Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 3 april 2019
Thai army chief sends warning to critics of the monarchy

By GRANT PECK Forward Party believe the
Associated Press courts and the Election
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai- Commission may try to dis-
land’s influential army chief qualify some of its winning
warned Tuesday that the candidates, or even the
military will fight any moves entire party, ahead of the
that threaten the country’s release of official election
system of constitutional results on May 9.
monarchy with the king as Thai social media since the
head of state, in an appar- election has been buzzing
ent threat directed at sup- with postings seeking to dis-
porters of a new anti-junta credit the Future Forward
party. “The army does the Party.
army’s duty, which is to pro- One recently circulated
tect, maintain, and defend video shows excerpts of
the institutions of nation, a lecture Piyabutr gave in
religion, and monarchy,” 2013, when he taught law
Gen. Apirat Kongsompong at Bangkok’s Thammasat
said at a news conference. University. He has said it
Apirat appeared to be tar- was to explain the relation-
geting intellectuals back- ship of democracy to mon-
ing the Future Forward archies in political systems
Party, which according to worldwide. But it has been
preliminary figures ran a cast by his party’s oppo-
strong third in the March 24 nents as criticism of Thai-
general election. land’s monarchy.
Apirat’s words “come as In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, file photo, Thai army chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong reviews the An obscure right-wing
an intimidating knock-out guard of honor during the Royal Thai Armed Forces Day ceremony at a military base in Bangkok, group, Political Civic Group,
punch against any Thai po- Thailand. said it has filed a complaint
litical critics of Thailand’s Associated Press with the Election Com-
system of government,” founder Piyabutr Saenka- style democratic system.” March polls, and its candi- mission about Piyabutr’s
said Paul Chambers, a lec- nokkul used to be part of Pitabutr received his mas- date, Prayuth Chan-ocha, statements, claiming they
turer in political science the Nitirat Group, legal ter’s and doctoral degree is likely to become prime violated election law. He
at Naresuan University in scholars who sought re- in France, and other promi- minister, but could end up has denied the allegations
northern Thailand. “But forms in Thailand’s lese nent members of the Nitirat with the opposition hold- against him and charged
more explicitly, the words majeste law, which carries Group studied law in Ger- ing a majority of seats in the video was taken out of
seem to attack Future For- stiff prison terms for people many. “Don’t introduce the House of Representa- context to undermine him.
ward Party, whose leaders found guilty of defaming the leftist views you learned tives. Prayuth led a 2014 Apirat also criticized activ-
have seemed particularly the monarchy. that made you all preten- coup that ousted an elect- ists who charge that the
critical of the junta and mil- Apirat suggested that tious,” Apirat said. ed government and since Election Commission mis-
itary, and who in the past scholars who have studied The military-backed Palang then has served as junta managed the polls and
discussed the monarchy.” abroad may have lost their Pracharath Party won the chief and prime minister. are seeking to impeach its
Future Forward Party co- understanding of the “Thai- most popular votes in the Supporters of the Future members.q

Firefighters contain fire in China’s mountains where 30 died

Associated Press blaze in a remote area at gered a huge flamethrow-
BEIJING (AP) — Firefight- an altitude of 3,800 meters er,” Wang said.
ers on Tuesday contained (12,500 feet), according to Most of the dead were in
a blaze high in the rugged the Ministry of Emergency their 20s, although at least
forested mountains of west- Management. Despite at- two were teenagers, ac-
ern China that claimed the tempts at a rescue, all 30 cording to state media
lives of 30 colleagues, in were confirmed dead on reports. One had recently
one of the worst disasters Monday afternoon. married.
for the emergency services The Xinhua News Agency China has been battling
in recent years. quoted firefighting official forest fires in recent weeks
Open flames had been Xie Shi’en as saying wind, in various parts of the vast
extinguished and only a dry air and combustible country, including on the
few areas continued to material creative an explo- outskirts of Beijing, fed
emit smoke with no further sive effect where the men by dry weather and high
threat of the fire spreading, were working. winds across many north-
state media reported. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a fire-fighting The fire advanced so quick- ern areas.
The bodies of the dead fire- helicopter leaves on a mission to fight aforest fire in the Muli ly that trees on the ridge The death toll appeared
fighters were transported County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture from an airport were consumed within sec- to be the worst among
to the town of Xichang in in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Monday, April onds, surviving firefighter Chinese firefighters since
Sichuan province, where 1, 2019. Wang Xin told Xinhua. 2015, when an explosion
residents presented flowers Associated Press “All of a sudden, we heard at a chemical warehouse
as a sign of mourning and caster CCTV reported. Changing winds Sunday a huge explosive sound in the port of Tianjin killed
respect. Some of the bod- Three helicopters brought apparently trapped 27 from the ridge and saw 173 people, most of them
ies could only be identified in reinforcements to fully firefighters and three help- a wall of flame rocket up. firefighters and other first
through DNA, state broad- extinguish the blaze. ers who were battling the It was as if someone trig- responders.q