Mar 9, 2004 ... Fifth nationwide strike in a month hits Bangladesh as opposition announces
series ... known writer, Humayun Azad, in Dhaka in late February.
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Asia-Pacific Daily Report March 9, 2004
Bangladesh ECHO (European Commission’s Humanitarian Office) contributes to US$1.2 million aid project for Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) According to News from Bangladesh today, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has contributed about US$944,000 to a US$1.2 million humanitarian assistance project implemented by the UN Development Program (UNDP) for southeastern Mahalchari district. The district is located in the restive Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region, which has been affected by ethnic and tribal clashes for decades. In August 2003, Bengali settlers attacked indigenous villages in the district, forcing about 1,500 tribal people to flee. The project is aimed at providing shelter, health, water and sanitation for victims of the incident. Bengalis from the country’s central plains were first relocated to CHT in the early 1980s as part of a controversial, governmentsponsored program, causing ethnic clashes that displaced thousands from their homes. Although a 1997 peace agreement between tribal leaders and the government was signed, clashes between extremists of both sides continue.
There are at least 65,000 indigenious people who had fled to neighboring India during the height of the conflict who have yet to be resettled in CHT. In continuing incidents in CHT, the pro-treaty Parbattya Chattagram Jano Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) alleged that rebels belonging to the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), kidnapped 10 PCJSS activists and later killed 2 of them on Sunday (March 7) in Rangamati district, resulting in street protests. The UPDF does not agree with the 1997 peace pact, saying that it does not give sufficient autonomy to the indigenous people. http://www.bangladesh-web.com http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com http://www.bangladesh-web.com
Fifth nationwide strike in a month hits Bangladesh as opposition announces series of protests A fifth nationwide opposition strike called by the main opposition Awami League hit Bangladesh last Saturday (March 6), paralyzing schools and businesses in the country. For the first time, 3 leftist opposition parties, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), the Worker’s Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) joined the AL in its strike call. Some 7,000 police, including paramilitary units, were deployed to the capital to avert any violence. AL General Secretary Mohammad Abdul Jalil said that the strike was carried out to protest an attack against a wellknown writer, Humayun Azad, in Dhaka in late February. The London-based NGO, Amnesty International (AI), had condemned the stabbing of Azad, who remains in critical condition. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but friends and family suspect Islamic hardliners because of his controversial new book. The AL called a recent spate of general strikes to try to oust the ruling party, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and push for snap elections. The country’s main university, Dhaka University, has also been paralyzed by strikes as students and teachers continue to protest Azad’s attack. Hundreds of people were reportedly injured in past strikes in the university and general strikes in clashes with police. AL Leader Sheikh Hasina announced a series of protest programs and said she would call another strike before the end of March if the government did not resign. Although general strikes are common in Bangladesh, the recent strikes are more frequent than average. Western countries and NGOs have urged Bangladesh to discourage the strikes, saying that they have seriously hampered the economy and the development. Grassroots organizations and social activists reportedly gathered in southeastern Chittagong city today to protest the strikes, saying they are destructive to the democratic process. Meanwhile, violence against political leaders and journalists continued in the country as a BNP leader was killed in the northwestern district of Rajshahi yesterday, while a political leader of the Jamaate-Islami party was killed in the southern city of Khulna. At least 1 journalist and 4 politicians have been killed in the past month in the southern regions, and leftist rebels have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks. http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2004-03-05&hidType=POL&hidRecord=2666 http://www.bangladesh-web.com http://www.matamat.com/fullstory.php?gd=18&cd=2004-03-04 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/print/74163/1/.html
India
India-Pakistan confidence-building talks on bus service; Two soldiers injured as militants attacks government building in Indian-controlled Kashmir (IcK); India and Pakistan held two-day talks in Islamabad today on running a bus service between the northern Indian state of Rajasthan and Pakistan’s Sindh province, which has been closed since 1965. Last year, both sides successfully opened a bus route between New Delhi and Lahore in Pakistan. The mid-ranking officials are set to meet again on March 29-30 to discuss another route between Srinagar city in Indiancontrolled Kashmir (IcK) and Muzzafarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK). The talks are part of a continuous peace process between the two countries, involving low-level confidence building measures such as the revival of transport and sport links. This weekend, India is scheduled to visit Pakistan for a 40-day cricket tour for the first time in about 15 years. Cricket is highly popular in both countries. Meanwhile, 2 soldiers guarding the state information department office in Srinagar city in IcK today were injured when militants attacked the building with grenades and gunfire. The attack resulted in a siege after at least two militants stormed the building, trapping 3 employees inside. According to the Times of India today, the siege is still ongoing. The little-known rebel group AlMansoorian claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is believed to be a wing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. Last night, a Muslim schoolteacher was shot dead near his home in northern Kupwara district, another civilian was shot by militants in Doda, while a youth was abducted in Udhampur district. Most kidnap victims in IcK are found dead or disappear. Two militants were also killed in an encounter in Doda district today. Despite the recent India-Pakistan thaw in relations and a ceasefire that has held since November 2003, militants have vowed to continue their armed struggle in the disputed region. However, observers say that violence has seemed to diminish in the region since the two countries began peace initiatives last year and held landmark talks on a “roadmap” to peace last month. http://www.ptinews.com http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2004-daily/08-03-2004/main/main13.htm http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/549308.cms http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040309/ap/d816uc280.html
Nepal UN Human Rights Rapporteurs say they are worried about deteriorating situation in Nepal In a joint statement released in Geneva, three UN human rights experts said today that they were concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal. “The experts have received disturbing reports of impunity of the security forces responsible for human rights violations. A number of former detainees allege that they have been tortured or subjected to other forms of ill-treatment,” the statement said. In the statement, the rights experts urged the Nepalese Government and the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) to sign and implement the Human Rights Accord and to respect international laws on human rights. The UN rapporteurs on torture, freedom of expression, and arbitrary detention say that the rights situation in the country had worsened since their last visit in November last year. The rights experts also say that they are concerned over reports of increasing attacks on civilians by both the Maoist rebels and government security troops. Close to 9,000 people have died in violence since Maoist rebels began fighting to overturn the constitutional monarchy since 1996. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10016&Cr=nepal&Cr1= http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/07a39ae681a167e385256e5200587aa1?OpenDocume nt
Papua New Guinea More than 10,000 evacuated from floods in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands Reports say that more than 10,000 people were evacuated from floods along the banks of the Waghi River in Papua New Guinea’s Western Highlands region since the start of the past weekend. Local media reports that heavy rain has inundated the region for at least the past two weeks, causing rivers like the Waghi, Minj, Komon, Kane and Tuman to rise. Homes, food gardens, and livestock were reported destroyed by the heavy rains. Agence France-Presse says that the floods would affect tea and coffee growers who are entering a new season in several parts of the country. Emergency supplies for the Western Highlands were reportedly stranded in Kundiawa Chimbu province
after floods damaged a bridge near Kudjip. http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2004/March/03-09-01.htm http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040309052658.0d7gffwd.html
Other World News Madagascar Assessments say Madagascan town where cyclone Gafilo made landfall is almost totally destroyed; Forecasters predict cyclone will return to island tomorrow Following initial assessments, reports say that the town of Antalaha in northeastern Madagascar was almost completely destroyed by Cyclone Gafilo, which hit the island nation over the weekend, killing at least 7 people and leaving at least 18 others missing. Gafilo hit Madagascar with winds of 120 kph (72 mph) and gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph). Antalaha was the area where Gafilo made landfall before it made a sweep across the north of Madagascar. The aid group, Care International, says that “95 percent of homes” were destroyed by the cyclone. Agence France-Presse reports that rice paddies on the outskirts of Antalaha were destroyed along with much of the vanilla crop. Much of the vanilla crop is grown in northeast Madagascar, which is referred to as the island’s “vanilla triangle.” The head of Care in Antalaha, Ibrahim Dasy, says that there would be no production of vanilla this year because of the damages. Meanwhile, the weather bureau repeated its warning of yesterday that the storm, which as of late last night, was offshore and stationary in the Mozambique Channel, would head back to the island. “As we predicted yesterday (Monday) the cyclone has done a U-turn and begun heading in a south-southeasterly direction. We are now certain that the cyclone will return to Madagascar on Wednesday morning, between the towns of Morondava and Tuilear, on the southwest coast. But the cyclone, which was very strong to begin with, is now no more than a moderate tropical storm. Its winds are not very violent, averaging 95 kph (59 mph) with gusts at 120 kph (72 mph),” the head of the meteorological service said.
http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040309115836.vz7vbore.html http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/8005bc20d397a8ddc1256e52004d38fc?OpenDocument
United Nations UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls for the establishment of a Special Rapporteur to prevent genocide The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling for the establishment of a Special Rapporteur or Advisor on the prevention of genocide. Addressing both houses of Canadian parliament today in Ottawa, Annan said, “We can no longer afford gaps in existing capacity to provide early warning of genocide or comparable crimes.” Annan added that he has proposed the establishment of a Special Rapporteur or Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide to make a clear link between massive and systematic violations of human rights and threats to international peace and security. He said the establishment of a rapporteur would help to avoid future atrocities similar to the ones committed in Rwanda in 1994. Annan who spoke on wide ranging issues, including the spread of HIV/AIDS, lauded Canada’s efforts in helping the UN. Annan, who arrived in the Canadian capital on a two-day visit yesterday, is also expected to seek Canada’s help for the crisis in Haiti. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10018&Cr=canada&Cr1= http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=811
