Source: .Earth times
30 Oct, 2010
Phnom Penh - The Cambodian authorities said 223 people have been killed or injured during the first nine months of this year by landmines and other explosives left over from war, an increase of 11 per cent from the same period last year.
Figures released by the Cambodia Mines/ERW Victim Information System showed landmines killed or injured 98 people, while 125 fell victim to other unexploded ordnance.
The organization distinguishes between landmines and other explosive remnants of war due to the different approaches required to deal with distinct types of weapons still present in the countryside.
Of the 223 victims, the report said 49 people died, another 39 lost limbs, with the remainder suffering other injuries.
In one of the worst incidents, a farmer and three friends were killed in August when a rocket-propelled grenade he was using as a comedy microphone exploded after he threw it to the floor at the end of his song. Three others were injured.
More than 60 per cent of casualties this year were men, most of whom were harmed by landmines. Boys comprise another quarter of victims, but most of them fell victim to unexploded ordnance used as toys.
Decades of conflict left unexploded ordnance that remains a serious risk in some areas of Cambodia, one of the most heavily mined nations in the world.
More than half of this year's incidents took place in the far western region. The latest figures raised to 63,743 the number of people killed or injured in Cambodia by ordnance since the ouster of the Khmer Rouge government in 1979.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Chinese premier calls for deepening East Asian cooperation
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (8th R) poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 5th East Asia Summit in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010. The 5th East Asia Summit opened Saturday. (Xinhua/Hunag Jingwen)HANOI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Saturday that China is ready to work together with other parties to deepen East Asian cooperation on the basis of upholding the established principles and purposes of the East Asia Summit.
Addressing the fifth East Asia Summit, Wen said the East Asia Summit should further promote exchanges and cooperation.
While the leading role of ASEAN must be respected in the process of East Asia integration, efforts are also needed to give play to the role of such existing mechanisms as the summit between China and ASEAN (10+1), the summit between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) and the summit of China, Japan and South Korea, said Premier Wen.
He said China welcomes the participation of Russia and the United States in the East Asia Summit, expressing the hope that the two countries would play a constructive role.
He also proposed the establishment of an East Asia research and cooperation center for climate change, so as to push forward cooperation among East Asian nations in the regard.
The fifth East Asia Summit (EAS) opened here on Saturday, where leaders of ASEAN and six dialogue partners gathered to discuss strategic issues of relevance to the region.
The six dialogue partners include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were invited to attend this year's EAS as special guests.
Cambodia rebuffs UN chief on Khmer Rouge trials
30 Oct, 2010
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia will not allow the U.N.–backed Khmer Rouge tribunal to prosecute former low–ranking officers of the genocidal regime because it would endanger national peace, the country's leader told the U.N. chief Wednesday.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's comments, made during a two–hour meeting with U.N. Secretary–General Ban Ki–moon, were the government's latest obstruction of U.N. efforts to bring more Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
Ban was visiting Cambodia as part of a four–country Asian tour.
The U.N.–assisted tribunal, which has a history of contentious relations with the Cambodian government, was a focus of Ban's trip to Cambodia. After meeting the prime minister, Ban headed to the tribunal to hold a town hall–style meeting with its staff.
The 1975–79 Khmer Rouge regime was blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution.
After 30 years and lengthy delays, the tribunal's first conviction came in July when the Khmer Rouge's chief jailer was sentenced to 19 years in prison, closing what was known as Case 001. Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Case 002 is expected to start next year against the four top surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, who are accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
International co–prosecutors at the tribunal have tried to launch a new case — 003 — against lower–ranking officers accused of murder, torture and other crimes. But they say progress has been blocked by political interference from Cambodian officials who oppose more prosecutions.
"Hun Sen has said clearly that there will be no case 003 allowed. We have to think about peace in Cambodia," Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters after the meeting with Ban.
Hun Sen has repeatedly said that bringing more Cambodians to trial could harm national peace and healing and that the nation needs to move on.
Critics accuse Hun Sen of trying to limit the tribunal's scope to prevent his political allies from being indicted. Hun Sen once served as a Khmer Rouge officer and many of his main allies are also former members of the group.
Ban started his Asia tour in Thailand and will also visit Vietnam and China.
India announces visa on arrival for four ASEAN countries
30 Oct, 2010
Source: Monsters and Critics
New Delhi - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday announced that nationals from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines will be granted visas on arrival from January 1.
Addressing the 8th India-ASEAN summit in Hanoi, Singh said tourist exchange was 'well below the potential.'
'As a concrete measure, I am happy to announce that we will
extend our visa on arrival facility to nationals of Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Laos with effect from January 1, 2011,' a copy of Singh's speech posted on his website said.
India began offering visas on arrival in January 2010 for tourists from Japan, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.
The External Affairs Ministry is also considering visas on arrival for Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and South Africa.
Singh said he looked forward to the conclusion of a services and investment agreement between India and ASEAN, which groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and Vietnam.
He said the partnership had initiated cooperation in sectors covering political and security ties, economic cooperation and the promotion of sociocultural links
India announces visa on arrival for four ASEAN countries
30 Oct, 2010
Source: Monsters and Critics
New Delhi - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday announced that nationals from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines will be granted visas on arrival from January 1.
Addressing the 8th India-ASEAN summit in Hanoi, Singh said tourist exchange was 'well below the potential.'
'As a concrete measure, I am happy to announce that we will
extend our visa on arrival facility to nationals of Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Laos with effect from January 1, 2011,' a copy of Singh's speech posted on his website said.
India began offering visas on arrival in January 2010 for tourists from Japan, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.
The External Affairs Ministry is also considering visas on arrival for Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and South Africa.
Singh said he looked forward to the conclusion of a services and investment agreement between India and ASEAN, which groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and Vietnam.
He said the partnership had initiated cooperation in sectors covering political and security ties, economic cooperation and the promotion of sociocultural links
Friday, October 29, 2010
U.N. chief urges Myanmar to free prisoners before vote
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (R) and his wife Yoo Soon-teak arrive at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi October 28, 2010. Ban is in Hanoi for the ASEAN and related summits from October 28 to 30.
Credit: Reuters/Kham
HANOI |
HANOI (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on military-ruled Myanmar on Friday to release political prisoners before its first election in 20 years, saying it still had time to allay concerns.
The polls are the first in Myanmar since 1990, when an opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi swept to victory. The military ignored the result and has kept Suu Kyi in detention for most of the time since then.
Myanmar and its bleak human rights record are a divisive issue in the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose leaders are meeting in Vietnam hoping to push forward a plan for economic and political unity by 2015.
Ban is scheduled to meet ASEAN leaders, including Myanmar's prime minister, on Friday in Hanoi.
Ban told a news conference he had hopes and concerns about the Nov. 7 vote and that ASEAN and the United Nations agreed on the need for a credible democratic transition and national reconciliation.
Ban said Myanmar still had time to act.
"It is not too late, even now. By releasing all political prisoners, the Myanmar authorities can help open the way for national reconciliation," he said.
ASEAN has repeatedly called for a "fair and inclusive" vote but critics say that is impossible while Suu Kyi, and more than 2,000 other political prisoners, are in detention.
They denounce the vote as a ploy to seal the military's grip on power beneath a veneer of civilian rule.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Some ASEAN members, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, have been pressing Myanmar to reform. Others, like Vietnam and Cambodia, which both come under criticism on human rights, insist on respect for ASEAN's long-held principle of non-interference.
The Philippines has denounced the vote as a "farce to democratic values".
Myanmar had raised the prospect of Suu Kyi's release from house arrest next month, when her sentence is due to expire, officials said.
Ban said the post-election period would be a test.
"The period after the election will also be important, a chance for the authorities to signal that they are open to real change," he said.
Hillary says US wants to get China ties 'right'
Source: zeenews.com29/10/2010
Honolulu: Washington is committed to getting relations "right" with China, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said ahead of talks next month between the US and Chinese presidents.
"The relationship between China and the United States is complex and of enormous consequence... but we are committed to getting it right," Clinton said yesterday
"There are some in both countries who believe that China's interests and ours are fundamentally at odds. They apply a zero-sum calculation to our relationship, so whenever one of us succeeds, the other must fail," Clinton said.
"But that is not our view. In the 21st century, it is not in anyone's interest for the United States and China to see each other as adversaries."
Clinton was in Honolulu for talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara -- whose country is embroiled in a spat with China over a disputed island chain in the East China Sea -- at the start of a tour of the region.
In the gruelling two-week tour, Clinton's trip will include stops in Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia and American Samoa.
The White House earlier announced President Barack Obama will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao in South Korea next month as Sino-US economic tensions flare and territorial rows fester between Beijing and its neighbours.
Announcing Obama's seventh bilateral talks with Hu, which they billed as a record for a US president in office for two years, White House officials also disputed suggestions that US-China relations were deteriorating.
Announcing Obama's seventh bilateral talks with Hu, which they billed as a record for a US president in office for two years, White House officials also disputed suggestions that US-China relations were deteriorating.Obama will meet Hu, in talks which will prepare the way for the Chinese leader's visit to the United States in January, in Seoul on November 11, ahead of the G20 economic summit, the White House said.
PTI
(LEAD) S. Korea, ASEAN agree to upgrade ties to 'strategic partnership'
By Lee Chi-dong
HANOI, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and a group of 10 Southeast Asian nations Friday agreed to upgrade their relations to a "strategic partnership," a deal expected to help deepen cooperation in economy, security and development, and promote cultural and human exchanges, South Korea's presidential office said.
President Lee Myung-bak and his counterparts from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint declaration on the agreement and a detailed action plan after their annual gathering in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (R) holds summit talks with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Oct. 29. (Yonhap)
The declaration calls for working toward establishing a regular security dialogue channel between the two sides, separately from the ASEAN Regional Forum, which South Korea's foreign minister attends each year.
Lee also "proposed the creation of the South Korea-Mekong Foreign Ministers Meeting aimed at narrowing development gaps among ASEAN members and strengthening (South Korea's) economic cooperation" with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand near the Mekong River, Lee's office Cheong Wa Dae said.
The move is part of Seoul's efforts to expand economic, political and cultural ties with the ASEAN, with mutual trade volume between the bodies continuing to grow.
Two-way trade totaled US$75 billion in 2009 and, officials said, it is expected to jump close to US$100 billion this year.
In their special summit held on Jeju Island last year to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a formal dialogue relationship, South Korea and the ASEAN set the goal of increasing the amount to US$150 billion by 2015.
ASEAN leaders expressed their appreciation for South Korea's invitation to Vietnam, which chairs this year's regional meetings, as a guest to the two-day Seoul G-20 summit to open on Nov. 11, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
They welcomed a plan to discuss the new agenda items of how to aid the development of poor nations and set up a global financial security net to curb the sudden flow of capital to and from emerging markets, it said.
"President Lee asked for active interest and support from the ASEAN nations for the successful hosting of the Seoul G-20 summit," it said.
Lee also said South Korea hopes that the rotating chair country of the ASEAN will attend G-20 summits on a regular basis, added Cheong Wa Dae.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
HANOI, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and a group of 10 Southeast Asian nations Friday agreed to upgrade their relations to a "strategic partnership," a deal expected to help deepen cooperation in economy, security and development, and promote cultural and human exchanges, South Korea's presidential office said.
President Lee Myung-bak and his counterparts from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint declaration on the agreement and a detailed action plan after their annual gathering in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (R) holds summit talks with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Oct. 29. (Yonhap) The declaration calls for working toward establishing a regular security dialogue channel between the two sides, separately from the ASEAN Regional Forum, which South Korea's foreign minister attends each year.
Lee also "proposed the creation of the South Korea-Mekong Foreign Ministers Meeting aimed at narrowing development gaps among ASEAN members and strengthening (South Korea's) economic cooperation" with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand near the Mekong River, Lee's office Cheong Wa Dae said.
The move is part of Seoul's efforts to expand economic, political and cultural ties with the ASEAN, with mutual trade volume between the bodies continuing to grow.
Two-way trade totaled US$75 billion in 2009 and, officials said, it is expected to jump close to US$100 billion this year.
In their special summit held on Jeju Island last year to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a formal dialogue relationship, South Korea and the ASEAN set the goal of increasing the amount to US$150 billion by 2015.
ASEAN leaders expressed their appreciation for South Korea's invitation to Vietnam, which chairs this year's regional meetings, as a guest to the two-day Seoul G-20 summit to open on Nov. 11, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
They welcomed a plan to discuss the new agenda items of how to aid the development of poor nations and set up a global financial security net to curb the sudden flow of capital to and from emerging markets, it said.
"President Lee asked for active interest and support from the ASEAN nations for the successful hosting of the Seoul G-20 summit," it said.
Lee also said South Korea hopes that the rotating chair country of the ASEAN will attend G-20 summits on a regular basis, added Cheong Wa Dae.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
US. Embassy Press Release : Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Make First Visit to Cambodia
Released in Phnom Penh,October 29, 2010
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Cambodia from October 30 to November 1, in what is the first visit to the country by a U.S. Secretary of State since Colin Powell visited Cambodia to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2003. Secretary Clinton’s trip is intended to send a strong message of continued U.S. engagement with Cambodia, and her schedule will include discussions with Cambodian government officials and members of civil society on a range of bilateral and regional issues.
Secretary Clinton will begin her visit in Siem Reap, where she will visit the World Heritage-designated Angkor Wat Temple Complex.
On November 1, Secretary Clinton will travel to Phnom Penh and will have an audience with His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni. She will also visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where she will review the history of the Khmer Rouge regime and the progress of the U.S.-supported Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
Secretary Clinton will meet separately with Prime Minister Hun Sen and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong. In addition, she will meet with members of Cambodia’s opposition parties.
The visit will also include a “Town Hall” style meeting in which an audience of students and others will have an opportunity to ask Secretary Clinton questions.
Secretary Clinton’s visit comes at a time of growing cooperation between the United States and Cambodia in a number of areas, including military and law enforcement, counterterrorism, POW/MIA matters, and economic development. In July the two countries celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The Secretary will also make stops in Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Australia on this visit.
In Cambodia, UN's Ban Silent as Petitioner Beaten, “Undesirables” Jailed with UN Money
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 28 -- In Cambodia, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said through his spokesman Martin Nesirky that he was open to receiving written communications from protesters. But when Suong Sophorn, 23, sought to deliver a petition to Ban, he was beaten unconscious by military police.
Inner City Press, whose question about Thailand banning all political gathering gave rises to Nesirky's statement about receiving petitions in Cambodia, asked on October 28 about the beating.
Nesirky said grandly that “generally” the UN “supports the right to free assembly and protest.”
These violent anti-drugs centers have been raised to Ban Ki-moon, both by the UN's own Special Rapporteur on Health and, twice, by Inner City Press.
Protesters beaten in Cambodia, Ban Ki-moon not shown
But it appears Ban has not raised the center on any of this stops, in Vietnam or Cambodia. Watch this site.
Footnote: while Ban himself had nothing to say, Nesirky made much of statements by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. In other circumstances, the Secretariat argues that the High Commissioner's Office is independent. But while these statements are duly noted, Ban's own silence speaks volumes.
From the UN transcript of October 25, 2010 --
Inner City Press: I want to ask about the Secretary-General’s impending trip to Asia. There is a report to the Third Committee by the Special Rapporteur on the right to health about, among other things, what he sees as the violated practices in anti-drug programmes in many of the countries that Ban Ki-moon is going to be visiting — Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand — and he calls very strongly for the UN to move against people who are incarcerated. This is all according to his report. I just wonder: of the many issues obviously on the Secretary-General’s agenda as he visits these countries, is he aware of that? And there is a separate issue in Cambodia, where people has said that they are going to try and rally in front of Ban Ki-moon about evictions, forced evictions, in Cambodia. Are these… Can you sort of… Can we get a run-down of what issues he is planning to raise, and I just wonder whether these two are among them?
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Sure. And again, I seem to recall that Farhan gave you a bit of a run-down on the trip last week, sitting here. As the trip progresses, we will be giving details. The Secretary-General and his delegation are en route at the moment to Thailand where, as you know, the visit starts. They then move to Cambodia and on to Viet Nam for this UN-ASEAN [Association of South-East Asian Nations] meeting and then to China, where, as you know, the Secretary-General will be visiting Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing. On the question of health, the very specific point that you raised, we can find out and probably tell you as the visit progresses. The same goes for the second part that you mentioned.
* * *
With UN Ban in Cambodia, Eviction Protests Banned, Rights Are Internal Matter?
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 27 -- After leaving Thailand where political gatherings were banned during his stay, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is now in Cambodia, where people facing mass eviction for the political elite were banned from protesting along Ban's route.
Inner City Press for the second time asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban will meet with those threatened with eviction, or just take a letter as he did in Thailand.
Nesirky said that “if there is some kind of written communication these people who are protesting would like to hand over, I'm sure that would be possible.”
But the written petition was already delivered, and Ban was aware of it, without impact. It was reported that “Aimee Brown, a spokeswoman for the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Phnom Penh, said Ban knew of the requests, but said his office had not yet decided on whether he would meet them. 'He's definitely aware that there are protestors, and he is aware of the petitions that have been received,' Brown said.” So what's the answer?
UN Ban in Cambodia, those facing eviction not shown
It's already reported that Cambodian “Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered [Ban] to remove the head of the local UN human rights office, accusing him of acting as a 'spokesman' for opposition groups. During a meeting with Ban at his offices in Phnom Penh this morning, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the premier had 'proposed' that Christophe Peschoux, head of the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, resign his post.”
Inner City Press asked Nesirky if Peschoux will keep his post. “That's an internal personnel matter,” Nesirky replied. He added that Ban stands behind the office and, by implication, it's staff. Video here from Minute 5:04.
It does not appear that Ban raised the issue of violent anti-drug programs, highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. And Ban's human rights tour goes on.
* * *
With UN Ban in Bangkok, Political Gatherings Banned, Myanmar Voting on Giri Back Burner?
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 26 -- The Asian tour of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon began in Thailand, with all political gatherings banned. Ban gave a speech saying that Thai problems are for Thais to solve, reported then as “internal affairs.”
When Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky for Ban's view the right to assemble for the redress of grievances, Nesirky replied that Ban had received a letter of protest, from the Red Shirt movement. But does that replace the right to assemble? Ban's spokesman wouldn't answer. Video here from Minute 29:12.
In Nesirky's read out of Ban's time in Thailand, he did not mention the critique by the UN's special rapporteur on the right to health Anand Grover of violent anti-drug programs in the region. (When Inner City Press asked Anand, he said he would raise it with Ban Ki-moon or the Secretariat, video here.)
Myanmar was raised by Ban Ki-moon, but it is not clear how. In New York, the Good Office on Myanmar team, created by the General Assembly, have been reassigned to do other work under the Department of Political Affairs Tamrat Samuel.
The shift, without GA approval, is not mentioned in the Secretariat's “Special Political Missions” submission to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.
Inner City Press asked the UN's humanitarian chief Valerie Amos about media reports that the UN's officer to help Myanmar with Cyclone Giri were rebuffed.
UN's Ban & Thai Abhisit, political gatherings and Myanmar vote not shown
She said that “joint assessments” -- the same term used by the UN in Sudan -- have begun and indicate that the damage may be much larger than first thought, up to 400,000 people.
Can a free, fair and transparent election be held among the impacted people, Inner City Press asked Ms. Amos, in Arakan State and elsewhere? She said this couldn't be known until the joint assessment is completed. The election is slated for November 9. Ban Ki-moon's next stops are Vietnam and Cambodia, where violent anti-drug programs are most extreme. Watch this site.
Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate
Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate
Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards
and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here
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