These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
Hong Kong quietly widens national security law with subtle shift
Hong Kong has quietly broadened the language it uses to describe national security violations, a shift lawyers said could expand the reach of a government crackdown on dissent in the Asian financial hub.
The city authorities have begun using the phrase "contrary to the interests of national security" in recent weeks to define new red lines in the entertainment industry and the tax code.
Previously, officials had warned more specifically against anything that might "endanger national security". The latter term appears 31 times in the full text of the security law, while the "contrary to" phrasing is absent.
That subtle shift could increase compliance risks for companies operating in Hong Kong, especially in sectors like technology and media that frequently bump up against political issues.
Under the broader term, more people, groups and firms could be accused of security violations for espousing values that run contrary to the government's stated interests. - Straits Times
LK4C: Political parties need to be 'more appealing' to younger generation
Lawyer Kamek for Change (LK4C) welcomes the government's move not to appeal the court's decision for the Election Commission (EC) and government to implement Undi 18 by Dec 31.
Its director Simon Siah said all political parties should start strategising and formulating their manifesto to cater for voters aged 18 to 21-years-old.
"I think one of the most pertinent issues for voters of this age group is the access to the internet – as one of their human rights," he told New Straits Times.
"The pandemic has clearly shown that we are living in a digital era and everything has gone online, especially education. Our students who live in rural areas especially are left out because of no access to the internet," he said.
Siah said political parties should include younger candidates in their line-up if they want to be more appealing to that generation. - New Straits Times
Disease law set for change
The cabinet has approved a draft amendment to the 2015 Communicable Disease Act, seen as a new mechanism to replace the emergency decree in the country's ongoing battle against Covid-19.
The state of emergency, declared under the emergency decree to facilitate the government's outbreak containment efforts, is due to expire at the end of this month when the amended disease control law is expected to be enacted.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), established under Section 7 of the emergency decree, will technically no longer exist if the state of emergency isn't renewed at the end of this month.
However, in practice, the CCSA will continue to function, although it may have to be transformed into something else after the state of emergency is lifted, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said previously. - Bangkok Post
PH arbitral win vs. China a ‘win-win solution for all’: Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday stressed the importance of the Philippines’ historic arbitral victory against China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea (SCS).
During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Duterte said the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) 2016 ruling on the SCS disputes, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provides a “clear path towards a just, fair, and win-win solution for all.”
“The award must be seen for what it is – a benefit across the board to all who subscribe to the majesty of law,” he said in his keynote speech.
Duterte made the remarks as he emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to keeping the SCS “a sea of peace, security, and prosperity.”
He said no country can undermine the sea ruling that favors the Philippines. - Philippine News Agency
Enterprises maintain production to ensure export growth despite pandemic
Many businesses in the Southwest region have maintained production to ensure export growth, despite having to apply social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In the last two weeks, more than 100 enterprises and cooperatives in Can Tho City have registered to resume operations.
This city has a plan to restore production according to three stages. Of which, an enterprise will restore production for 30 per cent of workers in the first stage. This number of workers will increase to 40-50 per cent in the second stage and to more than 50 per cent in the third stage. The enterprise will return to normal operation after already having safe production activities at those three stages.
Nguyen Van Hao, chairman of the Can Tho Business Association, said that the Government and local authorities should have policies on continuing to restructure loans, delay payment for debts and provide loans for enterprises to maintain production and business.- Vietnam News
Cambodia to further enhance and strengthen resilience and preparedness against COVID-19
As the world continues to suffer from COVID-19, the Royal Government of Cambodia has reaffirmed its efforts to further enhance and strengthen its resilience and preparedness against the pandemic and other future contagious diseases.
The remarks were made by Prime Minister Hun Sen in his message on the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21.
Mr Hun Sen said that the spread of COVID-19 has been severely affecting many sectors, especially the social and economic situation in the world. To date, more than 200 million people worldwide have been infected and over four million have died.
At the same time, the world is experiencing a global economic crisis through a slowdown in national and international economic growth due to disruptions in the flow of economic and trade activities, primarily production lines, declining demand and supply of goods and services, tourism, along with travel restrictions and lockdowns to prevent the COVID-19 spread. - Khmer Times
Entire town flees as junta forces open fire indiscriminately on Thantlang
Nearly the entire population of Thantlang, Chin State, fled the town after a day-long clash between anti-junta resistance groups and the military over the weekend.
The Thantlang branch of the Chinland Defence Force (CDF), joined by forces from the Chin National Army (CNA), clashed with junta soldiers on Saturday. At least 18 homes and a government building were set ablaze by the junta’s artillery fire. A Christian pastor who tried to put out the fire was shot dead by the Myanmar army troops.
According to the CDF, at least 30 soldiers were also reportedly killed in the clash. The junta’s armed forces began shooting indiscriminately at houses in the town the following day; this prompted the remaining residents to flee, according to Salai Lian, a spokesperson from the Thantlang Placement Affairs Committee (TPAC), a local organisation assisting the displaced persons.
“[Soldiers] arbitrarily opened fire on houses yesterday morning. There were between 90 and 100 troops marching on both sides of the street and shooting at houses,” he said on Monday.
The incident is the latest in a series of clashes between the CDF and the junta which intensified earlier this month. - Myanmar NOW
Global investor trust in Indonesia improving: Investment Minister
Foreign investors’ confidence in Indonesia is starting to improve, in line with the 8.3-percent investment growth in the second quarter of 2021, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has said.
"In 2021, we are targeting an investment of Rp900 trillion, of which 49.6 percent has been realized. Of the 49.6 percent, foreign direct investment is recorded at 50.5 percent. This means that the trust of global stakeholders in Indonesia has slowly begun to improve," Lahadalia, who is also head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), informed here on Tuesday.
He made the statement during a virtual dialogue on ‘Post Pandemic Economic Recovery: Attracting Investment through Structural Reform’, held by EuroCham and the Investment Ministry/BKPM.
Furthermore, the improving global confidence is evident from European countries emerging as the largest investing countries in Indonesia, the minister said. - AntaraNews.Com