IV. International
(9-02-08)
.
A month-long standoff
between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to be
ending as both sides pulled back their troops from
disputed territory around a temple near their shared
border, a Cambodian official said.
.
Five activists have been sentenced to two and a half
years in prison for marching on the 20th
anniversary of pro-democracy protests that were crushed
by Burma’s
military rulers, an opposition party official said.
. Tens of
thousands of Muslim waving green-and-black flags and
chanting slogans marched to UN offices in Indian
Kashmir’s
main city to press their demands that India give up its
claim to the region.
. An
estimated 200k people from tribal areas bordering
Afghanistan have been displaced since the Pakistani army
launched the Bajaur operation last month in
response to growing US pressure to take action against
the Taliban in the region.
. China
Pres. Hu Jintao and Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev met in
the Tajik capital of Dushande to discuss bilateral
relations. Hu reiterated China’s support for Russia in
hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea
resort of Sochi.
.
Central government departments and their subordinate
units misused or embezzled about $4.52 billion yuan
($661.09 million) last year for which 14 officials
have been detained, said the country’s top auditor.
.
Bank of China spokesman Wang Zhaowen denied
overseas media reports that the bank had provided
services for terrorist organizations. More than 100
victims of terrorism in Israel filed a lawsuit against
the bank to stop transferring money to terrorist groups.
. Taiwan’s
economic growth slowed sharply in Q2 on weak domestic
sentiment, and will slump further in the second half as
global slowdown starts to eat into exports, the
government said.
.
Taiwan intends to ask the UN this month to grant it
“participation” in the global club in a move that will
put the nascent détente with China to its biggest
test so far.
. The office
of former president Chen Shui-bian dismissed a magazine
(Next Magazine) article that claimed he received
kickbacks from the head f the Far Eastern Group.
The amount was $11.5 million deposited in an overseas
account to win management control of Pacific Sogo.
.
Japanese police obtained
warrants against 3 activists from US-based animal rights
group Sea Shepherd for allegedly attacking
Japanese whaling ships last year, a news report said.
.
Japan
plans to start trial drilling in 2012 to extract frozen
natural gas buried under the sealed oil test if the
methane hydrate is a viable next-generation fuel. The
project started 2001 to find out if the fuel is suitable
for commercial production.
.
The project has used a
depressurizing method in which icy gas crystals are
returned to gaseous form inside a drilled hole. Drilling
at the Pacific Ocean field will follow test-production
this year in the Arctic Circle with Canada.
.
Angry that
US has not removed it
from a list of states that sponsor terrorism,
North Korea
said it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor at
Yongbon and will consider rebuilding it. This action has
prompted North Korea’s failure to allow experts to
verify the scope of its nuclear program.
. The
negotiators did not require the North to make a detailed
accounting of its suspected uranium enrichment program,
or suspected sales of nuclear technology to foreign
countries, including Syria. Nor was it required to
specify how many nuclear weapons it has made.
.
Analysts in
South Korea
amid angry statements by North Korea fit a familiar
pattern of negotiation by fist-shaking, something
quite expected given that not much happened since they
symbolically exploded the cooling tower. Besides, the
North thrives on crisis to make progress in their favor.
.
According to BBC,
Philippine troops began their attack on Muslim
rebels after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) rebels failed to leave
North Cotabato which is
included in the 5-province Autonomous Region of
Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM)
. A Muslim
rebel organization rejected demands by the Philippine
government for surrender of two renegade commanders
Abdullah Macapaar and Ameril Umbra Kato) who have been
blamed for recent attacks that killed dozens of
civilians.
. The
Reformed Ilaga (rat in Ilonggo) Movement sent
a strong message to MILF that it’s back with a
vengeance. It warned the Muslim rebels to stop their
reported atrocities or else… They first surfaced in the
1970s as once involved in the bloodiest violence in
Mindanao.
. Farm
output grew in the first 6 months of 2008, exceeding the
3.7% growth in the same period of 2007 due to increased
government spending on agriculture in such areas as farm
loans, irrigation and expansion of cultivated land.
.
Thousands of
anti-government Thai demonstrators pushed into
their P.M. office (Samak Sundaravej) compound in the
latest protest to depose him. They accused him of being
a proxy for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who lives
in exile in
London.
. The
2-month stand-off between the government and its
arch-rival, the People’s Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) is primed to reach an explosive stage. Sundaravej
turned to the military brass to ward off the threat
against his rule.
.
Local banks closed several branches 8/26 due to security
concerns over massive rallies across Bangkok by
anti-government protesters under PAD. Thai stocks lost
1.37% with the surprise seizure by protesters of several
government agencies.
. Malaysia’s
top opposition leader (Anwar Ibrahim) filed nomination
papers for a parliamentary by-election that he is
expected to win easily, the first step in his bid to
bring down the government and become prime minister.
.
The government will increase subsidies for rice
producers to ensure there is sufficient 15% broken rice
supply for the fasting month and Hari Daya
celebrations.
. Dissidents
in Malaysia’s
ruling party demanded the PM’s resignation 8/27 after
opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim returned to Parliament
with a sweeping election victory.
. Malaysian
crude palm oil futures rose 3.8% 8/27 recovering from
some of this week’s losses due to improved demands and
rebounding crude oil prices, dealers said.
.
Pres. Pervez Musharraf
of Pakistan
was not stepping down originally and his allies said he
was prepared to fight impeachment charges. But pressure
on him left him no choice after the ruling party drew up
a draft of charges to support a potential impeachment.
. Sixty
people were killed and 100 were injured in coordinated
suicide bombings (8/21) at Pakistan’s largest army
munitions factory, the latest in a series of Taliban
attacks against government targets.
.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s
decision to back Asif Ali Zardari’s candidacy for
president was unanimous. Foes still use his divisive
nickname from those days, “Mr. 10 Percent,” for his
alleged kickback demand on government contracts. He is
the husband of former P.M. Benazir Bhutto.
.
The Indian
government survived a crucial vote of confidence,
clearing the way for the contentious nuclear energy deal
with the US,
after a debate peppered with diametric allegations of
back-row lobbying and bribery.
.
Thousands of panic pilgrims stampeded at a remote
mountaintop temple (Naina Devi) in N. India
during celebrations to honor a Hindu goddess Shakti or
divine mother, sending dozens of people to plummet to
their death and trampling scores more. Police said 145
were killed.
.
Indian police officials have arrested 10 suspects in the
series of bomb blasts that killed 56 people in the city
of Ahmedabad last month.
.
Tens of thousands of Muslims marched in India’s portion
of Kashmir in
honor of Sheik Abdul Aziz, a prominent separatist leader
killed in a recent wave of violence that has rocked the
volatile Himalayan region.
