Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has named Indonesia as one of five Asian powers that the nation will focus on as she announced a new direction for Australian foreign and economic policy.
In a white paper released on Sunday by Gillard’s government titled "Australia in the Asian Century", Gillard identified China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea as the nation's key partners, citing factors including demography, investment and trade.
"We also have the benefits that come from a track record of engagement with the nations of our region," Gillard said in the 312-page paper.
"Our principal relationships with China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea [South Korea] have strengthened in recent years. Our alliance with the United States remains as strong as ever [....] Whatever else this century brings, it will bring Asia's rise.
The paper said for Australia to thrive in the Asian century required the nation "to have a clear plan to seize the economic opportunities that will flow and manage the strategic challenges that will arise".
However, experts at the University of Indonesia said that security considerations were evident in the white paper, despite its predominant focus on economic issues.
Hariyadi Wirawan, the head of University of Indonesia's international relations department, said that the paper evinced a clear parallel with US President Barack Obama's "Asia pivot" policy, especially given defence budget cuts.
Although the paper did not dwell on defence, its subtext was countering China's growing influence, Wirawan told The Jakarta Post over the telephone. "Since a meeting between Julia and Obama, there has to be a kind of deal on how to manage things in the Asia Pacific region, with China getting more assertive," he said.
According to Wirawan, the US has been courting Australia as a more significant partner in the region to bolster Western interests in Asia and the Pacific. "This is also a kind of confirmation that the West will not leave the region, leaving [other] nations to face China alone in possible conflicts in the future," he said.
Makmur Keliat, head of the international relations post-graduate programme at the university, agreed, saying that Australia's pivot toward Asia was not done independently and was closely aligned with US policy as part of developing a regional security architecture. "Whoever the US President is, whether Democrat or a Republican, the Pacific has always been considered an inseparable part of the US."
"The US has to be included in any regional integration initiatives in Asia to avoid the bitter experience with the European Union, when the US was left behind," he said.
On Indonesia's options, Keliat said it was important to keep Asean's central role in the region, while Wirawan said that Indonesia should develop a new design to balance its relations with China and the West.
"We cannot follow either one or the other, as we have far greater national interests," Hariyadi said.
The white paper's principal focus was on economic issues, such as boosting Australia's annual per capita income from 62,000 Australian dollar (US$64,311) to 73,000 Australian dollar by 2025, reaffirming that Asia would continue to drive demand for Australia’s energy and mineral resources, and focusing on expansion outside the energy and mining sectors.
Indonesia is Australia's fourth largest trading partner in Asean and 12th largest trading partner overall. Australian investment in Indonesia remained steady in 2011 at $5.4 billion, while Indonesian investment in Australia rose 11 per cent to $454 million.
The white paper also touched regional defence and security ties, saying that: "Cooperative relations among the pre-eminent powers in the region — China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United States — will be fundamental to regional security and prosperity".
It also stated that: "We accept that China's military growth is a natural, legitimate outcome of its growing economy and broadening interests. It is important that China and others in the region explain to their neighbours the pace and scope of their military modernisation, to build confidence and trust."
Gillard's Asia pivot evoked the efforts of previous prime ministers, notably Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, who also tried to forge stronger ties with Australia's closest neighbours — moves that were quashed by John Howard.
Australia's goals for the Asian Century:
- Boosting per capita income 20 per cent to 73,000 Australian dollar by 2025
- Ensuring more business leaders are "Asia-literate"
- Maintaining strong fiscal position, triple-A sovereign credit rating
- Placing Asian studies at core of school curriculum
- Prioritising learning Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese
- Ensuring 10 Australian universities are in world's top 100 -Asian News Network (October 30, 2012)
The first-ever Asean human rights declaration, which will be adopted by 10 member states during the Asean Summit on November 18 to 20 in Cambodia will not provide a legal basis to guarantee the protection of human rights in the regions.
Yuyun Wahyuningrum, senior advisor from a watchdog Human Rights Working Groups, or HRWG, said that the declaration would only enable the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to ask for information on human rights conditions from members.
"The commission can demand a report on how far the country has implemented the protection of human rights, as stipulated in the declaration. However, it is non-binding, meaning it doesn't include nations' responsibilities," she said yesterday.
Despite the shortcomings, Wahyuningrum expected that the historic declaration, at least, could be a "wake up call" for state members to improve freedom and democracy for 600 million people in the region.
"This helps us balancing maturity levels of human rights performance among the member-states. Thereafter, we will be ready to create more binding rules, a convention, in the next five or 10 years."
Former foreign minister Hasan Wirajuda said that the declaration ratification would have a minor impact, if not followed by democracy improvement, as it strongly correlated with human rights culture.
"We strongly believe that Asean cannot develop into a strong and cohesive organisation if we do not address our political development gaps. Existing gaps that divide Asean's10 countries into democratic nations, those which hold regular election but not genuine ones, and at the extreme, there are authoritarian states," he told a panel discussion in Jakarta.
He also criticised the non-interference in domestic affair, stipulated in the Asean Charter, as a hurdle in the resolution of gross human rights cases.
"I prefer to see the concept from a different angle. Asean should be a small family that strives to create a feeling of togetherness. We care for each other. Therefore, if something happens, we will discuss it as one brother to another," he said.
Rafendi Djamin, Indonesia's representative to the AICHR, said that the non-interference principle would not disturb human rights protection.
"Non-interference should be maintained, but it should not be implemented in a rigid way. Non-interference is based on respecting national sovereignty. By holding this principle, a nation is still open for dialogue and input from its regional or international cooperation bodies," he said.
Rather than amending the Asean principle, he suggested that Asean should grant additional authority for AICHR, in an effort to improve human rights implementation.-Asian News Network (October 30, 2012)
In a resolution passed on Friday in Brussels, European Parliament calls the Cambodian government to respect human rights. The Parliament also condemns the sentence of 1 October 2012 against Mam Sonando and the sentence of 24 May 2012 against 13 women and urges the government to start a transparent investigation over Chut Wutty's death.
Mam Sonando, the owner of Beehive Radio, and longstanding critic of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and his rule was convicted to 20 years of prison because he instigated an 'insurrection' in Kratie province. The insurrection in Kratie province was actually a protest against country’s controversial land concessions policy. During the protests a 14-year-old girl, Heng Chantha, was shot dead by military authorities.
On April 26 2012, Chut Wutty an environmental activist was shot dead by the Cambodian military police because he was collecting data on illegal logging activities. Until now the circumstances of his death remain unclear. In Parallel, 13 women were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prisonfor participating in an anti-evictions campaign demanding proper resettlement for displaced people. More specifically, the Cambodian government has granted 200 companies with economic land concessions, as a result many indigenous communities were forced to leave their land.-New Europe (October 30, 2012 11:43AM)
Australian navy warship HMAS Sydney is visiting Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City to enhance ties between Australia and Vietnam, and the two naval forces as well, reported local media on Tuesday.
The 4,200-ton HMAS Sydney, commanded by Captain Luke Charles- Jones, Royal Australian Navy, with 35 officers and 194 sailors on board, docked at Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City for the six-day good-will visit that runs through Saturday, according to Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.
During their stay, the guest sailors would conduct a professional exchange on ship-borne helicopter operations, participate in a friendly sporting activity with cadets at the Naval Technical College, play football at the RMIT University in the city, and meet with physically-challenged children at the Binh Minh Special School, which is supported by LORETO Vietnam- Australia Program.
Vietnam and Australia have established bilateral defense cooperation relationship since 1999. So far, the Australian Defense Force has helped train over 1,200 Vietnamese People's Army officers in Vietnam and Australia.-China.org (October 30, 2012)
Bilib I.T. or not: Prison call center eyed. You've got to "BILIB I.T."
Call centers may soon be run in prisons with inmates as operators, thanks to a program initiated by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that aims to help convicts get a better chance to resettle and reintegrate back into society.
The program, dubbed "BILIB I.T.," will grant information technology (IT) scholarships to qualified inmates so they can learn productive skills that will help them get back on their feet.
"We'll see if we can try building call centers inside jail facilities to help these detainees utilize their training and gain employment," Cayetano said in a statement released during the program launch at Taguig City Jail.
"I eventually want to get there because it's a step further toward better rehabilitation," he added.
Among the courses to be offered are Basic IT, Adobe Photoshop, computer hardware servicing and a finishing course for call center agents, which would include English proficiency and web design.
Among the inmates who were given scholarships during the launch were: Alvin Alison, 21; Ronnie Omanitu, 24; Belinda Pagulayan, 48, and Jenny Canlas, 28.
Cayetano said the scholarships will be granted to at least 200 inmates, and is expected to double with the help of the Technical and Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Cayetano cited a similar program in the United States where "inmates do call center work for nonsensitive matters."
Who are eligible for the program?
"Those who have served their sentence but prefer to live inside the penal community due to lack of skills necessary to rejoin the work force, detainees who have minimum security and those inmates with sentences not longer than six years," Cayetano said.
"We should give them a chance to make a living and become productive members of society in the future," he added.
Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva, who was present during the launch, added that more than providing livelihood for the inmates after serving their sentences, it was also about removing the stigma associated with being an ex-convict.
The inmates will look better to prospective employers if they have done work in the detention facility, he added.
Cayetano expressed willingness to work with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Department of Justice to create guidelines that will allow inmates to be in a job that would enable them to be in direct commercial contact with the public.
The program was launched in cooperation with Tesda, IT school Informatics, BJMP and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.-Rebuilding for the Better Philippines (October 30, 2012)
Several economic experts claim that the vital factor that elevated the Philippine economy during the Ramos administration was the reform of the government on power and energy sector which puts an end to the power crisis that crippled Filipino homes and industries for two years thus resulting to attraction of many foreign investors.
A decade had passed recession struck in the Western economies, particularly the members of the European Union (EU) and the United States. Even China and India also experienced economic slowdown. As the economic problems continue to ravage those large economies in the world, most investors are now eyeing emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific. These include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines where impact of economic turmoil are tolerable
This wave of investors has been very timely for the Philippines as several economic experts claim that the country is one of the emerging tiger economies in Asia. Many also believe that this progress can become sustainable due to several factors that support the country's economic fundamentals such as, the growing BPO sector, strong currency, billions of foreign reserves, young English speaking population, best performing stock market, more transparent administration, and the growing domestic spending. These factors have brought back the Philippines to the international investors’ radar and were dubbed as the economic bright spot in Asia.
However, beyond those positive outlooks on the Philippines economy some investors have seen several aspects that force them on having second thoughts whether to expand or to establish their business operations here. Other than relatively lesser supportive legislations toward foreign investments, high intrinsic cost of power supply in the country was tagged as one of the main culprits why most investors hesitate to invest in the Philippines. Continue Reading here...
Vietnam has jailed two musicians for spreading anti-state propaganda, after they wrote songs critical of government policy.
Tran Vu Anh Binh and Vo Minh Tri were both convicted by a court in Ho Chi Minh City and sentenced to six and four years in prison respectively.
Detained in late 2011, the two were sentenced after a five-hour trial.
Ahead of the trial, rights group Amnesty International described their treatment as "ludicrous".
As well as social issues, their work included songs that criticised China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea and the Vietnamese government's handling of the row.
Beijing and Hanoi have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea and tensions between the two nations have been rumbling for months.
'Disturbing trend'
In a statement on Monday Amnesty International called for the songwriters' release.
"This is a ludicrous way to treat people just for writing songs,'' said Rupert Abbott, the group's researcher on Vietnam.
''These men are prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression through their songs and non-violent activities, and should be freed."
The sentencing comes weeks after three bloggers accused of spreading anti-government propaganda were jailed for between four and 12 years.
''There is a very disturbing trend of repression against those who peacefully voice opinions the Vietnamese authorities do not like," said Mr Abbott.
The Vietnamese government, which does not allow freedom of expression, has been under increasing pressure from bloggers and activists over corruption cases and human rights issues.-British Broadcasting Corporation (October 30, 2012 08:59GMT)
The former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Monday said Malaysia backed a peace treaty between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to avert a renewed claim on Sabah.
“The Malaysian authorities are creating a divide-and-rule [situation in] Mindanao,” said Nur Misuari, who also headed the Moro National Liberation Front before he was ousted in 2008.
“[They] want to promote a volatile environment to prevent us from retaking Sabah from Malaysian control.”
Sabah, Misuari says, generates 99 billion ringgits in annual taxes from commercial establishments and people’s taxes, which could bring prosperity and eventually uplift the living conditions of the people in Mindanao if territory is reclaimed.
“This land, North Borneo, was a gift of the beleaguered Sultan of Brunei to our great grandfather Panglima Mahabassal Elidji after he had rescued the sultan and his family from near captivity in the hands of a palace coup, Misuari said.
In a speech before thousands of supporters at the Davao summit a week ago, Misuari gave orders to pursue the claim over Sabah, which he declared was owned by the MNLF and the Sultanate of Sulu.
Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu, who attended the summit, supported Misuari’s initiative.
Misuari said Malaysia continued to interfere in Mindanao affairs, conspiring with Philippine government officials to advance their agenda at the expense of the people.
The framework agreement, Misuari said, was a tool to promote disunity in Mindanao.
“To regain Sabah is very remote is there’s no unity among Muslims,” he said.
In his speech, Misuari also branded the framework agreement signed by MILF chairman Hadji Murad and the Philippine government “a wholesale capitulation [and] a complete surrender” to a conspiracy to dispossess the people of Mindanao of “their sacred homeland.”
Despite his earlier warnings of renewed war, however, Misuari urged his supporters not to resort to violence.
The Palace on Monday said it had no information on an allegation by Haj Gapul Hadjirul, political director of Misuari’s MNLF faction, that Malaysia had offered the MILF 2 billion ringgits—about P27 billion— for the right to search for oil in Mindanao.
In the House, two lawmakers from Mindanao belittled the suggestion, while Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano said Congress should look into the alleged deal.
Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong said they doubted the reported Malaysian offer.
“I don’t believe this story. It can be part of a scheme to belittle the [framework] agreement considering the outburst of MNLF leader Misuari,” Datumanong, a former peace negotiator and opposition stalwart, told the Manila Standard.
Hataman, vice chairman of the House Committee on Mindanao Affairs, said he found Hadjrul’s story “unbelievable.”
“I doubt it since the word came from the MNLF, not MILF,” Hataman said. He added it would be a waste of time if Congress were to investigate the report.
“I don’t think anybody with a sane mind would formalize any agreeement with the MILF at this point in time,” he said.-Black Pearl (October 30, 2012 3:20PM)
The government will spend P4.8 billion for the acquisition of five patrol vessels from France next year, the Philippine Coast Guard announced on Monday.
Rear Admiral Luis Tuason, Coast Guard officer-in-charge and commandant for operations, did not specify the manufacturer and class of vessels they plan to acquire, but stressed that the vessels will be brand new and French made.
“The President has ordered the procurement of additional ships for the Coast Guard,” said Tuason. “We have a forthcoming one unit 82-meter and four 24-meter long brand new patrol vessels from France.”
Tuason said the funding for the vessels will come from the Office of the President.
“We have allocation from the Office of the President that was approved already,” Tuason said. “I’m not sure about the budget but I think they will come from projects that did not push through and unused funds that were allotted for Coast Guard vessels.”
He said the four 24-meter vessels are expected to arrive by December next year while the 82-meter vessel will in 2014. “We’re still finalizing the papers,” Tuason added.
He said the vessels will be used to patrol the West Philippine Sea.
“When we patrol the West Philippine Sea, we encounter huge waves, turbulent waters so it will be better if we will use bigger ships,” said Tuason.
The Coast Guard is also set to build a support base at the West Philippine Sea to immediately respond to sea emergencies in the area. The base will be built in Ulugay, Palawan.
At the moment, the Coast Guard has district in Palawan, but it is at the eastern coast of the province. It is also supported by five stations and 17 detachments.
Apart from being the largest province in the country, Palawan also hosts the Malampaya natural gas project.
“It will be quicker for quick response and law enforcement activities in the West coast of Palawan, especially if there is a problem in the Malampaya or other government projects. We will have a faster response time. We will also be able to provide shelter in the area for ships during bad weather,” said Tuason.
“We can easily do that if we are near the western side (of Palawan),” he said, adding that the government is expected to give P1.5 billion from Malampaya fund for the upgrade within the year or next year.
Part of the money will also be used to repair two of their 56-meter vessels and one 35-meter vessel.-Black Peark (October 30, 2012 3:08PM)
Senior officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) launched an informal consultation here on Monday to exchange views on regional issues of common concern.
Speaking highly of the extraordinary achievements that have been made in various fields since the establishment of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations 20 years ago, the officials said the good- neighborly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides have not only boosted their domestic development but also contributed to the peace, stability and prosperity of the whole region.
As the international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complicated changes, China and ASEAN should strengthen communications, promote mutual trust, make consorted efforts to cope with the challenges, and thus achieve common development, they suggested.
Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. The two sides will take this opportunity to comprehensively promote their cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and trade, humanity and connectivity- building, they added.
The attendees also discussed the progress of the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
Noting that it is crucial to maintain overall stability in the South China Sea, the officials said China and ASEAN have conducted smooth and effective communications regarding the South China Sea issue and the two sides share common views and key interests on maintaining peace and stability in the region.
They pledged to fully implement the DOC and gave support to Cambodia which is scheduled to hold a seminar next month to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the DOC's signing.
In 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed the DOC, which states that sovereign states should resolve territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means and through friendly consultations and negotiations.
The consultation was also aimed at preparing for the upcoming East Asia Summit and related meetings in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. The senior officials expected the meeting to focus on development issues.-The Philippine Star (October 29, 2012 10:00PM)
The Lao Telecommunications Company (LTC), the national telecom provider, is set to launch its 4th generation (4G) mobile service next month.
The national telecom provider of Laos announced that it will introduce the 4G technology for use at the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit, to be held in Vientiane on Nov 5 and 6, 2012.
After the introduction, Laos will become the second of the 10 Asean member countries after Singapore to use 4G.
The 4G network can offer download speeds of up to 100Mbps, making it five times faster than 3G.
Thailand has yet to launch a proper 3G service, more than a decade after it was first introduced in Japan, because of legal and business disputes. So far, Thai mobile operators have limited 3G using upgraded 2G technology.
The auction of 3G licences held by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) kicked off earlier this month. However, the road to 3G might face more setbacks as investigations have been carried out to see whether either the auction results or the NBTC violated any laws.-Bangkok Post (October 29, 2012 3:39PM)
As Hurricane Sandy lashes the East Coast of the United States with wind and rain, Southeast Asia is dealing with the trail of death and damage from a powerful storm that has killed at least 30 people in the region over the past few days.
Superstorm Sandy threatens 'catastrophe' of a lifetime
Tropical Storm Son-Tinh was moving northeast along the northern Vietnamese coast on Monday after tearing the roofs off hundreds of houses and breaching flood defenses overnight, the state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Son-Tinh was at typhoon level when it thumped into northern Vietnam late Sunday with winds as strong as 133 kilometers per hour (83 mph). It left three people dead and two injured, according to an initial estimate from the Office of the National Search and Rescue Committee reported by (VNA).
More than a 1,300 rescue workers and soldiers have been deployed to work with local authorities on search and rescue efforts in the aftermath of the storm, VNA said.
Helicopters were on standby for a search and rescue mission for an oil rig with 35 people on board that became disconnected from its towboats miles out at sea amid strong waves generated by the storm, according to VNA.
And five people were missing Sunday after winds from Son-Tinh sank an engineering vessel near a cargo terminal in Sanya, a city on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Son-Tinh is expected to gradually weaken over the course of Monday, regional weather agencies said. At least 260,000 people in Vietnam had been relocated to safer areas as it approached Sunday.
The storm had already killed 27 people when it swept across the central Philippines during the second half of last week, causing flash floods and landslides, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Nine people remain missing, the council said Monday.
East Asia is buffeted for several months a year by heavy storms that roll in from the western Pacific Ocean. In August, a big typhoon, named Bolaven, killed more than 60 people on the Korean peninsula.-Cable News Network (October 29, 2012 1310GMT)
Malaysia sees Laos’ accession into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as further enhancing Asean’s efforts towards regional integration.
It also paves the way towards reaching the goal of becoming an Asean Economic Community in 2015.
Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad said with all Asean members fully entrenched in the multilateral trading system, the regional grouping’s attractiveness as a trade and investment destination will be further boosted.
“I look forward to Laos’ ratification of the Accession Protocol, the final step in the accession process for the country to be a full-fledged member of the WTO.
“I also look forward to welcoming Laos as the 158th member of the WTO in the very near future,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Mustapa said with the signing of the Protocol of Accession on October 26, the WTO General Council has officially agreed to Laos joining the organisation.
“It paves the way for the last member of the Asean family to join the WTO by early 2013.
“On behalf of Malaysia, I congratulate Laos for concluding the final step in a long and challenging journey towards WTO membership,” he added.
According to Mustapa, Laos began the process to join the WTO in 1997.
“Laos has undertaken domestic regulatory reforms to conform with the WTO rules. It has also undergone a massive transformation in the way it does business.
“It is understood that in the last 15 years, 90 laws and regulations were enacted across the board, tariffs bound at an average of 18.8 per cent for all products with market access commitments in 10 service sectors, covering 79 sub-sectors.
“These achievements are indeed commendable for this land-locked country with 6.5 million people,” he said.
Mustapa also said it was heartening to note that these efforts were done in parallel with the domestic reforms undertaken by Laos to meet its commitments under Asean’s robust economic agenda.-Borneo Post (October 29, 2012)
The second warship to be acquired by the Navy from the United States (US) is expected to arrive by February, Defense Secretary Voltraire Gazmin said Monday.
Gazmin said US Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Locklear III gave him the assurance of the second warship's delivery during their meeting in Hawaii early this month.
“Our new ship will be coming sometime next year, about February. I met with Admiral Locklear in Hawaii before I joined the trip of the president to Australia and New Zealand. He assured us that the ship will arrive by February 2013,” he said.
The scheduled arrival of BRP Ramon Alcaraz in February is a month later than the initial expectations.
During his state of the nation address last July, President Aquino said BRP Alcaraz was expected to reach Philippine shores by the end of January.
Gazmin said the BRP Alcaraz is “a better conditioned water craft” than the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the first ship provided by the US last year.
“We have sailors undergoing training [on how to maneuver the ship] and they will be the ones who will bring the ship here from Charleston (South Carolina),” the defense chief said.
Last year, the government acquired its first Hamilton-class vessel from the US Coast Guard to enhance the military’s external defense capabilities.
The ship, which has been renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar, has been deployed to the West Philippine Sea to secure energy projects in the area. It is now the Navy’s largest vessel.
The US, however, stripped the ship of some of its accessories before it was turned over to the Philippines.
Officials earlier said that the BRP Alcaraz, the second warship to be acquired from the US, would cost more than BRP del Pilar since the government had to buy weapons and accessories that were removed from the vessel.
The ship was named after Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a Philippine Navy officer, who distinguished himself during the Second World War when the patrol boat he commanded shot down three Japanese aircraft.
BRP Alcaraz was largely used by the US Coast Guard for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness. The ship can accommodate up to 180 officers and sailors.
Meanwhile, the military hailed the awarding of a contract for the purchase of modern weapons system for BRP Alcaraz.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said the weapon system would boost their maritime security capabilities and enable them to guard the country’s territory.
“This acquisition will greatly and significantly contribute to the fulfillment of our mandate which is to protect the people and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of the national territory,” Burgos said.
“The system acquisition will definitely help us in the enforcement of maritime laws and support us in our fight against transnational crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking human trafficking piracy illegal fishing and poaching,” he added.
On Sunday, the Philippine embassy in US announced that the Pentagon has awarded a $1.8 million contract for the purchase of modern weapons systems for BRP Alcaraz.
The purchase and installation of two Mk38 Mod 2 autocanon systems for the Alcaraz is part of a $24-million contract the Pentagon recently awarded to the Kentucky-based BAE Systems Land and Armaments Inc.
The contract, which is covered under the Foreign Military Sales Program, involves the purchase of 21 units of the remotely controlled naval gun systems and spare parts.
The new weapon systems are upgraded versions of the Mk38 M242 Bushmasters that were removed from BRP Alcaraz prior to its turnover to the Philippines. The remotely controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25m rounds per minute at targets as far as two kilometers.-The Philippine Star (October 29, 2012 5:42PM)
Philippines-based Tagalog is the fastest-growing language in Canada. This is according to Statistics Canada (StatCan), which has released the results of its 2011 Census of Population: Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians.
More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue.
According to StatCan “the home languages showing the strongest growth between 2006 and 2011 were primarily Asian,” and “the population that reported speaking the Philippine-based language Tagalog increased by 64%, the highest growth.”
Survey results show that “nearly 279,000 people reported speaking Tagalog most often in 2011, up from 170,000 five years earlier.”
Tagalog is now the fifth most common non-official language spoken in Canadian households. The top ten immigrant languages spoken most often at home in 2011 were: Punjabi, Chinese n.o.s., Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Arabic, Mandarin, Italian, Urdu, and German.
Vancouver has one of the largest Canadian populations of Tagalog speakers, with 47,600 reporting to Statistics Canada that it was their primary language at home in 2011. Tagalog is now the most common immigrant home language in Edmonton and the second most common in Calgary, after Punjabi.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan explains that Filipinos who used to flock to the United States (U.S.) have discovered there is a greener pasture north of the U.S.
He further said that the word has spread around that Canada is some kind of a promised land as economic growth in Western Canada has created a wealth of new opportunities for Filipinos and that and many new immigrants are travelling to Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Regina for jobs.
Last summer, the Philippine Embassy held trial Tagalog classes in Ottawa, in response to parents’ concerns that their children will forget how to speak the Filipino language. The Embassy hopes to expand the program to other cities next year.-Philippine Official Gazette (October 29, 2012)
An international environmental organization on Sunday night lit up the ancient temple of Borobudur on the outskirts of Yogyakarta--a UNESCO World Heritage site--using only renewable energy.
The event was undertaken during the closing ceremony of "Solarizing Borobodur," Greenpeace said in a statement. The event shows that Indonesia can achieve a cleaner and safer energy future, the group added.
Among those who participated in the closing ceremonies include Sri Puryono, Central Java Governor Assistant on behalf of Bibit Waluyo, Central Java Governor, and Dawn Gosling of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
All three pushed the ‘Energy Revolution’ button that lit up solar panels installed around Borobudur temple and the Climate Rescue Station, the group said in a statement.
The station is a four-storey spherical structure used as a mobile museum to generate awareness about renewable energy solutions to combat climate change. It has been used around the world as a platform to tell the world that ordinary people can do something to stop climate change--but only if governments opt for a massive uptake of renewable energy (RE).
“We take this project as our inspiration to work towards a cleaner, greener and safer future powered by renewable energy which comes from nature such as the wind, the sun and geothermal energy which meet environmental sustainability standards. May today be the enlightenment of Indonesia’s renewable energy future to end the age or era of coal. We must move forward to the Energy [R]evolution now,” said Dawn Gosling, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Chief Operating Officer.
Indonesia is one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing economies and will need massive power generation in the future to meet the increasing energy demands of its population and industry.
Unfortunately, Indonesia is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, particularly coal. Coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of man-made carbon emissions, and the single biggest cause of climate change. Coal also causes irreparable damage to the environment, livelihoods and health of the Indonesian people.
Due to Indonesia’s geography, the national electricity grid is quite fragmented, leaving one-third of its population without electricity. Currently, diesel generators--which are expensive and dependent on continuous fuel supply--are the only source of power for communities in remote areas.
“Decentralized, off-grid, small-scale renewable energy plants would allow local people to gain access to clean electricity and help them move away from expensive diesel or gas,” Hindun Mulaika, Greenpeace Climate and Renewable Energy campaigner said.-Interaksyon (October 29, 2012 3:24PM)
Frigate for Philippines to be equipped with latest gun
BRP Ramon Alcaraz will have two Mk38 Mod 2 automatic cannon systems
A frigate purchased by the Philippines from the United States will be among the first ships in the world to be equipped with state-of-the art cannon systems.
The Mk38 Mod 2 is designed to counter high-speed maneuvering surface targets and will be installed also in almost all US surface ships by 2015. It was commissioned by the US Navy following the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000.
A statement issued by the Philippine Embassy in Washington said the long range cutter, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, will be equipped with two Mk38 Mod 2 automatic cannon systems.
"The Pentagon has awarded a $1.8 million (₱ 74.4million) contract for the purchase of modern weapons systems that would be installed in the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the second high-endurance cutter that the Philippines recently acquired from the United States," the statement said.
Capt Elson Aguilar, Naval Attache at the Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attache at the Philippine Embassy, was quoted as saying that acquisition of the 25mm autocannons are part of a $24 million contract with BAE systems for the purchase of 21 units of the remotely controlled naval gun systems and spare parts for both the US and Philippine navies.
The BAE contract involves the purchase of 21 units of the remotely controlled naval gun systems and spare parts for both the US and Philippine navies, according to Capt. Elson Aguilar, Naval Attache at the Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attache at the Philippine Embassy.
Two 25mm autocannons will be fitted on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz as part of the frigate's air and surface defense system.
The BRP Alcaraz, which is expected to arrive in the Philippines in November 2012, is a sister vessel of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, aa 115 meter-long, 3,250 metric tons Hamilton Class ship. The two vessels are the biggest and among the most modern in the country's fleet. The Del Pilar is equipped with 76mm rapid fire guns aside from the 25mm automatic cannons. Both have helicopter decks.
The Alcaraz will be deployed at a time of tension between the Philippines and China over a group of islands in the South China Sea (West Philippines Sea).
The embassy said the new weapon systems are upgraded versions of the Mk38 M242 Bushmasters (25mm cannons) that were removed from the vessel prior to its turnover to the Philippines. The remotely controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25m rounds per minute at targets as far as two kilometers.
He added that the autocanon can be fired manually if the sensors are damaged or if the vessels lose power.
"The Mk38 Mod 2 will allow the Alcaraz and the Del Pilar to track and fire at targets automatically in both day and night using single shot, low speed or high-speed automatic fire," Aguilar said, adding that the autocannon can be fired manually if the sensors are damaged or if the vessels lose power.
Aguilar said the vessel is presently awaiting the general overhaul of her port main diesel engine and further installation of navigational and electronics equipment.
The Alcaraz is set to undergo a general overhaul of her port main diesel engine and further installation of navigational and electronics equipment, which is expected to take 11 weeks.
According to Aguilar, both the Alcaraz and the Del Pilar are capable of conducting patrols for long periods of time and withstanding heavy weather and rough sea conditions.
The two Mk38 Mod 2 systems will complement the existing weapons system that consists of the Mk75 76-mm Oto Melara main battery and four M2HB .50 caliber machine guns.
The addition of the modern ships to the Philippines fleet will be a big boost for the navy which had long suffered the reputation of being among the most poorly equipped in Southeast Asia.
The weapons system for the BRP Del Pilar (PF15) will be covered under a separate contract, Aguilar said.
The 378-foot-long Alcaraz was commissioned in 1968 and served with the US Coast Guard as the USCGC Dallas until it was decommissioned and turned over to the Philippines in May. It is being refurbished and refitted at a cost of $15.15-M.
It is the second Hamilton-class cutter acquired by the Philippines under the Excess Defense Article and Military Assistance Program.
The first, the Del Pilar, was turned over to the Philippine Navy in May 2011.
The Alcaraz was named after Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a Philippine Navy officer who distinguished himself during World War II when the patrol boat he commanded was credited for shooting down three Japanese aircraft.
₱12 Billion Italian Maestrale-class frigates, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry
2 Italian Maestrale-class frigates, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry are set to strengthen the Philippines' maritime defense capabilitiesfor ₱11.7-billion Maestrale-class frigates , which have anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry.
"These frigates are warships. These have anti-air, sub-surface, they have anti-submarine (capabilities).
The frigates, which were commissioned in the 1980s, are being used by the Italian Navy.
The Philippine Navy is waiting for the approval of contract that is expected to be signed in January 2013.
The ships will then be delivered by November 2013 after they are refurbished.
"These are operational. They are being used by the Italian Navy.-Rebuilding for the Better Philippines (October 28, 2012)
The government is set to give the Philippine Air Force a much-needed boost with its planned acquisition of combat utility helicopters.
The Department of National Defense (DND) is set to hold a bidding for 21 units of refurbished UH-1 helicopters worth P1.26 billion.
In an invitation to bid posted on the DND website, the department said it seeks to purchase 13 units of UH-1 and eight units of UH-1 upgraded with the corresponding integrated logistics support packages.
The bidding will be conducted through "open competitive bidding procedures" under the rules set by Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding documents may be purchased starting October 25 for P75,000.
Pre-bidding conference is set on November 6, 2 p.m. at the DND-BAC conference room at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The deadline for the submission of bidding documents is on November 20, at 2 p.m.-Black Pearl (October 29, 2012 7:57PM)
Moody's Investors Service on Monday has upgraded the Philippines' foreign and local currency long-term bond ratings from Ba2 to Ba1, or one notch below investment grade.
In a statement, the credit ratings firm said the basis for the upgrade were the country's better economic performance and the continued fiscal revenue growth despite the detreriorating external demand.
The Philippines also now has "enhanced prospects" for growth over the medium-terms and a "stable" financial system, which has limited contigent risks and provides stable financing for the national government.
"Despite the headwinds from softening external demand, the Philippines has demonstrated considerable economic strength and fiscal resilience. In contrast to similarly rated countries, the country is poised to record a combination of faster growth, lower inflation, exchange rate appreciation, and an increase in foreign exchange reserves, while maintaining trend debt consolidation," Moody's said.
The agency added that even though the public-private partnership projects has not progressed, government spending on infrastructure has picked up. The uptick in spending did not make much impact on government finances since this was mitigated by the enhanced revenue administration.
In addition, remittance inflows continue to rise despite the global economic downturn, which underscores the OFW remittance role in sustaining household consumption and keeping the country's current account surplus healthy.-Interaksyon (October 29, 2012 1:24PM)
China’s government has demanded talks with Japan in their latest dust-up over a set of tiny islands, but a high-ranking Chinese military officer has suggested drastically more belligerent responses.
Dispatch hundreds of fishing boats to fight a maritime guerrilla war, says Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan. Turn the uninhabited outcroppings into a bombing range. Rip up World War II peace agreements and seize back the territory, now controlled by Japan but long claimed by China.
“A nation without a martial spirit is a nation without hope,” Luo declared at an academic forum this month in the southern city of Shenzhen while officials in Beijing continued to urge negotiations.
Luo’s remarks reflect a challenge for China’s leadership from a military increasingly willing to push the limits of the ruling Communist Party’s official line on foreign relations, territorial claims and even government reforms. It’s a challenge that will need to be carefully managed if a once-a-decade leadership transition beginning Nov. 8 is to go smoothly, with China’s global reputation and the party’s credibility both at stake.
Backed by what is now the world’s second-largest military budget behind the U.S., the People’s Liberation Army is bristling with new armaments and is becoming increasingly assertive. That has distressed neighbors such as Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, all locked in disputes with China over island territory potentially rich in oil, and has prompted the U.S. to send more military assets to the region.
Presiding over this force will be a new generation of military leaders taking power at the same time as the new crop of political leaders.
Up to seven of the 10 uniformed members of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the armed forces, are set to retire. Members of the new panel are expected to demand an even greater say in decision making — and a tougher line in disputes with other nations.
While President Hu Jintao’s absolute command over the armed forces had at time been questioned, his presumed successor — Vice President Xi Jingping — may have an easier time keeping officers on-message because of his closer ties with many top military figures as a fellow “princeling” — those with ties to communist China’s founding fathers.
He may have to wait, though: Hu will likely seek to hold onto his position as chairman of the military commission for another two years, as his predecessor did. Also, five officers generally considered loyal to Hu were promoted this week to top posts such air force commander and chief of the general staff, meaning they will sit on the new commission once it is appointed next month.
Officially, China espouses a “peaceful rise” philosophy that stresses a defensive military posture and the negotiated resolution of disputes. But the PLA’s newest generation of ships, submarines, stealth planes and the development of its first aircraft carrier suggest the capability for operations far from home.
Hawkish officers such as Luo have a broad audience in the PLA and in a Chinese public that has grown more stridently nationalistic and increasingly impatient with a ruling party seen as bloated, unresponsive and corrupt. Luo, whose father was a top security officer for Mao Zedong, has at times openly questioned the legitimacy of the “peaceful rise” philosophy and warned that it doesn’t preclude China from using force to assert its interests.
Their sentiments find a ready audience via books, online sites and even in state media.
There’s a “continual tug-of-war between the party and the PLA,” said Denny Roy, an expert on the Chinese military and senior fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii.
“The party may not want to appear to be trying to stifle a popular nationalistic position expressed by a military man, (which could) turn public anger against the civilian leadership,” Roy said.
The 2.3 million-member PLA is technically the house army of the Communist Party, ultimately loyal to the party rather than the Chinese nation. Its chief mission is ensuring the party’s hold on power, as it did in 1989 in the bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
No military officers are openly challenging party control. But some have railed against official corruption and called for a degree of political openness that makes party leaders nervous. Among the boldest has been Gen. Liu Yazhou, whose works espousing greater democracy have been privately published and placed in coffee shops in Beijing’s university district.
“Senior officers feel entitled to raise their voices because they believe that the party’s corruption has elevated the relative standing of the PLA,” said Washington-based military strategist and historian Edward Luttwak, who knows Luo personally.
In the 2009 book “China Dream,” senior colonel and National Defense University professor Liu Mingfu called for China to upend U.S. dominance in international relations, saying China had a stark choice between becoming the pre-eminent power or one that has “been left behind and eliminated.”
Those sentiments were echoed in the introduction to a 2010 scholarly work by Gen. Liu Yuan, whose father, Liu Shaoqi, was a Chinese head of state in the 1950s and 1960s. The younger Liu called for China to cast aside restraint and praised warfare as a foundation of modern culture.
“Those involved in warfare are the most glorious, wonderful, and mournful,” wrote Liu, a full general in the PLA who serves as a political commissar.
Requests to interview Luo and the three Lius, who are not related, were declined.
Many observers see a pronounced gap between the headline-grabbing views and bombastic statements of these kinds of officers — most often based in academia — and those of unit commanders who are much more cognizant of the PLA’s limitations, as well as top military leaders considered staunchly loyal to the party.
“I would emphasize that, overall, the party leadership wields ultimate decision-making power on key national security issues,” said Sarah McDowall, a China analyst with IHS Janes in Britain.
The PLA also has shown the world a friendlier side in recent years, cooperating in anti-pirate patrols off Africa’s coast, joining in UN peacekeeping operations and sending a hospital ship to the Caribbean.
However, some of that may be as much about testing the ability to operate far afield as about diplomacy.
Xi, the incoming leader, is seen as representing a strain of firm, though not shrill, nationalism. His ties to the military are smoothed by his years in uniform as secretary to former Defense Minister Geng Biao from 1979-1982 — as well as his being the son of a leading communist guerrilla.
The military will continue to yield major sway through its outsized representation on major bodies. It will have 251 delegates at the national party congress opening Nov. 8, three times the number from China’s most populous province, Henan.
Its influence has ensured robust spending on such new assets as the prototype J-20 stealth fighter.
McDowall of HIS Jane’s said the PLA’s influence has been growing in recent years “owing to the increasing resources allocated to it” and that it has a major, behind-the-scenes say in this year’s political leadership transition.
“High-ranking military men may feel they have slack in the leash and can speak boldly” when the country’s political establishment is in flux, said Roy, the East-West Center senior fellow. “For many in the Chinese military, these outspoken guys are patriotic heroes.”-Philippine Daily Inquirer (October 28, 2012 3:50PM)
South Korea said Sunday it would rename peaks on islands disputed with Japan in an attempt to reassert its sovereignty over the territory after a decades-long dispute flared up again this summer.
The two main peaks at the rocky outcrops roughly midway between the two nations will be renamed to highlight historical evidence of the South's centuries-long ownership, the land ministry said.
The row over the Seoul-controlled islands -- called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan -- boiled over in August when the South's President Lee Myung-Bak made a surprise visit to them.
Tokyo said the trip to the islands, the first ever by a South Korean president, was deliberately provocative.
One of the two peaks will be named "Usan" after its ancient title dating back to the Joseon dynasty that ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910, the ministry said in a statement.
The other will be named "Daehan," South Korea's official name in Korean. The peaks were previously called the East and the West hills.
"The move is aimed at firmly asserting our territorial sovereignty over Dokdo," said the ministry.
School textbooks, official maps and major Internet websites would use the new names beginning Monday, it said.
The recent flare-up prompted Seoul to lash out at Google after the US online search engine changed the name of the islands on its web mapping service.
Google recently updated its Google Maps and -- on the English-language version -- replaced the name of Dokdo with Liancourt Rocks, a name taken from a French whaling ship that came close to being wrecked on the islets in 1849.
The South's foreign ministry called the move "unacceptable" and protested to Google against the change.
Japan is also embroiled in a separate row with China over a different set of disputed islands, in the East China Sea.-Interaksyon (October 28, 2012 2:41PM)
Thai authorities have arrested a lorry driver after 16 tiger cubs were discovered in the back of his vehicle.
The man was stopped near the border with Laos after avoiding a police checkpoint.
The driver told police he had been paid 15,000 baht ($490; £300) to transport the cubs.
Thailand is one of the centres of the illegal trade in tigers. Tiger body parts are prized in many parts of Asia for their reputed medicinal properties.
The cubs were found packed into eight plastic crates.
The driver now faces the possibility of a four-year jail term or a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,300; £800) on wildlife-smuggling charges.
The animals are now in the care of wildlife officials.
Only six subspecies of tiger remain in the wild, with fewer than 1,000 tigers thought to be left in each group.
Earlier this year, heads of police and customs from 13 countries with wild tiger populations agreed to tighten controls and improve cross-border co-operation to combat smuggling.-British Broadscasting Corporation (October 27, 2012 16:41GMT)
TOKYO – Four Chinese maritime surveillance ships were Sunday sailing in the contiguous zone near a disputed island chain in the East China Sea, Japan’s coastguard said.
This was a different Chinese fleet from that which spent several hours in territorial waters around the Tokyo-controlled islands on Thursday and provoked a strong protest from Japan, it added.
The so-called contiguous zone is an area that extends a further 12 nautical miles beyond the 12 nautical miles of territorial waters.
Tensions have risen in recent months over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which lie in rich fishing grounds. The seabed in the area is also believed to harbour mineral reserves.
Tokyo and Beijing are reportedly preparing for talks on the row which has hit multi-billion dollar trade ties between Asia’s two largest economies.-Philippine Daily Inquirer (October 28, 2012 11:25AM)
The Philippines’ performance in meeting its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has remained dismal with barely three years into the deadline to achieve the objectives set by United Nations member-states, according to a UN report.
The “Asian-Pacific Regional MDG Report: Accelerating Equitable Achievement of the MDGs” was one of several reports cited by the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2012, a joint publication of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP).
The 134-page publication was released during the just-concluded 5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Yogyakarta, some 430 kilometers southeast of the Indonesian capital.
The UN report on the MDGs disclosed, among others, that the Philippines was years behind on most of its development objectives.
Of the seven MDGs, the country got failing grades in four – eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality and sustaining maternal health.
On the other hand, it received favorable scores in gender equality, reducing tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS prevalence and ensuring environmental sustainability.
The UN described as “regressing” and “no progress” the Philippines’ performance in education-related objectives, and “slow” in dealing with anti-poverty reduction, child mortality reduction, as well as maternal health problems.
But it cited the country for being an “early achiever” in gender equality, the campaign against TB and environmental issues like forest cover, protected areas, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The Philippines was “on track” in other environment-related issues like basic sanitation and use of safe drinking water, it also said.
The nine other Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-states also scored regressing and no progress ratings for some of their MDG targets: Indonesia, HIV-AIDS and forest cover; Laos, HIV-AIDS and TB, and forest cover and carbon dioxide emissions; Cambodia, education and environment; Brunei Darussalam, environment; Malaysia, forest cover and carbon dioxide emissions; Vietnam, carbon dioxide emissions; Myanmar, forest cover and carbon dioxide emissions; Thailand, education, child mortality, forest cover and carbon dioxide emissions; and Singapore, maternal health.
According to the UNISDR and ESCAP report, “establishing direct links between MDGs and disasters is not an easy task, considering the complex interplay of the various types of economic, social, urban and environmental vulnerabilities.”
However, the report said, “several recent case studies clearly show the impact of disasters on several MDGs.”
“When cyclone Sid struck Bangladesh in 2007, its impacts on the economy amounted to $1.67 billion. Damage and losses of $925 million in the social sector affected MDGs like achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality and combating HIV-AIDs and malaria and TB.,” it said.
“Damage and losses in the production sector adversely affected other MDGs, including eradicating poverty, while losses in infrastructure affected MDG no. 7, or ensuring environmental sustainability.”
In Pakistan, the report noted that “there was sufficient damage and loss data from several post-disaster needs assessments of successive disasters with impacts on the education sector.”
While the south Asian country was on track to realize the MDG indicator for primary enrolment in schools based on its statistical trend in 2004, “slower progress” was recorded in 2008 and 2009, said the report.
“It follows that the disasters resulted in the reduced quality, quantity and prevailing level of education. Development efforts to attain MDG targets without appropriate risk reduction measures can unintentionally increase levels of vulnerability and consequential disaster risks,” it further said.
The agency noted that the years of implementing MDGs have resulted in “important progress towards reducing global disparities and the risks of disasters.”
Each year, Southeast Asia suffers damage in excess of $4.4 billion, or about 0.2 percent of the region’s gross domestic product from disaster losses associated with floods, typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and droughts.”
“Annual economic losses due to disasters have been found to be the highest for the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, in that order, while Singapore and Brunei present the lowest losses,” said the same report.
Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative on disaster risk reduction, has noted “countries were increasingly embracing the view that minimizing disaster risk was essential for achieving sustainable development.”
“Many have started to take action to build the resilience of communities, but more needs to be done to protect various population segments that are vulnerable to disasters, such as women, children, people with disabilities and the aged as very little concerted efforts have been made to deal with these populations,” she said.
Wahlstrom urged governments to “focus on development strategies that reduce exposure to hazards and invest more in disaster risk reduction policies to achieve greater resilience against disasters.”-Black Pearl (October 28, 2012 2:15PM)
More than 22,000 people from mainly Muslim communities have been displaced by fresh unrest in western Myanmar that has killed dozens and seen whole neighbourhoods razed, the UN said on Sunday.
The United Nations chief in Yangon, Ashok Nigam, said government estimates provided early Sunday were that 22,587 people had been displaced and 4,665 houses were set ablaze in a new wave of communal unrest that swept Rakhine state this week.
"We have to say that this is a current estimate and we suspect there may be additional numbers," he told AFP, adding that 21,700 of those made homeless were Muslims.
"Those 22,000 people are still in the locality where they were, they are not moving. The boat people are separate," he told AFP, referring to thousands of additional displaced people who have surged towards the state capital Sittwe.
Seething resentment between Buddhists and Muslims erupted on October 21 in fresh violence in the state, following fierce clashes in June that left 75,000 mainly Muslim minority Rohingya seeking shelter in temporary camps.
The latest fighting, which has prompted international warnings that the nation's reforms could be under threat, has killed more than 80 people, according to a government official who asked to remain anonymous, bringing the total toll since June to above 170.-AFP (October 28, 2012 1:17PM)
