Thailand, Vietnam pledge to cooperate in ICT; Thai coalition government survives no-confidence vote; Myanmar Army set to launch newspaper; Jakarta on alert after bomb blast; Southeast Asia’s biggest IPO hit by Japan crisis
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    • The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) business giants of Thailand and Vietnam met at Thailand Software Park in Bangkok. The 30 representatives discussed the possibilities of further cooperation, while appreciating the fact that Vietnam’s ICT sector has gained remarkable achievements, recording a turnover of 6.17 billion US $ in 2009, an increase of 18.14 percent over last year. Thailand, on the other hand, already has a strong ICT industry.1

    In a significant development, the Thai coalition government has survived the no-confidence vote on 19 March, 2011. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva won by 249 to 184 votes. Other eight ministers also won by similar margins. The developments are seen as a prelude to the general elections expected to be held in late June to early July this year.2

    According to the official sources, the army in Myanmar is launching a daily newspaper by the end of March 2011. The newspaper is expected to focus on military affairs. The upcoming newspaper ‘Myawaddy’ will be in Burmese language, and will be the fourth major daily of Myanmar.3

    According to reports, a bomb exploded on the outskirts of Jakarta on 18 March, 2011, putting the Indonesian capital on alert. The device was found in Cibibur area, and followed a series of ‘book bombs’ blamed on an Islamist group. The attacks are targeted both against the civilians and moderate Islamic leaders.4

    In other developments in the region, shares in the China port unit of Hutchison Whampoa fell six percent on their debut in Singapore. Experts and media are linking it with the disastrous events of Japan. The initial public offering for Hutchison Port Holdings has raised $ 5.5 billion, making it the region’s biggest and the world largest so far in 2011. According to reports, the company closed at $ 0.950 a share on the Singapore Exchange, down around 6 percent from its IPO price. 5

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