IV. International
(7-01-09)
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The finance ministers of
Japan & South Korea said the global economy shows
signs of bottoming and financial markets are stabilizing
soon but conditions remain difficult. The global economy
may be emerging from the worst recession since WW II as
governments spend more and central banks cut interest
rates.
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Japan & South Korea agreed to cooperate on overcoming
the financial crisis and in urging North Korea to
abandon nuclear weapons. The Japanese & South Korean
economies are showing signs of recovery. Japan, South
Korea & other nations need to study ways towards
measures at tackling the recession since there’s a
recovery, though it’s too early to take such steps now.
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Korea’s multi-faceted e-government services will be made
available for those logging on from Fire Fox or
Safari, Web browsers that are gaining some
popularity worldwide as an alternative to Internet
Explorer.
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Ever since 1989,
Chinese leaders have been haunted by fear that their
days in power are numbered. The regime was shaken to its
roots by six weeks of student protests in more than 130
cities and the division within the CCP over how to
handle them. The regime is still standing because Deng
Xiaoping ordered the military to use force to disperse
the demonstrators.
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CCP has devised formula for revival based on lessons
from the Tienanmen Square experience: prevent
large scale protests, avoid public leadership splits &
keep the military loyal to the party. The 3 rules are
interconnected.
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China’s leaders are hyper-responsive to media and online
public opinion. CCP leaders are particularly sensi- tive
to nationalist criticism. The 2 previous dynasties—the
Qing and Republican government fell to
revolutions in which discontent of various groups was
fused together by the powerful emotional force of
nationalism.
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An LDP-New Komeito team
endorsed a special bill to enable both the Japan
Coast Guard & the Maritime Self-Defense Force to
inspect vessels sailing to or from North Korea suspected
of being involved in arms shipments.
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The House of Councilors begins deliberations on 2
amendments to the organ transplant law, one of which
would scarp the age limit and open the door for children
to donate organs.
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Bullying cases at elementary, junior high and high
schools across Japan tallied by the education ministry
school stands at around 100k in 2007 academic year,
slightly lower than in 2006. That’s more than 80% of
school-age children surveyed that have both engaged and
fallen victims to bullying, said the National
Institute for Education Policy Research.
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The Obama administration
will consider contentious the sale of F-16 fighter jets
to Taiwan after key American officials are settled into
their jobs, according to de facto US ambassador
Stephen Young of the American Institute in
Taiwan. The new president, Ma Ying-jeon wants the
F-16s, despite policy for better relations with Beijing.
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Global business groups
have made an unusual direct appeal to China’s PM (Wen
Jiabao) to scrap an order for PC makers to supply
controversial Internet filtering software, citing
security and privacy concerns.
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Senior officials of the 4 local governments from central
Taiwan hosted a trade fair in Beijing to showcase the
area’s agricultural products and tourism attractions. It
was the biggest contingent from Taiwan (nearly 200 reps)
to visit the Chinese capital.
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The “Network of Civic &
Public Organizations for Defending Democracy and
Checking Suppression under the Pretext of Security” in
which South Korea held a press conference in
Seoul on 6/22 at which it declared that it would wage
the struggle against police violence towards
participants in rallies and demonstrations.
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Bolstering its cash against losses in the face of the
deep recession, the nation’s largest bank (Hanni
Financial Corp) said it had arranged to raise as
much as $11 million in new capital from a South Korean
brokerage firm, and was negotiating with institutions in
that country for an even larger investment.
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South Korea has made public what many have suspected for
several years. If North Korea attacks, South Korea is
prepared to invade their neighbor. North Korean armed
forces have declined because of a bankrupt economy, and
there is no money to replace obsolete equipment.
Meanwhile, the strong economy of SK led to the growth of
the domestic arms industry and re-equipping of its
forces with modern locally made weapons.
. North Korea
threatens to harm the US if attacked. Big talker!
Another rhetoric from North Korea that self-proclaimed
itself to be a “proved nuclear power” and warned it will
strike if provoked. Meanwhile a US destroyer is
shadowing a North Korean cargo ship suspected of
carrying illicit weapons.
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The Kang Nam, accused of illicit trade in the
past, appeared headed towards Myanmar, said a South
Korean intelligence official. He said the ship is
believed to be transporting banned weapons. Myanmar’s
military GOVT, which faces an arms embargo from the US
and EU, is reported having bought weapons from NK in the
past.
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The Kang Nam is the first ship being tracked under the
new UN Security Council sanctions designed to punish the
North for its defiant underground nuclear test in May.
The sanctions require UN member states to inspect
vessels believed to contain banned goods; and not to
provide fuel & other supplies to NK ships suspected
of carrying banned
items.
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There must a lot to
truth to rumors that Philippine president GMA
will try to cling on to power by hook or by crook when
her term is up by next year (May 2010). Political
experts cannot understand why the Filipino people have
allowed this to happen. Is it because she is a woman
where women are held in high respect? Or, is it because
they perceive her as stronger than she really is?
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RP is sending 336 peacekeepers to support the UN
Disengagement Forces (UNDOP) in Syria, its largest
deployment in years. They leave in September. The UNDOP
mandate was enacted in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire
between Israel & Syria.
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GMA is the most traveled president in Philippine
history, the most peripatetic head of state in the
world. By the time she returns from her recent trip to
Russia, South Korea, Japan and Brazil, she will have
made 52 trips to 30 countries in 8 years and spent
billions of pesos of taxpayer money.
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Former PM Thaksin of
Thailand, who is living in exile in Dubai, urged a
crowd of about 25k followers not to leave him “dying in
the desert” of Dubai, in an impassioned telephone
address 6/27. The demonstration was peaceful but more
than 3k officers and 1k soldiers were on hand to guard
GOVT offices and search the crowd.
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A latest survey by Abac Poll Research Center (of
1,228 households in 17 provinces) reveals that many Thai
people would accept a crooked government if it can make
the country prosper and raise their standard of living.
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The Saha Group, the country’s largest consumer
product conglomerate, is considering making acquisitions
or setting up more brands to compete in domestic and
international markets.
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Vietsovpetro (Viet
Nam-Russia oil venture) was awarded the prestigious
Ho Chi Minh Order on the occasion of its 18th
anniversary at a ceremony held in the southern coastal
province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau 6/27.
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The World Bank’s Board of Directors approved the 8th
Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC 8) worth
$350 million in negotiation of the progress made on
economic reform and in support of Viet Nam’s efforts to
overcome the negative impacts of the global economic
crisis in the implementation of ongoing stimulus
package.
. The
Viet Nam Oil & Gas Group (Petro Vietnam)
kicked off projects to build a self-elevating drilling
(Jack-up) rig and two anchor handling tugs.
. Indonesia
Corruption Watch has urged the Corruption
Eradication Commission to reject the State
Development Finance Comptroller plan to audit the
anti-graft body financial & performance as it exceeds
the latter authorities.
. The giant
project in Tungguh, W. Papua, will deliver its first
liquefied natural gas shipment this month with its
destination likely to South Korea, not China as
originally planned.
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Continued proliferation of administrative regions may no
longer be economically sustainable as it creates
additional costs to the state with relatively small
benefits, says the government.
. Indian
security forces captured
the key Maoist stronghold of Ramgarth as they launched a
two-pronged attack to reclaim areas in West Midnapore
district under control of left-wing fighters who offered
stiff resistance by detonating land mines and opening
gunfire.
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The string of assaults
on Indian students in Australia has gone up to 16 since
May 9 and has sparked protests in Melbourne & Sydney and
hectic diplomatic activities between the 2 countries.
. Indian
death row prisoner Sarabjat Singh, who is languishing in
a Pakistani jail for the last 18 years, has got a new
lawyer, days after the Supreme Court in Islamabad has
dismissed his appeal against capital punishment. His new
lawyer blames his old one for negligence and said he
will file a new petition in the court.
. Pakistani
security forces
raided a Taliban hideout in the southern city of Karachi
and pounded suspected militant training camps in the NW,
killing at least 20 people and underscoring the
nationwide challenge of eradicating insurgents.
. Air Chief
Marshall Rao Q. Suleman said the first Pakistani-made
JF-17 (Thunder) aircraft should fly in the country’s
airspace by the end of this year.
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Foreign Minister Shah M.
Qureshi said Pakistan & India have a common enemy and
common interests at the G-8 Conference of foreign
ministers in Trieste. He added that contentious issues
and problems can be resolved through mutual consultation
and dialogue.
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Sri Lankan Human Health minister Nimal
Siripala de Silva told Parliament the media should not
be given unlimited freedom, and an institution like the
Press Council should function.
.The
World Bank has approved a $24-million IDA credit
providing further support to the Gerti health service
delivery program with emphasis on the special heath
needs in the N & E airing out of recent developments.
.The
action of the Sri Lankan GOVT takes off now in the
aftermath of the war, with respect to both humanitarian
relief and political inclusion for minorities, which
will be important to securing an end to terrorism and a
lasting peace, said new US Asst. Secretary of State
for South & Central Asia at the hearing of the
Congressional
Subcommittee on South Asia
Ambassador Robert Blake
