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Third child dies in Thai protest violence
Third child dies in Thai protest violence (AFP) / 24 February 2014 The girl died from wounds after a grenade attack on Sunday afternoon on a busy Bangkok shopping district, near a rally by demonstrators trying to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Anti-government protesters pray near the site of a bomb blast. -Reuters A six-year-old girl on Monday became the third child to die in recent days in Thailand’s political unrest, as the army chief warned the country could collapse if violence continues. The girl died from wounds after a grenade attack on Sunday afternoon on a busy Bangkok shopping district, near a rally by demonstrators trying to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Her four-year-old brother and a women also died in the blast, which left blood splattered on a main road lined by street stalls, several top-end hotels and a major shopping mall. Police said the grenade was fired into the crowd by unknown attackers from an M79 shoulder-held launcher. They said an officer also died on Monday, nearly a week after being shot in the head in a gunbattle with protesters. Six people — including two officers — were killed in that incident in Bangkok’s historic heart, a stone’s throw from the city’s backpacker zone. Twenty-one people have now been killed and more than 700 wounded in violence linked to almost four months of anti-government demonstrations. Attacks have mainly been mounted in Bangkok, although a drive-by shooting late Saturday on a protest rally in the eastern province of Trat killed a five-year-old girl. The current unrest is the worst in the bitterly divided kingdom since protests by “Red Shirts” — allied to Yingluck’s older brother Thaksin — against a previous government in 2010 sparked clashes and a military crackdown that left more than 90 people dead. “As days go by, there will be more violence until it cannot be controlled,” army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha warned in a rare televised live speech. “If losses continue, the country will collapse for sure and nobody will win or lose,” he said. Prayut urged reconciliation and talks. He said troops are “ready to do their duty” but “do not want to use force and weapons to unnecessarily fight with the Thai people”. He did not elaborate. The army has staged numerous coups — with the most recent one ousting Thaksin from office in 2006 — and the army chief’s comments are closely scrutinised for signs of possible intervention. The head of the government’s security response to the protests also predicted more unrest. “From now on violence will keep happening, for sure, so anyone who is not involved in the protests should not go to them,” said Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung. “I accept that it is hard to control.” The government says it has been hamstrung by a court ruling last week banning it from using force to disperse peaceful protesters. Authorities say high-calibre weapons fired at them last week indicate the protesters have heavily armed support, while television footage has shown apparent protesters firing handguns in clashes. The shocking death of the three children earned swift condemnation from UN chief Ban Ki-Moon. Prime Minister Yingluck labelled them “terrorist acts”. The UN children’s fund UNICEF called on protesters to keep children away from the rallies, which have for many weeks been treated as boisterous family occasions. Yingluck spent Monday inspecting local produce in a province 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of Bangkok, in a move seized on by her opponents as a sign she is on the run. But a government spokeswoman told AFP she would return to Bangkok by the evening. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who as deputy premier at the time oversaw the 2010 crackdown on the Red Shirts, said the government bore responsibility for the weekend violence. “We use peaceful tactics, we are empty-handed. In past four months, we have never created any violence,” he told a rally. Hatred for Thaksin, who lives in exile to avoid prison over graft charges, is at the heart of the anti-government movement. Protesters allege he still runs the government through Yingluck and has fostered widespread corruption. But Thaksin and his sister enjoy strong support in the rural north and northeast. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Arrest warrant issued for President Yanukovych
Arrest warrant issued for President Yanukovych (AP) / 24 February 2014 Calls are mounting in Ukraine to put Yanukovych on trial, after a tumultuous presidency in which he amassed powers, enriched his allies and cracked down on protesters. Anti-Viktor Yanukovych protesters outside parliament in Kiev.-AFP Ukraine’s acting government issued a warrant on Monday for the arrest of President Viktor Yanukovych, last seen in the pro-Russian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, accusing him of mass crimes against protesters who stood up for months against his rule. Calls are mounting in Ukraine to put Yanukovych on trial, after a tumultuous presidency in which he amassed powers, enriched his allies and cracked down on protesters. Anger boiled over last week after snipers attacked protesters in the bloodiest violence in Ukraine’s post-Soviet history. The turmoil has turned this strategically located country of 46 million inside out over the past few days, raising fears that it could split apart. The parliament speaker is suddenly nominally in charge of a country whose economy is on the brink of default and whose loyalties are torn between Europe and longtime ruler Russia. Ukraine’s acting interior minister, Arsen Avakhov, said on his official Facebook page Monday that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Yanukovych and several other officials for the “mass killing of civilians.” At least 82 people, primarily protesters, were killed in clashes in Kiev last week. Avakhov says Yanukovych arrived in Crimea on Sunday and relinquished his official security detail then drove off to an unknown location. After signing an agreement with the opposition to end a conflict that turned deadly, Yanukovych fled the capital for eastern Ukraine. Avakhov said he tried to fly out of Donetsk but was stopped, then went to Crimea. Tensions have been mounting in Crimea, where pro-Russian protesters raised a Russian flag on a city hall in one town and scuffled with police. Russia maintains a big naval base in the Crimean port of Sevastopol that has tangled relations between the countries for two decades. Yanukovych set off a wave of protests by shelving an agreement with the EU in November and turning toward Russia, and the movement quickly expanded its grievances to corruption, human rights abuses and calls for Yanukovych’s resignation. “We must find Yanukovych and put him on trial,” said protester Leonid Shovtak, a 50-year-old farmer from the western Ivano-Frankivsk region who came to Kiev’s Independence Square to take part in the three-month protest movement. “All the criminals with him should be in prison.” The speaker of parliament assumed the president’s powers Sunday, even though a presidential aide told the AP on Sunday that Yanukovych plans to stay in power. The speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov, said top priorities include saving the economy and “returning to the path of European integration,” according to news agencies. The latter phrase is certain to displease Moscow, which wants Ukraine to be part of a customs union that would rival the EU and bolster Russia’s influence. Russia granted Ukraine a $15 billion bailout after Yanukovych backed away from the EU deal. U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said the U.S. is ready to help Ukraine get aid from the International Monetary Fund. The European Union, meanwhile, is reviving efforts to strike a deal with Ukraine that could involve billions of euros in economic perks. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is visiting Kiev on Monday and Tuesday. The protest movement has been in large part a fight for the country’s economic future — for better jobs and prosperity. Ukraine has struggled with corruption, bad government and short-sighted reliance on cheap gas from Russia. Political unrest has pushed up the deficit and sent exchange rates bouncing, and may have pushed the economy back into a recession. Per capita economic output is only around $7,300, even adjusted for the lower cost of living there, compared to $22,200 in Poland and around $51,700 in the United States. Ukraine ranks 137 th worldwide, behind El Salvador, Namibia, and Guyana. Ukraine has a large potential consumer market, with 46 million people, an educated workforce, and a rich potential export market next door in the EU. It has a significant industrial base and good natural resources, in particular rich farmland. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Catching the city’s dreams through the lens
Catching the city’s dreams through the lens 24 February 2014 Dubai-based shutterbug Daniel Cheong says about his escapades as a cityscape photographer and explains why light is the key ingredient for that ideal shot. He has scaled some of Dubai’s tallest skyscrapers to capture the ideal shot, and his image of Dubai’s downtown district emerging from the early morning fog caught the eyes of millions of people around the world. So what is it that makes amateur photographer, Daniel Cheong, tick? Dubai as seen through the lens of Cheong … The city gave him the perfect environment for creating the cityscape images he loves. — KT photos by Rahul Gajjar “It’s the adrenalin rush,” he tells Khaleej Times , before openly admitting he often sneaks onto the rooftops of high-rise buildings to freeze-frame Dubai in all its glory. “I do try to get permission from the building’s management first, but that only ever works out about five per cent of the time.” And on the rare occasions when he does get caught, Cheong says he just flashes a smile. “If they catch me in the act, I tell them straight. Give me access to your building and you can have the photos.” A compromise which usually works, he says. Just for fun Despite shooting more than 70,000 shots of 14,000 different cityscape scenes around the world, Cheong, whose images have garnered more than 10 million views on the photo-sharing site Flickr, says photography is still “just a hobby”. “I’m actually a technical manager for a mobile telecommunications brand here by day. Photography is just my passion.” Snapping his camera lens at different exposures, the self-proclaimed “tech geek” uses different exposures to emphasise the visual dynamism of the world’s modern architecture. He then takes to photoshop, and using a digital blending technique, creates “perfection in terms of the visuals”. “It’s a funny thing really. Because people who have seen my work often visit the cities I capture, then get back to me saying I make it look more amazing than it really is. “I call it eye candy for the people.” The perfect environment With Dubai taking on the role of home for now, Cheong says it’s the perfect environment for creating the cityscape images he loves. And with many of his images published on social networking sites including Facebook and Flickr, it’s the perfect platform enabling his creativity to reach the masses. “My photos have been noticed by several magazines thanks to these sites. Some have even been featured in National Geographic (China), travelling magazines and airline brand publications.” Championing bright, provocative colouring in his works, the Mauritius-born photographer says it’s rare to find black and white shots in his photo collection. “I want to create that idealistic vision, and the excessive use of colour helps me achieve this.” So what’s the most important ingredient for a successful freeze-frame? According to Cheong, the camera and production equipment take a back seat when it comes to getting that right shot, describing light as “a photographers best friend”. Harsh lighting can destroy any photo, so the best time to shoot is before 8am or after 4pm he says. “It’s all about the lighting and composition. I don’t think it’s something you can learn. You either have the knack for it or you don’t.” See his works Cheong’s debut photo exhibition: ‘Dubai – Lights of Dreams’ is on display at Alliance Francaise in Oud Metha till February 26, and is showcasing 35 of his favourite Dubai stills. With prices ranging from an affordable Dh450 to Dh1,500, he says he’s happy keeping his passion his hobby for now. “It’s not about the money for me. I am happy in my job and I love doing my photography. It’s a form of escapism for me. If I turn it into my career at this point, I will have to branch out into the corporate market and I don’t want to do that.” So for now, Cheong says he’ll continue to juggle his work and hobby, despite a severe lack of sleep in the meantime. kelly@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
