Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, received Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and party at her office in Nay Pyi Taw on August 6 and they held a joint press conference.

Regarding the question of a Japanese journalist, Aung San Suu Kyi replied, “Dr Kofi Annan’s Commission proposed 88 points. More than 80 points have been already implemented. The commission already mentioned that remaining six to seven points were considered as long-term matters and therefore they would be undertaken through a step-by-step approach. We would carry out the tasks like so. Short-term and long-term matters could be witnessed in the report of Kofi Annan’s report. Citizenship is also the same matter.

“The central committee was formed to carry out rule of law and development since our government took office. We formed it as we knew how to deal with long-term issues in Rakhine. Just before the start of the central committee, the first terrorist attacks occurred along with other issues. We will have to tackle the problems step by step.”

She added that the independent investigation commission would be given exclusive rights to carry out

its work and that its members were qualified and she expressed her hope that other friendly countries, including Japan, would offer technical assistance to the commission.

Our government has to listen to different kinds of views and voices. The people outside of the country can view as they like. The government inside the country has to take all different views into consideration and has to seek a certain solution capable of dealing with all problems. We hear voices that our government must do much work. There is an effort to get a solution between two communities, but it will take some time to implement this matter, said Aung San Suu Kyi.

Rakhine issue is very complex. In addition to human rights and humanitarian matters, it is required to eradicate poverty facing the whole Rakhine State. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has an enormous capacity, said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

But steps, including bringing harmony between the two communities in Rakhine State, need to be firm in the long-run. The government of Japan will work together with Myanmar government, which is trying to resolve difficult issues, and will explain Myanmar’s efforts to the international community, said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

China will allow international students at Chinese universities nationwide to take part-time jobs during their studies to make the country’s higher educational system more attractive, the Ministry of Education said in a statement provided to China Daily exclusively.

The government has been introducing a number of exploratory changes allowing international students in Beijing and Shanghai to take part-time jobs or internships off campus as long as they obtain approval from their academic institutions and the entry and exit administrative authorities.

In 2015, Shanghai, one of the educational innovators, implemented a pilot policy that enables international students who have graduated from a Chinese university to accept internships or to start their own business in the Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone for up to two years after graduation.

One year later, the city further eased the restriction and started to allow international students to start a business at the zone during their studies.

In 2016, the Ministry of Public Security implemented new policies to allow foreign students recommended by their host universities in Beijing to take part-time jobs with companies in the city’s Zhongguancun Science Park or become involved in entrepreneurship in the area, where they get an annotation of “entrepreneurship” added to their student visa.

In early 2017, the central government introduced a program for international students with postgraduate degrees or who had attended “well-known” universities to obtain Chinese work permits after graduation. Previously, international students and those with degrees obtained overseas had to have a minimum of two years’ work experience outside China before they could apply for a work visa.

Wang Huiyao, director of the Center for China and Globalization, an independent think tank based in Beijing, said it makes sense for the country to more broadly expand such innovative policies since it serves the strategy of reinvigorating China’s workforce development.

While these changes to visa policies are quite small and specifically targeted, they are positive signs that the government is considering opening up more opportunities for international students to undertake part-time work during their studies and have work opportunities upon graduation.

Foreign employees can give domestic enterprises an advantage as they expand overseas, plus it’s only logical that these graduates want to put into practice what they have learned, he added.

Fang Ruting of the international students office at Renmin University of China in Beijing said there is an increasing demand for international students at the university to apply for internships to take advantage of China’s rapid development.

The university has worked with large State-owned enterprises, multinational corporations and embassies in China to secure internship opportunities for international students, she said.

Australian student Thomas Linnette described the relaxed policies as a “welcome change” and said he expects there will be a large increase in students seeking part-time jobs and new graduates seeking employment in China.

The 21-year-old Tsinghua University student finished an internship at consultancy firm KPMG, where he analyzed China’s outbound investment trends. He will soon start another internship at ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing.

“I love China. I have a girlfriend here, and I’m ready to start my life here with her after I graduate,” he said.

“China is growing quite fast, with new and innovative industries springing up every day,” Linnette added. “I want to seize this growth opportunity and grow with China.”

Spycam pornography, locally known as “molka,” generally refers to secretly produced, sexually exploitive videos or pictures of women in public spaces, such as restrooms and subways, among others. Such contents have also been created and shared online by victims’ ex-boyfriends, typically in retaliation with the intent to damage the women’s future job and marriage prospects.

Authorities inspect a public toilet as a measure to combat spy-cam crimes in South Korea. (Yonhap)

The announcement follows on the heels of the fourth edition of ongoing women’s rights rallies against spycam pornography, which was held near the presidential office in central Seoul on Saturday. According to organizers, some 70,000 people participated in the rally this weekend — about 10,000 more than the previous held last month — in spite of a scorching heat wave that has gripped the country. Since its first edition in May, the demonstrations have been recorded as the biggest women’s movement in South Korean history.

Some of the famous signs that protesters held during the rally include “my life is not your porn” and “angry women change the world.” The protesters claim that many Korean women feel unsafe using public bathrooms, fearing they may be filmed and the footage may spread online without their knowledge. Once entering a bathroom stall, checking for peepholes that may contain secret lenses — and stuffing tissues inside if there indeed are holes — has become common practice among Korean women, they say.

The new measures were introduced as government data showed 24 percent of all spycam-related crimes so far have taken place at transportation sites — including public restrooms in crowded metro stations, highway rest areas and airports, among others. The data also showed that the number of reported crimes involving secret cameras has been significantly increasing since the early 2010s, from 2,400 in 2012 to 6,465 last year.

Women protesters participate in a rally in central Seoul on Saturday, calling for stricter measures to combat spy-cam pornography in the country. (Yonhap)

While almost all of the victims of such crimes in the country have been women, some of the male perpetrators who have committed such offenses include a pastor running a large church in North Chungcheong Province and a judge whose father was a lawmaker with the main opposition Korea Liberty Party.

The new government measure requires all Koreans who operate transportation sites to establish a special team to monitor the property, including public restrooms, to inspect for secretly installed cameras at least once a day. Those who do not comply will be subject to fines, they added. A public bathroom that has been monitored and regulated well and consistently for a significant amount of time will be designated a “clean zone.”

The government is also installing educational posters — indicating “Illicit filming of others is a crime. So is watching the footage online” — in some 1,000 institutions for women’s and children’s rights, as well as 254 police stations nationwide.

“We are trying to emphasize that it is also illegal to download and watch such contents online, on top of filming and posting the so-called ‘spycam porn,'” said an official from the Gender Equality Ministry.

Women prosters hold a sign that reads “My life is not your porn”, among others, at a mass rally held on Saturday in central Seoul near the Presidential Office. (Yonhap)

While there is no doubt that the mass women’s rights rally has been the major driving force behind the changes,  recent research showed that only about 50 percent of Korean women and 20 percent of Korean men endorse the cause.

The study by the Korea Press Foundation, which surveyed some 1,000 Korean men and women aged 20-59, found that 72.5 percent of those who did not support the rally think the protest may in fact make more Koreans think negatively of feminism.

At the same time, 17.1 percent said Korean women do not experience gender-based violence and discrimination to an extent that they need to hold a mass rally.

The particular mass rally has been a subject of debate as some participants have made controversial remarks against men during its previous editions. They were later accused by the rally’s critics of openly committing hate speech. Among other public figures, Gender Minister Chung Hyun-back has been criticized for publicly endorsing the mass rally in spite of existing controversies in the past.

Developed by local company Angkor Audio, the app provides spoken tours in 14 languages.

Hem Sophoan, who has worked as a guide since becoming licensed in 2008, told The Post that the app is hurting the industry and affecting the livelihood of trained guides.

“The Ministry of Tourism should encourage tour guide skills because it always provides training courses, so what do those guides do now?,” he asked.

Sophoan said Cambodia has approximately 10,000 working tour guides and if the app finds a large enough audience, it will directly affect their incomes.

The audio tour program is set to launch next year and will cost users $2.99 for the first month of use. Currently, the company is testing it with 30,000 users.

A Spanish language tour guide in Siem Reap, Kes Theng, said he strongly opposed the app.

“As a tour guide, I strongly oppose any company that plans to run a tour guide app for Cambodia’s historic sites,” he said, adding that it would lead to poverty.

“Do you want to see the thousands of people working as tour guides become unemployed?” he asked.

The Minister of Tourism Thong Khon could not be reached for comment as of press time, while the ministry’s spokesman did not answer a phone call.

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents adviser Hor Vandy said the app would strengthen the Kingdom’s tourism sector, despite pushing some guides out of business.

“I believe the ministry will consider how best to coordinate with the tour guides,” he said.

Vandy said audio tours are already being used at historical sites in Phnom Penh, and a few in Siem Reap.

Data from the ministry showed that in the first five months of this year, Cambodia received 2.6 million foreign tourists – up 13.5 per cent compared to last year.

The Kingdom is expected to receive 6.2 million tourists this year and seven million a year by 2020.

The Saudi government expelled Canada’s ambassador, giving him 24 hours to leave the country, and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing all new trade over what it slammed as “interference” in its internal affairs.

Ottawa did not give any ground over the shock expulsion of the envoy, Dennis Horak, with Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland saying Canada would continue to defend human rights around the world.

The rupture, which underscores a newly aggressive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, comes after Canada denounced a new crackdown on women and human rights campaigners in the kingdom.

“The kingdom announces that it is recalling its ambassador to Canada for consultation. We consider the Canadian ambassador to the kingdom persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours,” the Saudi foreign ministry tweeted early Monday.

The ministry also announced “the freezing of all new trade and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action”.

Later Monday, the row appeared to escalate as Riyadh said it will relocate thousands of Saudi students studying in Canada to other countries, and state airline Saudia announced it was suspending flights to and from Toronto.

A pro-government Saudi Twitter account provoked outrage when it posted — and then deleted — a 9/11-style digitally altered image showing a plane flying towards the Toronto skyline.

The account later apologised and the image was reposted with the plane removed, but screenshots of the original tweet spread quickly. Saudi Arabia’s media ministry said it was investigating the incident.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Saudi Arabia “will deal with any interference decisively”, dismissing Canada’s position as “built on misleading information”, in a statement carried by state media.

Last week, Canada said it was “gravely concerned” over the new wave of arrests of rights campaigners, including award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi, and called on Riyadh to “immediately release them.”

Canada doubled down on Monday.

“Canada will always stand up for human rights, in Canada and around the world, and women’s rights are human rights,” Freeland told an audience in Vancouver.

– ‘Unprecedented crackdown’ –

Samar was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah last week, the latest victims of what Human Rights Watch called an “unprecedented government crackdown on the women’s rights movement”.

Samar’s brother, blogger Raif Badawi, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for “insulting Islam” in a case that sparked an international outcry.

The latest arrests come weeks after more than a dozen women’s rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. Some have since been released.

Prince Mohammed, heir to the region’s most powerful throne, has introduced a string of reforms such as lifting a decades-long ban on women drivers in a bid to overhaul the kingdom’s austere image.

But the 32-year-old has simultaneously pursued a combative foreign policy — including leading a blockade of neighbouring Qatar and a bombing campaign against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen — while cracking down on dissent at home.

The United Arab Emirates, a strong regional ally, supported the Saudi response to Canada, with a senior government official calling Ottawa’s behavior “unacceptable.”

– Defence contract in peril? –

In April, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “serious concern” over the continued jailing of Raif Badawi to Saudi King Salman.

Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar has been granted asylum by Canada, where she is raising their three children.

“It is now time for other governments to join Canada in increasing the pressure on Saudi Arabia to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally,” said Samah Hadid, Amnesty International’s Middle East campaigns director.

But Riyadh’s singling out of Canada is aimed at strongly discouraging other critical Western governments from speaking out, observers say.

“Canada is easier to cut ties with than the rest,” Bessma Momani, a professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo, told AFP.

“There isn’t a strong bilateral trade relationship and poking the Trudeau government likely resonates with Saudi’s hawkish regional allies. At jeopardy are the… thousands of Saudi students in Canada.”

Bilateral trade amounts to CAN $3-4 billion (US $2.3-3.1 billion) a year, according to Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa.

But the damage could be more significant if a $15 billion deal agreed in 2014 for Canada to sell Riyadh light armoured vehicles is scrapped, as thousands of jobs in Canada could be lost, Juneau said.

When asked about the contract, Freeland said the government “looks forward” to hearing from Riyadh about the future of the deal.

They were busy with isha (evening) prayers when the quake hit. The authorities have yet to confirm whether they were dead or alive.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement that on Monday at 3 p.m. heavy equipment had arrived in Lading-lading village, Tanjung district, West Nusa Tenggara.

At 7 p.m. Jakarta time, the National Search and Rescue Agency reported that two people have been rescued. It said a third person, who was still trapped, would likely be freed on Tuesday.

The North Lombok regency suffered 72 fatalities, most of whom were killed by collapsing buildings. The tremor was also felt in neighboring Bali, which recorded two fatalities. As of Monday evening, the BNPB recorded 98 deaths. About 236 people were injured while thousands have sought shelter.

As of 10 a.m. on Monday, 91 have been reported dead, with about 209 injured. Survivors have moved to shelters with little in their hands, as their homes were severely damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.

Although thousands have sought shelter and help, many are still in need of help of food supplies, clothes and comfort or entertainment items, such as toys and books. The emergency response period in all affected areas was extended to Aug. 11, according to a statement issued by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

As stated by BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, among the basic necessities needed by the victims are instant food, drinking water, clean water, tents, blankets, tarpaulins, clothes and medicine. They are also in need of trauma and healthcare services.

Many humanitarian organizations have extended a helping hand by accepting donations, be it the form of funds, goods or even volunteer work. The following is a list of organizations through which you can donate.

Indonesian Red Cross (PMI)

The Indonesian Red Cross is accepting donations for victims of the earthquake through Lombok Kita Bantu.

Donations are collected through local banks and via the Lombok Kita Bantu donation portal.

Below are a list of the local banks you can donate to:

• Mandiri Bank – Account number: 070-00-0011601-7 on behalf of Palang Merah Indonesia
• BCA Bank – Account number: 206-300668-8 on behalf of Kantor Pusat PMI
• BRI Bank – Account number: 0390-01-000030-30-3 on behalf of Palang Merah Indonesia

For more information regarding this donation, you can contact the Indonesian Red Cross’ fundraising division at +6221-799-2325 Ext.2 or email donasi@pmi.or.id.

The Indonesian Red Cross is also open for donations in the form of goods and volunteer work. Further information can be found on its official website donasi.pmi.or.id.

Read also: What you need to know about the Lombok earthquake

Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT)

Funds can be donated to Indonesian-based humanitarian organization Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT), which actively helps in natural disaster events from the emergency phase to the post-recovery phase.

Donations can be sent to the following:

• BNI Syariah Bank – Account number: 66-00000-506 on behalf of Aksi Cepat Tanggap
• Mandiri Bank – Account number: 127-000-7581-828 on behalf of Aksi Cepat Tanggap

A careline has also been set up at 021-2940-6565 for further help and information. Further information can also be reached via sms through phone number +62853-3000-6000 or WhatsApp number +62821-1711-8110. Visit ACT’s official website act.id for more information.

Those who want to help directly at the scene can visit ACT’s emergency posts, located at the following addresses in West Nusa Tenggara:

• Bayan Post: House of Dasan Gerisak village chief, Anyar village, Bayan district, North Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
• Sembalun Post: Jl. Raya Sembalun Lawang, Sembalun Lawang, Sembalun, East Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
• Gempa Lombok Post: Jalan Sriwijaya number 80J, East Pagesangan subdistrict, Mataram regency, Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara (west of Grand Legi Mataram hotel).

Dompet Dhuafa Republika

Donations to Dompet Dhuafa Republika will be used to rebuild houses for the victims of the Lombok earthquake.

Set up as “Bale (rumah) Untuk Lombok: Pulau Seribu Masjid”, you can help build houses for victims by donating to the following:

• BNI Syariah Bank – Account number: 340-350-666-5 on behalf of Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika
• BCA Bank – Account number: 237-304-7171 on behalf of Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika
• Mandiri Bank – Account number: 101-000-647-5733 on behalf of Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika

Further information regarding the donations can be accessed through its official website dompetdhuafa.org.

Oxfam Australia

Another way to help is to support international charity organizations. Oxfam has about 8 to 10 local partners and three Oxfam staff members operating in Lombok. They are currently working with KONSEPSI, which has deployed a team and partnered with the Village Preparedness Team in Sembalun as well as the district’s disaster management agency.

Oxfam media coordinator Dylan Quinnell tweeted that antipoverty group Oxfam Australia was using its Jakarta warehouse staff and partners to distribute tarpaulins and sarongs to the earthquake victims in Lombok. You can support their response to the rapid needs by fundraising for their cause or donating funds through their official websiteoxfam.org.au/donate/.

For more information, reach out to the following three contacts:

• M. Taqludin, KONSEPSI Director: +62-812-377-7527
• Syafriment Azis, Knowledge Hub Management: +62-813-7424-2284;syafrimet_azis@yahoo.com 
• Ancilla Bere, Oxfam Indonesia Interim Humanitarian Lead: +62-819-3885-2689; ABere@oxfam.org.uk

Read also: Lombok airport operates 24 hours following earthquake

World Vision International (Wahana Visi Indonesia)

Wahana Visi is a branch of humanitarian aid organization World Vision International. The WVI Disaster Response Team has been responding to this disaster on the field in Sembalun, East Lombok.

Donated funds are used to provide care and educational packages for children, home appliance packages for families, clean water and sanitation facilities. They are also used to set up a Sahabat Anak Room children’s center in each evacuation post, with each center to be stocked with books and toys.

WVI is also working to educate families on the natural disaster they are currently facing, and what they can do to survive in the situation.

For those who can help, donations of Rp. 100.005 are encouraged; note the five as the last digit. Send proof of transfer to berbagi@wvi.or.id or +62-811-183-8496 on WhatsApp.

Transfer your donations through BCA 478-3019445, under the name Yayasan Visi Indonesia.

For more information, contact WVI on Facebook or visit its official website wahanavisi.org, or @wahanavisi_ID on Instagram and Twitter.

Peduli Anak Foundation

Lombok-based Sahabat Anak Foundation has been helping underprivileged children and their families by providing them with the necessary residential care, family care, education, medical care and legal aid, as written on their Facebook page.

In a one-minute YouTube video, a Peduli Anak Volunteer expresses his concerns and the urgent need for help as buildings were destroyed as a result of the earthquake.

“We have about 100 children, everybody is safe, none of the children got injured. Everybody was outside when this happened so we’re really lucky that nobody got seriously injured here. But all of our buildings, our shelters, all the homes of the children are destroyed. […] We need help, we need a tent, at least, a big one we can sleep in. But we really need help soon, we think this is a really bad one,” he said.

The foundation owns four dormitories for children, a school, a prayer room, office rooms and other supporting facilities. However, the earthquakes caused medium to critical damage to the majority of its buildings.

You can help in three ways:

• Donate via pedulianak.org.
• Transfer donations from Indonesia to the BCA account: 0560865333 under the name YAY PEDULI ANAK.
• For direct deliveries of basic necessities or care packages, go to: Yayasan Peduli Anak, Desa Langko, Lingsar, Lombok Barat.

For more information, Peduli Anak Foundation is rated as very responsive to Facebook messages. They may also be contacted through the number +62-370-617-1993.

It does not hurt to also do the little things. If you do not have the means to donate, use the power of your voice to raise awareness about the earthquake and about how to help donate.