Marines ordered to say sorry for assaulting journalists in Indonesia

JAKARTA/PADANG - Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Agus Suhartono says he has ordered the Marines who allegedly assaulted journalists during a prostitution crackdown in Padang, West Sumatra, to apologize. "The Marines did not intentionally commit violence against the journalists. There has been a misunderstanding, particularly given that the family of one of the Marines ran a shop raided by local officers," Agus told reporters at the Presidential Office on Wednesday. "It was triggered by a feeling of sympathy that a shop run by one of the Marine's family members had been damaged," he added. The order by the TNI commander was made amid an upward trend in violence directed against journalists in Indonesia. Agus said he had also ordered the Marines to return the journalists' cameras, videotapes and memory cards, which were allegedly forcibly seized during the attack. The Marines chased and assaulted six television journalists as they were covering a raid conducted by the Padang City Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers on cafes allegedly offering prostitution services in Bukit Lubuk Begalung district, Padang, at around 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The matter was discussed by Padang 2nd Naval Fleet (Lamtamal) Marine Defense Battalion commander Brig. Gen. Gatot Subroto in a dialog involving more than 100 journalists and mediated by West Sumatra Legislative Council speaker Yulteknil in Padang on Wednesday.

"I deeply regret the incident and will take action against the perpetrators. We are not protecting them and wish to maintain a good relationship with our media colleagues," Gatot said. The 11 Marines implicated in the incident were detained at battalion headquarters in Tekuk Bayur where they await military justice, Gatot added. The Marines were identified as Chief Sgt. Zaenal Mashur; Second Sgt. Saddam Husein; First Cpl. Bainuddin; Chief Privates Alexander and Kusnendi; and First Privates Zulfahmi, Malendra H., Komtung Yan, Dwi Eka Prasatia, Utomo Saputra and Erwanto. Global TV journalist Budi Sunandar received seven stitches for an ear lacerated in the mayhem. The perpetrators took his videotape and struck local Favorit TV journalist Jamaldi on the face and damaged his camera. The memory card of Padang Ekspres daily photographer Sy Ridwan's camera was also seized. Trans TV journalist Julian was also injured and his camera destroyed, while SCTV and Metro TV journalists Andora Khew and Afriandi suffered bruises and their videotapes were seized. Trans TV journalist Deden was beaten and choked. More than 100 journalists from various media organizations in Padang staged outside the West Sumatra Legislative Council building in Padang on Wednesday, including representatives of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), demanding transparency in the legal proceedings against the perpetrators. Separately, dozens of journalists rallied on Wednesday at Taman Makam Pahlawan Taruna circle in Tangerang City, Banten, in protest the assault of the journalists in Padang. The journalists, grouped under the Tangerang Journalists Working Group, demanded that the TNI commander impose stern sanctions on the perpetrators. "We, Tangerang-based journalists, condemn any form of violence against journalists and demand an immediate investigation of the assaults," Aimar Rani, a contributor to the MNC group, said. Meanwhile, in Batam, Riau Islands, the Batam District Military Command is currently disciplining a soldier who allegedly confiscated the camera of a Batam TV journalist who was filming long lines at a local gas station on May 28. The Army said that the soldier was not involved in fuel hoarding that has lead to fuel shortages in the area. The commander of the local military district, Lt. Col. Ahmad Rizal, visited the Batam office of Kompas daily on Tuesday evening to clarify the incident. "I express my deepest apology to my media colleagues over the incident. The concerned soldier has been reprimanded. It's true that he is a member of Army," Rizal said, declining to disclose the soldier's name or unit. Rizal added that the soldier might have felt cornered when four journalists were filming the line outside the Paradise gas station in Batu Aji, Batam, on May 28. As the journalists were photographing and taping the line, a military vehicle appeared and disgorged several men in TNI uniforms. The men shouted at the journalists and seized the camera of Batam TV journalist Bagong Sastranegara. Violence against journalists April 10, 2012 Unidentified police officers beat several journalists as they attempted to cover the evacuation of 120 illegal immigrants at Indah Kita Port in Banten. April 13, 2012 Tuti Alawiyah (SCTV), Bahana Situmorang (TVOne), Ayat Sudrajat Hasibuan (Trans TV) and Yudhistira (Beritasatu) were beaten by soldiers on security duty during a visit of Vice President Boediono to Medan, North Sumatra. May 29, 2012 Two journalists were beaten by a group of people at a gas station in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. The journalists were identified as Reni Sri Ayu of Kompas daily and Mohtar Mahyuddin of Mercusuar Palu daily. Source: Asiaone

Suu Kyi gets taste of home away from home

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said she felt at home when thousands of migrant workers gathered to greet their "Me Suu" (Mother Suu) with joy and the hope that she will take their country towards democracy and prosperity. Her first overseas trip in 24 years kicked off yesterday in Samut Sakhon's Mahachai area, where she did not feel at all like a stranger because the town is the home and workplace for thousands of Myanmar migrant workers. In fact, many of them have lived in Mahachai for more than two decades now. After hearing about her visit from local media, social networks and friends, Myanmar citizens gathered outside the office of the Migrant Worker's Rights Network (MWRN) hours before her arrival at 10am yesterday. Many of the workers wore T-shirts with her image, or carried portraits of Suu Kyi and her father late General Aung San, as well as flowers and signs expressing their feelings and opinions. "Want to be embraced by Mother Suu", one poster read. "Yes, I feel like she is our mother," affirmed 29-year-old Karen worker Chit Thu. Nan Kyat Su Kyi, a restaurant worker who was standing nearby, said, "It is more than that. I feel like she is our queen. I think if she was given a chance to run the country, Myanmar would be a lot better than it is now." Nan Kyat Su Kyi and her friends spent Bt400 on a taxi from Bangkok to Mahachai so they could catch a glimpse of Suu Kyi yesterday. "We have come to see her, laud her and support her struggle for democracy and the future of our country," Ni Ni Moyo Aye, a young Karen woman, said. Laup, a farm worker from the neighbouring Ratchaburi province, said he tried to follow Suu Kyi wherever she went in order to absorb her strong spirit. "If I have a chance to talk to her in person, I will say nothing but wish her good health, good spirit and happiness," the worker, who also goes by the name Wichai, said. Suu Kyi spent an hour at the office of migrant workers' network in Mahachai, and told the gathering that she had learned much about their situation and living conditions in Thailand. "I can give you one promise - I will try my best for you," she said, to loud applause. At the MWRN office, Suu Kyi met senior officials from the Samut Sakhon provincial authority, representatives of migrant workers as well as NGO staff members who raised several issues related to migrant workers in Thailand. An NGO member said that Suu Kyi had promised that she would take the issue up with the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, where she will be attending a conference next month. She told Myanmar workers that since they had to live and work under Thai laws and regulations, they should respect and obey the country's law and order. "When you work in another country, be responsible and skilful, so people in the country can respect you," she said, adding that they would become a valuable resource for their country once they return home. History is always changing. You are working here now, but when our country is developed, the value of workers will be higher. We won't forget you," she said. Suu Kyi is hoping to use her time in Thailand addressing issues related to Myanmar concerns. She brought up the subject of migrant workers during her meeting with former prime minister and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday, and is planning to raise the issue again today when she meets Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who is in charge of migrant worker issues. Source: Asiaone

Two arrested for trying to leak military technologies to N. Korea

Police on Wednesday arrested two businessmen on suspicion of having attempted to hand over advanced military technologies to North Korea. They were acting under the direction of a North Korean agent based in northern China, the Seoul District Police Agency said. The technologies allegedly leaked include electronic jamming devices that could neutralize Seoul's global positioning systems. They also tried to pass a radar system for anti-aircraft defense to Pyongyang, according to police. The suspects were charged with violating the National Security Law and were transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. They had been in the business of trading with North Korea, officials said. Investigators are looking into whether the technologies were handed over to the communist country and used for its recent cyber-attacks on South Korea. Early this month, hundreds of commercial jets and ships of South Korea experienced GPS disruptions for more than two weeks. One of the suspects had been sentenced to a life imprisonment in the 1970s on conviction of spying for North Korea. The 74-year-old man identified only by his surnamed Lee was released on parole in 1990 though he refused to renounce his political beliefs. Under the direction of a 40-something North Korean agent active in Lioning Province, northeast China, he ordered his 56-year-old accomplice, surnamed Kim, to collect military secrets last July, authorities said. They gained the information through a former chief executive of a domestic defense contractor, surnamed Chung. Police booked the man without detention. Police suspect a separate spy organization secured classified data on a location tracing technology used for ballistic missiles. Police got the clues from e-mail messages that Lee sent to Chung. The incident would constitute a violation of United Nations sanctions that ban sales to the North of weapons and technology that would aid its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.Source: Asiaone

Paris Hilton at VIP Room Nightclub in Cannes

Paris Hilton at VIP Room Nightclub in Cannes

Source: Zimbio

Korean female celebrities forced into sex

Yet another sex scandal has rocked the Korean entertainment industry, well-known for its "casting couch" practises of trading sexual favours for opportunities. This time, a series of over 30 sex videos featuring a number of A- and B-list female Korean stars have been leaked and circulated on the Internet. The actresses are reportedly from Korea's 107G channel and have starred in several popular K-dramas. However, none of them have been identified. The leaked videos also feature a man who is believed to be the same person. The background of most videos are also similar. It is believed the stars were secretly filmed while offering sex to the man, said to be a high-ranking official in the country. The videos were apparently exposed after a particular high-ranking official's residence was broken into in June, reported the Chinese media. One of the most famous victims of such practises is Jang Ja-Yeon, a Korean actress, who died at the age of 29 after she took her own life in March 2009. She had apparently committed suicide when she could no longer cope with the "casting couch". Several reports claimed that she apparently left letters claiming that she had been forced to have sex with more than 30 industry people more than a hundred times. However, in March this year, reports also surfaced refuting the authenticity of those letters. Netizens have said that the "casting couch" practice is an open-secret in Korea's entertainment industry. An earlier survey showed that about 60 per cent of female artistes in Korea have had to exchange sexual favours for casting opportunities. Source: Asiaone While "casting couch" does not happen to all Korean celebrities, many know of someone who has had to do so.

Malaysian woman tells of kidnap attempt on Facebook

PETALING JAYA - An Internet marketeer had a close shave with a couple of would-be rapists when she was abducted from the car park of The Curve shopping mall here. However, the feisty Chin Xin-Ci put up a fight and jumped out of the moving car just as it was exiting the car park. Recounting the harrowing experience on her Facebook account, she wrote that she was loading her shopping bags onto the backseat of her boyfriend's car when the incident took place at about 5.20pm on Sunday. She was on her own that day. "Suddenly, the rear car door was slammed against my back and a meat cleaver was pressed against my throat," she wrote. "A man covered my mouth with his hand and whispered to me not to scream. He then shoved me onto the floor of the backseat and waved the cleaver at me, ordering me not to scream." According to her posting, which has gone viral on Twitter and Facebook, a second man appeared and took her car keys while demanding for the parking ticket. "I told them they could take everything, just to let me go. But at that point they didn't even ask for money. Instead, one of the men started to make sexual advances. "Then it hit me: 'Oh my God. Oh my God. This is really happening. I'm being kidnapped and I think I know what they want'," she wrote. Waiting for a chance to make her escape, she said she was aware that the car would slow down as it moved out from the car park. She managed to open the door but one of the suspects pulled her back in. However, she put up a fight with the two suspects before making a run for it. The ordeal - from the moment she left the parking ticket payment machine to her escape - took just about four minutes "but it felt like a long nightmare", she wrote. She also tweeted that she was fortunate to just have some scratches and bruises although she lost almost all her belongings, including her cellphone. Meanwhile, The Curve centre manager Jazmi Kamarudin said they would cooperate with the police as well as offer support to Chin. "We have also provided our CCTV footage to assist the police with their investigation. "As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to share any details. "We sincerely regret that this incident took place despite our numerous safety efforts," Jazmi said in a statement yesterday. Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that the case had been classified as robbery. Other Twitter users also expressed their concern about the incident.

30 hours ago, I escaped from being kidnapped By Chin Xin-Ci As I sit here writing this, I am just so grateful to be alive. To think that 30 hours ago I had a knife to my throat, face to face with the threat of being kidnapped and raped. It was a Sunday, at 5.22PM. I was alone, walking towards my boyfriend's car in level B2 of The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. He was not in town, and I was running errands with his car. Just as I was putting my shopping bags in the rear seat, the rear car door was slammed against my back, and a meat cleaver was pressed against my throat. A man covered my mouth with his hand, and whispered not to scream. He then shoved me onto the floor of the backseat of the car and waved the cleaver at me, reminding me not to scream. He was skinny, wearing a baggy turqoise blue t-shirt, had a thick moustache and short curly hair, approx 5'8", mid-30s, and of Indian descent. At this moment, second man appeared. He was also in his mid-30s. He was wearing a red t-shirt, had a crewcut, and was of Malay descent. He grabbed my car keys and demanded for my parking ticket. I couldn't remember where it was. They shoved me deeper into the car, and the Indian man got into the back seat with me, while the Malay man got into the driver's seat, driving us out of the carpark. I told them they could take everything, just let me go. But at that point they didn't even ask for money. Instead, the Indian man started to make sexual advances. Then it hit me. "Oh my God. Oh my God. This is really happening. I'm being kidnapped.. and I think I know what they want." From this moment on, there were a few crucial things that happened that I think is the reason I'm alive today. 1. I managed to get into a position to escape. When they got into the car, the Indian man had tried to force my body down onto the floor. I knew that the moment I'm on the floor, there would be no chance of escape. So I begged him to let me sit up. I promised him I wouldn't scream or alert anyone's attention. Thankfully, he trusted me, and let me sit up, gripping my arm tightly. Then I told him my arm really hurt and to please not grip it so hard. He loosened his grip. 2. I did not fight for the sake of fighting. I was in an enclosed space, with no clear escape route. I would never win in a fight with these 2 guys, especially when they have sharp weapons. Had I fought from the get go, I may not have been in a position to escape. I might've even been knocked out cold, and God only knows where I would be right now. 3. I was lucky and sneaky. I knew that the only way to escape, was to jump out of the car, even if it was moving. They had locked the car doors. So I leaned back, pretended to scratch my hair, and shakily unlocked the door I was leaning against. I'm so lucky they did not see or hear this! 4. I went 'crazy' at the right time. And then I waited. I knew that the car would have to slow down outside the parking lot, as it exits to merge with the main roads. The moment it slowed down, I opened the car door and tried to make a run for it. I failed. I kicked my legs out of the car, but the Indian man had managed to pull my body back in. From this moment on, everything is a blur. I remember the Malay driver temporarily stopping the car, leaning over from the driver's seat and attempting to close the door and pull my legs in. At that point I remember thinking, "Even if I don't get out now, I need to keep the door open and my legs out the door. At the very least, it should cause a scene, and someone would see me. Or, the door might hit another car and they'll be forced to slow down." So I continued kicking. My right foot pushed against the wide-open car door to keep it open. I recall elbowing, struggling, kicking, and even biting. I lost my glasses, and was struggling blindly for my life. At some point the Malay driver yelled, "BAGI DIA LEPAS! BAGI DIA LEPAS!" (Let her go! Let her go!) and the Indian man loosened his grip. I made a jump out of the still-moving car, and ran for my life. 5. I acted in spite of the fear. My friends said I was brave. But I didn't feel like it. I was quivering and shaking in fear. I was so afraid. I thought I was going to die. I was weak with fear and deathly afraid. I truly thought "this was it". But I knew I HAD to move. I had to run. Or there would be a worser fate in store for me. While I was quaking in fear, I forced myself to look around and see if there was any way I could escape, or even catch someone's eye. 6. I remembered the people I love. The only thing that matters when you're faced with potentially horrendous fate, is the people in your life. When I felt the knife to my neck, the first thing I thought was , "This cannot be happening. I must be dreaming." The second? The people that truly matter to me flashed across my mind. It sounds cliche, but it's true. I thought of my parents. My brother. Khailee. Esther. More people. That's all I could think of for a few moments, before I thought, "Shit. I need to get out of here." I ran towards the Maybank outlet at the Curve. There were plenty of people milling around. I screamed for help over and over again. I was hysterical. I grabbed an older Malay man by his shoulders and begged for help before practically collapsing at his feet. I will always remember the relief and liberation I felt, running over Mutiara Damansara's manicured grass and into the crowd. Today, I found out that the entire ordeal from the moment I left the parking ticket payment machine, to my escape, happened in about 4 minutes. To me, it felt like one long nightmare. We never think its going to happen to us... and then it does. I used to think that this is something that happens only in the papers and to people far, far removed from me. But then it did happen to me. I moved to PJ/KL 6 years ago, and I've spent countless mornings, afternoons and nights at The Curve. When my friends and I were organizing Rock Up! back in 2008, we were walking around the place at 4AM even. It's been 6 years, and never once did I feel that I was unsafe at The Curve. Until yesterday. I feel like moving out of the country ASAP. Getting the hell out of this state where you hear of a kidnapping or attempted one every month (remember Nayati?), or a snatch theft every week. And yet I'm fully aware of the fact that in another country with more lax firearm laws, they would've been holding a gun to my head, not a cleaver. And that would've been so, so much worse. I'm Blessed. By God's grace, I am alive and relatively well. And I will live another day to build another cat iPhone app. It just was not my time to go. And for that, I thank God. I want to share this story with everyone because cops tell me that they rarely get to hear it from someone who escapes. Girls, be so very careful. Be vigilant, and please try not to go anywhere alone. If you need to walk to the carpark, and you're alone, get a guard to go with you. I was recently told that it's part of their job description to assist anyone if needed. Guys, watch out for your girlfriends, wives, mothers, sisters and friends. Walk with them, don't take their paranoia or fear lightly. Watch out for them. And everyone, just watch out for each other. Take care of each other. These things really DO happen. As I ran out of the car, so many people came to help me. Strangers who didn't know who I was, came forward and offered me tissue paper, water, cellphones, and general comfort. Malaysians, please care for one another. You already do. Just keep on caring. Keep watching out for each other. Don't worry about being thought of as "busy body" or "overreacting". The world can be a cruel place, but all it takes is for people to care for one another to make all the difference.

Dead woman kept in freezer up 10 years

An 80-year-old man was being questioned in Japan on Wednesday on suspicion of strangling his wife and keeping her body in the freezer for up to 10 years, police and media reports said. Masaichi Yamada, who runs a fish-processing company, was arrested in the northern Japan port of Kushiro early on Tuesday when the frozen corpse - still fully clothed - was uncovered. "The suspect maliciously strangled the victim with a string-like object at their home and abandoned her body in the freezer at his working place," a spokesman for police in Hokkaido told AFP by telephone. It was not immediately known when the murder took place, the official said, adding the woman would have been 71 years old if she was alive today. Source: Agencies