Tensions lurk behind Pence’s Jakarta visit
Over 1K left stranded by scam
JAKARTA, April 13, (Agencies): Washington has billed Vice-President Mike Pence’s visit to Indonesia next week as a booster for the Strategic Partnership between the world’s second- and third-largest democracies, but a raft of bilateral tensions could sap the goodwill from his trip.
Pence’s counterpart in the world’s most populous Muslim country has voiced worries about US President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, which critics say is biased against Muslims, and about his “America First” mantra on trade and investment.
“We in Indonesia never change. The change is there. That’s why we’re asking them now, ‘what is your policy now on the economy, on democracy, now that Trump is in power?’,” Vice-President Jusuf Kalla told Reuters on March 31.
“What does it mean, ‘America first’? I can say, too, ‘Indonesia first’ if you say ‘America first’.”
Indonesia is one of 16 countries against which the United States runs a trade deficit that will be investigated by the Trump administration for possible trade abuses.
Trump’s combative approach will not sit easily with Indonesia, where economic nationalism and protectionist tendencies have flourished since a slump in commodity prices in recent years slammed the brakes on economic growth.
11 dead in Indonesian boat accidents:
At least 11 people were killed Thursday in two separate boat accidents on Indonesia’s main island of Java, officials said.
Five others were reported missing in the waters of a vast archipelago that relies heavily on boat transport but has a poor safety record.
In the first incident, a wooden boat in Majalengka district flipped over on a river as it carried 22 people who were mostly farmers heading to harvest their crops.
Nine people died and 13 survived, local police spokesman Yusri Yunus told AFP. Authorities were still investigating what caused the accident, he said.
Evans criticizes Trump:
A former Australian foreign affairs minister has dubbed Donald Trump the most “psychologically ill-equipped president” in American history, and called on Australia to distance itself from the United States in favor of forging closer ties with China.
Gareth Evans, who served as Australia’s foreign minister from 1988 to 1996, urged Australia to become more independent, back away from its longtime reliance on the US and instead recognize China as a “global rule-maker.”
In a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, Evans questioned whether Australia’s historically close alliance with the US still serves the nation’s interests amid China’s rising power and Trump’s unpredictable leadership.
Qantas probed after incident injures 15:
Fifteen passengers were hurt after a Qantas plane’s alert system warned of an imminent stall as it approached Hong Kong, Australian transport safety officials said Thursday as they launched an investigation.
Flight QF29 from Melbourne to Hong Kong was about 100 kms (60 miles) from its destination last Friday when a “stick shaker” alert occurred.
The warning causes the control stick to shake noisily, informing pilots that the plane is about to stall.
“The flight crew disconnected the autopilot and manoeuvred the aircraft in response,” the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said, adding that there was “airframe buffeting”.
New Zealanders evacuated as storm hits:
Hundreds of people in New Zealand were evacuated from some coastal areas on Thursday as the second major storm in just over a week made landfall near the North Island town of Whakatane.
But residents of the nation’s largest city, Auckland, breathed a sigh of relief as the remnants of Cyclone Cook moved past them to the east. Authorities had earlier worried the storm could hit the city and cause major problems.
“It seems Auckland has largely survived ... unscathed,” tweeted Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.
Civil defense authorities said people from about 250 homes in the beach town of Ohope were told they had to evacuate, while other households chose to leave. Authorities had earlier advised people in low elevations on the Coromandel Peninsula to evacuate to higher ground, as large waves were expected to batter the coast.
Holidaymakers left stranded by scam:
The traditional Thai New Year’s holiday has turned out to be anything but fun for more than 1,000 would-be travelers who were stranded at Bangkok’s international airport after their cut-rate tour packages to Japan turned out to be an apparent scam.
Police said hundreds of people lodged complaints after finding themselves at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday with no flight to board. They said they had booked six-day tour packages with WealthEver, better known as a multi-level marketing company.
Victims told Thai television interviewers that they paid 9,730 baht ($280) for a package including airfare and accommodation. One way-fare from Bangkok to Tokyo alone typically costs more than $400.
Amnesty attacks Thai junta ban:
Amnesty International has slammed an unprecedented ban by Thailand’s junta on using the internet to communicate with three trenchant critics of the monarchy, saying authorities had hit new lows in curbing free speech.
The new order makes any online interaction with the trio in the Kingdom — including contacting them, and following or sharing their social media posts — a jailable offence under the Computer Crime Act.
The critics covered by the order are two respected Thai academics Somsak Jeamteerasakul and Pavin Chachavanpongpun, as well as ex-reporter Andrew MacGregor Marshall.
All have extensive online followings, are fierce critics of the military government that has ruled since 2014 and live in self-exile as they would face lese majeste charges inside Thailand for criticising the monarchy.