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Posts Tagged ‘Asia-Pacific’

Japan executes death row inmates

July 28th, 2009 | No Comments

Map

Japan has executed three death row inmates convicted of murder – the country’s first hangings in six months.

One killed two women; another used the internet to find victims considering suicide; the third was from China and killed three Chinese people.

The executions are the first under a new system that combines citizens and professional judges to together decide on serious criminal cases.

Japan and the US are the only developed nations to apply the death penalty.

Japan’s previous executions were carried out in January, when four convicted murderers were hanged.

The latest convicts to be executed were Japanese nationals Hiroshi Maeue, 40, and Yukio Yamaji, 25, and 41-year-old Chinese national Chen Detong.

Maeue, executed in Osaka, killed three people in 2005 after he met them through an internet website for people planning to commit suicide.

Yamaji, also executed in Osaka, raped and then stabbed to death two sisters in 2005.

Chen was executed in Tokyo for killing three of his compatriots and injuring three more in Kawasaki, southwest of Tokyo, in 1999.

The death penalty receives widespread support in Japan, but the executions are regularly criticised by the European Union and anti-death penalty campaign groups.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Test case

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

By Nick Bryant
BBC News, Sydney

An Australian receives a swine flu vaccination in Adelaide - 24 July 2009

Australia is currently living through what the northern hemisphere will soon have to confront: a winter with swine flu.

Public health officials in countries like the UK and US are therefore looking upon Australia as a global case study, and seeing what lessons they can glean from the country’s handling of the pandemic.

Distance offered no protection for this far-flung country, and swine flu reached its shores in early May.

Since then, more than 40 people have died and more than 16,000 have been infected. There has been no sense of public panic, despite the fact that Melbourne for a time was dubbed the "swine flu capital of the world", the city with the highest concentration of cases.

With New Zealand hit first, Australia had a few crucial weeks to refine its response.

It prepared public information adverts, warning people to be careful to wash their hands and quickly rolled out thermal-imaging cameras at international airports to try to identify air travellers arriving with the virus.

If there was a vulnerability, it was at the ports. For a time, cruise passengers set foot in the country without being checked.

Although a swimming meet was cancelled in June, sports fixtures have not been disrupted and neither have other public gatherings.

People are going around wearing protective masks, and the swine flu outbreak has not even dominated the headlines in recent times, although it has received extensive coverage.

Risk to Aborigines

Some affected schools have been shut, because Australia has realised that children are the so-called "super-spreaders" of H1N1.

Therein lies a lesson for the northern hemisphere, according to Professor Raina MacIntyre, from the University of New South Wales.

"Shutting schools is probably the key non-pharmaceuticals intervention and social distancing intervention that can have an impact," he said.

"We’ve had controversy here about things like banning sports fixtures and mass gatherings, and so on. But they have less of an impact than school closures because children are one of the key reservoirs of infection and transmission."

Australia’s indigenous population is at particular risk from swine flu

World response to swine flu crisis

Correspondents’ round-up

Aboriginal boy outside shop in outback town of Wadeye in the Northern Terrritory, Australia - 1 June 2009

The vulnerable groups in Australia are similar to those elsewhere, she says: the young, pregnant women and the obese.

But indigenous Australians have also been at particular risk, partly because so many Aborigines tend to suffer from underlying medical conditions, and the provision of healthcare is not as good in the Outback communities where many of them live.

Then there is the problem of poor living conditions, which can accelerate the spread of the disease.

Last week, Alf Lacey, the Mayor of Palm Island, off the Queensland coast, described how 15 residents were living in a three-bedroom house.

It is thought 400 Palm Islanders have been infected out of a population of 3,500.

Last week, a pregnant woman suffering from swine flu was airlifted off the island. She lost her unborn child.

Vaccine trials

Elsewhere in Australia, intensive care units have come under a lot of pressure, and there has been a heightened demand for last-resort cardiac bypass machines which oxygenate the blood in cases where the lungs are particularly badly diseased or damaged.

One hospital in Sydney reported that it normally treats about five patients a year using these ECMO machines, as they are called. In the past few weeks alone, it has treated double that number.

Last week, Australia started human trials of a swine flu vaccine in Melbourne and Adelaide, the first in the world.

It is hoped that the vaccine will be available by October, and the Australian government has already ordered 21 million doses. The companies developing the vaccine are also looking to sell it abroad.

By then, it will be springtime in Australia. But one of the lessons this country has learnt from the northern hemisphere is that swine flu can spread even at the height of summer.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Arroyo denies plan to extend term

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo raises his hands during her state of the nation address

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has denied planning to extend her time in office beyond next year.

In her annual state of the nation address to Congress, she said she would not seek to change the constitution and seek a second six-year term in power.

Protesters have warned of civil unrest if she does not step down when her current term ends next June.

Mrs Arroyo also used her annual address to discuss the prospects for peace with Islamic rebels in the restive south.

In a nearly hour-long speech, she then defended her government’s achievements in education and improvements in infrastructure.

Opposition accusations

Under the Philippine constitution, a president should technically serve just one six-year term.

Protesters burn an effigy of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inside a mock tank near the Philippine Congress on 27 July 2009

When Mrs Arroyo came to power in 2001, she replaced Joseph Estrada and served to the end of his term before taking over for her own term in 2004.

In recent months, her opponents have accused her of trying to amend the country’s constitution to stay in power.

Many opposition supporters came out to protest as she made her address to Congress on Monday.

But Mrs Arroyo said: "I have never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term."

She added that she would defend democracy if threatened by violence in her last months in power – which analysts are taking as a warning to anyone plotting to remove her from office before her term is up.

The 62-year-old leader – the daughter of late president Diosdado Macapagal – has already survived several coup attempts and impeachment bids.

Later this week Mrs Arroyo is due to meet US President Barack Obama at the White House.

She told Congress that security issues and terrorism would be on the agenda for their talks.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

China anger at Kadeer Tokyo visit

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

Rebiya Kadeer in Washington, DC - 10 July 2009

China’s ambassador to Japan has reacted angrily to a planned visit to Tokyo by exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer.

China holds that Mrs Kadeer was behind an outbreak of ethnic unrest in China’s Xinjiang province earlier in July, in which nearly 200 people died.

Mrs Kadeer, once a businesswoman in China and now leader of the exile group the World Uighur Congress, denies any involvement with the violence.

Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai called Mrs Kadeer a criminal.

"How would the people of Japan feel if a violent crime occurs in Japan and its mastermind is invited by a third country" Mr Cui was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

He hinted that the visit could harm relations between China and Japan.

"We must prevent important matters that should be worked on together from being disturbed by a criminal or attention to our common interests from being diverted," he said.

Mrs Kadeer is to meet members of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and give a news conference during her five-day visit, beginning on Tuesday.

She was imprisoned in China for six years until 2005 on charges of endangering national security. She now lives in the US.

Xinjiang riots

Nearly 200 people – mostly Han Chinese – died in the clashes between Uighurs and Han Chinese in the western province of Xinjiang, according to Chinese officials. Uighur exiles say hundreds of Uighurs were killed.

The unrest began on 5 July during a protest by Uighurs over a brawl in southern China in late June in which two people were killed.

China’s Uighurs are concentrated in Xinjiang but complain their rights and culture are being overridden by an influx of Han migrants from outside the region.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

China, Taiwan in direct exchange

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

breaking news

The leaders of China and Taiwan have exchanged direct messages for the first time in more than 60 years.

China’s President Hu Jintao sent his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou a telegram congratulating him on his election to head of the ruling party.

Mr Ma responded, suggesting that they "put aside disputes", a statement from Mr Ma’s KMT party said.

Mr Ma was elected president last year on pledges to improve ties. The two sides split in 1949 amid civil war. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Playful dolphin stops NZ swimmer returning to shore

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

Moko the dolphin

A New Zealand swimmer got into difficulty when a friendly dolphin stopped her returning to shore.

The woman had been swimming with the dolphin, called Moko, at Mahia Beach on the North Island. But the playful dolphin did not want the fun to end.

People at a nearby cafe eventually heard her cries for help, and rowed out to her rescue.

She was found, exhausted and extremely cold, clinging to a buoy. She said the dolphin had meant no harm.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, was wearing a wetsuit. But even that eventually failed to protect her from the winter cold.

Panic

She told the Gisborne Herald newspaper: "I went out by myself quite late, which probably was not the wisest thing to do.

"We were playing around for a while but then when I wanted to go back in, he just wanted to keep playing. I became exhausted and started to panic."

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Moko took up residence at Mahia Beach, south of Gisborne, two years ago, and has become a major attraction.

During the summer, hundreds of people take to the water to play with him. But there are fewer people around in the winter, and residents believe he gets lonely and bored.

Moko, a three-year-old bottlenose dolphin, gained worldwide fame in March last year, when he was seen coming to the rescue of two pygmy sperm whales.

The whales – a mother and daughter – were exhausted and confused, unable to find their way past a sandbar. Moko was seen guiding them down a narrow channel to safety.

But scientists are concerned about Moko’s welfare. In a recent study they found he had been scarred by boats and a fish hook.

They pointed out that of the 30 "lone" dolphins identified around the world, 14 had already been injured or had died as a result of their interaction with humans. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Closing arguments in Burma trial

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

Poster of Aung San Suu Kyi in Seoul, South Korea - 21/6/2009

The prosecution in the military government’s trial of the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is to deliver its closing arguments.

Ms Suu Kyi faces five years in prison if she is convicted of having violated her house arrest when a American man swam to her lakeside home uninvited.

Her lawyers – who delivered their final statement on Friday – say they expect a verdict in two to three weeks.

Unusually, diplomats have been allowed into the court for this session.

Lawyers read closing arguments for the other defendants, two of Ms Suu Kyi’s housemaids and John Yettaw, the American intruder.

The prosecution may wrap up its case against Suu Kyi later on Monday, court officials said.

Poll ploy

A verdict is not expected yet, however.

"I expect all the arguments will be made today but I think the verdict might take as long as two or three weeks," said Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win.

Timeline: Aung San Suu Kyi trial

Poster of Aung San Suu Kyi in a cage, in a protest in Tokyo

The trial has been held mostly behind closed doors, but diplomats from the United States, Singapore, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia were allowed to attend the session, one of the diplomats told reporters.

Hundreds of NLD members and supporters of Ms Suu Kyi rallied outside Insein Prison where she has been held since May. About 10 truckloads of security personnel were seen in the area.

Ms Suu Kyi, 64, has spent nearly 14 of the last 20 years in detention, much of it at her Rangoon home.

Polls are planned by the military government for some time next year. Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won the last elections in 1988 but was never allowed to take power.

The trial, which had been expected to wrap up in days when it started, has dragged on for more than two months.

Prosecutors argue that Aung San Suu Kyi must be held responsible for the midnight swim to her home by the American well-wisher, John Yettaw, in early May.

Her lawyers have argued that the law she has been charged under is part of a constitution abolished 25 years ago.

In any case, they say, she cannot be responsible for the incident as she was living under tightly-guarded house arrest at the time.

BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head says the fact that some defence witnesses and foreign observers have been allowed shows that the government belatedly recognised the anger stirred up around the world by trying Ms Suu Kyi on such bizarre charges.

But, our correspondent adds, all the indications are that she will still be found guilty. Burma’s ruling generals fear her popularity, and do not want her to play any role in next year’s election.

Police vehicles parked near Insein Prison, Burma, 10 July

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

N Korea hints at ‘specific’ talks

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

North Korean spokesman Ri Hung Sik in Phuket, Thailand - 23 July 2009

North Korea has again insisted it would not return to six-party talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear weapons programmes.

But it has hinted it was still open to some form of dialogue.

"There is a specific and reserved form of dialogue that can address the current situation," state media quoted a foreign ministry statement.

The note follows an exchange of insults between the North and the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week.

The ministry statement quoted by North Korean media did not elaborate on what form any new dialogue could take.

Some analysts saw the statement as a sign that after a series of provocations to the international community, North Korea may now be ready to find a way to ease tension.

But it was clear that the North believes that past patterns of persuasion or pressure for Pyongyang to rejoin talks with China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the United States were over.

"Any attempt to side with those who claim the resumption of the six-party talks without grasping the essence of the matter will not help ease tension," the foreign ministry spokesman said in the statement.

Six or two

North Korea’s UN envoy, Sin Son-ho, had said on Friday that Pyongyang was not opposed to negotiations with the US, but that it would not return to the six-party format.

In the past, the North has demanded talks only with the US, something Washington has previously been loath to do.

North Korea’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper also said Sunday that the country’s envoy told an Asian security conference in Thailand last week that the nuclear standoff was a matter only between Pyongyang and Washington.

The US says it is willing to hold direct talks with the North within the six-nation process if it returns to the negotiating table and takes irreversible steps for denuclearisation.

North Korean missile

On Sunday, Mrs Clinton said on NBC television that the six-party talk framework was "the appropriate way to engage with North Korea."

The North quit the multilateral disarmament talks after the UN Security Council imposed tough sanctions after the North launched nuclear and missile tests.

These include an expanded arms embargo and beefed up inspections of air, sea and land shipments going to and from North Korea.

Speaking at an Asian regional forum in Thailand last week Mrs Clinton said North Korea had no friends to protect it from international efforts to end its nuclear programme.

Separately, a spokesman in Pyongyang described Mrs Clinton as a "funny lady" – responding to her comments that North Korea’s behaviour was that of an unruly child.

"Her words suggest that she is by no means intelligent," the spokesman said, quoted by state news agency KCNA.

"Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping. Anyone making misstatements has to pay for them."

</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Islamic school ban sparks protest

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

Anti-Islamic immigration slogan on protester's hat, May 2008

Hundreds of people have protested against a government’s decision to scrap plans to build an Islamic school in Australia’s biggest city, Sydney.

Parents and prospective students have said the decision was unfair and racist.

Islamic groups have insisted that the Muslim community in Australia, which is comparatively young and fast-growing, needs more tailor-made education.

Construction of the school had been due to start this week.

Plans to build an Islamic school for 1,200 students in the Sydney suburb of Bass Hill survived objections from residents, the local council and legal challenges only to be scrapped at the last minute by the New South Wales government.

Construction was due to begin but the state has intervened to buy back the land it sold several years ago.

Busloads of angry parents and their children have demonstrated outside the education department, calling on the authorities to allow the project to go ahead.

‘Un-Australian’

A spokesman for the protestors, Rafik Hussein, says the government has made a big mistake.

"We do not accept that decision. It is un-Australian," Mr Hussein said.

"It goes against the basis of, you know, what we call for as Australians; integration, cohesion and for them, look, they have just pulled this one out the hat.

"It is a shocking decision, you know. It is unfair and it is unjust," he said.

Some campaigners have said the debate has been laced with racial and religious intolerance.

Supporters of the plan to build the Islamic school believe that residents’ concerns about noise and traffic congestion have become a euphemism for prejudice.

Education officials have denied that race has played any part in their decision.

They have said there are more pressing needs for the site at Bass Hill and want instead to build a special school to cater for about 40 children with disabilities.

There are more than a dozen Islamic colleges in New South Wales.

Community leaders have said that Australia’s rapidly-growing Muslim population needs more faith-based education. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Mongolian wilds inspire UN’s Ban

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

By Michael Kohn
BBC News, Ulan Bator

A man stands up to his thighs in water, and more rain falls on Ulan Bator

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been in the wilds of Mongolia, travelling over rough roads to meet a nomad family.

He has attended a traditional sports festival and visited a nature reserve.

Mr Ban’s primary reason for visiting the north Asian country is to learn how climate change affects the far-flung corners of the globe.

Desertification and deforestation are major threats to Mongolia’s nomads, despite recent flooding in the capital.

Child jockeys serenaded their horses before a 10km (six-mile) horse race across the vast plains of central Mongolia.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon watched with delight as the horses galloped across the plains.

Traditional Mongolian wrestling followed and then Mr Ban tried his hand at archery, launching an arrow into the blue sky.

He finished off the day spotting wild horses at a nature reserve before bunking down in a traditional felt ger, the portable home of the nomads.

map

But the countryside tour was not all fun and games.

The visit is Mr Ban’s latest effort in his goal to learn about how climate change affects remote countries like Mongolia.

Mr Ban discussed desertification and deforestation with local herders who breed sheep, cows and horses on diminishing pastures.

Democracy and privatisation were enshrined in a new constitution, but the collapse of the economy after the withdrawal of Soviet support triggered widespread poverty and unemployment in the sparsely-populated, landlocked country.

Mr Ban has previously visited environmental hotspots such as the melting icecaps of the Antarctic and the rainforests of Brazil, hoping to keep the spotlight focused on global warming.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Sole candidate wins Macau top job

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

Chinese flag at Macau's St Paul's Cathedral, May 08

The single candidate in a controlled committee vote for Macau’s new chief executive has won the job.

Former Social and Cultural Affairs Secretary Fernando Chui had earlier secured support from 286 of the 300-member nomination committee.

Coverage of his win focused on why only 282 people actually cast their vote for him, as small protests were held criticising the lack of democracy.

A few of those allowed to vote refused to do so for the same reason.

Mr Chui will succeed Edmund Ho in December as the second chief executive since Macau’s return to Chinese rule.

Macau, a former Portuguese colony, was made a special administrative region of under Chinese rule in 1999, as neighbour and former British colony Hong Kong was in 1997.

But Hong Kong secured stronger guarantees of autonomy and has a stronger democratic movement.

Mr Chui is a scion of one of Macau’s elite families, as his predecessor was, in a territory known for its tight links between government and business.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.