Rohingya Refugees
Thailand – A Thai HIV Vaccine trial, led by Dr. Supachai Rerks-Ngarm of the Department of Disease Control of the Thai Ministry’s Public Health Department, was successful in that it provided coverage to a small percentage of participants, which is better than any previous trial.
A combination vaccine, using strains of HIV common in Thailand, was tested on more than 16,000 Thai men and women aged 18 to 30 years old, who were HIV-negative.
Half of the overall test group received the doses, while the other 8,000 people in the trial received a placebo. All the participants were given condoms and counseling for three years. The test found that those given the vaccine showed a 31 percent lower risk of infection than the others.
There is not yet consensus in the scientific community as to what the results mean and what should be done next.
Myanmar – Seems the junta is causing more trouble for its neighbors, this time on it’s eastern border with Bangladesh. The junta have pushed some 15,000 ethnic Rohingya, a Muslim minority group with stronger cultural ties to Bangladesh, out of Myanmar into Bangladesh. In response, The Bangladeshi government has mobilized 3,000 border patrol guards. It is also requesting help from India, China, and the United Nations.
In other news, Myanmar’s regime has agreed to work with China to ensure stability on their border, in recent months there has been conflict in the Kokang/Yunnan area, as previously covered by this blog. China was not pleased with the Burmese junta’s martial attempt to consolidate its power ahead of next years election, especially considering the affect it had on ethnic Chinese interests in the region, many of whom fled across the border into China.
Philippines – Former Filipino president and action movie star, Joseph Estrada, has promised to declare war on all Islamic militants in the Philippines should he be elected again as president. Estrada believes the President Gloria Arroyo’s peace initiatives are simply appeasement which embolden rebel factions. Estrada was removed from office in 2001 after an impeachment due to corruption. He was later sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned by Arroyo soon after she took office. During his tenure, the Filipino army did make significant strategic gains against rebel groups, such as MILF.
