PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (PDMIN)
1 Jarrett White Road MCPA-DM, Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000
Telephone: 808.433.7035 · [email protected] · http://www.coe-dmha.org
Asia-Pacific Daily Report
December 7, 2004
Afghanistan
Report says US defense department did not act on FBI's complaints about
prison abuse at US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
The US Department of Defense (DoD) was aware of prisoner abuse at its
detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as early as 2002, says a report by
the Associated Press (AP). According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
letter obtained by AP, FBI agents witnessed what they call “highly aggressive
interrogation techniques” used against terror suspects detained at Guantanamo
Bay. The AP report suggests that DoD authorities did not act on the FBI’s
complaints about prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay which were documented
as early as October 2002. Brigadier General Jay Hood, the current commander
of the mission at Guantanamo Bay, said allegations of mistreatment and abuse
are taken seriously and investigated. He said appropriate actions were taken,
however, some allegations were still under investigation. Human rights groups
have long raised concerns about the alleged abuse of prisoners held at a
network of secretive US jails across Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay. The
military has often dismissed such allegations. However, following the reports of
prisoner abuses by US military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which
surfaced in the media earlier this year, US detention facilities elsewhere also
drew public attention. More than 500 terror suspects are still being held at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba without any legal representation. The US government
has been criticized for violating international laws on prisoners of war and the
rights of prisoners. However, US authorities have said that the detainees were
enemy combatants and not prisoners of war and were not subject to protections
of the Geneva Conventions.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=308179
Hamid Karzai sworn in as Afghanistan's first directly elected president
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was sworn in today (Tuesday, December 7) as
the first directly elected president of Afghanistan. US Vice President Dick Cheney
and US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were among some 150 foreign
dignitaries who attended Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony in the heavily fortified
presidential palace in the capital Kabul. Amid threats of attacks by Taliban and
al-Qaeda militants, ordinary Afghans were urged to stay at home. Despite the
threat by the Taliban to disrupt the inauguration ceremony, the inauguration went
through peacefully. In his acceptance speech that was broadcast live, Karzai
said, “I must hasten to say that our fight against terrorism is not yet over.” He
said, “The relationship between terrorism, and narcotics, however, and the
continued threat of extremism in the region and the world at large are a source of
continued concern.” Karzai said disarming the private militias, combating the
drug trade, ending corruption and forging national unity among various Afghan
ethnic groups and tribes would be his goals over the next five years. In a joint
press conference with Vice President Cheney earlier in the day, Karzai said,
“Today whatever we have achieved -- the peace ... the reconstruction ... the fact
that Afghanistan is again a respected member of the international community -- is
because of the help that the United States of America gave us.” He added,
“Without that help, Afghanistan would be in the hands of terrorists, destroyed,
poverty stricken and without it's children going to school or getting an education."
Following the taking of the oath of his office, Karzai swore in his two deputies,
Ahmad Zia Massood and Karim Khalili, who represent the country's two largest
ethnic minorities, the Tajik and Hazara, respectively. Karzai is expected to
announce his cabinet by next week. According to reports, Karzai is in discussions
with his archrival Yunus Qanuni, for a possible cabinet position in his new
government. Separately, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is warning that
despite the political gains, Afghanistan faces broad security threats, adding that
the withdrawal of international troops would risk the country falling back into
chaos. He said, “Without substantial progress in addressing the source of
insecurity, reconstruction efforts and the establishment of viable state institution
would continue to falter.”
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/07/afghanistan.inauguration/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/4074175.stm
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=308288
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/29ea66ee64dfe2bd49256f6300085898?OpenDocument
Cambodia
International donors agree to more than US$500 million in aid to Cambodia
for 2005 in return for anti-corruption reforms
International donors at the Consultative Group meeting in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia have pledged some US$504 million in aid to Cambodia for 2005 at the
close of the two-day meeting. Cambodian Finance Minister Keat Chhon promised
that the funds would be used “in a transparent and accountable manner,” the
BBC reports. Donors would only commit to the first year, even though Phnom
Penh was hoping for some US$1.8 billion over three years. International aid
accounts for some 50% of the national budget. The donors, which include the
UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the US and Japan, say they will
assess in one year whether or not Cambodia has made progress reforms and in
fighting corruption. The World Bank’s Ian Porter says that Cambodia has agreed
to pass anti-corruption legislation, establish a legal framework and bring key
cases to trial, the BBC reports. A study by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) estimates that up to US$500 million in public funds is lost
to corruption every year in Cambodia, while a World Bank survey says that more
than 80% of companies say they have suffered because of corruption.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4075763.stm
India
Government in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state rules out second
round of talks with Maoist rebels
The government in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state yesterday ruled out a
second round of talks with the leftist People’s War Group (PWG) rebel group,
saying that the atmosphere was not “conducive.” “We are observing restraint, but
Maoist groups are indulging in attacks and extortion,” said state Home Minister K
Jana Reddy, saying that despite an unprecedented ceasefire since June this
year, there have been reports of rebel violence in districts around the state. The
rebel group has also claimed that security forces have violated the ceasefire.
Since the rebels and the government held a first round of unprecedented peace
talks in mid-October, there has been growing uncertainty over whether another
round would take place. The state government has insisted that the rebels lay
down arms to facilitate dialogue, while the PWG has said they will not give up
armed struggle. The PWG had merged with another leftist rebel group, the
Maoist Communist Center (MCC), as well other smaller leftist groups, to form the
Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M), shortly before the talks in October.
Yesterday, CPI-M representative, Kalayan Rao, asked for the extension of the
six-month ceasefire beyond December 16 and a probe into alleged violations of
the ceasefire by security forces. The creation of the CPI-M raised concerns that
the merger consolidates the power of leftist rebel groups in the region and could
pose a greater security threat. In June this year, the newly-elected Congress
Party-led Andhra Pradesh government lifted a ban on the group to pave the way
for the ceasefire and peace talks. The PWG says that it is fighting for poor,
landless peasants and tribal groups. The PWG is also active in Madhya Pradesh,
Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand states, while the MCC is based in Bihar and is also
active in the region. More than 6,000 people have died in the PWG’s 23-year
insurgency, while more than 850 have died since the MCC began its insurgency
in 1987. Both groups are on the US State Department list of terrorist
organizations.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1139964,000900020004.htm
http://www.kashmirtimes.com/front.htm
Naga separatist leaders meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Separatist leaders from the Isak-Muviah faction of the Nationalist Socialist
Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) today met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and said they were committed to resolving the decades-old Naga conflict
through talks, said Sanjay Baru, press adviser to the prime minister. Singh also
said today that the government was committed to finding a “mutually acceptable
solution” for the northeastern state of Nagaland and that members of the Naga
ethnic minority had a right to a life of dignity. There were no reports of any
progress made on major dispute points between the two sides, including the
NSCN-IM’s controversial demand to expand Nagaland to include Nagadominated areas in neighboring states. Next week, the rebel leaders are
scheduled to visit Nagaland, which some have not seen for decades, before
returning later to New Delhi for another round of talks. The current meeting in
New Delhi, which was postponed from last month, was only the second time that
NSCN-IM leaders held direct talks with India’s prime minister. In landmark talks
last year, NSCN-IM leaders met with then prime minister Atal Vajpayee and other
top government officials in New Delhi. The government has been holding
sporadic talks with the group in European and Asian countries since a 1997
ceasefire. Naga rebels have been fighting for autonomy for more than 50 years
and more than 15,000 have been killed in the fighting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/4071121.stm
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=62101
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1140802,00080001.htm
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041207/ap/d86qqg701.html
Indonesia
At least 12 killed as Aceh separatists mark anniversary of independence
fight
The Indonesian military says that at least 12 people have been killed in three
days of separate clashes across restive Aceh province. The military reports that
at least 8 rebels died during operations over the weekend. Additionally, 4 rebels
were arrested and 20 others reportedly surrendered to Indonesian officials. In a
separate clash, an Indonesian soldier was killed, along with two rebels, while in
other fighting, another rebel was reported killed. The spike in violence occurs as
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists mark the 28th anniversary of their
struggle for independence. The GAM had been founded on December 4, 1976.
The military had warned beforehand that it would take action to prevent any
celebrations in the province. The military launched a major offensive in Aceh in
May 2003, after peace talks fell through. In May of this year, martial law in the
province was downgraded to a state of civil emergency. The state of civil
emergency was recently in November extended for another 6 months. Last
week, General Endriartono Sutarto said that a total of 3,216 GAM rebels have
been killed since the Indonesian military launched their all-out offensive against
the Aceh separatists. Some 13,000 people have died since the GAM began its
fight for a separate state. In other news, Indonesian officials have arrested the
governor of Aceh, Abdullah Puteh, for alleged corruption. He is reportedly the
first high profile suspect to be arrested since new president Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono promised that fighting corruption would be one of his priorities.
Puteh will be charged by Indonesia’s new anti-corruption committee. Puteh’s
lawyers say that their client is innocent and that his arrest was politically
motivated, the BBC reports.
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1259320.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4075035.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A0D8961A-472B-40A1-AF35-302541D27A80.htm
More heavy rains
expected in Indonesia’s
East Java province
Indonesia’s Meteorology
and Geophysics Agency
(BMG) warns that more
towns in East Java
province will likely
experience flooding or
landslides because of
heavy rains and strong
winds which are expected
in the province this week.
The BMG says that the
problems will be
exacerbated because
much of the area has
been cleared of its
protective forests by
illegal logging. Official
statistics say that some
65 percent of the
province’s total 1.3 million
hectares (3.2 million acres) of forest has been chopped down, the Jakarta Post
reports. BMG’s technical division head, Mohammad Ewffendi says that heavy
rain and winds could hit East Java over the next three to five days. “Currently, we
are seeing the early form of a tropical storm over the southern part of the Java
Sea. In the next five days, the speed of the wind could reach up to 60 kilometers
(37 mph) an hour,” he said. Up to 15 people have been killed since Friday
(December 3), after several days of heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in
Indonesia’s East Java province. Officials are blaming the mudslides and flooding
on illegal logging that has decimated the landscape around the area. The rains
reportedly began last Wednesday (December 1). Additionally, Indonesian
officials say that more than 20,000 people have been forced to flee hardest-hit
Blitar, located some 460 miles (740 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Jakarta.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20041207.A07
Myanmar
Indian Naga rebels say Myanmar military has destroyed rebel camp in
Myanmar’s western
region
Kughalo Mulatonu, the
leader of the Khaplang
faction of the Indian
rebel NSCN (NSCN-K)
group, said today that
Myanmar has overrun a
key base of the Indian
rebel United Liberation
Front of Assam (ULFA)
along the Chidwin River
in northern Myanmar.
ULFA is fighting for an
independent homeland
in India’s northeastern
Assam state, while the
NSCN-K is fighting for
the Naga ethnic group
in nearby Nagaland
state. He said that the
NSCN-K has lost 5 to 6
camps since the
Myanmar military
launched its offensive
against Indian rebel
camps in the western
Sagaing division along
the border with
northeast India about a
week ago. Mulatonu
claimed that the
Myanmar military
operations are aimed at
5,000 rebels in some
50 camps in Sagaing.
India had also launched
a military operation against rebel camps along the Myanmar border in India’s
Manipur state in late October. Although officials say they have the cooperation of
Myanmar, they deny the operation is a joint one. The ULFA reportedly set up
base in Myanmar following a massive crackdown on Indian rebel camps in
nearby Bhutan last December and earlier this year, which was reportedly done
with Indian military logistical support. The NSCN-K has been observing a
ceasefire with New Delhi since 2001, although peace talks are yet to begin. In
October this year, Myanmar leader Than Shwe reportedly made a pledge to
cooperate with India in cracking down on Indian rebels on its soil. Myanmar last
launched an operation against the NSCN and other Indian rebels in 2001, killing
at least a dozen separatists. India’s northeast is home to about 30 to 40 rebel
groups and is surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
More than 50,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in India’s northeast
since India’s independence in 1947.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1140690,000900030004.htm
Philippines
Libyan officials arrive to monitor ceasefire in the southern Philippines;
Military carries out attack on alleged rebel hideout
Two Libyan officials
arrived in Manila
yesterday (December 6)
as part of an
international monitoring
team (IMT) for a
ceasefire between the
government and the
rebel Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF)
in the southern
Mindanao region. The
two officials will fly to the
southern city of Cotabato
(in Maguindanao
province) tomorrow
(December 8) together
with 50 monitor
members from Malaysia
and another 10 from
Brunei. The team will
review ceasefire
violations and decide on
complaints from peace committees from both sides. In recent months, the IMT
has investigated a few reported skirmishes between the government and the
MILF, although none have escalated. In addition, 2 more Libyan representatives
are expected, although their arrival date is uncertain. Other representatives from
Bahrain are also expected to arrive in January. Libyan representative Mohamed
Suwaisi pointed out yesterday that Libya had been instrumental in the Tripoli
Agreement of 1976 and the peace settlement with another major rebel group, the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Since a low-level conflict in Mindanao
last year and a subsequent renewed ceasefire in July 2003, peace talks between
the MILF and the government, expected to be held in Malaysia, have been
repeatedly postponed. The 12,000-strong MILF has been fighting for an
independent state in the southern Philippines since 1978. Meanwhile, the
Philippine military chief of staff Lt. General Efren Abu yesterday said that the
leader of the rebel Abu Sayyaf group, Khaddafy Janjalani, is believed to be
hiding in a central Mindanao area controlled by the MILF, but apparently against
the wishes of the rebel group. He said that the military could not enter the areas
because of the current ceasefire. The MILF has denied the allegations, saying
that they endanger the ceasefire. Government concerns that the MILF may be
harboring Abu Sayyaf and al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members have
been obstacles in the peace process. Meanwhile, troops on Sunday (December
5) raided a suspected safehouse of the rebel Abu Sayyaf group in the western
Mindanao city of Zamboanga. One alleged rebel commander was killed and 4
others detained.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041206/ap/d86q17i83.html
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=Provincial&OID=64641
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/f1bfb60a67011226c1256f6200374b10?OpenDocument
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041205/ap/d86peodg4.html
Death toll rises to at least 740 as bad weather, lack of funding reportedly
slow relief
The death toll from
floods and landslides
from a series of storms
in the northern Luzon
region of the
Philippines rose to at
least 740 today as bad
weather, damaged
infrastructure and
stretched relief funds
reportedly slowed relief.
According to the mayor
of Real, one of three
worst-affected towns in
Quezon province, at
least 3 mountain villages remained isolated from rescuers, although they were
not believed to be severely affected. Mayor Arsenio Ramallosa said that food,
water and medicine were badly needed. Hundreds of residents in the areas were
reportedly leaving due to lack of food, water and shelter. Real and the nearby
towns of Infanta and General Nakar, were still accessible only by sea or air, due
to blocked roads, although floodwaters were reportedly receding in many areas.
Most of the destruction occurred when a tropical storm, Winnie, hit the
northeastern provinces on November 29 and killed at least 689 people.
According to revised figures by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) today, Typhoon
Nanmadol, which struck the same region three days later, claimed at least 51
lives. According to government figures today, the number of affected people has
doubled to nearly 1 million, while the number of people in relief shelters rose
slightly to about 86,492 in 351 shelters. The Philippine military, government units
under the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC) and the Philippine Red
Cross continued relief and rescue missions. About 35 million pesos
(US$650,000) worth of assistance has been reportedly provided. Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) Secretary Corazon Soliman today said
that the entire 87 million pesos (US$1.55 million) allocated for relief operations
has been spent and the DWSD is seeking up to 70 million pesos (US$1.25
million). Today, House Speaker Jose de Venecia announced the creation of an
emergency rehabilitation fund worth 50 million pesos (US$890,000) to help
rehabilitate the 10 worst-hit provinces. The World Health Organization (WHO) is
reportedly working with the Ministry of Health to prevent waterborne disease
outbreaks and warned that malaria outbreaks can be expected in the next 6-8
weeks. Several foreign governments have donated aid in response to an
international appeal from the Philippine government last week. In the latest
reports, the Spanish government has sent US$79,000, while the Spanish Red
Cross has pledged US$12,000. The Malaysian Red Crescent has pledged
US$10,000, and the Australian Embassy has pledged US$156,000. In addition,
the Singapore government launched a fundraising drive to contribute an initial
US$50,000. The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year.
The deaths so far have made it the worst season since 6,000 were killed by a
typhoon in the central province of Southern Leyte in 1991.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/FlashNewsStory.aspx?FlashOID=21991
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/daa6beb74017c3b285256f62005ca970?OpenDocument
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/98868586f10c4cab49256f63002094d6?OpenDocument
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041207/afp/041207045921asiapacificnews.html
http://www.msnbc.com/id/6666075/
Other World News
Sudan
UN Secretary-General Annan warns that “chaos looming” in Sudan’s Darfur
region
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says that the situation in the warwracked Darfur region of Sudan is quickly deteriorating. “In Darfur, chaos is
looming as order is collapsing,” Annan said in a report to the UN’s Security
Council (UNSC). Annan’s 15-page report to the UNSC says that fighting
between government forces and rebels in Darfur has worsened since late last
month. Up to 2.3 million people, more than a third of Darfur’s estimated preconflict population of six million, are now believed to have been displaced, the
report said. Initial estimates on the number of displaced was put at around 1.2
million. A fourth year of poor harvests has also raised the possibility of famine,
the report warns. The two sides had reached a ceasefire agreement on
November 19 during talks mediated by the African Union and attended by UNSC
members. However, fighting between the rebels, government troops and the
government-backed Janjaweed militias has continued despite the pact. The UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) pulled its staff out of Darfur to protest
government restrictions on aid workers shortly after the accord was signed. The
UN has characterized the situation in the country’s troubled Darfur region, as the
world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Up to 70,000 people are estimated to have
been killed in Darfur. The conflict in Darfur began in early 2003 after rebels
began attacking government targets, claiming that the government was
oppressing Africans in favor of Arabs. The two main rebel groups are the Sudan
Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement. The two groups signed
a peace accord with the government in April, but the ceasefire has not held.
There has reportedly long been tension in the region over land rights, mostly
between nomadic Arab groups and ethnic African groups. The government
admits that it mobilized “self-defense militias,” but says it has no ties to the
Janjaweed miltant group which has been accused of ethnic cleansing.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/12/07/sudan.un/index.html