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| Friday, August 4, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Pinochet
stripped of immunity Suharto
indicted on graft charge Pak may
export N-material Troops
kill Speight supporter UNP to
boycott statute Bill Chandrika
tables draft statute bill |
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Pinochet
stripped of immunity FORMER military dictator Augusto Pinochet has been stripped of parliamentary immunity by the Chilean supreme court, according to reports in the Chilean media last night. But Chilean newspapers and websites provided conflicting versions of the vote by 20 judges. One claimed that General Pinochet had lost by 14-6, while the other said the margin was 11-9. Inside the courtroom, lawyers awaited the official announcement which could expose General Pinochet to prosecution for alleged human rights abuses. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had argued for four hours in an attempt to resolve whether he should face trial for thousands of murders committed in the wake of the 1973 US-backed military coup that ousted President Salvador Allende. The Chilean news site, www.elmostrador.cl, usually a source of reliable insider information, reported that the judges voted 14-6 to strip the former dictator of his immunity. The Spanish newspaper El Pais also reported that the court had removed General Pinochet’s immunity. "I think it was a very close vote," said Hugo Gutierrez, a leading lawyer for the prosecution. "They will take their time (in announcing the verdict)." The Supreme Court President, Mr Hernan Alvarez, insisted that the decision would not be made public until the end of this week at the earliest. However, the rising consternation at the court’s secrecy and press leaks may force it to act sooner. One of the most credible explanations for the delays was that the judges were wary of being second-guessed by legal experts and were writing their opinions very carefully. General Pinochet faces 153 criminal complaints and judge Juan Guzman is seeking his trial in one of them — a military squad allegedly carrying handwritten notes from the general that summarily executed at least 72 political prisoners in several remote cities shortly after the coup. Even the most ardent human rights lawyers doubt that General Pinochet, now 84, would ever be imprisoned, even if he was stripped of immunity. His health was suspect; he suffered two mild strokes during his 16-month confinement in England; he had been fitted with a pacemaker and he suffers from diabetes. — The Guardian, London |
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Suharto indicted on graft charge JAKARTA, Aug 3 (Reuters) — Indonesia’s Attorney-General’s office today formally charged disgraced ex-President Suharto with corruption, bringing the one-time despot closer to court. Asked by reporters whether Mr Suharto had been charged with graft, Mr Yushar Yahya, spokesman for the Attorney-General’s office, said: "Yes, it is related to corruption." "Mr Suharto’s status, as of today, is as an accused,’’ he added. "There will be a team of prosecutors, and they will make the indictment, which will be read in the court." A trial is expected to start this month. The Attorney-General’s spokesman said last week that Mr Suharto (79) would be charged with corruption for the misuse of funds from seven charities he controlled during his army-backed rule. Officials have given differing figures for the misused funds. Mr Suharto was forced out of office
in 1998 after 32 years of iron rule. |
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Pak
may export N-material THE military regime in Pakistan is to allow the export of radioactive material and equipment for nuclear reactors, in apparent breach of the recently drafted guidelines. The news surprised and confused US officials, who said it appeared to undermine much of the recent progress made in talks on introducing greater controls on nuclear materials. In a full-page newspaper advertisement the Pakistani commerce ministry has published an application form for the export of 11 radioactive substances, including depleted uranium, enriched uranium, plutonium and tritium, and 17 types of equipment, including nuclear power reactors, nuclear research reactors and reactor-control systems. It is the first time Pakistan has openly authorised the sale of nuclear materials since it became the world’s newest acknowledged nuclear power in May 1998, when it conducted six tests in direct response to that of India’s. Exporters, will have to pay up to $ 2,100 as application fees, will have to declare that the sale is for peaceful purposes only and the material will not be re-exported. They must reveal the source of the material or equipment, supply an end-user certificate, and obtain a "no-objection certificate" from the government. Although almost all nuclear material is held by the government, there are some private contractors. He said Pakistan had exported no nuclear material in the past and had no immediate plans for exports now. Mr Ishfaq Ahmed, head of the Pakistani atomic energy commission, said the export of fissionable material, including enriched uranium and plutonium, was banned but other nuclear material exports would be considered. His statement contradicted the advertisment’s suggestion that enriched uranium and plutonium could be exported. "We made a commitment to the international community that we would put in a place a system to exercise controls on nuclear exports and that is what this is," he said. A US State Department official said: "This is not exactly what the USA had in mind when we talked to them about nuclear controls." Pakistan’s newest nuclear reactor went operational last month. The 300MW plant at Chasma, in Punjab, was built with the Chinese help. It has at least two uranium-enrichment plants and two plutonium reprocessing plants. The decision to invite nuclear exports comes as the government struggles to revive the economy. With $ 38 b in foreign debt still to be paid, it must raise revenue quickly. "The purpose of this is very clear: it is to earn much-needed money," a former army chief, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, said. "It shows we have enough material to maintain our low-level nuclear deterrence and so much in surplus that we can sell it in the open market. It is a respectable way of earning money." — The Guardian, London |
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Speight
to appear in court on Aug 5 SUVA, Aug 3 (Reuters, AP) — Fijian troops today killed a supporter of nationalist rebel leader George Speight and arrested 37 in a fresh sweep of trouble-spots two days before he is due make his first appearance in court. At least 100 fresh troops were sent to the second largest island, Vanua Levu, where ethnic Indians in the farming community of Dreketi have been the target of random attacks by ethnic Fijian nationalists, a military official said. Military spokesman Major Howard Politini said there were two shootings in Dreketi, one when a rebel was injured fatally and the second where rebels in a vehicle shot a cane labourer in the leg. "When they (troops) approached the village, the chap had a weapon and he fired it towards the military," he told FM96 Radio. "The soldiers returned the fire." The injured rebel was rushed to hospital, but died on the way, he said. Among the 37 arrested were five in the vehicle who shot the cane labourer. Australian Broadcasting Corporation said 20 shots were fired at the start of the operation at Dreketi. The military arrested 30 more supporters of rebel leader George Speight today in a new sweep of trouble spots two days before he is due to make his first appearance in court. "The military has arrested 30 males in Dreketi," Politini said. "A lot of the rebels who were responsible for (the attacks) have fled into the bush and that of course is going to be something that the military will continue to seek out," he said. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Joe Naigulevu said Speight must appear in court before 10 p.m. (a.m. IST) on Saturday, when a court order allowing for his detention under military decree expires. Meanwhile, the military sent troops to Fiji’s second largest island today in a bid to end civil unrest which has persisted since a coup in May. Also, the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Josaia Naigolevu, announced coup leader George Speight would appear in court on Saturday to be arraigned on minor charges, including unlawful assembly. Speight is under investigation for treason but has not yet been charged with that offence, which carries a maximum sentence of death. A company of soldiers was deployed to the northern island of Vanua Levu to strengthen troop numbers there and end a spate of attacks on ethnic Indians, said military spokesman Maj Howard Politini. At least one house was razed overnight, and armed gangs have for weeks been terrorising ethnic Indian families in towns on the island, a stronghold of Speight support. The new deployment comes two days after the military retook control of a small barracks on the island which had earlier been overrun by rebel supporters. "We have moved into Vanua Levu in force and that should put an end to the disturbances and enhance our search for weapons," Politini said. Raids,
hostage-taking, theft, beatings and burnings have become commonplace
in small ethnic Indian-dominated rural communities since a nationalist
uprising in May which toppled Fiji’s elected government and bred
more than 11 weeks of civil unrest. |
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UNP to boycott statute Bill COLOMBO, Aug 3 (UNI) — The Opposition United National Party (UNP) today decided not to support the Constitution Bill when it comes up for voting on August 9. The UNP parliamentary group, which met here this evening, took a decision that all party members would boycott the voting process. As per rules, a two-thirds majority of the total strength of the House is needed for the Bill to be passed. The Parliament has a strength of 225, of which 150 is required for a two-thirds majority. The support of the UNP is very crucial in getting the Bill passed. The ruling Peoples’ Alliance (PA) has strength of only 111 members while the UNP has a strength of 91. Since six UNP members have gone to the PA side, the ruling party can expect a total of 117. The Tamil parties together (TULF, EPDP, PLOTE, TELO and CWC) have a combined strength of 23 but they have not decided whether to support or oppose the Bill. It is certain that several of the Tamil party MPs would support the Bill, but still the ruling party is short of required 150. In a related
development, hundreds of Buddhist monks today held a demonstration
against the new constitution while thousands of JVP members held a
rally leading to Parliament, but police prevented them marching to the
Parliament complex. |
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Chandrika tables draft statute bill COLOMBO, Aug 3 (PTI) — Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga said today that she would discuss the controversial new Draft Constitution with the LTTE, but vowed to continue the war if the rebel group rejected her proposals. Earlier today,
Chandrika presented the controversial Draft Constitution Bill in
Parliament after the Supreme Court ordered the government to hold a
national referendum if it wanted to go ahead with the move to turn the
country into a de facto federal state. |
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