Viktor Yeimo Has a Relationship with Indonesian APB, Veronika Koman

JAYAPURA, LELEMUKU.COM - The Papua Regional Police General Criminal Directorate continues to conduct investigations on the spokesman for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Viktor Yeimo, for his involvement in many cases Papua.

One of the investigations focuses is Viktor Yeimo's involvement with an Indonesian all-points bulletin (APB) Veronika Koman. From the investigation results, the police found that Viktor Yeimo was the data supplier for Veronika Koman, who was in Australia.

"Meanwhile, the investigation is about it because all this time they are both reporting untrue things about Papua. The person concerned (Viktor Yeimo) took the data from the KNPB and then shared it with Veronika Koman in Australia. So he is like a data supplier for Veronika Koman," said Chief of Papua Regional Police, Police Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri in Jayapura City, Tuesday (11/5/2021) morning.

Apart from examining the relationship between Viktor Yeimo and Veronika Koman, investigators also examined the supply of funds for the KNPB.

"We will check the flow of funds for this organization (KNPB). Including their action at the Papua governor's office in 2019. We understand whom the funds flow from, "he explained.

Previously, KNPB spokesman Viktor Yeimo was named a suspect in the riot case in Jayapura City in 2019. In addition, he was also charged with several other cases such as ITE, propaganda and treason cases.(HumasPolri)

Thai Court Grants Bail to Pro-Democracy Activist on Hunger Strike, Including Parit Penguin Chiwarak

BANGKOK, LELEMUKU.COM - A Thai court on Tuesday freed on bail two Thai pro-democracy activists charged with royal defamation, including Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, who has been on a weeks-long hunger strike to protest being denied bail 10 times since his February arrest.

The court also released Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan, who was arrested in March for allegedly burning a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in front of a jail during an anti-government protest. A bail hearing for a third activist, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, also charged with defaming the monarchy, was delayed as they were waiting for results of his COVID-19 test, authorities said.

“The court examined the evidence at the hearing for a temporary release of Parit and Chaiamorn and considered that the circumstances of the cases have changed. Therefore, the court granted a temporary release of Parit and Chaiamorn,” the Criminal Court in Bangkok said in a statement, without elaborating on how the situation had changed.

Parit had been sent to a hospital on April 30, where he was force fed through a tube, the corrections department had said. At that time, his weight had dropped from 107 kg (236 lbs.) to 94.5 kg (208 lbs.), Thawatchai Chaiyawat, deputy director-general of the Department of Corrections, had said in a Facebook post.

After they were released from jail around 9:30 p.m., Parit and Chaiamorn flashed three-finger salutes to supporters who had gathered outside the prison. Parit’s family took him to Vibhavadi Hospital for treatment.

The three-finger salutes, borrowed from The Hunger Games movies, is a symbol of protesters’ demands that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha step down, that the Constitution be amended and that the monarchy be reformed. Since pro-democracy protesters first gathered in mid-July 2020, rallies have been held in Bangkok and across the nation as thousands have called for the three reforms.

Parit and Chaiamorn did not speak to reporters after their release, but Parit’s sister addressed the media.

“I'm glad that we get to be together after all. I think that we will not stop fighting,” Ploywarin Chiwarak told reporters.

“We have to keep fighting until the day we get democracy.”

Meanwhile, the court said Panupong tested negative for COVID-19 on May 6, but he had been tested again and results were awaited.

Kritsadang Nutcharat, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), said the court allowed Parit to be released on 400,000 baht (U.S. $12,830) bail. Chaiamorn was allowed to be released on 250,000 baht ($8,000) bail. Neither the lawyer nor the court released details about who paid for their release.

Under bail terms, neither man can defame the monarchy or participate in protests. They also cannot leave the country and must wear electronic monitoring bracelets.

On April 30, Parit’s mother, Sureerat Chiwarak, shaved her head in front of the Criminal Court building in Bangkok after judges again turned down her request that Parit be released on bail on humanitarian grounds. Parit had been on hunger strike since March 15.

During that day’s hearing, TLHR attorneys said Sureerat offered to pay 200,000 baht ($6,400) for her son to be granted bail so he could get hospital treatment.

The court rejected that offer and sent Parit to Ramathibodi Hospital for treatment.

“My son is sacrificing what he loves and I am letting go of something that I love as well. I will start with shaving my hair,” Sureerat told reporters at the time.

“When the people see me walking around with a bald head, which may be ugly, please know that this injustice is happening in Thailand and it is even uglier than this.”

Parit, Panupong and five other pro-democracy activists, are accused of violating the strict royal defamation law during a two-day protest in September 2020.  Royal defamation, or Lese-Majeste, carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years per count.

At the time, protest leaders submitted a letter to the metropolitan police chief asking the king to accept political reform. They also placed a plaque in an area of Bangkok reserved for royal ceremonies.

March incident

Chaiamorn, a pop-star turned activist, was charged with Lese-Majeste, for an incident in late February, police and a lawyers’ group had said.

Local media showed Chaiamorn falling after climbing a scaffolding in front of Klong Prem Central Prison while holding a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), as he called for the release of Parit and three other protest leaders.

“The arson of the king’s portrait was my work and I assume sole responsibility. It has nothing to do with any movements,” Chaiamorn said in an Instagram posting at the time.

Parit and Chaiamorn join other pro-democracy leaders to be released on bail in recent weeks.

Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, who also began a hunger strike late in March on Lese-Majeste charges stemming from the September protest, was released on bail on May 6.

Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa and Somyot Pruksakasemsuk were released on bail on April 23 after the court ruled there was no sufficient reason to deny their request. Like the others, Jatupat and Somyot were charged with violating Article 112 – Lese-Majeste – at the September rally.

As of March 3, as many as 382 activists had been charged with alleged offenses stemming from the pro-democracy protests, according to TLHR. In addition, at least 68 protesters had been charged with Lese-Majeste since Prayuth announced in November that authorities would begin enforcing that law for the first time in about two years. (Wilawan Watcharasakwet| BenarNews)

More Americans Willing to Get Vaccine, Now Open to Children

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - As more Americans are being vaccinated, more people say they are now willing to get the shots than in January.

However, questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some people back. This presents a challenge for U.S. health officials who are ready to expand vaccination to children as young as 12 years old.

The AP-NORC survey, released Tuesday, found 1 in 5 American adults now say they probably or definitely will not get vaccinated. In January, when the shots were first given out, opinion researchers found about 1 in 3 said that they would not get vaccinated.

African Americans are becoming more open to the shots, with 26 percent now saying they definitely or probably will not get vaccinated compared with 41 percent in January.

That is similar to the 22 percent of Hispanic Americans. Among Asian Americans, just nine percent said they definitely or probably will not get the shots.


The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 150 million people — about 58 percent of all adults — have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Among those who remain unvaccinated, only 34 percent of people in the study say they definitely will not get the shot. About three-fourths of those who said they are unlikely to get vaccinated have little to no confidence that the vaccines were tested enough. Some 55 percent were very concerned about side effects.

The numbers, however, mean a large number of unvaccinated Americans could be persuaded to get the shots.

Kizzmekia Corbett is an immunologist with the National Institutes of Health. Corbett helped lead development of the Moderna shot. She spends hours giving answers to questions from Americans — especially African Americans like her. Her job is to fight against misinformation about the three vaccines approved for emergency use in the U.S.

She tells people the COVID-19 vaccines will not cause inability to bear children. Also, the speedy development of vaccines does not mean they are less safe, Corbett told the AP.

Corbett has attended gatherings held by colleges, African American religious leaders, doctors, and even basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to talk about the vaccine. She said the best way to overcome distrust is to explain the science in understandable terms for strangers just like she does for her family.

But “really, we should have started the conversations very early about what went into it,” she said. This way, the public would have understood that no steps were missed in vaccine development.

Last month, U.S. health officials temporarily paused the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. They wanted to find out how to deal with a very rare risk of blood system blockages, known as blood clots. Even after that pause, overall confidence in the vaccines has increased compared with a few months ago.

On Monday, U.S. health officials expanded the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12.

Dr. Peter Marks is vaccine chief for the Food and Drug Administration. He said, “Having a vaccine authorized for a younger population is a critical step” in the effort against COVID-19.”

Approval for the shots comes before students return to school in autumn and to more normal activities. Shots could become available this week for the nation’s 12 to 15-year-olds.

Pfizer is not the only company seeking to lower the age limit for use of its vaccine. Moderna recently said early results from its study on 12 to 17-year-olds showed strong protection and no serious side effects. Another U.S. company, Novavax, has started studying its vaccine, which is in development, in the same age group.

Experts say children must get the shots if the country is to vaccinate the 70 to 85 percent of the population necessary to reach what is called herd immunity. That term describes a condition where enough people have become immune to an infectious disease that it is no longer a threat to people who are not immune to it. (Jonathan Evans| VOA)

Joe Biden Proposes Making Preschool Free for Children and Focus on Education

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - American President Joe Biden is making childcare and education a major concern of his administration.

In his first address to a joint session of Congress on April 29, Biden proposed a $1.8 trillion spending plan to expand government support for children, families and education. The plan, called American Families Plan, includes $200 billion for free pre-school for 3 and 4-year-olds.

The president said, “research shows when a young child goes to school — not daycare — they are far more likely to graduate from high school and go to college or something after high school.” He added, “no matter what background they come from, it puts them in the position to be able to compete all the way through 12 years.”

Preschool, also known as pre-kindergarten or pre-K, is a program to help children with the beginning steps of learning and socializing. Daycare centers focus more on caring for children than learning.

Rebecca Anguiano teaches preschool at an elementary school in Washington, D.C. The classes are bilingual. They are taught in both English and Spanish. She said students who attend two years of preschool have done better than those who have not.

Anguiano said, “If they miss those two years, it’s kind of catch-me-up for them. I definitely feel that starting early—especially at a bilingual school—is key for a lot of success.”

Effective preschool programs

The National Institute for Early Education Research says, at this time, only four American states and Washington, D.C., spend enough money to support preschool programs.

The nation’s capital spends the most money per preschool student. It also has the highest percentage of students in pre-K classes. Seventy-nine percent of 3 and 4-year-olds attend preschool in Washington, DC. And nationwide, just 20 percent attend.

Washington is one of the most expensive cities to raise a child. A 2018 study says childcare in the city can cost up to $2,000 per month for each child. In some places, parents choose to stay home with their children instead of having a job and paying for care.

In 2018, research from the Center for American Progress showed that about 10 percent more mothers entered the workforce after the city started its preschool program. Student test scores have also gone up since the change. That year, Washington schools were among the few across the nation to see an increase in math and reading scores.

Josh Axelrod has two children attending preschool in Washington, D.C. He said the program is a “huge benefit” to living in the city. “Our experience... has been great,” he added.

Washington’s preschool program is not without its problems, however. Many elementary schools in the city do not offer preschool and some programs are better than others. There is also a very high demand for some preschool spots, which means that some children will not be placed into their neighborhood school. Others are not placed at all.

Biden’s proposal

Biden’s proposal comes at a time when preschool attendance has fallen by 25 percent in the past year, largely due to the pandemic.

The administration says free preschool nationwide could save the average American family $13,000 and benefit 5 million children. And it proposes to pay for the plan by raising taxes on wealthy Americans.

Republican opponents to the idea say it costs too much and that families will be making childcare decisions based on what the government wants. For the plan to pass, the president will need Republican support in an evenly divided Senate.

Senator Josh Hawley is a Republican from the state of Missouri. He shared his opposition in an opinion piece on Fox Business.

“No familyshouldbeforcedintoa particularchildcare arrangementby the government. And no parent should be treated worse by the tax code for choosing todo the work of raising kids at home,” he wrote.

Anguiano, the Washington, D.C. preschool teacher, sees universal preschool as a way to improve education equity. Many families from poorer areas cannot pay for private preschool, she said, keeping children away from school and parents away from working.

“I think expanding this nationwide, you will most definitely see not just an educational benefit for kids, but an economic benefit for families,” Anguiano said. (Jill Robbins| VOA)

Zimbabwe Chief Accuses Grace Mugabe of Wrongfully Burying Former President, Wants Him Exhumed

HARARE, LELEMUKU.COM - Zimbabwean chief has summoned former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, to appear before a village court to face charges of inappropriately burying the country’s late former president, Robert Mugabe, at the family’s homestead.

Chief Zvimba wants Mrs. Mugabe to exhume her late husband’s body and rebury it at a gravesite where his mother, Bona, was laid to rest.

In a letter dated April 29, 2021, and signed by the traditional leader, Chief Zvimba ordered Mrs. Mugabe to attend the village court next week on Thursdayat Gonzo Guzha Hall in Murombedzi Growth Pointat 9:30am.

The letter reads in part, “You are facing charges of burying the late Robert Gabriel Mugabe at his homestead. This is unheard of in Chief Zvimba’s area. At the same, time you are accused of abandoning Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s property which is scattered nationwide.

“All properties of the late Robert Gabriel Mugabe are supposed to be kept at his homestead and handled in line with our traditions. I want you to rebury the late president in accordance with our traditions and in Zvimba at a place designated by the family and his late mother. These charges you are facing attract a fine of five cattle and a goat.”

Chief Zvimba further said Mrs. Mugabe is allowed to bring witnesses.

“We will proceed with the case and make an appropriate ruling if you don’t attend the village court without seeking permission.”

Mrs. Mugabe was asked to fix a date with appropriate authorities if she won’t attend the village court on next week.

The former first lady and his nephew, Leo Mugabe, were unreachable on their mobile phones. Leo Mugabe was quoted by an online publication recently as saying he was not aware of any moves by Chief Zvimba to summon him to the village court to face charges of breaking traditional rules and regulations of burying people in his area.

Mugabe, who was toppled in a defacto military coup in 2017, died of cancer in Singapore. The family is believed to have multiple farms, several companies, including a dairy farm.

According to independent economists, the Mugabe family has businesses worth more than US$10 million. (VOA)