| NATO Bombs Strike Tripoli; Rebels Advance in Misrata Posted: 10 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT NATO bombings shook the Libyan capital Tuesday, as rebels claimed to have pushed government forces further away from the besieged port city of Misrata.
The alliance says airstrikes in Tripoli targeted a military command and control facility run by pro-government forces. Residents said one of the bombs hit a building used by Libya's military intelligence agency.
NATO officials again denied they are targeting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but one strike sent up smoke from what appeared to be Mr. Gadhafi's compound.
In Misrata, a rebel military spokesman said opposition forces have pushed government troops back about 15 kilometers from the city as opposition fighters advanced to the town of Dafniya. Colonel Ahmed Bani also said rebels had dislodged pro-Gadhafi forces from around the airport after two days of heavy fighting.
In eastern Libya, rebels reported advances between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega.
In another boost to the opposition, the U.S. State Department said the first load of non-lethal American military aid for the rebels landed Tuesday in their stronghold of Benghazi. The Associated Press quoted spokesman Mark Toner as saying the shipment consists of more than 10,000 meals, with further deliveries of medical supplies, boots and protective gear to arrive soon.
The shipment comes ahead of planned meetings in Washington this week between U.S. officials and senior members of Libya's opposition Transitional National Council.
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| Clinton Calls Chinese Crackdown a 'Fool's Errand' Posted: 11 May 2011 02:17 AM PDT U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says China's effort to hold off the kind of democratic changes that are sweeping the Middle East is a "fool's errand" that is doomed to failure.
The remark came in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that was posted on the Internet Tuesday as she and other U.S. officials met senior Chinese officials in Washington.
In the interview, Clinton was asked whether Chinese officials are frightened by the popular uprisings in the Middle East.
Clinton replied that the Chinese "are worried, and they are trying to stop history," which she said "is a fool's errand (hopeless cause)."
Clinton added that the Chinese cannot stop democratic reform, "but they are going to hold it off as long as possible."
She also said the United States would not walk away from dealing with China because it has what she called "a deplorable human rights record." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Japanese Quake Survivors Long For News Posted: 11 May 2011 01:58 AM PDT A new survey finds privacy and hygiene issues among the top concerns of Japanese earthquake survivors two months after the March 11 disaster that smashed the nation's northeastern coast. They say lack of information is also a problem.
National NHK television marked the two-month anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami on Wednesday by reporting the findings from interviews with more than 400 survivors at temporary shelters and other locations.
About 120,000 people are still housed in temporary shelters. Asked what bothers them most, 38 percent of those interviewed cited a lack of privacy.
Among those still in their homes, 32 percent said they were most bothered by a lack of utilities and an inability to bathe regularly. Among those living with relatives or in apartments, the biggest problem - cited by 34 percent - is a lack of information from their home communities.
National police said the death toll two months after the earthquake stands just short of 15,000. Almost 10,000 others still are unaccounted for, down from more than 17,000 shortly after the quake.
Japanese news agencies say Prime Minister Naoto Kan is considering a cabinet reshuffle as early as next month that would create special ministries to oversee reconstruction efforts. One new portfolio would deal with rebuilding of infrastructure while another would address the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The government has been negotiating terms with Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operators of the plant, under which it would receive public assistance with the massive cost of compensating those who have suffered financial loss because of radiation leaking from the plant.
TEPCO has been asked in return to undergo a major restructuring and is expected to sell off assets valued at more than $6 billion.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Syria Intensifies Crackdown Amid Calls for New Protest Posted: 10 May 2011 01:10 PM PDT Witnesses report hearing shots in the Damascus suburb of Maadamiyeh Tuesday, as the government intensifies a crackdown against opposition protesters.
President Bashar al-Assad has dispatched troops and tanks to many areas to crush the seven-week uprising that poses the most serious challenge to his family's 40-year rule. The government appears determined to crush the uprising, despite rapidly growing international outrage.
The Damascus suburb of Maadamiyeh has has been sealed off for days. Telecommunications have been cut and checkpoints were preventing anyone from entering or leaving the area.
Media reports say security forces entered a number of villages surrounding the southern flashpoint city of Daraa, as well, and that tanks were seen heading north from the flashpoint city of Homs to the nearby city of Hama, 50 kilometers north.
Nadim Houry of Human Rights Watch in Beirut says that security forces have been stepping up arrests of opposition activists recently, especially in flashpoint towns and cities.
"The efforts by the security forces have been magnified over the last few weeks: wide arrest campaigns in particular towns that have been pretty active in anti-government protests, places like Banias, like Zabadani, like Homs, and in those places, in some areas wider arrests, sort of door-to-door, arresting young men up to the age of 50-55, detain them for a few days and sometimes releasing some but keeping others in detention," Houry said.
Details of events in Syria have become increasingly sparse as more activists are arrested or forced into hiding. Syrian Human Rights groups complain that authorities are clamping down on communications from activists inside the country, both via the Internet and satellite telephone.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition groups are calling for popular protests to take place on a daily basis. It was not clear, however, if the protest movement would be able to maintain its momentum, amid the government crackdown.
A non-violent sit-in late Monday in Damascus' Anous Square was broken up by security forces and many protesters were arrested. Video footage of the arrests appears to show security forces beating up some protesters after they were arrested.
Syrian government television says that the protest movement is "a plot being orchestrated from outside the country." It showed images of funerals of army soldiers and claimed that they had been killed by "armed terrorists."
Meanwhile, the European Union announced an embargo Tuesday on exports to Syria of arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression.
The EU also imposed a visa ban and asset freeze on 13 officials and associates of the Syrian regime identified as being "responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population." Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
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| Kuwait to Replace Syria as Candidate for Human Rights Council Posted: 10 May 2011 01:08 PM PDT Kuwait is set to replace Syria as a candidate for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, after diplomats and activists argued that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown against his own people made his nation's candidacy inappropriate.
Syria has been accused of human rights abuses in its government putdown of political unrest. Rights groups say more than 630 civilians have died in the unrest, and as many as 8,000 people are either missing or detained.
Kuwait is expected to take Syria's position on the Asian list of four candidate nations vying for a spot among 15 of the Council's 47 seats. The United Nations will hold a secret ballot vote May 20.
Candidate nations run under regional blocks. The Asian block includes India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The Geneva-based Human Rights Council was created in 2006. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
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| Uproar Over bin Laden Hideout Strains US-Pakistan Relations Posted: 10 May 2011 12:50 PM PDT The uproar following the discovery of Osama bin Laden's hideout near Islamabad has brought more pressure on the already strained relationship between the United States and Pakistan. Some South Asia analysts say bin Laden's death last week in a U.S. commando raid, while causing fractures between uneasy allies, could in the long run strengthen the strategic bond between the two countries.
Bin Laden's compound was found a relatively short distance from Islamabad, raising serious questions about whether Pakistani military and security officials were aware the world's most wanted man was living for years so close to the country's capital.
In Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly denied Pakistani authorities had ties with the al-Qaida leader.
"Yes, there has been an intelligence failure," said Gilani. "It is not only ours but of all the intelligence agencies of the world."
While U.S. officials have not said Pakistani authorities were aware of bin Laden's presence, President Barack Obama has indicated he believes there was a support network for the terrorist leader inside Pakistan.
Some South Asia experts say now is the time to raise the pressure on Islamabad.
"This is a great moment to use a sledgehammer. This is the first great moment since 9/11 to use a sledgehammer," said Sadanand Dhume is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Dhume argues that bin Laden's death offers an opportunity to press Pakistan to increase its efforts against militant sanctuaries along the border with Afghanistan.
"I think the gravity of the situation is such, the international media attention is such, we have an opportunity to ask them to do bigger things than we could have asked a week or two ago," added Dhume.
Dhume says the concrete actions the United States should demand from Pakistan include hunting down bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, and Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Both men's whereabouts are unknown, but some analysts believe they are hiding in Pakistan.
Shuja Nawaz, a native of Pakistan, is director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.
Nawaz says bin Laden's death offers what he calls a "supreme opportunity" to improve the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.
"For the Pakistanis to begin that change by having a very serious introspective analysis of exactly what is their national strategic interest, what is their regional imperative that would bring them closer to Afghanistan, reduce hostility with India and put the relationship with the United States on a very honest footing," added Nawaz.
The United States has given Pakistan billions of dollars in aid in recent years, and some members of the U.S. Congress say it is time to reevaluate the relationship.
Others argue the funding should continue to encourage more cooperation on counterterrorism.
Former U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra, who was chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, says both countries need each other to advance foreign policy priorities.
"We need this relationship," said Hoekstra. "We need it to continue a strong effort in the war on radical jihadism, against al-Qaida and what we are doing in Afghanistan."
While the rhetoric has been heated in Washington and Islamabad, Prime Minister Gilani has made it clear the relationship will continue.
"Apprehensions are being voiced about our relations with the United States," said Gilani. "Let me dispel any anxiety in this regard. Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with the U.S. We have a strategic partnership which we believe serves our mutual interests."
Following a trip to India last year, President Obama promised to visit Pakistan in 2011. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US, Allies, Consider Iranian Offer for Nuclear Talks Posted: 10 May 2011 01:08 PM PDT The State Department says the United States and other major powers are considering an Iranian offer to resume talks on its nuclear program. The negotiating process has been on hold since what U.S. officials say was a "disappointing" round of talks in Istanbul in January.
The State Department is confirming that the Iranian offer came in a letter Monday to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
But officials here are non-committal about whether the proposal will be accepted, and say the United States is consulting with others in the negotiations about the Iranian proposal.
In a long-running effort, the so-called P5 +1 grouping of world powers - Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany along with the United States - have offered Iran incentives to curb a uranium-enrichment program believed to be weapons-related. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful use.
At a news briefing, State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner declined to discuss specifics of the Iranian note, other than to say that P5 +1diplomats are studying its contents and considering next steps. "We obviously stand by the unified P5 +1 position that High Representative Ashton expressed in her letter after what we would consider the disappointing meetings in Istanbul - that we believe Iran should be prepared to negotiate seriously on the nuclear issue," he said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday in Istanbul his government has been ready for talks and that the nuclear issue could be resolved in a one-hour meeting. He reaffirmed Iran's stand that it is legally entitled to enrichment technology for civilian purposes.
U.S. officials have said Iran can have a civil nuclear program, but only after satisfying the world community it is not seeking weapons.
In another development, the State Department said it has been told by Swiss diplomats who represent U.S. interests in Iran that Tehran officials have set May 11 as the new trial date for two American hikers held in Iran for nearly two years.
Iran has charged the two men, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, with espionage. But U.S. officials have denied any spying role and say they apparently strayed into Iran while hiking in northern Iraq in July of 2009.
U.S. spokesman Toner said it is time for Iran to free the Americans without conditions. "We urge Iran to resolve this case as soon as possible. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been imprisoned for almost two years and it is time to reunite them with their families," he said.
A third hiker, Sarah Shourd, who is the fiancee of Shane Bauer, was released on $500,000 bail by Iran for health reasons last September and returned to the United States. She has said she will not return to Iran for the trial.
Amnesty International, in a statement Tuesday, called on Iran to end the "flawed" trial process and release the two Americans. The watchdog group said the Iranian justice system has "systematically failed" to observe international fair-trial standards in the case. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Crisis Group: Sudan at 'Tipping Point' Over Abyei Clashes Posted: 10 May 2011 02:15 PM PDT As north and south Sudan agree to a troop withdrawal in the disputed region of Abyei, the International Crisis Group is warning that rising tensions in the region could threaten the broader peace as Sudan prepares for its July split.
In an effort to quell clashes between armed groups and security forces in Sudan's oil-producing Abyei region, the governments of north and south Sudan began to withdraw forces from the area Tuesday, turning control over to a jointly operated force.
A statement released late Sunday by the United Nations said representatives from the two sides had agreed to remove "all unauthorized forces" from the region.
Abyei straddles the border between north and south Sudan and has been a hotly contested region ever since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended more than 20 years of civil war.
The CPA called for a referendum to be held in Abyei to determine its status, alongside the January referendum which created an independent south Sudan. But disputes over border demarcation and voter eligibility have postponed the process indefinitely, further inflaming tensions.
With south Sudan preparing to officially secede from Khartoum on July 9, the International Crisis Group's Zach Vertin says the Abyei issue will be crucial in ensuring a smooth transition.
"There are definitely broader implications as further deterioration in Abyei presents not only grave risks for the people in Abyei but could inflame north-south proxy conflicts elsewhere, threaten peaceful secession of the south in July and undermine efforts toward a constructive north-south relationship beyond July 2011," Vertin said.
Abyei is inhabited by members of the Ngok Dinka, a group affiliated with the south. But the region is also claimed by the northern-affiliated Misseriya tribe as a traditional grazing area. Clashes between the two groups in the lead-up to the referendum led both north and south Sudan to build up their troop deployments in the area.
Last week, 14 people were killed when fighting broke out between the two sides. The Brussels-based Crisis Group warns that the clashes have pushed north and south Sudan to the brink of war.
Both sides have also laid unilateral claims to the region, with north Sudan even threatening to withhold recognition of the south come July.
With tensions running high, the prospects of an actual referendum to decide the fate of Abyei look dim.
According to Vertin, there is momentum for a political settlement fueled by progress in broader post referendum talks over oil, citizenship and borders.
"There certainly have been put forward solutions that could solve the Abyei issue among political elites in Khartoum and Juba," Vertin said. "But what's necessary for sustainable peace is selling that on the ground to the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities."
For now, security in the Abyei region will be maintained by the Joint Integrated Unit, a force created by the CPA with elements of both the north's Sudanese Armed Forces and the south's Sudan People's Liberation Army. The joint force is considered a largely failed component of the peace agreement but was seen as the only viable and immediate solution to the escalating violence. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US, China Conclude Talks on Currency, Rights, Trade Posted: 10 May 2011 01:26 PM PDT The United States and China say two days of high-level talks in Washington on a broad range of topics helped to boost understanding between the two countries and deepen cooperation. The talks also gave the two sides an opportunity to air their differences over difficult issues.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. and China are tackling more issues together than ever and that both countries want to realize the full promise of their partnership. "There was a dizzying array of issues that we are working on together and I felt very satisfied because that was not the case two years ago," she said.
That includes the value of China's currency, and human rights in China. Human rights has long been a contentious issue between the U.S. and China.
" Whether it was something that was sensitive to us or sensitive to them. All the difficult issues including human rights. And we both have made our concerns very clear to the other," said Clinton.
Also on the table - high-tech goods and market access in both countries. Chinese officials say the U.S. agreed to be fair with policies that limit the export of high-tech goods to China, and Beijing promised to move toward a more open market.
China State Councilor Dai Bingguo said, "I said that we had a good conversation, but that does not mean that we agreed on each and every issue. However, after each round of dialogues we successfully expanded our mutual understanding and increased our mutual trust and enchanced our cooperation."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the U.S. welcomes Chinese investment in the United States. "I am very confident that if you look over the next several years that you are going to see Chinese investment expand very, very rapidly. That will be good for the United States, good for China," he said.
Access to China's market and intellectual property protection are growing concerns for American and other foreign companies in China.
Chinese officials agreed to take steps to stamp out pirated software use, especially by government agencies.
"This will help protect U.S. innovators as well as Chinese innovators in all industries, not just software," said Geithner.
And, he says, benefit the economies of both China and the United States.
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| UN Ask Mariners to Aid Libyan Refugees in Mediterranean Posted: 10 May 2011 01:38 PM PDT The United Nations refugee agency is appealing to European states and Mediterranean boat captains to rescue people fleeing Libya by sea. This appeal comes just days after a ship carrying 600 people sank soon after departing from Tripoli.
The U.N. refugee agency says it is very concerned by the growing death toll of those fleeing war-torn Libya via the Mediterranean Sea. It says an increasing number of people are leaving in unseaworthy vessels and then encountering problems. Their distress calls often either draw no response or go unheard.
The latest tragedy came when an overcrowded boat capsized shortly after leaving the Libyan capital on Friday. At least 16 bodies, including two babies, reportedly have been recovered, but the U.N. believes there were many more drowning victims.
The flimsy vessel was crammed with more than 600 passengers - most believed to be either immigrants to Libya or temporary workers from sub-Saharan African countries who were stranded when the uprising there began.
The U.N. has heightened the urgency of its appeal to European states and to ships in the Mediterranean to act on the maritime tradition that obliges seafarers to rescue people in distress.
"Any boat that is leaving Libya should be considered at first glance as a boat in need of assistance," said U.N. spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "Basically, we believe that all of these boats are carrying people who are trying to escape, many of whom are also weakened by the conflict. And please do not wait for a call of distress. We are appealing - please, just go to the boat, see if they need assistance and if they do, please rescue them."
The U.N. reports 12,360 refugees from Libya have arrived in Italy and Malta. Since March 25, at least 800 people did not make it to a safe harbor. That casualty list does not include anyone from the boat that went down last week with 600 people aboard.
Fleming says such a great loss of lives in less than two months, across heavily trafficked sea lanes, cannot have escaped mariners' notice.
"Given the conflict in Libya, it is being heavily patrolled," she said. "So we believe that something needs to be improved to ensure that no more lives are lost. We should consider [the sea] a border just like the Tunisian border or just like the Egyptian border, where people are able to safely make it across and achieve some form of safe refuge. This is actually probably one of the most dangerous means of escaping Libya right now."
The International Organization for Migration says those who risk their lives to board rickety smugglers' boats are also, in many cases, victims of exploitation and abuse.
Refugees usually pay hundreds of dollars to leave Libya by sea. But more and more, the migration organization says, travelers meet even worse treatment. Too often they are stripped of all belongings - their money, their luggage, their mobile phones - by unscrupulous ship operators. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yemeni Opposition Activists Rally as Gulf Leaders Discuss Stalemate Posted: 10 May 2011 07:13 AM PDT Yemeni opposition activists staged more rallies demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Tuesday, as Gulf leaders met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Yemen's political stalemate.
Activists chanted anti-Saleh slogans in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and burned tires on a road in the country's third largest city, Taiz.
A day earlier, Yemeni security forces fired tear gas and live rounds at anti-government demonstrators blocking a road in Taiz, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more.
Leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council gathered in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Tuesday to discuss regional issues. The political crisis in Yemen between President Saleh and the opposition is on its agenda after a recent GCC plan to end the stalemate fell apart. The group that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had proposed a plan for Saleh to step down within 30 days and hand over power to a deputy in return for legal immunity. The plan also called for the establishment of a unity government including the opposition.
But Saleh has refused to sign the deal in his capacity as president as the GCC requires, saying the he will sign only as leader of the ruling General People's Congress Party. Saleh told supporters on Friday that he will resist calls to resign until a solution comes forward that meets constitutional standards.
GCC envoys are attempting to intervene and mediate in the deadlock.
Yemeni opposition activists angered by corruption and poverty have been staging daily protests since January to demand an end to Mr. Saleh's 33 years in power.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
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| Thai-Cambodian Border Dispute Fueled by Nationalism, Politics Posted: 10 May 2011 04:49 AM PDT An ancient temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia is at the heart of a deadly dispute between the two countries. Clashes along the border this year have killed some 30 people and sent tens of thousands of villagers fleeing. Both governments say the dispute is about who owns the land around the temple. Nationalism and domestic politics in both countries also play a key role in driving the conflict.
The border dispute dominated the agenda of this year's summit of Southeast Asia nations, where efforts by host Indonesia failed to bridge major differences between the two sides.
When Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met Sunday at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, they exchanged accusations over who is responsible for prolonging the conflict.
Thailand's Prime Minister argues that Cambodia provoked the fighting by stationing troops in the disputed area. Since then, he says Cambodia has repeatedly tried to internationalize the dispute by involving outside groups such as ASEAN and the United Nations.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "ASEAN has tried to mediate. There was an agreement in February to send Indonesian peace observers to both Cambodia and Thailand and Thailand agreed to it. But, the domestic crisis in Thailand is such that the army has superseded the civilian Abhisit government by reneging. And, basically, the agreement has been abrogated by the Thai side," Pongsudhirak explained.
In Thailand, the border clashes have come as the government prepares for nationwide elections in early July, raising suspicions that the country's divisive domestic politics are playing a role in the conflict.
The election is seen as a showdown between Thai elites backed by the military and an opposition party supported by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had friendlier relations with Cambodia during his time in power.
The military ousted Thaksin in a 2006 coup that was backed by nationalist demonstrators known as the Yellow Shirts. His supporters were purged from the military and government and he went into self-imposed exile to avoid corruption charges.
Since then, the country's politics have been bitterly divided and opinion polls indicate the July elections vote will be close.
William Case is a professor of Asian and International Studies at City University of Hong Kong. He says Thaksin's opponents may be hoping the border crisis can rally the nation behind them or can be used as an excuse to postpone elections. "There are certain forces which would include the military and the Yellow Shirt movement that maybe don't want those elections because of the results that they may well bring," he said.
In December a group of Yellow Shirts stirred up nationalists on both sides by going to the disputed area where they were arrested by Cambodian troops for spying.
Yellow Shirts have since protested outside government offices against Abhisit for being too soft on Cambodia.
Tensions were first raised along the border in 2008, when the United Nations declared an ancient Khmer Hindu temple located just inside Cambodia as a World Heritage site. At that time in Thailand, a government aligned with Thaksin supported Cambodia's application.
Michael Montesano is a visiting research fellow on Thai history and regional affairs at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. He says the former prime minister's political opponents seized on the temple's listing to politicize the border dispute.
"Since then obviously things have spun out of control and we have armed violence among the Thai and Cambodian forces along the Thai and Cambodian border, a prolonged series of incidents over several years, ASEAN's chronic inability to address this violence between member states, all emanating from what began as a domestic political stunt on the Thai side," Montesano stated.
The border dispute also has a political dimension in Cambodia, where relations with Thailand and Vietnam play a major role in domestic politics.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is a close friend of Thaksin and in 2009, appointed him an economic advisor, and refused to extradite him to Thailand.
Montesano says many Cambodians see Thailand as arrogant towards its small neighbor and Prime Minister Hun Sen scores easy political points for standing up to Bangkok.
But Montesano says the issue also gives the Cambodia government political cover in its own border dispute with Vietnam. Hun Sen's opponents have accused him of being weak in negotiations with Hanoi. "I'm in no position to know whether they're right. But, they're people who say that Hun Sun's playing up the situation on the Thai border is a way to distract the Cambodian people from his much softer stance vis a vis Vietnam relating to poorly demarcated borders." he said.
The Cambodia-Thailand border was demarcated over a century ago by the French colonial powers and Thailand, then known as the Kingdom of Siam.
The Thai side tacitly accepted a French-produced map but resentment later resurfaced over allegations that the map was unfair.
The main area of contention is land surrounding a 900-year-old temple called Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled the temple was Cambodia's, which Thailand accepted, and the issue lay dormant for decades.
Thailand claims the land surrounding the temple, which the court did not rule on.
Earlier this month Cambodia asked the ICJ to clarify the 1962 ruling to try to settle the dispute. Thailand says it wants to resolves the dispute through direct talks with Cambodia.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| NATO, EU Defend Record of Saving African Migrants Posted: 10 May 2011 09:38 AM PDT NATO and the European Union say they are doing what they can to help African migrants in trouble at sea amid calls by the United Nations to intervene.
As hundreds of migrants continue to set sail from North Africa to Europe, and the death toll of casualties climbs. Questions are also mounting about efforts to save those foundering at sea.
Britain's Guardian newspaper has reported that African survivors of a troubled vessel accused European and NATO units of ignoring their calls for help. And on Tuesday, the United Nations refugee agency appealed to NATO and the European Union to intervene to help save lives, following reports that a boat carrying hundreds of Africans sank off the coast of Italy.
At a press conference on Tuesday, NATO spokeswoman Carmen Romero said that while NATO's mandate was to protect civilians in Libya, the alliance was also helping those at sea.
"While they are carrying out that mandate, ships under NATO command will always respond to calls from ships in distress. This is the duty under the Law of the Sea and to suggest that our ships' captains would do otherwise is unfair and ... disrespectful," he said.
For example, Romero said that in March, NATO helped two foundering ships carrying 500 people. She also said there were allegations the Libyan government recently forced migrants into at least one boat which sank soon after.
An EU spokesman said the European FRONTEX border protection agency had also rescued those at sea. "This is the Hermes program and we have seen it in action just this weekend in [the Italian island of] Lampedusa where scores of people were saved off the coast of Lampedusa," he said.
Analyst Hugo Brady, of the London-based Center for European Reform, says the sea migration from Africa to Europe has been going on for years. But the numbers have spiked with the recent Arab uprisings.
"The reason why the Arab Spring has created so much instability in migration terms is ... obviously people are escaping a very difficult situation," said Brady.
Brady says the turmoil in Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere also means these countries no longer patrol their coastlines to prevent migrants from heading to Europe.
The plight of these sea migrants is part of a larger European debate about how to deal with those fleeing the Arab turmoil. For example, there are discussions on tightening Europe's open-borders Schengen agreement.
David Nichols, senior executive for rights group Amnesty International in Brussels, says Europe should be welcoming these migrants, not turning them away.
"All of the rhetoric coming from the EU is completely skewed and it has been completely skewed for a long time now towards trying to prevent people from crossing into Europe, from crossing European borders. Nothing at all about actually helping people who are in a desperate situation," he said.
European Union ministers are meeting later this week to discuss the African migration dilemma and how to deal with it. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Suspected US Drone Strike Kills 3 in Pakistan Posted: 10 May 2011 07:10 AM PDT Pakistan intelligence officials say a US drone attack has killed at least three militants in a tribal region along the country's border with Afghanistan.
Officials say the drone fired two missiles at a vehicle in South Waziristan.
The identity of the militants was not immediately known.
Pakistani officials have called for an end to the strikes, which they say are a violation of the country's sovereignty. U.S. officials have never publicly acknowledged the use of drone strikes against militants inside Pakistan but have privately confirmed their existence to various media outlets.
Elsewhere in the northwest, a bomb exploded outside a district court in the town of Nowshera Tuesday, killing a police officer and one other person.
Nowshera is located about 35 kilometers east of Peshawar.
Several people were wounded in the blast. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. |
| Thailand Sets July 3rd Election Posted: 10 May 2011 08:16 AM PDT Thailand has announced plans to hold a national election in July that many hope will bring stability to the country's turbulent politics. The vote is expected to be a close race between Thailand's traditional elite, represented by the ruling Democrat party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and an opposition supported by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
This week Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives, clearing the way for a July 3 nationwide election.
In a recorded message broadcast on national television, Abhisit said a return to polls could restore stability to the country's politics.
He says the election is a new beginning for Thailand to move forward to effectively solve problems for people and families under democratic procedures.
Despite the prime minister's optimism, political analysts are skeptical about the prospects for healing Thailand's deep divisions.
The opposition Puea Thai party is backed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who the military ousted in a 2006 coup. Since then, Thailand has been rocked by protests and violence in a power struggle between a traditional elite backed by the military and Thaksin's supporters.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, says Thaksin's opponents have shown they are willing to go to great lengths to prevent his supporters from again holding power.
"The anti-Thaksin side, the establishment, they have tried to do all kinds of things to prevent this outcome, including a military coup, writing a new constitution, dissolving Thaksin's parties, banning the politicians of those parties, brokering the Abhisit government in the barracks," he said. "And, Abhisit government after two years in power still cannot win the hearts and minds."
Recent opinion polls give the Puea Thai party a slight lead over Abhisit's ruling Democrats.
Last year thousands of opposition protesters known as Red Shirts occupied parts of the Thai capital for two months, demanding a new election and an end to what they said was unfair treatment of their leaders.
Abhisit ordered the military to clear the demonstration, resulting in clashes that left more than 90 people dead, most of them civilians.
Brad Adams, Asia chief for Human Rights Watch, told the Bangkok Foreign Correspondents Club last week that there has been no credible investigation into the deaths.
"It is clear that both sides still have very raw feelings about what happened last year. Both sides are going to use what happened last year as part of their campaign," he said. "And, I do not think there's any prospect for getting to a point of reconciliation in the next two months during the campaign period. In fact, the campaign period is going to exacerbate this problem, undoubtedly."
Red Shirt leaders involved in the protests have been charged with terrorism and insulting the monarchy, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. However no soldiers have been charged, despite evidence that rights groups say shows the military killed unarmed protesters.
Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, Southeast Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group, says a key problem in Thailand is political interference in the justice system, which undermines faith in the government.
"This is something that the judiciary will have to try to address and that comes the issue of justice reform in this country, that how are we going to make people trust the judiciary, the justice system in this country," she said. "That, you know, all people, whoever that violate the law, will be treated equally."
Red-Shirt protesters say the government continues to crack down on them. In recent weeks the military has shut down Red Shirt-allied community radio stations and detained Red Shirt supporters.
Thailand has a rich history of military interventions in politics, with 18 coups or attempted coups since 1932. Despite rumors that the military will again intervene to prevent a Red Shirt election victory, army officials deny that they will stage another coup.
Analyst Thitinan in Bangkok predicts that without some kind of political compromise from both sides there will be no peaceful resolution to the current conflict.
"Many people have a vested interest in this establishment, in the established socio-political hierarchy, and it's very difficult to let that go," said Thitinan. "And, also, if we let all of that go, what comes next could be worse. So, somehow, a way in between, a compromise in between, is the best way forward. Both sides have to recognize that and reach out to the other side."
Among the Thai public, there seems to be little hope that political leaders will agree to such a compromise.
A survey this year by the non-profit Asia Foundation indicated that more than 80 percent of Thais believe that the country's political divisions will once again lead to violence. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Iran Seeks New Talks on Disputed Nuclear Program Posted: 10 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT Iran says it has informed the European Union that it will accept a proposal for more talks about the country's controversial nuclear program.
Iranian state media report Tuesday that chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili welcomed the return to negotiations with world powers, in a response to a letter sent by EU top diplomat Catherine Ashton in February.
There was no immediate EU response. Talks stopped in January after Iran refused to discuss a uranium enrichment freeze. The EU has said it is open to resuming talks without conditions on discussions.
Jalili called on Tuesday for talks based on "respect for nation's rights and avoidance of pressure."
The letter comes a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Islamic Republic hoped for a new round of nuclear negotiations to be held in Turkey. Ahmadinejad did not announce a date for the talks with six world powers.
Iran is facing international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program. Some Western nations suspect Iran is enriching uranium as part of a nuclear weapons program. Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
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| China Willing to Discuss Human Rights Differences With US Posted: 10 May 2011 07:06 AM PDT China is responding to U.S. criticism of its human-rights record by saying it is willing to discuss differences on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The comments were made in Beijing as the two sides continue wide-ranging and high-level talks in Washington.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu declined to make lengthy comments about the ongoing Sino-American Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington. But she acknowledged China and the United States have different opinions on human rights, which she attributed to differences in what she called "national situations."
Jiang says she thinks no country has a perfect human-rights record and that there is no one-size-fits-all human-rights policy.
She says China is willing to conduct dialogue with the United States in order to increase mutual understanding and mutual trust. The two sides recently concluded human-rights meetings in Beijing.
China is in the midst of a widespread crackdown on dissent that has seen authorities round up lawyers, writers, artists and activists, and step up disruptions to Internet access. The increased security is apparently aimed at preventing any unrest inspired by the Jasmine Revolution protests in the Middle East. <!--IMAGE--> One specific issue that has been raised by U.S. officials is the case of well known artist-activist Ai Weiwei. Since he disappeared into detention last month, foreign reporters have regularly asked Jiang for information of his whereabouts.
She says Ai's case is still under investigation and she warns the outside world from making what she described as "willful remarks" about it. She referred to the artist and said even people who are favored by western countries are required to abide by Chinese laws.
Meanwhile, economic issues, including China's currency exchange rate reform and the U.S. debt, are expected to continue dominating the agenda in the U.S.-China talks.
Another source of tension is trade, which is heavily tilted in China's favor. New trade figures show China had a much higher than expected trade surplus for April.
Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told reporters Friday that for the entire year, though, China is expecting only what he called a modest trade surplus.
Zhu said China is pursuing what he called a basic balance in its trade, which he said is good for the sustainable development of China's economy and the world economy.
Critics in the US and other countries accuse China of artificially keeping its currency undervalued in order to give it a huge trade advantage.
State-run media say the Chinese currency, the yuan, reached a record high value on China's foreign exchange spot market Tuesday - slightly less than 6.5 yuan to the dollar. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sudanese Army: 82 Killed in South Sudan Fighting Posted: 10 May 2011 08:07 AM PDT The army of south Sudan says 82 people have been killed in fighting between rebel militia and civilians in Warrap state.
Army spokesman Philip Aguer said Tuesday that the clashes broke out when rebels attacked a cattle camp, killing 34 people and wounding 45.
He says the cattle herders later ambushed the militiamen, killing 48 of them.
Aguer said the rebels entered Warrap after troops chased them out of neighboring Unity state last week.
Unrest in south Sudan has raised concerns about the region's stability as the south prepares for independence from the north on July 9.
Hundreds of people have died in clashes involving rebel groups since January, when the south overwhelmingly voted for secession.
The south's ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), has accused the north of training and arming militias to destabilize the south. The north's ruling National Congress Party has denied the allegations.
The north and south are attempting to settle several key issues before southern independence, including the fate of the oil-producing Abyei region. Negotiations have not produced significant progress.
The January referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal that ended Sudan's north-south civil war. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. |
| Mississippi River Rises to Second-Highest Level Ever Posted: 10 May 2011 09:21 AM PDT U.S. weather forecasters say the Mississippi River has risen to its second-highest level ever in the southern state of Tennessee, after unleashing major flooding in low-lying areas.
Thousands of residents in several states have evacuated their homes along the Mississippi River as flooding - triggered by rain and melting snow - has reached levels not seen in decades.
National Weather Service spokesman Christopher Vaccaro says the river surged above 14.5 meters Tuesday near Memphis - Tennessee's largest city. He said the waterway is projected to continue rising to more than 14.6 meters later in the day.
That would be just short of the river's record crest of 14.8 meters more than 70 years ago.
Vaccaro says the river is expected to hold steady at this level through Wednesday before gradually receding beginning on Thursday.
President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in Tennessee on Monday, ordering federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in the area. The state was also struck by severe storms and tornadoes last month.
The president has also signed emergency or disaster declarations for other states hit by flooding and bad weather, including Louisiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Mississippi.
In Louisiana, authorities are expected to open a spillway in an effort to lower river levels in the city of Baton Rouge, as well as in New Orleans, which was inundated with floods after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Popular historical sites were expected to be spared from the floods. World-famous landmark Graceland, the late singer Elvis Presley's estate in Memphis, was not threatened by the water.
Violent tornadoes last month devastated a number of southern U.S. cities and killed more than 300 people, with the worst destruction several hundred kilometers east of the flooding.
The Mississippi River is North America's largest river system. The river spans more than 3,700 kilometers from the northern United States down to the Gulf of Mexico. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US Calls Arctic Council Meeting 'Historic' Posted: 10 May 2011 07:22 AM PDT U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to join fellow foreign ministers from the eight-nation Arctic Council on Thursday in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, for a meeting on polar region issues, including the receding Arctic ice cap. The meeting follows the release of a council report that Arctic warming and the resulting rise in sea levels might be much greater than previous forecasts.
It will be the seventh ministerial-level meeting of the Arctic Council, made up of the countries surrounding the Arctic Ocean.
But Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg says the Greenland session will be historic, in that the grouping will create a permanent secretariat, and sign its first legally-binding common agreement, on Arctic search and rescue operations.
At a preview seminar at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, Steinberg said the Greenland meeting will strengthen the Arctic Council's role as the preeminent world body for Arctic affairs and underline cooperation on regional environmental and maritime issues.
"In the broadest terms, we want to send a strong message that in the post-Cold War world, the Arctic is a region of cooperation, not conflict," said Steinberg. "And by working together to ensure the safety of human life in a newly-emerging region of human activity, we can show in particular that Russia and the United States are key actors in helping to propel cooperation on important issues."
In addition to the United States and Russia, the Arctic Council includes Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, which is in the grouping because of its administration of Greenland.
Indigenous communities from around the Arctic region are also represented. Countries not bordering the Arctic Ocean, but with interests in the region, have criticized the notion of a permanent structure for the Arctic Council.
The State Department's James Steinberg said another key objective of this week's meeting will be to agree on criteria for observer status for other interested countries and organizations.
The deputy secretary said data suggest that the Arctic region is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the world, and that council members will discuss new steps to curb emissions of black carbon, methane and other gases linked to climate change.
A study conducted under Arctic Council auspices and released last week in Copenhagen said Arctic warming and resultant melting of polar ice could raise sea levels by as much as 1.6 meters by 2100, almost three times more than forecast in a landmark United Nations study five years ago.
Charles Ebinger, an Arctic expert at Washington's Brookings Institution, says the world has not yet come to grips with the enormity of problems that would be posed by such change.
"When you starting talking about sea levels rising nine-and-a-half feet, I think the number was, by 2100, that's a staggering rise in the sea levels and would have potential catastrophic implications for certainly New York, Boston and Washington perhaps. And I just don't think it's in peoples' mindset," noted Ebinger.
Ebinger said he hopes the Arctic Council agrees on a transparent observer mechanism that opens its deliberations to other countries with interests in the region, including China and South Korea.
Steinberg said Arctic and climate issues figured in Secretary of State Clinton's meetings with senior Chinese officials on Monday at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
Clinton, who will be the first U.S. secretary of state to attend an Arctic Council meeting, will lead a team including Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also expected to attend.
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