Day: August 24, 2022

Seven embassies in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi have issued a joint statement marking Monday’s “International Day Commemorating Victims of Violence based on Religion or Belief.”

The diplomatic missions of Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States said they: “strongly condemn the continuing acts of violence against individuals based on religion or belief, including those belonging to religious minorities.”

The statement was published in Vietnamese and English on the social media sites of the seven embassies to mark the religious freedom event, which has taken place on Aug. 22 every year since 2019.

It said respect for freedom of religion and belief plays an important role in combating xenophobia, narrow-mindedness and discrimination, as well as promoting peaceful and inclusive social development.

The statement noted that freedom of religion and belief is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations.

“On this important day, we would like to express our support for victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief, as well as their families and loved ones,” the statement said, adding: “We honor those who have suffered such acts of violence simply because they have implemented and defended human rights.”

The seven embassies urged nations and individuals to join together to combat violence and discrimination and ensure that everyone is able to “enjoy their human rights in dignity and freedom.”

More than 50 religious communities across Vietnam held events on Monday, including Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants and members of Cao Dai 1926, which combines elements of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity.

Some independent religious communities, such as Cao Dai 1926 and Protestants in the Central Highlands, were harassed by police and local authorities, who tried to stop them commemorating the day.

Vietnam joined the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2013, following government pledges to respect and promote human rights in the country but has failed to honor its promises.

In April this year a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom accused the Vietnamese government of religious persecution, especially of independent religious groups and ethnic minorities.

“Authorities continued to persecute independent religious communities, including Protestant Hmong and Montagnard Christians, Hoa Hao Buddhists, Unified Buddhists, Cao Dai followers and adherents of other religious movements such as Falun Gong, Duong Van Minh, the World Mission Society Church of God and Ha Mon,” the report said, adding “The government designated many of these groups as ‘strange,’ ‘evil,’ or ‘heretical’ religions and often cited security grounds to suppress them, causing some, such as Ha Mon, to reportedly face extinction.”

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s western province of Bengkulu last night, but did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami, the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said.

The quake jolted at 21:31 Jakarta time (1431 GMT), with the epicentre at 64 km south-west of Kaur district, and the depth at 12 km under the seabed, the agency said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Malaysia has invited China and other ASEAN countries to join in the Malaysia Partnerships and Alliances in Research (MyPAIR) programme to carry out scientific-based learning.

Higher Education Minister Dr Noraini Ahmad said the programme aimed to jointly develop research interests between funders of collaborating nations.

“Together, we can strengthen our respective research excellence through strategic partnerships and alliances,” she said in a pre-recorded speech at the ASEAN-China Education Ministers Round Table Conference, themed ‘Building an Amicable Home Together: ASEAN-CHINA Education Cooperation and Development Towards 2030’ on Tuesday.

The hybrid conference was held in Guizhou, southwest China, in conjunction with the 15th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week and co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education China, China-ASEAN Centre, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisations (SEAMEO).

The conference, which aimed to strengthen educational cooperation between ASEAN and China, was chaired by China’s Education Minister Huai Jinpeng.

Noraini said China has produced measurable results with the application of big data during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines research, the wide rollout of 5G throughout the country and the launch of its space programme at the Tian Gong Space Station.

“At this juncture, I would like to acknowledge and applaud China for its progress in research and development throughout the years,” she said.

She also expressed Malaysia’s support for cooperation in the field of higher education that had been mutually beneficial for collaborating countries, and invited academicians, researchers and students from China and other ASEAN countries to visit Malaysia.

Noraini said Malaysia is ever ready to host them for collaborative research and innovation activities, student and staff mobility programmes or tertiary education.

“Malaysia looks forward to the exchange of ideas, the strengthening of existing relationships and forming of new ones from this event,” she added.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The COVID-19 pandemic has set back the fight against poverty in Asia and the Pacific by at least two years, and many people in the region will likely find it harder than before to escape poverty, according to a report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In its Key Indicators for Asia and Pacific 2022 report released today, ADB noted that the region’s economic growth this year is expected to reduce extreme poverty – defined as living off on less than US$1.90 a day – to a level that would have been achieved in 2020 had the pandemic not happened.

“Due to lack of available data, it is challenging to predict how the COVID-19 pandemic may have reshaped social mobility. However, data simulations showed that people in the region with lower levels of social mobility -the ability to escape poverty – may experience longer-lasting setbacks,” it said.

The report highlighted that the COVID-19 crisis interrupted a long trend of poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific.

Although economies are recovering, progress is uneven as the pandemic may also have worsened forms of poverty beyond income, such as food insecurity and inadequate access to health services and education, according to the report.

Among developing Asian economies with available data, the report said about 69 per cent had less equitable distribution of economic prospects than what the level of income inequality prior to the COVID-19 pandemic implied.

This suggests that even before the pandemic, the magnitude of long-term disparities between the poor and non-poor was greater than the level of income inequality shown in many parts of the region.

ADB chief economist Albert Park noted that the poor and the vulnerable have been hit hardest by COVID-19, and while economies are recovering, many people may find that getting out of poverty is even more difficult than before. “Governments in the region should focus on resilience, innovation, and inclusiveness to provide more balanced economic opportunities and greater social mobility for everyone,” he said.

By 2030, the report said the prevalence of extreme poverty in the region is expected to drop below 1 per cent and at the same time, about 25 per cent of the population is projected to achieve at least middle-class status, defined as having income or consumption of US$15 or more a day, adjusted for purchasing power parity.

“However, this outlook is threatened by differences in social mobility as well as other uncertainties. Developing Asia faces the potential for stagflation, ongoing conflicts involving key global actors, increased food insecurity, and energy price shocks,” said the report.

It noted that assuming that societies with higher levels of social mobility prior to the COVID-19 pandemic can more easily revert to their former poverty reduction paths, the pandemic may have longer term consequences that are yet unknown. “For instance, the full implications of learning losses caused by school closures on future lifetime earnings and social mobility prospects may not be known for some decades,” the bank said.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members – 49 from the region.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

WP Engine, the world’s most trusted WordPress technology company has announced its APAC expansion plans with a new presence in Singapore.

“Working directly with the incredible APAC brands and agencies innovating websites and digital experiences every day is a privilege for us,” said VP of APAC Sales for WP Engine, Mark Randall, in a statement.

“After experiencing such massive growth over the past five years I am proud to see WP Engine continue to build on its strong foundation for growth, attracting the best talent and maintaining a focus on our core values, outstanding company culture, and our amazing people.”

Over the years, WP Engine has seen a spike in customer demand across Asia and specifically in Singapore, which is a beacon of technological innovation.

Most recently, WP Engine Agency Partner Chillybin worked with WP Engine and Fullerton Fund Management on a website redesign that led to a 53 per cent increase in direct acquisitions.

Establishing close relationships with Singapore-based brands and agencies is a strategic imperative for WP Engine as the company extends its WordPress platform, products, and expertise across Asia.

WP Engine will host its Singapore customer launch event at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore on August 24 with networking opportunities and insights from current regional customers and partners as well as the company’s leadership.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK