Politics
Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe to step down over health

Japan’s media today reported that PM Shinzo Abe will resign over health issues, in a shock development that will end a record-setting tenure with no clear successor decided. There was no immediate confirmation, and the reports came just hours before Abe was to hold a press conference about his health. The news sent Tokyo stocks tumbling more than 2%, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index reversing earlier gains.
Rumours of Abe’s resignation intensified after 2 recent surprise hospital visits for unspecified reasons, but more recently senior government officials suggested he would serve out his final year in office. The resignation is a grimly familiar scenario for Abe, who was forced to step down just a year into his first term, in 2007, also over health problems. He was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which upon return to office in 2012 he said was under control, with the help of new medication.
If confirmed, the resignation, will come despite the insistence of government spokesman Yoshihide Suga this morning that Abe remained in good health.
“I see him every day and feel that there is no change in his condition.”
Yesterday, Suga told Bloomberg News that Abe would “of course” be able to serve out the rest of his term, which ends in September 2021.
“He’ll be all right.”
But the health woes seem to have added to the pressure for Abe, who just this week broke the record for the longest uninterrupted tenure in the office in Japanese history. Despite the largely contained impact of the coronavirus in Japan, his government has been harshly criticised for its approach to the crisis, including a U-turn on stimulus payments and a much-ridiculed decision to issue each household 2 cloth facemasks. The PM has also seen his trademark “Abenomics” economic policy come under growing strain, with the country slumping into recession even before the Covid-19 crisis hit.
Still, experts say there’s little appetite within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for Abe to quit early, especially as there is no consensus on a successor. And with Japan’s fragmented opposition thus far unable to capitalise on the government’s falling ratings, there appeared to be little immediate pressure on him to resign. His abrupt resignation now throws open numerous possibilities, including that either deputy prime minister Taro Aso, who also serves as finance minister, or chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga could assume the office in a caretaker capacity. A later election within the party would confirm a full-time successor.
Several former and current cabinet members have also been suggested as potential successors.
SOURCES: Bangkok Post | New Straits Times | AFP
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Politics
Myanmar could descend into a civil war comparable to Syria- UN

A top UN official is warning that Myanmar could follow that of Syria in terms of descending into a bloody civil war, unless the violence subsides. Michele Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights is calling on all countries with influence to apply concerted pressure on the ruling military junta to end its campaign of repression and the slaughtering of its people. Bachelet says neighbouring countries are especially being called upon.
She says the military has committed, what amounts to, crimes against humanity, and the human rights violations must be stopped. Ravina Shamdasani, who is Bachelet’s spokeswoman, says the high commissioner feels that a continuation of such crimes could lead to a civil war.
“The high commissioner states that there are clear echoes of Syria in 2011. There too, we saw peaceful protests met with unnecessary and clearly disproportionate force. The state’s brutal, persistent repression of its own people led to some individuals taking up arms, followed by a downward and rapidly expanding spiral of violence all across the country.”
Shamdasani said the country’s armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, attacked civilians last weekend with rocket-propelled grenades and mortar fire, killing at least 82 people. She said credible reports also indicate that people are fighting back by using makeshift or primitive weapons with clashes between the military and ethnic armed groups in Kayn, Shan, and Kachin states are picking up steam.
“As arrests continue, with at least 3,080 people currently detained, there are reports that 23 people have been sentenced to death following secret trials — including 4 protesters and 19 others who were accused of political and criminal offenses. The mass arrests have forced hundreds of people to go into hiding.”
She added that the country’s economic, education and health infrastructure are at the point of collapse, making the situation untenable. She said nations must cut off the supply of arms and finances to the military leadership that allow it to kill and seriously violate its people’s human rights.
Myanmar’s military took over in a coup on February 1, arresting the democratically-elected leader of National League for Democracy and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, other top leaders have been arrested over what the junta says is fraudulent election results, without giving any evidence.
Suu Kyi has not been seen since her arrest, and is now facing even more charges that could see her barred from political office or worse. The junta military has been accused of killing innocent civilians and peaceful protesters since the coup began, censoring the media, and shutting down the internet.
The US, UK, and other nations have imposed sanctions against the military, but to no avail. Neighbouring countries, including Thailand, are expecting an influx of refugees to cross the border, but conflicting reports point towards Thailand turning away such asylum-seekers.
SOURCE: VOA News
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Bangkok
Independent candidates polling well in Bangkok governor race

Independent candidates are trending in polls for the Bangkok governor election later this year, with undecided voters leaning independent. Undecided voters have grown to nearly 1/3 of all voters up from just under 30% in March, possibly due to voters being tired of political polarisation. The exact date of the election has not been announced yet but independent candidates have jumped into the race before the major party candidates. Three have announced so far, former senator and rights activist Rossana Tositrakul, former national Police Chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda and former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt. Though many are still undecided, Chadchart seems to be the early favourite pulling 25% support in a recent poll while Chakthip earned just 12%, a lead that seems to be widening.
Bangkok voters traditionally did not vote independent, but rather along party lines, though they are known to decide last minute basing their choice on immediate factors. Surveys show that voters tend to make their decisions less than 5 days before elections normally. In the last election for governor in 2013, Sukhumbhand Paribatra performed badly in polls and yet won in the last minute vote after accusations that his opponent had plans to nominate red-shirt leaders.
Political analysts were not shocked with Chadchart’s dominance in the polls, but are also unconvinced that he can maintain his lead when the major party candidates enter the Bangkok governor election cycle. They believe that candidates from Kao Klai Party or the Progressive Movement, both splinters from the Future Forward Party, would offer formidable opposition. The Future Forward Party sprung to the spotlight in 2019, gaining 6 million votes in the country, 800,000 of which were from Bangkok, making it the third-largest party. There is a rumour that Parit “Itim” Wacharasindhu, the co-founder of the Progressive Constitution Group, might run under one of these two parties. His pro-democracy leanings may pull a lot of voters away from Chadchart.
The poll in March showed that 66% of Bangkok voters favoured independent candidates now and are leaning away from major party affiliations. The results are thought to indicate Bangkok residents’ frustration in extremely polarized political parties. Elections began 4 months ago in provinces, aside from Bangkok and Pattaya, considered special administrative zones.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Politics
London’s anti-coup Burmese Ambassador locked from embassy

In London, the Myanmar Ambassador has been tossed from his own embassy, locked out because of his stance against the military junta in his country. The lockout occurred as a result of Kyaw Zwar Minn’s breaking ranks with the Burmese military leadership and calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader who was jailed when the military coup overran the country. Military leaders inside the London embassy are believed to be responsible for locking Ambassador Kyaw out of the embassy. The Burmese Ambassador had previously drawn praise by British foreign minister Dominic Raab for his courage in standing against the military coup, calling for the release of Suu Kyi and the elected President Win Myint and standing for pro-democracy causes. The United Kingdom have sanctioned the Burmese military and some of its business interests in response to the military coup and the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, calling for a return of democratic rule to the conflicted country.
Speaking outside the embassy where police were waiting and guarding watchfully, Kyaw spoke with protesters saying he’d been locked out of his own building and that he was waiting to go back inside. He says he has been in touch with Britain’s foreign ministry about the situation, but no action or formal statements have been made yet. He referred to it as a coup in the middle of London, referring to the fact that his building was now occupied by military leaders inside. It is believed that deputy ambassador Chit Win has taken control of the embassy with a military attaché and locked the building to their own diplomat.
The British foreign office has not commented yet on the incident, but the police did release a statement saying they’re aware of the protest going on regarding the Burmese Ambassador and that police are present and watching but have not made any arrests or taken any action at this time.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Mike
Monday, August 31, 2020 at 8:40 am
Good riddance to this scumbag. His attempts to re-write Japanese history have been mildly successful which is a big shame as the Japanese people largely still do not accept what their country did during WWII. To put it simply – they killed twice as many people as the Nazis did. Shinzo Abe and his right-wing nationalist cronies are total scum. How and why the international community allowed it to happen is a mystery. He will not be missed.