Portal:Southeast Asia/October 2007

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Headlines in October 2007

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The Burmese anti-government protests are declared ended by the ruling State Peace and Development Council. United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari meets with Senior General Than Shwe and detained National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The first astronaut from the Malaysian National Space Agency's, Angkasawan program, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (pictured), goes on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-11 and returns on Soyuz TMA-10.
Singapore Airlines takes delivery of the first Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. The plane completes a maiden commercial voyage to Sydney, with some passengers paying US$50,000 to ride in one of the airline's private, luxury "Suite" class rooms.
An explosion at the Glorietta mall in Makati City kills 11 people and injures 129. Authorities were investigating the cause.
Ousted former president Joseph Estrada receives a pardon from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after serving 43 days of a life sentence under house arrest for corruption.
Tropical Storm Lekima hits central Vietnam and southern China after earlier causing devastation in the Philippines.
Retired Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the 2006 Thai coup d'état, resigns as chairman of the Council for National Security and is appointed deputy prime minister for security in the cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

October 1, 2007 (Monday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- Foreign Minister Nyan Win addresses the United Nations General Assembly, blaming "political opportunists" for escalating what had been protests by a small group of activists. The junta's security forces exercised "utmost restraint" and stepped in only after "the mob became unruly and provocative", Nyan Win said. "Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar," he added. (BBC)
- A Thailand-based rights group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, says more than 1,000 activists, including monks and students, are missing in Myanmar, and are believed to have been arrested. (The Nation)
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the 2006 Thai coup d'état, resigns as chairman of the Council for National Security. Sonthi has also retired as chief the Royal Thai Army, and will accept a position in the cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont as deputy prime minister. He is succeeded as CNS head by Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk. (TNA via MCOT) (BBC) (Bangkok Post)

October 2, 2007 (Tuesday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari meets in Naypyidaw with General Than Shwe, head of the ruling State Peace and Development Council. He also briefly meets again with Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon before departing Myanmar. (AFP via CNA) (NYT) (Guardian) (AFP via CNA)
- The curfew is eased Yangon, and barricades are removed from some areas of the city. AFP via CNA)
- Reports from dissident groups say up to 200 protesters were killed and 6,000 people detained in the crackdown, compared to the regime's report of 10 deaths. About 4,000 monks were rounded up and are being held. In another report, a former government intelligence officer says thousands of protesters have been killed and the bodies of hundreds of executed monks have been dumped in the jungle. (Daily Mail)
A United Nations report criticizes the Cambodian administration of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, citing inflated salaries of unqualified staff and "excess" hirings. (BBC)
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurs off Bengkulu, Sumatra. There are no reports of injuries or damage, and a tsunami warning is issued and then lifted. (Reuters)
Singer Beyoncé Knowles cancels her upcoming concert in Malaysia, officially citing a scheduling conflict, but sources also point to the strict Muslim codes that ban skimpy attire and suggestive dancing in stage shows. (Reuters)
Four navy commandos and at least six Muslim separatist militants are killed in a clash on Lanhil in a resurgence of fighting in the Basilan and Jolo region. (BBC)
Recently retired general and former chairman of the Council for National Security, Sonthi Boonyaratglin, is officially appointed as deputy prime minister. His appointment follows the recent resignations of five cabinet members who left following a scandal over their holding too many shares in companies. (Nation)

October 3, 2007 (Wednesday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- Democracy activists are actively being hunted by State Peace and Development Council troops and more arrests are made. Trucks patrolling the streets of Rangoon at dawn, announced the following over loudspeakers: "We have photographs. We are going to make arrests!" At least eight truckloads of prisoners were hauled out of the city's center. (AP via Google News) (Reuters)
- Buddhist monks are seen fleeing Rangoon. (BBC)
- Charles Petrie, the United Nations human rights coordinator in Burma, calls for an accurate accounting of victims of the junta's crackdown. The official death toll has been put at nine. The Australian government says at least 30 people were killed by Burmese government security forces. (Bloomberg)
Vicente da Conceicao is arrested and charged in connection with the deadly unrest in last year's East Timor crisis. Officials say the former guerrilla fighter known as "Railos" was among several key protagonists in gang warfare that erupted after several former soldiers were sacked (AFP via Google News)
Vietnam evacuates 400,000 people from central coastal provinces ahead of Tropical Storm Lekima. (VNA) (AP via Google News) (Reuters)

October 4, 2007 (Thursday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari delivered a strong message to the junta, to stop repressing peaceful protesters, release detainees and move toward democratic reform, but "you cannot call the trip a success". AP via The Irrawaddy).
- In a broadcast on state-run television, State Peace and Development Council chairman Senior General Than Shwe says he is willing to open talks with detained National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the condition that Suu Kyi stop being "confrontational" and set aside her support of sanctions against the SPDC regime. The junta also announces that of the 2,093 people it says it arrested in the protests, 692 had been released. (DPA via The Nation)
A new feasibility study will look into building a 30-kilometer (18-mile) suspension bridge across the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. First proposed in 1965, the bridge would cost at least US$10 billion. (AP via IHT)
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says Malaysia will extend the service of its soldiers who are monitoring a cease-fire in Mindanao between the Philippines army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. However, the talks between the two parties must show some progress, Najib added, according to a report in The Star. (The Star)
Tropical Storm Lekima hits central Vietnam overnight, killing at least three people. Southern China was also hit by the storm, which had left five people dead in the Philippines over the weekend. (Bloomberg) (Nhan Dan) (Reuters)

October 5, 2007 (Friday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari addresses the Security Council, saying he fears the death toll in the junta's crackdown on demonstrations is much higher than the 10 being reported. He says there will could be "serious international repercussions" (BBC) AFP via CNA)
- Gambari says he is encouraged by the junta's willingness to hold talks with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (AP via CNN) (Bloomberg)
- Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, says it is considering the offer meeting with the junta, which put conditions on the talks. (AFP via CNA)
Singapore will represent the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a UN Security Council meeting on developments in Myanmar. (CNA)
At least 18 people have been killed and 23 are missing in northern and central Vietnam in floods and landslides from Tropical Storm Lekima. (Reuters)

October 8, 2007 (Monday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- State-run newspaper, New Light of Myanmar, says weapons and pornographic material were found in raids on Buddhist monasteries in Rangoon. The Alliance of All Burma Buddhist Monks rejected the allegations. (Irrawaddy)
- Buddhist monks have accepted US$8,000 as well as food and medicine in a merit-making exercise by government soldiers. (AFP via Melbourne Herald-Sun)
- Senior General Than Shwe appoints deputy labor minister Aung Kyi to be the junta's official liason with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (AFP via CNA)
- Singporean opposition politician Chee Soon Juan and some party member are arrested while protesting Singapore's trade ties to Burma. (AP via Irrawaddy)
- Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont calls for the Burmese junta to end violence against Buddhist monks and start talks with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (TNA via MCOT)
A 44-year-old woman from Sumatra dies of H5N1, the 87th victim of avian flu in Indonesia. (AFP via CNA)
Royal Thai Police say the October 2 explosion outside Royal Thai Army headquarters was caused by the same type of device used in the bombing of a phone booth outside Major Ratchayothin in April and Soi Rajvithi 24. In the October 2 blast, a police officer lost an arm. (TNA via MCOT)
South Thailand insurgency: New Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief, General Anupong Paochinda makes his first official visit to southern Thailand. (TNA via MCOT)
At least 58 people have died in central and northern Vietnam as a result of floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Lekima. (AFP via CNA)

October 9, 2007 (Tuesday)

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Ford Motor Company and Mazda announce plans to build a new factory in Rayong Province to produce subcompact cars. The plant will be built next to the AutoAlliance Thailand factory that manufactures pickup trucks. (NYT) (Reuters)

October 10, 2007 (Wednesday)

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First Malaysian in space:
- The first astronaut from the Malaysian National Space Agency's Angkasawan program, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, is launched towards the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-11. (Spaceflightnow) (Reuters) (BBC)
- Parts of Malaysia were at a standstill in the moments before Soyuz TMA-11 blasted-off at 9:21 p.m. Malaysia time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Around Kuala Lumpur, restaurants and food courts were packed with people wanting to witness the historic event. (Bernama)

October 11, 2007 (Thursday)

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First Malaysian in space:
- Malaysia continues to celebrate its 1st Malaysian in space, with reports of the launch dominating Malaysian newspapers and blogs. (AFP via CNA)

October 13, 2007 (Saturday)

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A flash flood kills six foreign tourists and two Thai guides who were exploring a cave at Khao Sok national park in Surat Thani Province. (CBC) (AP via Google News)

October 16, 2007 (Tuesday)

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Japan says it will suspend US$4.7 million in aid to Burma. (BBC)
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation and the Singapore Hockey Federation submit joint-bid to co-host the 2009 Junior Hockey World Cup in Johor and Singapore. (CNA)
Singapore Airlines takes delivery of the first Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. The new aircraft will enter service on October 28 on a route between Singapore and Sydney. (CNA)
King Bhumibol Adulyadej is regaining strength after being hospitalized on Saturday for weakness on the right side of his body. The monarch is being treated at Siriraj Hospital. (Nation)

October 17, 2007 (Wednesday)

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An Antonov An-12 cargo plane, bound for Singapore, crash lands in a flooded paddy field shortly after take-off from Phnom Penh International Airport. Three out of five crew members aboard the plane, flown by Imtrec Aviation Company, were injured. (AFP via Google News) (AP) (Reuters)
An eruption by the Kelut volcano is imminent, Indonesian officials say. Around 30,000 villagers are ordered evacuated from the mountain, but many are defying the order and have returned to their homes. (Bloomberg) (AP via Google News)
The first Airbus A380 to enter service, flown by Singapore Airlines lands at Changi International Airport. The airline plans to phase out its use of Boeing 747 aircraft in favor of the Airbus superjumbo. (CNA) (Reuters)
Royal Thai Police search for Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian man suspected by Interpol of having sex with children in Cambodia and Vietnam. Neil was photographed while passing through immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport. (Nation) (Reuters) (Times) (AP via IHT)

October 19, 2007 (Friday)

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The Burmese junta vows it will continue with its "road map to democracy" by drafting a new constitution. Meanwhile, the state newspaper, New Light of Myanmar accuses the United States of training Buddhist monks to stage the recent anti-government protests. (AFP via Google News)
U.S. President George W. Bush announces new sanctions against the Burmese junta, freezing assets and placing travel restrictions on more junta leaders. (CNN)
Residents who have defied orders to evactuate the slopes of the Kelut volcano are forced out by police. Officials warn that eruptions are imminent. (Canadian Press via Google News)
At least 23 people are missing after the sinking of a passenger ferry overnight, just off Sulawesi. Officials say the wooden ferry was likely overloaded when it sank about 500 meters off Baubau. (BBC)
Nine people are killed in explosions at the Glorietta Mall in Makati City. At least 119 people are injured the blasts. (Inquirer) (NYT)
Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian man suspected by Interpol of sexually abusing children in Cambodia and Vietnam, is in custody of Royal Thai Police in Bangkok. (DPA via The Nation) (Bloomberg) (AFP via Google News)

October 21, 2007 (Sunday)

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Angkasawan program astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-10. A technical problem caused the spacecraft to make a steeper-than-usual descent, subjecting the Muszaphar and two Russian cosmonauts to eight times the usual gravity. It veered off course but landed safely about 200 miles short of its destination in Kazakhstan. "I'm back safe and sound. Everything's fine," Muszphar was quoted as saying by his father, after a phone call.(AFP via Google News) (AP via Google News)

October 22, 2007 (Monday)

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A transport safety committee report blames the pilot for the fiery crash of Garuda Indonesia Flight 200, in which 21 people were killed in March in Yogyakarta. The report said the pilot ignored 15 warnings as he descended too rapidly. (Reuters)

October 23, 2007 (Tuesday)

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Two Cambodian airlines, PMTair and Imtrec Aviation, have been ordered to ground a total of four of their Antonov cargo planes, pending a safety investigation. The order, affecting three Antonov An-12s and one An-26, follows the crash last week of an Imtrec An-12. PMTair also flies An-24 passenger planes, one of which crashed in June, but those are not affected by the grounding. (AP via IHT)
Police continue to investigate the deadly explosion at the Glorietta mall in Makati City, and say it might have been caused by a gas leak, though a bomb has not been ruled out. At least 11 people were killed in the blast.(Thomson via Forbes)
Singapore legalizes oral sex and anal sex between heterosexual couples, but retains a law that criminalizes sexual intercourse between gay men. (NEWS.com)
A woman is killed and five people injured on a log flume at Siam Park in suburban Bangkok. The park said a sudden power cut caused a water pump to fail, which in turn caused the log ride to crash at the end of a slide with no water to cushion the impact. (Nation)
Vietnam says it will release more than 8,000 prisoners as part of its regular presidential amnesty. (NDTV)

October 24, 2007 (Wednesday)

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Lieutenant General Thein Sein is officially named prime minister of Myanmar, succeeding Soe Win, who died on October 12. Thein Sein had been acting prime minister for the ailing Soe Win since around April. (Xinhua)

October 25, 2007 (Thursday)

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Burmese anti-government protests:
- Detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi holds the first official talks in 18 years with a representative of the Burmese junta. State-run television showed Suu Kyi and the junta's appointed liason, labor minister Aung Kyi, sitting in high-back chairs and having talks for more than an hour at a government-run guest house in Yangon. (LAT) (AP via IHT)
- At least 70 people detained in the crackdown on the protests are released. Among the detainees freed are members of the National League for Democracy. (AP via IHT) (AFP via Inquirer)
- United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari holds a second day of talks with officials in China, urging them to pressure the Burmese junta into stopping its crackdown on protests. (AP via IHT)
A pre-dawn earthquake off Sumatra, registering 7.1-magnitude, causes residents to flee, but there are no reports of damage. (AP via IHT)
The Soputan volcano erupts on Sulawesi, but there are no reports of injuries or damage. (AP via Fox)
The Malaysian government ends the Malaysia Airlines monopoly on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, a move that opens the lucrative route to low-cost airlines, such as AirAsia. (AFP via GoogleNews) (AP via IHT)
Ousted former Philippines president Joseph Estrada receives a pardon in a controversial decision by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Estrada had been convicted by an anti-graft court last month and was sentenced to reclusión perpetua. (Inquirer) (AP via IHT) (AP via Time)
Singapore Airlines completes the commercial maiden voyage of the first Airbus A380. The flight from Changi International Airport to Sydney carried 455 passengers, some of them paying US$50,000 for a place in a private luxury "Suites" class with double beds. (AP via The Guardian) (CP via Google News)
Health officials in Vietnam report a new outbreak of H5N1 avian flu, which has killed hundreds of ducks in Quang Tri. (DPA via Bangkok Post)

October 26, 2007 (Friday)

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Three active volcanoes are being watched by the Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitagation Center: Anak Krakatau of Sumatra, Soputan on Sulawesi and Kelut on Java. (AFP via Inquirer)
Ousted former president Joseph Estrada is freed after receiving a pardon from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Convicted of corruption last month, he was to have served a life sentence, and had already been under house arrest for the past six and half years. (BBC)
In the controversial sale of Saab-manufactured JAS 39 Gripen jet fighters to the Royal Thai Air Force, Sweden issues assurances that the new airplanes will be compatible with the RTAF's existing systems, which are mostly based on American designs. (Nation)
Vietnamese-American Vo Duc Van is sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to bomb the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok in 2001. (AP via IHT)

October 27, 2007 (Saturday)

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South Thailand insurgency: A deputy village chief is beheaded in Pattani Province. Another person is killed and many others injured in a bomb blast in an area of busy roadside restaurants in Narathiwat Province. (Nation)

October 28, 2007 (Sunday)

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Suzanne Petterson wins the second annual Honda LPGA Thailand golf tournament. (Independent Online)

October 29, 2007 (Monday)

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Security measures are tightened up in Phnom Penh ahead of the visit starting on Thursday by North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il. (Xinhua)

October 30, 2007 (Tuesday)

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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has talks with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram to discuss incentives for the Burmese junta to enact democratic reforms. (TNA via MCOT) (AP via IHT)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold its public hearings on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca island and its outcrops, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, from November 6 to 23. Pedra Branca's sovereignty is disputed between Malaysia and Singapore. (CNA)
The Thai junta partially lifts martial law in more than half of the 400 districts where it was still in effect after last year's coup. The move comes ahead of the December 23 general election, which will take place under many restrictions. (AP via Google News) (Asia Times)
North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il is in Vietnam on an official tour of the region that will also take him to Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. (BBC)

October 31, 2007 (Wednesday)

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More than 100 monks stage a march in Pakokku, Magway Division, the first public demonstration since the crackdown on anti-government protests by the Burmese junta. The monks march for about one hour before returning to their monasteries without any intervention by security forces. (AP/Irrawaddy) (AFP via Google News) (Reuters)
An unexpected, one-day strike by State Railway of Thailand workers disrupts train service across Thailand. The workers are protesting mismanagement by SRT officials, plans to privatize the state railway system, and liberalized rules on freight transport as part of a new free trade agreement with Japan. (Nation) (TNA via MCOT) (AFP via Google News) (Bangkok Post)
South Thailand insurgency: One person is killed and seven others wounded in a string of overnight bombings in Narathiwat. The targets were 10 karaoke parlors, a food shop and an aerobic-exercise park. (TNA via MCOT)

Time: 15:22 UTC \| Date: June 10

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News about Wikipedia • About this Page Adding a New Date • Suggest a Highlight

Events
[edit] Recent [edit] Ongoing Burmese anti-government protests Khmer Rouge Tribunal, Cambodia Sidoarjo mud flow, Indonesia Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak, regionwide [edit] Upcoming November 18-22 - 13th ASEAN Summit, Singapore December 6-15 - 24^th Southeast Asian Games, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand [edit] Natural disasters 2007 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Sepat 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season October 2007 flooding in Phitsanulok Thailand

Recent deaths
[edit] October 12 - Soe Win 23 - Lim Goh Tong 26 - Khun Sa

Ongoing armed conflicts
Government offensive against Abu Sayyaf, Jolo Island, Philippines South Thailand insurgency New People's Army insurgency (Philippines) Islamic Insurgency in the Philippines Karen National Liberation Army insurgency (Myanmar)

Elections
[edit] Recent [edit] Upcoming December 23 - Thai general election

Trials
[edit] Recently concluded Imelda Marcos Joseph Estrada [edit] Ongoing Abdul Razak Baginda Nur Misuari 2005 Poso beheadings Potjaman Shinawatra

Holidays and observances
[edit] October 1 - Children's Day, Singapore 11 - Pchum Ben (Ancestor's Day), Cambodia 11-19 - Vegetarian Festival, Phuket, Thailand 12 - Founding of Quezon City, Philippines 23 - Chulalongkorn Day, Thailand 26 - End of Buddhist Lent, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam 29 - Coronation Day, Cambodia 31 - King Father's Day, Cambodia [edit] November 1 - All Saints Day, the Philippines 9 - Independence Day, Cambodia 20 - Teachers' Day, Vietnam 23-25 - Bon Om Thook, Cambodia 24 - Tazaungmone Full Moon Festival, Festival of Lights, Burma 24 - Loy Krathong, Thailand 30 - Andrés Bonifacio Day, the Philippines

Related pages
2007 in Malaysia 2007 in Singapore 2007 in the Philippines

News collections and sources
[edit] Helpful resources Wikipedia:News collections and sources. Wikipedia:News sources - This has much of the same material organised in a hierarchical manner to help encourage NPOV in our news reporting. [edit] Regional BBC Asia-Pacific newsdesk ChannelNewsAsia Asia-Pacific newsdesk [edit] Brunei Main article: Media of Brunei Borneo Bulletin [1] The Brunei Times [2] [edit] Cambodia Main article: Media of Cambodia Agence Khmer Presse (AKP) [3] The Cambodia Daily [4] Cambodia Politics [5] Cambodia Post [6] Phnom Penh Post [7] [edit] Indonesia Main article: Media of Indonesia ANTARA [8] The Jakarta Post [9] TempoInteraktif [10] [edit] Laos KPL Vientiane Times [11] [edit] Malaysia BERNAMA [12] Daily Express [13] (mainly Sabah news) The Edge [14] New Straits Times [15] Malaysiakini [16] The Malay Mail [17] The Star [18] [edit] Myanmar The Irrawaddy [19] Mizzima [20] New Light of Myanmar (NLM) [21] The Myanmar Times [22] [edit] Philippines Philippine News Agency (PNA) [23] ABS-CBN News [24] INQ7 (GMA Network) [25] The Daily Tribune [26] Manila Bulletin [27] Manila Standard Today [28] Manila Times [29] Philippine Daily Inquirer [30] Philippine Star [31] [edit] Singapore Main article: Media of Singapore Channel NewsAsia [32] The Straits Times [33] Business Times [34] The New Paper [35] AsiaOne [36] Today [37] [edit] Thailand Main article: Media of Thailand Bangkok Post [38] Business Day [39] The Nation [40] National News Bureau (NNB) [41] Thai News Agency (TNA) [42] [edit] Vietnam Main article: Media of Vietnam Nhan Dan [43] Saigon Times [44] Thanh Nien News [45] VietnamNet [46] Vietnam News Agency (VNA) [47] Viet Nam News (VNN) [48]