THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017 INTERNATIONAL North Korea’s Kim a ‘maniac’: Philippines’ Duterte MANILA: North Korean leader Kim “He is playing with dangerous toys pen to us. We won’t be able to plant Wang Yi will also be in Manila for the tions last year, has come under fire Jong-Un is a “maniac” who could and this crazy man, do not be fooled anything productive.” Under Kim’s security forum, which is hosted by the from foreign leaders over his war on destroy Asia by triggering a nuclear by his face, that chubby face that leadership, Pyongyang has accelerated 10-member Association of Southeast drugs that has claimed thousands of war, Philippine President Rodrigo looks nice,” Duterte, 72, said of Kim in a its nuclear ambitions, in defiance of Asian Nations (ASEAN). The ministers lives and led to warnings by rights Duterte said yesterday, ahead of a nationally televised speech. international condemnation and multi- will express “grave concern” over groups that he may be overseeing a regional summit to be attended by the “That son-of-a-whore maniac, if he ple sets of United Nations sanctions. North Korea’s nuclear missile test, crime against humanity. He typically regime’s foreign minister. Using char- makes a mistake then the Far East will North Korea last week conducted according to a draft copy of the chair- flavors his speeches with crude lan- acteristically crude language, Duterte become an arid land. It must be its second intercontinental ballistic man’s statement obtained by AFP and guage and jokes deemed by many to teed off against Kim ahead of a stopped, this nuclear war, because (if) missile test, which led Kim to boast he scheduled to be released on Tuesday be offensive, including about rape. regional security meeting in Manila a limited confrontation blows up here, could strike any target in the United next week at the end of the ASEAN Duterte last year called then US presi- where the hermit state’s ballistic mis- I tell you the fallout, the soil, the States. US Secretary of State Rex Regional Forum. dent Barack Obama a “son of a w***e” sile tests will be a hot agenda item. resources. I don’t know what will hap- Tillerson and Chinese Foreign Minister Duterte, who won presidential elec- for criticizing the drug war.—AFP For Pakistanis, China road runs one way ‘Friendship Highway’ has no benefit for Pakistan

TASHKURGAN, China: The China-Pakistan China has upgraded the treacherous mountain his full name. But he said tariffs on imported Friendship Highway runs over 1,300 kilometers road better known as the Karakoram Highway. Pakistani goods are “not declared. Today it’s five from the far western Chinese city of Kashgar While both countries say the project is mutu- percent, tomorrow maybe 20. Sometimes, they through the world’s highest mountain pass and ally beneficial, data shows a different story. just say this is not allowed”. Three years ago, across the border. For China, the two-lane thor- Pakistan’s exports to China fell by almost eight Shah was charged between eight and 15 yuan oughfare symbolizes a blossoming partnership, percent in the second half of 2016, while per kilo to bring lapis lazuli, a blue stone. The nourished with tens of billions of dollars of infra- imports jumped by almost 29 percent. In May, duty has since soared to 50 yuan per kilo, he structure investment. But for many Pakistani Pakistan accused China of flooding its market said. Customs officials said the “elements influ- businessmen living and working on the Chinese with cut rate steel and threatened to respond encing prices were too many” for them to offer a side of the border, the road is a one way street. with high tariffs. “There are all of these hopes “definite and detailed list” of costs. “China says our friendship is as high as the and dreams about Pakistan exports,” said While large-scale importers can absorb the BANGKOK: Former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, center, brother-in-law of tariffs, independent Pakistani traders have bene- Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok.—AFP fited little from CPEC, said Hasan Karrar, political economy professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Alessandro Rippa, an Two Thai ex-PMs acquitted expert on Chinese infrastructure projects at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, said the of abusing power in protest highway “is not very relevant to overall trade” because “the sea route is just cheaper and BANGKOK: A Thai court acquitted two for- defendants “could not have anticipated faster”. The project is better understood as a tool mer prime ministers of abuse of power yes- that tear gas would cause danger to pro- for China to promote its geopolitical interests terday in a case involving the deadly dis- testers” and had not intended for police to and help struggling state-owned companies persal of an anti-government protest in attack protesters in a manner leading to export excess production, he said. 2008. A division of the Supreme Court death. acquitted Somchai Wongsawat, his deputy, Somchai thanked the court after its ver- Maybe it will be good Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, and two former dict and said he was grateful there was still Traders also face overbearing security in police officials, saying they did not intend justice in the country. Chavalit, another for- China. Over the last year, Beijing has flooded to endanger the demonstrators by quelling mer prime minister, did not comment. They Xinjiang, which has a large Muslim population, what had turned into a violent protest. could have faced up to 10 years in prison if with tens of thousands of security personnel Hundreds of people suffered injuries dur- they had been convicted. The ruling, how- and imposed draconian rules to eliminate ing a pitched battle that developed when ever, angered a small group of protesters “extremism”. Businessmen complain they are police tried to clear away protesters who outside the court, some of them partici- not allowed to worship at local mosques, while were blocking the entrance to the pants in the October 2008 protest. One shops can be closed for up to a year for import- Parliament complex. They wanted to stop woman shouted “Let them all get terrible ing merchandise with Arabic script. In June, on Somchai, who was prime minister, from diseases that can’t be cured and die painful the 300 kilometer trip between Kashgar and delivering his first policy statement. deaths!” as Somchai walked away. Tashkurgan, drivers were stopped at six police The protesters, who became known as Somchai was one of two pro-Thaksin checkpoints, while their passengers had to the “Yellowshirts” for their garb honoring prime ministers forced out of office in 2008 TASHKURGAN: This picture shows a woman collecting water from the Karakul Lake before the walk through metal detectors and show identi- the Thai king, were seeking to bring down by court decisions aided by the pressure of Karakorum mountain range next to the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, near Tashkurgan fication cards. Somchai’s government, which they Yellowshirt protests. Protesters occupied in China’s western Xinjiang province.—AFP Signs warn that officials can check mobile believed served as a proxy for former Prime the prime minister’s offices for three Himalayas and as deep as the sea, but it has no Jonathan Hillman, a fellow at the Center for phones for “illegal” religious content. Police offi- Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was oust- months and Bangkok’s two airports for heart,” said Pakistani businessman Murad Shah, Strategic and International Studies in cers interrupted an interview in Tashkurgan to ed in a 2006 military coup after being about two weeks. Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck as he tended his shop in Tashkurgan, 120 kilo- Washington. “But if you’re connecting with demand a shopkeeper hand over his smart- accused of corruption and disrespect for Shinawatra, was elected prime minister in meters from the mountain pass where trucks China, what are you going to be exporting?” phone and computer for inspection, an event he the monarchy. Two people died in the 2011 and also was forced to step down in line up to cross between China’s vast Xinjiang said occurs several times a week. Shah said that protest. At the time it appeared that many 2014 by a controversial court ruling sup- region and Pakistan. “There is no benefit for This is not allowed when he first arrived in the town, the intrusive of the injuries were caused by out-of-date ported by street protests against her. The Pakistan. It’s all about expanding China’s One answer is Nigerian “male enhancement” security made him nervous: “But now I’m used to tear gas canisters that exploded after being army shortly afterward ousted her govern- growth,” Shah said, as he straightened a display supplements: expired medications which it. I almost feel like I’m one of the police.” As he fired, but the court said blame could not be ment and remains in power today. of precious stones. Pakistani merchants in the oasis city of Hotan spoke, an alarm sounded. definitively assigned. In a separate trial, Yingluck declared her The remote town of around 9,000 is at the recently peddled to bearded Muslims walking He grabbed a crude spear, body armor and a Somchai is the brother-in-law of innocence on Tuesday and asked for “kind- geographic heart of Beijing’s plans to build a home from Friday prayers. The products were black helmet off his counter and rushed into the Thaksin, whose 2006 ouster triggered ness” from the court that will decide major trade artery-the China-Pakistan Economic typical of the kinds of small consumer goods street, where police had assembled over a dozen sometimes-violent battles for political pow- whether she mishandled a rice subsidy pro- Corridor (CPEC) — connecting Kashgar to the brought by Pakistani traders into Xinjiang: medi- people for impromptu counter-terrorism drills. er. Thaksin’s supporters see the various gram that allegedly lost billions of dollars. Arabian Sea port of Gwadar. The project is a cine, toiletries, semi-precious stones, rugs and The exercises are held up to four times a day. criminal cases against him and his allies as Her bank account has been frozen after an crown jewel of China’s One Belt, One Road handicrafts. Pakistani businessmen in Xinjiang Stores are closed for several days if they do not attempts to erase his influence from Thai administrative court held her responsible (OBOR) initiative, a massive global infrastructure see few benefits from CPEC, complaining of participate. Back in Kashgar, Muhammad hopes political life. The defendants were accused for some of the losses. The verdict in program to revive the ancient Silk Road and con- intrusive security and capricious customs that CPEC will make life better, but he believes of exceeding their authority in allowing Yingluck’s case is to be issued Aug 25. nect Chinese companies to new markets around arrangements. the oppressive security will remain an obstacle. police to use force against the protesters. Thaksin has been in self-imposed exile the world. In 2013, Beijing and Islamabad signed “If you bring anything from China, no prob- He plans to give it another three years. But, he The court, the Supreme Court’s Criminal since 2008 to escape a prison sentence on agreements worth $46 billion to build transport lem,” said Muhammad, a trader in the ancient said, he cannot wait forever: “Many people have Division for Political Office Holders, said the a conflict of interest conviction.—AP and energy infrastructure along the corridor and Silk Road city of Kashgar, who declined to give already gone back.”—AFP Bangladesh court ends MPs’ power to sack judges DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has scrapped parliament’s power to sack top judges, in a landmark verdict that lawyers said yesterday bolstered the inde- pendence of the country’s judiciary. The country’s top court restored a military rule-era provision which allows only a Supreme Judicial Council, led by the chief justice, to remove judges found to have breached the judicial code of conduct. The full ruling released Tuesday was quickly hailed by lawyers as a crucial safe- guard for the freedom of the Muslim-majority nation’s secular judiciary. “The judgment declares the 16th amendment of the constitution as null and void. It means the highest court scraps the parliament’s power to remove top judges,” senior lawyer Syed Ahsanul Karim said. Karim said that because of the “landmark” judgment, the SRINAGAR: Villagers carry the body of Akeel Ahmed Bhat, a teenage boy, during his executive “will have no dominant role over the judici- funeral procession in Haal village, about 47 kilometers south of Srinagar, Indian con- ary”. Karim said if the amendment had been left in trolled Kashmir.—AP place, it would have made top judges “subservient” to the government as they would have been under con- THAILAND: This handout from the Prime Minister’s Office taken and received shows stant threat of removal. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha using a ceremonial broom to help Curfew, strikes in Kashmir Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina brought the constitu- clean a street in a town in the province of Sakon Nakhon in northeastern Thailand, tional change allowing parliament-controlled by her after it was hit by floods.—AFP after top militant’s death ruling Awami League party-to remove top judges in September 2014. In May last year, the High Court SRINAGAR: Thousands of Indian police Kashmiri separatist leaders called for a declared the amendment illegitimate after a lawyer Floods in Thailand’s and troops enforced a lockdown yesterday strike following the death of Abu Dujana, a filed a public interest challenge. The Supreme Court led in parts of Kashmir, fearing violent reprisals senior rebel fighter from the Pakistan- by chief justice S K Sinha gave a provisional verdict last northeast kill 23 a day after a top militant commander and based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). month ruling against the government. two civilians were killed in clashes in the His death, heralded by Indian forces as “The 16th amendment has raised doubts about the BANGKOK: Heavy rains have brought triggering flash floods. “Sonca Storm disputed Himalayan territory. Residents in “a major achievement”, sparked protests independence of the judiciary and the court boldly some of the worst floods in years to caused flooding in more than 35 the old quarters of Srinagar, the main city and clashes with government forces across struck down that amendment,” said Shahdeen Malik, Thailand’s rural northeast where 23 peo- provinces,” he told residents, referring to in Indian-administered Kashmir, were the Kashmir Valley during which a young senior lawyer and law professor. “This indicates the ple have died over the past month, offi- a tropical storm that recently blew over ordered to stay indoors and obey the cur- man was killed and scores injured. A second assertiveness of the court to preserve and protect its cials said yesterday. Flash floods have dis- from the South China Sea. few as government forces patrolled streets protester died in hospital Wednesday. His independence,” he said. The Supreme Court has rupted air travel, inundated rail tracks and “Thai people need to understand that lined with steel barriers and razor wire. funeral was attended by hundreds of increased pressure on the government to frame a code swallowed farmland across the rice-farm- this area is a flood risk because we are fac- “I was not allowed by soldiers to leave mourners who pelted Indian soldiers with of conduct for lower court judges, who experts say are ing region of Isaan, affecting more than ing global warming,” added the junta chief, home for work. They are right outside my stones and chanted slogans calling for inde- heavily influenced by the government. one million Thais. Twenty-three people who joined rescue boats to hand out sur- door,” Gulzar Ahmed, a mechanic, said by pendence, witnesses said. Dujana’s death Experts say a formal code would curb the govern- have died since July 5, the disaster vival kits to stranded families. Ten provinces phone from his house in downtown has dealt one of the biggest blows to ment’s power to use lower courts to prosecute opposi- department said in a daily update. All are still battling severe floods as rains con- Srinagar. Schools and colleges were Kashmiri separatists since a charismatic tion leaders and activists on trumped-up charges. The were swept away by floodwaters and tinue to lash the upper part of the north- ordered shut for a second day to try to young commander, Burhan Wani, was shot law ministry has drafted rules, but the top court has drowned, an official said. east, according to the weather bureau. In avert student protests against Indian rule, dead in July last year. Wani’s killing sparked rejected them. Since coming to power in 2009, Hasina’s Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha flew to January unseasonal monsoons deluged which frequently erupt into stone-throw- months of widespread protests against government has detained and charged tens of thou- the hardest-hit province of Sakon Thailand’s south, leaving over 30 dead and ing and clashes with troops. Shops and Indian rule and left nearly 100 civilians dead sands of opposition supporters. — AFP Nakhon yesterday to inspect a reservoir wrecking infrastructure across the banks also remained shut after three top and thousands injured. —AFP that had cracked under the downpour, region.—AFP