Indonesia

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (Photo: Ministry for Maritime Affairs ) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia, having the sixth-largest bauxite reserves in the world, sees the potential of bauxite downstream could reach 13 billion USD next year from the current 9 billion USD. According to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, although Indonesia is in top six bauxite reserves in the world, the country only exports it. President Joko Widodo has recently directed to enhance processing so as to increase value for the processing industry, he said. If bauxite is processed into various derivatives, the value can go up to 11 digits, and this potential has not been maximized yet. The Indonesian government will consider accelerating an export ban on bauxite and other mineral items such as tin and alumina, among others, subject to the scale of investment, he revealed. Under the current rules, exports of bauxite are … [Read more...] about Indonesia targets to attract 13 billion USD to bauxite processing

Illustrative image (Photo: CNN Indonesia)     Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia's counter-terrorism unit Densus 88 recently arrested a suspect alleged to have link with regional and global terrorism network, the local media on November 17 quoted the National Police’s spokesman Argo Yuwono as saying. The suspect, alias WJ, was arrested on November 13 at a school in Depok city, West Java province. Initial investigation revealed that WJ is a bomb, explosives and weapon maker who used to join a military training session for Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao, the south of the Philippines from 1999 – 2002. The suspect also arrived in Syria in 2012 along with leader of terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah Abu Askari to establish relationship with the Free Syrian Army (FRA). Earlier on November 16, the unit killed two suspected militants in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra province. Speaking to the media in Medan city, capital of the North Sumatra … [Read more...] about Indonesia police crack down on terrorism

At the meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, General Ngo Xuan Lich congratulated the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Thai Army on successfully organizing a series of defense conferences as the 2019 ASEAN chairman. He believed that the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat and the sixth ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) organized by the Thai Ministry of Defense will be successful. General Ngo Xuan Lich met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan Deputy Minister Prawit Wongsuwan thanked Vietnam's support for Thailand as the 2019 ASEAN Chair, affirmed that Thailand will actively participate and support the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to successfully organize defense and military conferences as the ASEAN Chair in 2020. The two sides agreed that in the face of the region’s challenges, maintaining the ASEAN's central role in regional cooperation mechanisms, including ADMM+, is an … [Read more...] about Vietnam promotes defense cooperation with Thailand, Indonesia

Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan (Photo: VNA)   Bangkok (VNA) – Politburo member, Defence Minister, Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich met Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan and Defence Minister of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto in Bangkok on November 16. The separate meetings took place on the occasion of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat and the sixth ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Bangkok. Meeting Deputy PM Wongsuwan, Lich congratulated the Thai Defence Ministry and the Royal Army on successfully holding a series of defence and military meetings in the capacity of ASEAN Chair. He wished that the ADMM Retreat and the ADMM Plus would be successes. Wongsuwan, for his part, thanked Vietnam for supporting Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship. He pledged all possible support for the Vietnamese Defence Ministry to successfully hold defence and military meetings during its ASEAN Chair Year … [Read more...] about Defence Minister meets Thai Deputy PM, Indonesian counterpart

Thai police have seized more than 14 million methamphetamine pills that were bound for neighbouring Malaysia and beyond (Photo: Reuters/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Thai police have seized more than 14 million methamphetamine pills worth 1.48 billion THB (45 million USD) that were bound for neighbouring Malaysia and beyond, authorities said on August 21. According to police, the orange pills of methamphetamine were confiscated in the northern province of Ayutthaya on August 18. Three Thais were arrested in connection with the seizure. The drugs came from Shan State in northeast Myanmar in an area under the control of an ethnic Wa militia force. Commander of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau Lieutenant General Sommai Kongvisaisuk said the drugs were destined for Malaysia and then on to other markets around the world. The seizure is the latest big methamphetamine bust in the Southeast Asian region. Similar cases had been made in Malaysia and Indonesia. The production and … [Read more...] about Thailand seizes huge haul of methamphetamine