US urges Malaysia not to deport Myanmar nationals as anti-coup protests widen

Malaysia on Monday faced calls to halt the deportation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals weeks after a military coup, with the United States the latest to voice concerns.The migrants, who include members of vulnerable minorities, are set to be repatriated on Tuesday aboard three vessels sent from Myanmar, where the military seized power on February 1. The ships arrived at the weekend and docked at a naval base at Lumut, on Malaysia’s west coast.The US embassy in Kuala Lumpur said it had expressed…

Coronavirus: outbreak in Cambodia’s Chinese community prompts official warning

The Chinese embassy in Cambodia has urged its citizens to comply with local coronavirus control rules after an outbreak among Chinese nationals in the country.“Chinese nationals must strictly follow the pandemic control rules of the Cambodian government,” the embassy said.“Anyone with relevant symptoms must go to hospital, rather than hide it. Those diagnosed must cope with the government requirement for treatment in isolation and honestly report their close contacts.”The warning came after…

Duterte wants US$16 billion for VFA with American military. Fair price for a US ally in the South China Sea, or ‘extortion’?

A demand by the Philippine government that the United States quadruple its aid to Manila in exchange for allowing US troops to operate in the country may have shocked Washington, but some experts think the country’s strategic position in the South China Sea justifies the price tag.Following recent bilateral talks aimed at sealing a new Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries, President Rodrigo Duterte put the US on notice that if it wanted a deal it would “have to pay”.“It’s a…

In Thailand, ‘elephant ticket’ trends on Twitter amid talk of police corruption as PM Prayuth survives no-confidence vote

A list of Thai police officers who allegedly vaulted up the ranks of seniority has gone viral after an opposition lawmaker revealed it during the four-day debate on a no-confidence motion against the army-aligned administration of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Move Forward Party’s Rangsiman Rome, who accused the administration of Prayuth and his deputy Prawit Wongsuwon of promoting a culture of patronage and cronyism inside the force, presented the so-called “Tua Chang” – or elephant…

Coronavirus: New Zealand begins vaccination drive; outbreak hits Chinese community in Cambodia

New Zealand started its official roll-out of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday, in what the health director general said marked a “small but important step in a long journey” to fight the pandemic.A small group of medical professionals were injected on Friday in Auckland ahead of the wider roll-out which was officially starting with border staff and so-called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) workers on Saturday, officials said.“Today, we kick off the largest immunisation…

India prepares to execute Shabnam Ali, first woman since independence

Prison authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have begun preparations to hang a female inmate who has been on death row for 11 years, in what would be the first execution of a woman since the country’s independence from the British in 1947.Shabnam Ali, 38, was sentenced to death for killing seven members of her own family in April 2008. A court found her guilty of carrying out the killings with her lover, Saleem – a high school dropout who worked as a day labourer.The two were in a…

Malaysiakini raises US$123,600 in donations to cover contempt fine within hours of verdict

Just hours after being fined 500,000 ringgit (US$123,600) for contempt, a leading Malaysian news portal on Friday raised the full amount for the penalty through an online fundraising campaign – with citizens decrying the court’s decision as the latest blow for press freedom in the country.The Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest judicial body, on Friday ruled that Malaysiakini was guilty of contempt over five comments posted by readers on its website last year, saying the portal – one of Southeast…