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April 9, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Standoff damaging US-China ties: Powell Teheran, April 8 Iranian security forces raided the homes of leading liberal Islamists and arrested 40 people as part of a continuing crackdown on dissent, officials and newspapers said today. LTTE’s new terms for talks |
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Pak Press ‘far from
free’ Islamabad, April 8 The military regime’s image of “hands-off-the-Press” has been tarnished as attacks on the journalistic fraternity were increasing with the administration completely turning a blind eye to such problems. Build trust first, opines Benazir 2 die in Bangladesh gunbattles Nepal ready for talks with Maoists |
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Arafat calls Sharon, Peres
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Standoff damaging US-China ties: Powell Washington, April 8 Powell said there was no evidence the USA was to blame for the incident and that the Chinese authorities needed to quickly release the Americans. “The relationship is being damaged,” Powell told the “Fox News Sunday” programme. “We’ve got to bring this matter to a close as soon as possible ... (to) get our youngsters back and see if we can minimize the damage to our relationship.” He said intense negotiations were continuing despite China’s fresh demand that the USA apologise for the collision between a navy reconnaissance plane and a Chinese jet fighter over the South China Sea. Release of the US crew members must happen soon so the relationship between the two countries is not damaged “any more than it has been damaged,” he insisted. Powell said Chinese senior foreign policy official Qian Qichen’s renewed insistence on an apology from the United States was “a rebuff.’’ The Chinese Vice-Premier knows “an apology is not what we are looking at this time.” Earlier, the White House said the USA and China were closer to freeing the crew of a us spy plane held since last week, while again ruling out a formal apology to Beijing over the dispute. US officials separately described President George W. Bush as “hopeful” that the 21 men and three women would be home “soon and safely,” and as “concerned and persistent” in urging China to release them. Beijing’s latest call for Washington to apologise for the collision between the us aircraft and a Chinese fighter — whose pilot is still missing — met with “no change” in us refusals to do so, said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. Beijing: The USA on Sunday asked Beijing for permission to meet the detained crew of the spy plane twice daily even as China restated its demand that Washington take full responsibility for the mid-air collision of the plane with a Chinese aircraft last Sunday. US military
attaché Brig Gen Neal Sealock who met the 21 men and three women crew at Haikou on Saturday said, “We are working for unfettered daily access to the crew. We’ve asked to see them twice a day.” The crew was in “high spirits” and “very good health,” he added. Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian during his meeting with the wife of missing Chinese pilot Wang Wei said on Saturday that, “the us side should take full responsibility for the collision, and the Chinese armed forces and people will not accept it if us Government attempts to evade responsibility.” He told Ruan Guoqin, wife of Wang that the search for the missing pilot would continue at all costs. His comments came soon after the official Xinhua news agency released the content of a letter written by Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen to us Secretary of State Colin Powell, in which China’s top foreign policy expert described as “unacceptable” the American responses in the aftermath of the incident. The missing pilot’s wife Ruan, has fallen ill since the incident. Chi urged that the best doctors be dispatched to take care of her. He said that the whole armed forces and nation support Ruan, and they would turn their indignation into initiative to build a strong country with powerful armed forces. Meanwhile, according to Lu Zhiyi, the commander of the rescue centre, the search for Wang is the largest in scale ever executed by the Chinese navy in terms of number of people mobilised, search area and length of time. By Friday, 757,00 sq km of sea area had been searched. “Although the hope of Wang Wei surviving is getting slim, we will continue to do our utmost to find him,” Lu said.
AFP, PTI |
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Iran cracks down on dissidents: 40 held Teheran, April 8 The raids took place yesterday in the capital and several other cities, where the dissidents, all members of or close to the banned Iran Freedom Movement, were active, newspapers said. The Freedom Movement is Iran’s leading dissident movement which advocates a pursuit of freedom and democracy through non-violent means. The movement, which until last month had been largely tolerated despite being formally outlawed, led an interim government after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but was toppled by the Shia clergy for being too “pro-Western”. It was the second mass arrest of the so-called “religious-nationalist” activists since mid-March, when 21 people were rounded up in a raid on one of their meeting places in the capital. Nine were later released, but the rest have been held incommunicado with no access to lawyers. Ali Mobasheri, the head of the hardline Revolutionary Court, which ordered the arrests, said the new arrests were prompted by “confessions” made by those already in custody. “Details are not clear yet, but if the charges are proven further action will be taken against them”, He told the Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA. The court had earlier accused the dissidents of plotting to overthrow the Islamic system, newspapers reported. ISNA said Abolfazl Bazargan, a nephew of former interim Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan, was among those held. “They came yesterday with an expired warrant and searched the house for three hours, despite our objections,” Mr Sabaqqian’s wife told ISNA. One of the detainees, Ahmad Sadr Haj-Seyyed Javadi, is 84 years old and in ill health, family sources said. Fazlollah Salavati, a prominent figure in central city of Isfahan, has also been taken into custody. Former Teheran Mayor Mohammad Tavassoli was among those taken into custody yesterday, the sources said, along with former Interior Minister Hashemi Sabaghian and Khosro Mansurian, a key figure in the Iran Freedom Movement (IFM). Sabaghian served in Iran’s provisional government following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Also arrested was 84-year-old Ahmad Sadr, a former Seal guard for post-revolution Premier. Sadr served as a lawyer for secular Opposition leader Dariush Foruhar and his wife Parvaneh, who were slain in 1998 in a series of murders of dissidents blamed on rogue intelligence agents. The arrests of Sabaghian and Mansurian were announced by unofficial sources late yesterday. Teheran’s revolutionary tribunal said late yesterday it had arrested members of the Opposition, but did not say how many people had been arrested or release their identities. “These people, accused of attempts to overthrow the regime, have been arrested in Teheran and the provinces and additional information will be released in the coming days,” said a court statement read on state radio. Newspapers said security forces had closed down Freedom Movement offices throughout the country. The judiciary, backed by supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been cracking down on
dissidents and reformers allied with President Mohammad Khatami in a reaction to his campaign for political and social openness. The wave of arrests and closure of pro-reform newspapers come two months before the crucial presidential elections on June 8. Khatami, frustrated by repeated setbacks to his reform programme, has expressed doubts about seeking re-election, a position which has cast doubt on the country’s political future. Reuters,
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LTTE’s new terms for talks Colombo, April 8 Norway’s top envoy here, Jon Westborg, was expected to brief President Chandrika Kumaratunga on the fresh demands put forward by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas. “We are committed to the peace process, but a reaction to the new demands must come after the President is briefed,” Director-General of President’s Kumaratunga’s Press Office, Ariya Rubasinghe said. The LTTE said in a statement yesterday that they made it plain to the Ambassador Westborg that they would not come for talks as an outlawed organisation. The Tigers also rejected the easing of economic sanctions by the Sri Lankan Government last week as inadequate and wanted among other things, cement and fuel, sent to areas held by them. Military officials said cement was considered highly controversial as in the past the LTTE made use of ceasefires and peace talks to stock up on cement to build bunkers and resume military operations against the government forces. The Tigers are also demanding that the government reciprocate the unilateral truce they declared on Christmas Eve and have been extending every month till April 24. The Tigers have said they would pull out of the truce unless the military agrees to reciprocate it. The Tigers want recognition as a “preponderant representative organisation” of Sri Lanka’s minority Tamil community. Diplomats said the LTTE’s latest position has dashed hopes of an early face-to-face meeting as the new demands would now have to be thoroughly discussed with the Sri Lankan Government. Mr Westborg, who crossed army lines and travelled to the Wanni stronghold of the LTTE on Friday held talks with LTTE’s political wing leader, Thamil Chelvam. They discussed for six hours on Friday and another two hours yesterday. “Mr Westborg assured the LTTE’s political wing representatives that he would discuss the issues raised by them with the Sri Lanka and Norway Governments,” the LTTE said. On the other side, the LTTE freed four hostages to mark Mr Westborg’s visit to the Wanni. The release of the four prisoners who had been held for eight to four years in LTTE custody came as Mr Westborg left the Wanni last afternoon. It was the third group of captives released by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in five weeks. Two fishermen were freed at the beginning of March and four farmers later that month.
PTI, Reuters |
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Pak Press ‘far from free’ Islamabad, April 8 The Friday Times in its editorial remarked that the military regime of Pakistan, like the Nawaz Sharif’s administration, had lost the support and sympathy of key countries when it tried to gag journalists. “In fact, he (Gen Pervez Musharraf) is quick to flaunt press freedom as a key element of his novel return-to-democracy agenda,” the paper commented and said “but a degree of disquiet, even alarm and fear, is in the air.” Citing several examples of atrocities on journalists, including daylight killing of some scribes or hounding a few of them, the paper asked “who are these people and how are they able to roam the streets of Islamabad?”. Commenting on the role of the administration, the paper said “last November, three employees of a daily paper in Karachi died in an inexplicable bomb explosion in their office. Words of sympathy and solace apart, the (military) regime remains totally disinterested in investigating the incident, tracking down the culprits and determining the motives.” The Friday Times said “it is, however, the sacking of The Frontier Post in Peshawar by zealots some months ago that has tarred the painstakingly contrived press-friendly image of the (military) regime.” The paper said even the gruesome murder of a Sindhi scribe was witnessed, besides the banning of a newspaper in the northern areas (area of Jammu and Kashmir illegally annexed by Pakistan) and hounding its Editor during the military regime. “The journalist community is buzzing with speculations but no one is taking names, explaining motives or investigating the facts in print,” the paper said, adding that “this does not bode well for the regime.” “In time, the world will wake up to the plight of the local press and General Musharraf will lose the key to his showcase of democracy,” the paper said. In a word of caution, the editorial commented “restrain the rouge elements, Gen (Musharraf), before they stir a hornets’ nest and harm you irretrievably.”
PTI |
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Build trust first, opines Benazir Islamabad, April 8 “We have diverse point of views. We do not accept India’s point of view, neither they accept ours. Confidence-building measures are of a vital importance to overcome the problem,” she told the Middle East Broadcasting Centre in an interview. Ms Benazir said as a first step, New Delhi and Islamabad could make efforts to resolve bilateral disputes other than Kashmir and restore bilateral trade. “Such steps would hopefully remove misunderstandings and restore confidence between the two countries. The Kashmir issue should be taken afterwards,” she added. Ms Benazir, who is on a self-imposed exile and lives in London and Saudi Arabia, last week got a psychological boost when the Supreme Court set aside a Lahore High Court conviction against the former premier and her husband Asif Ali Zardari and ordered a re-trial of the corruption case. PTI |
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2 die in Bangladesh gunbattles Dhaka, April 8 Golam Hossain, a leader of the League chapter of Satkania town, near Chittagong, died instantly when several gunmen wearing women’s veils opened fire in a market. The other man died of his injuries in a hospital. The fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, which has a stronghold in the area, was blamed by the police for the killings. Jamaat could not be contacted immediately for comment. Tension gripped Satkania and also Chittagong following the killings. The Jamaat is a member of a four-party opposition alliance, headed by former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, which has called for a 72-hour country-wide strike from tomorrow. Bangladeshi business leaders today expressed grave concern over the growing political confrontation which they said was hurting production and exports. “Marathon strikes have been causing serious impediments to the country’s economy,” said the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mr Yousuf Abdullah Haroon. “Frequent hartals (strikes) might break the country’s economic backbone and push it behind competitors in the world market,” said the president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries, Mr A.K. Azad. Earlier, they said, Bangladesh suffered production and export losses worth $66 million every day there was a strike. The opposition says the strikes are aimed at forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and hold an early election. Ms Hasina’s current five-year term ends on July 13. She has refused to step down. Ms Khaleda, chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said in a statement yesterday that the government was “conspiring to keep the opposition out of the next polls”. She warned that the BNP would foil any move by Ms Hasina to perpetuate her rule. Reuters,
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Nepal ready for talks with Maoists Kathmandu, April 8 But he said the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is fighting to topple the kingdom’s 11-year-old constitutional monarchy, was not serious about a meaningful dialogue. Mr Poudel’s comments came after the rebels killed 69 police officers in a series of violent attacks on security posts across the impoverished mountainous kingdom in less than a week. “The government is always ready for talks,” Mr Poudel told Reuters. “But they (the rebels) are not honest for the meeting,” he added. Mr Poudel said the rebels’ recent violence showed they were not serious about holding a dialogue. “If they are serious for the meeting why are they killing people?” he asked. Mr Poudel did not comment yesterday’s fresh call by Maoist Party leader Prachanda for a meeting.
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Arafat calls Sharon, Peres Jerusalem, April 8Palestinian President Yasser Arafat delivered a goodwill message yesterday to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the Jewish Passover holiday after a week of violence in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel Radio said Mr Arafat spoke by telephone with Sharon to wish the Jewish people a happy holiday and also invited leftist Mertez party leader Yossi Sarid to meet him in the next few days. A Palestinian official said Arafat also spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and expressed hope that stalled peace talks would resume. Mr Sharon’s office said his response to Mr Arafat’s gesture on the eve of Passover, which commemorates the Israelites Biblical exodus from Egypt, was guarded and Mr Sharon took the opportunity to reiterate his demand that violence stop before peace talks restart. The conversation came on a day of confrontations in the West Bank and Gaza. The Israeli army reported on Saturday night shooting near Ramallah and the Jewish settlements of Psagot and Ariel in the West Bank.
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Sophia gaffes rock Royalty LONDON, April 8 According to today’s editions of the ‘News of the World’, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the 36-year-old wife of Prince Edward, ironically referred to Prime Minister Tony Blair as “President Blair.” She described Camilla Parker-Bowles, lover of heir to the throne Prince Charles, as “number one of the top 10 unpopular people”. Finance Minister Gordon Brown was criticised for having “Snuck in... Frightening” tax rises through the back door, and his Budget unveiled in March was dismissed as “pap.” Sophie, a public relations executive, also said she opposed the government’s plan to ban fox hunting with hounds. On the issue, she said, Blair was “ignorant” of the realities of life in the British countryside while his wife Cherie was “even worse, she hates the countryside,” according to the transcript. Sketchy details of Sophie’s remarks were leaked to a newspaper last week but the 10 pages of transcript printed in the ‘News of the World’ will make it harder for the Buckingham Palace to dismiss them as inaccurate. The “Sophiegate” affair has rekindled the debate over whether the royal family has any role in modern British society. Sophie has been under intense pressure to ditch her private business interests because, according to critics, it puts her in a position where the dignity of the monarchy can be undermined. Potentially more damaging than her own remarks are comments made by her business partner and friend Murray Harkin, who purportedly said he enjoyed cocaine and would introduce company clients to young gay men. He is quoted as saying on the tape: “The odd line of coke I quite like.” The recording was made by a journalist from the ‘News of the World’ who went to Sophie’s public relations firm masquerading as an Arab
sheikh who wanted to put some business her way.
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7 AMERICANS DIE IN
COPTER CRASH 12 ABU SAYYAF REBELS CAPTURED FIRST SPACE SHUTTLE ANNIVERSARY HELD ACTING SPS HEAD NAMED TALE OF 4 TEACHERS AND 7 PUPILS 3 TEENAGERS PARALYSE CITY MUMMY FAKE, MURDER PROBE SOUGHT SWISS INDICT, ARREST SITE FOR CLASSROOM
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