Reuters Reporters Attorney Files for Dismissal in Myanmar Court

The defense Attorney handling the case of two Reuter’s reporters who were detained last December for allegedly possessing top secret government documents, has asked the Myanmar court to drop the case due to insufficient evidence.

The Attorney stated in the court hearing that witnesses have “testified and been cross examined” and there is still no proof. The court responded in allowing the arguments for the motion of dismissal in the next hearing on April the 4^th.

Diplomats from Australia and the EU also attended the hearing. The reporters have been charged for breaching the “Officials Secrets Act”.

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Uber Fails to Regional Rival Grab in South East Asia Market

After bowing out of China, Uber makes its second retreat from Asia. Uber has agreed to sell its South East Asian operations to rival, Grab, but will still hold a 30% share in the company.

CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi explains that Uber has pulled out of the SEA market due to “fierce competition” and a lack of profitability. The company will now shift its focus to Australia, Latin America, Europe and the US. However, Khosrowshahi has stated that he will continue to “invest aggressively” into South East Asia.

Uber’s bow out of South East Asia is another episode of its continuance in a series of downfalls in the last year for the company. The previous year they had lost 4.5 billion dollars due to competition, regulatory violations in Europe and sexual harassment allegations from their former CEO.

Uber is currently preparing for its first public offering in 2019.

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A law firm with licensed American immigration lawyers in Thailand can assist you with your US visa Thailand application by assisting with completion of all necessary forms and documentation. 

Thai and Cambodian Leaders Discuss Cooperation on Fugitives

Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha and Cambodia Defense Minister, Tea Banh met on Wednesday to discuss conflict prevention measures between the two countries when it comes to individuals running from the law and crossing borders.

They agreed that both countries would monitor potential fugitives. A labor rights advocate, Tola, spoke out on the agreement that it made a lot of Cambodians nervous for those fleeing the Cambodian government crackdown. Tola is wanted himself for breaching trust when he “allegedly misappropriated” a murdered activists funeral funds.

Tola adds that the agreement should only focus on serious criminals and not those who are wanted for politically motivated charges. Closer cooperation between the neighboring countries may cause trouble for Thai activists hiding from the military in Cambodia.

Parents who require a child custody lawyer in Thailand should contact family law experts.

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Australian Attorneys File Crimes Against Humanity Charges on Aung San Suu Kyi

In Australia, persons can be prosecuted under the principal of universal jurisdiction. This is when a national court recognizes serious crimes against international law. On Friday, a team of highly respected Australian human rights attorneys filed a private prosecution application to the Melbourne magistrates’ courts against Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently in Australia, attending the ASEAN Australia special summit.

A response to the application should be revealed next week, however cannot be processed without the consent of the attorney general, Christian Porter. The legal team has commented on the implementation of the prosecution due to the de-facto Myanmar government leader failing to use her position of authority to condemn the national Myanmar security force from committing genocide of the Rohingya people.

It is common for guardians involved in Thailand child custody battles to blame the other guardian of sexual or physical abuse. It is advised by expert child custody attorneys in Thailand to keep record of Saving evidence of crimes.

A spokesperson for the Australian legal team acknowledges the difficulty of prosecuting a foreign leader under universal jurisdiction prosecution. There may be conflict of whether she is protected with immunity.

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Thailand No Longer the Most Affordable Destination for Medical Tourism

According to Thailand tourism management expert Dr. Lempert, Thailand in the early 2000’s, used to be 60% cheaper in their medical services than other countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. Now, Thailand is still ranked in the top 10 destinations for medical tourism but prices have risen to the same costs as Singapore.

Not only has Thailand lost its unique selling point as an affordable medical tourist destination but all the medical services and hospitals no longer function under one umbrella. Wealthy Thai families have privatized certain businesses and do not collaborate with each other. Dr. Lempert regards this as one of the reasons the quality of medical tourism in Thailand has declined.

For more information on the state of Thailand's medical tourism from the pioneer himself, watch Thai Law Forum’s interview with Dr. Lempert from Paranorma Medica Group.

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A child custody lawyer in Thailand can assist obtaining or keeping custody of your children in a bitter divorce.

Smoking Orangutan Turns up the Heat with Animal Rights Activists

Animal rights activists are outraged at a video that surfaced from the Bandung Zoo in Indonesia of an orangutan smoking a lit cigarette. The video shows a man discarding the lit cigarette into the orangutan’s enclosure.

Expert divorce lawyers in Thailand have successfully litigated hundreds of local and international divorce cases.  

The zoo is reportedly renowned for its sick and starving animals and has a petition on change.org for its closure. A zoo spokesperson has defended the zoo saying that warning signs had been put in place to prohibit smoking around the animals.

Guciano, an animal rights activist says that the video shows the “lack of supervision and education at the zoo”. He also blames the Indonesian government for not putting better animal welfare standards in place. 

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Investigation into Transgender Community Abuse in Aceh, Indonesia

The news of transgender women in Aceh that were forced to cut their hair and act in more manly ways has made headlines across the nations. It has probed investigation from the national police to look into the mistreatment of the LGBT women.

Aceh, a conservative province in Indonesia that is governed by Sharia law is the only state in the country to outlaw homosexuality. A protestor against police investigation into the case says that they had nothing against LGBT people only their “behavior”.

Images of the partially clothed transgender women, kneeling on the ground, whilst their hair was being cut by local police were widely criticized on social media. Local Aceh authorities that are under investigation explain that their actions had been discussed with Islamic scholars and were in line with Aceh’s laws.

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Funeral Strippers in China no Longer Appropriate

The Ministry of Culture in China has announced a crackdown on inappropriate performances by exotic dancers at funerals. Beijing was the first city to ban the “vulgar performances” in 2015, and other provinces are following suit.

The employment of exotic performers at funerals is used to boost attendance as funerals with high attendance rates are seen as a way to honor the dead. Some households are known to spend more than their annual incomes on strippers and other types of performers.

The Ministry is encouraging residents to inform them of the whereabouts of such events through hotlines that will offer monetary rewards. An expert has commented on the act as a “practice of fertility worship”.

Affairs requiring a Thailand family lawyer may include issues where families that often cross borders due to having different residences.

In 2006, the province of Handan saw six strippers arrested for performing at the funeral of an elderly resident.  

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A Possible Hemp Industry for Thailand

Thailand has missed the boat to be at the forefront of the hemp industry, with hemp plantations in the north still under heavy regulations. However, it is not too late as hemp clothing developers in Thailand have cultivated a high demand for hemp fabric.

Hemp entrepreneurs can get their hands on a limited supply with government permission, but not enough to sustain a growing business and must import from neighboring countries such as Laos and China where costs are much higher.

Hemp industrializing machinery is also illegal in Thailand, thus making the manufacturing process slow. Thai Law Forum discusses with some of the hemp clothing developers in Thailand about the law regarding hemp use in Thailand, the challenges and opportunities.

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The Hague Convention on Child Abduction allows for claims by parents who have had their child abducted.

Cambodia Ranks Lowest in the Rule of Law Index

The Rule of Law Index, conducted by the World Justice Project looks at areas of human rights, civil and criminal justice and government powers. On a global scale, Cambodia has performed the second worst, with Venezuela taking last place.

However, Cambodia ranks last for the East Asia region. WJP states that an effective rule of law will allow for “communities of equity, opportunity and peace”. There is yet to be a country that has achieved a perfect score but the Rule of Law hopes to set standards and spark programs for international justice.

Cambodia has ranked in a bottom position due to a government crackdown on media 

and dissolution of the opposition party’s leader. The Justice Ministry of Cambodia commented on the ranking that it is irrelevant as it is not the “real situation”.

Issues concerning family law in Thailand should be directed to a professional law firm with expertise in family affairs.

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