Chuan tells EC 'don't be intimidated'

The Nation: 03/10/2010

Ex-PM warns red shirts against putting pressure to dissolve Democrat Party

Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai yesterday urged the Election Commission not to be influenced by intimidation or pressure in deciding whether to pursue the "illegal-donation" case against the ruling party.

He also warned the red shirts not to pressure and interfere in the EC's investigation into the allegation that the Democrat Party received a Bt258-million illegal donation paid out by TPI Polene.

Chuan condemned the red shirts' latest move to intimidate the EC's members that if they rule to drop the allegation and not to disband the Democrat Party, they would burn down their houses or the commission's offices.

The red shirts have been accusing the EC of double standards after the political-party registrar, who is the EC chairman, decided in favour of dropping the party-dissolution case against the Democrat Party.

The EC members have asked the political registrar to review his decision.

"They [red shirts] should carefully think about the term 'the same standard'. It does not mean that if one party is dissolved, then another party must be dissolved. A double standard can be applied only if the two parties commit the same offence, but one party is dissolved and the other is not,'' Chuan said.

He said what the Democrat Party had done was different from the Thai Rak Thai Party and the People Power Party's actions - which led to their dissolution - and the EC has to decide whether the Democrats deserve to be disbanded for what they did.

Say no to National Reconciliation

Bangkok Post 03/01/2010

Let's start the New Year with a bit of a controversial thought: Let's say ''no'' to national reconciliation! Why? National reconciliation isn't healthy for democracy. Therefore, let's continue with political and social conflicts, but let's do it without the violence and illegality.

Should the Democrats and the Republicans over in the US reconcile? Should the Labour and Tory parties over in the UK reconcile? No and no.

A state with a single ideology is dangerous, as it flirts with absolutism. Democracy is a system that thrives on conflicts. It is based on the right of man, and as every man is different, thus democracy is an ideology that prospers through differences.

And if politics is divided, society is also divided, always, as it should be.

Differences beget conflicts, opposing forces competing in a never-ending battle, because no one side has absolute power over the other, thus no one may win absolutely, hence the state of democracy is one of balance among the forces.

To simplify it: If the Democrats were the single ideology in the US, then they would have a nation of free-loving hippies. They would get beaten up all the time. And who wants that?

North Korea calls for end to hostile relations with US

Channel News Asia 01/01/2010

"The fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the DPRK and the USA,"

SEOUL: North Korea early Friday called for an end to hostile relations with the United States, after a year marked by nuclear and missile tests and its rejection of international peace efforts.

The call was made in a New Year joint editorial of several leading state North Korean newspapers, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, and comes with a US Christian missionary apparently detained in the isolated country.

"The fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the DPRK and the USA," KCNA quoted the editorial as saying.

It also addressed international concerns about Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities after 2009 saw Washington attempt to bring Kim Jong-Il's communist regime back to stalled six-nation talks on the issue.

"It is the consistent stand of the DPRK (North Korea) to establish a lasting peace system on the Korean Peninsula and make it nuclear-free through dialogue and negotiations," the editorial said.

Voter numbers on the rise, national election body says

Phnom Penh Post 01/01/2010

The number of eligible voters in Cambodia has risen by 2 percent, the National Election Committee (NEC) said Thursday, following its annual campaign in October to revise voter rolls throughout the Kingdom.

The NEC’s Em Sophat told a press conference that the total number of voters on the new list had increased to 8,331,906 people, with 16,538 polling stations nationwide.

“The numbers of voters and polling stations has increased because of our promotional efforts,” Em Sophat said, added that the NEC had tabulated its findings electronically to ensure accuracy.

A press release from the NEC added that 167,391 voters had been eliminated from the registration list because they had died or changed residences.

Opposition leaders and rights groups have expressed concern that victims of forced evictions will be prevented from voting as a result of the process, as they are expunged from voter rolls in their former locations but lose their identification documents during the eviction process or are not re-registered at their relocation sites.

Em Sophat maintained, however, that the NEC had endeavoured to represent the interests of all Cambodians with its latest effort.

“The NEC is very careful when it makes changes to the voter lists,” he said. “Our process of updating the voter lists is better than before because we have not received complaints from any residents or political parties.”

Threat of total chaos

The Nation: 02/01/2010

Suthep expects all-out attempt by red shirts to bring down government in the first two months of the year.

Coalition figures expect another difficult year for the government, with the opposition movement likely to renew its violent bid to bring down the administration in the first couple of months.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said red-shirt protesters would engage in "street politics" in late January or early February aimed at overthrowing the national leadership and plunging the Kingdom into "complete chaos" in the process.

Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, said chaos would likely occur but added he was not committed to invoking the Internal Security Act just yet.

He will apply the law if the situation warrants it.

He insisted the red shirts' plan went "beyond overthrowing the government".

"Let me confirm the information stated did not come from my imagination, but rather from evidence, from operators working for people like [singer] Arisman Pongruengrong and [Pheu Thai MP] Jatuporn Promphan, plus other reports we've received," said Suthep, who is also Democrat Party secretary-general.

People Around World Express Concerns, Hopes for New Year

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People Around World Express Concerns, Hopes for New Year 

Senior UN AIDS Official Says Asia Close to Winning AIDS Treatment Battle

VOA News 31/12/2009

A top United Nations official says much of the Asia-Pacific region is nearing full treatment coverage for patients with HIV. But Prasada Rao warns access to remote regions in China and India, and disrupted AIDS programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan leave millions at risk.

The departing head of the U.N. AIDS program in the Asia-Pacific region, Prasada Rao, says the region is within three years of "winning the battle" against the AIDS pandemic.

Rao, who has led the U.N. AIDS program in the region for the past five years, says increased treatment coverage and intervention programs are turning the tide against AIDS.

In Thailand and Cambodia treatment coverage has reached almost 90 percent. In India 50 percent of patients get treatment, but in China the number stands at 30 percent and 35 percent in Burma.

"By 2012, up to 2013, I can see that we'll start winning the battle around that time. And by 2015 - this is the Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the epidemic - I can say that the majority of countries in this region would be in a position to say that 'yes' we can halt and reverse the epidemic," he said.

In South and Southeast Asia the rate of new HIV infections has fallen by more than 10 percent since 2001, thanks to an increase in prevention and treatment programs. But there are still 4.7 million people living with AIDS in the region and around 350,000 new infections each year.

Rao acknowledges that concerns remain, especially because of problems expanding AIDS programs in remote locations in China, India and Indonesia.

Indonesia's Papua province and neighboring Papua New Guinea have seen cases rise sharply in the past few years. The U.N. predicts that by 2012 about five percent of Papua New Guinea's population will be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS - more than 208,000 people.

"The most challenging to me is the Papua New Guinea scenario where I think it's not just the reachability [of treatment programs] that is important but the strength of the health system itself by which it delivers services - it is a big question," he said.

Malaysia High Court Allows Christian Use of the Word 'Allah'

VOA News 31/12/2009

The word 'Allah' is Arabic for God. He is the same one God worshiped by Jews, Christians and Muslim.

In Malaysia, the High Court has thrown out a government ban on non-Muslims using the word Allah for God. Those favoring the ban argue Christian use of the word could lead to confusion and conversions among Muslims.

Malaysia's High Court ruled that a Roman Catholic publication can use the word "Allah". The court said the Home Ministry was incorrect when it banned the non-Muslim publication from using the word.

The Catholic Church's main publication in Malaysia, The Herald, led the legal fight against the ban on behalf of a range of religious and community groups

Under Malaysian law, the home minister has the power to impose conditions on publications. In the case of The Herald, the word Allah was banned, apparently on the grounds of national security - to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.

Father Lawrence Andrew is the newspaper's editor and says the word Allah has been part of religious teachings within Christian circles in Malaysia for more than 370 years.

Will the Democrat Party be dissolved? Abhisit and Thaksin offer their unconventional answers

The Nation 28/12/2009

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva was asked by one news anchor on his weekly television programme yesterday: "Are you concerned about the possibility of your Democrat Party being dissolved over the Bt258m donation?"

Almost without hesitation, the PM said: "Naturally, I am concerned. It's up to the National Election Commission to decide."

But on the same day, his arch-rival, former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, provided an unequivocal answer in one of his tweets: "No way. The Democrat Party won't be dissolved. Believe me..."

Why the big contrast? Abhisit was careful not to suggest any political interference in the EC's work. Thaksin was openly skeptical. He was apparently convinced that the EC won't have the guts to rule negativelyagainst the ruling party.

So, there you are: Two men saying two diferent things while in fact they should have swapped statements.

No word

The Nation

'Violence inevitable if no amnesty'

The Nation 01/01/2010

Amnesty for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra is the only way to prevent political violence, according to General Pallop Pinmanee, a member of the opposition Pheu Thai Party.

Pallop said he was afraid violence would break out by April if the matter were not solved politically very soon. He also warned the military not to even think about staging another coup, as the people "wouldn't put up with it" this time.

"Some people think everything will be over by no later than April, but such a conclusion cannot be reached at this stage. It must be said that whether the issue is over or not will depend on whether both sides are willing to accept each other's terms.

"For our part, the only way out is to grant amnesty to Thaksin. If this is not met by the other party, it [conflict] is not likely to end. And if it doesn't end, I'm afraid things will inevitably turn violent when [red shirts] assemble around February," Pallop said.

Pallop, who was previously close to People's Alliance for Democracy co-leader Chamlong Srimuang, said he was concerned for the country under the leadership of Abhisit Vejjajiva, but negotiation would be a good start.

No bite in the year of the tiger for PM

The Nation 01/01/2010

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday dismissed a fortune-teller's prediction that the country would witness severe violence in the year 2010 leading to a coup, saying he would do everything possible not to create conditions that would allow the situation to develop in that direction.

A fortune-teller made the prediction that after a coup the country would have a new prime minister whose name begins with the Thai letter pronounced "Awe".

"There are people who want to bring about violence but it is my and the government's duty not to let that happen. I reiterate that whoever thinks violence is an answer to this society is thinking wrong,'' Abhisit said.

Asked if he believed the year 2010, which is the year of the tiger, is "fierce", the PM laughed and said: "A tiger is naturally fierce, but the year of the tiger is not a tiger,'' he joked.