Thursday, June 17, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tranquil turquoise retreat
A beautiful seven-tiered waterfall in Kanchanaburi's Si Sawat district is a great way to cool down
If you are looking for somewhere serene and peaceful to escape to, Erawan National Park is probably the ideal place, and soaking in refreshingly cool water alongside the Erawan Waterfall in the wilderness of Kanchanaburi's Si Sawat district is a great idea to beat the heat.
The waterfall is famed for its turquoise-coloured stream and unique limestone formations, and is on seven levels, each of which has unique characteristics, allowing visitors to enjoy exploring the 1.5 kilometre trail to the top.
Walk along the shady trail and you will find yourself in a tropical wilderness, your path lined with huge trees such as makha mong (Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib) and ironwood (Hopea odorata Roxb).
On the way up the hill, I take small rests along the way and find each tier of the waterfall has its own pool, allowing visitors to swim and relax in privacy. And since the national park does not allow visitors to bring in plastic bottles, the waterfall is very clean.
Curiosity keep me walking to see how beautiful each tier was. Finally I reached the highest tier of the falls. At the seventh tier, Phu Pha Sawan, I find my efforts climbing up worthwhile.
Here is an amazing and marvellous waterfall, fed by a turquoise stream. If you visit the falls on a rainy day, you may get a chance to see the stream rushing over a huge rock, making it look like a three-headed elephant - which is why this waterfall is named Erawan, the heavenly Hindu elephant god ridden by Lord Indra.
If you are looking for somewhere serene and peaceful to escape to, Erawan National Park is probably the ideal place, and soaking in refreshingly cool water alongside the Erawan Waterfall in the wilderness of Kanchanaburi's Si Sawat district is a great idea to beat the heat.
The waterfall is famed for its turquoise-coloured stream and unique limestone formations, and is on seven levels, each of which has unique characteristics, allowing visitors to enjoy exploring the 1.5 kilometre trail to the top.
Walk along the shady trail and you will find yourself in a tropical wilderness, your path lined with huge trees such as makha mong (Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib) and ironwood (Hopea odorata Roxb).
On the way up the hill, I take small rests along the way and find each tier of the waterfall has its own pool, allowing visitors to swim and relax in privacy. And since the national park does not allow visitors to bring in plastic bottles, the waterfall is very clean.
Curiosity keep me walking to see how beautiful each tier was. Finally I reached the highest tier of the falls. At the seventh tier, Phu Pha Sawan, I find my efforts climbing up worthwhile.
Here is an amazing and marvellous waterfall, fed by a turquoise stream. If you visit the falls on a rainy day, you may get a chance to see the stream rushing over a huge rock, making it look like a three-headed elephant - which is why this waterfall is named Erawan, the heavenly Hindu elephant god ridden by Lord Indra.
Government pursues plan to buy Thaicom
The Thai government is proposing to buy Thaicom Plc from Singapore-based Temasek Holdings to avoid future conflicts stemming from the use of the company's satellites to air anti-government broadcasts, according to an industry source.
Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and Sirichok Sopha, the prime minister's secretary, flew to Singapore in mid-April as political protests were escalating to meet Temasek executives with two proposals, said the source, who asked not to be named.
Mr Korn reportedly asked Temasek, as the major shareholder of Thaicom parent Shin Corp, to co-operate with the Thai government to stop the red-shirt protesters' People Channel (PTV) from broadcasting inappropriate programmes via Thaicom.
Temasek agreed and referred the matter to the Thaicom board, and subsequently the PTV broadcasts were blocked, the source said.
Thaicom was founded by fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who currently faces terrorism charges linked to the 10-week protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship. His family sold its holdings in Shin Corp to Temasek in January 2006.
Mr Korn also made a second proposal, asking Temasek if it would be possible for a Thai state enterprise, either MCOT or CAT Telecom, to take over Temasek's indirect investment in the satellite operator.
However, the source said, there has been no follow-up because Temasek at the time was making management changes in its telecom portfolio.
The Thai government is still pursuing the idea under a government-to-government deal, which could result in changes in the terms for the remaining 12 years of Thaicom's concession, or even a new satellite concession.
The source said that if the deal was successful, Thaicom would in effect become a state enterprise and the government would find it easier to regulate satellite broadcasting.
Shin Corp executive chairman Somprasong Boonyachai said he was aware of the government proposals but was not involved in any talks directly.
But he said that if the government had a proposal that was positively received by Shin's major shareholder, it would be welcomed.
"If they can settle this deal, it will be a good thing because it will erase all issues that have annoyed both Thaicom and the government," he said.
He said it was not clear whether a takeover would involve a tender offer for shares of SET-listed Thaicom. As well, the impact on Thaicom executives and staff was unclear.
A high-level executive of Thaicom said that although the government was attempting to find a new player in the satellite industry, it was not easy because the industry is highly competitive with low margins.
"I still have a strong belief that building and launching a new satellite can be done only by Thaicom and the military," he said.
Thaicom has three satellites in orbit: Thaicom 2 which will expire in a few months, Thaicom 5, a replacement for Thaicom 3 which was deorbited; and iPSTAR or Thaicom 4.
Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and Sirichok Sopha, the prime minister's secretary, flew to Singapore in mid-April as political protests were escalating to meet Temasek executives with two proposals, said the source, who asked not to be named.
Mr Korn reportedly asked Temasek, as the major shareholder of Thaicom parent Shin Corp, to co-operate with the Thai government to stop the red-shirt protesters' People Channel (PTV) from broadcasting inappropriate programmes via Thaicom.
Temasek agreed and referred the matter to the Thaicom board, and subsequently the PTV broadcasts were blocked, the source said.
Thaicom was founded by fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who currently faces terrorism charges linked to the 10-week protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship. His family sold its holdings in Shin Corp to Temasek in January 2006.
Mr Korn also made a second proposal, asking Temasek if it would be possible for a Thai state enterprise, either MCOT or CAT Telecom, to take over Temasek's indirect investment in the satellite operator.
However, the source said, there has been no follow-up because Temasek at the time was making management changes in its telecom portfolio.
The Thai government is still pursuing the idea under a government-to-government deal, which could result in changes in the terms for the remaining 12 years of Thaicom's concession, or even a new satellite concession.
The source said that if the deal was successful, Thaicom would in effect become a state enterprise and the government would find it easier to regulate satellite broadcasting.
Shin Corp executive chairman Somprasong Boonyachai said he was aware of the government proposals but was not involved in any talks directly.
But he said that if the government had a proposal that was positively received by Shin's major shareholder, it would be welcomed.
"If they can settle this deal, it will be a good thing because it will erase all issues that have annoyed both Thaicom and the government," he said.
He said it was not clear whether a takeover would involve a tender offer for shares of SET-listed Thaicom. As well, the impact on Thaicom executives and staff was unclear.
A high-level executive of Thaicom said that although the government was attempting to find a new player in the satellite industry, it was not easy because the industry is highly competitive with low margins.
"I still have a strong belief that building and launching a new satellite can be done only by Thaicom and the military," he said.
Thaicom has three satellites in orbit: Thaicom 2 which will expire in a few months, Thaicom 5, a replacement for Thaicom 3 which was deorbited; and iPSTAR or Thaicom 4.
Indonesia jails terror leader's driver for 8 years
An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced the driver of late terror leader Noordin Mohammed Top to eight years' jail for abetting terrorism and plotting to assassinate the president.
Amir Abdillah, 34, was convicted of concealing information about Malaysian-born Islamist Noordin and of taking part in preparations for a bomb attack on the convoy of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The sentence was lighter than the 10 years sought by prosecutors because he had cooperated with police and shown regret, the court heard.
"It's true he assisted in surveying the route which would be used by the president's vehicle convoy. It's true he knew about the plot to bomb the vehicle convoy," chief judge Sudarwin told the South Jakarta district court.
Abdillah was arrested in the wake of twin suicide bombings on luxury hotels in Jakarta last July which killed seven people, the last in a series of deadly attacks blamed on Noordin and his extremist network.
Police killed Noordin in a raid in September, ending one of Southeast Asia's biggest manhunts.
Despite the court's leniency, Abdillah expressed little remorse as he spoke to reporters after the sentence had been handed down. He also claimed he was innocent of the most serious charges, including plotting to kill Yudhoyono.
"I don't know if this is a heavy or light sentence... Actually I only agreed that I hid information. The other things I'm not so sure about," he said.
"I just did as I was told... I was told to deliver ingredients for cakes. I didn't know they were actually explosive materials. I was asked to drive a cleric around -- I had no idea he was Noordin M. Top," he added.
Abdillah drove Noordin to meetings with terrorists, booked a room in West Java where the hotel attacks were planned and transported explosive materials to a house where a truck bomb was being assembled, prosecutors said.
The truck bomb was intended for an attack on Yudhoyono around independence day on August 17 last year, but it never took place.
Two Islamic extremists carrying backpacks filled with homemade bombs blew themselves up at the neighbouring JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels in downtown Jakarta on July 17.
Abdillah was in a car near the hotels with fellow-Islamist Syaifudin Jaelani as he issued the orders via mobile phone to the bombers to initiate their attacks, prosecutors said.
Jaelani was killed by police in the wake of the bombings.
Africa savours first win but tragedy tinges W.Cup
Africa tasted victory for the first time at the World Cup but fresh tragedy punctured the euphoria as a young US fan fell to his death, while journalists were involved in an air crash scare.
New controversy also raged over the vuvuzela trumpets with Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo saying they were putting players off and the head of the local organising committee that a ban was a possibility.
As South Africa congratulated itself for the general smooth running so far, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the opening stages were a triumph for the whole of Africa. It is the first time the tournament is being staged on the continent.
But the death of a 14-year-old American tourist while hiking down the famous Table Mountain tourist trail dampened the festival mood as did the theft of equipment worth 70,000 dollars from a New Zealand television crew.
A police spokesman said the youngster was with his brother and parents in wet conditions on Saturday when he fell on a trail known as Skeleton Gorge.
The family, who are from Texas, were vacationing in South Africa and intended to watch some World Cup matches, he added.
Friday's opening ceremony and first match involving South Africa and Mexico was also marked by tragedy when former president Nelson Mandela's 13-year-old great granddaughter was killed in a car crash on the eve of the kick-off.
Mandela then pulled out of the ceremony to grieve with his family.
Sunday's matches saw the eastern city of Durban host a match between Germany and Australia, Serbia took on Ghana in Pretoria and Algeria played Slovenia in northern Polokwane.
Journalists heading to Polokwane on a chartered plane, which included a team from the Al-Jazeera network, escaped unhurt after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Lanseria airport, near Johannesburg.
Sparks flew from the belly of the plane as it came down after problems with its under-carriage, said the airport's operations manager Mike Christoph.
The match in Polokwane ended in a 1-0 victory for Slovenia, their first ever World Cup win.
In Pretoria, a penalty by Asamoah Gyan was enough to give Ghana victory over Serbia, while in Durban, three-times champion Germany overwhelmed Australia 4-0.
"Everyone is happy, not only in Ghana but the whole of Africa," Gyan said. "I'm so happy, not for Ghana winning but for an African team winning in the World Cup. It's not so easy."
In Durban, a party atmosphere prevailed as German fans grilled South Africa's signature boerewors sausages and Australians went surfing in the Indian Ocean ahead of the evening kick-off.
The sound of vuvuzela trumpets again reverberated around the grouds, fuelling yet more debate about their place in the tournament.
"It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate," Portugal and Real Madrid start Ronaldo told a press conference. "A lot of players don't like them, but they are going to have to get used to them."
Asked if a ban was an option, local organising committee Danny Jordaan said: "If there are grounds to do so, yes."
But a spokesman for the committee later said later downplayed Jordaan's remarks and said that the horns "are here to stay".
"We just ask that people use them wisely and keep quiet when asked to do so during the singing of national anthems and the delivery of speeches," said Rich Mkhondo.
But England supporters trooped away dejectedly from the northwestern backwater of Rustenburg after a howler from goalkeeper Robert Green allowed the Americans to clinch a 1-1 draw late Saturday.
Forum blasts government 'abuses' during rally
The government violated international human rights principles by endorsing the military's indiscriminate and excessive use of force against red shirt protesters, a forum has concluded.
At Saturday's event at Thammasat University, which marked the one-month anniversary of security forces' dispersal of United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protesters, rights advocates and academics also slammed the state for using propaganda to whitewash its unjust actions and the emergency decree to eliminate dissidents.
"What the state has done is in violation of the United Nations' principles on human rights" said Krittiya Archavanikul of Mahidol University's Human Rights Centre.
She was referring to the military's dispersal operations carried out on April 10 and from May 14 to 19, which resulted in 90 deaths and over 1,800 injuries.
The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation has been unable to substantiate its claims that the military used live rounds against protesters and bystanders only in self-defence, she said.
The state had not employed force to disperse the crowd on a proportional basis as stipulated by the Universal Declaration for Human Rights ratified by Thailand, she said.
"The state has used the term 'terrorism' to clean the dirt it is hiding," said Mrs Krittiya.
Peace advocate Kwanravee Wang-udom said the CRES had violated international rights principles by allowing soldiers to use live rounds without close supervision.
The CRES's orders gave authorities legal immunity to commit unjust actions, Ms Kwanravee said.
Kasem Penpinant of Chulalongkorn University's arts faculty said the use of over 50,000 heavily armed security forces
personnel to disperse a political gathering should not have happened in a democratic country.
"It was like a military operation during a war," he said, adding the government has failed to provide clear evidence to substantiate its claim that terrorists had mingled among the protesters.
A key issue at the forum was the state's use of propaganda to justify the military operation.
Chulalongkorn University political scientist Jakkrit Sangkhamanee said the government's use of propaganda has been successful because it was well planned.
"Propaganda has been used to make the public trust the government, and fear and hate protestors, as well as to bring debate to a swift conclusion," he said.
During its daily televised announcements, the CRES had used terms like "law breakers" to refer to the protesters, creating a bias against them that helped justify the state's actions.
"The state has been selective in telling the truth and has distracted public attention from core issues," he said, citing the CRES's refusal to clarify whether the army had used snipers during dispersal operations.
Human rights advocate Sarawut Prathumrat urged the government to lift the emergency decree, saying it has led to more abuses of authority.
Red shirt supporters and leaders, as well as their family members, have been brought in for interrogation by security forces since the decree was put into effect, he said. Many have also been threatened and arrested, he said.
Pruek Thaothawin, a lecturer with Ubon Ratchathani University's arts faculty, said the decree "is a tool for the state to administer its fear of dissidents".
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