SE Asia can bridge gap between West, Muslim world

– Southeast Asia can play a vital role in bridging the gap and settling the worrisome misunderstandings between the West and Muslim world, ASEAN chief Surin Pitsuwan has said.

“I am confident that the road to reconciliation between the West and the Muslim world runs through Southeast Asia,” the Secretary-General of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was quoted by the Jakarta Post daily as saying at the 3rd International Conference of Islamic Scholars in Jakarta on July 30.

The ASEAN chief also called on Indonesia , whose population accounts for about half of ASEAN’s 467 million people and represents the largest body of Muslims in the world, to take the lead in bridging the West-Islam gap.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.-

Thailand’s army offers helps to maintain order

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s army chief General Anupong Paojinda and Air force chief Chalit Pukpasuk have offered to assign military personnel to help handle demonstrations if police request it.

Gen Anupong ordered army military police to be on standby in case they were needed to help police maintain order. The army chief was referring to conflicts between government supporters and members of the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who clashed in Udon Thani last week causing many injuries.

Gen Anupong urged the two sides to talk to resolve their conflicts.

Air force chief Chalit also said military police were prepared to protect demonstrators if required.

He said army’s military police were probably better suited to the job, but air force police could step in if necessary.-

Former Thai PM’s wife sentenced to three years jail

– Thailand’s Criminal Court handed down on July 31 a three-year jail term on the wife of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for tax evasion.

Pojaman Shinawatra and her step-brother Bhanapot Damapong were sentenced to three years in prison, while her personal secretary Kanchana Honghern was given a two-year jail term, Thai news agency (TNA) reported.

They were found guilty of colluding to evade tax worth 546 million baht (16.4 million USD) on the transfer of shares worth 738 million baht (about 22.2 million USD) in Shinawatra Computer and Communication.

The trio were later released on bail of 5 million baht (149,300 USD) pending appeal, according to the news agency.-

Cambodia: CPP to form coalition with FUNCINPEC

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) that is projected to gain victory in the July 27 general election, is ready to form a coalition government with the FUNCINPEC party.

This was announced by Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Khanharith, who is also the government and CPP spokeman, at a press conference in Phnom Penh on July 30.

Previously, the FUNCINPEC Party said that it is ready to form a coalition government with the CPP.

FUNCINPEC, a coalition partner with the CPP in Cambodia’s current government, affirmed that the July 27 poll took place in an equitable and legal manner in spite of some of its members’ critisism of electoral fraud.

According to international election monitoring groups, the general election ran independently and frankly, especially efforts by Cambodia ’s National Election Committee (NEC) to ensure security for the poll.

Primary results published by Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC) showed that the CPP won 90 seats in the 123-member National Assembly, while main opposition Sam Rainsy Party secured 26 seats, the Human Rights Party, 3; the Norodom Ranariddh Party, 2; and FUNCINPEC, 2.-

Japan-Brunei Free Trade Agreement takes effect

A free trade agreement between Japan and Brunei took effect on July 31 to eliminate tariffs on 99.9 percent of bilateral trade in 10 years.

”We shared the view that the agreement will contribute to enhancing the cross-border flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, ensuring the stable supply of energy and improving the business environments of both Japan and Brunei,” Kyodo News quoted a joint statement by the two countries as saying.

The FTA is expected to ensure a stable supply of natural gas and other energy to Japan as the two countries will discuss energy-related issues under the agreement.

Among other stipulations of the accord, Japan will immediately eliminate tariffs on almost all industrial imports from the resource-rich Southeast Asian country.

Japanese tariffs on agricultural and fishery products from Brunei, such as asparagus, mangos, durian and shrimp, will be eliminated immediately as well.

Brunei will get rid of the current 20 percent tariff on cars and almost all auto parts from Japan within three years.

The FTA also calls on the two countries to promote cooperation in broader fields such as trade and investment, information and communications technology, agriculture, and the environment.-

ASEAN innovation centre established in Singapore

Hanoi (VNA) – An ASEAN innovation centre set up to facilitate development of data storage and management in the region has opened in Singapore, Asia News Channel reported on July 31.

The estimated 1.5-million-USD centre is designed as a showcase centre for ASEAN partners and customers to test applications from Microsoft, Oracle and Symantec on the latest storage technology infrastructure.

Enterprises in the region are estimated to spend 13.4 billion USD on informatics technology (IT) services annually, of which more than 40 percent are for data storage and management solutions, the Singaporean news network said.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. –

Laos helps civil servants to cope with rising costs

Vientiane (VNA) – The Lao National Assembly (NA) has adopted a proposal to provide roughly 1,000 billion kips (close to 10.7 million USD) to help civil servants cope with increasing prices.

The proposal, part of the planned budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, was made by the Ministry of Finance, and approved by NA’s lawmakers during the fifth session taking place from July 16-27.

Under the proposal, a civil servant will be paid at least 405,000 kips monthly compared with the current 337,500 kips, Finance Minister Somdy Douangdy said.

The salary subsidy will take effect from October 2008 to the end of September 2009, the minister added. –

Malaysia may cut fuel prices

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Malaysian government is considering reducing fuel prices at the pump, local media reported.

The government might reduce fuel prices if crude oil prices stay at 125 USD (408 RM) per barrel for at least three weeks, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Samad said.

The matter was discussed during the government’s weekly meeting on July 30, the Malaysia Star quoted several Cabinet ministers as saying.

There was a possibility of consumers paying less for fuel, and the mechanics were being worked out, the officials including the country’s Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, the Higher Education Minister and Information Minister told the paper.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was expected to make an announcement on the matter at an appropriate time, they said.

On June 4, the government raised petrol and diesel prices to 2.70 RM per litre for petrol and 2.58 RM per litre for diesel at the pump, stating that it could no longer continue to subsidise fuel prices at the then rate.

However, it would continue to provide a 30 sen per litre discount on the market price, according to the Malaysian paper. –

China, ASEAN promote education exchange

– An educational information network and a scholarship fund between China and ASEAN will be launched at a week-long educational exchange programme being held in China’s Guiyang City from July 26.

A series of educational agreements will also be signed by the two sides at the event that is attracting participation from China’s Ministry of Education, the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the ASEAN Secretariat and 51 universities in China and ASEAN’s member countries.

Additionally, an educational exhibition, an art performance of students, a forum of headmasters and a roundtable on tertiary and junior educational cooperation between China and ASEAN will take place during the exchange, local media reported.

Currently, around 60,000 ASEAN students go annually to study in China, a senior official from China’s Ministry of Education said, adding that China is targeting to be an educational destination for Asian students.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.-

RoK province wants tour complex in DMZ

Hanoi (VNA) – Gangwon, an eastern province of the Republic of Korea (RoK), has unveiled a plan to establish a “peace zone” for tourism and industrial development in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates the RoK and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In the peace zone will be a tourism area connecting the DPRK’s Mt. Geumgang and the RoK’s Mt. Seorak (an industrial complex like Gaeseong), and a “peace city” on the border which will be a gateway between the two Koreas, Gangwon’s Governor Kim Jin-sun was quoted by the Korea Times as saying on July 29.

To promote DMZ as a worldwide attraction, the province also plans to have the zone listed as a World Heritage site, develop tourism programmes, and set up an annex of the United Nations University there, the paper said.

For the plans, the province will set up a Gangwon DMZ Tourist Office in August and host an international conference in September, the governor said.

However, such projects will be possible only after the governments of the two Koreas agree to them, he noted. –