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Category: ASEAN News

  • Myanmar coup: Suu Kyi charged with breaching import-export laws

    Myanmar coup: Suu Kyi charged with breaching import-export laws

    Her whereabouts are still unclear, but it has been reported that she is being held at her residence in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw….reports Asian Lite News

    Police in Myanmar have filed several charges against elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi following Monday’s military coup.

    She has been remanded in custody until February 15, police documents show.

    The charges include breaching import and export laws, and possession of unlawful communication devices, the BBC reported.

    Her whereabouts are still unclear, but it has been reported that she is being held at her residence in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

    Deposed President Win Myint, who is believed to be in jail, has also been charged, the documents show — in his case with violating rules banning gatherings during the Covid pandemic.

    Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (C) arrives for the plenary session of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei/IANS)

    Neither the President nor Suu Kyi have been heard from since the military seized power in the early hours of February 1.

    The coup, led by armed forces chief Min Aung Hlaing, has seen the installation of an 11-member junta which is ruling under a year-long state of emergency.

    The military sought to justify its action by alleging fraud in last November’s elections, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won decisively.

    Activists in Myanmar are calling for civil disobedience.

    Many hospital medics are either stopping work or continuing but wearing symbols of defiance in simmering anger over the suppression of Myanmar’s short-lived democracy.

    Protesting medical staff say they are pushing for the release of Suu Kyi.

    They are wearing red, or black, ribbons and were pictured giving the three-fingered salute familiar from the Hunger Games movies and used by demonstrators last year in Thailand.

    Online, many changed their social media profile pictures to one of just the colour red.

    “Civil disobedience is one of the tactics that the young people in Myanmar are now launching across the whole country,” Yangon Youth Network founder Thinzar Shunlei told the BBC.

    “They’re calling for action especially from the civil servants, to stop working for the government, for the military junta.”

    A Facebook group has been set up to coordinate the disobedience campaign.

    But there have been few signs of major protest. On Tuesday night, drivers honked their horns in the main city, Yangon, and residents banged cooking pots.

    Myanmar has been mainly calm following the coup, with troops on patrol and a night-time curfew in force.

    Also read:Myanmar military sets up state administration council

  • Indonesia receives 10 mn doses of raw materials for Sinovac

    Indonesia receives 10 mn doses of raw materials for Sinovac

    “The government is trying hard efforts to tackle Covid-19, including through vaccination,” the Health Ministry’s Secretary General Oscar said Primadi..reports Asian Lite News

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyXTTtwCpWY

    A total of 10 million doses of raw materials for Covid-19 vaccine from the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech reached Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia’s city of Tangerang, an official said.

    “The government is trying hard efforts to tackle Covid-19, including through vaccination,” the Health Ministry’s Secretary General Oscar Primadi said, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

    With the arrival, there are 28 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in Indonesia, Primadi noted, adding that among them, three million doses were ready to use, and another 25 million doses arrived in the form of raw materials.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzZMZ320s7U

    Bambang Heriyanto, Corporate Secretary of Indonesian state-run vaccine manufacturer Bio Farma, said 15 million doses of vaccine raw materials that arrived in Indonesia on January 12 are still under process for the ready-to-use vaccine, targeted to be completed on February 11.


    Heriyanto said the raw materials that arrived Tuesday would be processed starting from February 13 and expected to be completed on March 20.

    Indonesia is targeting to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to 181.5 million people until next year.


    A spokesperson for the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 Vaccination said more than 500,000 medical workers have so far been vaccinated.

    The target is that 1.5 million medical workers would have been vaccinated before the end of February.

    “After that, 17.4 million public workers will be vaccinated,” the spokesperson said.

    Also read:Indonesian Prez gets 2nd Covid vaccine dose

  • Myanmar military sets up state administration council

    Myanmar military sets up state administration council

    Chaired by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the council is comprised of 10 other members including Vice-Senior General Soe Win as deputy chair…reports Asian Lite News

    The Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services announced formation of a new 11-membered State Administration Council under Section 419 of Constitution late on Tuesday.

    Chaired by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the council is comprised of 10 other members including Vice-Senior General Soe Win as deputy chair, the Xinhua news agency reported.

    The newly formed State Administration Council announced appointments of new Union Attorney-General, Union Auditor-General, governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, union ministers for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Construction, chairmen of Administration Councils in six self-administered division and zones– Naga, Danu, Pa’O, Palaung, Kokang and Wa, chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, chairmen of Administration Councils for 12 regions and states, excluding Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions.

    The council terminated Deputy Attorney-General from his duties.

    On the same day, the State Administration Council approved the retirement of Police Lieutenant General Aung Win Oo, Chief of Myanmar Police Force while transferring Major General Soe Tint Naing, former Deputy Minister for Home Affairs to serve as Deputy Minister for the Union Government Office.

    Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Than Hlaing is appointed to concurrently serve as Deputy Home Affairs Minister and Chief of Myanmar Police Force.

    The council also formed a six-member Union Election Committee in accordance with the Constitution.

    The Section 419 of the Constitution stipulates that the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services to whom the sovereign power has been transferred shall have the right to exercise the powers of legislature, executive and judiciary.

    The Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services may exercise the legislative power either by himself or by a body including him. The executive power and the judicial power may be transferred to and exercised by an appropriate body that has been formed or a suitable person, it said.

    Myanmar declared the one-year state of emergency and the state power was handed over to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing on Monday.

    Also read:Myanmar military releases regional, state CMs

  • Myanmar military releases regional, state CMs

    Myanmar military releases regional, state CMs

    Hours after the coup, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, also announced a major cabinet reshuffle, under which there were new appointments for 11 Ministries, while 24 Deputy Ministers were removed….reports Asian Lite News

    A day after seizing control of the country, the military in Myanmar on Tuesday released a majority of the detained regional and state Chief Ministers, but there was no word on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

    Confirming the development to Xinhua news agency, a military official said: “There may be a reshuffle among chief ministers by appointing qualified ones.”

    MPs belonging to Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party were also among the freed government official, the source added.

    Hours after the coup, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, also announced a major cabinet reshuffle, under which there were new appointments for 11 Ministries, while 24 Deputy Ministers were removed.

    The Union Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court of the Union, Chief Justices and Judges of Regional or State High Courts are allowed to remain in office, according to a statement issued by the military.

    • Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (C) arrives for the plenary session of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei/IANS)

    Members of Anti-Corruption Commission, Chairman, Vice Vhairman and members of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission will also remain in office.

    Chairmen and members of the Nay Pyi Taw Council and the Union Civil Service Board will be removed from their posts, while a new Chairman was appointed for the Union Civil Service Board, the statement said.

    In an earlier release, the military also said that the Union Election Commission (UEC) will be reformed and ordered a review into the results of the disputed polls, noting that there were some irregularities in the voting process in the previous months.

    “When these tasks have been completed in accord with the provisions of the State of Emergency, free and fair multi-party general elections will be held and the assigned duty of the state will be handed over to the winning party meeting norms and standards of democracy.”

    At present, access to state-run broadcasting channels and telecommunications have resumed after being cut off across the country earlier Monday.

    The Military True News Information Team announced on Tuesday that all banks were open to provide customer services.

    Internet services have also been reactivated after they were suspended after the coup.

    Monday’s actions reversed a 10-year period of democratic transition following 50 years of military rule.

    Since the election, where the NLD obtained more than 80 per cent of the seats and increased its parliamentary majority, the Tatmadaw had called for an investigation into voting lists, alleging fraud and discrepancies.

    The Election Commission rejected the allegations of election fraud on January 29.

    Suu Kyi has asked the people “to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military”.

    Also read:LITE VIEW: Turbulent Myanmar

  • Suu Kyi arrested, military takes control of Myanmar

    Suu Kyi arrested, military takes control of Myanmar

    Besides Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were also detained by the military earlier in the day….reports Asian Lite News

    The Myanmar military on Monday detained government leaders including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, after which the government declared a state of emergency which will last one year.

    The emergency declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the Acting President, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV, reports Xinhua news agency.

    The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, according to the declaration.

    Besides Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were also detained by the military earlier in the day.

    “I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State’s Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state’s NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region’s Parliament have been detained,” Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua.

    “Two members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly,” he said.

    The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) is also no longer working, the channel announced on its social media page.

    Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

    The coup comes after tensions escalated between the civilian government and the military following the disputed November 2020 general elections.

    In the election, Suu Kyi’s NLD won enough seats to form a government, the BBC reported.

    But the army has insisted that the vote was fraudulent.

    The newly-elected lower house of parliament was due to convene for the first time on Monday but the military was calling for a postponement.

    Myanmar was ruled by the military until democratic reforms began in 2011.

    Also read:Myanmar extends Int’l flight ban

  • Indonesian Prez gets 2nd Covid vaccine dose

    Indonesian Prez gets 2nd Covid vaccine dose

    The President received his first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine on January 13…reports Asian Lite News

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo has received his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

    “Like two weeks ago, it is no pain,” Xinhua news agency quoted Widodo as saying on Wednesday after he was vaccinated.

    The President received his first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine on January 13.

    The Indonesian Covid-19 Task Force’s spokesperson Reisa Broto Asmoro said the first dose is aimed at introducing the vaccine to the immune system, while the second is to strengthen the immune response that has been formed beforehand.

    “These antibodies will be optimal in 14-28 days after the second injection,” Brotoasmoro added.

    Indonesia has set a target of vaccinating 181.5 million people until next year to create a herd immunity and end the pandemic.

    The first period of vaccination from January to April is aimed at inoculating 1.3 million medical workers, 17.4 million public workers, and 21.5 million elderly people.

    The second period from April 2021 to March 2022 will administer the vaccine to 63.9 million vulnerable people and 77.4 million others.

    As of Thursday morning, Indonesia has registered a total of 1,024,298 coronavirus cases and 28,855 deaths.

    Also read:Indonesian landslide death toll mounts to 31

  • Malaysia kicks off phase 3 trial of Chinese vaccine

    Malaysia kicks off phase 3 trial of Chinese vaccine

    The trials will involve nine government hospitals across Malaysia and 3,000 volunteers for a period of 13 months..reports Asian Lite News

    Malaysia has begun a phase 3 clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS), the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    The initiative is a collaboration between the governments of Malaysia and China to generate scientific data in the development of the vaccine candidate to evaluate its safety and efficacy against infection, the ministry said in a statement.

    The trials will involve nine government hospitals across Malaysia and 3,000 volunteers for a period of 13 months, Xinhua reported.

    In his speech during the virtual launching ceremony, Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba said Malaysia is very pleased to work with China, through IMBCAMS in contributing to the search for scientific evidence in the development of the inactivated vaccine.

    “With strong regulatory, certified researchers and experienced research sites, we are confident of producing quality scientific evidence to support the research vaccine,” he said..

    “This cooperation will strengthen ties between China and Malaysia. I am very confident that we will have more opportunities to work together in the near future, bringing more positive results not only for both our countries, but also for the world,” Adham said.

    For his part, Che Yanchun, head of the R&D Department, Chinese Institute of Medical Sciences Academy of Medical Sciences, said Malaysia has been chosen as the first country outside China to participate in this phase 3 clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine which would also take place in other countries.

    “I sincerely hope the phase 3 clinical trial in Malaysia will be a successful one, and it will fulfill the objectives of the clinical trial, and certainly Malaysia will also get the benefits from this trial,” Che said.

    Also read:10 bodies recovered from China gold mine

    Also read:Malaysian Authorities Seize PIA Plane

  • Indonesian landslide death toll mounts to 31

    Indonesian landslide death toll mounts to 31

    Currently, the search and rescue (SAR) team is still looking for nine others who are still missing in Cihanjuang village, Sumedang district…reports Asian Lite News

    The death toll due to the landslides in Indonesia’s West Java province has risen to 31, the National Search and Rescue Agency said on Sunday.

    Currently, the search and rescue (SAR) team is still looking for nine others who are still missing in Cihanjuang village, Sumedang district, reports Xinhua news.

    “The search is constrained by rains and the SAR team needs to be aware of subsequent landslides,” the agency said.

    According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, there are still several cracks in the location and subsequent landslides could occur at any time.

    In addition, 1,020 people were displaced to avoid subsequent landslides.

    The first landslide occurred on January 9 due to heavy rainfall and unstable soil conditions.

    Sumedang has the potential of landslides in a medium to high category, with 26 sub-districts covering 60,872 hectares of areas at risk.

    Also read:Search extended for Indonesian plane crash victims

  • Search extended for Indonesian plane crash victims

    Search extended for Indonesian plane crash victims

    The Boeing 737-500 passenger aircraft with 62 people aboard slammed into the Java Sea on January 9, minutes after take-off from Jakarta en route to Indonesian city of Pontianak in West Kalimantan province…reports Asian Lite News

    Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has extended the search for victims of last week’s Sriwijaya Air plane crash as well as the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and other materials for another three days, a top official said here on Friday.

    “It was decided that the joint search and rescue (SAR) operation to search for Sriwijaya Air victims will be extended for another three days until Monday,” Basarnas’ chief Bagus Puruhito told reporters.

    The Boeing 737-500 passenger aircraft with 62 people aboard slammed into the Java Sea on January 9, minutes after take-off from Jakarta en route to Indonesian city of Pontianak in West Kalimantan province.

    Basarnas’ search and rescue mission coordinator Rasman M.S. said on Friday that as many as 130 divers have been deployed to search for the victims and the aircraft’ materials.



    The agency has also deployed 62 ships, 21 sea rider boats and jet skis as well as 13 airplanes.

    Rasman said that the aerial search is being expanded to coastal areas.

    As many as 239 body bags containing human remains had been retrieved and 12 victims have been identified after forensic examinations in the police’s hospital as of Thursday.

    The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has retrieved data from the flight data recorder (FDR), but the search team is still looking for the aircraft’s CVR.

    Also read:Indonesia Begins Vaccination Programme

  • Malaysia declares state of emergency amid Covid surge

    Malaysia declares state of emergency amid Covid surge

    In a televised speech on Tuesday, Muhyiddin said the emergency would last till August 1 or earlier depending on the Covid-19 situation…reports Asian Lite News

    Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has consented to declaring a state of emergency in the country to stop the Covid-19 outbreak.

    In a televised speech on Tuesday, Muhyiddin said the emergency would last till August 1 or earlier depending on the Covid-19 situation, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Separately, the national palace issued a statement announcing the King’s consent to the proclamation of the state of emergency.

    The king also advised the people to remain calm in facing the state of emergency and movement restrictions that have been imposed in parts of the country hard hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.

    This comes a day after Muhyiddin announced tightening movement restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 for two weeks starting January 13, citing the country’s health care system being at “breaking point”.

    Muhyiddin Yassin.

    The areas to impose tightened measures include the capital Kuala Lumpur, the states of Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and the northern Borneo state of Sabah, among others.

    Under the stricter restrictions, all social events involving mass gathering are banned, residents only allowed to travel within a radius of 10 kilometers, and no dine-in for restaurants.

    Malaysia has seen a surge in new daily Covid-19 cases, as well as severe flooding in several states in recent weeks, with thousands being displaced from their homes.

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