Pita Limjaroenrat has resigned as leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party, paving the way for other members of the party to lead the biggest opposition group in the country's parliament."The current constitution specifies that the opposition leader must be [a member of parliament]," Pita said in his Facebook post on Friday. "However, I am still suspended as [member of parliament] by the court order. Then, I cannot work in the parliament as the opposition leader in the near future."
He did not mention who will replace him as party leader. Pita, 43, led the Move Forward Party in the May 14 general election, winning 151 of 500 seats and becoming the largest party in the lower house. But he failed to become prime minister in a parliamentary vote on July 13 as most senators did not support him due to Move Forward's progressive policies, including a proposed amendment to the country's lese-majeste laws. On July 19, Thailand's constitutional court suspended Pita as a member of parliament over his shareholdings in a media company. The suspension eventually blocked him from being renominated as the prime minister candidate for the second time. Pita's failure paved the way for the Pheu Thai Party, which won second place with 141 seats in the general election, to form the government. The party's Srettha Thavisin was elected Prime Minister on Aug. 22. Pita, however, vowed that he would continue to work with the Move Forward Party to push forward the agenda for change as well as to investigate and balance the power through the parliamentary process. The Pheu Thai party, which finished second in the May election, was able to form a coalition acceptable to the senators, and had one of its candidates, Srettha Thavisin, confirmed as prime minister. Srettha's coalition embraced military-supported parties that include members linked to a 2014 coup that ousted a previous Pheu Thai government. Move Forward’s bid to lead the opposition was complicated not only by Pita’s suspension, but also because one of its members is currently serving as the first deputy house speaker. Padipat Suntiphada was selected for the post while Move Forward was still seeking to form a government, but the rules bar members of parties leading the opposition from holding speakers’ positions in the House. It is not immediately clear if Padipat will resign from the post.
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Thaksin’s signature policies included a universal healthcare scheme opening virtually free treatment for basic ailments to tens of millions of poor for the first time, as well as village clinics and start-up funds. “He has always helped making our lives better,” 63-year-old Ankana Nattakit from Nakon Ratchasima said. “No other prime minister has done nearly anything as much for us. He’s the prime minister of the grassroots people.”
Vote on new PM Pheu Thai, the latest incarnation of Thaksin’s party, came second in elections held in May. After the progressive Move Forward Party, which won the election, was unable to form a government because military-appointed senators in the upper house refused to support it, Pheu Thai cobbled together a grouping of parties, including those backed by the military. A vote was underway on Tuesday that could lead to the party’s Srettha Thavisin, a property tycoon, becoming prime minister. Srettha has the backing of 314 legislators in the lower house but needs an additional 58 votes to secure the job, which requires the backing of a majority of both houses. The Election Commission concluded its vote counting on Monday morning and announced the Move Forward Party’s victory in the May 14 general election.
EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said MFP won 112 constituency MPs and 39 list seats, followed by Pheu Thai with 112 constituency MPs and 29 list MPs, Bhumjaithai with 68 constituency MPs and 3 list MPs, Palang Pracharath 39 constituency MPs and 1 list MP and United Thai Nation Party with 23 constituency MPs and 13 list MPs. Mr. Big have announced a farewell tour, taking place in 2023 and 2024. As of now the veteran rock band has unveiled dates for a run of Asia this summer, with US, European, and South American shows slated to be revealed for 2024. The tour, dubbed “The Big Finish,” will find Mr. Big playing its 1991 album Lean Into It in its entirety. The LP yielded the band’s smash ballad “To Be With You,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In a press release, Mr. Big said that it’s the right to time to end their touring career following the passing of drummer Pat Torpey, who died in 2018 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The band also revealed that Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train) will fill Torpey’s slot behind the drum kit. “We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” stated bassist Billy Sheehan. Guitarist Paul Gilbert added, “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.” And lead singer Eric Martin concluded, “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to The BIG Finish!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”As for welcoming D’Virgilio to the band, Sheehan noted, “We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too.
The Republic will host the 2029 SEA Games, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Sport Singapore announced in a joint statement on Thursday (May 12).They added that members of the SEA Games Federation accepted Singapore's interest in hosting the biennial event at a meeting in Hanoi. SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin, who is in the Vietnamese capital, said:"We are pleased to host the prestigious regional sporting event in Singapore again. The SEA Games holds special memories and experiences for Singapore and our South-east Asian neighbours.The 2029 Games will mark the fifth time Singapore is organising the Games after playing host in 1973, 1983, 1993 and most recently in 2015 , when it yielded its best performance ever - a haul of 84 gold, 73 silver and 102 bronze medals.
The biennial SEA Games, which was first held in 1959 as the SEA Peninsular Games, is the most visible multi-sport event in the region. Back in 2015, more than 10,000 athletes and officials from 11 countries participated in the Games, which featured 402 events across 36 sports. Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law said that hosting the SEA Games will give Team Singapore athletes an opportunity to compete against some of the best in the region, with strong home ground support. He added: "The spirit of the SEA Games can also bring Singaporeans from all walks of life together, to cheer and rally behind our athletes, and strengthen our national unity. Following the successful hosting of the 2015 SEA Games, we are confident that the 35th SEA Games in 2029 can be another defining moment for Singaporeans and also an opportunity to showcase our hospitality, and tighten bonds with our Southeast Asian neighbours." The current Games - the 31st edition - is currently being held in Hanoi after it was delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic. It was also announced on Thursday that Malaysia has been selected to host the 34th edition in 2027. The 32nd edition will be held in Cambodia and the 33rd Games will be in Thailand. Israel has led a 10-country simulation of a major cyber attack on the global financial system in an attempt to increase cooperation that could help to minimise any potential damage to financial markets and banks. The simulated cyber attack evolved over 10 days, with sensitive data emerging on the dark web along with fake news reports that ultimately caused chaos in global markets and a run on banks.
Participants in the initiative, called “Collective Strength”, included treasury officials from Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Thailand, as well as representatives from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Bank of International Settlements. The simulation featured several types of attacks that impacted global foreign exchange and bond markets, liquidity, integrity of data and transactions between importers and exporters. "These events are creating havoc in the financial markets," said a narrator of a film shown to the participants as part of the simulation and seen by Reuters. Israeli government officials said that such threats are possible in the wake of the many high profile cyber attacks on large companies, and that the only way to contain any damage is through global cooperation since current cyber security is not always strong enough. The narrator of the film in the simulation said governments were under pressure to clarify the impact of the attack, which was paralysing the global financial system. “The banks are appealing for emergency liquidity assistance in a multitude of currencies to put a halt to the chaos as counterparties withdraw their funds and limit access to liquidity, leaving the banks in disarray and ruin,” the narrator said. The participants discussed multilateral policies to respond to the crisis, including a coordinated bank holiday, debt repayment grace periods, SWAP/REPO agreements and coordinated delinking from major currencies. "Attackers are 10 steps ahead of the defender," Micha Weis, financial cyber manager at Israel's Finance Ministry, told Reuters. Rahav Shalom-Revivo, head of Israel’s financial cyber engagements, said international collaboration between finance ministries and international organizations “is key for the resilience of the financial eco-system.” The simulation was originally scheduled to take place at the Dubai World Expo but it was moved to Jerusalem due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, with officials participating over video conference. The Thai Customs Department is preparing to reduce import duty on alcoholic beverages and cigars by 50 percent for five years in line with the government's economic stimulus and investment promotion package. The Thai Customs Department is preparing to reduce import duty on alcoholic beverages and cigars by 50 percent for five years in line with the government's economic stimulus and investment promotion package.
The cuts are in accordance with the September 14 cabinet resolution involving plans to revive the post-COVID-19 economy by encouraging wealthy foreigners and highly skilled professionals to stay and work in the country, the Bangkok Post quoted Patchara Anuntasilpa, director-general of the department, as saying. The programme is hoped to attract more than 1 million qualified people to Thailand over the next five years and generated around 1 trillion baht (30 billion USD) during the period. Cuts in import duties will be part of the mix. Thailand estimates that the group is expected to spend on average 1 million baht (nearly 30,000 USD) per person per year while living and working in the country. Benefits in the package also include a 10-year Thai visa for approved special visitors along with their spouses and children, the same rates of income tax as Thai citizens, a tax exemption for income earned abroad, and the right to ownership of property and land. Patchara said that about 30 percent of products are likely to be covered by the planned cuts and ministerial regulations will be announced after the changes are made. The Customs Department is also preparing to amend customs procedures for personal items for arriving and departing passengers, he added. Earlier, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana on September 14 said that the Cabinet had approved in principle measures to attract high potential foreigners to stay in Thailand long term. The plan aimed to draw four groups – wealthy global citizens, pensioners from overseas, those wanting to work in Thailand and highly skilled professionals. Long-term visas would be issued for high-potential foreigners, who would be granted exemption and benefits during their stay, such as not having to do 90-day reporting. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) expected that measures implemented over five fiscal years (2022 to 2026) would draw one million foreigners with spending of around one trillion baht. Investment would be increased by 800 billion baht plus 270 billion baht in additional tax revenue, according to Thanakorn. This year has been shaping up to be a strong one for central bank gold buying. This is despite the official absence from the buy side of central bank gold powerhouses such as Russia and China. Instead, there has been a noticeable trend of a diverse group of central banks who are not regular gold buyers, deciding to step up and make substantial gold purchases over short periods of time. Thailand, Hungary and Brazil First up in Europe was the central bank of Hungary, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), which stunned the gold market in early April, when it announced that it had bought 63 tonnes of monetary gold during March 2021. Next up in Asia was the central bank of Thailand, Bank of Thailand, which revealed that over the two months of April and May 2021, it had added a total of 90 tonnes of gold to its reserves, specifically 43.5 tonnes during April, and another 46.5 tonnes in May. And now most recently, the attention has moved to South America, where IMF data submitted by Brazil’s central bank, the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB), reveals that after adding 11.7 tonnes of gold in May, the Brazilian central bank bought another 41.7 tonnes of gold in June, making a 2-month buying total of 53.5 tonnes of monetary gold. This now boosts Brazil’s gold reserves to a claimed 121 tonnes and puts South America’s largest economy in 32nd position in the sovereign monetary gold holding rankings. These three sets of gold buying from Thailand, Hungary and Brazil now make this trio the top 3 central bank gold buyers so far in 2021. In the case of Thailand, 2021 was the first time since 2011 that the Bank of Thailand had made a substantial purchase of gold. In the case of Hungary, the 2021 purchase was only the second time it had entered the market for many years (the other time being Hungary’s large gold purchase of 28.4 tonnes in October 2018). In the case of Brazil, 2021 was the first time since 2012 that the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) had gone out and purchased gold, and at 53.5 tonnes, was BCB’s largest gold purchase since the year 2000.
Brazil’s Gold Reserves – No Transparency And then it suddenly struck me. No one seems to know very much at all about Brazil’s sovereign gold reserves. Look on the main pages of the BCB website about Brazil’s gold reserves, and you will find nothing. For a top 3 purchaser of gold during year-to-date 2021, this seems very odd. For example, where are these gold reserves held and stored, and in what form? More importantly, where did the Banco Central do Brasil buy the gold that it claims to have bought so recently during May and June, and who was the seller? What were the BCB’s gold buying motivations in adding 53.5 tonnes? And critically, does Brazil lend out its gold and only hold ‘claims on gold’, or does it hold only allocated and unencumbered gold bars in set-aside accounts with foreign central banks? So I decided to put my questions to the BCB directly, whose headquarters are in Brazil’s federal capital in Brasilia. And this is where it gets interesting. For while Hungary’s central bank was very forthcoming in explaining why it purchased 63 tonnes of gold during March (and even published a press release and photos of the gold bars purchased), the same cannot be said of the Banco Central do Brasil.
Thailand now in Pole Position for 2021
In fact, with China and Russia now ‘officially’ out of the market for buying gold since 2019 and early 2020, respectively, this Bank of Thailand gold buying is the largest short-term gold accumulation operation by any central bank sovereign since the Polish central bank bought 100 tonnes of gold in London during the first half of 2019 and promptlyto Warsaw. Thailand’s 90 tonnes addition in its gold reserves over April and May comprised a 43.5 tonnes increase in during April, and another 46.5 tonnes increase during May, taking its total gold reserves from 154 tonnes to 244 tonnes, a 58.4% increase. While the Polish and Hungarian gold purchases were announced in official press releases and attracted plenty of media attention, the same cannot be said of Thailand’s 90 tonnes purchase. In fact, apart from the publication of updates to its international reserve data position (both on its website and in an IMF database), there has been no comment from the Thai central bank that they have made this massive gold purchase. Media coverage of Thailand’s gold buying has also been thin on the ground, with only a few references to Thailand’s April gold buying, and as of yet, practically nothing about the Bank’s gold buying during May. The Data – Discreet Updates The first place where additions to Thailand’s gold reserve position are published is in the Bank of Thailand’s weekly ‘International Reserves’ report, which can be accessed here. Since this report only shows Thailand’s gold reserves reported in ‘millions of US dollars’, the number of fine ounces held has to be inferred. In early May, this report (based on LBMA afternoon gold prices on month end dates) showed that Thailand’s gold holdings had risen from 4,948,620 ozs on 26 March, to 6,351,976 ozs on 30 April, i.e. a 43.65 tonnes increase. In early June, this report showed that Thailand was reporting gold holdings of 7,862,528 ozs of gold, a 46.98 tonnes increase on the end of May, and a cumulative 90.6 tonnes increase on the end of March. When central banks publish reserve data updates, they sooner or later then report the same data to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which in turn publishes these updates in its International Financial Statistics (IFS) database. As a verification source, you could argue that when central bank gold reserve holdings data appears in the IMF database, then you can assume its valid, since it is this IMF source which organisations such as the World Gold Council in turn use to produce their global central bank gold holdings rankings. Turning to the IMF IFS data tables, and running an extract for Official Reserve Assets of Thailand over March, April and May 2021 (which includes the variable Volume in Millions of Fine Troy Ounces), we find that the figures check out nearly exactly as per the Bank of Thailand website, with month-end reported gold holdings in the IFS table of 4.95 million ozs in March, 6.35 million ozs in April, and 7.85 million in May. This equates to a 1.4 million ozs gold purchase in April, and a 1.5 million oz gold purchase in May, for a total of 2.9 million ozs. Which is equivalent to additions of 43.54 tonnes in April and 46.65 tonnes in May (or 90.2 tonnes in total). So that’s incredibly close to the inferred figures from the Bank of Thailand weekly report.
As the need for its reparations function ceases, the BIS takes up a role of a banker to the central banks and other international financial organizations, and provides a forum for promoting international cooperation, dialogue, as well as policy analysis among central banks and within the international financial community. Furthermore, it also acts as a centre for economic and monetary research
Its head office is in Basel, Switzerland and there are two representative offices: in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. 2. Main Functions The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international organization which fosters monetary and financial cooperation and serves exclusively as a bank for central banks. Therefore, it does not accept deposits from, or provide financial services to, private individuals or corporate entities. The BIS fulfils its mandate by acting as: 2.1 A forum to promote discussion and policy analysis among central banks and within the international financial community Bimonthly meetings of the Governors and other senior officials of the BIS member central banks to discuss monetary and financial matters are instrumental in pursuing this goal. The standing committees located at the BIS support central banks, and authorities in charge of financial stability more generally, by providing background analysis and policy recommendations. These committees also help formulate international standards and best practices on the relevant matters. The committees comprise:
2.2 A prime counterparty for central banks in their financial transactions and an agent or trustee in connection with international financial operations The BIS offers a wide range of financial services to assist central banks and other official monetary institutions in the management of their foreign reserves. BIS financial services are provided out of two linked trading rooms: one at its Basel head office and the other at its office in Hong Kong SAR. In addition to standard services such as sight/notice accounts and fixed-term deposits, the Bank has developed a range of more sophisticated financial products which central banks can actively trade with the BIS to increase the return on their foreign assets. The Bank also transacts foreign exchange and gold on behalf of its customers. The BIS also offers a range of asset management services in sovereign securities or high-grade assets. These may be either a specific portfolio mandate negotiated between the BIS and a central bank or an open-end fund structure. Furthermore, the BIS extends short-term credits to central banks, usually on a collateralized basis, and coordinates emergency short-term lending to countries in financial crisis. 2.3 A centre for economic and monetary research The economic, monetary, financial and legal research of the BIS supports its meetings and the activities of the Basel-based committees. The BIS is also a hub for sharing statistical information amongst central banks, and for publishing statistics on global banking, securities, foreign exchange and derivatives markets. 3. Organization Structure The three most important decision-making bodies within the Bank are: the General Meeting of member central banks, the Board of Directors and the Management of the Bank. Decisions taken at each of these levels concern the running of the Bank and as such are mainly of an administrative and financial nature, related to its banking operations, the policies governing internal management of the BIS and the allocation of budgetary resources to the different business areas. The BIS currently has 55 member central banks, all of which are entitled to be represented and vote in the General Meetings. Voting power is proportionate to the number of BIS shares issued to each country. 4. Relationship with Members The members can hold shares in the BIS since 2000. In total there are 547,125 shares of issued capital. The change in the BIS regulation requiring shares to be held only by central banks (CB's). As a shareholder, representatives from the CB's are invited to attend regular meetings of Governors held every two months in Basel. These gatherings provide an opportunity for participants to discuss the world economy and financial market developments, and to exchange views on topical issues of central bank interest or concern. The main result of these meetings is an improved understanding by participants of the developments, challenges and policies affecting various countries and markets. In addition, the BIS organizes frequent meetings of experts on monetary and financial stability issues as well as on more technical issues such as legal matters, reserve management, IT systems, internal audit and technical cooperation. Though targeted mostly at central banks, BIS meetings sometimes involve senior officials and experts from other financial market authorities, the academic community and market participants. 5. The Bottom Line The BIS is a global center for financial and economic interests. As such, it has been a principal architect in the development of the global financial market. Given the dynamic nature of social, political, and economic situations around the world, the BIS can be seen as a stabilizing force, encouraging financial stability and international prosperity in the face of global change. Pete McGee BANGKOK, August 26 -- The government has banned hoarding of glutinous rice and will sell discounted packs as prices soar amid shortages. Government spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Monday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered the Commerce Ministry to prevent hoarding and to launch discounted packs in the wake of the all-time high price of glutinous rice. Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit ordered the Internal Trade Department to impose the ban immediately since the grain is on the ministry's price control list, Mrs Narumon said. "There will be discussions with millers, traders and cooperatives so they can quickly produce packed glutinous rice at a special price to relieve people's trouble," she said. Mrs Narumon attributed the expensive glutinous rice to drought that caused its low yield. The situation should improve when the new yield comes out in October, she said. Glutinous rice now sells for 50,000 baht a tonne while Hom Mali fragrant rice costs 35,000 baht. Local retail prices were nearly 50 baht per kilogram and a smallest bag of steamed glutinous rice is now 10 baht, double recent prices. Pete McGee BANGKOK, August 23 -- It was an encouraging talk with the Prime Minister of Thailand about the case of the Dutch coffee shop owner Johan van Laarhoven. Minister of Justice Ferd Grapperhaus said after the consultation. "Thailand is open to a solution in the case," said the minister. Grapperhaus spoke for 45 minutes with the Prime Minister of Thailand about the Van Laarhoven case. In Thailand, he was sentenced to decades in prison for money laundering. The minister says that the justice ministries of both countries are going to work on a solution. "That solution must fit within the framework of the Thai legal system," says Grapperhaus. "A solution will not last for years and hopefully not even a matter of months." Next Tuesday there will be the final decision in the appeal case. One hundred imprisonment Dutch prosecution department asked Thailand in 2014 for help with a criminal investigation into the coffee shop owner, which he had established in the Netherlands. The Thai public prosecutor then prosecuted Van Laarhoven and his wife Mingkwan Kaenin. Van Laarhoven was sentenced for hundred year imprisonment and his wife for twelve years. In April, the House of Representatives urged Grapperhaus to work to get Van Laarhoven back to the Netherlands, following a firm judgment from the National Dutch Ombudsman. Pete McGee BANGKOK, August 21 -- The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on Wednesday warned of flash floods and landslides in 21 provinces in the North, the Northeast, Central Plains and eastern regions until Thursday. Of the 21 provinces listed as possible affected areas, certain districts in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Nan, Tak, Uttaradit are particularly at risk from flash floods and landslides as a result of prolonged heavy rain, said department director-general Chayaphon Thitisak. The rain is the result of a monsoon trough in the Northern region and the impact from a southwest monsoon in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand, according to the department. Emergency response teams have been put on round the clock standby in flood-prone localities in mountainous areas sucn as Nan province, according to Mr Chayaphon. Those living in low-lying areas are being advised to closely monitor weather updates throughout this period, he said. In the South, however, rice growers in Nakhon Si Thammarat are calling on the government to declare a new drought-hit zone, with about 10,000 rai of paddy fields having been totally destroyed by drought over the past few months. Chetsada Banchongsut, their leader, said he and other rice farmers in Chalerm Prakiat district had tried to fight the drought themselves and lost about 130,000 baht pumping water into rice fields to save their crops, but the drought lasted so long that they could not cope anymore. The farmers now want the government to help by declaring their damaged rice fields a drought-hit zone so they will be entitled to compensation, he said. Sa Kaeo governor Wichit Chatphaisit said the province is assisting about 12,300 families, who own 79,950 rai of paddy fields in five tambon in Ta Phraya district which have already been damaged by drought. Two large water pumps were sent to affected areas to draw water and supply the communities, said the governor. As of Tuesday, Sa Kaeo's irrigation project had about 76.43 million cubic metres of water, which is enough to supply tap water for the entire province for the next 160 days, he said. Pete McGee BANGKOK, August 21 -- Thailand's finance ministry has cut its 2019 economic growth forecast to 3.0% from the 3.8% it projected in April, due to falling exports. The ministry also said it changed its 2019 estimate for exports, a key driver of growth, to a fall of 0.9% instead of a 3.4% rise. However, the economy will be helped by a $10 billion stimulus package approved by the cabinet on Tuesday, it said. The outlook downgrade came a day after Thailand reported second-quarter growth of 2.3%, the weakest annual pace in nearly five years. Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expanded 4.1% last year, the best in six years. Pete McGee BANGKOK, August 20 -- In July, at the Bangkok Asean Film Festival, Vietnamese movie The Third Wife was honored with a Special Mention prize, with the jury noting its meticulous craftsmanship, strong acting and confident directing. In the movie set in rural Vietnam in the late 19th century, a young girl becomes the third wife of a wealthy land-owner. There are sex scenes and sequences showing child-birth. But while the film has been well-received overseas, including winning a prize at Toronto International Film Festival 2018, it has been yanked out of cinemas in Vietnam. Audiences, reported Vietnam News, are shocked that the character is played by Nguyen Phuong Tra My, who was then only 13 years old. Citizens have blasted Vietnamese film-maker Ash Mayfair over her casting decision. My's mother was also slammed for allowing her daughter to be involved, with some detractors wondering if she was blinded by the pursuit of fame and money. The VnExpress portal cited child protection experts as saying that the sex scenes could have a psychological effect on a young actress. Mayfair told the Hollywood Reporter: "We didn't do anything wrong and we broke no law. They can't attack us on those grounds so there have been attempts to smear the ethics of the actress' mother, publishing her personal details online and saying she had sold her daughter for money." Defending the subject matter in her film, she said: "These questions are open for debate and I have no problem with that. We talk about women's rights and we are very critical about patriarchal traditions that have been in the country for centuries." My was reportedly selected after the director auditioned more than 900 candidates. My, who is now 15 and was said to have convinced her parents that she could perform the role, is upset that the movie cannot be seen by Vietnamese, even as it has drawn applause elsewhere. Hollywood trade publication Variety, in its review of the film, said: "In May (portrayed by My) and in Ha and Xuan (the other two wives), there are all the women and girls of the past who've been ignored, abused, forced into competition with one another, made to endure a degradation of spirit and a commodification of body so complete it should have resulted in their annihilation, like silkworms steaming alive inside their cocoons". "But with The Third Wife, new talent Mayfair reclaims just a few of those silvery strands from the neglect of history and weaves them into a film so sensuous we can lose ourselves in it, but so vividly real we might also be able to find ourselves there." Vietnam's censors have reportedly asked Mayfair to submit an edited version of the movie for screening clearance. |
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