These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Most students with Covid-19 linked to private tutor, no evidence of school-based transmission
There is no evidence of school-based Covid-19 transmissions so far, even as a few new infections among students will be reported, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong. The infections reported so far all took place outside of school but even so, safe management measures in schools have been tightened, said Mr Wong, who is the co-chair of a Covid-19 multi-ministry task force. "But we will continue to monitor this very closely and see if additional measures are necessary," he said at a press briefing on Friday (May 14). Principals and teachers have been reminded to be alert and vigilant, to make sure that students who are in schools can continue learning safely, he added. Most students who were reported to have tested positive recently are linked to a tutor in a private tuition school, said the Health Ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak. Prof Mak said MOH will report later on Friday that a few students in schools have tested positive. He said at the press conference: "At this point in time, epidemiological investigations are still ongoing, but most of these students are in fact linked to one of our cases reported yesterday, Case 63131." He added that the students were picked up as a result of epidemiological investigations and testing while they were under quarantine. Earlier on Friday, it was reported that more schools will move to full home-based learning after pupils tested positive for Covid-19. Two pupils each from Kong Hwa School and St Stephen's School have been confirmed to have Covid-19 infection, according to notices seen by The Straits Times. This was after it was announced on Thursday that a Yio Chu Kang Primary pupil was among 24 new community cases. These schools bring the total number of schools affected by the recent surge in Covid-19 community cases in the past two weeks to at least five. – The Straits Times
'Fat Leonard's' sentencing deferred
A Malaysian maritime and defence contractor who landed in trouble with the law in the United States has had his sentencing deferred by six months. Leonard Glenn Francis, 57, known as "Fat Leonard", is the chief executive, president and chairman of his Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA). He was supposed to have been sentenced on March 26 for allegedly defrauding the United States Navy's Pacific Seventh Fleet of almost US$35 million. It is, perhaps, the biggest bribery scandal that rocked the US Navy with dozens of top brass, including several admirals, charged for being implicated in the case. It has been brought to the New Straits Times' attention that according to court dockets, Leonard's case was rescheduled for Sept 24 in San Diego, California. The NST learnt that Leonard, who reportedly had become a prime prosecution witness, has had his sentencing before US district court judge Jannis L. Sammartino, rescheduled multiple times. Prosecutors told the court that Francis had cooperated with investigators but was stricken with renal cancer and needed medical care. Francis is on a medical furlough (humanitarian parole or compassionate release) in a San Diego rented apartment in California under tight security and surveillance by US authorities, after having served five years imprisonment. In January 2015, Francis pleaded guilty to bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States. However, as part of a plea bargain, Sammartino agreed to forfeit "not less than" US$35 million but she will determine the final and full amount of forfeiture when Francis is eventually sentenced/ Subsequently, he was reportedly released from federal prison in Dec 2017 to seek medical treatment at a hospital. GDMA owned Glenn Marine Logistics Base and Glenn Ports and Cruise Terminals; and at one time also owned the Port Klang Cruise Centre (PKCC) Sdn Bhd in Pulau Indah. However, PKCC was later bought over by Boustead Holdings Berhad in 2014, which in turn was acquired by Westport Holdings Bhd and Klang Port Management Sdn Bhd in March this year. Francis is also known in naval and maritime circles as "Lion King" and "Big Bro" for his towering 1.8m tall and 158kg frame. – New Straits Times
Factories failing to enforce Covid controls
The Department of Disease Control is asking factory owners to strictly comply with disease control measures, warning that many plants with hundreds of workers fail to do so and risk spreading Covid-19. Director-general Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai said on Friday that 1,386 factories had been surveyed through the Thai Stop Covid Plus platform as of Tuesday. The survey found that 1,056, or 76%, of them complied with disease control measures, but the remaining 330 (24%) failed to do so. There were 250 Covid-19 cases at five factories in Samut Prakan, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Nonthaburi provinces. Most of them employed more than 500 workers, their workplaces were poorly ventilated and there was more than one person per four square metres of space, Dr Suwannachai said. Covid-19 spread mainly at factories where employees did not have their health checked each day before work. Workers also partied and shared cups of water and their dormitories did not comply with disease control measures set by the Public Health Ministry, he said. – Bangkok Post
Solon pushes for vaccination of PUV drivers, light rail personnel in NCR Plus
A partylist lawmaker is pushing for the priority vaccination of all bus and jeepney drivers as well as Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus area. BHW Partylist Rep. Angelica Natasha Co made the suggestion after the NCR Plus area was placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions.” “For this GCQ with heightened restrictions in NCR+ to work, the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) would be wise to adopt any or all of the following suggested measures – first, vaccinate in May and June all NCR+ bus drivers, jeepney drivers, and personnel at the MRT and LRT,” Co said in a statement. “Vaccinate also all bus terminal personnel and frequently disinfect the NCR and provincial buses, as well as personnel at the seaports in Manila and Batangas,” she added. Co likewise suggested that workplaces with personnel who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 must voluntarily lockdown for one to two days for disinfection or decontamination. “Workplaces with COVID positive are strongly urged to please cooperate. If they refuse to cooperate, then the local mayor and the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) should place that workplace under forced lockdown,” Co said. Further, Co said the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) must deploy more ambulances to cities and towns without the need for requests from mayors. According to the lawmaker, the decision to place Metro Manila under GCQ is “disappointing”, saying that the current situation in the NCR Plus region is Labour “much worse” than the scenario in May to July last year. On Thursday night, the Palace said the NCR Plus area – which covers Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna – will be downgraded to GCQ starting May 15 until May 30. – INQUIRER.net
1.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX to arrive in Viet Nam on May 16: Health minister
Almost 1.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX scheme are expected to arrive in Viet Nam on Sunday, health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Thursday. The health chief said that the vaccine, supplied by the global vaccine sharing initiative COVAX Facility and delivered by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), will be distributed to all agencies and localities to speed up the national vaccination drive, especially for priority groups. This is the second batch from COVAX in addition to the shipment of 811,200 doses of AstraZeneca that arrived on April 1. UNICEF states that a firm commitment could only be given within 24 hours prior to the shipment arriving, but the Sunday delivery schedule this time looks to be certain so far, according to UNICEF representative. The health ministry has been working to facilitate negotiations and access different sources of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as implementing measures to ensure safe inoculations in the rollout of the biggest vaccination drive the country has ever done, Long said. As of May 13, 62 localities nationwide have completed their vaccination plans with more than 942,030 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine administered mostly for frontline workers and people involved in COVID-19 prevention and control activities as well as military and public security officers, according to the Thursday morning report from the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation. On Thursday, spokesperson for the foreign ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said Viet Nam hopes countries will waive COVID-19 vaccine patents so greater access to vaccines can be achieved, adding that Viet Nam is seeking to diversify its vaccine supplies in addition to domestically made COVID-19 vaccines that are still in clinical trials. In one week starting Thursday, 1,500 employees of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, mostly those that frequently come into contact with passengers and ground services staff, will receive shots. Each day, about 250 people will be administered the vaccine at the inoculation centre of the National Children’s Hospital. Nearly 800 staff of Vietnam Airlines Group working at Tan Son Nhat and Vinh international airports have already been given the jabs. Viet Nam has documented 2,234 domestically-transmitted COVID-19 infections and 1,445 imported cases as of Thursday noon. As many as 664 new cases were recorded since the so-called fourth wave of infections hit the nation on April 27. – Viet Nam News
Busted, another human trafficking ring smuggling Cambodian workers to Thailand illegally by Thai soldiers
Cambodian authorities stationed at the border between Banteay Meanchey and Sa Kaeo provinces, Thailand, said that Thai authorities have arrested six Cambodian workers and a Thai broker while they were illegally crossing the border. Thai authorities have built a case to send to court. The Cambodian side asked these people to return to Cambodia, but the Thai side did not allow them to comply. The incident happened at 3 pm on May 12 when Thai police detained the six workers, including three women who had been smuggled into Thai territory at the checkpoint, according to the 807th Border Guard Battalion No. 3 located in Soun Sam village, Thap Thai commune, Tapraya district, Sa Kaeo province, opposite Tbeng temple post geography, Prasat Tbeng village, Banteay Chhmar commune, Thmor Puok district, Banteay Meanchey province. The same source also confirmed that the of six workers five are from Siem Reap and one is from Banteay Meanchey. In connection with the arrest of the six, the Cambodian-Thai border labour relations team contacted the above people to return to Cambodia, but the Thai side did not allow the request of the Cambodian side. According to the Thai authorities, they searched and found a Thai broker and built a case to be sent to trial for all seven in Thai courts. – Khmer Times
Junta arrests two former NLD candidates from Rakhine State
Junta forces arrested two former National League for Democracy (NLD) candidates from Rakhine State in Yangon on Wednesday. Ni Ni May Myint, an incumbent lower house NLD candidate for Rakhine’s Taungup Township in last year’s election, and Chit Chit Chaw, who ran for an upper house seat in the same constituency, had both been in hiding since the February 1 coup. Ni Ni May Myint had returned to her home in Hlaing Township three days ago, and then moved to another location, according to her husband Lynn Naing. He said that all he knew about the circumstances of his wife’s arrest is that she was with their four-year-old daughter when she was taken into custody. “I was told that the police brought my daughter to my wife's sister’s house at around 5:30pm. That's all I know,” he told Myanmar Now, explaining that he and his wife have lived apart since she went into hiding. “I don't know where she was arrested, either,” he added. May Thi, the mother of Chit Chit Chaw, also said that she had few details about her 33-year-old daughter’s arrest, except that it took place at a house in Yangon’s Kamayut Township. “We were staying at separate places. I only found out about the arrests when the news appeared online,” she said, noting that the regime has disclosed no information about where the women are being held. “I want to know where they are being detained, at least,” she added. The pair had previously been held captive for 79 days after being kidnapped, along with Min Aung, a sitting NLD MP, by the Arakan Army (AA) in Taungup while campaigning for last year’s November 8 election. All three were released on January 1 following negotiations between the Myanmar military and the AA. Min Aung, who led an anti-coup protest in Taungup when the military seized power a month later, has been detained since February 9. First the AA arrested them, and now the army has arrested them. They were not making any trouble for anybody. They [the military and the AA] arrested them just because they wanted to,” said Lynn Naing. NLD central executive committee member Ba Myo Thein, the party’s Rakhine State vice-chair Soe Lay, and Moe Hsan Suu Kyi, the daughter of former Rakhine State chief minister Nyi Pu, have also been arrested by the junta in recent days. The junta has arrested several thousand opposition voices since the coup, including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and many of her party leaders, including president Win Myint, pro-democracy activists, celebrities, and anti-coup protesters. Nearly 4,000 people remain in detention, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. – Myanmar NOW
Be wary of Chinese warships entering Indonesian waters: MP
House member Sukamta reminded the government, particularly the Defense Ministry, Defense Forces (TNI), Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), and related stakeholders, to be wary of the intentions of Chinese warships trespassing into Indonesian waters lately. Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission I member Sukamta drew attention to several relevant incidents pertaining to Indonesian maritime security and data owing to which vigilance must be stepped up in any situation. "On several occasions, we have found sea gliders allegedly belonging to China, entering without permission. It is suspected that they collected data on the Indonesian sea. These are only a few that have been caught, while they could be more that we are unaware of," Sukamta cautioned here on Wednesday. The DPR RI Commission I member gauged that every foreign military movement must be closely monitored, including during humanitarian operations, such as the Chinese Navy’s assistance to Indonesia to lift up the sunken KRI Nanggala-402 submarine. Sukamta cited two ships belonging to China – Xing Dao-863 and Ocean Tug Nantuo-185 –as examples of being appropriate in joining the rescue and lifting operations for the ill-fated Nanggala-402. However, the Scientific Salvage Tan Suo 2 ship is a scientific research vessel operating under the Institute of Science and Engineering of the Deep Sea of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, so a close watch must be kept out for it, according to Sukamta. "The ship can conduct dual tasks of helping to lift Nanggala 402 as well as collect data about the Indonesian sea," he pointed out. Sukamta also drew attention to the joint naval warship exercise between the Indonesian Navy and the Chinese Navy. The member highlighted the importance of joint exercises to bolster mutual understanding and communication between countries, though inquisitorial whether the warship exercise would provide understanding when each party is later tasked with guarding the country's maritime borders. "Or will this exercise open up opportunities for collecting data about the sea and the strength of the Indonesian Navy's defense equipment?" he remarked. Moreover, Sukamta noted that in the last few weeks, Chinese warships had arrived in Indonesia amid tense relations between China and the United States and its ally, Australia, of course having political interests. Sukamta noted that doubts loomed large over whether an Australian ship intending to help the Nanggala 402, had deliberately left the operation early as it wanted to avoid direct confrontation or feared that the data on Australia’s warship would be exposed. – AntaraNews.Com