar's crisis, with its diplomats involved in more than 60 engagements in the past four months. Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Speaking later at a press conference, Retno said it was vital to secure the trust of all those involved. "Indonesia is using non-megaphone diplomacy, this aims to build trust with all stakeholders, so they want to talk to us," she said. "Indonesia continues trying to play a bridging role to reduce a deep and sharp gap among the stakeholders." Representatives of the Myanmar junta and two armed ethnic groups did not respond to requests for comment. An Indonesian foreign ministry official confirmed the move to engage all stakeholders had the support of ASEAN members.

☆ Why have the United States and Philippines issued defence treaty guidelines?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Martin Petty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 4 (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines have agreed on new guidelines for their 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, following multiple requests by Manila to make clear the conditions under which Washington would come to its defence. Though the United States has reassured the Philippines their defence partnership is "ironclad", Manila has argued the seven-decade-old treaty needs updating to reflect a different global security environment. Guidelines issued by the Pentagon now specifically mention that mutual defence commitments would be invoked if there were an armed attack on either country "anywhere in the South China Sea". Another addition specifies that coast guard vessels are among those protected. Some analysts have argued the Philippines and United States were better served by a more ambiguous mutual defence treaty.

[1/2] Indonesia's Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia gestures during an interview at his office in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJAKARTA, May 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia's investment minister said on Wednesday that copper miner Freeport Indonesia must agree to sell an additional 10% stake to the government, as negotiations get underway for the U.S. company to extend its permit to operate in the country. "We ask for Freeport's 10% divestment through a state company for as cheap as possible. The $3.85 billion that Indonesia invested in the miner in 2018 via a state company has proven beneficial for the country, and the government expects to break even on that deal next year, he said. Freeport Indonesia said it produced 3 million tonnes of copper concentrate in 2022, an annual record.

☆ Philippines rebukes Beijing for 'dangerous manoeuvres' in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The incident occurred on Sunday during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. One of the two Chinese vessels "carried out dangerous manoeuvres" about 150 feet (45.72 m) from a Philippine ship, it said. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its resupply vessels. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday said the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and "made deliberate provocative moves". "We urge the Philippines to respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights," Mao said, adding the Chinese vessels acted professionally and with restraint.

☆ Singapore executes citizen for cannabis trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, April 26 (Reuters) - Singapore on Wednesday executed a man convicted of drug trafficking, a representative for his family said, despite pleas from his relatives and activists for clemency. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, had been convicted for abetting the trafficking in 2013 of more than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis, double the threshold for the death penalty in the city-state, which is known for its tough laws on narcotics. The Singapore government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The United Nations Office for Human Rights had also called for Singapore not to proceed with the execution and to "adopt a formal moratorium on executions for drug-related offences". Singapore executed 11 people last year and says the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drugs and that most of its people support the policy.

☆ Thai zoo breeds endangered vultures hoping to see them soar again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Napat Wesshasartar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, April 25 (Reuters) - Four times a day, Thai conservationist Watchiradol Phangpanya puts on a black, long-sleeved shirt, red gloves, and a red balaclava, hoping to imitate an endangered red-headed vulture feeding its baby. [1/3] A new born red-headed vulture is pictured at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Thailand, April 15, 2023. As a scavenger, the red-headed vulture used to play a crucial role in the ecosystem by consuming animal carcasses. After nearly two decades of trying to increase the red-headed vulture population, the zoo is starting to see results, with another egg being incubated by its parents in conservation. "We would like to see the Asian king vulture soar once again through the skies of Thailand," he said.

☆ Vietnam central bank plans loan restructuring for struggling businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, April 24 (Reuters) - Vietnam's central bank will restructure loans for some businesses facing difficulties, including delaying loan repayments, the government said, as it seeks to shore up a slowing economy. Several companies in Vietnam, a regional manufacturing hub, have been struggling amid weakening global demand, with exports falling 11.9% in the first quarter of this year. Vietnam's economic growth slowed to 3.32% in the January-March period, against a 5.92% year-on-year expansion in the fourth quarter of 2022. Chinh at a weekend meeting with the central bank also called for commercial banks to cut lending interest rates to support businesses and households. The central bank last month cut several policy rates to support growth amid global uncertainty.

☆ Thai c.bank chief sees economy growing at 3.6% this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK, April 24 (Reuters) - Thailand's economy is still seen growing at 3.6% this year, the central bank chief said on Monday, in spite of some turbulence in the first half of the year. Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput told reporters exports are seen down 7.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, before rising 4.2% in the second half. Headline inflation, which cooled to 2.83% in March, is expected at 3.3% in first half and 2.5% in the second half. The BOT last month raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 1.75% to curb inflationary pressures. The BOT has raised its key rate by a total of 125 basis points since August, less aggressive than many of its peers.

☆ Philippines' Marcos to seek specifics from Biden on US defence commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Marcos will hold talks with Biden in Washington this weekend, a meeting the White House said would reaffirm its "ironclad commitments to the defence of the Philippines". "It (the treaty) needs to adjust because of the changes in the situation we are facing in the South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea," Marcos said in a radio interview. China, however, says the pact with the United States is stoking the fire of regional tensions. Marcos on Monday said he and Biden should discuss what exactly their alliance entails and how to manage tension with China. Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Differences in South China Sea are not sum total of Philippines-China relations - Philippine official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, April 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign minister on Saturday said his nation's differences with China in the South China Sea are not the sum total of relations between the two countries. The Philippines has previously raised diplomatic protests at the presence of Chinese fishing vessels and what it calls China's "aggressive actions" in the strategic waterway. Qin said on Saturday China is ready to work with the Philippines to implement a consensus between the two countries and properly resolve differences. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which sees the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne annually and is believed to be rich in minerals and oil-and-gas deposits. A landmark arbitration ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated China's claims.

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