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Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
29 July 2020
(pm) - 30 July
2020 (am)
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Greetings
Due to the Hari Raya Haji public holiday on 31 July 2020,
the next issue of this alert will be released on Monday, 3 August 2020. It will cover news from Thursday afternoon to Monday morning.
This issue of Daily News Alert includes the following commentaries and citations attributed to researchers at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. You can click on their names to go to these articles directly.
This is a daily information alert service containing articles and commentaries from international and regional news sources. The alert is released every Monday to Friday, focussing on Southeast Asia and special topics relevant to ISEAS' research interests. You can click on any of the links below to directly access the subject of your immediate interest. If you think your friends and colleagues would find this alert useful, please invite them to
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Southeast Asia Countries
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Brunei Darussalam
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Timor-Leste (East Timor)
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Region
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Cambodia
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S. Korea, Cambodia hold 1st round of FTA talks: South Korea said Thursday it has launched the first round of free trade negotiations with Cambodia in a bid to penetrate deeper into the Southeast Asian market and overcome economic jitters by the virus pandemic. During two days of virtual negotiations, Seoul and Phnom Penh will discuss details on the envisioned FTA, including expanding the bilateral economic cooperation, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The session came more than a year after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen proposed making preparations for the bilateral free trade pact during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Phnom Penh in March 2019.
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2
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Will Cambodia's Shift in Focus to Small-Scale Farming Work? The Cambodian government has reverted its focus to small-scale farming amid COVID-19 to address the massive number of laid-off workers from the garment, tourism, construction, and transportation industries. Typical rural Cambodian farmers own small-sized landholdings and lack technical skills in agricultural cultivation. There are doubts if such a move can substitute for the job losses in the COVID-19 affected sectors.
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Indonesia
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3
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Indonesia can win as global supply chains shift: Last year, Indonesia enjoyed several notable successes in attracting FDI, such as the Pegatron factory in Batam and Toyota's investment in electric vehicle production but missed many potential investments that relocated to Vietnam. The competition rages on, and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration is determined to ensure a more investor-friendly climate, especially through the omnibus bill on job creation.
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Jokowi sets salaries for preemployment card's directors amid criticism: In addition to their salaries, they will also get travel allowances and social security insurance. However, some House of Representatives members have questioned the regulation as they highlighted that the program - which entails a mix of social assistance and up-skilling for laid-off workers affected by the pandemic - had been temporarily suspended.
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Indonesian labour unions protest import of Chinese workers: Indonesia's decision to bring in hundreds of Chinese workers for multi-billion dollar nickel and stainless steel projects amid the coronavirus pandemic has drawn the ire of local workers, with a national labour union calling for their repatriation to save domestic jobs. The arrival of Chinese workers "has hurt the sense of justice of local workers and Indonesian people" as the pandemic has already left millions of locals jobless, Mr Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, said by phone. The government should immediately cancel the permits for foreigners and give priority to domestic workers, he said.
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Govt: 2020 Regional Head Election a Moment to Rise from COVID-19 - The Home Affairs Ministry's Director-General for Politics and Government, Bahtiar, asserted that the 2020 regional head election or Pilkada will not be postponed. According to him, the event could be a contest of ideas between candidates, and a moment for the public to rise from the COVID-19 pandemic. "So the election will still be held on December 9, 2020. The preparations are on the making. I say this again, let's make it a moment to rise together to combat COVID-19 and its social-economic impacts," said Bahtiar in the ministry building in Central Jakarta, Wednesday, July 29.
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7
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'Chinese army uniforms' in Indonesia: another hoax to discredit Beijing, Widodo: Analysts say a viral video making the claims is the latest in a series of attempts to create a 'phobia' of the mainland and reduce public trust in the president. They come as Indonesia struggles with the economic impact of Covid-19, with some 7 million unemployed and a backlash against Chinese workers.
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A New Light for a Boarding School Community: Najmatul Millah and her husband built an Islamic boarding school in Jember, East Java, which features more formal curriculum. She spreads the word about fulfilling women's rights.
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Preacher of Human Rights: At first, Marzuki Wahid would always feel conflicted when listening to talks or discussions about gender equality. Marzuki, who was born and grew up in a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) environment in Cirebon, West Java, was trapped in the social construct that placing men at a higher status than women. When he was young, Marzuki even believed that only men should be a leader. He says he once firmly rejected discussions on gender equality, because he felt that such discussions were meant to disrupt Islamic teachings about men-women relations.
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Responding to Stones with Tofu: Irwan Masduqi's Islamic boarding school in Yogyakarta was nearly torched because he loudly spoke up for tolerance. His school accepts non-Muslim students.
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Laos
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Chinese Migrants Cross Illegally Into Laos, Vietnam Amid Renewed COVID Fears: Over 30 Chinese migrants were deported from Laos last week after they were caught entering the country illegally, sparking concerns over border controls as new cases of COVID-19 infection begin to appear in Laos and in neighboring Vietnam.
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Malaysia
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Analyst expects push for Umno to quit PN: A political analyst speculates that some forces in Umno will press for the party's departure from Perikatan Nasional (PN) in protest against the conviction of former prime minister Najib Razak on corruption charges. Kamarul Zaman Yusoff of Universiti Utara Malaysia told FMT the pressure could come from members believing that other leaders of the party might also suffer Najib's fate. However, Kamarul added, some Umno leaders, particularly those inside the government, would probably reject the idea of separation from PN.
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New foreign worker policy draws brickbats: An employers group and an SME association have hit out at Putrajaya's decision to allow foreign workers in only three sectors, saying the operation of many excluded firms would be badly affected. The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said the government did not consult it on the matter and the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Samenta) said there should not have been a blanket ban on certain sectors such as manufacturing.
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14
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Snap polls the best way to resolve Sabah impasse, say analysts: [Awang Azman Pawi] said fresh elections would be the best way to resolve the impasse, but added that this would be burdensome and risky for the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially as the economy is struggling. Chin of the University of Tasmania's Asia Institute agreed, saying the Sabah governor had made the right decision in dissolving the state assembly as it was important to allow the people to make the choice.
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15
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条条大路未能通向利雅德
[Not all roads lead to Riyadh]:
纳吉被定罪的消息传出，虽然不令人完全意外，但在马国政坛上，也还是有其一定的影响。在当下反对党阵营方面，希盟长期以来以推翻所谓的纳吉
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窃国
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（前首相马哈迪至爱用语）政权，为其一项主要政治
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卖点
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，当然得以纳吉的被定罪，作为此政治论述的
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佐证
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，力求在马国选民的心目中，被记一个政治大功，以后继续支持希盟。
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16
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GST in times of Covid-19: The decision to implement GST should not in any way be seen from a political perspective which will always end up in a never-ending debate. Rather, it should strictly be seen from an economic perspective, and implemented as a form of necessity in a country that is struggling fiscally to save the economy from a recession. But perhaps the introduction of the Malaysian GST regime could have been done at a lower rate than 6 per cent, which was at that time a sensitive topic in the country. A 3 per cent GST rate would have been more acceptable in Malaysia's struggling context, and we could increase it over the years as the economy improves.
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Malaysia, Singapore officially resume RTS project, completion date set back by two years: Singapore and Malaysia have resumed the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) project, which will now be a standalone light rail transit (LRT) system and expected to start operations by the end of 2026, two years later than initially planned. Singapore's Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung and his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong signed the official agreements to resume the project on Thursday (July 30), at a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
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Analysts reveal how Muhyiddin can avert a political crisis: Umno was seen as unhappy because the court verdict confirmed that what had been harped on by the opposition during the 2018 general election, such as the 1MDB scandal, was genuine. This could inspire the opposition to continue to use such talking points during future campaign periods, especially if a snap poll is called by Muhyiddin.
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Shafie: Fresh polls within 60 days, voters can decide between Musa and me: Shafie told reporters today that he made the decision to suggest for a dissolution of the state assembly to allow Sabahans to decide who should form their government. He claimed that there had been attempts to pressure Warisan into supporting the Perikatan Nasional coalition which had taken over federal power after toppling Pakatan Harapan in February.
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Then, Dr M-Anwar, now Anwar-Shafie. Who's next? Some political leaders have a bunch of disparate reasons for doing or saying things their own way in varied situations. At times, I believe they were right to do so as certain situations warrant even peculiar responses. Experienced and thinking leaders will always have ready plans, even if it means twisting and turning words, to handle any sticky situation.
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Zahid: Umno will not join PN coalition but still part of govt: The Umno supreme council had decided on Friday (July 24) after determining that MN was the "best platform" for Umno, PAS and BN component parties "to face whatever possibilities in the near future". He did not deny that this was a step in preparation for a possible snap election.
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22
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Perikatan in jeopardy as Umno reels from 'Najib guilty' verdict: The day after his predecessor was sentenced to 12 years in jail on various charges, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hinted that Umno was re-evaluating its ties with the PN partners. Even if the party stays in the pact, Najib could still damage Prime Minister's Muhyiddin Yassin's government, said Umno sources.
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23
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OPINION: Malaysia must use Najib verdict to end corruption once and for all: Muhyiddin must not squander this moment. Najib's verdict strengthens his hand to root out corruption once and for all. The political capital he amassed this week could go a long way to help turn a razor-thin parliamentary majority into a pro-reform groundswell.
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Ex-Sabah chief minister claims has gathered enough lawmakers to topple PH-backed state govt: Former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman was on Wednesday (July 29) seen in photographs with widely smiling assemblymen from the East Malaysian state, including those he claimed have crossed over to support him. The pictures appeared to suggest that he has now mustered enough support to topple the Pakatan Harapan-backed Sabah administration. The 65-seat Sabah state assembly is currently controlled by Parti Warisan Sabah and led by its president, Chief Minister Shafie Apdal - the arch rival of Tan Sri Musa.
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25
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Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says Najib's conviction is 'a renewed hope' for the country: "It is a renewed hope for Malaysians in general who were upset with the recent political development but at least they believe now that the climate for change and, finally, the voice of the people must be heard," Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia." [...] "Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made history ... when he became the country's highest-ranking official ever to be convicted in court," said Francis Hutchinson, senior fellow and coordinator of the Malaysia studies program at Singaporean think tank ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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26
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Tidak bubar Parlimen walaupun Najib sabit, kata sumber [Parliament will not be dissolved because of Najib's conviction, say sources]: Keputusan itu dicapai dalam pertemuan antara ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) dengan Perdana Menteri Muhyiddin Yassin di Parlimen awal petang tadi. Sumber memberitahu dalam pertemuan itu mereka berbincang mengenai kedudukan ahli Parlimen yang bersama PN susulan keputusan mahkamah semalam.
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27
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Umno man is new Felcra chairman: SIPITANG MP Yamani Hafez Musa has been appointed Felcra Bhd chairman effective today, said Rural Development Minister Abd Latiff Ahmad. ... Latiff said he is confident that with his vast experience in the corporate sector, Yamani Hafez will be able to introduce a high spirit of innovation and initiative to the agency.
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28
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Najib and Goldman 1MDB twists pose risks and rewards for Muhyiddin: The Muhyiddin government's success in extracting that enormous sum from Goldman Sachs last week, and Tuesday's High Court verdicts against former Prime Minister Najib on charges related to defunct state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, have altered the narrative in dramatic fashion. Suddenly, Muhyiddin may have a chance to wrest the graft-fighting mantle away from the man he pushed out of office, Mahathir Mohamad. But the path forward remains dicey, given his government's razor-thin majority, uncertainty over the UMNO's next move and the opposition's determination to retake the reins.
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29
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What now after guilty verdict? Politically that is: Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, another director with BowerGroupAsia, puts it this way: "The guilty verdict clears the way for Umno and Muhyiddin to accelerate their cooperation in the highly anticipated snap election, as Najib has been the main protagonist in the party against the PM and Perikatan Nasional." However, as Ilham Center CEO Azlan Zainal sees it, internal pressure on Muhyiddin is still taking place as Umno and PAS are very confident they can win big in Malay-majority constituencies come general election, snap or otherwise, without Muhyiddin's Bersatu.
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Myanmar
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30
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Suu Kyi courts Japan investment with new economic zone: The government plans to develop a seaport and industrial park on the coast of Mon State on the Indian Ocean. A planned highway linking Thailand and Vietnam will pass through Mon State. ... Myanmar is hoping to draw more foreign direct investment and Japan has been one of its main investors. According to the Myanmar government, Japanese investment in Myanmar between 2011 and now has exceeded $1.7 billion.
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31
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Bereaved Rakhine Families Attest to Rise in Deaths in Myanmar Army Custody: In Myanmar's restive Rakhine state, civilian deaths in military custody have increased to at least 29 cases this year, with most of the victims ethnic Rakhine men detained and tortured for suspected connections to the rebel Arakan Army (AA), family members of the missing or dead told RFA... Some of the deaths occurred after groups of villagers were rounded up en masse in army operations. Though many remain missing, those who have resurfaced say they were tortured, while others were discovered dead, with their bodies bearing signs of torture.
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Philippines
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32
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Duterte and the New Oligarchs: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's use of his State of the Nation Address this week to attack the country's two major telecommunications providers, Globe, majority-owned by the Ayala Group, and Smart of the Metro-Pacific group, will go down as yet another of the self-inflicted wounds from which the Philippines has long suffered. For sure, the nation could well benefit from more competition in the industry, just as it did in the 1990s when the Ramos government ended the old PLDT monopoly. But Duterte's crude threats to remove the franchises of the two for allegedly inadequate service shows three things to the wider business world.
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33
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Duterte to bare new lockdown status today: President Duterte is set to announce the new quarantine status today even as Malacañang said there will now be major changes in the government's response against the COVID19 pandemic as the number of people infected by the disease have surpassed the 85,000 cases projected by month's end by University of the Philippines (UP) experts.
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34
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Philippines takes 'major step' toward using nuclear power: The Philippines has taken a big step towards tapping nuclear power, its energy minister said on Wednesday, after President Rodrigo Duterte created an inter-agency panel to study the adoption of a national nuclear energy policy. As power demand soars in what has for years been among the world's fastest-growing economies, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has been passionately advocating use of nuclear power, despite public concern over safety in a country hit frequently by natural disasters.
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35
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Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay is next AFP Chief of Staff: Gapay will succeed Santos, his "mistah" at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), at the helm of the military leadership. Santos is set for compulsory retirement on August 4 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 for military personnel. He will cap off 38 years of military service. Gapay will be the 54th AFP Chief of Staff, and the eighth under Duterte's administration since 2016.
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Philippines remains Asia's deadliest country for land rights activists but has been overtaken by Colombia in global rankings: Nearly half of the killings recorded since President Rodrigo Duterte took power in 2016 have been linked to the armed forces or paramilitary groups. The impact of climate change has dialled up the pressure on defenders as they seek to protect indigenous land rights from mining and logging.
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Singapore
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37
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A new beginning for Singapore? To many observers, especially supporters of the WP, this development bodes well for democracy in Singapore. The loss of another PAP GRC to the WP means that opposition forces are edging closer toward denying the PAP a supermajority that it has enjoyed since independence. The PAP's endorsement of the WP as the somewhat official vanguard of opposition forces may also predispose more Singaporeans to vote for the WP in future general elections.
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38
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Bulan Bahasa to go online for the first time due to Covid-19 pandemic: (The Malay Language Council) on Wednesday also announced the appointment of three language ambassadors for Bulan Bahasa. They were chosen for their mastery of and affinity for the Malay language. The three are geriatrician Nur Farhan Alami, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute senior fellow Norshahril Saat and Mr Sujimy Mohamad, who is the managing director of a digital content creating agency.
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Thailand
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39
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'Oak' acquittal must be challenged: Dem: A former Democrat spokesman wants to overturn the prosecution's decision not to challenge Panthongtae "Oak" Shinawatra's acquittal on money laundering charges last year. The son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct last November of conspiring and colluding to launder money.
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40
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PM warns students over rally: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has voiced concerns over a planned gathering on Thursday by a vocational students' group in Bangkok which could provoke a confrontation with the anti-government movement. Emerging from a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Gen Prayut said he was worried the group's gathering at the Democracy Monument this afternoon would intensify the political situation to the point where protests get out of hand.
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41
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Covid-19 pandemic will significantly bring down value of Thai trade: UTCC: The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC)'s Centre for International Trade Studies has estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic will reduce the value of Thai trade by Bt423.05 billion to Bt1.02 trillion. The centre's director Aat Pisanwanich said the industries most affected by the pandemic were automobiles, motorcycles and auto parts, whose values are estimated at between Bt129.36 billion and Bt314.619 billion.
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42
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EEC's 'smart city' capital takes shape in Si Racha: Known for its industry and Laem Chabang seaport, Si Racha in Chonburi province is set to be upgraded as the "smart" city hub of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Developers boast that the Sriracha Creative District will run on 100 per cent renewable energy to become Asia's first carbon-neutral smart city.
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43
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BCG economy thriving on rich biodiversity and technological strengths: Thailand is embracing the Bio-, Circular and Green Economy (BCG) model as a path towards more sustainable growth, which will be marked by more employment, higher people's incomes and an eco-friendly society.Focusing on applying technology to further enhance the market values of agribusiness products and the service sector and transforming towards environment-oriented economy, BCG is creating significant business opportunities in Thailand while enabling the people to take urgent actions against the climate change.
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44
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Thai PM's economic adviser picked to head central bank: ...the new governor must help navigate Southeast Asia's second-largest economy out of the slump. Bank of Thailand, the central bank, has projected that the economy will contract by 8.1% this year. The bank expects negative 1.7% inflation for the year, well below its 1-3% target. But the central bank is left with limited policy options to tackle the economic contraction. Bank of Thailand's policy rate already stands at a historic low of 0.5%, after three rate cuts of 0.25 percentage point this year.
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45
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Thailand extends emergency for fourth time until Aug. 31: The decree was originally imposed from March 26 and was scheduled to end on April 30. Three previous extensions followed with each lasting a month. The proclamation allows the Thai government to limit people's rights, while giving the former military junta chief special prerogatives to implement policies with minimum interference by the cabinet.
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46
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China emerging as major threat to Thai rice exports: [Thai Rice Exporters Association honorary president, Chookiat Ophaswongse] said that besides China, Myanmar is also rising fast as a major rice exporter. Myanmar has already exported 2 million tonnes this year and is expected to increase to 3 million tonnes next year.He added that Thailand's competitors have spent far higher than Thailand on rice research and development to improve quality and strains to make their rice fit well with market demand.
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Vietnam
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47
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Vietnam inks USD348 million Japan loan to build 6 patrol vessels--media: The vessels, to be delivered to the Vietnam coast guard by October 2025, would boost the country's maritime capability, Nhan Dan newspaper reported. It did not provide details of the vessels to be built... The vessels are "aimed at strengthening law enforcement and maritime rescue operations, ensuring security, maritime safety and freedom of navigation in Vietnam," said the newspaper, an official outlet of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
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48
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After 99 Coronavirus-Free Days, Vietnam Battles a New Outbreak: But the simultaneous disclosures of the outbreak and illegal border crossings is stirring anti-Chinese sentiment in the country where many are already distrustful of Beijing... Public perception of China has worsened since Covid-19 first emerged in Wuhan, said Le Hong Hiep, a fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Although there is no evidence Chinese nationals are the source of Vietnam's new infections, the outbreak will further reinforce anti-China sentiment as people look for someone to blame, he said.
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49
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Vietnam's Danang Enters Lockdown Amid Surge in New COVID cases: Vietnam's Danang has suspended all flights and travel by train or bus to or from the coastal city for 15 days following a surge of at least 18 cases of COVID-19 infection over the weekend, sources in the country say... Earlier reports said the government was trying to evacuate some 80,000 mostly domestic tourists from the popular beach resort area, but state media later said many had left on their own, while other travelers were quarantining in hotels. Danang is now under strict quarantine, a local source told RFA's Vietnamese Service on Tuesday.
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ASEAN/Southeast Asia
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50
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How ASEAN benefits as Japan shifts production away from China: The Japanese government is encouraging firms to relocate manufacturing from China to Southeast Asia. As Tokyo reacts to Beijing's handling of the coronavirus and aggression in the South China Sea, it might foster stronger relations with ASEAN.
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51
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Hydrogen the missing piece of ASEAN green energy: The ASEAN power grid is making slow progress and an integrated ASEAN power market may remain unrealized for several reasons including regulatory and technical harmonization issues between ASEAN power grids and utilities. Thus, scalable electricity production from wind and solar faces tremendous challenges due to current practices of system integration in ASEAN.
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52
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Locsin to summon Malaysian envoy to PH over Sabah issue: Locsin took to Twitter his response to Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who earlier directed his ministry to summon the Philippine Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur on Monday for what he described as an "irresponsible" statement made by the DFA Secretary regarding Sabah.
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53
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Philippines, Malaysia spar over Sabah ownership, reviving long-standing dispute: Philippine foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr responded to a US embassy tweet, saying 'Sabah is not in Malaysia'; Malaysia's foreign minister Hishammuddin Hussein lashed out at the remark, calling it an 'irresponsible statement that affects bilateral ties'
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Asia Pacific
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54
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Australia fast-tracks USD16 billion plan to send solar power to Singapore: The project aims to link an Australian solar farm to Singapore and Indonesia via a 3,700km undersea cable. Marine survey work is expected to begin from August,
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55
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Family Farmers in Asia Pacific Need Help to Ensure Food Security amid Pandemic: Asia Pacific's smallholder family farmers produce most of the world's food, yet they are facing a disproportionate impact on their livelihoods and food security due to the present coronavirus pandemic, a collaboration of FAO and advocacy groups warned today. The COVID-19 impact on the region's rural communities, and particularly those in developing countries, has resulted in economic slowdown and stagnation. The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities and inequalities within and among countries. Food, trade, health and climate are interdependent and the pandemic has revealed the fragility of these linkages.
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East/South China Sea
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56
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中美两军在南中国海发生冲突
[Conflict between US and Chinese military in the South China Sea]
？只要看清近期美军行动和中美两军关系，就不难预期南中国海局势正滑向冲突边缘。首先，从美军近期行动来看，继
7
月初美军两个航母打击群进入南中国海演习后，
7
月
17
日再次驶入南中国海。美国两支航母打击群进入某一地区，通常被认为是标准的作战配置，即便不是作战，也会被认为是美军对这一地区紧张态势做相应的军事行动准备。
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57
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AUSMIN talks: US returns to 'normal' engagement with allies: Australia is coy about saying it will send ships or aircraft inside Beijing's South China Sea maritime claims, now described as "not valid under international law". Perhaps we have already done this in recent military exercises. There will be many such opportunities coming up. What is more important is that Washington and Canberra are letting Beijing know that threats to Taiwan and further adventurism in the South China Sea will be resisted. There will be no repeat of the Obama administration's dithering over rocks and shoals.
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58
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Manila seeks balanced S. China Sea diplomacy, a blow to Washington's strategy: Duterte suggested that the Philippines should treat the South China Sea issue with diplomatic endeavors. This has been Duterte's consistent South China Sea policy. It mirrors that US' attempt to interfere in regional affairs by utilizing the Philippines as leverage as well as roping in Manila to gang up on China, does not work. Another proof is Duterte's straightforward opposition against the American military going back to Subic Bay, which used to host one of the largest US naval facilities in the world before it was shut down in 1992. The reason, according to Duterte, is that once a military base is put up there, atomic arsenals will be brought in once a war breaks out and "this will ensure the extinction of the Filipino race."
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Belt and Road Initiative
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59
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Opinion - Coronavirus recovery: China's Belt and Road is the ideal route for developing nations: There can be no global recovery, especially for developing countries, without a recovery in the cross-border flow of capital, goods and services. As a cosmopolitan, high quality and sustainable network for investment and trade, the Belt and Road Initiative can make a vital contribution to restarting the world economy.
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Superpower relations and the region
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60
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Must Australia choose between trade with China and siding with US on Hong Kong, South China Sea?: Canberra has signalled it will not join Washington in a new cold war with Beijing - sceptics wonder if it has any alternative. Australia is one of America's staunchest security allies, but alienating its largest trade partner would cost it dear.
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61
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Regional Realignment to Complicate Cambodia-Vietnam Relations: Analysts - The United States Embassy in Phnom Penh has been aggressively celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Cambodia. ...At the same time, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi also marked 25 years since the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Vietnam, after relations ended following the prolonged war between the two nations. ...The two celebrations, while similar in appearance, come amid shifting geopolitical calculations where Vietnam has grown closer to the United States and the European Union. ...Experts and analysts told VOA Khmer that the new power dynamics have caused a strain in Cambodia's relationship with Vietnam, which helped overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and install the current ruling elites.
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Water Wars: Mekong River Another Front in U.S.-China Rivalry - The Mekong River has become a new front in U.S.-China rivalry, environmentalists and officials say, with Beijing overtaking Washington in both spending and influence over downstream countries at the mercy of its control of the river's waters. It's a confrontation in which the Trump administration - which has largely maintained funding for an Obama-era environmental and development programs in the Lower Mekong - is losing ground. The two powers' struggle recently moved into the realm of science - with the U.S. and Chinese governments each touting different reports about whether China's 11 dams on the river were harming nations downstream.
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