Jakarta rocked by two bomb blasts; Bomb blast in southern Thailand kills 2 soldiers; UN Secretary General urges ASEAN states to play a significant role in the democratization process of Myanmar
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  • Jakarta was rocked by at least two bomb explosions at the luxurious Ritz Carlton and the JW Marriot hotels on July 171. Reports noted that nine people were killed and more than fifty people were wounded. Indonesian police on July 19 confirmed that the regional terrorist outfit Jemmah Islamiyah (JI) was responsible for carrying out the attacks2.

    In Yala province of Thailand, a bomb explosion near Yaha police station on July 17 killed two soldiers and wounded four others. Southern insurgents were alleged to have been involved in the incident3.

    During a meeting on the sidelines of the 15th NAM Summit in Egypt, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Malaysia and other ASEAN states to play a significant role in the democratization process of Myanmar4. Malaysian PM Najib Razak meanwhile proposed a series of steps in order to deal with NAM’s growing ineffectiveness5.

    Reports noted that Saudi Arabia was interested in increasing its participation in the Islamic banking sector of Malaysia and in the development of other manufacturing sectors on account of Malaysia’s recent economic liberalization measures6.

    Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, on a visit to Lebanon, stated that the sale of military assets to Lebanon would not pose any threat to any country as these were non-offensive in nature7.

    In other developments, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Robert Scher stated that his country’s military activity in the South China Sea was “routine and in accordance with customary international law.” He added that the US interest was to “preserve security and stability throughout the western Pacific8.”

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