Clinton outlines human rights policy

Reuters, David Alexander, WASHINGTON, Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:29pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled a U.S. human rights agenda on Monday calling for universal standards that apply to all nations, prompting rights groups to urge the administration to live up to its rhetoric.

Just days after President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize while defending the concept of a just war, Clinton outlined a human rights policy calling for people to be free from tyranny but also free to "seize the opportunities of a full life."

Human rights experts said the speech was important, coming at a time when the Obama administration's message on human rights had become increasingly muddied but they said the proof would be in the administration's actions.

Clinton angered rights groups in February when she said U.S. concerns about human rights in China would not disrupt financial or other diplomatic relations with Beijing.

An op-ed piece in The Washington Post sharply criticized the administration on Sunday, saying that "from China to Sudan, from Burma to Iran, a president lauded for his commitment to peace has dialed down a U.S. commitment to human rights."

Clinton, in her speech at Georgetown University, outlined a pragmatic approach toward human rights that would press for democratic principles and development but be flexible in the methods it used to pursue the policy.

"This administration, like others before us, will promote, support and defend democracy," she said. "Democracy has proven the best political system for making human rights a reality over the long term."

Clinton said a commitment to human rights started with universal principles. She noted that Obama wanted Guantanamo prison closed and had issued an executive order his second day in office prohibiting the use of torture by any U.S. official.

She said the United States would report next year on human trafficking both at home and abroad, and would participate in a U.N. review of "our own human rights record, just as we encourage other nations to do."

Rights experts welcomed the address, but said the administration must follow through.

"It goes a long way to laying out a vision of where human rights sits in the Obama administration," said Sarah Mendelson, head of the Human Rights and Security Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

PHILOSOPHICAL SHIFT

She said Clinton's discussion of the United States' own compliance with human rights principles was a philosophical shift from the Bush administration.

"By placing our own human rights record as fundamental ... that is really, I think for a lot of us, very critical, very important," Mendelson said.

Amnesty International said Clinton "rightly identifies accountability as the centerpiece of any successful human rights agenda for the United States."

"But if the administration means what it says, then it needs to follow through and back up rhetoric with action. Discussion of human rights can't be an empty rebranding exercise."

Clinton said the administration's approach to pursuing its rights agenda would be "pragmatic and agile," upholding its principles but "doing what is most likely to make them real."

"When old approaches aren't working, we won't be afraid to attempt new ones," Clinton said, pointing to the recent U.S. efforts at engaging the military-led government in Myanmar after years of trying to isolate it.

She said the United States would approach major powers like China and Russia with "principled pragmatism," recognizing that cooperation is critical to the global economy and for dealing with security issues like North Korea's nuclear program.

In both countries, she said, the United States would engage with the government as well as individuals or groups that are working to advance human rights and democracy.

"We support change driven by citizens and their communities," Clinton said. "The project of making human rights a human reality cannot be just a project for governments. It requires cooperation among individuals and organizations."

(Editing by Eric Beech)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama told top U.S. bankers on Monday they owed it to the country to help lift the economy out of crisis by lending more money to small businesses in need and embracing financial reforms.

Netanyahu condemns West Bank mosque attack

BBC News

The attack was blamed on hardliners angered by plans to curb settlements

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned an attack on a mosque in the occupied West Bank and called for the arrest of those responsible.

Jewish settlers are suspected of launching the attack, burning books and scrawling hate-messages in Hebrew.

The main prayer hall and library of the mosque in the village of Yasuf were badly burnt in the attack on Thursday.

Clashes later broke out between villagers and Israeli troops sent to investigate the incident.

Israeli condemnation

In a statement, Mr Netanyahu "vigorously denounced the aggression against the mosque".

He said he had told security forces "to act with determination to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice".

Other Israeli leaders added their voices to the condemnation.

On Saturday, Israeli President Shimon Peres called it "an incendiary criminal act against all the moral principles of the state of Israel".

"The government, security forces and all authorities must spare no effort to catch the guilty parties," he said.

On Friday, Defence Minister Ehud Barak branded the attack "an extreme act meant to harm the government's attempts to advance the process for Israel's future."

Jewish settler groups have recently reacted angrily to Mr Netanyahu's decision to scale back settlement building in the West Bank.

Palestinian officials have refused to rejoin peace talks until a total freeze is imposed.

All Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

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Christmas run

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press | Sat, 12/12/2009 1:40 PM

South Korean runners wearing Santa Claus costumes do exercise before taking part in the Santa Marathon race in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday. More than thousand people participated in the 10-kilometer charity run to raise money for the poor as Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea where over half of the population are Christians. AP/ Lee Jin-man

RI, Japan see Asia move closer to democracy

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali | Thu, 12/10/2009 2:54 PM

Round table conference : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) joins guests, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (second left), Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao (third left) and the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Hassanal Bolkiah, (right) at a luncheon in Nusa Dua, Bali, Thursday. Yudhoyono is in Bali hosting the second Bali Democracy Forum. Courtesy Of Presidential Office/Cahyo

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed Thursday their optimism that Asia, the world's most dynamic region, is becoming more democratic.

Hatoyama told representatives of 36 Asian countries attending Indonesia's Bali Democracy Forum II on the resort island that Asia had charted a unique course in making its transition to democracy.

"China," he said, "has been undergoing an economic and social transformation to open itself to Asia and the wider world."

"There is great expectation that China will continue to make progress, as a responsible power, on the issues of democracy and human rights, along with other issues."

Hatoyama said he also saw "positive developments" in Myanmar, with the US taking a new approach by engaging rather than confronting the junta government there.

The only contentious issue was North Korea, according to the prime minister. "It is regrettable that there stills remain deep-seated distrust and confrontation in Northeast Asia."

He called on Pyonyang to follow the democratic trend "underway elsewhere in Asia and throughout the world."

China and Myanmar sent their delegation to the two-day meeting, which Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in his opening remarks would maintain its inclusiveness.

Yudhoyono said the growing interests from Asian countries in the second Bali meeting as reflected by the rising number of participating countries, from 32 last year to 36, was encouraging.

"This is all a good sign for the future of democracy in Asia," the president said.

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North Korea accepts swine flu aid from South

BBC News

South Korea is sending enough anti-virals to treat 500,000 people

North Korea has accepted an offer of medical aid from South Korea to combat an outbreak of swine flu, officials in Seoul said.

South Korea will send Tamiflu and other medicines, a spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry said.

Pyongyang said on Wednesday that nine people had the H1N1 virus, confirming earlier reports of an outbreak.

The aid would be the first from South Korea's government since President Lee Myung-bak took office in early 2008.

He has taken a tougher line with the North than previous governments and suspended most government aid when cross-border relations worsened last year.

Unconfirmed deaths

Earlier this week, President Lee offered unconditional aid to help North Korea with the outbreak.

Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said South Korea would provide enough Tamiflu and other anti-viral medicine to treat 500,000 people.

"We are hoping for the delivery to be made as soon as possible after agreeing on the terms of the delivery with North Korea," ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said.

North Korean state media has said the nine confirmed cases of swine flu were in Sinuiju, on the border with China, and in the capital Pyongyang.

The World Health Organisation said no deaths due to swine flu had been recorded in North Korea.

But a South Korean organisation that sends aid to the North said 50 people had died of swine flu since early November, Associated Press news agency reported.

In South Korea, officials say 117 people have died of swine flu but the spread of the virus has slowed.

SEOUL The U.S. envoy for North Korea said on Thursday he had candid talks with officials in Pyongyang and that there was common understanding on the need to implement a long-stalled nuclear weapons disarmament deal. (Photo: Reuters)

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Sarkozy and Brown call for global market changes

BBC News

The leaders say only global change will restore confidence in banking

British PM Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have issued a joint call for urgent global reform of financial markets.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, they say a one-off tax on bank bonuses should be "considered a priority".

The two leaders say it is "simply not acceptable" for taxpayers to cover the cost of bank failures but not benefit from their successes.

The article comes as EU leaders prepare to meet for a summit in Brussels.

It also follows the announcement in a pre-Budget report by UK finance minister Alistair Darling of a one-off supertax on banker bonuses.

'Proper regulation'

The BBC's Jonny Dymond, in the Belgian capital, says the joint article at times reads like a call to arms.

In it, Mr Sarkozy and Mr Brown say the financial crisis has made them "recognise that we are now in an economy which is no longer national but global, so financial standards must also be global".

"We must ensure that through proper regulation, the financial sector operates on a level playing field globally."

They say there is an "urgent need for a new compact between global banks and the society they serve".

"A compact that ensures the benefits of good economic times flow not just to bankers but to the people they serve; that makes sure that the financial sector fosters economic growth."

Michel Barnier's appointment caused a UK-France spat

Various proposals to reform the sector "deserve examination", they said, but a one-off tax on high bonuses paid to bankers "should be considered a priority".

"People rightly want a post-crisis banking system which puts their needs first. To achieve that, nothing less than a global change is required," the leaders wrote.

France and the UK have been at odds recently over European banking.

Mr Sarkozy appeared to boast that the appointment of Frenchman Michel Barnier to oversee European banking reform was a defeat for Britain.

Mr Sarkozy told Le Monde newspaper the British were "the big losers" in the share-out of EU jobs.

Mr Sarkozy and Mr Brown cancelled a meeting last week but are set to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the EU summit.

On Wednesday, Mr Darling announced plans for a one-off supertax of 50% on banker bonuses, to be applied to payments over £25,000.

The new tax - which would be paid by banks and not individuals - is designed to discourage institutions from paying large bonuses to employees in the wake of the major taxpayer support they have received in the financial crisis.

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Burma junta official meets Aung San Suu Kyi

BBC Asia Correspondent, Bangkok, By Alastair Leithead

Aung San Suu Kyi has lodged an appeal to be released

Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met a government minister in Rangoon in the third such meeting since the beginning of October.

Her meeting with labour minister Aung Kyi lasted 45 minutes but no details of what they discussed have been released.

Ms Suu Kyi has been detained for 14 of the last 20 years and her latest term of house arrest was extended earlier this year.

This means she will not be able to run in elections due to be held next year.

'Dishonest'

The Burmese government appears to be more open to dealing with the international community - high level American representatives have visited the country to meet senior generals and opposition leaders to push President Barack Obama's policy of engagement.

The European Union also recently expressed a wish to work more closely with the ruling generals.

Amid all these talks Ms Suu Kyi has been opening up her own dialogue.

This meeting is the third with labour minister Aung Kyi, the government's liaison officer, and follows a letter Ms Suu Kyi wrote to the country's leader General Than Shwe, asking to meet him and to work more closely with the state.

She has recently been studying international sanctions imposed on Burma.

They would be part of any deal to release political prisoners - Ms Suu Kyi is just one of more than 2,000 being held.

It is thought the government is keen to ensure the election is seen to be legitimate, even if there are serious concerns over whether they will be free or fair.

But in a timely reminder of her fragile position, editorials in the state-run media spoke critically of Ms Suu Kyi, suggesting she had been "dishonest" in her dealings with the ruling generals and was deliberately trying to tarnish their image.

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Cultural richness

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 12/15/2009 10:57 AM

Two dancers from Myanmar perform an ancient Myanmarese dance during a cultural show at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, on Monday. With the support of Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta, the cultural show was jointly organized by Myanmar’s Ministry of Culture and the ASEAN Secretariat. The performance, which has the theme “The Royal Beauty of Golden Myanmar”, was the fourth in the Best of ASEAN Performing Arts series that was proposed by ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan. The previous performances were from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. JP/Nurhayati

Philippines and rebels 'push for 2010 peace deal'

BBC News

Negotiators for the two sides met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels hope to reach a peace deal by April next year, a Malaysian facilitator has said.

Malaysia is brokering talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or Milf.

Earlier talks to end the group's decades-long insurgency in the south of the country collapsed 16 months ago.

At least 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict and two million people forced into refugee camps.

"We have agreed to begin negotiations on a comprehensive compact," said the Malaysian official brokering the talks, Othman Abdul Razak.

"We hope to sign probably by the end of the first quarter of next year, by March or early April."

He said the two sides had agreed to revive an International Monitoring Team (IMT) of ceasefire observers and an ad hoc joint action group which would try to isolate Muslim militants from criminal groups in rebel-controlled areas.

Land conflict

The two bodies pulled out more than a year ago after violence escalated in Muslim areas in the south following a Supreme Court ruling that stopped a deal between Manila and the Milf that expanded an autonomous Muslim region.

The deal seeks to put an end to a conflict that goes back decades

Non-Muslims in the region objected that the deal posed a threat to their land ownership.

Analysts note that although it is often described in religious terms - pitting Muslims against a Catholic-dominant majority - the conflict has been focused on ownership of resource-rich land.

More than 1,000 people were killed and nearly 750,000 people were displaced by fighting between security forces and Muslim rebels from August 2008 until July this year.

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(Astronaut) Wubbo Ockels on time and gravity

TEDx Amsterdam, Monique van Dusseldorp on November 27, 2009 at 10:37 am

Prof. dr. Wubbo J. Ockels is a Dutch physicist, and also the Netherlands’ original astronaut. He is a Professor of Aerospace Sustainable Engineering and Technology at the University of Delft, and tries to stimulate a mentality change among Dutch citizens.

In his mind-bending TEDxAmsterdam talk, Ockels explains how ‘time’ is created by human beings, as a way our brains can make sense of gravity. The speed of light is constant, because it is made by us: it’s the clock by which we have calibrated our existence. Based on this premise, Ockels proposes a new way to explore life in our galaxy.

TEDxAmsterdam: Wubbo Ockels from TEDxAmsterdam on Vimeo.

“The original Dutch astronaut, Professor Wubbo J. Ockels, sliced through the atmosphere of self-congratulation to give a mind-bending talk, based on his experiences in space. He started by berating the audience for pretending to understand the universe and mysteriously declaring, “I know what it is that you don’t know yet and it will change your life”. What we didn’t know, and were told, was that time is a creation of life, since it’s the only way our brains can make sense of gravity. This can be pithily put in the very post-Cartesian phrase: “I live, therefore time passes”. Such a view isn’t a new notion philosophically (Heidegger suggested being and time determine each other reciprocally), nor physiologically (which acknowledges time is a construct of the central nervous system) but it was not treated with seriousness in physics.”

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Iran nuclear scientist 'abducted by US'

BBC News,

Manouchehr Mottaki accused the US of abducting the scientist in Saudi Arabia

Iran has accused the US of abducting one of its nuclear scientists who has been missing since June.

Shahram Amiri disappeared in Saudi Arabia while on a Muslim pilgrimage.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told journalists the Iranians expected the US to return Mr Amiri, and asked the Saudis to co-operate too.

Another Iranian official admitted on Tuesday that Mr Amiri was a nuclear scientist, something Tehran had not confirmed in previous announcements.

"Based on existing pieces of evidence that we have at our disposal the Americans had a role in Mr Amiri's abduction," Mr Mottaki said.

"The Americans did abduct him. Therefore we expect the American government to return him."

Mr Amiri worked as a researcher at Tehran's Malek Ashtar University, according to Iran's state-run Press TV channel.

However, some reports said he had also been employed by Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, and had wanted to seek asylum abroad.

Iranian officials had refused to confirm this until now.

Mr Amiri was a nuclear scientist, news agency Mehr quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as confirming.

"Riyadh has handed over Iran's nuclear scientist Amiri to America," Ramin Mehmanparast said.

Washington has denied any knowledge of the scientist.

The US and its Western allies suspect Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons - a claim denied by Tehran.

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Indonesian President Declares ‘Jihad’ on Corruption

The Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman & Camelia Pasandaran

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivering a nationally televised speech from the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday night ahead of World Anti-Corruption Day. (Photo: Widodo S. Jusuf, Antara)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday night sought to regain the high ground in Indonesia’s drive to wipe out corruption, terming it a “jihad” and vowing to lead from the front.

But those involved in corruption and their supporters will strike back, Yudhoyono warned in a nationally televised speech ahead of today’s International Anti-Corruption Day, which will see street rallies around the nation.

The president’s speech came amid mounting criticism that he was faltering in his determination to tackle corruption, especially following his reluctance to deal quickly with drawn-out graft scandals involving law-enforcement agencies, members of his government and allegedly his own political party.

“I will lead the jihad against corruption,” Yudhoyono said. “Corruption has now become a common enemy.” He added that groups that had benefited from a past environment tolerant of corruption “will certainly not stay idle and they will use whatever means to halt our efforts.”

Anticorruption rallies will be allowed to proceed today, he said, but they should be orderly and peaceful. Yudhoyono, meanwhile, will leave for Bali to attend a conference.

Yudhoyono on Sunday claimed he had information that today’s planned protests would include efforts to undermine his presidency. Security officials have pointed to a recent meeting at a hotel allegedly involving activists, public leaders and politicians.

Activists have denied the claims. “We believe that the government has made wrong assumptions based on false information,” said Usman Hamid, of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). “Police showed us the minutes of the meeting, which were completely different from the actual discussion. We were just planning the rally and establishing the short- and long-term goals for the fight against corruption.”

Fadjroel Rachman, of the Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition (Kompak), said the president’s suspicions may have inspired some groups to take over the rallies to push their own political agendas.

“That is why last Friday we submitted details of our plans and registered the members of those organizations [taking part] in the rally. This is to avoid the presence of illegal protesters and organizations,” Fadjroel said.

Reacting to the president’s speech on Tuesday, he said Yudhoyono had little reason to boast about the country’s progress against corruption, as reflected in a slight increase in the country’s corruption perception index, from 2.6 last year to 2.8 this year, according to Transparency International.

“Improving 0.2 points is insignificant, and we are far behind Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia,” he said.

In his speech, Yudhoyono also seemed to voice support for the harried Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). “A strong and capable KPK is still very much needed. Therefore I approve of wiretapping by the authorities but it should also be appropriately and properly regulated,” he said.

In a move widely criticized by activists as designed to weaken the KPK, Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring is pushing for a law that would regulate the body’s wiretapping powers.

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EU: Jerusalem should be capital of two states

BBC News

Israel recently approved new construction in East Jerusalem

European Union ministers have called for Jerusalem to serve as the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state as part of a negotiated peace.

The foreign ministers dropped an earlier reference stating explicitly that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a Palestinian state.

Palestinians welcomed the statement, while Israel said it was "nothing new".

Jerusalem's status is one of the most sensitive and complex issues of the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states," the statement from EU foreign minsters said.

"The EU will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties."

Israel, which captured the West Bank in 1967, currently claims sovereignty over the entire city, and claims it as its capital.

Its government welcomed what it called the "balancing and improving" of the EU text, but said it ignored "the primary obstacle to achieving a resolution between Israel and the Palestinians: the Palestinian refusal to return to the negotiating table".

"Israel regrets that the EU has chosen to adopt a text that, although containing nothing new, does not contribute to the renewal of negotiations," it said.

Rafik Alhussieni, chief of staff to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said: "The statement as a whole is satisfactory because it says that Jerusalem should be the capital of both states and because it refers to the land as occupied land... and mentions that the settlements are illegal and built on occupied land."

On Monday, scores of Palestinians had protested at the French and Swedish consulates in Jerusalem in support of the Swedish EU presidency's proposal for an explicit reference on the east of the city, AFP news agency reported.

Israeli claims of sovereignty over Jerusalem are recognised internationally, and East Jerusalem is considered to be occupied territory.

Palestinians hope to establish the capital of their future state in East Jerusalem.