TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2016 INTERNATIONAL

Taiwan to test-fire missiles in US as China tensions rise

TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to test-fire its defense ministry source told AFP, in a ally and main arms supplier. The missile Beijing at the time. The system is already tions with Taiwan had been suspended newest anti-missile system for the first move likely to irk Beijing even though it system was purchased in 2008, well partly operational and will shield Taipei, after the island’s new government failed time in the United States next month as was arranged before Tsai took the helm. before Tsai’s leadership, and the test was as well as central Taichung and southern to acknowledge the concept that there is relations with rival China deteriorate, a According to the source, the test will approved by the US last year, according Kaohsiung from any Chinese missile only “one China”. China still insists self- defense source and media reports said be conducted in the US to avoid China to the Liberty Times. Taiwan bought attacks, according to the defense min- ruling Taiwan is part of its territory await- yesterday. Relations between China and collecting information about it, and due three earlier model PAC-2 systems in the istry. The Taiwanese missile unit involved ing reunification, by force if necessary, Taiwan have cooled rapidly under the to space restrictions in Taiwan. The 1990s and also tested them in the US. in the July drill will fire two missiles to even though the two sides split in 1949 island’s new Beijing-skeptic president Tsai American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto They were deployed in the densely popu- intercept a missile launched by the US after a civil war. According to Taiwan’s Ing-wen, who took office in May, ending US embassy, would not comment on the lated greater Taipei area. military, which simulates an incoming defense ministry there are 1,500 Chinese an eight-year rapprochement. The test of test, which was also reported in Taiwan’s It then bought the new PAC-3 — a Chinese ballistic missile, the Liberty missiles aimed at the island. China the US-made Patriot Advanced Liberty Times newspaper. system designed to intercept incoming Times reported. Japan has also tested launched ballistic missiles into waters off Capability-3 (PAC-3) system will be Despite having no official diplomatic ballistic missiles near the end of their tra- the PAC-3 on US soil. Taiwan in 1995 and 1996 in an attempt to launched at the White Sands Missile ties with Taipei after recognizing Beijing jectory-as part of a $6.5 billion arms sale In the latest setback for cross-strait deter voters in the island’s first democrat- Range, New Mexico, in early July, a in 1979, the US is still Taiwan’s greatest by the US in 2008, which infuriated ties, China said Sunday that communica- ic presidential elections. —AFP China agrees to talks with HK over bookseller case Fears grow of Beijing tightening its grip

HONG KONG: China agreed yes- Lam, 61, has said he was seized he had written to Beijing relaying over the border, which some pro- terday to talks with Hong Kong in after crossing the border into the local concerns, amid growing anxi- cedure critics say went disastrously the wake of explosive revelations southern Chinese city of ety that the semi-autonomous wrong in the booksellers’ case. by a city bookseller who said he Shenzhen, taken away blindfolded city’s freedoms are disappearing. was detained for eight months on and then kept in a cell, under In a short statement yesterday, ‘Positive response’ the mainland, as fears grow that interrogation and without access Leung said he had received a reply Beijing’s public security min- Beijing is tightening its grip. Lam to his family or a lawyer, for from Beijing “to start discussion on istry confirmed the discussions Wing-kee was one of five employ- alleged involvement in bringing the existing notification mecha- should take place as soon as possi- ees of a Hong Kong firm-which banned books into the mainland. nism between the two places”. ble. “The existing notification published gossipy books about Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed chief Under that system, authorities on mechanism has been in operation leading Chinese politicians-to go executive Leung Chun-ying, who the mainland are required to give for more than a decade and it is mysteriously missing last year. All has been accused of dragging his clear details about arrests and necessary to be improved,” the later emerged in mainland China. feet over the case, said last week detentions of Hong Kong citizens ministry said in a statement, invit- ing the Hong Kong government to DAVAO CITY: Philippines’ president-elect Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he send a delegation to Beijing. delivers his speech before city hall employees. —AFP During the talks, authorities in the mainland would also brief Hong Kong about Lam’s case, the Philippine’s Duterte wants statement said. Leung expressed gratitude for what he described as death penalty for revenge a “positive response”. He said last week that he had asked Beijing to MANILA: Incoming Philippine president ple. Local and foreign human rights groups clarify how relevant mainland Rodrigo Duterte on Monday hit out at “stu- have expressed deep concern about his departments handle cases in pid” human rights campaigners, as he plans as president, fearing an explosion of which Hong Kong people have defended his imminent war on crime and extrajudicial killings similar to those seen in broken mainland laws, and emphasized the death penalty was for retri- Davao. whether or not mainland person- bution. Duterte gave a lengthy speech in his The United Nations’ human rights chief, nel had carried out cross-border southern hometown of Davao to outline his Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, this month urged law enforcement in the city. vision for the nation once he takes office on Duterte not to reintroduce the death In the case of bookseller Lee Bo, Thursday, with a heavy focus on his contro- penalty, while criticizing other elements of the only one of the five to disap- versial plans to fight crime. the planned war on crime. “The offer of pear on Hong Kong soil, China was “These human rights (groups), congress- bounties and other rewards for murder by accused of illegally sending its men, how stupid you are,” Duterte said, as he vigilantes, and his encouragement of extra- security agents to operate in Hong highlighted their criticism of his plans to judicial killings by security forces, are mas- Kong. Lam reported to Hong Kong impose late-night curfews on children being sive and damaging steps backwards which police Monday to tell them formal- out on the streets and to reintroduce the could lead to widespread violence and ly about his detention and said he death penalty. “I believe in retribution. Why? chaos,” Zeid said. would be returning for further dis- You should pay. When you kill someone, With just three days before assuming the cussions. “The police will review rape, you should die,” he said. presidency, Duterte stood firm. “When they Lam’s testimony and decide if they Duterte, 71, won last month’s presidential describe or characterise a human rights vio- will investigate,” said pro-democra- elections in a landslide after campaigning lator, these fools make it appear that the cy lawmaker James To, who largely on a platform of ending rampant people you kill are saints, as if they are pitiful accompanied Lam. Hong Kong crime, warning that the Philippines was in or innocent,” he said. Duterte said European was returned by Britain to China in danger of becoming a narco-state. He prom- ambassadors were also among those who 1997 under a deal which allows it HONG KONG: Previously missing Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee (centre R, blue cap) holds ised that tens of thousands of people would had expressed concern over the death freedoms unseen on the mainland, die, with security forces being given shoot penalty and extrajudicial killings. The a press conference outside Wanchai police station after reporting to the police with local law- but there is concern they are now maker James To (C). —AFP to kill orders. Since winning Duterte has also Philippines abolished the death penalty in being eroded. —AFP promised to give bounties to police for 2006 following fierce opposition from the killing drug dealers, and also encouraged Catholic Church, the religion of 80 percent ordinary citizens to kill or arrest suspects. of Filipinos. Duterte previously said he pre- Duterte has been accused of links to vigi- ferred death by hanging to a firing squad PM reshuffles cabinet lante death squads during his nearly two because he did not want to waste bullets, decades as mayor of Davao, which rights and because he believed snapping the spine amid speculation of snap poll groups say have killed more than 1,000 peo- with a noose was more humane. —AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Scandal-hit Malaysian Prime ed to hundreds of millions of dollars of 1MDB money Weak overseas demand Minister yesterday announced a cabinet which went missing in complex overseas transactions The economy expanded in the first quarter at its reshuffle, including promoting a trusted ally to man- that have never been fully explained. slowest rate since the global financial crisis, as the age the economy, in what analysts said could be Swiss authorities say more than $4 billion may energy-exporting country grapples with falling oil preparation for a snap election. Najib, 62, who has have been stolen. Both 1MDB and Najib, who found- prices and weak overseas demand. In total Najib survived a massive financial scandal linked to state ed the fund, vehemently deny wrongdoing. Najib was made four new ministerial appointments and picked investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad personally plunged into the crisis last year when it six deputy ministers. Johari Abdul Ghani becomes (1MDB), said the shake-up would bolster his adminis- was revealed that $681 million in transfers were made second finance minister, was appointed tration. to his personal bank accounts in 2013. He says the urban wellbeing minister and Mah Siew Keong was “The reshuffle will boost the government’s ability “personal donations” from the Saudi royal family were made plantation industries and commodities minis- to pursue development programs as promised,” he mostly returned. The reshuffle saw influential law- ter. said in a statement. Analysts and politicians said the maker Abdul Rahman Dahlan, 50, appointed minister Analysts and lawmakers said the shake-up indicat- reshuffle showed Najib could weather the affair-relat- in charge of the Economic Planning Unit. ed Najib’s growing confidence he could weather the 1MDB scandal, raising the prospect of a snap election before one is due in 2018. Lawmaker of the Pan- said the reshuffle demonstrates his strong grip on power. “Najib is in a powerful position today. I think he is looking at possi- ble snap polls between March and May 2017 on the back of recent stunning by-election victories,” he told AFP. Mahfuz said the opposition was divided and the financial scandal did not resonate with rural voters, the traditional power base of Najib’s ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Ibrahim Suffian, head of independent polling firm SINGAPORE: This image provided by Lee Bee Yee shows an engine on Merdeka Centre, said the appointment of Abdul Rahman and Johari to important posts showed fire on a Singapore Airlines flight. —AP UMNO was closing ranks around Najib. “I think Najib is strengthening his power base by putting loyalists in Fire engulfs plane’s wing after key positions to focus on economic growth,” he told AFP. The push to oust Najib has been led by former emergency landing in Singapore Prime Minister , who has said the UMNO-led ruling coalition will otherwise lose the SINGAPORE: Flames engulfed the wing of a the fire engine and fire fighters to put out the next election. But analysts say Najib is secure within Singapore Airlines plane after it made an emer- fire! They shot foam and water into the fire and UMNO due to its deep-rooted patronage politics and gency landing at the city’s main airport yesterday, eventually it was put out!” Lee added. “I thank : Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak addresses the media following a the great power invested in the prime minister’s with dramatic footage showing plumes of black God I am alive! I going home to hug my kids.” SIA cabinet reshuffle at his office. —AFP office. —AFP smoke billowing from the aircraft. The carrier said said in a statement Flight SQ368, powered by a the Boeing 777-300ER en route for Milan turned GE Aviation engine, was en route from Singapore back about two hours into the flight from Changi to Milan when an engine oil warning message Pressure mounts on junta over fake bomb detectors Airport following an engine oil warning message. forced it to turn back to the city-state about one The blaze was put out by airport emergency hour and 45 minutes into the flight. “The air- BANGKOK: Activists yesterday urged Prompan, the leader of Thailand’s pro- Key player was “useful once... but when they were services and there were no injuries to the 222 pas- craft’s right engine caught fire after the aircraft Britain to hand over details of the multi- democracy ‘Red Shirt’ street movement, Anupong Paojinda, the current inte- proven to be useless they were not sengers and 19 crew on board, SIA said in a state- touched down at Changi Airport at around million-dollar sale to Thailand of fake handed a letter to the British embassy in rior minister and a key player in the used anymore”. Rights groups say hun- ment. One passenger, who posted video footage 6:50am,” it said. bomb detectors that led to the deten- Bangkok urging it to share details of 2014 coup that restored the military to dreds of people were detained-some of the incident apparently shot from a window “Passengers disembarked through stairs and tion of scores of innocent people. British contracts for the device. power, was army chief when many of for several weeks-in Thailand’s restive seat, described the tense moments waiting for were transported to the terminal building by bus.” fraudsters Gary Bolton and James British authorities should reveal “par- the dodgy detectors were ordered south after erroneous findings of traces emergency crews to control the blaze as a “so- The airline said it would “be cooperating fully with McCormick were jailed in 2013 for mak- ticularly the contracts of broker compa- around a decade ago. He repeatedly of explosives by security officers using close to death” experience. For several moments, the authorities in their investigations”. Passengers ing millions selling the GT200 and simi- nies which sold them (GT200) to the Thai defended the use of the fake detectors the GT200. the video showed the plane’s right wing ablaze were transferred to another flight that left for lar devices billed as “magic wands” able government and how much they cost”, even as tests cast serious doubt over its “Regardless of court rulings in the before the view was completely obscured by Milan at 10:30am Singapore time, a spokesman to detect tiny particles of explosives or he said in a YouTube post. A corruption efficacy. By 2010 the detection powers UK and overwhelming scientific evi- foam as firefighters battled the fire. The wing was told AFP. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien drugs from hundreds of meters away. probe into why the Thai military and sev- of the GT200 had been debunked. dence, Thai military leadership still left blackened and melted after the fire was extin- Loong put up a Facebook post thanking Changi The GT200 was in fact a useless home- eral other departments ordered hun- That year Anupong told reporters defend the use of GT200,” said Sunai guished. “After reaching Changi Airport, as the Airport and SIA for their quick response. “Relieved made plastic box with a radio antenna dreds of the devices has ground to a halt. that “we don’t have a replacement yet Phasuk of Human Rights Watch Asia. He plane was landing, the engine burst into flames!!!! that all onboard were safely disembarked... SQ made for a few dollars but sold for Opponents of the junta say investigations so we continue to use it”. Last week said the first sales took place in 2005, Huge fire was burning!” Facebook user Lee Bee and CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) between $3,300-$13,000 per unit to into allegations of army graft routinely go Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a ultimately amounting to orders of near- Yee said in a post accompanying the video clip. are investigating the cause, and will get to the governments including Thailand, nowhere, with courts unwilling to tarnish senior general during Anupong’s ly 1,400 GT200s worth $32 million “It was a heart wrenching 5 mins! Waiting for bottom of the matter,” he wrote. —AFP Mexico and Iraq. Yesterday Jatuporn the image of the powerful military. tenure as army chief, said the device across 15 separate Thai agencies. —AFP