W O R L D

Dalai’s envoys in China for talks
Beijing, May 3
The stage is set for the first talks between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and China since the massive anti-government protests erupted in Tibet, even as a combative Beijing heaped more scorn on the Tibetan spiritual leader, accusing him of committing a “litany of crimes”.

Rights group wants doc’s trial shifted from Chhattisgarh
A human rights group has expressed concern that a prominent Indian physician and rights activist will not get a fair trial in Chhattisgarh where he faces criminal charges, including conspiracy and treason.

Deposed judges to be reinstated in May, says Sharif (56k)

Mixed response to Dubai deal in Pak
The Dubai agreement between PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on the reinstatement of judges by May 12 has evoked mixed response from across the country amid some discordant views coming from the two sides.

‘No army operation on in Balochistan’
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has revealed that the military operation in Balochistan has been halted. He also ordered the release of Baloch nationalist leader and former chief minister Akhtar Mengal.

Pakistani journalists march to mark the International Day for Press in Islamabad on Saturday. Pakistan’s new government moved to lift harsh restrictions on the media that were imposed by President Pervez Musharraf under a state of emergency in November 2007. — AFP

Talks with Taliban Afghans back Pak plan
Kabul, May 3
Afghanistan backs Islamabad’s plan to hold talks with the Pakistani Taliban, the government said today, but urged its neighbour not to allow the militants space to regroup and launch raids across the border.

Brown’s party loses London
London, May 3
Britain's Labour Party suffered its worst local election defeat on record and lost control of London, forcing Prime Minister Gordon Brown to rethink his strategy to avoid losing the next national poll.

Prince William to fly air sea rescue chopper
London, May 3
Just days after he flew a secret mission into Afghanistan to meet front line troops fighting against the Taliban, British royal Prince William is desperate to go on such dangerous trips again.

Dalai’s envoys in China for talks

Beijing, May 3
The stage is set for the first talks between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and China since the massive anti-government protests erupted in Tibet, even as a combative Beijing heaped more scorn on the Tibetan spiritual leader, accusing him of committing a “litany of crimes”.

The Dalai Lama’s envoys Lody Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who arrived in Hong Kong today, would hold meetings with the Chinese officials in Shenzhen from tomorrow, the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh in India, said.

The representatives would convey “deep concerns over China’s handling” of the situation in Tibet and would put forward “suggestions to bring peace to the region”, it said.

China had invited the envoys for talks amid unprecedented international pressure sparked by its massive crackdown on the worst anti-government protests in Tibet in two decades ahead of the Olympics in August.

Beijing has had six rounds of official talks with the Dalai Lama’s envoys since 2002 before they were stalled last year. But the Dalai Lama’s office said the envoys would have only “informal talks” with the representatives of the Chinese leadership this time.

While China today remained mum on the talks, the state media intensified its tirade against the Dalai Lama projecting Beijing’s hard line stance on the issue.

“Patriotic people of Tibet strongly condemn and vehemently denounce the litany of crimes committed by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and his followers,” said the official Tibet Daily.

China has blamed the Dalai Lama of stoking unrest in Tibet so as to undermine the Beijing Olympics through which the communist giant was keen to showcase its economic prowess.

“The Dalai clique’s hopes of achieving Tibetan independence are increasing dim, and at this time when their hopes have been destroyed, the Dalai clique launched a bloody violent event - their last bout of madness,” the daily said.

Pro-Tibetan protests have marred the Olympic torch as it passed through several cities including London, Paris and San Francisco.

The Tibetan government in exile said the representatives during their three-day visit would meet the head of China’s United Front Work Department, that comes under the CPC’s Central Committee and handles issues concerning Tibet and Taiwan.

The Nobel laureate has accused the Chinese government of committing “cultural genocide” in Tibet, but Beijing maintained that Tibet was neither a religious or ethnic issue but one relating to its national unity and territorial integrity. The Tibet daily, however, rubbished the monk’s assertion saying “the religion issue is merely a card played by the Dalai clique to garner sympathy from some people.”

The US, which has been prodding China to reopen talks with the Dalai Lama, has said it was hoping that the issue of religious freedom would be discussed by the two sides.

“We have a situation in Tibet where people feel that they are unable to freely practise their religion, freely practise some of their cultural traditions and values, and this is an ongoing problem. These are things that we would hope would be able to be discussed,” State Department’s Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey told reporters when asked what the US would consider as a substantive discussion. — PTI

Rights group wants doc’s trial shifted from Chhattisgarh
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

A human rights group has expressed concern that a prominent Indian physician and rights activist will not get a fair trial in Chhattisgarh where he faces criminal charges, including conspiracy and treason.

A court in Raipur began hearing the case against Dr Binayak Sen this week. Sen was arrested last year for alleged links with Maoists.

Chhattisgarh state officials charged Sen in February 2008 with being a member of a “terrorist organisation.” He has been in custody since May 14, 2007. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

For over two decades, Sen has provided medical care in remote tribal villages in Chhattisgarh and has received numerous awards for his work. The case against Sen was brought after he called on the Chhattisgarh government to respect human rights in its campaign against Maoist armed combatants called Naxalites.

“Dr Sen appears to be a victim of the Chhattisgarh government’s attempt to silence those who criticise its policies and failure to protect human rights in its fight against Naxalites,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The court should ensure that this trial is not used by the state government to cover up its failures by punishing the messenger.”

Human Rights Watch said that likely political motivations for the charges and other fair trial concerns in Chhattisgarh merit the trial’s change of venue to another state.

“The actions of the local authorities and the presiding judge call into serious question whether Dr Sen will receive a fair trial,” said Adams. “The laws in Chhattisgarh make it easy for the government to prosecute human rights defenders like Dr Sen,” said Adams, adding, “To ensure fairness, the venue should be moved to another state with no political axe to grind.”

In 2005, the Salwa Judum movement was started with state support in Chhattisgarh to oppose the Naxalites, Human Rights Watch noted. With state backing, the Salwa Judum began committing serious human rights abuses, including killings, beatings of critics, burning of villages, and forced relocation of villagers into government camps, Human Rights Watch said. As a prominent leader of the human rights group People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Sen called for an end to Salwa Judum abuses. He also opposed the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, criticised human rights violations such as torture, extrajudicial killings and campaigned for improvements in prison conditions.

The state’s primary evidence produced in court so far includes letters from an alleged Maoist leader, Narayan Sanyal, which Sen allegedly smuggled out of prison. The police says that Sen visited Sanyal in prison a number of times, and that documents and other materials, including his computer, confiscated after his arrest, allegedly contain unspecified subversive materials. Sen has denied all these charges and said that his meetings with Sanyal were facilitated by jail authorities to provide medical care.

Mixed response to Dubai deal in Pak
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

The Dubai agreement between PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on the reinstatement of judges by May 12 has evoked mixed response from across the country amid some discordant views coming from the two sides.

Nawaz Sharif announced in Lahore on Friday that judges made dysfunctional by General Musharraf in November would be restored to their November 2 position on Friday through a resolution to be adopted on May 12, followed by an executive order by the Prime Minister. Sharif conceded a key demand by Zardari to retain all judges in the reconstituted Supreme Court and four high courts in provinces after Emergency.

The announcement ended several days of tension and deadlock on the issue that threatened to break the PPP-PML-N coalition in the Centre and in Punjab. Both Nawaz and Zardari vowed to continue and further consolidate unity between the two parties.

Lawyers said they would wait for the fulfilment of the fresh promise but many expressed disappointment that the agreement virtually endorses Musharraf’s actions taken after the Emergency besides packing the superior courts with pliant judges. The net effect of retention of new judges would be predominant presence of these judges against minority of old ones who were sacked because of their independent views.

Asif Zardari and law minister Farooq Naek disagreed with Sharif that May 12 is the final date. They further underpinned the need for a fresh law or constitutional amendment before judges could be restored.

Farooq Naek said a six-member committee headed by him would work out modalities for the restoration of judges in accordance with law and the Constitution.

‘No army operation on in Balochistan’
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Talks with Taliban Afghans back Pak plan

Brown’s party loses London

London, May 3
Britain's Labour Party suffered its worst local election defeat on record and lost control of London, forcing Prime Minister Gordon Brown to rethink his strategy to avoid losing the next national poll.

Conservative Boris Johnson, a journalist-turned-lawmaker prone to gaffes, wrested the prized post of London mayor from Labour's maverick Ken Livingstone, who has run the sprawling metropolis of some 7.5 million people since 2000.

The election results were a major blow to Brown, who enjoyed a brief honeymoon with voters after he took over from Tony Blair, but has since been beset by economic turmoil, industrial unrest, administrative blunders and an image problem.

Contrite Labour ministers and lawmakers said the government had failed to address Britons' fears of rising food and energy prices, higher mortgages and a possible housing market slump. — Reuters

Prince William to fly air sea rescue chopper

London, May 3
Just days after he flew a secret mission into Afghanistan to meet front line troops fighting against the Taliban, British royal Prince William is desperate to go on such dangerous trips again.

The second-in-line to the British throne has applied to fly air sea rescue helicopters with the Royal Air Force to see live action at sea and mountain terrain and his request is under consideration by the top brass.

If successful, Prince William, patron of the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales, will fly Sea King chopper to assist ships in distress or people lost at sea. He could go on Nimrod patrols and join rescue teams in Scotland.

According to Royal Protection sources, the 25-year-old Prince is now determined to be given the opportunity to fly rescue missions. — PTI