Two Dragons of Yaowarat – Ratchawong districts join forces through two business groups with further investment to strengthen the alliance and drive the Thai economy
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
THE NATION
September 30, 2022, Bangkok, Thailand – BTS Group Holdings Public Company Limited (BTS) and Saha Pathana Inter-Holding Public Company Limited (SPI) under an investment holding arm of Saha Group announced a cooperation as shareholders of Thanulux Public Company Limited (TNL).
Through this cooperation and restructuring, the two organisations will amplify TNL’s market value which will be worth more than THB 10bn.
Mr. Keeree Kanjanapas, Chairman of the Executive Committee of BTS Group said that, after the signing cooperation today, TNL will drive its business with Mr. Thamarat Chokwatana, who leads as Chairman of the Board; will begin to expand its businesses by investing into the big-ticket lending through Oxygen Asset Co., Ltd (Oxygen).
TNL will begin its expansion by investing within the secured lending business through investments in Oxygen worth approximately THB 4.3bn. Founded in 2021, Oxygen provides financing to customers, notably within the real estate industry. Its current portfolio stands at THB 2.5bn and focuses on securing large loans from clienteles. Additionally, it is anticipated that once the transaction date (subject to shareholder’s approval) has finalised, TNL will expand its operations into the collateral asset management business bringing the total of its investment portfolio to THB 3.5bn.
TNL will also jointly invest in high-potential real estate development projects with Noble Development Public Company Limited (NOBLE), through investments in seven more projects at a total value of more than THB 2.4bn. The total asset valuation from its initial business expansion stages is more than THB 6.7bn in value.
Mr. Boonsithi Chokwatana, Chairman of the Board of SPI said that, once again it is a pleasure that both organisations have invested in businesses together and believe that through this partnership it will be an extension to other businesses in the future; and also, an important milestone in raising the level of the alliances of Saha Group.
Both BTS Group and Saha Group are ready to be the foundation that propels the Thai economy. Both organisations having strong relation ties of more than 6 decades through friendship in doing businesses across 3 generations. It started from the pioneering generation of Dr. Thiam Chokwatana, the Founder of Saha Group and Mr. Mongkol Kanjanapas; having both lived in the old commercial district of Chinese people, namely Yaowarat Road, Dynasty and Songwad.
Pioneered businesses before WWII to the good relationship of the second generation is Mr. Boonsithi Chokwatana and Mr. Keeree Kanjanapas from the close friendship of both generations. And has been passed on to the third-generation heirs, resulting in both organisation having views and visions in doing businesses that complement each other leading to strategic business alliances. It is also important step to strengthen both organisations through succession of business concepts. Both in honesty and integrity towards building a stable and sustainable Thai economic base.
Countdown to the Historic Business and Trade Summit: Apec CEO Summit 2022
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
What is in it for Thailand? Who will benefit from this historic Summit? What are the opportunities we should be looking out for?
The upcoming Apec CEO Summit in Bangkok this November brings together the world’s top business leaders and will be a strong opportunity to stimulate the Thai economy towards recovery. The historic summit is among the most prominent platforms in the world for the business sector to discuss trade and investment ways forward. But what will people on the street gain from this remarkable event? Will there be any tangible results? How will the meeting of the top CEOs and business leaders bring change to our everyday life?
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) was founded in 1989 as a platform for economic collaboration for 21 economies on the Pacific coast. The forum was created as a ground for discussion among government officials. For the policies and ideas to materialise private sector representatives were brought in. In 1995 Apec Business Advisory Council or Abac was founded. Each member economy has 3 Abac members who represent their economy discussing various issues which help to advance and uplift the economy in the Apec region. A year after Apec CEO Summit was founded under the umbrella of Abac giving a unique opportunity for leading business communities in the region to discuss further economic development with economic leaders, academia and business leaders.
The summit is a landmark opportunity for business leaders and policymakers to discuss issues of public interest. It is also a symbolic show of regional cooperation on the world stage.
Poj Aramwattananont, Chairman of the Apec CEO Summit 2022 and Abac Thailand Member, said the theme for this year’s event is: “Embrace, Engage, Enable.”
“All the leaders and speakers who were invited to share their vision at the summit are prominent figures who play a key role in charting the direction of the global economy. The summit is thus a perfect chance for Thai people to catch up on global trends and changes. We are confident that the summit will be a key platform for trade and investment for Thailand as the host. It will be a prime opportunity for the Thai private sector to display our potential to a global audience, whether in terms of investment, food security, tourism or finance,” Poj said.
What will people gain from the summit? What’s in it for Thailand? The importance of the Apec CEO Summit cannot be overstated. It is one of the most prestigious stages where world leaders, thought leaders, policymakers and CEOs from some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies will gather to share their vision about economic development and the social issues faced by some of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world.
What may have been left unspoken is that the goal of the gathering is to ensure the well-being of local communities. The ultimate goal of the summit is centred around “people” who are a key part of driving economic growth. In the end, the summit delegates are representatives of the people who are stakeholders of each member economy and the driving force of the theme “Embrace, Engage and Enable.”
People’s Wellbeing
Apec comprises 21 member economies, including superpowers such as the United States, China, Japan, Canada, South Korea and Russia. Home to over 2.9 billion people or about one-third of the world’s population, APEC economies have a combined gross domestic product of more than US$ 53 trillion (about 1700 trillion baht) — more than half of the world’s GDP. The group represents nearly half of the world trade.
If the summit results in the region becoming more integrated — with trade barriers reduced and rules and laws more streamlined — there will be a trade boom which in turn will lead to a state of prosperity. When Apec’s overall trade grows, it creates development from upstream to downstream. Across the entire chain there is an improvement in people’s wellbeing, whether in terms of increased revenue, employment or regional expansion.
Ease of Doing Business When cooperation at the policy level is extended to the private sector, the result is an ease of doing business internationally. This means an improvement in every business process and innovation, whether it involves starting a business, getting credit or dealing with permits.
For example, Apec’s regulatory reforms in dealing with construction permits have helped make it easier, cheaper and faster to build a new plant or office building. Indeed, Apec ranks among the top in the world for the shortest permit time.
The ease of launching a new business in Asia-Pacific opens the door to investment and trade opportunities. The benefits in the form of life opportunities, profit, time and other resources belong to people from all backgrounds who are engaged in business.
Clean World, Good Health Since the private sector’s main mission is doing business, it plays an important part in maintaining the health of the entire world, whether it be the quality of the soil, water or the very air we breathe. The summit will help set the direction of the business as it aims to upgrade its sustainability scores covering multiple dimensions, whether it be food security, food safety or sustainable agricultural development which has been a long-standing problem in the Asia-Pacific region.
The central question is how to move forward with an assurance that people will not go hungry and can enjoy a state of well-being. The challenge involves how to improve the capacity of food production — both in terms of quantity and quality — without compromising the environment while ensuring that the negative impact on the food chain will be minimal. And how will the private sector develop clean technology that is friendly to the environment across the region and allow the people to enjoy peaceful coexistence and good health.
Green Energy for Less Carbon Intensity Apec economies are determined to reduce energy intensity in the region by 45 per cent by 2030. In 2014, the bloc agreed to double the share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030.
Renewable energy is derived from naturally replenished sources such as sunlight, wind, water, geothermal heat, biomass or farm residue. With the goals in place, stakeholders in the private energy sector have been eager to invest in clean energy technologies. Investment has expedited the development of innovative technologies such as green hydrogen or advanced batteries with zero carbon emissions and long-term energy storage. the production which can store more energy while leaving no carbon.
We, the people, will all benefit as consumers of clean energy for a better future for our children.
Health and Longevity One of the agendas for this year’s summit is: “Rethinking Healthcare after the Pandemic.” Businesses have seen that the Covid-19 pandemic has put healthcare on the global agenda. As Covid-19 struck, a host of health-related new businesses emerged. These include telehealth, stand-alone hospitals and healthcare facilities, lab services and new innovations in drugs and vaccines.
In 2021, the 15 biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world poured the US $33 billion into research and development, an increase of 45% from 2016. The shift underlines the change towards a greater focus on healthcare which will help people live longer while preparing us to cope better should there be another outbreak in the future.
The summit, to take place from November 16-18, focuses on topics of interest and challenging issues that the world is facing and struggling to find mutually agreeable solutions. The summit outcome will certainly become an agenda for the private sector to start acting on, follow up on and address issues to help benefit the public.
Since the summit’s goal is to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth in trade and business, it is essentially everyone’s business to help make it come true. It requires cooperation between the private sector and the public to help drive the economy so that all of us can enjoy benefits of growth together.
Nearly 30 killed in two years, looking for expensive rare herb in Myanmar’s mountainous north
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
Some 30 people have died after jumping off the glacial mountains in Myanmar’s northernmost region of Putao over the last two years while looking for medicinal herbs, according to local herb finders and aid organisations.
Local sources attribute the series of deadly accidents to the price of a medicinal herb, locally called Baychi, increasing from 200,000 kyats (3,600 baht) in 2021 to about 1 million kyats (18,000 baht) this year.
A local herb seeker, U Ran Htee, said: “In the past years, the price was just 40,000 kyats per viss [about 1.6 kg]. It was 200,000 kyats last year. About 20 people died in the previous year. They had to find the herb in various dangerous areas, such as valleys, mountain tops and steep cliffs. This kind of herb is very rare to find. We have heard seven have died this year. Even professional mountaineers cannot survive if they jump off. There have also been many cases of broken bones. A person can get a maximum of 2 visses.”
Baychi herb is usually grown at an altitude of over 8,000 feet. It has good demand and fetches a good price in China. The price is now about 700,000 to 1 million kyats.
According to local sources, nearly 30 people have died over the past two years including pregnant women. Most climbers do not usually wear protective equipment.
Putao district has six townships with a population of 91,257, according to the 2014 national census.
South Korean president’s approval ratings drop after hot mic incident, poll shows
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval ratings fell for the first time in four weeks after his remarks, caught on a hot mic in New York, caused an uproar in South Korea, a survey showed on Monday.
In the poll of 2,522 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 31.2 per cent assessed Yoon’s job performance positively, down 3.4 percentage points from the previous week, according to Yonhap news agency.
Yoon’s disapproval rating was 66 per cent, up 3.8 percentage points.
The drop could be attributable to the hot mic controversy and Yoon’s accusation of media manipulation after he came under fire for using vulgar words in private remarks to aides caught on a hot mic during his trip to New York last month, according to Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter.
Though the recording of Yoon’s remarks was not clear due to noise, many thought that he had used foul language while talking about US Congress and US President Joe Biden. Yoon’s office rejected the claim, saying he was referring to South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly and did not mention US Congress or Biden.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level, Yonhap reported.
Apec is on Track to Meet Aspirational Energy Goals
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
Apec is on track to meet its aspirational goals to reduce energy intensity by 45 per cent by 2035, relative to 2005 levels, and to double the share of modern renewables by 2030, relative to 2010 levels, according to a newly launched energy report.
According to the Apec Energy Demand and Supply Outlook, energy intensity in Apec has been improving at an average annual rate of 1.9 per cent since 2005 or cumulatively at 22 per cent from 2005 to 2018. In the current scenario, where existing trends in technology development and deployment and current government programs and policies continue, Apec will reach its goal to reduce energy intensity one year earlier than expected, in 2034.
Energy intensity refers to the energy needs of an economy. Reducing energy intensity means using less energy to produce a product or a service.
Apec’s share of modern renewables increased from 6.1 per cent in 2010 to 8.7 per cent in 2018. The region is expected to meet the goal of doubling renewables four years ahead of schedule, in 2026. This suggests that Apec economies are well on their way to significantly accelerating the deployment of renewables.
“The progress that we are seeing now has been achieved mainly through structural reform efforts in improving energy efficiency in the industry, transport and building sectors,” explained Kazutomo Irie, the President of the Asia-Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC), which produced the report.
“Apec economies have also increased their direct consumption of renewables in end-use sectors and increased in the share of electricity generated by wind and solar technologies,” he added.
Based in Tokyo, the centre was established in 1996 following the directive of Apec Leaders to foster a common understanding of, and solutions to, the energy challenges facing Apec member economies.
Since then, the centre has been conducting studies and analyses of each Apec member economy’s energy demand and supply trends, future energy demand and supply outlook, the development of their energy markets and responses to policy challenges.
The report highlights the significant decoupling trend between energy demand and economic activity, that even with much higher economic output, end-use energy demand would only grow by a modest amount—around 14 per cent from 2018 to 2050. Decoupling refers to efforts made to ensure economic growth is achieved with less energy dependency.
“This increase in energy demand will support a more than doubling in economic activity. It shows that the decoupling story is influential in all Apec economies,” Irie explained. “Decoupling is driven by continued improvements to energy efficiency, at the same time, there is a shift away from more carbon-intensive fossil fuels such as coal and oil, supported by a growth in electrification.”
In her remarks at the report launch in Tokyo, Apec Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, emphasized that while climate change is a global threat, its effects are especially felt in the Asia-Pacific region, “where thousands of vulnerable communities are exposed to extreme weather events.”
“It is interesting to note at this point that, since the last Outlook was published in 2019, before Covid, the Apec region’s energy demand, supply, production, electricity generation, and CO2 emissions have all grown,” Dr Sta Maria added. “But it is also encouraging to see that Apec is pushing through its ambitious goal to reduce energy and increase the use of renewables through structural reforms and energy efficiency programs.”
Apec accounts for 56 per cent of world energy demand, 58 per cent of world energy supply and 68 per cent of world electricity generation. Apec accounts for 60 per cent of global CO2 emissions.
Dr Sta Maria reiterated that more work needs to be done to accelerate progress and that the massive post-pandemic stimulus resources deployed by governments to accelerate recovery could be used, in part, to further integrate environmental sustainability. “Supporting a green, sustainable recovery is particularly important for Apec economies,” she concluded.
Volcanic ash from Japan to bring clean drinking water to Indian children
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
Southern Kyushu is covered in a soil called “shirasu”, which is composed of fragile volcanic ash that often gives way to landslides. Taking advantage of the characteristics of shirasu — specifically, its high water permeability — Halvo Holdings Co has developed a coagulant to improve water quality that it will use to help ensure a clean water supply in India.
The coagulant, which allows for water to be purified without large equipment, is easy to employ: one simply adds it to a tank and stirs the solution. The company has partnered with Save the Children Japan, an organisation that supports children around the world, to provide drinking water to an elementary school in Delhi using this coagulant.
According to the company, groundwater in Delhi is contaminated mainly by industrial wastewater. Corporate representatives already visited Delhi in July to conduct a water quality survey. Thanks to the coagulant, the company will be able to provide about 220,000 litres of water per year, or enough for about 3,000 people, starting from early next year.
The coagulant is created by imparting an electric charge to shirasu, which has countless microscopic holes. It is already used to treat factory wastewater and purify rivers, as well as for international cooperation, such as the purification of water from the Mekong River in Vietnam.
Brazil election goes to runoff as Bolsonaro does better than expected
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
Brazil’s presidential election is headed for a run-off vote, electoral authorities said on Sunday, after President Jair Bolsonaro’s surprising strength in the first-round spoiled rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s hopes of an outright win.
With 95 per cent of electronic votes counted, Lula was ahead with 47.6 per cent of votes versus 43.9 per cent for Bolsonaro, the national electoral authority reported. As neither got a majority, the race will go to a second-round vote on October 30.
Several opinion surveys had shown Lula leading Bolsonaro by 10-15 percentage points ahead of Sunday’s vote. The much tighter result dashed expectations of a quick resolution to a deeply polarised election in the world’s fourth-largest democracy.
Although he ended his 2003-2010 government with record popularity, Lula is now loathed by many Brazilians after he was convicted of accepting bribes and jailed during the last election. His conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court, allowing him to face his rival Bolsonaro this year, along with nine other candidates from an array of smaller parties.
A career lawmaker turned self-styled outsider, Bolsonaro rode a backlash against Lula’s Workers Party to victory in 2018, uniting strands of Brazil’s right, from evangelical Christians to farming interests and pro-gun advocates.
He has dismantled environmental and indigenous protections to the delight of commercial farmers and wildcat miners while pushing an anti-gay and anti-abortion agenda.
Brazil’s leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday he’s ready for a run-off vote, after securing 48.4 per cent of ballots in the first round election.
Lula da Silva said he has never clinched victory in the first round.
Incumbent Bolsonaro warned voters that “a change could be worse” in Brazil.
He had questioned polls that showed him losing to Lula in the first round, saying they did not capture the enthusiasm he saw on the campaign trail.
He has also attacked the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system without evidence and suggested he might not concede if he lost.
Political observers had said a wide margin of victory for Lula could sap Bolsonaro of support to challenge the electoral results. But Sunday’s vote, extending a tense and violent election by another four weeks, revitalised his campaign.
His popularity has suffered since the coronavirus pandemic, which he dismissed as a “little flu”. Corruption scandals also forced ministers out of his government and focused a harsh spotlight on his lawmaker sons.
Putin is losing and Nato will ‘crush him’ if he goes ahead with nuclear threat, says US general
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
Retired four-star General David Petraeus told ABC News that the US and its allies would destroy Russia’s troops and equipment in Ukraine – if Russian president Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons.
“Just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a Nato – a collective – effort that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea, and every ship in the Black sea,” Petraeus said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”.
Ukraine on Sunday claimed full control of the eastern logistics hub of Lyman, its most significant battlefield gain from Russia in weeks, providing a potential staging post for further attacks to the east while heaping further pressure on the Kremlin.
The stinging setback for Putin was delivered after he proclaimed the annexation of four regions covering nearly a fifth of Ukraine on Friday, an area that includes Lyman. Kyiv and the West have condemned the proclamation as an illegitimate farce.
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the capture of the town, where Ukrainian flags were raised over civic buildings on Saturday, demonstrated that Ukraine is capable of dislodging Russian forces and showed the impact Ukraine’s deployment of advanced Western weapons was having on the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the success of the country’s soldiers was not limited to the recapture of Lyman.
Ukraine forces have liberated the small Arkhanhelske and Myrolyubivka settlements in the Kherson region as well, he said.
Ukraine’s Interfax agency reported that according to Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces, the country’s forces recaptured Torske, a small village in the Donetsk region, about 15 kilometres east of the now-liberated Lyman.
Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reports.
Apec summit in Bangkok a ‘golden chance’ to tackle Russia-Ukraine conflict: Don
MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2022
THE NATION
The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok next month is a golden opportunity for world leaders to tackle problems stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Don Pradmudwinai.
Speaking to Krungthep Turakij newspaper, Don said that as the Covid-19 pandemic subsides, the world is facing fresh challenges from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, most notably food shortages and an energy crisis.
November’s three international meetings in Southeast Asia are a crucial opportunity for countries to address these problems, he added.
World leaders will gather at the Asean Summit in Phnom Penh, the G20 Summit in Bali and the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok.
Apec member Russia has been hit with severe economic sanctions by other members of the trade bloc, including the US, over its invasion of Ukraine. May’s Apec summit in Thailand ended without a customary joint statement after five members staged a walkout in protest against Russia’s invasion.
Don said he had spoken at last month’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) in New York to urge key stakeholders of the Russia-Ukraine crisis to use November’s summits for talks to exit the crisis, possibly mediated by the UN.
He added that Thailand was among the first countries to propose a plan for peace in Ukraine at the United Nations.
“We believe the conflict can be solved through multilateral cooperation, and hope that world leaders and stakeholders will not miss this golden opportunity to tackle the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he said.
“The meeting will not only cover economic issues but also address other problems at global and regional levels, such as food stability, the energy crisis, climate change, and disparity in Covid-19 recovery.”
He added that the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok would also be Thailand’s chance to show the world that it is ready to welcome international visitors again after fully opening.
Thailand is hosting Apec this year under the theme “Open. Connect. Balance” as the world recovers from Covid-19.
Death toll from Indonesia’s football match stampede revised down to 125: official
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 02, 2022
A stampede at a soccer stadium in Indonesia has killed at least 125 people and injured more than 320 after police sought to quell violence on the pitch, authorities said on Sunday, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Officers fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse agitated supporters of the losing home side who had invaded the pitch after the final whistle in Malang, East Java, on Saturday night, the region’s police chief Nico Afinta told reporters.
“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” Nico said, adding that the crush occurred when fans fled for an exit gate.
Some local officials had put the death toll at 174, but East Java Deputy Governor Emil Dardak said the number of fatalities had subsequently been revised down to 125.
The earlier figure may have included duplicate fatalities, he said.
An East Java police spokesperson said 323 people were injured, up from the initial count of 180.
The stadium disaster appeared to be the world’s worst in decades.
Video footage from local news channels showed fans streaming onto the pitch after Arema FC lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya around 10 p.m. (1500 GMT), followed by scuffles, and what appeared to be clouds of tear gas and unconscious fans being carried out of the venue.
Many victims at the nearby Kanjuruhan hospital suffered from trauma, shortness of breath and a lack of oxygen due to the large number of people at the scene affected by tear gas, said hospital head Bobi Prabowo.
Bobi told Metro TV that some victims had sustained brain injuries and that the fatalities included a 5-year-old.
President Joko Widodo said authorities must thoroughly evaluate security at matches, adding that he hoped this would be “the last soccer tragedy in the nation”.
Jokowi, as the president is known, ordered the Football Association of Indonesia, PSSI, to suspend all games in the top league BRI Liga 1 until an investigation had been completed.
World soccer’s governing body FIFA specifies in its safety regulations that no firearms or “crowd control gas” should be carried or used by stewards or police.
East Java police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they were aware of such regulations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement to Reuters that the football world was in “a state of shock following the tragic incidents that have taken place in Indonesia” and the event was “dark day for all involved”.
FIFA has requested a report on the incident from PSSI, which has sent a team to Malang to investigate, PSSI secretary general Yunus Nusi told reporters.
Indonesia’s human rights commission also plans to investigate security at the grounds, including the use of tear gas, its commissioner told Reuters.
“Many of our friends lost their lives because of the officers who dehumanised us,” said Muhammad Rian Dwicahyono, 22, crying as he nursed a broken arm at the local Kanjuruhan hospital. “Many lives have been wasted.”
On Sunday mourners gathered outside the gates of the stadium to lay flowers for the victims.
Amnesty International Indonesia slammed the security measures, saying the “use of excessive force by the state … to contain or control such crowds cannot be justified at all”.
The country’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, said in an Instagram post that the stadium had been filled beyond its capacity. Some 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium designed to hold 38,000 people, he said.
Financial aid would be given to the injured and the families of victims, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa told reporters.
There have been outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia before, with strong rivalries between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters.
Crowds pack stadiums but the football scene in Indonesia, a country 275 million people, has been blighted by hooliganism, heavy-handed policing and mismanagement.
Zainudin Amali, Indonesia’s sports minister, told KompasTV the ministry would re-evaluate safety at football matches, including considering not allowing spectators in stadiums.
Periodic stadium disasters have horrified fans around the world. In 1964, 328 people were killed in a crush when Peru hosted Argentine at the Estadio Nacional.
In a 1989 British disaster, 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death when an overcrowded and fenced-in enclosure collapsed at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
Indonesia is scheduled to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup in May and June next year. They are also one of three countries bidding to stage next year’s Asian Cup, the continent’s equivalent of the Euros, after China pulled out as hosts.
The head of the Asian Football Confederation, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said in a statement he was “deeply shocked and saddened to hear such tragic news coming out of football-loving Indonesia”, expressing condolences for the victims, their families and friends.
