BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday that all laws would be used against protesters who break them, as demonstrations escalate for his removal and for reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Activists voiced concern that this could mean the resumption of prosecutions under some of the world’s harshest royal insult laws.
The protests are the greatest challenge to Thailand’s establishment in years and have broken a longstanding taboo by criticizing the monarchy, which can carry a jail term of up to 15 years.
Prayuth’s announcement came a day after thousands of protesters threw paint at Thai police headquarters in what they said was a response to the use of water cannon and teargas that hurt dozens on Tuesday, the most violent day of protests since July. Some protesters also sprayed anti-monarchy graffiti.
“The situation is not improving,” Prayuth said in a statement. “There is a risk of escalation to more violence. If not addressed, it could damage the country and the beloved monarchy.
“The government will intensify its actions and use all laws, all articles, to take action against protesters who broke the law.”
It did not specify whether this included Article 112 of the criminal code, which forbids insulting the monarchy. Prayuth said earlier this year that it was not being used for the moment at the request of the king.
“This could mean they are using Article 112 to arrest protest leaders,” said activist Tanawat Wongchai on Twitter. “Is this a compromise?”
Although the Royal Palace has not commented on the protests, the king recently referred to Thailand as a “land of compromise” – a phrase that has been treated with scorn by protesters.
Outraged by the anti-monarchy graffiti at Wednesday’s demonstration, some royalists called for the application of Article 112 in posts on social media.
Dozens of protesters, including many of the most prominent leaders, have been arrested on a variety of charges in recent months, though not for criticizing the monarchy.
A major protest is planned at the Crown Property Bureau on Nov. 25 over the management of the palace fortune, which the king has taken into his personal control. The fund is valued in the tens of billions of dollars.
Protesters said there would be seven more days of demonstrations after that.
Thailand PM says all laws to be used against pro-democracy protesters
https://arab.news/gh2r8
Thailand PM says all laws to be used against pro-democracy protesters
- Activists voiced concern that this could mean the resumption of prosecutions under some of the world’s harshest royal insult laws
Germany’s Merz to meet Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday
- Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit will focus on ‘German support for Ukraine and efforts to secure a ceasefire’
- Berlin visit comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine
Zelensky’s visit will focus on “German support for Ukraine and efforts to secure a ceasefire” with Russia to end more than three years of war, spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement.
During their Berlin talks from noon (1000 GMT), Zelensky and Merz were also expected to discuss EU efforts to levy more sanctions on Moscow amid a lack of progress so far toward ceasefire and eventual peace talks.
After a joint press conference with Merz, Zelensky was due to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was to greet him with military honors at his Bellevue Palace.
The Berlin visit comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks of the conflict on Ukraine, and as US President Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Conservative Merz, since taking office on May 6, has vowed to continue strong backing for Ukraine in concert with Paris, London and Warsaw.
He has also pushed to ramp up German defense spending to create Europe’s “strongest conventional army.”
Taking over from center-left leader Olaf Scholz, he has changed the tone in Berlin and voiced harsh criticism of Putin who, Merz charged this week, “obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness.”
Merz, speaking last week in Lithuania – where Germany is building up a tank brigade to help guard NATO’s eastern flank – declared that “there is a threat to us all from Russia.”
Australia whistleblower who exposed war crime allegations loses bid to reduce prison sentence
- The three Australian Capital Territory Court of Appeal judges unanimously rejected the 61-year-old former army lawyer’s appeal against the severity of a five years and eight months prison sentence
- The documents became the source of a series of Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports in 2017 called the “Afghan Files.”
MELBOURNE: Australian army whistleblower David McBride, who leaked allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan to the media, lost a court bid to have his prison sentence reduced on Wednesday.
The three Australian Capital Territory Court of Appeal judges unanimously rejected the 61-year-old former army lawyer’s appeal against the severity of a five years and eight months prison sentence imposed a year ago.
The judges also rejected McBride’s argument that as a military officer he had sworn an oath to Queen Elizabeth II and therefore had sworn duty to act in the “public interest.”
“To the contrary, the oath obligued the appellant (McBride) to discharge his duties ‘according to the law,’” the judges said in a written summary of their ruling.
McBride said through his lawyers that Australians would be outraged by the Court of Appeal decision.
“It is my own conscience and the people of Australia that I answer to. I have kept my oath to the Australian people,” McBride said in the lawyers’ statement.
McBride pleaded guilty last year to three charges, including theft and sharing with journalists documents classified as secret. He faced a potential life sentence.
Rights advocates complain that McBride remains the only person to be imprisoned over allegations of war crimes committed by elite Australian special forces troops in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
A military report released in 2020 recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigations over 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan.
Former Special Air Service Regiment soldier Oliver Schulz was charged in March 2023 with murdering an unarmed Afghan in 2012. Schulz pleaded not guilty to the war crime and has yet to stand trial.
Former SAS Cpl. Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living veteran, lost an appeal two weeks ago against a civil court ruling that he unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans.
Roberts-Smith said he would appeal his loss in the High Court. He has not been criminally charged.
McBride’s lawyers also said they would take their appeal to the Hight Court.
“We believe that only the High Court can properly grapple with the immense public interest and constitutional issues at the heart of this case,” the lawyers’ statement said.
“It cannot be a crime to expose a crime. It cannot be illegal to tell the truth,” the statement added.
Whistleblower’s lawyers call for a government pardon
The lawyers also called on Attorney General Michelle Rowland, who was appointed after the Labour Party government was re-elected on May 3, to recommend McBride be pardoned.
“It is now time for the attorney general to show leadership. To show Australians that this Labor government will no longer jail whistleblowers,” the lawyers said.
Rowland did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The documents became the source of a series of Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports in 2017 called the “Afghan Files.” The reports detailed allegations against Australian soldiers including the unlawful killing of men and children.
The appeal court judges noted in their summary that McBride began taking home copies of hundreds of secret documents after becoming “dissatisfied with what he perceived to be vexatious over-investigation of alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers.”
McBride declined to have further dealings with a journalist after the reporter revealed he intended to use the classified information for a story exposing war crime allegations, the judges said.
McBride can be considered for parole after he has served two years and three months, meaning he must remain behind bars until at least August next year.
Trump says Putin ‘playing with fire’ as sanctions pressure grows
- Donald Trump’s latest broadside showed his frustration with the stalled ceasefire talks
- Diplomatic efforts to end the war have intensified, but Vladimir Putin has been accused of stalling peace talks
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned Vladimir Putin Tuesday that he was “playing with fire,” taking a fresh jab at his Russian counterpart as Washington weighs new sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war.
Trump’s latest broadside showed his frustration with stalled ceasefire talks and comes two days after he called the Kremlin leader “absolutely CRAZY” following a major drone attack on Ukraine.
Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, insisted it was responding to escalating Ukrainian strikes on its own civilians and accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war have intensified in recent weeks, but Putin has been accused of stalling peace talks.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
Trump did not specify what the “really bad” things were.
But the Wall Street Journal and CNN both reported that the Republican was now considering fresh sanctions as early as this week.
Trump told reporters on Sunday he was “absolutely” weighing such a move.
The White House said Trump was keeping “all options” open.
“This war is Joe Biden’s fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal. President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Biden, Trump’s Democratic predecessor, imposed sweeping sanctions after Russia’s invasion. Trump has so far avoided what he says could be “devastating” sanctions on Russian banks.
But Trump’s recent rebukes mark a sharp change from his previous attitude toward Putin, of whom he often speaks with admiration.
His frustration at his failure to end a war he said he could solve within 24 hours boiled over at the weekend after Russia’s drone barrage killed at least 13 people.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump posted.
Russia has kept up attacks despite a phone call eight days ago in which Trump said Putin had agreed to immediately start talks.
Moscow did not react to Trump’s comments on Tuesday, but it earlier sought to blame Ukraine for the impasse.
“Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia,” the Russian defense ministry said.
Civilians including women and children were injured in what it said were Ukrainian drone strikes. Russian air defenses destroyed 2,331 Ukrainian drones between May 20 and 27, it said.
Fresh drone attacks were also reported overnight to Wednesday.
Russian authorities said almost 150 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted, including 33 heading toward Moscow.
Ukraine said it was Russia that had targeted civilians.
“We need to end this eternal waiting — Russia needs more sanctions,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Tuesday on Telegram.
US lawmakers have stepped up calls for Trump to slap sanctions on Russia.
Veteran Republican Senator Chuck Grassley called for strong measures to let Putin know it was “game over.”
Two other senators, Republican Lindsay Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, also called for heavy “secondary” sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and raw materials.
Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox News that the next peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, if they happen, would likely take place in Geneva after Moscow rejected the Vatican as a venue.
The aim would then be to get Trump, Putin and Zelensky together “and hammer this thing out,” he added.
The Swiss government would not confirm that it would host the talks.
“Switzerland remains ready to offer its good offices,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it was “in contact with all parties.”
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in more than three years in Istanbul in early May.
Indonesian and French leaders meet for defense and trade talks
- Emmanuel Macron is on a week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties
- Military cooperation between Indonesia and France has grown in recent years
JAKARTA: French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday in a visit aimed at boosting defense and trade cooperation as part of his roughly week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties in an increasingly unstable global landscape.
Macron arrived in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening with French First Lady Brigitte Macron for a three-day visit to Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It was the second stop in his tour of the region after Vietnam, where Macron signed a deal to sell Hanoi 20 Airbus planes.
“We are very excited to meet again with my brother, President Prabowo,” Macron told reporters shortly after arriving at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma air force base late Tuesday, “He is a great friend of mine and the relationship with your country is a very strategic and friendly one.”
Military cooperation between Indonesia and France has grown in recent years, while Subianto was serving as Indonesia’s defense minister.
The two leaders met last November on the sidelines of the 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil, where they discussed Indonesia’s plans to buy fighter jets and submarines from France.
Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, and the first delivery is expected in early 2026. The country also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars. Five of the radar systems are expected to be installed in the country’s new capital, Nusantara.
Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the two leaders will oversee the signing of letter of intent for the procurement of strategic weapons systems including fighter planes and submarines.
“The essence of this (visit) is to strengthen defense cooperation between Indonesia and France,” Sjamsoeddin told reporters after welcoming Macron and his wife at the air force base on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Subianto hosted Macron and Brigitte in a ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta before the two leaders led a bilateral meeting.
Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its arsenal and strengthen its domestic defense industry.
Subianto has crisscrossed the globe since he was appointed as defense minister in 2019, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkiye and the United States in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems as well as surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.
The Indonesian Air Force currently operates a mix of fighter jets made in various countries, including the United States, Russia and Britain. Some of those aircraft have reached or will soon reach their end-of-life phase and need to be replaced or upgraded.
During the visit, Macron is also scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn to discuss regional issues, and to give public lectures at Jakarta State University.
On Thursday, Macron and his wife are expected visit Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in the center of Indonesia’s Java island and to visit a military academy before heading to Singapore, where he will speak at Asia’s top defense conference, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.
SpaceX launches another Starship mega rocket in latest demo after back-to-back explosions
- The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket blasted off on its ninth demo from Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of Texas
After back-to-back explosions, SpaceX launched its mega rocket Starship again on Tuesday evening in hopes of making it through the entire test flight and releasing a series of mock satellites.
The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket blasted off on its ninth demo from Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of Texas. Residents voted this month to organize as an official city.
Plans called for the spacecraft to target a splashdown halfway around the world in the Indian Ocean, after popping out eight objects meant to resemble SpaceX’s Starlink Internet satellites.
It was the first time one of CEO Elon Musk’s Starships — intended for moon and Mars travel — flew with a recycled booster that aimed for the Gulf of Mexico. There were no plans to catch the booster with giant chopsticks back at the launch pad unlike earlier tests.
The previous two Starships never made it past the Caribbean. The demos earlier this year ended just minutes after liftoff, raining wreckage into the ocean. No injuries or serious damage were reported, although airline travel was disrupted. The Federal Aviation Administration last week cleared Starship for another flight, expanding the hazard area and pushing the liftoff outside peak air travel times.
Besides taking corrective action and making upgrades, SpaceX modified the latest spacecraft’s thermal tiles and installed special catch fittings. This one was meant to sink in the Indian Ocean, but the company wanted to test the add-ons for capturing future versions back at the pad, just like the boosters.
NASA needs SpaceX to make major strides over the next year with Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — in order to land astronauts back on the moon. Next year’s moonshot with four astronauts will fly around the moon, but will not land. That will happen in 2027 at the earliest and require a Starship to get two astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and back off again.
