These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Republic Polytechnic student given probation for taking upskirt videos, clips of women in toilet
An information technology student from Republic Polytechnic (RP) was stationed at Jurong Medical Centre during his internship when he recorded videos of multiple women in a toilet. Gerald Che Hong Yao, now 21, also recorded upskirt videos of women in other places including lifts or while they were on escalators. The Singaporean was sentenced to two years' probation on Tuesday (July 27) after he pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism. He has to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day and perform 60 hours of community service. His parents were bonded for $5,000 to ensure his good behaviour and he has been banned from owning a mobile phone with video-recording or photo-taking functions. Che told the court on Tuesday that he has been suspended from school. In an earlier statement, the polytechnic told The Straits Times that it takes a "strong view against sexual misconduct" and will not hesitate to mete out disciplinary action. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Stephanie Chew said that in September last year, Che began his internship at National University Hospital as an IT support employee. Then in January, he was stationed at Jurong Medical Centre. On multiple occasions between Jan 4 and 11, he loitered along a corridor outside a female toilet. The DPP said he followed the victims into the toilet and entered a cubicle adjacent to theirs. "The accused would switch on the video-recording mode and lift his mobile phone above the cubicle divider to film the (victims easing themselves)." Che was caught after a victim spotted his mobile phone on Jan 11. She came out of her cubicle but did not see anyone else in the restroom as Che had managed to flee the scene. The 28-year-old woman lodged a police report that day, and officers arrested Che the next day. Separately, the court heard that on nine occasions last year, Che recorded multiple upskirt videos in various locations island wide. DPP Chew said: "The accused admits that he began taking a variety of obscene videos in 2016 at different places including MRT stations, buses and shopping malls. He also stated that he took two upskirt videos at the escalator in his school... He did not circulate the videos further." For each count of voyeurism, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned. – The Straits Times
Heidy Quah charged with making offensive Facebook post
Refugee rights activist Heidy Quah Gaik Li has claimed trial to making a Facebook posting on alleged mistreatment of refugees at the Immigration detention centre in Putrajaya. The 27-year-old who founded Refuge for the Refugees, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), entered the not guilty plea before Sessions Court Judge M. M Edwin Paramjothy today. According to the charge sheet, Quah had through her Facebook page under the name 'Heidy Quah' made an offensive posting with intent to insult others at about 5.30am on June 5, last year. The posting was later read at the Immigration detention depot's management division office at the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya at about 3.30pm on June 10, 2020. The charge under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both. Deputy public prosecutor Noor Dayana Mohamad proposed a RM7,000 bail to be imposed on the accused. However, counsel New Sin Yew who represented Quah pleaded for a lower bail saying that his client is an activist and founder of the NGO that has been around for almost 10 years. He added that Quah had received many awards for her humanitarian works, including the Woman of the Future award. "I submit that to impose bail at RM7,000 is excessive. I humbly pray for a lesser amount to be imposed which is a sum of RM2,000," New said. The court then allowed RM2,000 bail in one surety and fixed Sept 6 for mention. – New Straits Times
Malls plead to deliver food
A proposal to allow eateries and restaurants in department stores and shopping malls to sell food via online delivery platforms will be presented for approval by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Taisaranakul said that the Public Health Ministry had already discussed the matter with the CCSA and will put forward the proposal shortly. The government is aware of the plight of eatery and restaurant operators affected by the latest round of restrictions from July 20, she said on Monday. Among them was the renewed shuttering of restaurants and eateries in shopping malls. Under the plan, staff and employees must follow all relevant hygiene procedures, and commute on special "sealed routes", she said. Orders will not be available for collection and must be made via online delivery platforms, she said. Department stores and shopping malls can also arrange pick-up points, which must be well-ventilated aside from all other prevention measures. Previously, a food service consulting company slammed the government's latest restrictions which have hit establishments in shopping centres particularly hard. Last Wednesday, Restaurants' True Friend posted an open letter to the government on Facebook, crying foul over the restriction imposed in 13 red-zone provinces. Only supermarkets, pharmacies and vaccination centres in shopping malls have been allowed to remain open, while all other businesses have had to shut. This has resulted in thousands of employees losing their jobs and compensation from the Social Security Fund is not enough to cover their expenses, the consultancy said. Meanwhile, Thailand logged a record 15,376 new cases and 87 fatalities over the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday, taking the country's accumulated caseload past half a million. Of the 15,376 new cases, 14,335 were in the general population and 1,041 among prison inmates. – Bangkok Post
OCTA: PH needs ‘circuit-breaking’ lockdowns now amid Delta variant
The government should immediately impose “anticipatory, preventive and circuit-breaking lockdowns” to stem the imminent spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant that could cause surges of the severe respiratory illness, OCTA research group said Tuesday. Fellow OCTA researcher Ranjit Rye, noting that Metro Manila is “officially in a surge,” said that the lockdowns should be imposed while the number of cases is still not as high to prevent more infections, deaths, and longer lockdowns in the future. “We should go early and go hard. Ibig sabihin, mayroon tayong [Meaning, we have] anticipatory, preventive, circuit-breaking lockdowns,” he said in an interview over a televised public briefing. “Tingin namin kung gagawin ito over the next two weeks, hindi lang natin mapapababa ‘yung mga kaso, hindi lang natin mapapababa ‘yung mahahawa at mamamatay, mase-save pa natin ang economy kasi napakaikli ng lockdown na gagawin natin,” he said. (We think that if we do it for over the next two weeks, we will not only decrease the number of infections and deaths, we could also save the economy because the lockdown will only be for a short period of time.) He warned that the government should be proactive in dealing with the Delta variant because if this spreads, the government would “lose effective control of the epidemic.” He asked the government to consider OCTA’s recommendation as the research group is set to release a report on Wednesday on the projections of COVID-19 cases for the next two weeks. “Ayaw lang namin mangyari ang nangyari sa Indonesia, India, Thailand na sumabog ‘yung mga kaso, delayed, too little too late ang response ng lahat,” he added. (We just do not want to experience what happened to Indonesia, India, Thailand where the cases were blown out of proportion, the response was delayed, too little too late.) At present, the Philippines has a total of 119 Delta variant cases, including 78 local cases. The DOH earlier confirmed that there is local transmission of the variant in the country. – INQUIRER.net
7,859 new COVID-19 infections found on Monday
The number of COVID-19 infection cases in Viet Nam has risen again with 7,882 new cases on Monday, the Ministry of Health has announced. Of the new infections, 7,859 were community transmissions and 23 were from arrivals from overseas. The total number of infections has reached more than 106,340 nationwide. HCM City still remains the locality with the highest number of infections with 5,997, followed by Binh Duong Province with 733 cases, Dong Nai (259), Tien Giang (201) and Dong Thap (135). Ha Noi has recorded 81 cases – the highest since the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections began. A significant number were part of a new cluster found at Ha Noi Lung Hospital. Dozens of cases were also detected in other localities such as Da Nang (61), Vinh Long 49), Binh Thuan (48), Phu Yen (46), Can Tho (43), Ben Tre (37), Dak Lak (29), Binh Dinh (27), An Giang (25), Tra Vinh (13), Khanh Hoa (12), Vinh Phuc (10), Lam Dong (9), Quang Nam (8 ), Hau Giang (7), Ninh Thuan (7), Dak Nong (6), Quang Ngai (4), Gia Lai (3), Bac Lieu (2), Nghe An (2), Hung Yen (1), Tuyen Quang (1), Ca Mau (1), Hoa Binh (1), and Thua Thien-Hue (1). Seven localities have now gone 14 days without any new community infections, including Yen Bai, Quang Tri, Thai Nguyen, Dien Bien, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, and Bac Kan. As many as 2,006 patients were given the all-clear on Monday. Currently, 126 are in Intensive Care Units and 15 other cases are being treated with ECMO. A total 4,613,491 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered with 389,863 people receiving both shots. – Viet Nam News
‘Kingdom to reopen no earlier than November’ say sources
Cambodia will probably reopen between November and early next year, according to sources familiar with the matter. Having already successfully executed what some consider to be one of the most successful vaccination efforts in the world with official figures stating that more than 100 percent of the capital’s population has been inoculated, the government is now working towards achieving similar results in the rest of the country. “The government is prioritising safety over the economy,” an individual familiar with the matter told Khmer Times under the condition of anonymity. “The problem is that, without tourism, the economy is going to dry up because locals do not have the same money as people coming in from outside the country.” The source stressed that while the government is optimistically eying a reopening by November, a more reasonable expectation is for some time in December or early 2022. Some members of the business community – particularly those in the hospitality sector – however, have stressed that Phnom Penh is able to leverage its strong vaccination record to institute small travel bubbles or at least ease quarantine for vaccinated individuals. “We have done such a great job of vaccinating everyone in Phnom Penh and I hope that people understand that there should be a payoff for that,” a leading hotelier told Khmer Times under the condition of anonymity. “Small businesses have already closed down and those that remain open do not see a path ahead. It’s time for a proper reopening plan that broadly includes Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, otherwise you have to wonder what the point of it all was.” Official Health Ministry figures indicate that more than 100 percent of the capital has been vaccinated, leaving some to speculate that Phnom Penh is the ideal location for the country’s first travel bubble. The Kingdom has employed what some experts refer to as a zero-Covid policy. “A zero-Covid approach has… had economic benefits so far. Keeping caseloads to a consistently minimal level has allowed governments to move more decisively away from stringent social restrictions, boosting the confidence of consumers and providing certainty to businesses. Domestic tourism spending, where possible, has surged, helping to cushion the loss of revenue from international arrivals. Factories have remained open, allowing them to cater to global demand,” the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said in a recent white paper. However, the Kingdom has not seen the same economic benefits as other countries that have instituted the policy. Consumer confidence has slipped, domestic tourism has not made up for the loss in international visitors, factories were closed for a substantial period of time before and after April’s lockdowns and were only allowed to reopen after certain vaccination thresholds were met. Cambodia has already undergone a period of curfews, extended lockdowns and has urged the public to scan quick response codes to help trace Coronavirus cases. The government has announced it would temporarily close borders with neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam. The Kingdom also requires that incoming travellers spend two weeks supervised in quarantine facilities – meeting the criteria for the EIU’s definition of zero-Covid policies. Galliano said the government “has executed one of the best pandemic containment strategies, in parallel with the one of the most globally expeditious vaccination programmes, an absolute unique success story in minimisation of deaths, ensuring population safety and preparation as a first starter to reopen. Although the Kingdom may be in an excellent position to reopen, surrounding neighbours and most of ASEAN are not.” – Khmer Times
More than 4,000 released as Covid-19 cases surge in Myanmar’s prisons
Nearly 4,300 people have been released from Myanmar’s prisons since last week amid a surge in Covid-19 cases among inmates and unrest over a lack of access to healthcare. State media reported on Sunday that a total of 4,297 detainees have been released since the junta announced plans to free certain categories of prisoners as a measure to limit the spread of Covid-19 in the country’s detention centres. According to the report, a total of 566 prisoners have contracted the disease since the start of the third wave of infections earlier this month, up from 375 cases less than a week ago. Of those who were infected while behind bars, nine have died, the report added. No further details were provided. Most observers say the number of infections and deaths is likely far higher than the official figures indicate. According to Sunday’s report, more than a third of the releases have been from Yangon’s Insein Prison, which freed 1,651 prisoners as part of the junta’s scheme to reduce the rate of transmission among prisoners. Notably absent from the ranks of those so far released are most of the more than 5,300 people currently being held for opposing the February 1 military coup. Among those who contracted Covid-19 while in prison was Nyan Win, a senior executive member of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD), who died on July 20 after being transferred to Yangon General Hospital for treatment. Despite testing positive for Covid-19 after developing symptoms of the disease, the regime reported that his death was caused by underlying health conditions. A number of other prominent political prisoners have also been transferred to Yangon General Hospital on suspicion of having contracted Covid-19, according to Tun Kyi of the Former Political Prisoners Society. Among them, he said, are Shwe Nya Wah Sayadaw, a high-profile monk and outspoken critic of the military, student activist Min Thway Thit, NLD legal advisor Kyaw Ho, and NLD executive member Hanthar Myint. Despite the high rate of infection in prisons, no efforts have been made to ensure that released prisoners are free of Covid-19, according to some of those who were allowed to leave. “They checked their list about three times, and then they just let us go,” said one ex-prisoner who was facing drug-related charges. “They didn’t even take our temperatures. We just walked out to meet our families waiting for us at the gate. Everyone was wearing masks, though,” he added. A relative of the released prisoner said that the lack of precautions showed that the regime wasn’t serious about protecting prisoners or the public from Covid-19. “If they were really trying hard to contain the pandemic, they would have tested the prisoners who were about to be released and thought about transportation and how to isolate them from other people,” the relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity. – Myanmar NOW
Minister presses for vaccine distribution rather than stockpiling
Regional governments should maximise the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in their regions instead of stockpiling them, according to Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy. "All existing stocks allocated for the first phase of the vaccination drive should be distributed in their entirety as ordered by the president," Minister Effendy remarked during a visit to the Sepinggan Baru public health centre (Puskesmas) here on Monday. The minister also noted that in spite of two vaccine doses mandated for recipients of the Sinovac vaccine within a 14-day interval for maximum efficacy, the first jab for the recipients is sufficient for the near future whilst awaiting the second vaccine shot. Effendy said that no vaccines should be stockpiled for the second phase, as new vaccines allocated for that phase would soon be available. Apart from visiting Sepinggan Baru Puskesmas, the minister also paid a visit to the Balikpapan Municipal Pharmacy and Health Supply Installation office where COVID-19 vaccines and medicines for the city are stored. "We have already administered the first vaccines for 21.3 percent of Balikpapan’s residents, and 10 percent of the residents have already taken their second vaccine jabs," Balikpapan Health Office Head Dr Andi Sri Juliarty revealed. Juliarty called to expedite vaccination drives in the city with the available support from the military and the police doctors as well as other competent institutions. "The speed of vaccination depends on vaccine supplies, and as of Wednesday, tomorrow (July 27), the entire vaccine stocks stored at the Health Supply Installation office would be exhausted for a vaccination drive in the Dome (Balikpapan Sport and Convention Centre) for 610 residents," Juliarty said. A request for the central government to supply new medicines would be made by the coordinating minister after observing the remaining stock of Oseltamivir medicine of only 80 tablets and the remaining stock of Fapiravir of only 300 tablets. Juliarty noted that the antiviral medicines and vitamins are essential for treating COVID-19 patients with various symptoms, especially asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic ones that are self-isolating at their homes. – AntaraNews.Com