Today Around Southeast Asia
PHUKETWAN recognises the importance of Asean with the Economic Community approaching and marks what's happening around the region with a new column, Asean Today.
Indonesia
theguardian.com Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, has joined calls for Indonesia to cancel the execution of nine people, including the Australian citizens Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, for drug crimes.
Burma
asiancorrespondent.com After a brief window of hope earlier last week, Rohingya in Burma's Rakhine State were once again shut out of the political system after protesters demanded they be barred from participating in an upcoming referendum. The Rohingya are among the most persecuted people in Burma, and are frequently the targets of anti-Muslim sentiment and violence.
Laos
rawstory.com Forty years after the end of the Vietnam war, US bombs dropped along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos have become expensive jewelry worn by American fashionistas. Delicate bracelets encrusted with diamonds, bronze pendants, necklaces and drop earrings - all made from ordnance left over from America's deadliest war - are on display on the sidelines of New York Fashion Week.
Cambodia
cambodiadaily.com A US economic affairs diplomat voiced his praise for the government's commitment to rooting out corruption after meeting with Cambodian officials during a visit this week. Kurt Tong, principal deputy assistant secretary at the US State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, said he believed Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol was ''sincere'' in his pledge to combat government graft.
Singapore
bernama Singapore and the US have affirmed the importance of regional peace and stability, maritime and aviation security and lawful commerce. They affirmed this in a joint statement issued in Washington, D.C released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Malaysia
thestar.com.my Malaysia plans to waive the visa fee for Indian tourists as part of a strategy to hit a target of 29.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2015.
Vietnam
thanhniennews.com Beer goes for as little as 30 US cents a glass in Vietnam, making the Southeast Asia country one of the cheapest places in the world for a tipple. And over the last few years, alcohol consumption has been rising at one of the fastest rates anywhere.
Philippines
afp A group of birdwatchers from Britain, Denmark and Australia narrowly avoided getting caught in a gun battle between the Philippines military and insurgents that left their guide wounded, officials said.
This decree was aimed at the Vendors, not the tourist but maybe it has misfired and in two ways because now no-one can bring a chair and as tourism is/was a major revenue earner for Thailand the bringing of happiness to the Thai People and economy Thailand will suffer as a result. But we have to be fair to the authorities as they are in a better position to know the reasons behind their actions aren't they?.
Posted by seht1912 on February 15, 2015 16:26