Thai court suspends Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over a leaked phone call
The judges voted unanimously Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her from duty.
Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests.
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Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Myanmar's torture must not be ignored
The latest report from UN investigators on Myanmar is one of the most harrowing yet. It documents the systematic use of torture by the junta's security forces in prisons and interrogation centers across the country. What is especially horrifying is that children are among the victims. Some are targeted with electric shocks and sexual violence. Others are arrested as proxies for their parents, brutalized to extract information or as a warning to entire communities. This is not just another story of a repressive regime. These are gross violations of international law and, in some cases, they amount to crimes against humanity. Torture of detainees has long been a feature of authoritarian rule, but what is happening in Myanmar is now widespread, coordinated and openly documented. It is meant to terrorize the population into submission at a time when the junta is losing control of much of the country to armed resistance. The first key questions that arise from this report are simple: what exactly does it reveal and why does it matter? Investigators gathered testimonies from survivors and defectors, detailing practices including electric shocks to the genitals, burning with heated metal rods, the pulling out of fingernails and prolonged beatings. Victims described being forced to kneel for hours on sharp objects or having plastic bags tied over their heads until they nearly suffocated. The accounts also show that women and girls are subjected to sexual assault in detention as a method of humiliation and coercion. Children are perhaps the most shocking victims. Some were detained in place of missing parents who were wanted for their political activity. Others were swept up in mass arrests after protests. The psychological scars inflicted on these young people will endure long after Myanmar's conflict ends. The UN investigators concluded that this torture is not the result of rogue soldiers acting on their own initiative. Rather, it is a deliberate policy, orchestrated at the highest levels of the junta's security apparatus. It is systematic, organized and designed to suppress dissent through fear. That makes it more than just a human rights violation. It is a crime under international law. It is meant to terrorize the population into submission at a time when the junta is losing control of much of the country. Dr. Azeem Ibrahim The next, more difficult, question is: what can be done about it? Myanmar's generals have faced international condemnation before, most notably after the campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Rohingya Muslims in 2017. That episode drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya into Bangladesh, where they remain in refugee camps today. And yet, despite widespread recognition of the atrocity, not a single senior general has been held accountable. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court have ongoing cases, but justice moves slowly while the victims continue to suffer. This impunity has emboldened the junta. They know the global community has limited tools and even less political will to enforce accountability. Statements of concern are issued and sanctions are applied piecemeal, but no concerted international strategy has ever emerged to hold Myanmar's military leaders to account. What should happen now is clear. First, governments must use the UN report as a basis for renewed action at the Security Council and the Human Rights Council. Even if China or Russia block binding resolutions, the evidence should be referred directly to international courts and prosecutors. There is already a case at The Hague brought by Gambia on behalf of the Rohingya. This new evidence should be added to strengthen charges of crimes against humanity. Second, sanctions must be targeted not only at senior military figures but also at the networks of companies and cronies who fund the junta's repression. Arms sales, aviation fuel and access to foreign currency are all lifelines that allow the generals to maintain their grip. Cutting these off is essential. Third, regional actors, especially Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, must break their silence. For too long, the region's states have treated Myanmar's crisis as an internal affair. But the torture of children and widespread atrocities cannot be brushed aside as domestic politics. It undermines the entire region's credibility and stability. Neighboring countries must push harder for humanitarian access and begin exploring options for accountability. Finally, civil society and diaspora groups must be empowered to document, advocate and sustain pressure. The voices of survivors should be amplified, not silenced. International media and human rights organizations need to ensure that these stories do not fade into obscurity. The stakes are far greater than Myanmar's domestic politics. When the world tolerates torture of children and systematic abuse by a military regime, it signals to other authoritarian leaders that they can act with impunity. It corrodes the entire international system that is meant to protect basic human dignity. The people of Myanmar have shown remarkable courage in resisting the junta's brutality. Despite massacres, airstrikes and torture, the opposition movement has not been extinguished. That resilience deserves more than sympathy. It demands action. The UN's new report has given us the evidence. The question is whether the international community has the resolve to act. Failure to respond will not just betray Myanmar's children, it will erode the credibility of international law everywhere. As we watch this tragedy unfold, we should remember that silence is complicity. The torture chambers of Myanmar are not hidden. They are open for the world to see. The only question is whether the world will choose to look away. • Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special initiatives at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC. X: @AzeemIbrahim
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Singapore property tycoon linked to jailed minister fined S$30,000
Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was fined S$30,000 ($23,000) by a Singapore court on Friday as part of a landmark case that led to the jailing of former Transport Minister S. Iswaran last year. Ong, the 79-year-old founder of Hotel Properties Ltd ( and rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix, was accused of giving Iswaran, who was an adviser to the Grand Prix's steering committee, high-value gifts including tickets to the Formula One race, English Premier League soccer matches, and West End musicals. Ong last week pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice after arranging to bill Iswaran for a flight ticket months after it had taken place. A second charge of abetting an offence was also taken into consideration by the court. The S$30,000 was the maximum fine the court could impose. Ong, who was given a fine in lieu of three months' jail, stepped down as managing director of HPL in April. The case has attracted widespread public interest in Singapore, a wealthy financial hub that pays ministers salaries of more than S$1 million that it says are needed to deter graft and prides itself on its reputation for clean governance. At last week's hearing, the prosecution and defense agreed that because Ong was in poor health with advanced cancer he could be granted judicial mercy, which meant the court could impose a more lenient than normal punishment. In a written judgment, District Judge Lee Lit Cheng wrote: 'The critical question is not whether an offender may receive a lower standard of healthcare in prison, but whether imprisonment would create heightened risks to the offender's life. 'I am satisfied that the circumstances in this case are exceptional and meet the high threshold for the grant of judicial mercy.' Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison last October, the first time a former cabinet member had been jailed in Singapore. He had faced a total of 35 charges, two of which were corruption-related but were amended to charges of receiving S$384,340 worth of gifts from Ong while a public servant. In February, Iswaran was granted house arrest for the remainder of his sentence. ($1 = 1.2831 Singapore dollars)
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Al Arabiya
China supports Thailand, Cambodia reconciliation, foreign minister says
China expressed support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute and offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement on Thursday. Wang said China supports the Southeast Asian countries in strengthening dialogue, and hopes they rebuild mutual trust. He met his counterparts on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China's southwestern Yunnan province.
