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| Thursday, August 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Memorial service cancelled MURMANSK, Aug 23 — A shaken Vladimir Putin underwent three hours of intensive questioning in a packed hall here as the Russian president faced the bereaved families of the crew of the stricken submarine Kursk, witnesses reported. Suharto to go on trial from Aug 31 |
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| Kidnappers face criminal charges JOLO (Philippines), Aug 23 — The Philippine police said today it was preparing criminal charges against Islamic extremists holding 12 Western hostages on a southern island, as negotiators scrambled to end the crisis now in its fifth month. Malaysians in grip of ‘ecstasy’ Strike cripples Bangladesh KARACHI, Aug 23 — A Pakistani court today agreed to allow ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s brother to attend appeal proceedings against Mr Sharif’s conviction for hijacking and terrorism.
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Chandrika Govt suffers setback COLOMBO, Aug 23 (UNI) — President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s ruling People’ Alliance (PA) suffered a jolt just a week before nominations, when three ministers of the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC), a coalition partner resigned last night to protest against slanderous remarks on the SLMC by a (PA) Minister. But the PA moved fast for damage control by distancing itself from Minister A.M.H. Fowzie’s attack on SLMC leader and Port Minister M.H.M. Ashraff. Soon after Minister Ashraff sent in his resignation along with two other deputy ministers M.H. Hisbullah and U.L.M. Mohideen last night, Mrs Kumaratunga summoned the PA general secretary D.M. Jayaratne to Temple Trees (President’s house) and directed him to issue a statement,
disowning Mr Fowzie’s statement in which he accused Mr Ashraff of being a cardboard king maker. But till now, there was no confirmation about the acceptance of the resignation of the three ministers from the Cabinet by the President. Mr Ashraff was not available for comments. The state television announced last night that the President had refused to accept the
resignations. SLMC sources said the party was prepared to accept minister Fowzie’s
challenge to prove that it could bring 11 MPs to Parliament in the coming general elections. Mr Fowzie responding to a claim by Mr Ashraff that the SLMC could win up to 11 seats if it went it alone, poured scorn on his rival and said he would resign if Mr Ashraff won more than five seats on his own. AFP adds: Sri Lanka’s influential Muslim party, which quit President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government today, demanded the sacking of a senior minister in exchange for their support at October polls. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said it decided last night that any future support for the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) would depend on the action Ms Kumaratunga took against a minister who lambasted the SLMC yesterday. A crisis in the ruling party came to a head when Transport Minister A.H.M. Fowzie issued a statement slamming the SLMC over the party’s demand for a higher quota of seats at the October 10 parliamentary polls. “The President we are told has not accepted our resignation, but we will not go back unless action is taken against Minister Fowzie,” an SLMC spokesman said. He said a PA statement disowning Mr Fowzie’s scathing attack on the SLMC was not sufficient for the party to continue to support Ms Kumaratunga. “The PA has not authorised Hon. Fowzie to make this statement nor does it endorse the views he expresses therein,” the ruling party said in a statement. “The views are entirely personal to Mr Fowzie.” SLMC leader and Ports Minister M.H.M. Ashraff resigned from the cabinet protesting the scathing attack. An opposition activist was shot dead in central Sri Lanka today, a day after the influential Buddhist clergy urged political parties to stem a rising wave of violence ahead of October polls. Opposition United National Party (UNP) supporter Chatura Saman Kumara (20) was gunned down while putting up posters in Rambukkana early today, the police said, adding that no arrests had been made. Mr Kumara’s murder is the second election-related death since the government dissolved Parliament on August 18 and scheduled elections for Oct 10. It also coincides with the funeral, scheduled for today evening, of a supporter of another opposition party, the Marxist JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, allegedly killed by government activists over the weekend. The Buddhist leadership here said they were asking all political parties to draw up a code of conduct and restrain their supporters. “Everybody in this country except the police know who was responsible for this killing and the spate of election-related violence,” leading monk, Muruththettuwe Ananda said. “One man has already been killed even before the nominations are called. The country will turn into a river of blood. We fear there will be an unprecedented bloodbath,” he said yesterday. The monk said that they were asking President Kumaratunga to ensure that her supporters did not go on the rampage and appealed to the main opposition not to respond to provocation. |
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Memorial service cancelled MURMANSK, Aug 23 (Agencies) — A shaken Vladimir Putin underwent three hours of intensive questioning in a packed hall here as the Russian president faced the bereaved families of the crew of the stricken submarine Kursk, witnesses reported. But he was spared the frontal assault yesterday, that officials had feared following mounting public anger at the way the naval authorities handled the crisis. The mood of the meeting was emotional but subdued and few of the more than 500 family members and friends at the meeting were inclined to blame Mr Putin directly, Mr Vladimir Gusenkov, Murmansk Deputy, told AFP. Meanwhile, a planned memorial has been cancelled in accordance with a request from the victims’ families, according to Interfax news agency. The victims’ families wanted to wait until the bodies had been retrieved, the agency quoted an officer at the Vidyayevo naval base as saying. Refusing to accept their “fate”, widows of the victims of the Russian submariners today stayed off the national mourning saying they would don black only after seeing the bodies of their near and dear ones. The naval base Vidyaevo, home base of “Kursk”, was the only place in the country where flags were not flying at half mast at the request of the bereaved families who still have not given up hope on the survival of the crew. Accepting the request of the families, Mr Putin cancelled the scheduled wreath laying at the accident site in Barents Sea and returned to Moscow. The government has announced a compensation package to the families promising an amount equal to 12 years average pay, free housing in any part of the Russian federation and other social benefits, Vice Premier Valentina Matviyenko told ORT television channel. A local correspondent said the proceedings were generally calm, though several women fainted during the meeting. The hall in the House of Culture at Vidyayevo, the submarine base that was closed off to foreigners and most Russian civilians, contained around 800 persons, many of them standing around the edge and in the doorways, Mr Gusenkov said. Dressed in black, Mr Putin was accompanied by the Commander of the Northern Fleet, Mr Vyacheslav Popov, the Governor of the Murmansk region, Mr Yuri Yevdokimov, and several senior naval officers, but was the only one to address the meeting. The building was surrounded by the military police and there was a large security contingent. A single Russian television channel was authorised to film the event. Several doctors were also present in the hall. At times Mr Putin was visibly moved by what he saw and heard, attempting to remain composed but not always succeeding, the witnesses said. His tone was reassuring with regard to questions concerning the material well-being of widows, promising them a life pension and a lump sum equivalent to 10 times of an officer’s monthly salary, plus the option of lodgings in central Russian with a more congenial climate. On questions relating to the causes of the disaster, the handling of the rescue operations and plans to recover the bodies Mr Putin was less successful in convincing his listeners, the witnesses said. Though he was strongly critical of the lack of efficiency of the rescue effort and of the poor equipment in the Russian navy, he said none of the naval command would be punished until their personal responsibility had been proved. He promised that every possible effort would be made to recover the bodies of the crew members so that they could be buried, but warned that he could not guarantee that the Kursk would be raised this autumn because of the seasonal storms and winds, Mr Gusenkov said. BERLIN: According to an AFP report, German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping said Moscow should have asked earlier for Western help for the operation to reach the stricken Kursk. “The West has for a long time helped the Russian fleet improve its security systems and with the decommissioning of submarines,” Mr Scharping said. OSLO: Norway said on Wednesday that it had found no trace of radiation leaks from the wreck of the Kursk off north Russia, despite a report of rising levels of radiation. “None of our analyses show any sign of leaks,” Mr Per Strand, a director of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, told NRK public radio. |
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Suharto to go on trial from Aug 31 JAKARTA, Aug 23 (AP, Reuters) — Former President Suharto’s corruption trial will start on August 31 and the ex-dictator has been ordered to attend despite claims that his brain is damaged, the judge in charge of the case said today. South Jakarta District Court Chief Judge Lalu Mariyun said the open hearing would be held in an auditorium inside an Agriculture Ministry building because of space and security problems at his courthouse. Indonesia’s Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman also demanded that Suharto show up and estimated that the heavily guarded trial could take up to six months. Suharto’s legal team responded to the news of a trial date by doubting that their 79-year-old client would be mentally and physically fit enough to attend. Suharto’s prosecution is regarded as a crucial test of the resolve of Indonesia’s 10-month-old reform-minded government to clean up endemic corruption in the world’s fourthmost populous nation. Prosecutors say at least 130 witnesses will be called to testify at what will be Indonesia’s trial of the century. “Suharto must face the trial, I have said that I will order the prosecutors to make him come to the trial,” Chief Judge Lalu Mariyun of the South Jakarta court told a packed news conference. Asked what the court would do if Suharto (79) refused to come, Mariyun said: “let’s just see what the reasons are, if it happens, we will go back to the code of court conduct, hopefully all will come”. The attorney-general has charged Suharto with graft over the misuse of up to $ 550 million from seven charities he controlled while in power. It would deepen the humiliation for a man who led Indonesia for 32 years of unprecedented economic growth and political stability but whose iron rule was blackened by human rights abuses, ruthless political control and massive graft. Prosecutors have said Suharto faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $ 30 million. Indonesia’s mercurial President Abdurrahman Wahid has said he would pardon Suharto if he was convicted. The world’s fourth most populous country is still struggling to recover from the near collapse that marked the end of Suharto’s iron rule. |
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Kidnappers face criminal charges JOLO (Philippines), Aug 23 (DPA) — The Philippine police said today it was preparing criminal charges against Islamic extremists holding 12 Western hostages on a southern island, as negotiators scrambled to end the crisis now in its fifth month. The police has already filed kidnapping charges against 10 Commanders of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group on Jolo island, Sulu province, 1,000 km south of Manila, for two previous abductions of a Filipino bank teller and an accountant. Sulu provincial Police Director Superintendent Candido Casimiro said similar complaints would be filed against the rebels in connection with the abduction of 21 tourists and workers from the Malaysian diving island resort of Sipadan on April 23. The rebels are still holding captive five French nationals, two Germans, two Finns, two South Africans, a Franco-Lebanese and a Filipino. Ten of the hostages were abducted from Sipadan, while three French television journalists were kidnapped on July 9 while on their way to interview the captives. Negotiators said yesterday that fresh attempts to secure the release of the Westerners would be launched within the week under a “formula” aimed at breaking the deadlock that forced the Abu Sayyaf rebels to renege on plans to free the hostages last weekend. The rebels have demanded $1 million for each of the Western hostages abducted from Sipadan and $ 2.27 million for each of the three French journalists. Meanwhile, in another step expected to boost efforts to free the remaining hostages, chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado said President Joseph Estrada had relaxed yesterday his “all or nothing” policy for the release of the hostages. |
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Malaysians in grip of ‘ecstasy’ KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (DPA) — What began as a weekend drug for vuppies in Malaysia’s trendy nightspots has become the latest nightmare for the authorities in the country, where use of ecstasy is soaring despite the threat of long jail terms and death sentence for those who take or smuggle it. The police and the drug enforcement authorities say the illicit sale and manufacture of ecstasy, which is sold as multi-coloured pills with names like ‘playboy’ and ‘love’ is booming as more young people get hooked on the “feel-good” drug. Ecstasy, which first appeared in Malaysia four years ago at discos specialising in techno-dance music, was smuggled in via neighbouring Thailand from European countries like Holland and Belgium. Since then, local drug syndicates, lured by the massive profits made in producing ecstasy pills, have set up clandestine backyard laboratories to manufacture the amphetamine-type drug at cheaper prices. In southern Johore state, which lies across from Singapore, the police has busted seven such laboratories so far. An imported ecstasy pill can cost up to 200 ringgit ($ 52.6),but those made locally, which are usually adulterated with stimulants, sell for as low as 15 ringgit each. What was once an expensive habit of the well-to-do has now become affordable even to school students, and alarmed Malaysian authorities have begun a nationwide drive to stamp out ecstasy. Statistics gathered by the police and the drug enforcement authorities show that 648 persons have been arrested for trafficking ecstasy pills since 1996 in Malaysia, while 130,000 pills have been seized in raids or arrests. Doctors warn that long-term use of ecstasy weakens the heart, brain and kidneys, while local dailies recently reported a mother slashing her child to death while under an ecstasy-induced hallucination. Public awareness of ecstasy and its dangers remain fairly low in Malaysia, where many people think of drug takers as AIDS-ridden outcasts shooting up heroin and smoking cannabis. |
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Strike cripples Bangladesh DHAKA, Aug 23 (PTI) — Steel-helmeted riot police patrolled the streets and paramilitary troops guarded state buildings here today as Bangladesh was hit by yet another anti-government general strike. The half-day strike, the second such called by the opposition in the past fortnight, was called in protest against the killing of an opposition leader, Habibur Rahman Mondal, on Sunday. Mondal, a lawyer and Joint Secretary of the Dhaka unit of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while going to court. The BNP has blamed the ruling Awami League (AL) activists for his death. The AL has denied the allegation. Most private vehicles in Dhaka stayed off the streets and schools and major businesses were shut as the seven-hour stoppage began early today morning. |
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Brother can attend Sharif hearings KARACHI, Aug 23 (AFP) — A Pakistani court today agreed to allow ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s brother to attend appeal proceedings against Mr Sharif’s conviction for hijacking and terrorism. Mr Shahbaz Sharif, a former Punjab Chief Minister, who is on remand pending corruption trials, was among Mr Sharif’s co-accused, who were acquitted in the same case. The anti-terrorism court, which heard the case, had acquitted Mr Shahbaz and six other former government officials, but the prosecution had appealed the verdict and demanded death penalty for all. The court has fixed August 28 for the resumption of Mr Sharif’s appeal. |
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