Southeast Asia

Dateline Southeast Asia – January 19 to 25, 2021

DEVELOPING / UPDATED
Dateline Southeast Asia – January 19 to 25, 2021

Antara Foto/Sigid Kurniawan/via Reuters

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Indonesia is still reeling from the events of the past few weeks, with the country reporting a record daily rise in COVID-19 deaths. Alongside this, it also has to deal with the aftereffects of an earthquake on Sulawesi island, as well as the crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ 182 on January 9.

Meanwhile, as countries seek to gain their respective footholds in the upward climb towards acquiring enough COVID-19 vaccines, Thailand also has to contend with opposition criticism – that the country overly relies on on a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn for its coronavirus vaccine strategy.

Bookmark and refresh this page for updates and analyses of the latest news in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

LATEST UPDATES

Indonesia probing whether faulty system contributed to Sriwijaya Air crash

Indonesia probing whether faulty system contributed to Sriwijaya Air crash

CAMBODIA: Phnom Penh yoga fans return to mat after lockdown – with a beer

Reuters

For some, a post-lockdown group activity that combines exercise with alcohol may seem like the ideal coronavirus stress-buster – though yoga purists should probably avoid Phnom Penh’s TwoBirds Craft Beer brewery while it’s taking place.

The brewery’s yoga classes, resumed after a six-week lockdown across Cambodia – which has officially recorded not a single COVID death – was lifted on January 1, combine holding a pose with clutching a beer, and they’re attracting devotees.

“I have more fun with beer yoga. It’s not as serious as traditional yoga,” said Sreyline Bacha, 25, as she reached for a beer glass, wobbling just a little to maintain her balance in a pose.

“We are with friends and say ‘cheers’ and sip beer and that makes me feel very happy,” added Bacha, who manages social media influencers.

INDONESIA: Country reports daily record COVID-19 deaths, hospitals strained

Reuters

Indonesia reported 346 deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, January 21, hitting a new record for the second time this week, as hospitals in the Southeast Asian nation come under increasing strain from the coronavirus pandemic.

Data from Indonesia’s COVID-19 task force showed that deaths now total 27,203, while confirmed cases reached 951,651, among the highest in Asia.

The record fatalities and sharp rise in daily cases in recent weeks comes amid warnings that the situation could imminently worsen in Indonesia’s hospitals.

“Hospitals could collapse in the coming days if they’re not managed,” said Irma Hidayana, a co-founder of the data initiative group Lapor COVID-19.

Capacity of isolation beds at COVID-19 referral hospitals in Jakarta had reached 87% and intensive care unit beds were 82% occupied, data from the city government showed as of January 17.

The high occupancy has seen some patients die after being turned away from hospitals with no space for them.

Irma said one man was earlier this month rejected from 10 hospitals, including 3 in Jakarta, before later succumbing to the respiratory disease.

Nearly 40 COVID-19 patients had been turned away from Jakarta hospitals since the end of December, the group’s findings showed.

Dewi Nur Aisyah, a task force epidemiologist, told a news conference earlier this week that recorded deaths by mid-January were higher than the average of previous months. Indonesia recorded 3,849 deaths from January 1 to January 17.

Indonesia started its mass vaccination campaign last week and aims to inoculate 181.5 million people, or roughly 67% of the population, to reach herd immunity.

Must Read

Indonesia halts search for victims of Sriwijaya Air crash

Indonesia halts search for victims of Sriwijaya Air crash

THAILAND: Opposition figure says government aims to silence him on vaccine

Reuters

Thailand’s banned opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit speaks during an interview with Reuters at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A banned Thai opposition politician, who is facing a criminal complaint of defaming the monarchy, defended on Thursday, January 21, his criticism of the government’s coronavirus vaccine strategy that relies on a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit this week accused the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha of mishandling the vaccine campaign, saying it was too reliant on Siam Bioscience and will be slow to protect the public.

The Thai company is owned by the Crown Property Bureau, the organization that manages tens of billions of dollars in investment under the king’s personal control. Read the full story here.

VIETNAM: Communist Party looking for leaders to keep country in sweet spot amid US-China tensions

Reuters

A woman wearing a traditional conical hat walks past a poster for the upcoming 13th national congress of Vietnam Communist Party on a street in Hanoi, Vietnam January 18, 2021. REUTERS/Kham

Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party gathers for a congress next week that will help shape the country’s global role for the next 5 years, selecting new leaders and setting policy as tensions bubble with Beijing and Joe Biden settles in at the White House.

The Communist Party’s 13th Congress, from January 25 to February 2, will cement leadership looking to leverage Vietnam’s economic success to bolster legitimacy. Key to that will be the challenge of balancing relations with China and the United States, for which Vietnam has become an important strategic partner, in a world economy that’s been dislodged from previous certainties.

Buoyed by the redirection of global trade in its favor because of a US-China row, Vietnam is steadily growing into one of the world’s most important tech manufacturing hubs, as well as a center for garment-making, in an economy on track to recover faster than most after the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full story here.

INDONESIA: General public COVID-19 vaccinations slated for late April to May

Reuters

Indonesia plans to start giving the general public COVID-19 vaccinations sometime between late April to May, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday, January 21.

“(Vaccinations) will happen for 1.4 million health between January to February, after that 17 million public workers will be vaccinated, then we will provide vaccines for 25 million seniors,” he told a forum, adding he hoped by May or the end of April Indonesia could start vaccinating the general public.

Thailand’s green goals threaten indigenous forest dwellers

Reuters

For 3 generations, the family of Suwit Rattanachaisi has farmed a plot of land in a forest in northeastern Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province, growing cassava and maize while living in a modest home a few miles away.

The forest was declared a national park in 1992, and under a forest reclamation law passed in 2014, Suwit and dozens of other farmers from Ban Sabwai village were evicted.

With no other means to make a living, many returned to the Sai Thong National Park.

In 2016, authorities charged 14 villagers, including Suwit and 9 women, with trespassing. Out on bail, they are awaiting a Supreme Court hearing while they try to reach an agreement with local authorities for a community title to the land.

Read more.

THAILAND: Royal defamation complaint filed vs opposition figure Thanathorn

Reuters

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit gives a speech at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand February 21, in this file photo. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

Thailand’s ministry of digital economy and society will file a criminal complaint of defaming the country’s monarchy against banned opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the ministry said on Wednesday, January 20

The digital ministry did not specify what actions the lese majeste complaint would cite, but two ministry officials told Reuters they were related to comments Thanathorn had made about the government’s vaccine strategy.

The move could mark the highest-profile lese majeste case since a wave of anti-government protests emerged last year and extended to criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn over allegations of meddling in politics and taking too much power. Read the full story here.

Vietnam steps up ‘chilling’ crackdown on dissent ahead of key Communist Party congress

Vietnam steps up ‘chilling’ crackdown on dissent ahead of key Communist Party congress