Asia Wednesday, May 8, 2019 09

Oppn leads as Thailand announces first election results Srisena urges citizens not to marginalise Muslims dpa sive, anti-junta Future Forward liament and 150 party-list government. But it is widely ex- Bangkok Party. Pheu Thai is linked to for- members of parliament are yet pected that junta leader Prayut dpa attacks is less than 150 and we people directly involved in or- mer prime ministers Thaksin to be announced. Chan-o-cha will stay in power Colombo should not do anything that ganizing and carrying out the Thailand’s biggest opposition and Yingluck Shinawatra, both The Election Commis- thanks to the Palang Pracharat drives more people to them,” attacks were now in custody party, the Pheu Thai Party, took of whom have lived in exile to sion’s unusually tardy an- Party and 250 senators hand- Sri Lankan President Sirisena told a special parlia- and 12 of them were hardcore the lead on Tuesday as officials evade charges they say are po- nouncements and numerous picked by the junta, who, along Maithripala Sirisena on Tues- mentary debate. terrorists. The president urged announced the first official results litically motivated. discrepancies in previously with the lower house, will get to day urged his countrymen not Sri Lanka’s parliament the majority Sinhala commu- since the March general polls. The results announced on published figures have drawn vote for the prime minister in to marginalize Muslims after opened a two-day debate nity not to marginalize Mus- Of the 349 constituency Tuesday, which included the a lot of criticism online, with a parliament. the Easter Sunday bombings to discuss the aftermath of lims in a manner that would winners announced, 136 were winners of all constituency hashtag translating as “election The March 24 election was that left 257 dead. the suicidal attacks in three push them towards extremist from Pheu Thai, 97 from the races but one, were relatively commission busted” trending Thailand’s first since the 2014 “Our intelligence reports churches, three luxury ho- groups, similar to the Sinha- pro-military Palang Pracharat unchanged from the prelimi- in Thailand on social media in military takeover. The junta say that the entire strength of tels and two other locations lese distancing themselves Party, 33 from the Democrat nary results. The remaining March and April. It remains un- had postponed the election date the group responsible for the on April 21. Sirisena said 54 from the minority Tamils. Party, and 30 from the progres- constituency member of par- clear which parties will form a at least five times.

Protests in India after top frees Reuters scribes judge cleared of sexual harassment allegations pardoned after global outcry Reuters quickly dispersed the crowd NEW DELHI and most protesters were tak- en away in police vans soon & Kyaw Soe Oo were mobbed by mediapersons as they walked free after more than 16 months in jail Dozens of protesters gath- after they gathered. ered outside India’s Supreme “We were not allowed AFP Court on Tuesday, a day after to protest even for five min- a panel of judges dismissed a utes!” lawyer Amritananda sexual harassment complaint Chakravorty said in a Twitter Two Reuters journalists jailed against the chief justice, carry- message. A journalist, Gaurav for their reporting on the Ro- ing placards demanding a new Sarkar, added that he had hingya crisis in Myanmar and impartial investigation. been “chucked” into a police walked out of prison on Tues- A former court assistant van for covering the protest. day, freed in a presidential am- accused chief justice Ranjan Police at the site said it nesty after a vigorous global Gogoi of having made un- was illegal to hold demonstra- campaign–and backroom di- wanted sexual advances last tions at the Supreme Court. plomacy–for their release. year, the most high-profile In her complaint filed Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo case in a wave of sexual har- to the court last month the were mobbed by media as they assment accusations after a 35-year-old woman accused stepped out of Yangon’s noto- #metoo movement swept the Gogoi of harassing her when rious Insein prison after more country. she worked in an office at his than 16 months in detention. Gogoi has denied the home last year, saying she and Their December 2017 ar- charges and an internal pan- her family were victimised af- rests made them an inter- el of judges cleared him of ter she spurned his advances. national cause celebre and a wrongdoing, a court state- Last week, the woman, sign of Myanmar’s deterio- ment said on Monday. whose identity has been with- rating press freedoms under But protesters gathered held, withdrew from proceed- Nobel laureate and civilian on a street in the Indian ings of the three-member leader Suu Kyi. Wa capital said they were not panel of judges investigating Lone, 33, thanked people from satisfied with the decision. the case, saying she did not “around the world” for advocat- “Transparent and fair due expect justice from it. ing for their release and vowed process is a must,” read one Gogoi has called the al- he would return to work. of the placards, while another legations part of a wider con- “I can’t wait to go to my read, “Supreme injustice”. spiracy to taint India’s judici- newsroom,” he said. “I am a Security was strengthened ary, without elaborating. His journalist and I am going to outside the court, with doz- accuser said the findings of continue.” Reuters editor-in- ens of paramilitary police and the judges’ panel had not been chief Stephen Adler said: “We trucks carrying water cannons revealed to her, and she felt it are enormously pleased that Reuters journalist Wa Lone (third right) poses with his wife Pan Ei Mon (second right) and daughter along with his colleague Kyaw Soe Oo (left) deployed in the area. Police had done her injustice. Myanmar has released our carrying his daughter and his wife Chit Su Win after being freed from prison in a presidential amnesty, in Yangon, on Tuesday. (AFP) courageous reporters”. “Since their arrests 511 terest of (the) country,” Zaw press are essential to a strong some 740,000 of the stateless days ago, they have become Htay said. democracy,” he tweeted. The minority to flee over the bor- symbols of the importance Lord Ara Darzi, a British journalists waved and smiled der to Bangladesh. of press freedom around the advisor and confidant of Suu Since their arrests 511 days broadly as they walked out of The case prompted an world. We welcome their re- Kyi, said it was “fitting” the ago, they have become the jail. outcry around the world and turn.” They were freed in an pair were released a few days symbols of the importance of The two men were con- crushed what was left of Suu amnesty that included more after World Press Freedom press freedom around the victed on charges of violating Kyi’s legacy as a rights de- than 6,000 prisoners. Day. the official secrets act and sen- fender. A government spokes- “The lesson is simple: dia- world. We welcome their return tenced to seven years each. Reuters has said the two man told reporters that fam- logue works even in the most Stephen Adler At the time of their arrest, were imprisoned in retaliation ily members had sent letters difficult of circumstances,” he they had been reporting on a for their expose. to Suu Kyi and the president told media in Yangon. September 2017 massacre of The army jailed seven Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest after a panel of Win Myint. US Vice President Mike nalists’ jailing, said the release 10 Rohingya Muslims in con- soldiers for the massacre in judges dismissed a sexual harassment complaint against Chief “Leaders took into con- Pence, who had previously was “great news”. “Freedom flict-hit Rakhine state, where a rare response to allega- Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, outside Supreme Court in sideration the long-term in- condemned the Reuters jour- of religion & freedom of the the Myanmar army forced tions of atrocities. New Delhi, on Tuesday. (REUTERS)

Taliban attack in PTI Govt inherited an economic challenge: Pakistan FM Canada vows to pay for return of north Afghanistan garbage shipped to the Philippines leaves seven tribune.com.pk forex reserves are only enough Steel Mills, PIA, these were islamabad to last six weeks because of the all in debt, and that debt is dpa “The president is firm that we policemen dead actions of the previous leaders, haemorrhaging the govern- Manila are not garbage collectors, thus Foreign Minister Shah Me- it rings alarm bells. ment.” The federal minister he ordered that the Philippines dpa hmood Qureshi on Tuesday If you’re told that trade further stated that the growth Canada has vowed to pay for will no longer accept any waste Kabul stated the Pakistan Tehreek-e- deficit is the biggest ever in of sectors is becoming stag- the return of garbage shipped to from any country,” presidential Insaf (PTI) government inher- the history, then it does raise nant, stating the growth tra- the Philippines more than five spokesman Salvador Panelo A Taliban attack on a police ited an economic challenge, concerns,” the foreign min- jectory is downwards in the years ago after President Rod- said in a statement. checkpoint in Afghanistan’s forcing the country to ap- ister said and added that the agricultural sector. rigo Duterte issued an ultima- “The Canadian government northern province of Takhar proach the International Mon- FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi. PTI government tried to avoid “This points towards mac- tum, an official said on Tuesday. has committed to shoulder all early Tuesday morning has etary Fund for financial help. going to IMF by taking help of roeconomic instability in the Duterte has given Canada the expenses to ship out all the left at least seven policemen “Yes, we are going to the nomic instability in the coun- friendly countries. country,” he added. The FM until May 15 to take back the waste containers,” he added. dead, an official said. IMF, but the question remains try,” FM Qureshi said while “However, despite the also pointed at the previous waste sent to the Philippines More than 100 containers of The attack on the check- why we have to take the help of speaking in the Senate. support, the deficit remained government’s failure in award- in batches from 2013 to 2014, waste from Canada - consisting point took place around the IMF. Governments go to “Imagine, a government wide,” the foreign minister ing the National Finance Com- and warned of a diplomatic of household trash, plastic bot- 1:30 am (2100 GMT Mon- IMF when there’s macroeco- takes office and is told that the further added. “Railways, mission (NFC) Award. falling out if there was no im- tles and bags, newspapers, and day) in Khawja Bahawud- mediate action from Ottowa. used adult diapers. din district of the province, provincial governor spokes- man Mohammad Jawad Hejri told dpa. Indonesia thwarts plot Hejri said the Taliban Pakistani charity dishes out ostrich as Ramadan treat for poor also suffered heavy casual- to attack police over ties in the attack while the election period exact number of casualties Reuters lims began their month-long was unclear. At least 18 ISLAMABAD Ramadan fast. JAKARTA: Indonesian anti-terror- Taliban fighters, including “Keeping in view of this ism police have shot dead one two important command- A Pakistani charity in the deprivation, (wealthy) peo- Islamist militant and detained six ers, have died in different teeming coastal metropolis ple supported us and like suspected of planning attacks on firefights over the past week of Karachi is serving up a the previous year, we offered officers with firearms or suicide in Takhar, he added. rare treat for the city’s Mus- those dishes which even a bombings under the cover of A Taliban attack on an lims ahead of their fast for middle class person cannot rallies tied to recent elections, a Afghan army base in west- the holy month of Ramadan afford, let alone the poor,” police spokesman said. The sus- ern Farah province on Sun- - ostrich meat. said Zafar Abbas, the gen- pects were detained after week- day evening left between Expensive and seldom eral secretary of the Jafaria end raids in Bekasi in West Java 20 to 25 Afghan national eaten in Pakistan, ostrich is Disaster Management Cell and one died after being shot army soldiers dead, provin- deemed exotic in the mainly Welfare Foundation. when he threw a bomb at police, cial council member Shah Muslim nation of 208 mil- Abbas said the plan is to national police spokesman Dedi Mahmood Naemi said. lion people. offer deer and other expen- Prasetyo said. “They were plan- Naemi said at least two Volunteers stewed the sive cuisine in coming days Food dishes prepared with ostrich meat and chickpea are ready to serve, on the first day of the fasting ning to take police firearms & use others were taken hostage red meat in cauldrons and during the holy month of month of Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday. (REUTERS) them to commit terror, whether in the attack that took place served it in a chickpea curry Ramadan, when practising by becoming suicide bombers in Gulistan district on an to more than 500 residents Muslims abstain from eat- The move is likely to trich meat. “It felt very nice. Hussain. “It was so whole- or performing other attacks that army battalion base. before dawn broke on Tues- ing, drinking and smoking be welcomed by those who I had never eaten (ostrich),” some that I feel no need to could be fatal for protesters,” day, when Pakistani Mus- during daylight hours. stuffed themselves with os- said van driver Mohammad eat for the next two days.” Prasetyo said. (Reuters)