Anwar wants PM’s guarantee to leave embassy

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will only leave the safety of the Turkish Embassy in Malaysia if he receives a guarantee of personal safety from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“I am here because I fear for my safety, and I will leave only if (Prime Minister) Abdullah and the government can give me assurances and guarantees over my safety,” he told the Straits Times in an interview.

He said he has been told of attempts to not just destroy his political career but also to assassinate him.

Anwar’s decision to seek refuge yesterday at the Turkish embassy came after a police report accusing him of sodomy was lodged a day earlier by an aide.

He said the allegations of sodomy against him smacked of a replay of Malaysia’s political crisis a decade ago, and again involving a conspiracy at the highest levels of government.

The decision by Anwar to seek refuge at an embassy has been described by a Southeast Asian diplomat as a “shrewd tactical move”.

He has internationalised his political predicament, and that could limit the government’s response against his political campaign, analysts say.

Since being released from prison, he has forged a close relationship with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, who heads a mildly Islamic party that rules the country.

Anwar said conditions within the embassy walls were “good”. And from here, analysts say, he can continue to lead the campaign against Abdullah’s government.

Anwar first faced sodomy charges in 1998 after he fell out with his then boss, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar has long maintained that his sacking as deputy premier, convictions on corruption and sodomy charges and subsequent imprisonment were all aimed at preventing him from challenging Dr Mahathir for power.

He served the corruption conviction, but was released in September 2004 after the Federal Court overturned the guilty verdict in the sodomy case.

Anwar said the latest accusations against him represented an attempt by the government to prevent his Opposition coalition from wresting power in Parliament.

“This whole thing is a sheer fabrication. They are using the same script and modus operandi because they know the number of government members of parliament who will defect to our side is growing,” he said.

Anwar added that Parti Keadilan Rakyat, which is led by his wife, plans to lodge a police report today against Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail and police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan for allegedly fabricating evidence which was adduced during his sodomy and corruption trials in 1998.

Musa led the police investigation and Gani the prosecution team against Anwar a decade ago.

“These same two people who were involved 10 years ago are now leading the police and the A-G’s chambers. How can I take seriously the government’s claims that it is not behind this?” he said.

The latest political drama has raised Malaysia’s political temperatures by several notches.

Analysts say it is likely to spook local and foreign investors already concerned about the country’s worsening political situation following the March general election.

Several political analysts believe that his move to seek refuge at the Turkish embassy could bring to a head the political crisis that has gripped Malaysia in the past three months.

Some say it could provoke supporters of the charismatic politician to take to the streets to protest against the government, just like they did 10 years ago.

And like a decade ago, the government is likely to react by coming down hard on the demonstrators and Opposition politicians. — The Straits Times/The Malaysian Insider

ACT OF DESPERADO – Malaysia moving backwards

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 29, 2008, SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA

The police report lodged against me earlier today is a complete fabrication. I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress. This is clearly a desperate attempt by the Barisan Nasional regime to arrest the movement of the Malaysian people towards freedom, democracy and justice.

The report has been organized by interested parties to attack me in retaliation for evidence I have recently obtained implicating IGP Musa Hassan and the AG Gani Patail in misconduct including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against me in 1998-1999. This vile attack will not prevent me from releasing this dossier to the public.

I urge the Malaysian people to stand against the repressive forces that will be unleashed by the government in the coming days and weeks. We expect the media, the judiciary and the police force to all come under the direct and unchecked control of the executive.

My fellow Malaysians – we took a bold step forward on March 8th towards a new dawn for freedom and justice for all of our citizens. This people’s movement for change must go on with all of our strength and conviction.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Versi Bahasa Malaysia

KENYATAAN MEDIA UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA

29hb Jun 2008, SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA

Laporan polis yang dibuat terhadap saya awal hari ini adalah satu rekaan semata-mata. Saya percaya kita sedang menyaksikan ulangan pendekatan sama yang digunakan terhadap saya seperti pada tahun 1998 apabila tuduhan palsu dibuat dengan paksaan. Nyatalah ini satu tindakan terdesak oleh regim Barisan Nasional untuk menghalang usaha rakyat Malaysia menuju kebebasan, demokrasi dan keadilan.

Laporan palsu ini dirancang oleh pihak-pihak berkepentingan untuk menyerang saya sebagai satu serangan balas terhadap bukti yang saya perolehi mengaitkan Ketua Polis Negara Musa Hasan dan Peguam Negara Gani Patail dengan perbuatan salah laku, termasuk usaha pemalsuan bukti-bukti kes yang melibatkan saya pada tahun 1998-99. Serangan jahat ini tidak akan menghalang saya dari mendedahkan bukti-bukti tersebut kepada awam.

Saya menyeru rakyat Malaysia untuk bangun menentang kuasa-kuasa menindas yang akan digunakan oleh kerajaan pada hari dan minggu-minggu berikutnya. Kita menjangkakan pihak media, badan kehakiman dan pihak polis akan tunduk di bawah telunjuk serta arahan pemerintah.

Rakan-rakanku rakyat Malaysia – kita telah mengambil langkah berani pada 8hb Mac 2008 untuk mara demi harapan baru untuk kebebasan dan keadilan untuk semua rakyat. Gerakan rakyat untuk perubahan mesti terus maju dengan segala kekuatan dan keberanian.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

WAN AZIZAH: Sodomy report an attempt to kill Anwar’s political career

I thought Pak Lah is better than Dr. M, but now it clearly shows that Pak Lah is really a disaster or tsunami to Malaysia.  The latest allegation on Anwar was so STUPID and baseless.  I wonder whose idea is this.  Anyhow, I’m hoping to see a new tilam being brought into the court as affidavit.

Shahrul Peshawar

By : Alang Bendahara (Updated: 1:41pm)

Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the police report on sodomy lodged against her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was an attempt to assassinate his political career.

“They could not bring him down through other ways and so made this political attempt, which is just a repeat of what had happened about 10 years ago,” said Wan Azizah said at Quality Hotel here this morning.

Wan Azizah said the 23-year-old man who lodged the report against Anwar at Jalan Travers police station in Brickfields on Thursday was a volunteer who joined to help the party during the last general election period.

“He came out of nowhere and offered to help us during the busy time of the campaigning. We knew little of him and and no background check was done on him as he was just a volunteer,” said Wan Azizah.

She added the man was only an aide for three months.

Wan Azizah said Anwar “was taking it well” with the latest twist of event. Anwar’s supporters have started gathering at the Quality Hotel in Shah Alam in anticipation of police action against him.

Meanwhile BERNAMA has reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said that he was leaving to the police to investigate to determine the authenticity of the sodomy allegation against Anwar.

“It is the police who should take appropriate action. Since a report has been lodged, the police should investigate to establish whether the allegation was true or otherwise.

Abdullah was speaking to reporters after launching the “Green Earth Programme of Putrajaya Residents With The Prime Minister” here today.

He was responding to a police report lodged at the Jalan Travers police station in Brickfields by a 23-year-old man that he was sodomised by the former deputy prime minister last Thursday at a luxury apartment in Kuala Lumpur.

In KOTA BARU, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the sodomy report against Anwar could mar the Opposition’s image and urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation on it.

Nik Aziz said that the allegation could be linked to a conspiracy to topple a political leader like Anwar. He was speaking to reporters at the Sultan Ismail Petra airport in Kota Baru today.

IN PENANG, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said if the allegation was made to topple Anwar, truth would prevail.

“A police report has been lodged, so let’s wait for the police to investige. If the allegation is false, the truth will eventually come out,” who is Penang Chief Minister said.

source:  http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/20080629120351/Article/index_html

 

ANWAR holes up in Turkish Embassy following “death” threats

It seems that Malaysia is no longer AMAN and TENTERAM.  The one who threatened Anwar must be someone within the authority itself.  I’m very confident that this is not an “ikan bilis” (anchovy) affairs but it involved various “jerung” dan “anjing laut” (sharks and seal).  Again, I’m very sure that Police will not be interested on the “THREAT” but they will be more concentrating in the report made by Say-I-Fool (saiful).  One more thing, Pak Lah comment is too fishy and simplistic – more like he knew what sort of ending this “DRAMA”  will be.

SHAHRUL PESHAWAR

 

By : Mazlinda Mahmood

Parti Keadilan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has holed himself inside the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur following alleged death threats made against him after a former aide lodged a police report accusing Anwar of sodomy.

“I have been instructed to formally inform (the media) that Anwar is now at the Turkish Embassy where he will remain until a time which will be determined later, based on our discussion with embassy officials,” said PKR vice-president Azmin Ali. “He is in a safe place and is healthy and well.Azmin said only Anwar’s wife, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, his children and immediate family members, are allowed to visit him at the embassy. Admission into the embassy will be barred to outsiders without official business.

At 6.05pm, Anwar confirmed his location in a statement posted on his blog. “I am issuing this statement from within the embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Kuala Lumpur. I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning fearing that my personal safety was in danger. I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish Ambassador for extending an invitation to seek refuge within the Embassy,” Anwar said in his statement.

Anwar claimed that since the March 8 elections, numerous credible sources from within the government and military intelligence had advised him that certain agents from within Barisan Nasional leadership have initiated plots to cause harm to him or his family or his supporters.

 

“I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as means to subvert the people’s will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia.“Notwithstanding the threats which are intended to silence my voice, I intend make public new evidence implicating that the Inspector General of the Police Musa Hassan and the Attorney General Gani Patail engaged in criminal acts of fabricating evidence in cases launched against me in 1998,” Anwar alleged.

Azmin claimed the decision to move Anwar to a protective place was made by the political bureau and supreme council in a meeting which ended at 5am today.

Anwar reportedly received a ‘real’ death threat from an unidentified person and was covertly moved from the Quality Hotel here in an unmarked car to the embassy after the dawn prayers, eluding the media and plainclothes policemen camping at the lobby.

Anwar was at the hotel with other senior PKR officials for a two-day party retreat to discuss future programmes.

Asked why the Turkish Embassy was chosen, Azmin said calls were made to several embassies late last night and the Turks were the first to respond positively to ensure Anwar’s safety.

“In this pressing situation, we immediately made the necessary arrangements,” he said. “During our discussion late last night, several communications took place between the party and several embassies.”

On whether Anwar is seeking asylum from the Turkish government, Azmin dismissed the idea, saying that in the near future and for his safety, PKR felt that their leader needed to be at a safe place. “That was the decision of the party leadership and he agreed to it,” he said.

Asked to comment on Azizah’s statement on Anwar reportedly attending a meeting on Thursday, the day he allegedly sodomised his special officer, Azmin said he would not disclose the details of Anwar’s alibis.

“A statement has been issued from him personally,” he said. “The president and deputy president have also given the party’s official statement and I would not go beyond that.”

 

 Sources:  http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/20080629184252/Article/index_html

Pentagon: Taliban ‘resilient’ in Afghanistan

From Mike Mount
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nearly seven years after their defeat by U.S. forces, the Taliban have regrouped and have formed a “resilient insurgency,” according to a new Pentagon report on security in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says Pakistan recognizes that the attackers are a problem.

On the same day the number of U.S. and allied troops killed in Afghanistan in June has reached 40, the highest monthly toll of the 7-year-old war.

“The Report Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” the first progress report to Congress, says that although there has been some progress in battling the Taliban, setbacks are expected.

Although NATO and Afghan force operations kept the insurgency down in 2007 by killing or capturing key leaders and clearing out Taliban safe havens, the report predicted that the Taliban would be back in 2008.

“The Taliban is likely to maintain or even increase the scope and pace of its terrorist attacks and bombings in 2008,” the report said.

The report looks at the progress through April, before the rise in violence seen over recent weeks.

On June 14, a suicide bomb at an Afghan prison in Kandahar freed hundreds of Taliban prisoners. There also have been numerous attacks on the restive Afghanistan-Pakistan border in recent weeks.

There are 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. About 14,000 serve as part of the larger NATO force, and 18,000 are separate, involved in training and on counterterrorism operations.

The report’s authors highlight the eastern border town of Khost as an example of success by coalition forces. Once considered to be an ungovernable insurgent stronghold, the city has been turned around by security and reconstruction efforts, they say. But the report seems a bit outdated.

“It actually was not bad until a few months ago,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week. “This is a fairly recent phenomenon of seeing the numbers come across the border. After all, Khost was an example of a successful counterinsurgency.”

The report’s predictions for 2008 seem to be holding true. It describes a two-front insurgency, with the Taliban ruling in the south and a partnership of insurgent groups — including al Qaeda — in the east.

The confederation is made up of both Afghan and Pakistani-based groups with the shared goals of expelling outside military forces and the “imposition of a religiously conservative Pashtun-led government,” it said.

The Pentagon report also says the progress of the Afghan army and national police is slow because of a lack of trainers and corruption.

Counter-narcotics also suffered a setback: Opium production increased “substantially” in 2007, the report says.

“Counter-narcotics efforts have resulted in gains over the past six years [but] the battle against drug traffickers is ongoing, and will be for some time,” it says.

According to a 2007 U.N. survey, about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers. The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop, to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade.

Taliban militants have increased their attacks this year. The top U.S. commander in southeastern Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, said Tuesday that attacks on his troops were up 40 percent in the first five months of 2008.

The latest casualty came when a coalition service member on a reconnaissance patrol in western Afghanistan was killed Thursday, the U.S.-led coalition said Friday.

The incident took place in the Gulistan District of Farah province. Five coalition and two Afghan soldiers were wounded.

Three U.S.-led troops southwest of Kabul in Wardak province were also killed Thursday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that one of the reasons for the increase was that more people are “coming across the border from the frontier area [of Pakistan].”

Gates said he hoped a newly announced Pakistani effort to clamp down on Islamic militants in the country’s northwestern tribal districts would improve the situation in Afghanistan.

“The ability of the Taliban and other insurgents to cross that border and not being under any pressure from the Pakistani side of the border is clearly a concern,” Gates said.

One of the weapons of choice for militants in Afghanistan is the roadside bomb.

Pentagon figures detailing the number of roadside bombs detonated and found in Afghanistan illustrate the level of insurgent activity.

In 2007, 876 roadside bombs blew up, and 439 were found. This year, 431 have blown up, with 354 found.

The war in Afghanistan began after the al Qaeda terror network, harbored by the country’s ruling Taliban regime, attacked New York and Washington on September 11.

A U.S.-led invasion quickly toppled the Taliban regime.

Since then, the coalition and NATO-led troops have been battling a Taliban insurgency.

– It seems that Afghanistan is still not a success story to the coalition team and NATO.  No honeymoon at all.  Looking at the recent attacks, they are more sophiscated and well planned, assuming they had their SWOT analysis and KISS approach- It will be worst to the coalition should the Taliban start doing their Benchmarking activities and OJT for the newcomers from the border. – Shahrul Peshawar

Isu Selangor: Yahya – Semuanya tidak benar

Bekas Pegawai Khas Menteri Besar Selangor – Sdr. Yahya Sahri menafikan segala tuduhan dan konsipirasi yang dihalakan kepada beliau.  Berpegang kepada prinsip “Berani kerana benar – Takut kerana salah”, Yahya cukup pasti bahawa tiada penyelewengan yang dilakukan, tugasan dilakukan dengan penuh amanah dan tanggungjawab serta ketelusan menjadi intipati bagi setiap tindakannya.  Semoga segala salah faham dan salah tanggapan dapat dirungkai dan diselesaikan secepat mungkin.

Muda Mohd Noor | Jun 27, 08 7:15pm

Bekas pegawai tugas-tugas khas menteri besar Selangor, Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri menjelaskan bahawa akaun kedua untuk memungut derma kepada PKR “tidak wujud”.Beliau turut berkata, tidak ada surat-menyurat daripada pejabat menteri besar yang meminta syarikat korporat menyumbang wang untuk majlis perayaan 100 hari pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat di negeri itu.”Tidak ada akaun kedua yang dibuka untuk tujuan itu, tiada transaksi dan tidak ada pungutan wang,” katanya, yang meletakkan jawatan tersebut dan setiausaha perhubungan PKR negeri, Isnin lalu.       “Kenyataan menteri besar (Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim), Datuk Dr Hassan Ali dan (bekas pemimpin kanan PKR) Ezam (Mohd Nor) tidak benar,” katanya kepada Malaysiakini. Beliau diminta mengulas dakwaan pesuruhjaya PAS itu bahawa partinya tidak diberitahu mengenai pungutan wang daripada syarikat swasta untuk menjayakan majlis sambutan tersebut, 20 Jun lalu. Kelmarin, Ezam mendakwa pejabat menteri besar Selangor telah membuat surat dan menghantarnya kepada banyak syarikat supaya memasukkan wang ke dalam akaun milik individu. “Ada syarikat yang beritahu saya mengenai perkara tersebut dan saya akan tunjukkan surat itu,” katanya ketika berceramah di Sungai Besi di ibu negara, Rabu lalu.         Yahya berkata, majlis sambutan 100 hari itu diuruskan oleh kerajaan negeri dan bukannya oleh Pakatan Rakyat. Katanya, urusan kewangan untuk program tersebut juga tanggungjawab kerajaan negeri. “Memang pada peringkat awal, Pakatan Rakyat mahu menganjurkan program tersebut tetapi ia dibatalkan dan diberikan kepada kerajaan negeri. “Apabila ia dianjurkan oleh kerajaan negeri, secara automatik pembabitan parti tidak perlu lagi,” kata Yahya lagi.

CHECHNYA IN DIASPORA

June 26th 2008 · Prague Watchdog

RAMZAN AMPUKAYEV is a former leader of the Independent Trade Unions of the Chechen Republic. Shortly after Dzhokhar Dudayev came to power in 1992 (*) he migrated to Poland. He is also a leader of the Chechen diaspora abroad, and is an assistant to the MEP Bart Staes (headquarters in Brussels, Belgium), on whose behalf he recently made a study of the situation of Chechen refugees in the countries of Eastern and Western Europe.

Prague Watchdog: You’ve worked for a long time with Chechen immigrants, most of whom fled Chechnya because of the fighting. Are there any reliable statistics on the number of Chechens in this category now living abroad?

Ramzan Ampukayev: According to the rough data there are more than
100,000 Chechens living in the countries of Europe, not including the
CIS. These people have already had children here. And new refugees
arrive from Chechnya on a daily basis. The exodus of Chechens from their historic homeland is continuing. 40-50 people cross the
Polish-Belarusian border almost every day. So the presence of a very
significant number of my countrymen in Europe is already a fact of
Chechen history.

PW: Can you give some idea of the distribution of Chechens in the
various countries?

R. A.: Most of the Chechen refugees live in Austria. According to
official data there were over 16,000 there last year. I think that this
figure has increased even further, and has certainly not gone down.
Germany and Belgium have 10,000 each. It’s the same in France. The
figure is just as high in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. In short, there
are Chechen refugees living in almost all every country of Europe. The
lowest number is to be found on Mallorca. There are 12 Chechens there, if the children are included.

PW: How have these people made the adjustment to living in a new place?  You’ve seen how they live. How are they managing?

RA: People manage in different ways. In some countries, such as, say,
Belgium, France, Norway and other countries of Western Europe, the
living conditions of Chechen refugees are virtually identical. They can
be described as acceptable, or even good. This applies to social
protection, health care, education and so on. But our people in Poland,
Slovakia and the Czech Republic are living in conditions much worse than those they could have at home in Chechnya. The situation in Spain is similar, because there are no available programs of social assistance available to immigrants there. In Spain, if you don’t find a job you’re forced to stay in a small room provided by the authorities, and live in such conditions for years.

PW: When refugees (not only those from Chechnya) are discussed, a
picture is usually painted of people living for years in dreadful
conditions without hope of anything better. Are there any Chechen
refugees who have managed to overcome in a dignified manner the
difficulties that this change in the circumstances presents – to adapt,
work and learn?

R.A.: Yes, of course there are. And there are many such people. I would
even say that nearly one in three Chechen refugees have found their feet in their new surroundings. They work, learn, live full lives. These
people have laid the foundations of a future here for themselves and
their family members. But the majority of Chechen refugees live in a
state of anxious expectation. Issues of refugee status go unresolved for years, and people are unable to obtain the documents that will allow them to at least get their living space organized, and the years go by. This happens mainly in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). Chechens in those countries have little chance of obtaining refugee status, let alone citizenship.

PW: The human rights situation in Chechnya itself leaves much to be
desired. What percentage of Chechens would you say plans to return home soon, given that most refugees claim that sooner or later they will do so?

R. A.: I don’t know the answer to that question. Many factors are
involved. On the one hand, there are people who have lived outside
Chechnya for ten years, have made a new life for themselves, formed new contacts, made new friends – such people are unlikely to want to give up all that and go to a place where there frankly isn’t very much waiting for them. This is even more true of young people, especially children of school age, who can’t even imagine another life for themselves. They don’t know Russian well enough, or even at all. Many of them are unfamiliar with the subjects that are studied in Russian schools. And of course, they already know that under no circumstances will they exchange their new life for the old one. They don’t want to do that, because they’ve grown up in the new society.

What’s more, they resist, they can’t help but resist. Even the children
who by some means or other have been brought back to Chechnya find themselves unable to endure even a few days in their motherland, and beg to go “home”. Some of them cry, and fall prey to severe depression. On the other hand, there’s a long and ancient precedent of Chechens fleeing their homeland and looking for a better life in other countries. While it’s true that in Soviet times it happened within the Soviet Union, our people have traditionally changed their place of residence – some with a desire to obtain education, some in order to earn money, some with the aim of finding better quality medical care. So the way I see it, there’s no need to be apprehensive about the fact that Chechens are living outside their historic homeland. If there are no jobs in Chechnya, if there’s no housing, or other essentials of life, why shouldn’t people try to find all that beyond the borders of the republic, and even of Russia?

But if the present government, or certain forces in society, are
concerned about people leaving, then they need to find some concrete
ways to regulate this process. Many of the Chechens who are now living in Europe have managed to become Europeans, to fully undergo a most arduous process of socialization, have spent much energy and money on it. And as far as I know, most of them don’t plan to return to Chechnya, at least in the near future. But there are people for whom there is no other way but to return to Chechnya. I am talking about those of our compatriots who are in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. There are not so many the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but in Poland there are from 11,000 to 12,000 Chechen refugees.

PW: You recently visited refugee camps in Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries, you met with Chechens who are there. What did you see?

R. A.: Chechen refugees in Poland have a dreadful time. I visited their
temporary accommodation centres. The accommodation in them is
overcrowded. People don’t even have anywhere to sit down – they spend part of the day sitting on windowsills. In these camps even the
corridors are jammed with people: they live in the kitchens, in the
gyms, in the television rooms. The refugees are forced to literally walk
on each other’s heads, stepping over those who are trying to rest as
they lie in the corridor. It has to be seen to be believed. People who
live for years in such conditions start to cross all the borders of what
is permissible and impermissible in human relations. They shout abuse at one another because of trifles – something the Vainakhs never did even in the most difficult of times. It may be remembered that it was in the refugee camps of Ingushetia that the moral foundations of Nakh society were destroyed. Here, in Poland, there are even more terrible things. The people who come from Chechnya immediately fall into that trap. It really is a trap. There are people who take refugees out of Chechnya by deception. There are the so-called “tourist firms”. They “capture” Chechens with promises to deliver them directly to a “happy life”. They take a lot of money for the trip, and then they dump the refugees at the city of Brest, on the border with Poland, and disappear. And then the real wanderings begin for these unfortunate people, wanderings that are full of disasters and disappointments.

 

PW: Ramzan Kadyrov and the Chechen government have repeatedly stated that they want the refugees to return to Chechnya. How far is that possible, and how serious are these proposals?

R. A.: You can judge for yourself. All these human trafficking firms are
operating in Chechnya. People leave the republic with the tacit consent
of the authorities. If this isn’t just a PR campaign, if the Chechen
government really aims to helping the refugees come home, they should seriously look into this matter. Perhaps their intentions are good ones.  Perhaps. But so far I haven’t seen any way of approaching the matter that is either competent or professional. The problem is much more serious than it’s presented in Grozny. I mean, people are still enroute. Some of them are on trains, in prisons, in camps for people facing deportation. Today about 20 per cent of the Chechens who fled their homeland in search of a more secure existence are in prison cells.

Everyone has forgotten them: both here in the West and in Chechnya, to say nothing of Russia as a whole. No one there has ever taken any
interest in them.

(Translation by DM)

http://www.watchdog .cz/?show= 000000-000002- 000001-000202& lang=1

Indonesian plane carrying 18 people missing

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — Authorities searched for a missing military transport plane south of the capital, Jakarta, on Friday, an Indonesian air force official said.

Indonesia’s soldiers conduct a search operation at Salak Mountain in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, Friday.

The Cassa C-212 with 13 passengers and 5 crew disappeared Thursday over the Salak mountains, according to Chaerudin Ray, a spokesman for the Indonesian air force. They were on a mission to try out a digital mapping camera and took off from Halim air base.

Among the passengers were a Briton, an Indian and a Singaporean. All three were employees of the camera company.

Residents in the Salak mountains told local media they heard an explosion in the area, although no wreckage has been found.

Hundreds of police and soldiers searched the jungle at the base of Salak Mountain, about 60 miles south of Jakarta.

“The aircraft has not been found yet. The area is too large,” police spokesman Yusuf told The Associated Press.

Indonesia has seen a spate of airline accidents in recent years, including an Adam Air crash that killed 102 and another by national carrier Garuda that killed 21, leading the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines.

May search and rescue team managed to get them the soonest possible – Shahrul Peshawar

for further reading on the aircraft:- http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassa_212-200

Sudan and the UN sign agreement to reintegrate ex-combatants

Geneva — The Government of National Unity of Sudan, the Government of Southern Sudan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), signed here today an agreement to support the reintegration of 180,000 ex-combatants and to facilitate their successful transition back to civilian life.

The signing took place at a Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Donor Conference, co-chaired by UNDP and the Government of Japan. At the conference, donors reiterated their full support to the Sudan DDR programme, requiring US$430 million over a four-year period.

With a focus on reintegration, this agreement builds on the achievements of the disarmament and demobilisation pilot phase launched in 2006 with some 24,000 members of the Sudan Armed Forces already pre-registered, and 26,000 others pre-registered by the Popular Defense Forces. In addition, nearly 5,300 women associated with armed forces and groups, and 17,500 disabled combatants were identified as eligible beneficiaries. All these candidates will be included in the initial 180,000 beneficiaries.

‘We recognise the importance of beginning a credible and transparent DDR programme in Sudan, and welcome the support of donors to this reintegration component. We need to ensure that our former combatants have the means and opportunities available to play an active role in civilian life and in the rebuilding of Sudan,’ said Elias Nyamlell Wakoson, State Minister for International Cooperation, in the Government of National Unity.

The programme will provide assistance in support of social, economic, and psychological reintegration. Moreover, it will enhance the ability of local institutions to ensure the long-term sustainable reintegration of ex-combatants.

Over the next four years, the programme, will be led and implemented by the DDR Commissions of North and South Sudan, with support from the UNDP. ‘We welcome the Government of Sudan’s leadership in taking forward the DDR programme, and aim to assist the building of national and local capacities to support national ownership of the process. The dividends of peace are long overdue. Employment generation and re-integration of former combatants is key to this process,’ said UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert.

DDR forms a critical part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) for Sudan, signed in January 2005, ending the longest civil war in Africa. Mobilising funds for this reintegration component prior to the start of national DDR throughout Sudan is key to ensuring that the disarmament and demobilisation of former combatants will be sustainable and will contribute to a secure, stable and peaceful Sudan.

‘It must be seen in a broader context of support to peace and national reconciliation, post conflict stabilization, peace building and conflict reduction,’ said Ameerah Haq, UNDP Resident Representative in Sudan ‘The reintegration programme will thus complement existing Government and UN programming that focuses on building peace at the community level.’

Programme activities are slated to begin immediately.

For more information on UNDP’s work in Sudan visit http://www.sd.undp.org/

About UNDP: UNDP is the UN’s global network to help people meet their development needs and build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working as a trusted partner with Governments, civil society and the private sector to help them build their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

Contact Information

In Geneva: Adam Rogers, Tel.: (+41) 22 917.85.41, adam.rogers@undp.org

In New York: Sausan Ghosheh, Tel.: +1 (212) 906 5390, sausan.ghosheh@undp.org

In Khartoum: Aicha Elbasri, Tel.:+1 (249) 183 773 121. Ext. 217, aicha.elbasri@undp.org

Typhoon toll in Philippines could pass 1,000

(CNN) — The official toll from last weekend’s typhoon in the Philippines has risen to more than 500 people killed and could go much higher, according to the latest figures from the country’s National Disaster Coordinating Council.

A helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan passes over flooded areas on June 26.

More than 900 people are still listed as missing, including 669 ferry passengers and crew who have not been accounted for.

The massive Princess of the Stars capsized late Saturday as a result of Typhoon Fengshen, or “Frank.” The vessel was able to hold 2,000 people. The crew reported that its engines failed during a routine run from Manila to Cebu City.

Of the 849 passengers and crew, 124 are confirmed dead and 56 have been found alive, the NDCC said.

The overall death toll from Typhoon Frank was 505 as of Thursday evening.

“Our heart beats out and our prayers go to the victims and to the families of the victims,” Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was in Washington, said Wednesday.

The U.S. military has sent naval craft from Okinawa and Hawaii to assist the Philippines in relief and search-and-rescue efforts. The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was in the area Wednesday in support of relief efforts.

Typhoon Frank had not been expected to hit the Philippines last week when it formed. But it struck the islands Friday with winds of about 140 km/h (90 mph) before moving northward toward China and Taiwan. The Princess of the Stars set sail on Saturday when the typhoon was a minimal category 1 storm with winds up to 95 mph (153 kph). The storm gained strength as the vessel made its way south, creating dangerous conditions.