W O R L D

Thai PM rejects ultimatum to step down
Bangkok, December 2
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today rejected the demand for her resignation amid continuing anti-government protests even as a court issued an arrest warrant for a top opposition leader for mounting an “insurrection”.

An anti- government protester throws a tear gas shell back at the riot police in Bangkok on Monday. AP/PTI

Taiwan jets fly into China’s new air zone
Taipei, December 2
Taiwan said today that its military planes have made about 30 flights into a part of China's newly declared air defence zone which overlaps a similar Taiwanese zone.

A Taiwanese air force official talks about China’s newly declared air defence zone in Taipei on Monday. AFP

Pak rejects proposal for Taliban office on its soil
Islamabad, December 2
Pakistan has turned down Afghan President Hamid Karzai's request to allow Taliban to set up an office in the country, according to a media report today.

Bangladesh oppn firm on boycotting poll
Dhaka, December 2
Bangladesh plunged into fresh political uncertainty today as the main opposition BNP and its right-wing allies did not file nominations for the January 5 polls, sticking to their stance of boycotting the elections over the failure to form a neutral interim government.

Cameron opposes Tibet’s freedom Beijing, December 2 On a fence-mending visit to China after his controversial meeting with the Dalai Lama, British Premier David Cameron today opposed Tibet’s independence even as the two countries agreed on cooperation in civil nuclear power and high speed rail. British PM David Cameron (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. AP/PTI

Syria war crimes evidence implicates Assad: UN
Geneva, December 2
Evidence has been uncovered in Syria that implicates President Bashar al-Assad and members of his entourage in war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said today.

Thai PM rejects ultimatum to step down
* Says open to talks
* Arrest warrant against top opposition leader for mounting an ‘insurrection’

Bangkok, December 2
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today rejected the demand for her resignation amid continuing anti-government protests even as a court issued an arrest warrant for a top opposition leader for mounting an “insurrection”.

With the opposition giving her two days to step down, Yingluck told a nationally televised news conference that she cannot constitutionally implement the demand to hand over power to an unelected "People's Council".

"Please understand me. I don't know which law under the constitution's framework I should invoke to implement the call (of people's council)," she said.

"I would like everybody to join in finding a solution but I can't find one under the legal framework and the constitution.

"I don't know how to implement (opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban's) call under the law. I affirm that I have opened all channels to try and find common solutions. I am open to talks all the time," Yingluck said.

"I will not pose a condition. If I am able to do anything to return peace, I'll be willing to do it but it must done under the provision of the constitution." As the protests continued, a court issued an arrest warrant for protest leader and former Democrat Party MP Suthep for “insurrection” over his attempt to topple the government.

The police in a statement said the warrant was issued "for the charge of insurrection which shall be punished with death or life imprisonment".

Last week, another court had issued a warrant for Suthep's arrest for orchestrating the occupation of several ministries.

He already faces murder charges linked to his role in ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2010, when he was Deputy Prime Minister for the then-ruling Democrat Party government.

Suthep, during a meeting with Yingluck in the presence of army, navy and air force commanders late last night, asked her to resign within the next "two days".

The former deputy premier said protesters would march to the Metropolitan Police Bureau tomorrow.

The police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon against hundreds of rock-throwing protesters as they tried to force their way into the Government House and the Metropolitan Police Bureau for a second day today in their bid to topple Yingluck, who took over power in 2011. — PTI

Taiwan jets fly into China’s new air zone

Taipei, December 2
Taiwan said today that its military planes have made about 30 flights into a part of China's newly declared air defence zone which overlaps a similar Taiwanese zone. China's unilateral announcement on November 23 of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea has angered the US, Japan and South Korea as well as Taiwan.

Beijing demands that all aircraft submit flight plans when traversing the zone, which covers islands disputed with Tokyo and also claimed by Taipei. On Friday, the Ma Ying-jeou administration in Taiwan, which has been pushing for detente with the mainland since 2008, launched a belated protest following mounting pressure from the opposition.

Defence Minister Yen Ming, answering questions in parliament today, said the Taiwanese military planes had made "around 30 flights" into the overlapping area in the past week or so.

Yen said Taiwan's air force would scramble planes should Chinese aircraft enter the overlapping area, but none had done so as yet. But the minister said the air force would refrain from conducting bombing exercises in the area to avoid fuelling tensions. — AFP

Pak rejects proposal for Taliban office on its soil

Islamabad, December 2
Pakistan has turned down Afghan President Hamid Karzai's request to allow Taliban to set up an office in the country, according to a media report today. "Our role (in the Afghan peace process) will remain that of a facilitator and not a leader...allowing the Taliban to open an office in Pakistan will be contrary to our principled position," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by an unnamed aide.

Instead, Pakistan and Afghanistan will explore options on an "urgent basis" to open a political office for the Afghan Taliban in Turkey or Saudi Arabia, the aide, who accompanied Sharif on an official visit to Kabul on Saturday, told The Express Tribune.

The aide indicated an "important development" regarding the Afghan Taliban office is expected in the next few weeks but did not give details.

The Taliban had set up a political office in Doha in June but the move angered Karzai. There was also a diplomatic row over the Taliban's portrayal of the office as an embassy of their regime.

The differences led to the closure of the Doha office within 24 hours of its opening.

The aide to Sharif ruled out the possibility of the Doha process being revived. But the official held out hope that "a similar process could be initiated in another country".

Pakistan is jockeying for a larger role in any peace deal in Afghanistan and recently released over 35 Afghan Taliban commanders to boost the reconciliation process. However, the move has not produced the expected results.

The aide claimed the Afghan High Peace Council delegation had a detailed meeting with former Afghan Taliban deputy chief Mullah Baradar recently and more meetings are planned in the future. — PTI

Govt reviving talks

Islamabad: The PM Nawaz Sharif-led government is at the "conclusive stage" of revival of proposed talks with the Pakistan Taliban, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has said. "The government has always had a firm belief in reopening peace talks (with the Taliban)," he said. — PTI

Bangladesh oppn firm on boycotting poll

Dhaka, December 2
Bangladesh plunged into fresh political uncertainty today as the main opposition BNP and its right-wing allies did not file nominations for the January 5 polls, sticking to their stance of boycotting the elections over the failure to form a neutral interim government.

The 18-party alliance also extended a 72-hour nationwide strike for two more days demanding the postponement of polls.

The protest was prolonged even as the deadline for submitting nomination papers elections ended today, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said it would not nominate candidates until the Awami League acceded to its demands for the poll to be held under a non-party government.

"The blockade will now continue till 5 pm on Thursday," BNP spokesperson Salahuddin Ahmed said.

Opposition protests have virtually paralysed the country for two weeks and the death toll in recent political violence has touched 29.

The Awami League and BNP are at loggerheads over the system for conducting the polls. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formed a multi-party interim set-up while the BNP wants elections under a non-party interim government. — PTI

Cameron opposes Tibet’s freedom

Beijing, December 2
On a fence-mending visit to China after his controversial meeting with the Dalai Lama, British Premier David Cameron today opposed Tibet’s independence even as the two countries agreed on cooperation in civil nuclear power and high speed rail.

Syria war crimes evidence implicates Assad: UN

Geneva, December 2
Evidence has been uncovered in Syria that implicates President Bashar al-Assad and members of his entourage in war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said today.

A UN commission of inquiry into human rights violations in Syria "has produced massive evidence ... (of) very serious crimes, war crimes, crimes against humanity," she said, adding that "the evidence indicates responsibility at the highest level of government, including the head of state." The commission, tasked with probing rights violations in Syria since shortly after the conflict erupted in March 2011, has repeatedly accused the Syrian regime of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

It has said the rebels fighting Assad's regime are also guilty of war crimes.

But the four-member team, headed by Brazilian Paulo Sergio Pinheiro and including former war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte, has never named names nor pointed directly at Assad.

The investigators — who without access to Syria have relied on more than 2,000 interviews in the surrounding region or by phone or Skype for their reports — have put together a long list of suspected perpetrators. — AFP