These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Gag order in Catholic Church sex abuse case to protect victims, not accused: AGC
The gag order in a case involving a member of a Catholic order who sexually abused two boys was not intended to protect the offender or the particular Catholic order.
The Attorney-General's Chambers said in a statement on Monday (June 6) that it applied for the gag order to protect the identity of the victims.
"It was not in any way sought to protect the interests of the accused person, or of the Catholic order involved. "The gag order covered the identity of the accused because, based on the facts and circumstances of the case, the identification of the accused was likely to lead to the identification of the victims," said the AGC.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore on Sunday night (June 5) said that it had requested that the AGC partially lift the gag order, so that the identity of the offender, the religious order and details of the offender's subsequent treatment and postings could be made known.
The AGC said in its statement on Monday that it considers every request to lift a gag order carefully as victims' interests are paramount, and that in this instance, it could not accede to the request.
The man is in his 60s, and was part of a Catholic religious order that established a school in Singapore. The Straits Times understands that he is not a priest.
He was arrested in January this year and was jailed for five years last month (May) after pleading guilty to one charge of having carnal intercourse and another charge under the Children and Young Persons Act.
He committed the sex act on the first victim in 2005 and the second victim in 2007, according to court documents. The boys were aged between 14 and 15 at the time of the offences. – Straits Times
Over 82k HFMD cases recorded this year
The Health Ministry has recorded 82,846 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) from the beginning of 2022 until the last day of Epidemiology Week (ME) 22/2022, on June 4.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said overall, this figure shows a 32-fold increase compared to 2,485 cases reported in the same period last year, and a 1.7-fold increase compared to 30,489 cases reported two years ago.
However, he said, HFMD cases reported nationwide during ME22/2022 week was only 16,954, a 9.3 per cent decrease compared to 18,688 cases reported on ME21/2022.
"As of June 4, a total 23,305 cases were reported in Selangor, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya with 9,540 cases, Perak 8,032, Kelantan 5,782 and Johor 5,234 cases. "The remaining states reported less than 4,600 HFMD cases," Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement, today.
He said a total 74,841 HFMD cases were detected among children aged six and below.
"A total 6,520 cases were detected among the age group of 7-12, and 1,485 cases among those aged 12 and above".
Dr Noor Hisham said three major viruses which cause HFMD transmissions within the community, namely Enterovirus 71 (EV71), Coksackie A6 (CA6) and Coxsackie A16 (CA16), have been detected through the ministry's surveillance.
"As of now, there were three cases of HFMD admitted to intensive care units (ICU).
"The first and second cases were referred to the ICU due to inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). They are still being monitored in the ICU.
"The third case has recovered and allowed to go home on May 31," he said.
He said three states reported the highest HFMD outbreaks namely Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya with 562, Selangor with 208 and Sarawak with 206. – New Straits Times
Opposition to file censure bid next week
The opposition plans to submit a motion by the end of next week calling for a censure debate, much of which it says will likely target Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and five core ministries.
Speaking after a meeting of opposition parties on Monday, Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham Sutin Klungsang, the chief opposition whip, said one last meeting will take place tomorrow when the censure motion will be finalised and then submitted to the House of Representatives on June 15.
Despite saying preparations for the debate were about 90% complete, he admitted that it was still not certain how many cabinet ministers will be targeted.
So far, the opposition is concentrating on Gen Prayut, as well as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Transport and the Public Health Ministry, said Mr Sutin.
The number of cabinet ministers to be grilled at present will be between five and six, he said. The debate will deal mainly with five main topics: the government's failure at public administration, corruption and cronyism, law and order, abuses of power, and a failure to adopt policies the government said it would upon taking office, he said.
Mr Sutin appeared reluctant to say how confident the opposition was about bringing the government down.
He said he expected some Pheu Thai Party MPs would vote for the government while some coalition MPs would likely vote against it. – Bangkok Post
Duterte trusts next admin will ‘do its very best’ to fight drugs
President Rodrigo R Duterte believes the administration of his successor, President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will “do its very best” in continuing the fight against illegal drugs.
“Well, I trust that the next administration will also do its very best to confront it on drug[s],” he said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People.
Although he admitted that he is “scared” that the drug industry would proliferate when his term ends, he expressed confidence that the police and military would “maintain the momentum” in the anti-narcotics campaign.
“I place my full trust and confidence on the two institutions that we have na iyon lang ang ating panglaban (that fight for us): it's the police and the military. These are the institutions that would, I think, will not allow the drug people to prevail,” he added.
Duterte acknowledged that there are some bad eggs in the country’s police force, but noted that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is continuously cleansing its ranks of scalawags.
“I still trust the police. There are some scalawags, there are some involved in illegal drugs – a few of them. And yet the police had to police its own ranks and many police officers have been caught,” he said.
He urged anew members of the PNP to serve the country and people, regardless of who the country’s leaders are.
“We are just passing by…You see I used to be a mayor and it seems like only yesterday when I passed in front of you. But the organization of the Armed Forces and the police will be there always. So, I appeal to you to maintain your reputation as police and military who can be relied on to save the country,” he said.
Duterte also reminded them to steer clear of involvement in the illegal drug trade. – Philippine News Agency
Health minister and Ha Noi leader expelled from Party for violations
The Party Central Committee has expelled Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh from the Party.
The decision was made at an extraordinary meeting on Monday afternoon.
Anh is also former Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Science and Technology and former Minister of Science and Technology, and Long is Secretary of the Party Committee at the health ministry. They are both members of the Party Central Committee and under this body's direct management.
The decision was reached after considering the proposal from the Politburo as well as the content, consequences and causes of the two officials' violations.
Earlier, the Politburo issued disciplinary warnings to the Party committees of the 2016-21 tenure at the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health over wrongdoings.
The Politburo and the Secretariat concluded that the violations of regulations and mistakes committed by the Party committees at the science-technology and the health ministry had caused serious consequences.
The reasons for the disciplinary actions were not clearly stated, but the mid-Central Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Viet Nam has concluded in their mid-May meeting that the Party committees of the health and science-technology ministries committed wrongdoings in the infamous case of price hiking and bribery related to COVID-19 tests taking place at Viet A company, which has resulted in several health officials of local Centres for Disease Control (CDCs) detained and prosecuted. – Vietnam News
After allegations of ballot fraud by opposition parties, observer says fraud ‘impossible’
National observer Nong Buntheng has stated that it is impossible that fraud had been committed in Sunday’s Commune / Sangkat elections. Speaking at the press conference of national observers on Monday (Jun 6) at Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Mr Nuon stated “I observed that the NEC acted in accordance with the legal procedures,
I also observed the ballot counting process. All people involved in this process were agreed with the counting result”. His statement was made in response to allegations made by some political parties – chiefly the Candlelight Party – that there were suspicions of ballot fraud.
Representatives of the associations who participated in the election observation denied the Candlelight Party’s allegations which stated people were being harassed and intimidated during the election process.
International observers also confirmed that the communal election nationwide was conducted in a free, fair, inclusive, peaceful, transparent and safe environment.
According to the National Election Committee (NEC), more than 7.3 million people came to vote among the 9.2 million registered voters, an equivalent to 80.19 per cent. – Khmer Times
Nearly 100 homes torched and three civilians killed in Myanmar military raid on Sagaing village
A junta attack on a village in Sagaing Region’s Wetlet Township on June 2 left some 97 homes burned and three people dead, according to locals who spoke to Myanmar Now two days after the assault.
The civilians’ bodies were found the evening following the raid inside the charred remains of homes in Kyauk Taing village. Among them was a 60-year-old paraplegic man who residents identified as Pho Khe.
Dr Naing Aung, a parliamentarian for Wetlet ousted in last year’s coup, said that one of the other bodies belonged to a man who appeared to have suffered head injuries and bruising, and was disfigured beyond recognition.
He told Myanmar Now that villagers believed the third body, also burned, belonged to a woman named Aye Nu, whose age was not confirmed at the time of reporting.
“I think she ran into the junta column while trying to flee. They killed her and crushed her under a motorcycle, and put a pile of wood on top which they burned,” he said.
The 70-soldier military column that carried out the attack moved north from Kyauk Taing hours after the raid, reportedly heading to the village of Myin Thei. It is believed they also set fire to homes in that community, but Myanmar Now was unable to verify the extent of the damage.
Thousands of locals from seven area villages including Kyauk Taing and Myin Thei had been displaced by troop movements and assaults in the region. – Myanmar NOW
WEF 2022: Ministers discuss MSME digitization with Queen Maxima
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, and Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita discussed the digitization of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during a recent meeting with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
"Queen Máxima gives her attention so that the Indonesian government can maintain the impact of inflation and its effect on MSMEs, especially on the food industry," Kartasasmita said, according to a statement issued here on Monday.
The meeting, which discussed several matters such as the government's efforts toward boosting financial inclusion for the advancement of MSMEs, was part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 activities.
The Indonesian government is striving to develop MSMEs by promoting financial inclusion and digitalization, which are important factors for stoking productivity, Kartasasmita said.
While MSMEs account for 99 percent of total businesses in Indonesia, their digital technology utilization has not been optimal, the minister noted.
Hence, the ministry is making efforts to increase the sales of small and medium industries (SMIs) through digital or online marketing, he informed.
This is being done with the help of several strategies, such as enabling links and matches or partnerships with large-scale industries and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), building a digital ecosystem by helping MSMEs enter marketplace platforms, and procuring of MSME goods by the government and SOEs, Kartasasmita said. – AntaraNews.Com