Suu Kyi 'not satisfied' by talks

BBC News

Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is "not satisfied" by recent discussions with the country's military leaders, said her party.

Ms Suu Kyi's comments followed her fifth meeting with the official appointed to liaise with her and the National League for Democracy (NLD).

She also met NLD party members for the second time since last year's protests.

Ms Suu Kyi's party said she was concerned that the meetings might raise false hopes of political reform.

Labour Minister Aung Kyi was appointed to negotiate with Ms Suu Kyi amid the global outrage which followed the deadly crackdown on political protestors in September 2007.

But NLD spokesman Nyan Win told reporters: "Aung San Suu Kyi is not satisfied with her meetings with the relations minister, mainly because there is no timeframe."

The junta has said it is drawing up a roadmap to democracy, but the plan has been widely dismissed as a sham by observers.

House arrest

Mr Win read out a statement from Ms Suu Kyi in which she told her party to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst," reported Reuters news agency.

She said she had not received any clear messages from the government, but urged party members to remain united.

"We have to be patient, as we have sacrificed for many years," said the statement.

"I don't want to give false hopes to the people. I will tell the people more when the time comes."

Ms Suu Kyi also repeated her insistence that talks about political reform must involve pro-democracy groups and representatives of Burma's ethnic groups.

The NLD won elections in 1990 but has never been allowed to take power. Ms Suu Kyi has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest in Burma's commercial capital, Rangoon.

Malaysian mass media envies Indonesia for its press freedom

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Malaysian Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin admitted that the mass media in his country envied Indonesia for its press freedom.

"However the mass media in Malaysia also freedom since the country became independent. Its positition is between the liberal and communist press, meaning that Malaysian press has already had such freedom since independence along with social responsibility the media has on its shoulder," Maidin said in an address in a get-together with the media here on Friday evening.

He invited editors-in-chief of the Malaysian mass media and also representatives of the Indonesian mass media in that country including the Indonesian Charge d`affaires Tatang B Razak.

According to him, press freedom in Indonesia was often used as a weapon by the opposition to mock at Malaysian mass media as being still under the control of the Malaysian kingdom.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has provided such laxity to the mass media, but it was often misused by the opposition to criticize the new economic basis which has been developed into that country`s economic policy.

The opposition had also charged the privillege of Malays with other ethnic groups in that country. "This is very dangerous if the mass media functioned as an instrument to disseminate hatred among the tribes," he added.

On the occasion, the Malaysian information minister admitted that he had issued a warning to Metro TV in Indonesia for an exclusive interview with Anwar Ibrahim. "He is a bankrupt politician in Malaysia, why should he be placed under the spotlight and thereby flattered."

"Our warning was replied. Please let the Malaysian mass media interview an Indonesian opposition," the reply said.

"We won`t do that. We respect the Indonesian government. Under the ASEAN spirit, we will never give an opportunity to the Indonesian opposition to speak in Malaysian mass media," he said.

Western Media criticized for attributing `former dictator` to Soeharto

Brisbane (ANTARA News) - Noted Indonesianist Greg Fealy of the Australian National University (ANU) said Western media organizations had misled their readers and viewers by attributing `former dictator` to former president Soeharto.

"I think they have mislead the public by giving such attribution to Soeharto because he did not hold the power alone. He always kept the power of the people and of the military in the balance. He could not force his own will upon the political system and state," he told ANTARA News on Tuesday.

He said that the attribution as `former dictator` to Soeharto did not reflect the real condition of Indonesia`s state system during his 32 years in power.

Therefore, Greg Fealy is of the opinion that the attribution as `dictator` to Soeharto was misleading because he was not at the dictator level as that of Idi Amien of Uganda, Pol Pot of Cambodia and Joseph Stalin of Russia.

Since Soeharto was admitted to Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta on Jan. 4, 2008, Western media organizations, including those of Australia, have been taking up reports on his health conditions.

"The Australian," "TV Channel Seven" and "ABC" are three Australian media organizations which have been carrying reports on the health of the former president, and its implications on corruption charges leveled against him by the Indonesia government.

Besides giving a neutral attribution such as a "former president," or "a five-star general," the three Australian media also attributed `former dictator` to Soeharto.

Soeharto was rushed to Pertamina Hospital on January 4 for severe anemia and edema.

Since he was toppled from his presidential seat on May 21, 1998, Soeharto, who was born in Kemusuk hamlet, Argomulyo village, Yogyakarta on June 8 1921, has been in and out of the hospital for various illnesses such as mild strokes, an intestinal bleeding, heart and lung problems.

Peacemaker Tutu slams Kenya elite

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu rounded on Kenya's ruling elite Friday, saying its people are sick of the corruption that has plagued the nation.

Tutu, in Kenya to try to mediate a solution to the violence that followed December 27 elections, said: "People have been incensed by the level of corruption."

He spoke to CNN as an uneasy calm hung over the Kenyan capital Friday, after almost a week of violence that, according to government figures, has left at least 300 people dead and up to 75,000 people internally displaced.

Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, added he was still hopeful a diplomatic solution could be found to ending the violence that accompanied the disputed election result. Video Watch Tutu assess Kenya's problems »

The opposition Orange Democratic Movement on Friday called for a new presidential election to be held.

Anyang Nyongo, secretary general of the ODM, said the country should start preparing "for a new election of the president."

"This is about a democracy and justice," Nyongo told The Associated Press. "We shall continue to defend and promote the right of Kenyans so that the democratic process should be fulfilled."

Kenya's electoral commission said President Mwai Kibaki had won the vote, but opposition leader Raila Odinga alleged it was rigged and international observations said it was flawed.

On Thursday, Attorney General Amos Wako called for an independent probe of the counting.

Odinga's ODM once again wanted supporters to join a demonstration Friday in Uhuru Park, but CNN's Kim Norgaard said a heavy police presence was preventing protesters from making their way to the site.

A rally the previous day had been prevented by police who blocked the way with tear gas and water cannons. Video Watch a report from the front lines »

The rally was banned by Kenya's government, which had prohibited political gatherings before the December 27 elections.

Many businesses remained closed Friday although some office workers were returning to work. In Kibera, the country's largest slum, shops remained shut and there were small groups of protesters gathering.

"We are trying to go to Uhuru Park today," said Joshua Okoth, standing with a group of young men by the smoking remains of a former food market. "Let people die and then there will be a change," he added.

Reports of violence, looting and fires were sporadic in Nairobi's sprawling slums, including Kibera.

Video from Nairobi's outskirts showed streets littered with broken glass, overturned Coca-Cola crates and, in some places, fires. One man carried a sign that read: "Shame on you Kibaki you raped our democracy."

The International Red Cross Friday said it was sending 15 staff to the country to assess how to give the Kenyan Red Cross enough provisions to sustain at least 100,000 people with basics for several weeks, AP reported.

Meanwhile, children's bodies piled up in a Nairobi morgue, churches burned and police on horseback chased pedestrians through the streets.

"What we have just seen defies description," Odinga told journalists after visiting one Nairobi morgue Thursday. "We can only describe it as genocide on a grand scale."

Earlier this week, the ODM posted on its Web site a call for Kibaki to protect all Kenyans.

Kibaki narrowly won re-election with 51.3 percent of the vote, while Odinga garnered 48.7 percent, the country's election commission announced Sunday.

Tutu said ethnic differences should not be allowed to split the country apart. "Our diversity is not something to divide us," he told CNN.

He met with Odinga and other opposition officials Thursday and with Kibaki on Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also has sent diplomat Jendayi Frazer, who was to arrive in Kenya on Friday and meet with Kibaki, Odinga and other political leaders, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Thursday.

China lists new anti-graft rules

BBC News

China has published a list of stringent anti-corruption rules for public officials ahead of a reshuffle of provincial posts later this month.

Called the "10 taboos", the list bans bribery, lobbying for promotion and using dirty tricks to harm rivals.

Providing or accepting souvenirs or hospitality linked to employment were also out, Xinhua news agency reported.

Corruption is widespread in China, with access to prized employment and education often dependent on bribes.

The list was made public ahead of reshuffles to provincial legislatures and advisory bodies later this month, as many officials come to the end of five-year terms, Xinhua news agency reported.

Discontent

Under the new rules, officials may not distribute "cash, gifts or stocks to buy government jobs" or hold social activities aimed at forming cliques.

Using "letters, leaflets, text messages or the Internet to vilify others" was also banned, as was the use of intimidation towards delegates or committee members.

Twenty inspection groups would be sent across the country to monitor the reshuffle, Xinhua said.

China's all-pervasive corruption is seen as a major source of social discontent.

In October, at the opening of the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly congress, President Hu Jintao warned that the party's "very survival" depended on reducing and punishing graft.

Several high-profile officials and individuals have been sacked or jailed in recent months as the government works to show it is serious about addressing the problem.

Pakistan's tragedy should serve as lesson for us

Rizal Sukma, Jakarta (Jakarta Post)

The news came as a shock to the world. The assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, added another tragedy to the long history of violence in that country. It also reminded the world of the unstable nature of Pakistan's politics. The assassination will certainly turn the situation from bad to worse. The prospect for a long period of political instability in Pakistan can no longer be overlooked.

Benazir Bhutto was a brave lady. On the day of her return to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in October, she narrowly escaped suicide attacks that left more than 130 people dead. Despite various death threats directed at her, she was determined to go ahead with her campaign for the election scheduled in January 2008. The rally she attended last Thursday in Rawalpindi was her last. We all should respect her courage to stand for what she believed in.

People might have different opinions about her. However, it is important to recognize that Benazir Bhutto was a symbol of gender equality not only in the Muslim-majority society of Pakistan but throughout the Muslim world. She became the first female prime minister in 1988 and was elected again in 1993. She was a source of inspiration to female politicians in male-dominated political societies across the world.

We mourn her death. Even more so because within the context of Pakistan's chaotic politics, it might be difficult to determine who is responsible for this heinous and cowardly act. Every group could be suspect. Speculations abound as to the possible involvement of terrorists, radical extremists, and even rogue elements within the government of President Pervez Musharraf.

The world must condemn the assassination, and put pressure on President Musharraf to immediately investigate it. Pakistan's politics has been marred by violence for too long. Once lauded as a democracy, it has now become a military-run state characterized by political assassinations, terrorist attacks, and religious extremism. President Musharraf has been accused of being too soft in combating these three deadly political diseases.

The tragedy in Pakistan should also serve as an important lesson for all of us here in Indonesia. Before the military coup led by General Musharraf, Pakistan was undergoing an experiment in democracy. But democracy failed to take root. The political elite were, and still are, locked in endless political bickering, and corruption became rampant. The society is divided and characterized by intra-religious conflicts among different Muslim groups.

The chaotic nature of Pakistan's democratic experiment could have been the reason behind General Musharraf's move to take over power through a military coup. The military muscle, however, has made the situation worse. Within an undemocratic system, violence becomes a way for the people to articulate their political aspirations, express anger and frustration, and settle differences.

It would be far-fetched to suggest that Indonesia could become another Pakistan. Our democratic experiment has so far resulted in a much better consolidation process. We have not experienced political assassinations (God forbid). Political competition and the quest for power were resolved in two free and fair general elections, first in 1999 and then in 2004.

However, procedural democracy alone, as manifested in general elections and multi-party politics, is not enough. Democratic norms and values must also be entrenched among the political elite and general society. We need to improve governance, respect human rights, defend freedom of expression, strengthen the rule of law, and curb violence.

We should also remember that the three deadly political diseases of Pakistan -- political bickering, corruption, and religious extremism -- are also present in Indonesia. Except for corruption, their levels are much less here. However, we should be vigilant, because these problems could become worse if we do not tend to them.

Despite the process of democratization that began in 1998, the use of violence remains a visible feature of both political and social life. While violence is still an exception rather than a norm, it is absolutely necessary for the government to pay more attention to the problem of law enforcement. What happened in Pakistan clearly shows that a state's inability to enforce the law is a recipe for political instability.

The writer is the deputy executive director of the Centre for Strategic International Studies in Jakarta.

Putin named 'Person of the Year'

BBC News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named as Time Magazine's "Person of the Year".

The title was awarded to Mr Putin for his "extraordinary feat of leadership" in bringing stability to Russia, said Time's managing editor.

Former US Vice President Al Gore and Harry Potter author JK Rowling were runners-up for the title.

Last year the award was given to all members of the public who had created or downloaded content on the internet.

'Not an honour'

The magazine has given out its Person of the Year award every year since 1927.

Previous recipients have included US Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The title is "not an honour", but is given as "a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world - for better or for worse", according to the magazine.

Controversial recipients in the past have included Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Ayatollah Khomeini.

President Putin will be legally obliged to step down as Russian president next year, but is likely to become prime minister if his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, wins the presidential election in March.

Opinion polls suggest that Mr Putin is still very popular in Russia, but civil rights activists accuse him of cracking down on democratic opposition and free speech.

Saudi king 'pardons rape victim'

BBC News

The Saudi king has pardoned a female rape victim sentenced to jail and 200 lashes for being alone with a man raped in the same attack, reports say.

The "Qatif girl" case caused an international outcry with widespread criticism of the Saudi justice system.

The male and female victims were in a car together when they were abducted and raped by seven attackers, who were given jail sentences up to nine years.

Press reports say King Abdullah's move did not mean the sentence was wrong.

Quoted by the Jazirah newspaper, Justice Minister Abdullah al-Sheikh said the king had the right to issue pardons if it served the public interest.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to mix with men who are not close family members.

The custodial sentence plus 200 lashes was imposed after the woman, who has not been named, appealed against an earlier sentence of 90 lashes.

'Astonishing' case

The Saudi king frequently pardons criminals at the Eid al-Adha festival which takes place this week, but correspondents say that is usually announced by the official press agency.

The BBC's Heba Saleh says the king's decision to pardon the woman victim is already arousing controversy with some contributors to conservative websites, who say he has breached the rules of religion in order to appease critics in the West.

The US had called the punishment "astonishing", although it refused to condemn the Saudi justice system.

Human rights groups had been calling on King Abdullah, who has a reputation as a pro-Western reformer, to change it.

The justice ministry recently rejected what it saw as "foreign interference" in the case and insisted the ruling was legal and that the woman had confessed to having an affair with her fellow rape victim.

Earlier, the woman - who is a Shia Muslim from the Qatif area - had reportedly said she met the man in order to retrieve a photograph of them together, having herself recently got married.

She says two other men then entered the car and took them to a secluded area where others were waiting, and both she and her male companion were raped.

The woman's companion was sentenced to 90 lashes. It is not known if his sentence was also lifted.

Global warming pact set for 2009

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Bali gave birth Saturday to a landmark road map to create a new deal to fight global climate change, but only after nerve-wracking negotiations -- and persistent challenges from the United States.

Under heavy pressure from the rest of the delegates and possible international isolation, the U.S. dropped its last-ditch objections and joined the consensus hammered out at the conclusion of the two-week UN climate conference. "We want to be part of the road map ... and let me say to you that we will go forward and join the consensus," U.S. head of delegation Paula Dobriansky said, to cheers and a standing ovation from delegates representing some 190 countries.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had both appealed to the participants to come up with an agreed conclusion as the negotiations were earlier plunged into stalemate. "The magic moment came after both President Yudhoyono and the UN secretary-general delivered their incredible speeches, which changed the mood of the conference," UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary Yvo de Boer said.

Although some still pointed to the failure of the conference to include any specific carbon emission reduction targets in the road map so as to accommodate the U.S.'s concerns, many immediately praised the agreement as it managed to combine the interests of developing and developed countries.

The road map sets out a clear agenda for key issues to be negotiated up to 2009, including action for adapting to the negative consequences of climate change, such as droughts and floods, ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ways to widely promote climate-friendly technologies and financing for both adaptation and mitigation measures.

Concluding the negotiations in 2009 will ensure that the new deal can come into force by 2013, following the expiry of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol. "This is a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change.

Parties have recognized the urgency for action on climate change and have now provided the political response to what scientists have been telling us is needed," said conference president Rachmat Witoelar, who is the Indonesian environment minister. However, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including WWF, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, were quick to express their disappointment at the exclusion of clear carbon emission cut targets of 25 to 40 percent as mandated by the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to keep the earth's temperature rise below 2 degree Celsius.

The agreed long-term cooperative action recognizes the IPCC's findings and only stipulates that deep cuts in global emissions will be required to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention. The absence of targets was apparently aimed at persuading the U.S. to get on board.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda had insisted from the beginning that the negotiations should be inclusive. "We want to include the U.S. in the negotiations to make the international efforts to respond to climate change work. I met Paula (Dobriansky), and tried to understand the U.S. concerns. I think the key words are patience, compromise and flexibility," Hassan said at the conclusion of the conference.

Apart from Hassan, Indonesian negotiators, including former foreign minister Ali Alatas, former Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Soemadi Brotodiningrat, and Director General for Multilateral Affairs Reslan Izhar Djenie, Director for Economic and Environmental Affairs Salman Al Farisi, and Ngurah Swajaya, the director for political affairs at ASEAN, had worked around the clock to persuade others to come on board.

They managed to bridge the gap between the EU and developing countries that insisted that the inclusion of carbon-emission-cut targets for developed countries were crucial to guiding the next two rounds of negotiations in Poland in 2008 and Denmark in 2009, in which future commitments will be concluded, and the U.S., which feared it would be economically disadvantaged by the rise of China and India should it commit to fixed targets.

Think tank: Climate affects security

Yahoo News,

By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer Sat Nov 3, 3:13 AM ET

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Climate change could be one of the greatest national security challenges ever faced by U.S. policy makers, according to a new joint study by two U.S. think tanks.

The report, to be released Monday, raises the threat of dramatic population migrations, wars over water and resources, and a realignment of power among nations.

During the last two decades, climate scientists have underestimated how quickly the Earth is changing — perhaps to avoid being branded as "alarmists," the study said. But policy planners should count on climate-induced instability in critical parts of the world within 30 years.

The report was compiled by a panel of security and climate specialists, sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for a New American Security. The Associated Press received an advance copy.

Climate change is likely to breed new conflicts, but it already is magnifying existing problems, from the desertification of Darfur and competition for water in the Middle East to the disruptive monsoons in Asia which increase the pressure for land, the report said.

It examined three scenarios, ranging from the consequences of an expected temperature increase of 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2040, to the catastrophic implications of a 10-degree rise by the end of the century.

At the very least, the report said, the U.S. can expect more population migrations, both internally and from across its borders; a proliferation of diseases; greater conflict in weak states, especially in Africa where climates will change most drastically; and a restructuring in global power in line with the accessibility of natural resources.

Left unchecked, "the collapse and chaos associated with extreme climate change futures would destabilize virtually every aspect of modern life," said the report, comparing the potential outcome with the Cold War doomsday scenarios of a nuclear holocaust.

"Climate change has the potential to be one of the greatest national security challenges that this or any other generation of policy makers is likely to confront," said the report.

Among its contributors were former CIA director James Woolsey, Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, National Academy of Sciences President Ralph Cicerone, President Bill Clinton's former chief of staff John Podesta and former Vice President Al Gore's security adviser Leon Fuerth.

The report listed 10 implications of climate change that policy makers should consider, including rising tensions between rich and poor nations, the backlash resulting from massive migrations, health problems partly caused by water shortages and crop failures, and concerns over nuclear proliferation as nations increasingly rely on nuclear energy.

The global balance of power will shift unpredictably as trade patterns change, it said. China's importance in the climate equation will grow as it increases emissions of greenhouse gases, and Russia's influence will increase alongside its exports of natural gas, the report said.

Attention began to focus earlier this year on the strategic consequences of climate change. But the latest report, more than 100 pages long, is among the most detailed analyses published so far on security aspects.

Last April, a a panel of retired top-ranking military officers issued the alarm that global warming was a "serious security threat" likely to aggravate terrorism and world instability.

The Office of the National Intelligence Director said the following month it has begun working on an assessment of the national security implications of climate change.