IV. International
(11-01-07)
.
Militants have been
flooding to
Afghanistan
in the past 2 to 3 months since Pakistan began an
offensive in pro-Taliban tribal areas in the mountainous
border region straddling the two countries. Its defense
minister complained the coalition members (Germany,
Italy
& Japan) have made only half-hearted efforts in
rebuilding its security institutions.
. Malaysia’s
first astronaut (Sheikh M. Shukor) landed safely back in
Kazakhstan to a hero’s welcome with two Russian
cosmonauts after spending 11 days in space, officials
said.
.
Australia’s
P.M. John Howard has been hailed by Pres. Bush as a “man
of steel.” He has presided over an economy that is
entering its 17th consecutive year of growth
and raised his country’s international profile by
sending troops to
Afghanistan, Iraq and
East Timor.
.
The Chinese
government launched an unusually harsh crackdown on
potential trouble makers, say Chinese and international
human rights groups. Scores of petitioners, democracy
activists, religious figures and human rights workers
have been abducted, imprisoned or confined in their
homes over the past six weeks.
.
There are 73 million
members of the Chinese Communist Party today. The
ideologues who served Mao Zedong and demanded blind
loyalty have been replaced by colorless technocrats,
including current party chief Hu Jintao. They pursue
cautious policies to keep the economy booming while
preserving social stability and guarding party’s
monopoly to power.
.
One in twenty Chinese belong to the Party; they see it
as a resume’ builder. Those who want to join are
required to steep themselves in Communist dogma. They
have to complete a course in Party doctrine and compose
quarterly “thought reports” that demonstrate their
dedication.
.
Top government jobs and positions in the army’s officer
corps are nearly all reserved for members of the Party.
But there are concrete advantages for any members that
flow from a ready network of contacts – guanxi in
Chinese – on which society thrives. This explains why
about 30% of China’s 800 wealthiest people, including
some billionaires, are members. Party connection helps
them build their business.
.
A KMT (Taiwan)
youth corps bearing flags attempted to provoke DPP
supporters of the UN torch relay, but was pushed away by
police, whom it accused of stealing the flags.
.
Broadcasting Corp of
China
(BCC) chair Jaw Shaw-Kong said he would terminate his
contract with Hua Hsia Investment Holding Co.
over the purchase of BCC, over what he called
“relentless persecution” from the government.
.
HannStar Display Corp, one of the nation’s
liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel makers, posted record
high quarterly profit in Q3 as prices rose on strong
demand.
.
The Dalai Lama is universally popular in
Tibet
which China has ruled with a heavy hand since its
communist-led forces invaded in 1951. He has been based
in India since fleeing his Himalayan kingdom in 1959
amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Beijing
reviles him and claims he seeks to destroy China’s
sovereignty (after invading and absorbing his country?).
.
Police in the Tibetan
capital (Lhasa) clashed for 4 days with Buddhist monks
trying to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s receipt of the
Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, reported the
Ming Pao in Hong Kong.
.
China accused the Dalai
Lama of causing an attack on its embassy in New Delhi, a
day after criticizing the US Congress over plans to
award its highest civilian honor to the exiled Tibetan
Buddhist leader. About 30 Tibetan exiles chained
themselves to a flag pole. Other sprayed “Free Tibet” in
red paint on embassy walls.
.
This year’s Tokyo
Motor Show is the first in 10 years to feature both
general and commercial vehicles. The 241 participating
companies are displaying 542 vehicles, including 77
marking world premieres.
.
Four high-ranking employees of scandal-plagued NOVA Co.
(English-conversation school chain) resigned and has
been plagued in recent weeks by labor troubles brought
on by not paying teachers and forced closure of schools
because they couldn’t pay rent.
.
Honda Motor Co,
Japan’s second largest carmakers, said its profit
forecast after a weaken yen and higher sales of
fuel efficient Civic and Accord models
helped quarterly earnings beat estimates.
.
South Korea
plans to finalize its timetable for withdrawal of its
1,200 soldiers from Iraq amid press reports the Asian
country is pushing to extend troop dispatch for another
year. The troop level was at 3,600 in 2003, and
gradually declined amid rising public opposition to the
mission.
.
A lawyer turned
politician (Rhee In-je) won the presidential nomination
of his Democratic Party from his party’s
month-long primaries. Liberal forces have aligned with
each other to field a unified candidate believing it’s
the only way to defeat the Grand National Party.
.
Over the past 13 years,
Hyundai Motor Co. has invested $655 million
developing new engines and
expanding its commercial
vehicle plants. Small, mid-size and large-size buses &
trucks with new & upgraded
engines will be placed
on the market for November this year.
.
Filipinos see in the
Thai saga much of what they had contended under former
Pres. Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA)
who replaced him. Her ascent to the presidency in 2001,
after a soft military coup backed by the middle class
but resented by the majority poor who had elected
Estrada, raised powerful questions of Philippine
democracy.
.
Questions over her government’s legitimacy, charges that
she and her family are corrupt, and the perception
validated by the Supreme Court reprimands that she had
been flouting the Constitution to weaken opposition to
her government have left Filipinos divided over her full
six-year term.
. GMA won
that term in an open election. Her party’s majority
control of Congress has defeated all attempts to impeach
her. Now she wants to amend the Constitution and shift
the country to a parliamentary form of government
because under current law she is not eligible to run for
reelection as president, but conceivably could as prime
minister.
. Thailand’s
Bangkok-based voters came to loathe former P.M. Thaksin
Shinawatra after 5 years in power because of widespread
perception that his administration was unusually corrupt
and greedy and because his dominant Thai Pak Thai
(TRT) party had designs on installing a de-facto
one-party system in the country.
.
The poor embraced Thaksin’s populist policies that gave
them universal healthcare and debt relief, even without
fully explaining how his government would pay for all
these gifts down the road.
.
A consensus had built that Thaksin was driving a wedge
between rich and poor so as to entrench himself in
power. He was forced by massive Bangkok-based
anti-government demonstrations to declare snap elections
this April. After massive irregularities, poll results
were voided and new elections were scheduled for
November.
. Vietnam’s
Oct inflation hit a 3-year high. The price index (CPI)
rose 9.34% for last year, the biggest annual growth in
nearly three years.
.
France’s Agence
Francaise de Developpement and the Asian
Development Bank will provide $143.3 million in
loans and grants to help Vietnam rebuild rural roads,
irrigation systems, and farm infrastructure which has
deteriorated over decades due to war, natural disasters
and budget constraints.
.
Quang Nam
province will allot over 15 hectares of land to
German-based Groz Beckert Group which will
manufacture machines & equipment for the textile
industry. Construction is expected to be completed next
year. Once operational it will employ over 400 workers.
.
The Indian media
has claimed that its investigation into the 2002 post
Godhra riots in Gujarat has found that the
massacre of Muslims was carried out with full knowledge
& sanction of
Gujarat chief minister (N. Mode).
. Consumers
are at the mercy of merchants who want them to pay the
2%, adding to the price of the item. Most banks do not
reverse the charge because it was not done by them but
by the merchants.
.
Indians flew the first commercial flight of A380 when
Singapore Airlines took the gentle giant from
Singapore to Sydney with 485 people on board.
.
Bowing to international
pressure, Pres Pervez Musharraf has restarted an
offensive in the remote tribal areas that are rapidly
becoming the hub of global terrorism. Yet early
indications are that, no matter who is in charge, the
Pakistani army is ill-suited, and perhaps incapable
of doing the job.
.
Musharraf and P.M. Shaukat Aziz reiterated the resolve
of the government to establish peace and maintain law
and order in the country.
.
A truck loaded with ammunition and soldiers blasted near
Police line when heading towards Tajori. Thirty soldiers
and civilians were killed while 9 security personnel and
18 people were seriously wounded. The blast also caused
damage to around 25 shops, several vehicles and gas
stations.
.
Tourism accounts for 3%
of Sri Lanka’s
GNP, according to the manager of research at Asia
Securities in Colombo. It is an important source of
foreign currency, after tea, textiles and gemstones.
.
Tourist arrivals nose-dived 24% in the first 6 months of
this year, as Sri Lanka saw some of the worst fighting
in years. The renewed fighting is a blow to the tourist
industry of the country which is still recovering from
the 2004 tsunami that killed 35k and wrecked hundreds of
hotels on the south and east coasts.
.
Inflation rates have reached 20%. Interest rates have
also risen. Sri Lanka’s wider economy has proved
resilient through the conflict, with growth of 7.4% last
year. But new figures show some signs of war damage. The
Asian Development Bank forecast its growth this
year at 6%.
