THAILAND: Bangkok Tops Poll of Regional Cities

Posted by Asia Views | Jul 5, 2022 | 0 |

BangkokPost-July 5

Bangkok on Monday topped a poll of the top 10 cities in Southeast Asia, as voted for by visitors to the Travel + Leisure website (travelandleisure.com). The website said there are endless reasons why Bangkok has long-reigned as the most visited city in the world — and the metropolis is picking up just where it left off pre-Covid.

“If warm smiles, spicy street food, and feeling the wind in your hair as you glide through the city on a motorbike or tuk-tuk are appealing, Bangkok certainly hits the mark.

“If you prefer high-thread-count linens in your private-pool suites and Michelin-starred meals, the city also has you covered. Whether you’re just spending a night en route to the islands, using Bangkok as a hub for further exploration of Southeast Asia, or visiting for what we advocate should be a dedicated vacation in its own right, there is no shortage of options,” it said. The website this year also named Phuket and Samui first and second, respectively, on its list of “Best Islands in Southeast Asia”.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had been pleased to hear that several spots in Thailand had placed first on a number of Travel + Leisure website rankings, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said yesterday. In the category of Best Cities in Southeast Asia 2022, Bangkok was followed by Singapore, Danang (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hanoi (Vietnam), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Jakarta (Indonesia). In the Best Islands in Southeast Asia 2022 category, Phuket and Samui filled the top spots, followed by Bali (Indonesia), Phu Quoc (Vietnam), Langkawi (Malaysia), Lombok (Indonesia), Palawan (the Philippines), Penang (Malaysia), Phi Phi (Thailand) and Con Dao (Vietnam). Read more at:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2339782/bangkok-tops-poll-of-regional-cities

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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: Bangkok Tops Poll of Regional Cities

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