Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by samteng

Unite for a better future, Liow tells Chinese

samteng — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 10:55:19 +0800

JERANTUT: It is time for the Chinese community to put aside clan politics to ensure a better future for the next generation, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the Chinese population in Malaysia was getting smaller over the years and if the community did not unite, then it could not bring about meaningful development for the nation.

“Our ancestors came here and since then, we have contributed to the building of a multi-racial, multi-cultural and moderate society in Malaysia.

“Through the Japanese occupation, the Emergency and until Independence, we stood united with our family of other races to achieve this together.

“But it does not mean it will stay like this forever. Political influence can steer us away from this path of moderation,” he said at the Kim Lan Welfare Society’s anniversary dinner here on Saturday.

That was why the Chinese community must stand as one to fight for moderation, especially when PAS has its agenda of turning a secular Malaysia into an Islamic state, he said.

“We must stand as one to fight for a better future for the next generation without deviating from moderation.

“MCA has been accused of being a sell-out. I do not agree with that. I will always be at the frontline to defend moderation and fairness for all,” he said.

Also present were Damak assemblyman Datuk Lau Lee and Jerantut MP Ahmad Nazlan Idris.

Liow urged the Chinese community to take advantage of trade agreements and cooperation such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, Asean Economic Community and One Belt, One Road to boost the country’s economy.

At a time when the economic situation was uncertain, he said the Chinese had a role to play in helping the Government tackle the high cost of living.

“We are not here to play politics all the time like the Opposition. They are just provoking hatred and pitting us against each other.

“As responsible citizens, we should channel our energy and constructive criticisms towards building a harmonious nation.

“United, we will have the strength and will to determine our place in this country,” said Liow.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016...politics-aside/

How many Chinese guys are willing to date Negress?

samteng — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 16:10:51 +0800

As per the topic and poll above

Change Begins With Me forum session (70 pax only)

samteng — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 14:40:38 +0800

https://changebeginswithme.typeform.com/to/z1hoWm

Anyone going? Anyone thinks it's a good idea to attend?

Iran's President visits Italy:Nude statues covered

samteng — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 11:41:24 +0800

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/26/europe/i...tatues-rouhani/

(CNN)An imposing equestrian statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius dominated the room where Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met on Monday.

But Rouhani could not admire some of the other masterpieces at Rome's world-famous Capitoline Museums, which hosted the meeting.

The museum's naked statues, including a centuries-old Venus, had been covered up in white panels -- a decision that provoked some strong criticism in the country.

#Rohani a Roma, coperte alcune statue di nudi ai #musei #capitolini https://t.co/puZB814hPa pic.twitter.com/NQBcIEjY6d

— Agenzia ANSA (@Agenzia_Ansa) January 26, 2016
Italian media reported that the statues had been covered to show respect to the Iranian culture and sensitivity.

A spokesperson for the city of Rome, which manages the museum, said that plans for the meeting had been made by the Office of the Prime Minister. The Italian government has not commented on the matter.

The statues that were covered were in rooms adjacent to the room where Renzi and Rouhani made their joint statement Monday.

The decision infuriated many Italians, who took to social media to express their views. They accuse the government of betraying Italian history and culture for the sake of economic interests and to please the international guest.

Under the hashtag #statuenude, angry Italian tweeters posted pictures of famous nude sculptures.

Ciao #Rouhani. #statuenude pic.twitter.com/DHwfDVeiNd

— Mangino Brioches (@manginobrioches) January 26, 2016
Gian Lorenzo Bernini - Il Ratto di Proserpina -1621/22. Galleria Borghese, Roma. (Particolare) #statuenude pic.twitter.com/WyaMySqB6s

— LaMentina (@ch_distef) January 26, 2016
Following a diplomatic custom for visiting Muslim dignitaries, no alcohol was served at official receptions.

This is the first time an Iranian president has officially visited Europe in 16 years. Rouhani planned to visit France in November but canceled at the last minute, following the attacks in Paris. The trip comes a few days after the economic sanctions against Tehran were lifted following the implementation of the nuclear deal.

In Rome, Rouhani met Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Renzi and Pope Francis and signed business deals with Italian companies worth about 17 billion euros ($18 billion).

Which one would the Malays prefer for Malaysia PM?

samteng — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 11:44:12 +0800

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/327663

as per topic and link above

Epic Fight on Sillypoor MRT North South Line

samteng — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 23:53:58 +0800

[YOUTUBE]7VNxGPJjxXo[/YOUTUBE]

It's just so silly! We have a 50 plus year old uncle behaving like a playground tyrant over something so trivial. Part and parcel of living in one of the most stressful cities in the world I guess. No wonder the people are so kiasu and uptight. That's why Sillypoor aka Kiasuland sucks

Iran has a duty to take in Syrian refugees since..

samteng — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 01:07:37 +0800

https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/iran-duty...-063921994.html

Crisis response

Europe claims it faces its most serious refugee crisis since World War II. The question which arises is what are the countries in the immediate vicinity of Syria doing in response to this crisis?
Of the more than four million Syrian refugees, almost half of them, the largest concentration, have gone to Turkey. In addition to Turkey, Camp Zaatari in Jordan has received tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. There are also Syrian and other refugees scattered throughout the Arab and Muslim world, particularly in Lebanon.
There is one glaring case of a Muslim country that is heavily involved in Syria but has yet to accept a single Syrian refugee, and that is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iceland, which has a population of just over 300,000 residents, has accepted scores of Syrians, but not a single refugee has been admitted to Iran. Why not?

Iran's influence over the conflict in Syria is wide-ranging and direct. The Iranian ruling regime has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad no matter how murderous his war crimes against Syrian people.
There are of course many other countries directly and indirectly responsible for the catastrophe in Syria. From Turkey to Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf allies, from the United States to other European and regional allies, there is scarcely any county that is exempt.
But in order for that fact not to become a mere truism, we must hold specific countries responsible for their actions. If Iran is so directly involved in sustaining the atrocities of the Syrian regime which have caused this humanitarian disaster, then why should Iran not accept its share of Syrian refugees?

The fact of a political phantasm

Iran does not have a particularly rosy record of hospitality towards people who have sought refuge within its borders. Afghan refugees have been subject to racism by both the ruling regime and by certain segments of Iranian society.
As soon as Iranians travel to Europe or to the US they are very quick to criticise signs of Islamophobia and racism, but they scarce cast a critical gaze at their own behaviour.

Iran's protection of the murderous Assad regime but unwillingness to accept any responsibility for its role in Syria raises another more serious dilemma.

Syrian and other refugees from the Arab and Muslim world are drawn to Europe and to Germany in particular, by the spell of a political phantasm which is informed by more than just social realities, economic forces, and political intransigence. They are drawn to Europe, a continent sometimes alive with right-wing neuroses, because they look at their own immediate neighbours, from Turkey to Iran to Saudi Arabia, as chiefly responsible for the bloody predicament from which they are running away.
The Arab and Muslim world faces a debilitating moral crisis today, particularly exacerbated by the aftermath of the Arab Spring which initially raised high hopes. Those ideals are now in despair due to the actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The record of the ruling regime in Iran in aiding and abetting the Assad regime and yet refusing to accept responsibility for its consequences, is emblematic of a revolting political culture in which human lives mean very little, and the survival of tyranny means everything.

Hamid Dabashi is Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York.

Should we use the wang derma 2.6 billion ringgit

samteng — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:49:18 +0800

Not a bad idea to invest USD700 million or RM2.6 billion to buy over Sumatra from Indonesia for us so that we can handle the haze problem better. Any thoughts?

Tun Dr Mahathir singing in public for the 1st time

samteng — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 01:00:57 +0800

[YOUTUBE]DAB9jPlW6Ls[/YOUTUBE]

Suspect in Bangkok bombing tells police I'm guilty

samteng — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 16:54:00 +0800

http://news.yahoo.com/suspect-bangkok-bomb...-111257868.html

BANGKOK (AP) — A key suspect in last month's deadly Bangkok bombing was transferred Monday to police custody after a week of military interrogation, and was asked to acknowledge the charge against him before police and the media.

The suspect, identified by police as Yusufu Mierili, responded through a translator: "Guilty." Authorities have previously released a variety of spellings of his name, including Mieraili Yusufu and Yusufu Meerailee.

It was not clear whether the apparent confession would carry legal weight in a court. Mierili, who was arrested last Tuesday near the Thai-Cambodia border, has not yet been formally charged.

Police say they found his DNA or fingerprints in two apartments that were raided a week ago by police on the outskirts of Bangkok, including a container of gunpowder. Police say both apartments contained bomb-making materials, and one had more than 200 fake Turkish passports.

The Aug. 17 blast at the Erawan Shrine killed 20 people and injured more than 120 in one of the most devastating acts of violence in Bangkok in decades.

View galleryThe bombing suspect arrested last week near the border …
The bombing suspect arrested last week near the border with Cambodia and identified as Yusufu Meerai …
Thai authorities have suggested that at least two of the suspects are possibly Turkish, boosting a theory that the bombing was to avenge Thailand's forced repatriation of more than 100 ethnic Uighurs to China in July. Uighurs (pronounced WEE-gurs) are related to Turks, and Turkey is home to a large Uighur community.

Mierili's nationality has not been confirmed, but police say he was carrying a Chinese passport that indicated he was from the western region of Xinjiang, home to the Turkish-speaking Uighurs.

Police said last week that Mierili was suspected of being a conspirator rather than the bomber, who was seen in security videos placing a knapsack at the open-air shrine and then leaving.

Another suspect, who was arrested Aug. 29 at one of the two apartments police raided, was in possession of a fake Turkish passport when arrested, police say. That man, whom police have identified as Adem Karadak, was transferred to police custody Friday after nearly a week in military custody.

Thai authorities have said they would turn over the two passports to the relevant embassies to confirm their authenticity once forensics testing is completed.

View galleryPolice officers escort the bombing suspect, center, …
Police officers escort the bombing suspect, center, arrested last week near the border with Cambodia …
Authorities have so far issued 11 arrest warrants for suspects related to the blast, including two on Monday.

One of Monday's warrants was for a man identified as Abdullah Abdullahman of unknown nationality on charges of conspiracy to possess unauthorized explosives and unauthorized war materials. A police sketch showed a young man with short, brown hair, with a light mustache and beard.

The other warrant issued Monday for the same charges was for "a foreign man" whose name and nationality were unknown. He appeared to have short, dark hair in the blurry picture from security camera footage.

___

Associated Press journalist Papitchaya Boonngok contributed to this report.

Should Thailand have a administrative capital?

samteng — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 02:03:30 +0800

Just like Myanmar, they set up a new administrative capital called NayPyiTaw. Formerly it was in Rangoon/Yangon.

Thailand should do the same in order to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution. I suggest building a totally new capital city between Chon Buri and Bangkok in the province of ChaChoengSao. It's about 50km from the Survanabhumi International Airport. Nearer compared to other suggested cities.

[attachmentid=4913874]

Make Babies First, Malaysians. Says DS Rohani

samteng — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 15:21:30 +0800

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia...ake-more-babies

Ridhuan Tee: Why not just don underwear to church?

samteng — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:39:48 +0800

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin lecturer Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah had took Kinrara DAP to task for mocking the dress code imposed by various federal government agencies.

"These people are uncivilised. No religion allows anyone who wear provocative clothes.

"Perhaps they should enter churches or temples with just their underwear if they don't believe in dressing etiquette," Ridhuan Tee told Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia's website (Ismaweb).

Kinrara state assemblyperson Ng Sze Han had said that his service centre was open to clients wearing anything they like, as long as they are not naked.

On his Facebook page, Ng had also posted an image of the type of clothing permitted at the centre, which includes short skirts and leotards worn by gymnasts.

Ng's stunt was in response to the increasing number of press reports on the enforcement of dress codes at government agencies, hospitals and the Selangor state legislative assembly.

Enforcement efforts includes compelling women to cover themselves with a sarong or a towel before they are served or allowed entry.

Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/303716#ixzz3kZ5c13yt

Generalizations and stereotypes by Alvin Tan

samteng — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 12:11:49 +0800

DISCLAIMER: Anyone who reports this post, it says a lot about your own insecurities and inability to engage in a intellectual discussion. If you don't like what you see, just scroll away bitch. Don't try to be politically correct. This is not a race-baiting thread. I have had enough of that.

https://www.facebook.com/alvintan.yolo/posts/668124449990962

You know who will NEVER admit their faults no matter how you quote hard evidence?

1) Muslims (enough said) -- those who admit fault will very quickly become known as "apostates" and outcast in their own circle;

2) SJK© and Chinese Independent School/UEC graduates who will make all sort of excuses to exaggerate the importance of Chinese and downplay the importance of English, so they never have to confront their chinky grammar and accent;

3) The other side of the coin, the high-and-mighty bananas who don't even know how to read and write Chinese. Think about it, you fucking bananas, even the SJK© students are better than you. Why? Because they fully know Chinese and know a little bit of English. I doubt you even "fully" know English, because you're all MALAY-EDUCATED -- please admit this. Worst of all, you don't even know "a little bit" of Chinese. So in actuality you know some English and no Chinese at all. Shame on you.

4) Pariahs who steal, rob, rape, and kill, most common in two races that I will not name... They're only capable of threatening/hurting you if you insult them, or claim victimhood status as if we're the racist ones, instead of actually examining themselves and changing their ways. How convenient eh? Call everyone a "racist" whenever they point out ugly facts about yourself... Hey keling pariah, here's an idea. If you want people to stop calling you robbers, STOP ROBBING. And fucking caveman Malays, if you want us to stop calling you rapists, STOP RAPING. Simple as that.

5) Unattractive guys who like to pretend they're not interested in having a vibrant dating life. They'll say that they're "focused on their careers" or "real men disregard females and acquire currency" (any of those rationalizations) to avoid having to work on themselves to become an attractive mate. And then later in their lives they complain about marrying the wrong person or how all girls are materialistic, you need to be rich, BLA BLA BLA. I have no pity and advice left for this sexless bunch of sausages.

6) Pseudo-patriots who're against migration who like to point out how the US isn't even all that good, because racism still exists, the economic divide is huge, you have to deal with Donald Trump becoming president, how company directors and managers from Malaysia can only do low-skilled labor in the US, etc. The last one gets me all the time. If you used to be a director in Malaysia but can only work as a waiter in the US, what does it say about your international competitiveness and skills portability? Zero, duh. It just means that you've been an overpaid jaguh kampung all along. Would you rather find out earlier that you're a fraud, so you can improve, or would you rather just complacently live a lie for the rest of your lives? Your answer will show a lot about the type of person you are, duh. Need I spoonfeed it to you?

Anymore people who're living a lie that I should point out to snap them out of their self-delusion?

Advice on dating, relationship & sex by Alvin Tan

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Advice on dating, relationship & sex by Alvin Tan

samteng — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 10:56:12 +0800

I know this write-up is TL;DR but do spare 10-15 minutes of your time to read and understand his points and explanations. It may sound cynical and bizzare but I strongly advocate that more guys (especially those who are jealous, insecure and possessive over their girls) aspire to be like this. This is not just about SEX per se but also about life and how to use sex as a bargaining chip to prevent yourself from being emotionally and sexually blackmailed. Finally, please don't dismiss the whole article just because you see the name Alvin Tan on it, which is pretty much stigmatised in the Malaysian and Singaporean society.

https://www.facebook.com/alvintan.yolo/posts/663518047118269

I believe that one of the most important life skills for a man is being good at getting laid. By that, I mean knowing how to get sex from DIFFERENT women without paying for it. This skill is even more important for a man who's married or in a relationship, because it is those men who're most likely to become complacent that they're hot shit when they're not.

Any guy who's good at getting laid KNOWS that it makes them feel unstoppable; in other words, any guy who has sex regularly with DIFFERENT women has way higher self-esteem than one who doesn't. Conversely, any guy who doesn't have sex with different women regularly will almost always have lower self-esteem than, say, a bona fide player. Even if he's amazingly successful in his career, it's immaterial. And even if his stable girlfriend whom he's banging nightly is smokingly hot, it doesn't matter. That's only one woman. He has no idea if she has odd taste or he just got lucky, and he's afraid to test his value in the general market. How to have high self-esteem if you don't know for sure that you're desired by many women in the general market? Duh...
I know how most guys will be dismissive of me when I talk about this subject, preferring to fall back on all sorts of self-comforting nonsense like "it's more important to make money, etc." Why? Because they suck at getting laid, and they don't want to admit that it's a crucial, indispensable life skill that's mandatory for you to have a complete and rich sense of self-esteem. Once they admit it, they have to work on it. Hell, even if they don't admit it, the world already judges them on it, and thus it eats away at their self-esteem, NO MATTER HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY ARE AT THEIR CAREERS. Just own up to it. I'm looking at 99% of you.

Why do highly-successful gynecologists secretly film their patients or molest them? Why do Fortune 500 CEOs and high-profile politicians get embroiled in financial scandals involving the purchase of social escort services? Why do rich businessmen wine and dine women with expensive dates, and still fail to get into their pants, while young guys like me even invite girls straight away to our homes to seal the deal on the same night? That's sufficient proof that being rich doesn't cure one of sexual insecurity, nor does it boost one's sexual appeal (I admit it does boost one's "stable relationship" appeal though). There's no short cut to attain this skill except a total overhaul of your entire person.

When I say that being good at getting laid increases your self-esteem, I'm not just talking about relationships. I'm also talking about your career or any endeavor in life. Self-esteem isn't subject matter-specific. When you have greater self-esteem, you're more confident, courageous, bold, and proactive in seeking and making the best out of new opportunities in life, whatever they are. A high self-esteem is indubitably a vital puzzle piece in attaining prosperity and happiness.

What does being good at getting laid mean? Simply, it means one has slept and still is sleeping with a lot of women. Anyone who has followed me for a while knows that I advocate quantity over quality when it comes to a man's sex life. Why? Because the world almost always asks you how many girls you've slept with instead of asking to show a picture of the hottest girl you've ever banged. And when your number is pathetically low, you feel like shit, and you might even think that something is wrong with you, like you're ugly or something.
When your number is not high, you feel small as a man. It doesn't matter if you've slept with Megan Fox or Kim Kardashian. If your number is low, you feel small. Period. How can a man who feels small take on the world with 100% of the fibre of his being, notwithstanding his intelligence, determination, courage, talent, etc.?
Prioritizing quantity over quality necessitates playing the number game. How does one have sex with a lot of women? The most obvious way -- apart from actually improving yourself -- is to lower your standards. So I always advocate going for average girls, for the following reasons:

1) There's less on the line, so you can be more reckless and daring making moves on them. Even if you lose them, it's just a plain Jane or fat Pat; plenty of them are lying around. And making bold moves is how you grow as a man. You need practice, and these average girls provide an excellent boot camp. If you're forever gunning for the hot ones, you'll be meek and overly-cautious, and, whether we realize it or not, once we're apprehensive, the hot ones already sense it, and you already appear unattractive before you know it. You're simply not ready for the hot ones yet.

2) As you build up your number, your self-esteem already automatically increases. It builds you up for hotter girls not only from a technical skill and know-how standpoint but also from a self-esteem and internal self-worth standpoint. Everyone needs to get started somewhere, and no one starts to learn to swim by jumping in the deep end.

3) You'll be able to get back (at) the hotter girls who jilted you in the past. How so? When a hot girl sees a guy dating a girl she deems uglier than her, she gets mad and jealous inside. Because she's so used to cashing in on her hotness to reel in guys. Now, it seems like all that she's worked for (e.g. all that expensive and tedious makeup, clothes, hairdo, plastic surgery, etc.) has gone down the drain. You made her feel like her so-called competitive advantage isn't even a competitive advantage at all.
We're not in the business of destroying girls' self-esteems, so what's the point if a hot girl is jealous? The point is that she'll try to win your approval and get your attention, because you seem to live a better life, even without her and her hotness. And this time, not only will she suck up to you, she will also offer something other than her beauty, because she knows that doesn't work anymore. Trust me. It happened to me before. She'll also gain a ton of respect for you when you move on with life instead of continuing to be deeply, madly, sadly in unrequited love with her.

4) The higher your number, the greater your leverage will be in romantic relationships, and you won't find yourself entering into relationships from a position of emotional weakness, where you'll easily be blackmailed by your girlfriend by her withholding of pussy. Most women use their pussy as a tool of control, particularly when they know that their boyfriends are sexually inexperienced and generally afraid to talk to other girls. When you know how to get some without her, she knows she cannot manipulate and control you using sex, because she no longer has a monopoly over intimacy.
Like it or not, women respect you WAY MORE when you can get laid without them. Conversely, a man who can't get laid will give off very desperate vibes, and women treat them way differently -- like toys most of the time. There are tons of things that appear desperate, believe me, even if you think they aren't, e.g. picking her up, paying for all expenses, getting her a gift, etc. These are normal things, right?

Not necessarily so. A reasonably-hot woman is almost always pursued by multiple suitors at once, so you're in essence competing with other men. SO EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE. What other men are reluctant to do but that you so readily volunteer for paints you as someone who needs her more than she needs you. The only true way to minimize neediness is to commoditize her: put yourself in a situation and mindset where she's always replaceable. You won't be able to internalize that kind of mindset without actually putting your penis in a dozen pussies or so.

If it were up to me, I'd encourage everyone to TRY (keyword) to be a male porn star. It's the perfect profession to one-up women once and for all. First, you're dealing with TONS of hot women on a daily basis, so you're keeping your broad on her toes at all times; she will have no courage whatsoever to let herself go -- she will only get better and better. Second, not only are you getting laid constantly already, you're getting paid for it, which is a total commercial vote of confidence for your sexual prowess. She knows you can get some anytime, and she wouldn't even dare to think otherwise. In fact, she probably has to work harder on her PERSONALITY to retain you instead of just relying on her looks and sex to get by, like how they deal with other men.
Women will of course not date a porn star, because their fragile self-esteem can't take the fact that a penis that they deem "theirs" is going in and out multiple other hotter women on a constant basis. That's not really the point though. The point is that she's afraid of entering into a relationship where she doesn't have a clear bargaining chip to use as leverage against you, should she want you to behave in a certain way. Good luck trying to dangle your pussy as bait to a guy who's already getting more than he can handle while getting richer at the same time.

5) The only thing that people are EVEN MORE envious of you for more than your wealth/success is your desirability or popularity with the opposite sex. Even as we fight our penchant of caring about what others think, our happiness IS ultimately affected by public social perception. Nobody is absolutely insulated from the negative effects of negative feedback from others. I don't think I need to write anymore on this point. Getting laid tons puts you in a happier position than not getting laid tons, all other things being equal. Isn't the point of life to be happy?

My closing remarks are simple, namely, I really urge men not to sweep this subtle aspect of self-esteem under the carpet. Instead, it's better to confront it head-on, before you lead a sexless life into your forties, full of regret and self-hate. By then, even if you have all the enthusiasm in the world, I'm not sure your looks and body can even do the job anymore. It will always eat away at you if you've never even had a golden age of "sexual promiscuity" to speak of. And you'll be sad, and society will continue to judge and punish you for being a sexless loser. Your choice.

PS For further reading, I've written extensively on sexual insecurity here three years ago: https://www.facebook.com/tanjyeyee/posts/10151006393255886. Enjoy.

Sex blogger Alvin Tan says not a coward

samteng — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 17:15:35 +0800

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysi...-to-seek-asylum

Interesting verbatim read.

Is China’s homegrown terrorism problem

samteng — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:13:31 +0800

http://qz.com/482841/thai-police-are-repor...angkok-bombing/

Updated Aug. 20 at 10:30am in Hong Kong

Are there links between China’s minority Uighur population and the Bangkok bomb that killed 22 people on Aug. 17? That is one of the theories officials in Thailand are investigating.

Thai investigators are “focusing on a revenge motive by Uighur militants,” who may have been retaliating for last month’s forced repatriation of Uighur refugees who fled China, unnamed police sources told the Bangkok Post. Police are now searching for three suspects who were captured on closed circuit television before the blasts, a police spokesman told reporters, including a foreigner.

Six of the fatalities in the bombing and 22 of the injured were from Greater China, which includes Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland. The Erawan shrine where the bombing took place was particularly popular with Chinese tourists.

The Royal Thai Police distributed a sketch of the main suspect in the bombing—a man seen in a yellow shirt leaving a backpack at the shrine before the blast:

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri told reporters late on August 19 that the suspect was a foreign man, who was overheard speaking a foreign language. Police suspect he may be a Muslim from South or Central Asia, according to South China Morning Post coverage (paywall) of the press conference:
Prawut also gave a description of the suspected ethnicity of the alleged bomber, using the Thai phrase “khaek khao” – a word often used to describe light-skinned Muslims from South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

“His skin is white and he has a high nose. Whether khaek khao or not I don’t know. But from the footage it looked like that,” he said.
Some Chinese media reports also reported on suggestions that the attack (link in Chinese) could be revenge for the Uighur repatriation.
A link between the Bangkok bombing and China’s separatists, if proven, would be a significant, and alarming, development, signaling that China’s homegrown problem of Uighur minority unrest was spilling out from the country’s borders. Targeting China’s far-flung tourists and businesses around the globe would represent a major escalation in the conflict.

China’s central government has long been criticized for its heavy-handed, draconian treatment of its largely Muslim Uighur population, which has included banning religious holidays like Ramadan, banning parents from speaking about Islam with their children, and offering incentives and government jobs to Han Chinese population that relocate to the region.

In recent years, China has been home to dozens of incidents of terrorism and ethnic clashes, mostly linked by Chinese media to Uighur separatists, although independent reporting in the area is nearly impossible because of the high level of government surveillance. As Quartz has previously reported, these incidents have spread from the northwest through China in recent years:

The Uighur group deported from Thailand was originally fleeing to Malaysia or Turkey, but sought asylum in Thailand after being detained, claiming they faced persecution for their religion and harsh treatment in China. They had been in Thailand for more than a year.

Thai tourism will take a hit aftermath of bombing

samteng — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:07:25 +0800

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-re...ead-for-tourism

Thailand's tourism industry may have bounced back after previous bouts of political unrest, but a bomb attack in the heart of Bangkok that targeted foreigners likely will prove a more-formidable challenge, analysts say.

Monday night's blast, which killed 20 people -- more than half of them foreigners -- was unprecedented for the capital, despite a history of coups and a decade of instability that has at times turned violent. A second failed bombing at the Sathorn pier Tuesday only deepened concerns.

The blast hit one of Bangkok's most popular commercial hubs, ripping through a crowd of worshippers at the Erawan shrine close to five-star hotels and upscale shopping malls. Ironically, it came just hours after the government released data showing the economy had slowed in the second quarter, with tourism and public spending the only bright spots.

"Tourism is the last fully functioning engine of economic growth in Thailand," Santitarn Sathirathai, a Singapore-based economist at Credit Suisse Group AG told Bloomberg News. "Growth in the second half of the year could be weaker as tourists, especially from China, react swiftly."

As of Tuesday, 23 countries had issued travel advisories urging caution or outright avoidance of travel to Thailand. And travel agencies in Hong Kong have agreed to cancel all organised tours to Bangkok until the end of August for safety reasons, Joseph Tung, executive director of the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council, told Bloomberg.

On Wednesday, Japan Expo Thailand 2015, an event to promote Japanese culture featuring the all-girl pop group AKB48 and others, was postponed in the wake of bombing attacks, Kyodo News reported.

The expo had been scheduled for Aug 28-30 at Central World, just across an intersection from the Erawan shrine. The event would have included a concert by AKB48, as well as sales of Japanese food and a fashion show.

On its website, the event organiser expressed condolences and sympathies, but said "at this juncture, we would like to postpone this event until further notice."

Such swift reactions to the bombings show that they "could undermine the recovery in the tourism industry, deepening the country's economic woes", BMI Research, a subsidiary of financial information provider Fitch Group, said in a note obtained by AFP.

Almost 25 million foreign visitors flocked to Thailand last year and the industry, bolstered by record numbers of Chinese visitors - who now make up one in every five foreign tourists in the kingdom - was on track to meet or exceed the Tourism Ministry's goal of 28.8 million arrivals and 2.2 trillion baht in tourism revenue.

Now, however, tourism could drop 10% in the short term, Adithep Vanabriksha, Bangkok-based chief investment officer at Aberdeen Asset Management Co, told Bloomberg.

"Previous declines in tourist arrivals have been temporary in nature as previous episodes of political unrest in 2006, 2010 and 2014 indicated. The risk is that a bombing could be perceived as a more negative development than political unrest," ANZ bank agreed in a research note published by AFP.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said Tuesday that the government does not yet see any need to revise its full-year targets.

"It's too early to estimate the tourism damage caused by the bomb horror, but we're concerned about the tourism situation for the rest of the year," she said.

Concern stems from the fact that tourism now accounts for 10% of the country's GDP, with some estimating it actually is worth up to 20% of GDP when taking into consideration indirect contributions to the economy.

"A loss of momentum in the tourism sector -- the only firm growth driver in Thailand currently -- will present a new downside risk to economic activity," ANZ said.

BMI said the blast would add to the country's economic woes, especially since the economy was still recovering from the political turmoil that ended with last year's coup. A BMI note said the hotel and restaurant sectors could see particular setbacks "undermining government efforts to bolster the ailing economy".

"Economic headwinds are mounting," Jin Lai Chan, a BMI analyst in Singapore told Bloomberg. "Investors' sentiment has been wavering for some time and this attack just puts another dent in Thailand's armour."

Thai tourism will take a hit aftermath of bombing

samteng — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:06:57 +0800