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| Sunday, September 10, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Separatists oppose J-K
merger with Pak Muslim rebels free 4 hostages Clinton, Barak
hold talks Threat fails to dampen poll spirit
HC to hold ex-parte proceedings
against Benazir |
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Revise military treaty: S. Korea Taliban resume attacks French truck
owners call off strike An apple a day
fights tooth decay Jog to live long, says Danish study
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Separatists oppose J-K merger with Pak ISLAMABAD, Sept 9 (UNI) — Human rights activist Asma Jehangir has said the Pakistan Government had no definite policy on Kashmir and that several Kashmiri separatist leaders opposed merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan. “I have not been able to comprehend what is Pakistan’s policy on Kashmir, whether Pakistan wants to make it part of the country or let it remain independent. If so, what will be the position of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the northern areas,’’ she said in an interview with Pakistan’s leading newspaper ‘Daily Jung’. Ms Jehangir, who has met several kashmiri separatist leaders, said public opinion in Pakistan did not favour separation of ‘Azad Kashmir’ (PoK). The leaders had openly opposed the idea of merger of Jammu and Kashmir as a permanent settlement. Independence for Jammu and Kashmir, which is favoured by many Kashmiri leaders, would lead to separation of PoK from Pakistan, she said. She lamented that people in northern areas had been denied their right to exercise franchise. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had no jurisdiction over the area. People could not even vote for parliamentary elections. Ms Jehangir, who is a special rapporteur to the UN, said extremist groups in Kashmir were also responsible for human rights violations in the valley. They never talked about rights of minorities and women but instead focussed on the issue of independence. This gave the impression that the present political turmoil had nothing to do with human rights issues. Ms Jehangir, who led an all-women delegation to India recently, said she personally favoured independence for Jammu and Kashmir. “whatever they (people of Kashmir) want, should be given to them and not what India and Pakistan desire.’’ Referring to the allegations about her being a ‘Western agent’, Ms Jehangir said anyone in Pakistan who raised voice against the religious bigotry had been dubbed as a foreign agent. She challenged maulvis and fanatics to disclose their source of funds for running their organisations. “Are they getting funds from Mall Road of Lahore,’’ she asked. She said that while funds of NGOs were subject to audit, religious institutions had never been candid in disclosing their source of income. She said the Western world not only financed the Afghan ‘jehad’ but also laid down the agenda. |
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Muslim rebels free 4 hostages jolo (philippines), Sept 9 (ap) — Four Europeans held by Muslim rebels for more than four months in a southern Philippine jungle were released today despite an ambush earlier in the day of two go-betweens, negotiators said. The Abu Sayyaf rebels turned over the four hostages to the go-betweens at their camp on Jolo Island, they said. Chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado said the four Europeans would be lifted out by helicopter and taken to nearby Zamboanga city, where they were to be presented to their ambassadors. The rebels had been holding six Europeans in their jungle camp. They released Finns Risto Vahanen and Seppo Juhani Franti, French citizen Stephane Loisy and German Marc Wallert, Aventajado said. Two French television journalists were not freed, he said. One of their bodyguards was killed and five others were wounded, government negotiators said. Many civilians were also injured, they said. Afp adds: Four freed European hostages expressed a mixture of relief and joy at their release by gun-toting Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels in the southern Phillippines. Although they promised to toast their release with champagne. They also expressed sadness at leaving two more European captives behind with the rebels. |
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Clinton, Barak hold talks NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) — US President Bill Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak held unscheduled talks today to try to steer deadlocked peace negotiations with the Palestinians toward a deal, an Israeli official said. The informal meeting was being held at Barak’s hotel suite in New York in deference to the Jewish Sabbath, which Mr Barak nominally observes out of respect for religious jews in Israel. Jewish law prohibits travelling by car on the Sabbath. Mr Clinton held separate meetings with Mr Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in New York yesterday, but failed to resolve disputes over emotive issues like the fate of Jerusalem, which thwarted a deal at the camp David peace summit in July. Mr Arafat’s senior aide, Nabil Abu Rdainah said in the Gaza strip today that Palestinian and Israeli negotiators would start four weeks of “decisive’’ peace talks next week. But a US State Department official and Israeli officials accompanying Mr Barak in New York said that while they expect the talks to continue they have no details about the timing or location of any negotiations. |
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Threat fails to dampen poll spirit COLOMBO, Sept 9 (UNI) — Despite artillery shells and tracer fire lighting up the Jaffna skyline at night in the war-like situation over the northern peninsula, political activity is picking up ahead of the October 10 elections. Fourteen political parties and six independent groups have put up a record number of 240 candidates for Tamil-dominated Jaffna district’s nine parliamentary constituencies. Prominent Tamil political parties and the United National Party, Janata Vimukti Peramuna, Liberal Party, Democratic and Left Alliance and Citizens Front which voice the Sinhala majority are in the fray. Not a single supporter of the political parties and independent groups contesting the election was present at the premises of the Jaffna Secretariat at the time of filing nominations for the elections which are being boycotted by the LTTE. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), All-Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Front (Varatharaja Perumal wing and Suresh Premachandran group), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE)are taking part in the democratic exercise in Jaffna. A TULF spokesman said his party had, after a firefight with the EPDP, appealed to the government to disarm all militant groups and provide state security for the campaign. He said two TULF nominees had already withdrawn their candidature due to threats. With election day approaching, security is being strengthened to ensure that the LTTE is not able to carry out its threat to halt the electoral process in Jaffna. It was business as usual, Jaffna returning officer and government agent’s Shanmugadasan said, when on the last day of filing nominations on September 4 the LTTE fired artillery in some area. “We are used to that,’’ he said pointing out that the blasts could not stop the election process. Amid threats, the day-to-day adminstration of Jaffna goes on. AP adds: The Committee to Protect Censorship, a US-based media watchdog group, on Saturday welcomed Sri Lanka Government’s decision to ease censorship restrictions, but expressed regret that Tamil separatist war-related news was still under censorship rules. “We do not think that censorship is ever an appropriate means to handle a national crisis, but we are particularly concerned about the implications of having a censored press during the run-up to the October 10 parliamentary elections.”said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper in a letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunga. |
HC to hold ex-parte proceedings against Benazir ISLAMABAD, Sept 9 (PTI) — The Lahore High Court today decided to hold ex-parte proceedings against former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman’s plea seeking transfer of corruption cases against her to the Accountability Court at Attock Fort. This move by the court came in wake of Benazir not responding to notice issued to her and also to get the other versions on the plea. Consequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till September 15, observing that NAB application would be heard ex-parte to the extent of Benazir cases. Earlier, a notice was issued to Benazir, who is currently in London to avoid arrest for various corruption cases pending against her, but it could not be served. The court had, on the last hearing, issued a notice to her through Press advertisements. |
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Revise military treaty: S. Korea seoul, sept 9 (Reuters) — South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung wants a military treaty governing the status of 37,000 US troops in Korea to be revised quickly and reasonably. ‘‘There is frustration and criticism over the slow progress in the work of revising the korea-us status of forces agreement (sofa),’’ said Kim in a dinner speech at the Korea Society in New York last night. ‘‘The call is that it should be brought up to be a par with the agreements the USA had with Germany and Japan. I believe this is reasonable,’’ he said in the address, which was broadcast live in South Korea. Talks on the treaty began in early August. South Korea is seeking to boost its legal jurisdiction over the American troops, who currently remain in US custody if they commit a crime on Korean soil, and it also wants environmental issues addressed. Kim said the treaty issue, the reported killing of Korean civilians by US troops during the Korean war, and the US military’s recent release of toxic chemicals into a Seoul river would increasingly undermine the friendship of the two nations. ‘‘What I fear is that if the problems are left to fester, they could be exploited by the very few who are against the USA to expand their influence,’’ said the President, who is now in the millennium summit meeting in New York. ‘‘To prevent that from happening, we must bring these issues to a very prompt and convincing resolution.’’ President Kim also urged Stalinist North Korea to improve relations with the USA and Japan. ‘‘As I see, North Korea’s biggest concerns are security and economic recovery. On both accounts, better ties with the USA and Japan, in particular with the USA, is absolutely necessary,’’ Kim said. He said South Korea would help if North Korea actively sought improved ties with the USA and would improve inter-Korean relations gradually rather than take radical steps to see a speedy unification. ‘‘Our goal is not early unification,’’ Kim said. ‘‘At the present stage, the goal is peaceful coexistence and peaceful exchanges. The mission now is to reduce tension and end the cold war on the Korean peninsula.’’ The two Koreas are technically still at war after they ended their 1950-53 conflict with an armed truce, not a peace treaty. Defence Ministers from the two Koreas will meet late this month to discuss ways of reducing tension and building trust in each other. Local media has reported the ministers will consider a South-North military hot line and may exchange military information. |
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Taliban resume attacks kabul, sept 9 (afp) — Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia today launched new attacks in a bid to capture more territory in northeastern Takhar province after taking the main city of Taloqan four days ago, the opposition said. Mohammad Habeel, a spokesman for the opposition military commander Ahmad Shah Masood, said the militia launched unsuccessful attacks against their positions around Taloqan. The two attacks focused on Hazar Bagh to the North and some villages close to Ishkamish to the southwest of Taloqan, which the Taliban fighters captured on Wednesday. “They had no gains in both attacks and retreated, suffering casualties,” Habeel told afp by satellite telephone. He also said that the opposition forces lacked resources to take care of tens of thousands of people displaced from Taloqan. The uprooted people are living in Takhar’s district of Farkhar and the Keshem area in the opposition-held province of Badakhshan. Most of the displaced residents, including women and children, are sleeping in the open under the trees and on roadside and they do not have proper bedding, food, medicines and clothing, Habeel said. “Some families managed to bring only a lantern,” when they fled Taloqan, he said. According to Habeel four displaced children have died due to starvation and lack of medicines. The opposition military chief Masood yesterday warned of a humanitarian tragedy if aid agencies did not provide emergency food and shelter. |
| French truck owners call off strike PARIS Sept 9 (PTI) — French truck owners’ association has called off its five-day strike blocking fuel installations across the country even as farmers showed no sign of withdrawing from protests. The FNTR, one of the three major truck owners’ associations, said yesterday that following an agreement with the government they were calling for an end to the strike. Normal life in France has been thrown out of gear following the blockade over the recent hike in fuel prices. Nearly 80 per cent of the fuel pumps in France are empty and the major airports could not provide fuel to the incoming flights. Markets have also ran out of stocks and any further delay could cause severe shortage of commodities. Taxi drivers in Paris also reached an agreement with the government with assurances that they can charge increased price from the customers. However, the French farmers union said its members would not remove their tractors and other vehicles from highways if the government did not offer them proper compensation. |
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An apple a day fights tooth decay LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) — An apple a day may keep more than just the doctor away if British scientists have their way. They are working on ways to inject a peptide — a fragment of a protein that blocks the bacteria which cause tooth decay — into the fruit so that cavities and painful visits to the dentist could become a thing of the past. Researchers at Guys Hospital in London have already isolated a gene and the peptide that prevents the bacterium from sticking to the teeth. Prof David James, a plant biotechnologist at the Horticulture Research International in Southern England, is trying to find ways to deliver the peptide into the mouth through apples or strawberries. |
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Jog to live long, says Danish study LONDON, Sept 9 (DPA) — Those who jog regularly or take other relatively vigorous exercises live up to seven years longer than those who do not, according to a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal. “You need to feel some breathlessness to benefit,’’ Dr Peter Schnohr, Chief Cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, said yesterday. Even when researchers looked for other reasons for the better survival figures, joggers still did better, Dr Schnohr, who led the study, said. “We thought it may be because joggers did not smoke, were leaner or were better educated. We took all this into account but the risk of death was less”. “British research has shown that you need to sweat a little, while American studies say it is just enough to burn up some calories and that strenuous exercise is dangerous. Firstly, it is not, and secondly, you will live longer,’’ said Dr Schnohr, who has run 10 marathons. |
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