THAILAND: 11-Hour Marathon Meeting Approves Mega Merger to Create Thailand’s Largest Mobile Operator

Posted by Asia Views | Oct 21, 2022 | 0 |

ThaiEnquirer-Oct 21

A 11-hour meeting and nearly a year after the mega merger of Thailand’s 2^nd and 3^rd largest mobile phone operators – True Corporation Plc (TRUE) and Total Access Communications Plc (DTAC), was announced, the regulators – National Broadcasting & Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), gave their approval but with as many as 5 conditions attached. TRUE and DTAC first announced their plans to merge on November 22, 2021, a move that had rocked the telecommunications industry in Thailand which was dominated by just 3 players with Advanced Info Services Plc (ADVANC), being the market leader. The decision to merge for TRUE & DTAC came as they continued to fight for market share and spectrum leaving the likes of DTAC to start to back out from some of their expansionary plans including not participating in the bidding of many of the highly prized spectrums. DTAC, which was until the merger approval, majority owned by Norwegian telecom giant – Telenor SA, has been gradually undertaking a gradual exit from most of its markets it operated in Asia. Earlier this year the Malaysian regulators gave its approval to merge Telenor owned Digi.com Berhad, which was Malaysia’s 2^nd largest mobile operator, with Celcom Axiata Berhad, Malaysia’s 3^rd largest mobile operator, to create Malaysia’s largest mobile company.

Telenor and CP Group of Thailand would hold a third each in the new merged entity with China Mobile holding 10% and the rest will be free float on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The move to merge in Thailand would make the merged entity a market leader with a market share of 55% leaving ADVANC with a mere 44% market share in the highly competitive market. Read more at: https://www.thaienquirer.com/45341/11-hour-marathon-meeting-approves-mega-merger-to-create-thailands-largest-mobile-operator/

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

THAILAND: 11-Hour Marathon Meeting Approves Mega Merger to Create Thailand’s Largest Mobile Operator

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