UN chief urges 'amicable' end to Philippines, China sea dispute

UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called for an "amicable" settlement to a mounting South China Sea territorial dispute between China and other Asian nations.

Asked about the Philippines' decision to refer the case to a UN tribunal, Ban told reporters he has been following the dispute "carefully".

"It is important for those countries in the region to resolve all these issues through dialogue in a peaceful and amicable way," he said.

The United Nations is ready "to provide technical and professional assistance, but primarily all these issues should be resolved by the parties concerned," the UN leader added, carefully avoiding backing any country involved.

China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan all have overlapping claims to the territory.

The Philippine government announced Tuesday that it would ask an arbitration panel under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea - a 1982 treaty signed by both countries - to rule on China's claims.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said, "The Philippines has exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful negotiated settlement of its maritime dispute with China."

Over the past two years the Philippines and Vietnam have complained at China's increasing assertiveness in enforcing its claims, particularly in areas believed rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

China has said the rival claims should be settled through negotiations.-Interaksyon (January 23, 2013 4:05AM)

Singapore boosts 'baby bonus' scheme

Singapore on Monday, January 21, announced increased cash bonuses for parents of newborn babies and introduced paternity leave as part of a package of measures to boost population and reduce dependence on foreigners.

Parents of Singaporean babies born since August 26 last year will receive a cash gift of Sg$6,000 ($4,900) -- a rise of 50 percent, which applies to each of a couple's first two children.

The financial incentive will rise to Sg$8,000 for a couple's third and fourth babies, as the government attempts to offset the high cost of raising a family -- one of the gripes often aired by young couples in the city-state.

At least one parent must be a Singapore citizen to be eligible for the handout.

The government will subsidise one week of paternity leave for fathers of babies born from May 1 this year, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) agency also announced in a press release.

In addition, new fathers will be eligible to stay off work for a second week by taking a chunk of the standard 16-week maternity leave granted to their wives, it added.

Housing issues were also addressed in the Sg$2 billion ($1.63 billion) Marriage and Parenthood Package.

Couples with at least one child below 16 will be given priority to buy government-built apartments, where most Singaporeans live. Many couples keep their families small until they get their own flats.

"We hope that the enhanced marriage and parenthood measures will help create a more conducive environment for Singaporeans to set up families," Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in the press release.

Singapore's birth rate of 1.20 children per woman, according to 2011 figures, is well below the 2.1 figure needed to sustain the native population.

The low rate has forced the city-state to bring in more immigrants in recent years. But the numbers were reduced following a social backlash, with foreigners blamed for problems including overcrowding, straining public services and driving up housing costs.

Singapore, which relies on foreign labour to power its economic growth, now has a population of 5.3 million, of whom only 3.3 million are citizens.

By 2030, 20 percent of Singaporeans are forecast to be 65 years or older, according to official statistics. - Rappler (January 22, 2013)

Philippines takes territorial fight with China to international tribunal

The Philippines raised the stakes in its maritime territorial dispute with China by announcing Tuesday it is taking the case to an international tribunal.

The two Asian nations have been at loggerheads over China's claims of sovereignty over large swathes of the South China Sea, one of several tense disagreements between Beijing and its neighbors over waters in the region.

"The Philippines has exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful negotiated settlement of its maritime dispute with China," Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario said Tuesday.

As a result, Manila is challenging China's claims, which include the waters off the west coast of the Philippines, at an international arbitration tribunal, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Read more: Asean Chief: South China Sea risks becoming 'Asia's Palestine'
The state-run Chinese news agency reported the announcement by the Philippines on Tuesday but didn't carry an immediate response from Beijing.

Other countries, like Vietnam and Malaysia, also lay claim to parts of the South China Sea, a 1.3 million square-mile patch of the Pacific Ocean dotted with hundreds of largely uninhabited islands and coral atolls.

The area is a fertile fishing ground and is believed to hold large oil and gas reserves under its seabed.

Tensions between China and the Philippines soared last year during a naval standoff over a remote rocky outcrop in a disputed part of the sea. That crisis lasted months and stoked fears of an open conflict before the Philippines withdrew its ships, citing stormy weather.

Analysts say China is trying to solidify its claims of "indisputable sovereignty" over most of the South China Sea by conducting regular maritime patrols in the area.

It is using a similar approach in its heated dispute with Japan over set of small islands in the East China Sea.

The United States is treading a delicate path amid the various territorial tensions in the region.

On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang warned United States to "be careful with its words" after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington opposes "any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration" of the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Clinton had reiterated the U.S. policy that it doesn't take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands.

As recently as last week, Xinhua reported that Chinese surveillance vessels were carrying out regular missions in the South China Sea.

The Xinhua report cited Liu Cigui, director of the State Oceanic Administration, as saying that China would continue the patrols "to secure the nation's maritime rights and interests" in areas it claims as its territorial waters.-Cable News Network (January 23, 2013)

Iran to open embassy in Myanmar

The Iranian government has confirmed reports that it is preparing to open an embassy here, with a spokesman saying initial preparations have already been made.

The spokesman told news agencies that Iran had initiated discussions on opening the embassy. 

Myanmar has diplomatic relations with 110 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations. The United States restored full diplomatic relations with Myanmar last year following democratic reforms. Twenty-eight countries now have embassies here, with embassy staff saying that some are quickly expanding their commercial affairs departments to handle a surge in interest in business opportunities.-Asia News Network (January 22, 2013)

Demand for flat screen TV continues to surge across Southeast Asia

The constant evolution and innovation in the world of TV technology have been successfully fueling consumer demand and driving consistent growth in the industry over the last few years. In the Southeast Asia region, flat panel TVs have continued to register a surge in demand in 2012, selling over 8.3 million units in the first eleven months of the year and reflecting a 26 per cent volume growth over the same period the previous year.

LCD is the most sought after TV type across the region, making up more than nine out of ten sets purchased by Southeast Asian consumers. Four of the six markets tracked by GfK - Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia registered 10 to 70 per cent spike in sales quantity of LCD TV in the respective countries.

"The total LCD TV market across the region increased by 13 per cent over last year, spurred largely by the strong demand of LED TVs which contributed to a significant chunk of the LCD TV pie," said Gerard Tan, Account Director for Digital Technology, GfK Asia. "The developing countries are getting more exposed to the advantages of this newer TV technology and its consumers are increasingly demanding for it."

Indonesia is the largest and also fastest growing market, thanks to the population's ongoing high rate of conversion from the traditional CRT TV. Nearly 2.9 million sets of LCD TVs were sold in January to November 2012; 68 per cent more than a year ago. While in the Singapore market on the other hand, 77 per cent of all flat panel TVs sold were LED TVs with the rest being Plasma TVs.

"Consumers in the region are willing to splurge on TVs, having spent over USD 3 billion on LCD TVs last year-13 per cent more compared to the year before," highlighted Tan. "One of the key drivers of the strong sales is greater affordability due to price erosion attributed to keen competition among major brands, and the introduction of more advanced technologies, for instance, Internet-content, 3D etc."

According to findings, Internet-content and 3D TVs are progressively gaining grounds with all the six markets reflecting sales growth. While one in every ten (11%) sets of TV sold in the region last year had the Internet content feature, 3D TVs formed around 7 per cent of all flat screen TV sales.

"The latest cutting edge TV technologies introduced by major brands are the 4K and OLED TVs which received much attention during the recent Consumer Electronics Show," highlighted Tan. "However, with the current economic outlook in the region, consumers are likely to be exercising more caution in spending on big ticket items such as these upmarket TVs. Nevertheless, we foresee the overall TV market to continue remaining buoyant in 2013, attributable to the continued switchover process in the developing markets," he concluded.-Asia One (January 22, 2013)

One Dead, Seven Injured in Earthquake Off Indonesia

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Aceh province on Tuesday, killing an eight-year-old girl and injuring seven others, officials said.

The quake struck 112 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh at 22:22 GMT, at a depth of 37 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

"An eight-year-old girl in Pidie district was killed after a cupboard in her bedroom fell on her when the quake shook the ground," the district's disaster management agency chief Apriyadi, who goes by one name, told AFP.

He added that seven people were injured, four of them seriously, due to collapsing walls.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency (BMKG) issued no tsunami alert.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.-The Jakarta Globe (January 22, 2013)

China orders copters to be ready over dispute with Japan

Amid rising tensions with Japan over disputed islands, Chinese army in a bid to scale up battle readiness has ordered its armed helicopters to shift focus from logistic missions and gear up for combat operations. 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) planned to change the training strategy of its army aviation unit as more and more armed helicopters joined the service, PLA Daily which is the official newspaper of the military quoted an army aviation unit as saying. 

The focus of army aviation unit will be shifted from logistics missions to combat ones, from building the capacity for non-war military actions to core military actions, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the daily as saying. 

The unit will work on major missions such as long-distance tasks, large scale offshore operations, attack coordination with other units and large scale airborne operations, it said, adding that the unit will also aim to improve its operation capability based on IT technologies. 

Both China and Japan have scaled up military operations after the escalation of the dispute over the islands called Diaoyu by China and Senkakus by Japan. 

The PLA move comes in the backdrop of recent military drills conducted by the Japanese army helicopters to defend the islands from enemy raids. 

Chinese military exercises in recent months involving ships and aircraft focused on taking the islands and retaining them. 

While naval ships of both the countries patrolled the waters of the islands, the two also scrambled aircraft last week to intercept surveillance planes. 

Conflict over the islands escalated after Japan, which retained the administrative control over the islands bought them from a private party. 

Objecting the move, China sent its ships into the island waters.  On January 15, General Staff Headquarters of the PLA had asked commanders and soldiers to strengthen their readiness for possible war with a directive to stage more exercises.

“The General Staff Headquarters of PLA has pledged to stage more military drills that simulate real combat, urging commanders and soldiers to strengthen their readiness for possible war,” the PLA Daily reported.-Deccan Herald (January 21, 2013)

Zest-O to build manufacturing plants in China, Myanmar

The Zest-O group is eyeing to expand its manufacturing footprint across Asia, enabling the beverage firm to tap the huge population of booming economies in the region.

Former ambassador Alfredo Yao, Zest-O chairman, said the company is in talks to build manufacturing plants in China and Myanmar, with the benchmark investment for each facility expected to reach P250 million.

"We may spend more in Myanmar because we are thinking of [putting up] a bottling company there. We are following what we did here with RC Cola," Yao said.

Myanmar is on the brink of economic resurgence as it opens up to foreign investment and trade following decades of military rule. Zest-O is among those seeking a piece of what can be a very lucrative market.

"Galing ‘yan [Myanmar] sa embargo. Like you're pouring water in the dessert area," said Yao.

Zest-O has production plants in the Middle East and Indonesia, with operations abroad accounting for less than a tenth of the company's total business. It exports products to China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Middle East, and the United States.

As exports become more expensive, Zest-O will focus on expanding its manufacturing presence overseas, said Yao, adding that the company employed a strategy of initially testing offshore markets through exports before expanding its operations there.

“This year, we will be doing good overseas. Our China operations will be okay. We’re just starting but it will have a snowball effect,” said Yao.

Aside from flagship Zest-O, the company markets Sunglo and Big 250 juice drinks as well as carbonated drinks and fruit sodas under the RC Cola, Zest-O-Cola, Rootbeer, and Twist brands. The company also offers health drinks under the One brand.

"It's the same product. We have to change a little of the packaging. We have to change the flavor and make some adjustments," said Yao, adding that Zest-O’s domestic business continues to grow and is seen to expand by double digits this year.

Established in 1981 as Semexco Markting Corp, Zest-O pioneered the first ready-to-drink juice in flexible foil pouch. The company operates five manufacturing plants in the Philippines and employs approximately 100 personnel for each facility.-Interaksyon (January 21, 2013 5:21PM)

ASEAN ministers vow to deepen tourism cooperation

Representatives of the ten ASEAN nations met on Sunday in Laos, capital of Vientiane, to launch the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), where they pledged to expand tourism cooperation and discussed creating a pan-ASEAN tourist visa.

The ATF, which was first held in 1981, is designed to facilitate and develop tourism promotion and cooperation across the region. A total of 150 tourism ministers and officials from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam attended the meeting.

Joining them will be 1,450 delegates, including 800 ASEAN exhibitors, 400 international buyers, 150 international and local media as well as 100 tourism trade visitors. Delegates will engage in bilateral talks, sellers and buyers meetings, and receive presentations from various ASEAN nations on their tourism industries.

According to a press release from the ATF, ASEAN leaders will consider the possibility of creating a single pan-ASEAN visa for some member countries to encourage tourists to visit. Leaders have already agreed to put more funding into developing tourism, source more financing from dialogue partners, and to promote tourism in the region.

"As an important economic sector, ASEAN cooperation in tourism has gone from strength to strength," said Lao Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Dr Bosengkham Vongdara. Vongdara cited the increase in total international visitors arriving in the region from 73.7 million people in 2010 to 81.2 million in 2011 as evidence of this cooperation.

Tourism is of particular significance to Laos, one of the least developed countries in South East Asia with few domestic industries. With a population of only 6.3 million people, Laos received approximately half this figure in tourist arrivals in 2012. This contributed significantly to economic growth and development in the country. Arrivals are expected to reach five million by 2015.

Across the various ASEAN member nations, tourism has risen between eight and 29 percent from 2010 2011. The ATF will run from Jan. 18 24.-Philippines News Agency (January 21, 2013)

3 Chinese ships in disputed island waters – Japan

Three Chinese government ships were in waters around islands at the center of a dispute with Tokyo on Monday, the day after China issued a rebuke to the US over comments seen as supporting Japan.

Japan’s coastguard said the maritime surveillance boats were in waters around a chain of Tokyo-controlled islands known as the Senkakus in Japan, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus.

China has repeatedly sent ships to the area since Japan nationalized some of the chain in September, a move that triggered a diplomatic dispute and huge anti-Japan demonstrations across China.

Beijing has also sent air patrols to the archipelago in the East China Sea, and in recent weeks both Beijing and Tokyo have scrambled fighter jets, though there have been no clashes.

On Sunday, Beijing said it was “strong dissatisfied” after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a veiled warning to China not to challenge Tokyo’s control over the chain, which is believed to sit atop vast mineral reserves.

On Friday, Clinton said the US opposed “any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration” of the islands.

The top US diplomat added “we do not want to see any action taken by anyone that could raise tensions or result in miscalculation that would undermine the peace, security and economic growth in this region”.-Philippine Daily Inquirer (January 21, 2013 10:13AM)

Philippines is 'most romantic destination'

The Philippines is the “most romantic destination” for Chinese paper Shanghai Morning Post, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Monday.

The DFA said that the "Most Romantic Destination" award was given to the Philippines through the DFA's representative last January 15 at the Shanghai Peninsula Hotel.

The award was based on a consumer survey by the Shanghai Morning Post.

Philippine Consul General Charles Jose received the award from Liu Sha, the Chinese paper's Editor-in-Chief. 

The DFA said that the other country-winners were: Australia as “The Best Tour Destination for Discovery;” Switzerland as “The Best Shopping Paradise;” Korea as “The Best Skiing Destination;” and Germany as “The Best Destination for Art Appreciation.”

The Philippines has also been awarded "Best Tourist Destination" by another Chinese newspaper, the Oriental Morning Post, last January 9.

The DFA said that it is expecting more Chinese to fly to the Philippines for the upcoming week-long Chinese New Year holiday in February, which is also Valentine's Day month.

It said that several Philippine carriers have re-launched flight services from China to the Philippines because of the increasing demand of Chinese travelers for short-haul beach holidays.-The Philippine Star (January 21, 2013 11:37AM)

Asia risk analyst doubts China will go to war over Spratlys

Amid the reported Chinese intrusions in the disputed Spratly Islands in West Philippine Sea, a risk strategist on Thursday said he doubts China will actually to go to war over the territories it claims it owns.

What China will do is test the waters and see how far can go intimidating other claimants, Richard Jacobson, operations director of Pacific Strategies and Assessments, told a forum in Makati City organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

Pacific Strategies is a business risk consultancy focusing on Asia, with offices in Hong Kong, Manila, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Milwaukee and Sydney.

“It appears doubtful that China has any intention to go to war for the South China Sea territorial claims,” the analyst noted. “Nevertheless it can be expected of Beijing to test the waters and in many ways see how far they can intimidate other claimants,” Jacobson added.

Apart from China – which claims the whole of South China Sea or West Philippine Sea – and the Philippines, other countries with claiming territorial ownership over the Spratlys are Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. 

The area is believed to be rich in oil and gas resources. 

Jacobson said China also exploited the differences among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. As a regional bloc, ASEAN has been proven ineffective in reducing tensions over the disputes especially with China – the world's second largest economy after the United States.

In last year's ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, the regional block failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its over 40-year history because of the resistance by Cambodia – a close ally of China and last year's ASEAN chairman – toward the inclusion in writing of the escalating tensions between China and the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Philippines and other claimants want to involve ASEAN and United Nations in resolving the disputes, but China insists on bilateral talks with individual claimant counties.

The new ASEAN chairman, Brunei, and new ASEAN Secretary General, Vietnam's Le Luong Minh, vowed to pursue a binding code of conduct among countries with competing claims over South China Sea.

Vietnam and the Philippines have been issuing diplomatic protests against China's incursions into the disputed territories. As part of the protest, Vietnam and the Philippines have refused to stamp China's new passport which features a map of Beijing's claim to almost all of South China Sea.-GMA News (January 17, 2013 8:25PM)

Some 1,000 mid-sized Japan firms eye Thailand

More than 1,000 medium-sized Japanese companies are planning to expand their business and invest in Thailand this year, the highest number for seven years, Kasikornbank said yesterday.

Songpol Chevapanyaroj, executive vice president of KBank, which has joined forces with 15 Japanese partner banks that take care of financial matters for Japanese companies investing in Thailand, said the investment size of each company was estimated at between 50 million bath and 100 million baht. 

This implies an overall investment value of 50 billion baht to 100 billion baht (US$1.6 billion to $3.3 billion) . At present, some 8,000 mid-sized Japanese companies have operations in the Kingdom.

The bulk of Thai investment by Japanese firms in the past has come from larger companies. Songpol said most of the mid-sized Japanese enterprises now interested in Thailand are in high-technology sectors such as vehicle engines and service sectors, as they have confidence in the quality of Thai facilities and do not believe the country will violate their know-how.

Some of the 1,000 medium-sized companies want to shift investment from China to Thailand, he said.

"Thailand in Japanese companies' eyes has completed facilities and infrastructure for operating business, and the country is a gateway to Asean. Start-up companies are able to run businesses rapidly here," he said.

The official visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today is a clear sign that Thailand is a place for Japanese investment, and can help Japanese business reap benefits in Southeast Asia ahead of the Asean Economic Community, he added.

KBank expects to benefit from transactional services thanks to the arrival of a larger number of Japanese companies. The bank will assist Thai business operators through business-matching activities between the two countries, Songpol said.

The bank is, however, concerned about the shortage of manpower in Thailand and whether there will be enough suitable labour to cope with the expected rise in foreign investment.

This issue and the baht's appreciation should be major risk-management factors for business operators in Thailand, Songpol said.

Commenting on the current strengthening of the baht against the US dollar, he expected the trend to continue as long as there was a major influx of capital from abroad.

The volatility of the unit against the dollar is between 50 satang and Bt1, similar to last year's level, he said, adding that the recent appreciation was considered manageable because of the Kingdom's trade balance.

Import value remains higher than export value as infrastructure investment is attracting more machinery and raw materials into the country, besides which the offshore investment by large companies could help ease the baht's volatility, he said.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the import and export sector are less affected by the baht's strength because there are more SME importers than exporters, he said.

Last year, about 20 per cent of KBank's business customers hedged their foreign-exchange risk. The volume decreased because the baht's appreciation was not considered as serious for business as previously, while some operators considered there was a chance for taking high profits, said the executive.-Asia News Network (January 17, 2013)

US, Japan review defense guidelines amid tension with China

The United States and Japan began on Thursday the revision of defense cooperation guidelines for the first time in 15 years as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a territorial dispute with China and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

The revision to the guidelines, which set rules on how Japanese and US forces work together in or near Japan, comes after a hawkish Abe led his Liberal Democratic Party to power in an election last month.

"We would like to discuss Japanese Self Defence Forces' role and US forces role with eyes on the next five, 10, 15 years and on the security environment during those periods," a Defence Ministry official told reporters, without elaborating.

The revision is due because of drastic changes in the security environment over the past 15 years including China's maritime expansion and North Korea's missile development, the Japanese government has said.

North Korea has also twice tested nuclear devices.

Japan is locked in a territorial dispute with China over a group of tiny East China Sea islets called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, with both countries sending patrol ships and planes to areas near the isles.

The review started with a working-level meeting in Tokyo between US and Japanese officials. It will likely take a year or more to complete and coincides with a US "pivot" in diplomatic and security focus to Asia.

"One issue that's prevalent is whether the Abe government will reinterpret the constitution to exercise the right of collective self defense," said Nicholas Szechenyi, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Should that policy decision be taken, it will obviously have an impact on the way the Self Defense Forces and US military coordinate."

Japan recognizes it has what is known as the right of collective self-defense, meaning a right to defend with force allies under attack even when Japan itself is not being attacked.

But Japanese governments have traditionally interpreted the pacifist constitution as banning the actual exercise of the right, creating a sore spot in Tokyo's security ties with Washington. Abe wants to change the interpretation to allow Japan to exercise the right.

The Defense Ministry did not say whether the issue of the right of collective self-defense has been discussed.-Interakasyon (January 17, 2013 11:53PM)

US Navy ship stuck in Tubbataha Reef

A US Navy minesweeper, the USS Guardian, ran aground in the Sulu Sea off the Philippines on Thursday, and was stuck on a reef, the Navy said.

No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at 2:25 a.m. local time on Tubbataha Reef about 80 miles (130 km) east-southeast of Palawan Island, in the Philippines, the Navy said. There were no reports that any fuel leaked from the vessel.

The ship, with a crew of 80, had just completed a port call at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when the grounding occurred.

"The crew is currently working to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship," a Navy statement said, adding that the cause of the grounding was under investigation. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed the incident at the reef, which is a world heritage site.

DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the US Embassy in Manila informed the department about the incident.

"The cause of the grounding is still under investigation. The DFA is closely coordinating this matter with the US Embassy and the DND, the AFP and the PCG," Hernandez said. "We expect that relevant agencies of the Philippine government will conduct their own investigation, assess the impact of the incident on the reef, and recommend any and all actions that must be taken."

 "For the moment, our main concern is to ensue safety of navigation in the area and to mitigate this incident's impact in the reef which is natural and national treasure," he added.

US presence assailed 

The incident drew flak from a lawmaker and leftist activists.

"The continued presence of US troops in the Philippines has attacked our sovereignty in all terrains - land, air, and now our territorial waters. The incident in Tubbataha is simply unforgivable," Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino said in a press statement Thursdau.

He quoted the the Tubbataha management office as allegedly saying that the US Navy ship damaged large portions of the heritage site's coral reefs, thus violating pertinent Philippine laws, including Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act of 2009.

He said the US Navy may be fined approximately P12,000 per square meter of damaged corals.

"This case just highlights how the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty between our country and the US is opening loopholes that enable the said imperialist country to conduct covert military operations on our territory, without any regard whatsoever on its effects to our people and our natural resources. It is appalling, really appalling," Palatino said.

He wants Congress to investigate the incident.

"This incident shows us how the United States military forces have brazenly disrespected our laws and damaged our country's environment and national treasures," Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment official Clemente Bautista said.

"We denounce how the US military forces responsible for the damage have barred our environmental officials from inspecting the USS Guardian to immediately assess the incident. They are the intruders and violators, yet they still have the gall to disrespect Filipino officials and bar them from doing their environmental duties. This is the height of US military arrogance and brazenness," he claimed.

"What is the US military doing in Tubbataha Reef and its environs? What other environmentally-critical areas has the US military presence damaged or destroyed?" Bautista asked.-ABS-CBN News (January 17, 2013 7:59PM)

Cambodian human rights group urges Laos to locate missing activist

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) expressed its deep concern regarding the disappearance of prominent human rights defender Sombath Somphone in Laos, according to the CCHR President’s letter to Yaseng Lao, the Lao Ambassador to Cambodia.

The letter said Sambath Somphone, known for his work educating and training youths to promote sustainable development in Laos, has disappeared since December 15, 2012.

He was last seen by his wife, Ng Shui Meng, as they drove separately from his office at around 5pm on the evenining of December 15, 2012. Sombath Somphone did not return home as planned and so on the morning of December 16, Ng Shui Meng reported him missing to the authorities. 

“Closed-circuit camera footage obtained by his family in the days after his disappearance shows Sombath Somphone being stopped by traffic police on Thadeua Road in Vientiane just after 6pm. The camera footage appears to show Sombath Somphone leaving his car and being accompanied by the police to the police station before later being driven away in a large while vehicle,” Ou Virak, the CCHR president said in his letter, dated January 16, 2013.

Sombath Somphone has now been missing for one month and there is growing concern for his welfare. This concern is accompanied by a widely help belief that Sombath Somphone was targeted as a result of his community development work and that he is being made an example of by the Laotian authorities who are attempting to prevent the growth of civil society in the country, he added.

“CCHR therefore calls upon your Embassy, Ambassador, to do all in its power in order to urge the Laotian authorities to establish an immediate, thorough, impartial and credible investigation into the disappearance of Sombath Somphone and to ensure that justice is delivered to the human rights defender and his family,” said Ou Virak.-Asia News Network (January 17, 2013)

Jakarta Suffering Huge Economic Losses Due to Floods: Kadin

The massive floods that hit Jakarta have paralyzed economic activities and may disturb the capital’s economic growth, an official said on Thursday.

“This is due to absent employees,” Deputy Chairman of the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Sarman Simanjorang told Beritasatu.com on Thursday. “As the center of the national economy, Jakarta’s economy has been disturbed by the floods that, up until now, the government still has no clear solution for.”

Sarman claimed that economic losses could reach anywhere from Rp 1 billion to 1.5 billion per hour. 

He added that business people expect the Jakarta administration and the central government to draft a plan with a definite timetable to solve the crisis.

Torrential rain from Wednesday night until Thursday morning had paralyzed the capital, with floodwaters up to one meter deep rendering several roads impassable.    

The TransJakarta busway halted operations on Thursday morning while trains from Bogor were only able to travel to Manggarai as the Kota and Sudirman stations were inundated as well.   

Many workers, including civil servants and employees with companies workers, could not reach their offices.

Sarman declared that the floods could not be tolerated in the capital.

“In this case, we hope the central government will fully support the Jakarta administration in solving [this problem],” Sarman said. “If necessary, the president should establish a united team that coordinates facility and infrastructure development to free Jakarta from flooding.”-The Jakarta Post (January 17, 2013)

15 hostages and 15 terrorist killed in Algerian airstikes

35 hostages and 15 hostage takers were killed in airstrikes by Algerian Army Thursday, as they tried to move from one plant location to another.

Recently, a French News Channel reported that Malaysians, Japanese and Filipinos are among the hostages.

-The Asean News (January 17, 2013 9:51PM)

See more latest update here: REUTERS LIVE COVERAGE

(UPDATE)

Reports say many hostages killed in Algeria siege

A Mauritanian news agency that has been in constant contact with kidnappers holding dozens of Western hostages in Algeria reported on Thursday that 34 of the captives had been killed in air strikes.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the report by the ANI news agency, which said 14 kidnappers had also been killed in air strikes by the Algerian armed forces, which had surrounded the remote desert gas pumping station where the kidnappers were holed up.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera television carried a similar report, citing its own sources.

ANI quoted a spokesman for the kidnappers as saying they would kill the rest of their captives if the army approached.

Governments around the world were holding emergency meetings to respond to one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades, which sharply raised the stakes in a week-old French campaign against al Qaeda-linked rebels in the Sahara.

An Algerian security source earlier said 25 foreign hostages had escaped the besieged compound, including two Japanese.

The source told Reuters the captors had demanded safe passage out with their prisoners. Algeria has refused to negotiate with what it says is a band of about 20 fighters.

A group calling itself the "Battalion of Blood" says it seized 41 foreigners, including Americans, Japanese and Europeans, after storming the pumping station and employee barracks before dawn on Wednesday.

The attackers have demanded an end to the French military campaign in Mali, where hundreds of French paratroopers and marines are launching a ground offensive against rebels a week after Paris began firing on militants from the air.-Reuters (January 17, 2013 9:50PM)

Japan's Abe turns to SE Asia to counter China

The last time he was prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe's inaugural foreign trip was to China. In the job again 7 years later and relations with Beijing now chilly, Abe is turning first this time to the rising economic stars of Southeast Asia.

A hawkish Abe wants them to help counterbalance the growing economic and military might of China at a time when Japan needs new sources of growth for its languishing economy and is debating whether to make its own military more muscular.

But experts warn he will have to tread carefully during his visit to Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam this week to avoid provoking Beijing by appearing to "contain" China.

Beijing is also scouring the region in search of new investment and trade opportunities and sources of raw materials. But it is also clashing with countries in the region over territorial rows in the South China Sea, as well as with Japan over tiny isles in the East China Sea.

Moreover, Abe may find his hosts keen to avoid upsetting China, now their major economic partner as well.

"The Japanese government is trying to solidify its relations with other countries in the region and strengthen its bargaining power before talking to China," said Narushige Michishita, an associate professor at the National Graduate Institute.

Abe had hoped to go first to Washington this time after his Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) big win at the polls last month, in order to bolster the security alliance with his country's main ally. But because U.S. President Barack Obama was too busy, he will start with members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Japanese firms are already eyeing Southeast Asia as an alternative to investment in China after a long-simmering feud with Beijing over disputed islands in the East China Sea flared up last year, sparking protests in China and hurting trade.

Abe has made clear that ASEAN's planned integration in 2015, creating a bloc with combined economies worth $2 trillion and a population of 600 million, is a significant lure for a Japanese economy that has been trapped in deflation for decades and whose population is ageing fast and shrinking.

He also says, however, that he wants to go beyond mere economic ties and expand relations in the security field. He is expected to give a policy speech in Jakarta.

SHARED VALUES

In an echo of the push for a broader Asian "arc of freedom and prosperity" that underpinned Abe's foreign policy during his first term in office - which ended when he quit abruptly - the Japanese leader is also likely to refer to his desire for deeper ties with countries that share democratic and other values.

"Japan's path since the end of World War Two has been to firmly protect democracy and basic human rights and stress the rule of law," Abe told NHK public TV on Sunday. "I want to emphasize the importance of strengthening ties with countries that share such values."

One issue that could come up is a maritime "Code of Conduct" that the United States has urged China and its Southeast Asian neighbors to agree on as a step toward reducing tensions.

"Japan should play a more significant, responsible role not only for the prosperity but also stability in this part of the world, especially in its waters," said Kunihiko Miyake, a former diplomat close to Abe.

"Possibly we could work together with Southeast Asia in a possible broad, extended Code of Conduct in the waters to avoid unnecessary and unintended friction or disputes,"said Miyake, now research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies.

Abe has said repeatedly that he wants to improve ties with Beijing despite his tough stand over the islands dispute. But some warn his rhetoric could been seen as trying to box in China, provoking Beijing and worrying Southeast Asian countries whose economies are increasingly linked to China's.

"What is the point of making an enemy of China?," said Hitoshi Tanaka, a former diplomat who is now chairman of the Institute for International Strategy in Tokyo. "It is not smart diplomacy in my view and the last thing the nations named as targets of 'values diplomacy' would welcome."

ECONOMY FIRST

Abe will need to reassure his hosts that he will not let the islands row with China get out of hand despite his hawkish security stance and his desire to revise Japan's take on its wartime history with a less apologetic tone.

"Prime Minister Abe might be seen as revisionist but this should not influence the dispute as all countries in the region would rather focus on economic development than see this conflict deteriorate," said Damrong Kraikuan, director-general of the Thai foreign ministry's East Asia Affairs Department.

"But the South China Sea will not be the highlight of his visit to Bangkok," he added. "Thailand will take note of what Japan has to say and we will listen, but we have to take other countries into consideration to make progress."

Japan's remains a huge economic influence in ASEAN. It is the group's biggest source of foreign direct investment, after the European Union and almost three times the size of China's.

"Japan is concerned about losing out to China in trade and investment," said Jayant Menon, lead economist at the Asian Development Bank's Office for Regional Economic Integration. "(The visit) sends an important message."

In Vietnam, Japan pledged investments of $4.9 billion in the first 10 months of last year, nearly double the whole of 2011. In Thailand, from January-September, foreign investment almost tripled to around $8.1 billion.

In the group's biggest economy, Indonesia, net direct investment last year looked to be heading for a record amount.

And Japan was ASEAN's second biggest trading partner in 2011, just behind China, according to the group's figures.

Abe's young government has already been pushing hard to improve relations in the region. He sent his foreign minister last week to Brunei, Singapore, Australia and the Philippines. Manila, for one, has welcomed signs of Japan's willingness to play a bigger regional security role.

Nevertheless, Abe will have to tread carefully on the topic of Japan's wartime aggression, which remains a sensitive issue.

His government has said it would stick by a landmark 1995 apology for Japan's wartime aggression.

But Abe also wants to issue a statement of his own and has expressed interest in revisiting a 1993 government statement apologizing for military involvement in kidnapping Asian women to work in wartime military brothels.

"Everyone knows that if the new government were to change the basic line then Japan will be isolated in East Asia because China, Korea and even Southeast Asia will make lots of issues out of a change in interpretation (of the past)," Tanaka said.-ABS-CBN News (January 16, 2013 6:56PM)

WB sees PH growth at more than 6% through 2015

The Philippine economy is expected to continue growing by more than 6% in the next three years, according to a World Bank report.

In its "Global Economic Prospects 2013" report released on Wednesday, the World Bank said it projects a 6.2% growth for the Philippines in 2013; 6.4% in 2014 and 6.3% in 2015. This despite continuing concerns about the global economy's vulnerability to the risks from the euro zone crisis and fiscal policy in the United States. 

The World Bank estimated the Philippines grew by 6% in 2012.

For the East Asia and the Pacific region, the World Bank sees growth at 7.9% this year, reflecting firmer growth in China to 8.4%. This is an improvement from the region's 7.5% growth in 2012. 

"Improved global financial conditions, a gradual pickup of growth in high-income countries and a return to more normal global trade growth are expected to support a gradual strengthening of output in East Asia and the Pacific between 2013 and 2015," the report said. 

The report also noted that "accommodative monetary policy" and and low inflation in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines is also a factor.

Major ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, are expected to continue their strong economic growth. 

"Growth in this country group is expected to increase to 5.9% in 2015, as Indonesia continues to grow rapidly (at around 6.6%) and growth remains robust in Malaysia (around 5%), Thailand (4.5%) and the Philippines as well (around 6%)," it said.  

Possible impact of US fiscal impasse

The World Bank cut its outlook for world growth this year. It estimates global gross domestic product will go up 2.4% this year, from 2.3% in 2012.

World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said the global economic recovery remains fragile and uncertain, which clouds the prospects for a return to robust growth.

"Developing countries have remained remarkably resilient thus far. But we can't wait for a return to growth in the high-income countries, so we have to continue to support developing countries in making investments in infrastructure, in health, in education. This will set the stage for the stronger growth that we know that they can achieve in the future."

The growth prospects for the East Asia and Pacific region in 2013 remain vulnerable to the continuation of the euro zone crisis and the fiscal impasse in the United States.

The World Bank estimates a deepening euro zone crisis could cut East Asia and Pacific's regional GDP by 1%. The impact of the US' failure to resolve its fiscal problems could mean a 1.1% cut in East Asia and Pacific's GDP in 2013. 

"Among the EAP developing economies China, Thailand and Indonesia are projected to be most affected by a growth slowdown in high income countries (about  1-1.2% cut in GDP in both 2013 and 2014 relative to the baseline) followed by Vietnam and Malaysia (about 0.8-0.7% cut in the GDP relative to the baseline) due to reduced import demand in high- income countries, much tighter international capital conditions and increased pre-cautionary savings within the region," the World Bank said. -ABS-CBN News (January 16, 2013 7:01PM)