Asian News For The Week of Oct. 15

Here’s this weeks news from Asia

Monday October 15
Japan,Korea

Japan decides to cancel US$4.7 million grant for education center in Myanmar

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has canceled a multimillion dollar grant for a business education center in Myanmar to protest the death of a Japanese journalist during a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Yangon, a news report said Tuesday.

The Japanese government earlier had said it would suspend some of its assistance to Myanmar in response to the death of Kenji Nagai during the Sept. 26-27 crackdown by Myanmar’s military rulers.

Chung Named Presidential Nominee
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

Former Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young won the United New Democratic Party’s (UNDP) nomination to run in the December presidential election, Monday, after a month-long primary race marred by a low turnout and alleged vote buying.

Chung, a television anchor-turned-politician,now, faces an uphill battle against Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), who commands a strong lead with support of about 50 percent in opinion polls. Chung’s latest rating stood at slightly over 14 percent.

Tuesday October 16
Philippines, Indonesia

Imelda shrugs off PCGG move

Agence France-Presse

The widow of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos said Tuesday she welcomed the government’s refusal to cut a deal on the billions of dollars she and her husband allegedly stole from the nation.

The commission which has led a 20-year battle to recover the money on Monday ruled out any compromise with Imelda Marcos, who fired back on Tuesday that she did not want any such deal.

“Mrs Marcos never really wanted a compromise with the government. She has maintained her innocence and her husband’s innocence in all the accusations and charges thrown against them,” her spokesman Fernando Diaz said.

Graft watchdog says no quick fix

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A corruption watchdog is pessimistic corruption will be quickly eliminated in Indonesia, saying the country’s law and political culture do not support the anticorruption movement.

Deputy coordinator of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Adnan Topo Husodo said his institution had to maintain its stamina until the nation developed a strong political culture to fight against corruption.

Wednesday October 17
India, Pakistan

Alert against foodgrains diversion

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: The Union government has asked the West Bengal government to be alert against diversion of foodgrains meant for the Public Distribution System (PDS) reportedly to Bangladesh.

Answering questions on Tuesday on the reported “looting” of fair price shops in some pockets of the State, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told journalists: “There have been complaints about some diversion to Bangladesh, which requires the State government to be alert. I don’t know about political agenda but definitely there is anger about diversion [of foodgrains].” He was speaking on the sidelines of a World Food Day conference.

Benazir refuses to delay return

ISLAMABAD-The party of former premier Benazir Bhutto rejected a call Thursday from the president to delay her return from exile, insisting she would land in Pakistan as planned next week to campaign for January elections. Bhutto, who went into self-imposed exile in 1999 to escape corruption charges, plans a grand homecoming Oct. 18. After months of power-sharing talks, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf last week enacted an amnesty quashing cases against her and other politicians.
But Wednesday, Musharraf urged Bhutto to postpone her return to Pakistan until after the Supreme Court rules on his own eligibility for a new five-year presidential term. The court is due to resume hearings on Oct. 17, a day before Bhutto is scheduled to land in Karachi. Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, said the two-time prime minister was sticking to her plans. She “will come on Oct. 18 as scheduled,” Babar told.

Thursday October 18
Australia, New Zealand

PM lines up rookie Rudd in prize fight ‘Negative’ campaign sparks war of words
Andrew Fraser
The gloves are off in the federal election campaign after Prime Minister John Howard told Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd to “grow up” and stop crying foul every time he is criticised.

In his most a pointed attack on his opponent so far, Mr Howard declared he would not lie down for anyone in the race for The Lodge.

Mr Howard said Mr Rudd who yesterday described himself as “rookie” when it came to debating the Prime Minister had been an MP for only nine years and had to accept he was now in “a very willing political contest for the government of Australia, for the hearts and minds of the Australian people”.

Raids set Maori-Pakeha relations back 100 years – Sharples
  Thursday October 18, 2007
Maori party co-leader Pita Sharples claims this week’s anti-terror raids have set race relations back 100 years.

He said the raids in Tuhoe land are reminiscent of the atrocities committed at Parihaka in the 19th Century.

Speaking at a conference in Queensland yesterday, Dr Sharples said he could hardly believe history was repeating itself.

In 1881, armed constabulary raided the non-violent settlement of Parihaka, arresting Maori prophets Te Whiti and Tohu and destroying the settlement.

Friday October 19
China, Taiwan

Chen may not join United Nations rally marathon
Friday, October 19, 2007
The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Chen Shui-bian may not be able to run in a torch relay marathon to rally support for Taiwan’s admission to the United Nations under its name.

That possibility was raised as Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said yesterday that no applications for the first leg of the marathon in Taipei have been received.

Chen is scheduled to carry the torch over a brief distance between the Office of the President and

China rebuffs Bush’s plea to ‘welcome’ the Dalai Lama

Beijing, Oct 18: China today rebuffed US President George W Bush’s appeal to the communist nation to “welcome the Dalai Lama”, asking Washington to take “concrete steps” to undo the “terrible impact” made by reception given to the Tibetan leader in America.
“How China is going to deal with the Dalai Lama and the Tibet issue is internal affair of China. The Chinese people know (it) better than anybody else,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mr Liu Jianchao said, when asked about the appeal made by President Bush yesterday.
“We do not want any other people tell us how to do that”, Mr Liu said, reacting sharply to the Bush-Dalai Lama meeting, as well as the US Congress bestowing its top civilian honour on the 72-year-old exiled Buddhist leader.
President Bush had praised the Dalai Lama for keeping the “flame” of Tibet’s people alive, and urged Beijing to open political talks with him about the region’s future.