These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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SingPass transactions doubled in 2020 with more people going digital during Covid-19 pandemic
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of transactions using the SingPass national authentication system, as well as the number of SingPass app users, has increased sharply. Transactions facilitated by SingPass last year doubled to over 170 million, as more people turned to digital transactions during the pandemic, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), which developed the system, said on Thursday (March 4). SingPass is used to access government e-services, including checking Central Provident Fund balances and applying for public housing. It now powers more than 1,400 services offered by over 340 public and private sector organisations. The number of people using the SingPass mobile app also tripled in the past year to 2.5 million, of which over 90 per cent use the app at least once a month. The SingPass app was one of the most downloaded ones here last year, said GovTech. The agency added that SingPass has "played an important role in the fight against Covid-19" and has supported pandemic contact tracing efforts with SafeEntry check-ins through the SingPass app. GovTech gave this update as it launched a new logo for SingPass, a first in the 18 years since the service was introduced in 2003. The SingPass website and app will be updated with the new logo from Sunday. At the heart of this rebranding is delivering an "even better SingPass that offers new features and provides convenient access to a larger range of services", said GovTech. The agency noted that in the last three years, more than 10 features have been added to SingPass. These include the launch of the SingPass app in 2018 and upgrading SingPass to the digital equivalent of the NRIC. This means that, in some cases, the SingPass app can replace the physical NRIC to verify a person's identity, or reduce the need to fill in personal details with forms. – The Straits Times
Entertainment industry ready to roll
Filmmakers and entertainment associations are more than ready to get back to work after the government allowed the creative industry to operate under strict standard operating procedures (SOP). Malaysian Television Producers' Association president Datuk Jurey Latiff Rosli said the move was timely. He urged filmmakers and television producers to take good care of employees, actors and actresses by strictly observing the SOP. "The most important message we tell our members is to regularly sanitise your hands, wear face masks and observe physical distancing. "Information technology allows us to conduct online auditions, which is the new normal for all." Malaysian Film Producers' Association (PFM) president Pansha Nalliah said the move was long awaited. "This great news has come after calls by PFM and other associations in the entertainment industry for the gradual reopening of filming activities." Filmmaker Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba said: "This is the best news I've heard this year. Once again, we can shoot outdoors and across district boundaries whenever possible. All of us have prayed hard for this to happen. "The Movement Control Order (MCO) crippled many film projects. Not being able to shoot indoors and outdoors caused huge losses to all of us. "Now we have to face higher costs because of the long delays. The protocols limit the number of people on set and the work may be slower, but it is better than no activity." Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia president Datuk Freddie Fernandez said while shooting was still not allowed in some areas, he hoped the government would allow it in due course. "Great news. We hope clubs and music venues will open again soon. They have been closed for a year, causing many musicians to be out of work. "Thank goodness busking has been allowed, but then collections from this are pretty low compared with performances in clubs." National Film Development Corporation chairman Zakaria Abdul Hamid urged cinema operators and film production companies to adhere to the SOP during the implementation of the Conditional MCO (CMCO) and Recovery MCO (RMCO) in some areas. He said they must monitor the temperatures of viewers, workers and artistes, disinfect cinema halls and sets, observe strict physical distancing and ensure that everybody wore face masks. "The CMCO and RMCO give us a bit more freedom of movement, but we must never let our guard down. "Everyone must be familiar with the SOP and companies should make sure employees visit the National Security Council website to get a clear picture of what needs to be done." – New Straits Times
Facebook removes military-linked information influencing accounts
Facebook Inc has taken down 185 accounts and groups engaged in an information-influencing operation in Thailand run by the military, the company said on Wednesday, the first time it has removed Thai accounts with ties to the government. The Thailand-based network removed in the latest sweep of "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" on the platform included 77 accounts, 72 pages and 18 groups on Facebook and 18 accounts on Instagram, Facebook said. The company said the accounts were linked to the army and targeted audiences in the southern provinces of Thailand, where conflict has flared on and off for decades as insurgent groups continue a guerrilla war to demand independence. The army spokesman declined to comment when contacted by Reuters, citing a matter of policy not to make comments outside of official news conferences. Some 7,000 people have been killed during the past 15 years as a result of the insurgency in the Malay-speaking, largely Muslim southern region. "This is the first time that we've attributed one of our takedowns to links to the Thai military," Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of Cybersecurity Policy, told Reuters in a briefing. "We found clear links between this operation and the Internal Security Operations Command. We can see that all of these accounts and groups are tied together as part of this operation." The network, mainly active in 2020, used both fake accounts and authentic ones to manage groups and pages, including overt military pages and those that did not disclose their affiliations with the military, Gleicher said. Some of the fake accounts posed as individuals from the southern provinces, Mr Gleicher said, adding that the network had spent about US$350 on Facebook and Instagram advertisements. Some 700,000 accounts followed one or more of the pages and about 100,000 accounts joined at least one of the groups, he added. Mr Gleicher said Facebook took action on the network based on deceptive behaviour and not the content posted, which included support for the military and the monarchy, and allegations of violence and criticism of insurgent groups in southern Thailand. The move was Facebook's second takedown of information-influencing operations in Thailand, after one in 2019 involving 12 accounts and 10 pages that used "fictitious personas". In October, Twitter Inc also took down 926 accounts it said were linked to the army that promoted pro-army and pro-government content. The army denied it was behind the accounts. – Bangkok Post
AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX facility on the way to PH – Galvez
Some 487,200 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines donated from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility are now on their way to the Philippines from Belgium, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday. Galvez said the vaccines are expected to arrive in the country on Thursday night. “We have information na lumipad na po yung eroplano and we’re confirming that it will arrive at 7:30 p.m.,” Galvez said in an interview over CNN Philippines. “Ang pagkakaalam namin is from their Belgium warehouse,” he said when asked where the AstraZeneca vaccines will be coming from. Galvez said there will be a ceremony for the arrival of the vaccines with President Rodrigo Duterte in attendance. At least 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines were supposed to arrive in the Philippines on Monday, March 1, but were delayed due to “supply problems.” Asked as to why the number of the AstraZeneca vaccine doses was reduced, Galvez explained it was because of cargo limitations as the vaccines will be delivered using a commercial flight. “Meron tinatawag na mga packaging requirements and this is a commercial airline, kasama po may mga pasahero po ito so may restriction po tayo sa baggage…Considering na commercial, nagkaroon po siguro ng limitations sa cargo,” he said. – INQUIRER.net
Lockdown lifted in Chí Linh City and Cẩm Giàng Distric
From midnight on March 3, the coronavirus lockdowns in Chí Linh City and Cẩm Giàng District in the northern province of Hải Dương were lifted and province-wide social distancing ended after 15 days. On January 27, the first community COVID-19 case in Hải Dương Province’s Chí Linh City was detected – Patient 1,552 – a worker in close contact with a woman who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after arriving in Japan. According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Chí Linh City was the largest outbreak in the country since the pandemic began early last year with 383 confirmed cases out of 684 cases reported in Hải Dương Province. The outbreak started at a company with more than 2,300 workers and then spread to the community, which caused difficulties in controlling the infections. As the outbreak was gradually controlled, Hải Dương Province authorities decided to end the lockdowns and province-wide social distancing, entering a “new normal” phase with twin tasks of drastically fighting the coronavirus and taking action for socio-economic development. At the moments when lockdown barriers were removed at Sao Đỏ Square in Chí Linh City, local officials, people working on the frontlines and residents expressed excitement and happiness. Vice head of Bến Tăm Ward’s Police Vũ Văn Tú said that he worked at Sao Đỏ Square's COVID-19 checkpoint since January 27. “As the city is no longer under lockdown, we are very happy because it proved that we beat COVID-19,” he said, adding that work and production could resume. Doctor Nguyễn Thị Hằng from Chí Linh City Healthcare C entre’s Diseases Control Department said that like many people, she felt the lockdown-lifting moment was like New Year’s Eve when people usually think of a better beginning. “For over 20 years working in the healthcare sector, the past month is the first time I worked under such high pressure. We usually skipped meals or ate during short breaks as many COVID-19 cases and their close contacts were reported,” Hằng said. She added that her workload gradually fell over the last 10 days. Secretary of Hải Dương Province Party Committee Phạm Xuân Thăng applauded efforts made by authorities, health experts and people in fighting the pandemic, particularly contributions of people on the front lines. Besides lifting the lockdown in Chí Linh City and Cẩm Giàng District and the end of province-wide social distancing, the Hải Dương Province People’s Committee on Tuesday decided to divide the localities in the province into two groups under different restrictions depending on the COVID-19 risks. Until March 17, four high-risk localities, including Hải Dương City, Kinh Môn township, Cẩm Giàng District and Kim Thành, will be placed under the Government’s Directive 15, the highest level of social distancing first introduced in March last year when the country entered nationwide lockdown. The directive prescribes limiting large gatherings, meetings with over 20 people in-doors or 10 people outdoors, maintaining two metres distance between individuals in public places, non-essential services are shut down, public passenger transport is halted, and travel is heavily restricted. The remaining eight localities in the province will follow the less restrictive Government’s Directive 19 on social distancing norms. – Viet Nam News
New Feb 20 incident twist: Two Vietnamese women found infected at border
The February 28 Community Incident has taken a new twist after two Vietnamese women linked to it, tested positive for COVID-19 after being stopped while trying to return to their country at the border in Svay Rieng province. The provincial administration said in a press release yesterday that the women, aged 27 and 28, had been stopped by immigration police at the Bavet International Border Checkpoint on February 28, after having travelled from Phnom Penh to Bavet City in the province. It said samples were taken on February 28 and sent to the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh for COVID-19 testing. The results came back positive on Tuesday. In the press release, the administration did not provide details of how the two women were linked to the February 20 incident but local media reported that they had stayed in Star Diamond Apartments in Phnom Penh which is among 77 hotspots identified so far in the capital. The apartments were identified as a hotspot and locked down on February 28, a day after the women had left for Bavet City. The press release said the duo arrived from Phnom Penh in a taxi, with licence plate Phnom Penh 2AC-4048, to Bavet City at 8.30pm on February 27. It said the two women then stayed overnight at the Heng Heng Sereyroth Hotel in Bavet commune and attempted to return to Vietnam through the border checkpoint on February 28 morning. The administration said the women did not have COVID-19 clearance certificates and border authorities called in the provincial health department’s emergency response team for their samples to be taken for testing. Both women are now being treated at the Svay Chrum District Referral Hospital. The provincial administration has decided to temporarily lock down the Heng Heng Sereyroth Hotel. Samples have been taken from the owner, staff and guests for testing and they are quarantined in the hotel. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 into the community, the Svay Rieng Provincial Administration has appealed to those involved or who know that they have been in contact with the two Vietnamese women from February 27 to be honest and come forward for COVID-19 testing at the health centre in Bavet City, or call 088 63 42 700 for information. – Khmer Times
UN should invoke R2P to support arms embargo, sanctions against military – expert
The United Nations should heed calls from protesters in Myanmar to invoke Responsibility to Protect, but that will not and should not include military intervention, a top international legal expert has said. Chris Sidoti, a former member of an independent UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar, said the doctrine, also known as R2P, should be used to support actions against the Myanmar military such as a global arms embargo, targeted sanctions, and rights monitoring missions. But he cautioned against a belief, expressed by some since the military seized power on February 1, that invoking R2P could mean some form of military intervention to protect people, including unarmed protesters from being gunned down by police and soldiers. “Are the people calling for R2P wanting military intervention? If so, they are bound to be deeply disappointed,” Sidoti told Myanmar Now. “It won’t happen. It didn’t happen in 2017 to protect... Rohingya being hunted, expelled, raped and killed and I can’t see how a decision would be taken to intervene now.” “I don’t want to see Myanmar go the way of Afghanistan and Iraq anyway,” he added. Sidoti is part of a new three-member Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, an independent body formed to help provide international support to the democratic uprising. Its other two members are Yanghee Lee, the former UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, and Marzuki Darusman, who chaired the fact-finding mission that Sidoti was a member of. R2P was developed in response to mass atrocities committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and adopted at the UN World Summit in 2005. It was invoked by the UN Security Council to justify controversial NATO-led airstrikes in Libya in 2011, which rights groups said killed scores of civilians and may have involved attacks on non-military targets. Many protesters in Myanmar have in recent weeks implored the UN to act, with one popular slogan asking “how many dead bodies” the organisation needed to take action. But there has been little co-ordinated messaging from within the movement about what such action would mean in practice, and observers have cautioned that protesters may be wasting time and energy calling for interventions that foreign entities cannot or will not deliver. UN officials, along with countries including the US and UK, have vowed that the military will be held accountable for its crimes - but have also failed to outline how that might happen. Sidoti said that invoking R2P would be “largely symbolic rather than practical” and that sanctions, embargoes and monitoring exercises are all actions that could be taken without appealing to the doctrine. “Nonetheless, R2P does raise all those other possible actions... so invoking it could still be very useful and effective.” he said. “Just don’t expect to see blue helmets or green helmets or any other foreign helmets on the streets of Yangon any time soon.” – Myanmar NOW
Five hectares of marijuana plantation in North Aceh destroyed
A joint team of personnel from the police, military, National Narcotics Agency (BNN), and North Aceh district administration burnt five hectares of marijuana plantation to the ground in Jurong village, Sawang sub-district on Wednesday. During the law enforcement operation, local police arrested a man, identified by his initials as M, who is suspected of owning the marijuana plantation. Meanwhile, another suspect, identified as F, escaped. According to Lhokeumawe Police chief, Adjunct Sen.Coms. Eko Hartanto, there were some 15 thousand marijuana plants in the area, which was located on the slope of a hill and could only be reached on foot. The marijuana plants suspected to have been planted by M two months ago were uprooted and burnt, he said. If found guilty, the suspect could face life imprisonment, he added. Police will continue to crack down on drug offenders in North Aceh district by collaborating with the local military and BNN officers, Hartanto said. "We urge our community members to help us fight against drugs by informing us if they find marijuana plantations inside the administrative areas of Lhokseumawe police precinct," he added. Aceh is among the Indonesian provinces that remain vulnerable to drug crimes. On October 22, 2020, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN)-Aceh Office had destroyed 3.5 hectares of marijuana plantation on a mountain slope in Lamteuba area of Aceh Besar district. Assisted by local police and military personnel, scores of BNN officers had uprooted thousands of cannabis plants cultivated on a damaged forest site and burned them down. BNN-Aceh Office head Heru Pranoto said destroying the marijuana plantation on one of Mount Seulawah’s slopes was part of the Aceh law enforcement agencies' war on drugs. "Our common mission will never end. We will keep searching for other marijuana plantations. BNN officers have repeatedly destroyed cannabis cultivated in Aceh over this past year," he remarked. Local residents' participation in the war against drugs and the information provided by them has helped BNN officers detect and destroy marijuana plantations, which are mainly located in isolated areas, he added. Marijuana is just one of the illicit drugs that drug traffickers in Aceh have routinely transported to other Indonesian provinces, said police. There have also been attempts to smuggle crystal methamphetamine into Aceh from Malaysia for trade inside and outside the province, officials said. – AntaraNews.Com