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West Papua Always only an Indonesian project The Jakarta Post Tuesday 9 February 2010

I totally agree with Izak Morin, This time, Papuans speak louder, The Jakarta
Post, January 29.
There's obviously something missing in the handling of the Papuan case.
Indonesia can claim to be a state, but certainly not a nation since the "sense of belonging to Indonesia" is one thing many parts of Indonesia lack.
Raising the West Papua flag is not just a way of getting heard but an act to gain recognition as a different race with a different culture, but they should still be treated equally.
One thing the government doesn't seem to care much about.
I, myself, spent more than 25 years in Papua.
I grew up there, although, due to my physical appearance, many would consider me an immigrant.
But what I learned from living there is that there is a strong feeling of resentment toward the government.
A feeling often called "Papuan nationalism": A sense of belonging to a minor,
differently treated and peripheral society within a country.
Papua is not just a case of economic and social injustice.
It also involves issue of human rights, race and cultural problems which require not only government help but help from the larger Indonesian society as well.
For those who haven't realized it, Papuans have always had a hard time integrating into the larger Indonesian society.
It's often not just because of the Papuans' lack of confidence but involves their treatment by the larger community.
Comments like "Oh yeah, you wouldn't know. You're just from Papua" is certainly not something that helps us integrate into the larger community.
We're still Indonesians, you know, only with a different race and culture.
Papuans lack "recognition" in many senses.
We have to admit when you look at Papua, it looks like a poor, marginalized and uneducated people.
Papua is always like a "project" for the government.
Look beyond that, please.

Erza Killian,
Malang,
East Java,
Indonesia

Enrique de Malacca, Enrique el Negro or Henry the Black Sailed with Ferdinand Magellan The Jakarta Post, Monday 8 February 2010

At school we were taught that the first man to circumnavigate the earth was
Ferdinand Magellan (Fernao Magallhaes in Portuguese, Fernando de Magallanes
in Spanish) in 1521.
Being killed in Mactan, the Philippines on April 27, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan did not complete the “circumnavigation of the earth”.
His farthest previous journey to the eastern part of Southeast Asia archipelago was
to Brunei.
The other source of information about this most amazing voyage in the history of
humankind is a report written by Maximillianus Transylvanus who interviewed
Magellan’s surviving men who managed to return to Spain.
The report was printed in 1523 under the title of “De Moluccis Insulis” (“The Moluccas Island”).
MaximilianusTransylvanus was an assistant to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
(1519-56) who was also the King of Spain Charles (Carlos) I (1516-56).
In the record of his world tour Pigafetta wrote that Magellan was assisted by an
assistant who Pigafetta said came from Sumatra, Enrique de Malacca, or Enrique
el Negro (Henry the Black).
In other transcripts he was also called Enrique de Molucca, perhaps by Transylvanus, because it was Transylvanus who declared that Henry Black came from the Moluccas.
Pigafetta wrote one of the reasons Magellan could convince King Carlos I of
Spain to finance his voyage was the presence of Enrique el Negro who fascinated
the curious king with his physical looks and his multilingual talent.
Ferdinand Magellan set out from Sanlucar de Barrameda on September 20, 1519 carrying about 270 men of various ethnic, racial and national origins.
For more than 400 years, no one ever thought about the possibility that Enrique
el Negro was the first human to circumnavigate the earth.
In 1958, a Malay novelist Harun Aminurrashid said that Enrique el Negro was the first man to have that honor.
And he said that Enrique el Negro is a Malayan Malay (Malaysia did not exist until 1963), as opposed to an Indonesian Malay.
The Malay writer was polite enough to say that Enrique el Negro was a Malay who came from Sumatra.
In 1980, Carlos Quirino, a Filipino historian and author, said that Enrique el
Negro was a Filipino, with the argument that he could directly communicate with
the natives when he arrived in Cebu, while Pigafetta’s records clearly stated
that Enrique el Negro could not understand what the natives said.
Enrique el Negro is Indonesian!
Why was he called black?
A Sumatran being black is a rarity.
Magellan must have cautiously prepared his voyage westward to the Moluccas and turned back to Spain.
He needed a person who understood everything about the archipelago, especially the Moluccas.
One more argument that supports this theory is that during his journey Pigafetta
wrote a dictionary of the languages he encountered during the voyage.
Of 460 words in his dictionary, only 160 words are not Malay.
One can argue that he was assisted by Enrique, who was on the same ship as him for 18 months.
Among the words collected, a lot of them came from the Moluccas as admitted by Pigafetta.
Whatever the case, Enrique had completed the 360 degree circumnavigation of the
world, because Mactan is at longitude 123 ° 58 ‘E, and Ambon is 128 ° 12’E.
People from the Scandinavian countries were proud about the fact the first
European to discover American was their countryman Leif Eriksson, who had
visited Nova Scotia in Canada, and not Columbus.
We too can do the same thing.

Reinhard R. Tawas
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Who really runs the world? The answer is obvious The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 7 February 2010

Surely, a direct and very timely question viz:- “ Who really runs the world”?
Is it a beneficent model of democratically elected forms of government that are accountable to, and representative of, a nation?
Or is it an entrenched (unelected) international affiliation of conspiratorial like-minded-persons who offer nothing more than a continuance of social disruption in the forms of war, repression, depression, recession and dispossession?
The answer then, after a deal of serious research, has been found to lie in the latter province within the lethal embrace of the asphyxiating anacondas of Wall Street; “Government by Corporation’ = The US Zionist controlled Federal Reserve System.
‘Government by Corporation” prospers through the perfidious preferential treatment by its’ contemptible minions festering in strategic positions within public administration; those prepared to prostitute their sacred oath of office for 30-pieces-of-silver.
So, may we now return to the original question: “Who really runs the world”?
The answer is obvious.
Those autocrats, whose position in society - and business- elevates them to an exclusive economic/judicial stratosphere where they are considered to be
“too-big-to-fail”, are also seen to be (apparently) too-big-to-jail.
And so, finally, we reach the conclusion that the ultimate political power and dominant influence lies within the domain of those with “the authority of money creation’- The Zionist controlled US Central Banking System and it’s autonomous money printing capacity.
The fact that these “merchants-of-death” have effectively operated, virtually unchallenged since the year 1694, has produced an uninterrupted history of murder, mayhem and misery.
It makes one wonder how much longer people will tolerate this blatantly oppressive (united) state of affairs.

Harry A Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia

Fatwa's are directives Not laws The Jakarta Post, Saturday 6 February 2010

This is a response to the article written by Julia Suryakusuma titled “Dirty dancing or the sound of the MUI-Sic?” published in The Jakarta Post on January 27. 
First, I would like to correct Julia’s statement that the fatwa was produced by the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI).
The prohibition banning pre-wedding photo shoots and female motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers were made at the consultative forum meeting for women’s Islamic boarding schools (FMP3) in East Java, which ended on January 14.
We have to look every fatwa carefully and comprehensively.
Some of the fatwa issued by the FMP3 in East Java are in accordance with the opinion of the MUI, but other fatwa need to be critically studied because there are different views among clerics.
The fatwa on women ojek drivers should be criticized intelligently because, in fact, the presence of female ojek driver could be a solution for women passengers who feel uncomfortable when an ojek is driven by a male driver.
In Iran, local ulema allow women taxi drivers to serve women passengers.
We do not need to think too much about the fatwa because, in reality, the fatwa itself are only used as a norm, in this case a religious (Islamic) norm.
Only those who believe and know the norms will ultimately obey the fatwa.
There is no compulsion for those who do not perform their religious norms because norms differ from laws.
After all, no one is harmed if there are people who obey the fatwa.
How about the pornographic law?
Here, we must distinguish between areas of the application of norms and areas of law enforcement.
An area of application of norms is a private area.
A norm is closely related to one’s beliefs.
A norm is only obeyed by those who have faith in the basis or background of these norms.
A norm background can come from a belief, custom, or religion.
Norms are not exhaustive or forcible.
This means that if there is someone who violates the norms, he will not be punished.
The pornography law is a product of democracy and forces people to abide by it. We can see the diversity in our society – customs, religions, and beliefs.
The existence of pornography and pornographic activities in public spaces creates restlessness in specific community groups.
This anxiety will lead to harmful conflicts.
Therefore, through democracy, the people who do not agree with pornography and pornographic activities proposed a rule that limited the activities in public areas, so as not to cause restlessness.
We need to appreciate the people who proposed the pornography law because they followed the democratic route.
It is unfortunate if, in fact, the group using the democratic path for the proposed pornography law is considered conservative or hard-line.

Muhammad Aldhira,
Bandung,
Indonesia

Indonesia The world's major Muslim country The Jakarta Post, Friday 5 February 2010

Again, on Republic of Indonesia, India relations
Your editorial on January 26 congratulating India was quite interesting to read, as
was its appreciation by K.B. Kale, "India, Indonesians cross cultures" on January 30.
Adding to the editorial and the letter by Kale, I would like to clarify that the
assistance to Indonesia from the subcontinent in its fight against the
colonizers, in fact, came from the 600-odd Muslim soldiers who deserted the
British Indian Army in 1945 to join hands with their Indonesian brethren.
They never returned to areas now part of India's immediate neighbor from
whence they came and eventually the surviving ones settled in Indonesia, but
before that they saw to it that Indonesia did achieve independence.
Their third generation is now living in this beautiful country and still has
fond memories of what their elders did for Indonesia.
I hope some of them will read this piece and send a comment or two to verify the contention.
As far as Indonesia is concerned, its record in maintaining perfect harmony
among various ethnic groups and minorities has been unblemished, thanks largely
to the Pancasila ideology that its founders incorporated in its Constitution.
Indonesia never had any expansionist designs or a policy of encroachment,
territorial or political, so is unique in that important aspect.
There is much the largest democracy in the world could learn from the third-largest.
Although the editorial never touched on this subject, Kale says the Indian Army
never raped the whole country; well, it had another alternative on which to
practice this sort of a pastime.
What the Indian troops did to the Darbar Sahib and the Sikhs is still fresh in the memory.
Facts are facts.
I have no authority to make claims on behalf of Indonesians but the fact remains
that Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world and its people are proud of their Islamic heritage.
They don't wish to associate themselves with any other ideology or entity.

Farhan Qutab and Faraz Liaquat
Jakarta,
Indonesia

English is all important In the development of an Asean communinty Bangkok Post, Thursday 4 February 2010

Jurin Laksanavisit, our previous minister of education, vowed to make Thailand
an educational hub of Southeast Asia.
Applaudable.
One of several urgent matters is to improve the English of our kids.
Until now, however, I haven't seen any serious action.
Now that we have a new minister, I hope the policy doesn't change.
Let's put aside the fact that Thai kids are now also having problems using even
the Thai language.
That is another problem that also needs urgent attention.
English is crucially important, especially as we are entering the ''One Asean
Community'' in 2015.
I have seen much improvement in youths in countries around us.
Sad to say, we are running far behind most nations.
With the official attitude being business-as-usual, I can't see how we can
become an educational hub.
It seems like a daydream or a political joke.
Many parents are sending their kids to study in Malaysia and Singapore.
Let's face the fact: educationally, we are a spoke; the hub is next door.
May I suggest one simple thing that most other nations are doing?
Set up a free (national) English TV channel.
I know there are several paid English channels available, but what about poor kids around the country?
This channel could lose money, to begin with, therefore it would need some
subsidy from the government.
At the same time, it must be run by high-calibre professionals, competitive with current Thai language TVs.
Believe me, no investment is better than education, especially for the kids.
The funding needed to support poor children around the country amounts to less than the cost of building a few kilometres of skytrain track to please people in Bangkok.

Chatchai Songkhla,
Bangkok Post,
Thailand

Put the tiger back In the jungle The Star, Wednesday 3 February 2010

A local radio station has somehow procured a tiger cub and has been taking it on
a “roadshow” to offices in the Klang Valley.
The tiger cub is led on a leash into corporate offices and boardrooms, and
employees are given the opportunity to touch and pet it.
This is not only a shocking act of cruelty, but is also extremely dangerous, as it is very possible that the tiger, in its state of confusion and disorientation, could attack someone.
It is ironic that this gross exploitation of an endangered species comes on the
back of the National Tiger Action Plan to increase the number of tigers in our
jungles, launched by our Government in collaboration with WWF Malaysia.
I urge the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and WWF Malaysia to not
only take urgent steps to put this tiger back where it belongs, but to tighten
our current laws and regulations to ensure no more animals have to suffer in
this way for the sake of human amusement.
Tigers belong in the jungles, not boardrooms.

Outraged,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Indonesia's backpacker Lake Toba Is a ghost town The Jakarta Post, Tuesday 2 February 2010

Indonesia’s tourism potential is handicapped by a serious lack of talent and
imagination both at a government administration level and from within the industry, both of which, like Indonesia itself, tends to be defensive and inward-looking.
Let’s look at some examples: The death of backpacker tourism.
It is hard now to comprehend, that back in the early ‘70s, Indonesia was the world’s pioneering leader in backpacker tourism.
Several of the world’s leading travel guide book series, such as Lonely Planet,
Periplus editions and Apa Insight guides were founded by tourists backpacking in
Indonesia.
Backpacker tourism is a multi-decade long-term investment; today’s budget traveler returns in the future with entire families in tow.
But backpackers bring tourist dollars directly into the pockets of village
people.
There was nobody from the village level to lobby in Jakarta on behalf of the
humble backpackers’ needs, so nowadays, once-busy backpacker destinations such as Lake Toba are sad and empty ghost towns.
Two or three decades ago, Indonesia’s earlier generation of tourism leaders, saw
the potential in short-haul weekend tourism from Malaysia and Singapore into
Bintan and Batam.
Expensive hotels and golf courses were developed.
Long-term club memberships and tourist visas were made easy to arrange.
Batam and Bintan enjoyed a temporary boom in golf and weekend tourism.
But, due to short-sighted government taxes and regulations, a quick weekend
visit from Malaysia/Singapore to Bintan, Batam or Karimun is now no longer worth
the hassle.
Tourist arrivals in those places, once nearly 2 million per year, now barely achieve 1 million.
Expensive resorts struggle to cover their costs.
Hotels continue to close down.
Our policy makers make no efforts to improve the deteriorating regional ferry and immigration counter services.
As the world’s largest island nation, it is quite evident that Indonesia’s
tourist planners have never visited Langkawi and Phuket, the Caribbean or the
Greek Isles to see an enormous industry perfectly suited to Indonesia’s
geography and seafaring skills.
The few intrepid pioneering operators who bring divers, surfers and nature
lovers to beautiful places in Eastern Indonesia, the Natuna Sea and off the
coast of Sumatra only ever deal with local officialdom in terms of paying bribes
to not have their small businesses closed down; they receive zero encouragement
and support for their pioneering efforts.
The foregoing examples mention three from dozens of seriously unrealized tourism
sectors.
So long as Indonesia’s tourism industry is managed by inward-looking, untalented hacks, inbound arrivals will remain at current stagnant levels. I suggest that the industry is in such bad shape that the government should ask Malaysia, Thailand and Australia to lend some qualified policy makers to help get Indonesia’s tourism back on it feet.

Evan Jones
Batam,
Riau Islands,
Indonesia

Thai justice stops Map Ta Phut The Nation, 1 February 2010

Re: "Prolonged impasse might lead to flight of capital, says JCC", Business.
I read that about one-third of the members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce (JCC) are deeply concerned about the Map Ta Phut impasse, with many of those
affected considering relocating their planned investments to other Asean
countries if it is not resolved within six months as promised by the prime
minister.
JCC president Yo Jitsukata said after meeting Industry Minister Charnchai
Chairungrueng and the Board of Investment that Japanese companies hit by the
crisis both directly and indirectly were in the petrochemicals, construction,
steel and financial industries.
The justice system halted the construction of the projects in Map Ta Phut
because they were breaking the law.
Does the JCC believe that if they apply pressure on the government, they will be allowed to break the law, and the Constitution of Thailand?
If the companies with suspended projects had followed the law and the Constitution, they would not have the problem they have now.
The judges have pledged to His Majesty that they will uphold the law, and they
are doing the job they have sworn to do.
Thailand should be proud of its judicial system and the judges that work there.

Tom,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Morning Star flag West Papuan protest against injustice Jakarta Post, Sunday 31 January 2010

This is a comment on the responses, particularly from fellow Indonesians, to a
letter titled “Why are Papuans still struggling?” by Joe Collins, Sydney, in
The Jakarta Post, January 20.
Many Indonesians look down on West Papuans.
In the eyes of God, all races are equal.
No race is cleverer or better than others.
It is very hard for me to understand why fellow Indonesians consider us, West
Papuans, as knowing nothing.
They mock us as “monkeys” when our popular soccer team, Persipura, plays in Surabaya, Malang, Jakarta, Bandung and Makassar.
Is it because they have a different skin color to us?
Those Indonesians themselves make this judgment.
They make these differences.
But let me tell you this: Even though West Papuans may be stupid, they know that ethnically they are Melanesians, not Indonesians.
West Papuans know that Indonesians and Malaysians speak almost the same
language, have a similar physical appearance, but still claim they are different
from one another.
West Papuans know that South Koreans and North Koreans speak almost the same language, but they still claim they are different.
West Papuans know very well that Sri Lankans and Tamils still claim they are
different, although physically they look similar.
Do West Papuans and Indonesians look similar physically, or act similarly, culturally?
Raising the Papuan Morning Star flag is a means of protest against injustice and human rights violations in West Papua.
This is the only current, effective tool to force the Jakarta government to
establish law and order in West Papua.
In the past, West Papuans whispered, talked and shouted, but their voices were not loud enough to be heard by Jakarta.
So, they changed the course of action that they believed would be effective.
And it was/is/will be, but it is misunderstood by Indonesians.
Thus, please do not misinterpret “the raising of the flag” in West Papua, for if
you do, you are agreeing to allow injustices and human rights violations to
continue in West Papua.

Izak Morin
Jayapura,
West Papua

China's money in ASEAN Promotes regionalism not globalisation The Philippine Inquirer, Saturday 29 January 2010

I think the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) is a win-win situation for
ASEAN.
It will help speed the recovery of ASEAN from the global recession.
The CAFTA is an important vehicle for trade-led growth and recovery in the ASEAN region with growth of 3.9 percent in 2009 which most likely will increase in 2010.
Furthermore, the launch of a US$10 billion infrastructure investment fund by
China to improve roads, railways and airlines and strengthen telecommunication
links may help speed the ASEAN recovery.
The world's most populous nation has also committed to a $15 billion credit
facility to promote regional integration.
ASEAN should take advantage of this and not rely completely on the United States.
A US-led ASEAN is dwindling, as the US economy and leadership is in disarray and preoccupied with terrorism and Wall Street corruption, and it seems the US is in a decline as a world leader.
Besides, the US economic hegemony is only to dominate the world for its own
interests and nothing else.
This is a very selfish foreign and economic policy.
Times are changing and regional groupings like the CAFTA, the SCO, the EU, the NAFTA, etc., are more beneficial than so-called globalization.
Under the latter, one crisis, like the one in the US, has a domino effect to the
world economy, as we have just seen, whereas under regional groupings, one
region that falls into a crisis can be rescued by other regions not affected by it.
World trade will be more stable under divided regional groupings and still maintain world trade and investments globally.
While the CAFTA is not perfect, any shortcomings will outweigh its benefits.
And, last but not the least, in order to take advantage of the CAFTA and make it
work, ASEAN should cut down its bureaucratic red tape in its financial and
economic sectors to efficiently speed up trade and investment, and do it with
transparency.

Tomas Lasam,
Manila,
Philippines

Top dogs only Benefit from Western Australian boom The Western Australian, Friday 29 January 2009

We are told Western Australia is heading for another huge boom, even bigger than the last one.
I can't wait - not.
Increased rents, higher fuel and food prices and higher utility costs are all on the horizon.
The only overflow of the last boom was more McMansions along the coast and more expensive cars on the road.
No new improved airport, no new stadium, little spent on health and education and crime rates went up.
A few at the top of the pile benefit from a so-called boom, not the majority.

A. Morovich,
Winthrop,
Western Australia

Ambassador to Cambodia seeks apology For Vietnamese lineage claim Bangkok Post, Thursday 28 January 2009

The Royal Cambodian Government takes great exception to the article which
appeared in the Bangkok Post on January 18, 2010 under the headline: ''In spat with 'Siem', Hun Sen needs Hanoi in his corner.''
It is a very seriously damaging article which I totally refute.
The allegation that Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Cambodia's
Ambassador to Thailand Mrs You Ah, and myself are of ''Vietnamese lineage'' is
totally and utterly false and potentially defamatory.
The approach to foreign policy by Cambodia - initiated by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, already being implemented by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong - is to forge constructive relationships with all nations, big or small, based on mutual trust and respect of Cambodia's territorial integrity and sovereignty and the respect, without condition, of the verdict of the International Court of Justice
concerning the issue of the Preah Vihear Temple on June 15, 1962.
Publishing such false information as if it were fact does no credit to the
Bangkok Post and not only damages the credibility of your newspaper, but also
the reputation of Thailand on the international stage.
On behalf of the three persons named, I demand that your newspaper either
substantiate the claim made in the offending article or publish an immediate
retraction and apology.

Hor Nambora,
Ambassador of Cambodia to the Court of St James

 

Oh my God But not Allah The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 27 Jan 2010

The unbeatable ship, Titanic, captained by Edward Smith, during its maiden
journey from London to the “New World” close to Newfoundland met and hit the
unseen iceberg. Edward Smith with despair and fear said “Oh my God, we are going to sink, help us!”
God, a holy name of the Supreme Creator, is well known by every civilization but the names vary depending on the place and feeling of the local people.
Javanese called Him Kanjeng Gusti, Balinese called Dewata and Timorese called
Maromak.
People feel the existence of God mostly when they are cornered, afraid, helpless, in pain and need assistance and solutions of problems.
People feel inferior and consider the Supreme Power should decide every matter
in the universe.
This feeling shows us about our subconscious awareness and understanding that human beings are nothing compared to the great universal phenomena.
Aramaic, the Semitic, old language of the Middle East, is used to describe a
variety languages spread over a vast area, today from Egypt to Iraq and Turkey
in the north.
The Aramaic language was spoken as a means of communication for
official business, diplomacy and as a divine language by Assirians, Babylonians,
Persians, Chaldeans, Jews and Syrians and by all the peoples in the Middle East
in ancient times.
Arabic, a Semitic language, and Hebrew, also a Semitic language, are close to
Aramaic.
Those three closely related languages expressed the subconscious feeling of the need of a Supreme Power in the same way.
Jews said “Elloi” or “Elloh” that some time later changed to become “Ellohim” or “Yahwe” to as the name of God. The Arab used Allah as the holy name of God, which was written down in the Koran.
So the three peoples with similar languages expressed the same for the name of God.
The original Bible was translated to the other languages by the Greeks and the
Romans.
The recent discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls proved the original part of
Bible was written in Aramaic. I am sure the Dead Sea Scrolls called God “Elloi”
or “Ellohim”.
I am a Muslim. I am proud to be a Muslim but I regret and am ashamed of my brother Muslims who, over a simple name, have burned down many churches recently in Malaysia.
The holy Prophet Moses, Prophet Isa and Prophet Muhammad brought the holy books the Torah, the Injil (the Bible) and the Koran in which those holy books
expressed the same for God, “Elloi”, “Elloh” or “Allah”.
People of the world have already suffered so many troubles: famine, hunger, climate changes, tsunamis and many others. We, the people of the world, have already experienced many wars, conflicts caused by politics, economics or self-interest but concealed in the name of God.
I think people who do things such as destroying and burning down holy sites like
churches, mosques or synagogues are not believers at all.
True believers should respect anything related the other holy sites.
Prophet Muhammad even offered his mosque in Medina to a group of Jewish people on their journey to perform their prayers.
Even during the war for Jerusalem, Salehuddin al Ayyubi ordered his followers to respect churches and let them be free because they were “People of the Book”. God knows best for His people, whatever you called Him, it doesn’t matter.

Sulistyo Pudjo H,
Bandung,
Indonesia

Indonesian Muslim woman Critical of latest fatwa The Jakarta Post, Tuesday 16 January 2010

I refer to an article titled "Clerics warn Muslim women against sinful hairdos, photo shoots," in The Jakarta Post, January 15.
I am an ordinary Muslim woman.
When I read this article for the first time, I could not believe the clerics of East
Java had issued this fatwa forbidding Muslims from dying and straightening
their hair and from holding pre-wedding photo sessions.
I am trying very hard to understand the reasons for the issuance of this fatwa,
but I still don't get it.
The most annoying fatwa that I have read in the related article is: Clerics forbid Muslim woman from being an ojek driver and Muslim woman cannot take an ojek because it is haram.
What if being an ojek driver is the only way for her to earn the money?
Have you had other better solutions for them?
I really feel this edict prevents women from what they want to do with their life.
My rights are being limited because of my condition as a woman.
This edict is being issued in order to eliminate the possibility that immoral acts are committed.
Frankly, as a woman, we know exactly how we should take care of ourselves.
We know how we have to live our lives as Muslim women.
In the religion, nobody can control the followers, even the clerics.
As believers, I try to do my best in my life based on my own religion.
Muslims always try very hard to follow and to apply all life's norms and values
from the right sources: the Koran and Hadiths.
Nobody knows what you have done in your life.
Nobody can control those kinds of things.
Nobody knows about all your good deeds and worship.
Allah is the one and only who knows whether your deeds have been accepted or
not.
Allah is the only one who can make the right judgment, not the people.
Clerics of course can issue new edicts to guide followers in carrying out a
normal and good life in accordance with Islam's norms and values.
But please, do not be afraid if the Muslims are not going to do things in their
life in accordance with the appropriate norms in Islam because the good Muslims
know their rights and obligations.
At the end, all the edicts issued by clerics raise big questions for people in the world.
It looks like Islam is not applicable to modern life.
This is of course not true.
In my opinion, Islam is still applicable to my daily life in modern times.
As a follower, I hope that in the future clerics made edicts that are more
rational and understandable.

Rapalex,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Philippine baby replacement rate Just enough The Philippine Inquirer, Monday 25 January 2010

Fr. Gregory Gaston's article in Talk of the Town “Population trends: lessons for RP,” Inquirer, 3 January 2010 comes like a breath of fresh air, that hopefully should clear the minds of “population bomb” adherents.
For some time now they and company, believing that cutting the population of the Philippines is the only solution to the poverty in the country, have been railing against what they call the Church’s interference in what they euphemistically call
“a matter of choice.”
This is not the place to re-discuss all the objectionable portions of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which in fact denies women and families the freedom to choose how large or small a family they wish to have; and threatens doctors and other health workers in disagreement with the bill’s underlying dogma with the pain of
imprisonment, fine, loss of professional license or other sanctions.
Compulsion, the supporters of the bill cite, is the only way to ensure that no more poor people are born.
Father Gaston’s article in fact reiterates what many economists, statisticians and other academicians have stated all along.
The world is in danger of “wintering” and in fact many Western countries have already “wintered”; and China, Singapore and other countries in our part of the world have already realized their one-child or two-child policies are in fact fuses to a “depopulation bomb” that could spell the same trouble to them as those countries that have successfully implemented them.
Their aging populations are now in a social security bind.
The Philippines is not producing more babies than necessary.
The Philippine replacement rate, as of this moment, is probably just enough to replace a work force that is necessary if the country is to grow.
This work force will also be the consumer force that will drive industry and business.
But if those demagogues are to be believed, only the slashing of population growth will solve the poverty problem.
Talk about the blinkers that these people wear, in refusing to accept the many studies that have warned about the danger of an aging population.
I and, I am sure, so many others sincerely thank Father Gaston for his timely article.
We hope that it puts some sense into the one-track minds of “population bomb” adherents.

Rosie Brillantes-Lustro,
Manila,
Philippines

President Kennedy assasination Followed his 1963 Presidential decree The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 24 January 2010

Following sustained private research my conclusions, as to the 'efficacious' functions of the US fiscal system, are now confirmed with the current reportage of the US Presidential intention to re-establish public authority over the 'slippery' US financial can-of-worms.
If, indeed, he should be sincere - and successful - in this endeavour, it establishes him as a man of rare courage.
Because, surely, the ghost of such confrontations hover above his vulnerable head?
Former US President, John F Kennedy, faced a similar supervisory decision when "On June 04 1963, a virtually unknown Presidential decree, Executive Order 11110, was signed with the authority to basically strip the privately owned, Zionist controlled, Federal Reserve Bank of its power to (indiscriminately) print and loan money to the US Federal Government - at interest.
Five months after this historic event, President Kennedy was assassinated!
It could also be argued that (for the gentile world) it was also the moment of the loss of innocence - and the protection of an unfettered democratic (judicial) system.

Harry A. Boniface
Queensland
Australia.

Philippine Sports Commission Dreams of Olympic gold The Philippine Inquirer, Saturday 23 January 2010

In response to former Rep. Victorico Chaves’ letter ''PSC should not meddle in sports,'' Inquirer, 18 January 2010, please allow me to correct his claim that Republic Act 6847 has created a “playground for appointees” like myself.
It was also unfair to accuse me of “prostituting” the law.
Since I took over as chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), I have initiated serious reforms in the agency.
First, we dismissed “ghost” athletes and coaches and those who have not
produced anything in international competitions.
Secondly, we ran after and filed charges against sports officials who have huge
unliquidated advances from the PSC.
We have completed the construction and rehabilitation of sports venues and dormitories to provide better training facilities and accommodation for the
athletes.
Further, we were able to pay the cash advances, incurred by PSC’s past administrations from Pagcor, amounting to around P163 million and P39 million.
In the Laos SEA Games, the PSC stood firm on its policy that only gold and silver medalists of previous SEA Games and other major international sports competitions would be funded.
I never had a hand in the selection of athletes; it was Gen. Mario Tanchangco,
SEAG chief of missions, and PSC Commissioner Jose Mundo who came up with the list of 153 qualified athletes.
The government spent P56 million in support of the Laos campaign where our country produced 34 gold medals and placed fifth; the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) contingent came up with four gold medals.
It is another misconception that the PSC will take a lead role in the selection of athletes for the Asian Games.
The POC and the national sports associations (NSAs) have the prerogative to select the athletes.
But the PSC has the discretion to fund whomsoever among the NSAs’ recommendees have greater fighting chances.
Since the creation of the PSC, billions of pesos have been spent by the government on athletes’ development programs.
But up to now, we are still dreaming of a first Olympic gold medal.
I am etermined to clean up the system and ensure proper disbursement of funds.
If this is government intervention, then the PSC should be abolished and let the POC take over.
In closing, allow me to quote a POC chairman from a news item titled “Puentevella wants to amend PSC charter.” in Manila Bulletin, 13 November 2002 “Some sports leaders might mistake this (the proposed revision of RA 6847 as government intervention, but we don’t look at it that way.”
The PSC needs more teeth, particularly on policies concerning the use of government funds. Representative Puentevella was pushing for the amendment of RA 6847 into a “law that would require the concurrence of the PSC - the government’s sports agency - on the selection, training and sending of national teams to competitions overseas.”

Ambassador Harry C. Angping,
Chairman,
Philippine Sports Commission,
Philippines

The Herald pushes for publication Of the word Allah The Star, Friday 22 January 2010

Islam does not belong to a country and as such one cannot compare it as we can
the two different countries that we are living in.
The teaching of Islam is complete.
Nevertheless, some people have taken advantage of it without having a basic understanding of the faith.
Prophet Muhammad once said there would be many groups of people trying to defend and spread Islam in their own ways and with their own interpretation, but only one is right and will get into heaven.
“Allah” had been used by many Christians in Malaysia since before the country
was formed.
In the Malay bible, which was largely imported from Indonesia in the early 1940s, the term “Allah” was used to describe the almighty God.
Today, Muslims feel insecure easily due to stigmatization by others.
Muslims in Malaysia will do what ever it takes to defend their faith.
Many Muslims were wondering, why only now has The Herald newspaper taken on the legality of the word “Allah” to be used in their publication.
Why not before?
Some of us were asking:
What is their motive?
Why only now, when Islam throughout the whole world has been labeled terrorist, has the publication taken legal action?
The Malaysian government should play very important role in explaining the court
decision to Muslims in Malaysia.
The government is responsible for explaining to Muslims why the verdict is valid under Malaysian law, rather than firing everyone up and bringing the matter to the sultans.
On the other hands, non-Muslims should also be aware on how “holy” the term is
to Muslims.
I believe some non-Muslims are not aware that a Muslims can’t even write the word “Allah” on a piece of paper and put it anywhere they want.
When the damage has already been done, only then do we realize how vital the
interfaith councils are.
By then, it is already too late.
As a Malaysian, I don’t like what is going on in my country.
I hate it when someone uses religion for their own sake.
Malaysians have a total lack of understanding among races and, because of that, we have lost something vital - respect!

Azlesham,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Global warming hype Declines after Copenhagen The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 21 January 2010

A search for the phrase "climate change" or the phrase "global warming" or both in newspapers served by pressdisplay.com identified on average 400 newspaper articles per day during the week ending October 1, 2009.
The attached chart shows that in the ensuing weeks, leading up to the climate meeting in Copenhagen, the number rose rapidly to 900 and hit a high of over 950 newspaper articles per day on the crowning moments of the climate summit.
Thereafter it declined precipitously.
By the end of the year it had fallen below the October figure of 400 articles per day.
In early 2010 a more gradual but steady decline had set in and by the third week in
January it was down to around 200 articles per day.
The data suggest that the global warming hype is a massive and effective propaganda machine that appears to have taken over a pliant print media.
Yet, in the heels of Copenhagen, the global warming propaganda juggernaut appears to be running out of steam.
Its sudden and unprecedented weakness likely derives from the failure of the
global warming movement to make its case at Copenhagen.
It appears that their failure exposed their shortcomings and soured their
honeymoon with the media.
If this trend persists, the global warming hype may soon be forgotten
and the war on carbon dioxide gone from politics and the media.
Once that happens, we will be freed from a mad fixation on a single overriding issue concerning an irrational and groundless fear of carbon dioxide.
We can then return to normal and rational management of real issues in social, political, economic, human, scientific, and environmental areas without compromising our effectiveness by having to frame each and every one of them in terms of carbon dioxide.

Cha-am Jamal
Thailand

Up to Java to transform the Republic of Indonesia Into the United states of Indonesia The Jakarta Post, Wednesday, 20 January 2010

I would like to comment on the proposal to name Abdurrahman Wahid and Soeharto national heroes.
Indeed, one could argue that both earned the title of “national hero” of Indonesia.
There is only one big problem.
To be a national hero, one should be part of a nation and herein lies the undamental problem: Indonesia is de facto a state, but, historically and anthropologically, no nation.
It never was and it never will be a nation.
In Deutsch’s book about nation building we read that even some Latin American nations still were not nations after 100 years of independence.
And, mind you, they were less splintered geographically and anthropologically
than present Indonesia is.
Tristam Pascal Moeliono from Parahyangan University came to the same conclusion in his article in one of Holland’s biggest newspapers De Volkskrant inon 20 October 1999) titled: “Indonesia a state but no nation”.
He saw, among others, a Javanese-dominated Indonesia and the sense of being
discriminated against and neglected from the smaller nations outside Java.
So the forthcoming celebration of 65 years of Indonesian independence in August
visually, verbally and so on will seem OK, but deep down at its roots,
Indonesia is an artificial and forcefully constructed “nation-state”.
So was the Donau monarchy, so were the intentions of Napoleon and Adolf Hitler,
so is India, so is China.
The key word here is “being forced to unite”.
The United States and Europe are the best examples of how to create a true nation
state out of so many people: democratically, voluntarily and through negotiation.
Indonesians should really review their concept of musyawarah (a process of
deliberation and compromise, which will usually end up in a unanimous consensus
and become binding to the community).
A more appropriate title for Wahid and Soeharto would be Javanese national
heroes pahlawan bangsa jawa, for they helped in Javanizing the whole archipelago
from Sabang to Merauke.
A true, safe musyawarah and referendum on the voluntary and democratic
transformation of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia into the United States of
Indonesia is the challenge I would like to put to the Javanese political and
military elite in Jakarta.

Malesi Iralo Pata
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

West Papuans are among the poorest In minerals rich archipelago The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday 19 January 2010

Does B.J.K. Cramer of Rotterdam really believe that the West Papuan people are still listening to (to use his words) "misinformation and false promises from vengeful Dutch colonial types"?
(See Kelly Kwalik should have listened to Nicholas Jouwe in Letters, The Southeast Asian Times Saturday 16 January 2010. )
Maybe the question he should be asking is, why is it that after 46 years of administration of West Papua by Indonesia, the West Papuan people are still struggling for justice?
Maybe its because the West Papuan people can see with their own eyes the human rights abuses they suffer, how they live in one of the most resource rich areas of the archipelago but are one of the poorest people in it, including having one of the poorest health standards.
Although the UN might have accepted the Act of free choice in 1969, to say the UN accepted it as an legitimate expression of the will of people of Irian is a bit of a stretch.
Only 1022 hand-picked voters, one representative for every 700 West Papuans, were allowed vote, and under coercion, voted to remain with Indonesia.
A UN official, a retired undersecretary-general , who handled the takeover said a few years ago, “Nobody gave a thought to the fact that there were a million people who had their fundamental human rights trampled,” and “It was just a whitewash. The mood at the United Nations was to get rid of this problem as quickly as possible”.
B.J.K. Cramer does not mention the exploitation of West Papua's resources.
The threat to one of the last great tracts of undisturbed rain forest in the Asia-Pacific region by illegal logging and palm oil plantations.
He does not mention the numerous reports that documents human rights abuses in West Papua including the one by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms Hina Jilani, who said in her report “A climate of fear undeniably prevails in West Papua”.
Ms Hina Jilani, conducted an official mission to Indonesia from 5-12 June 2007.
He does not mention the West Papuan political prisoners in jail because they simply raised their national flag or the fact that a number books on the issue of West Papua were recently banned.
Is Indonesia's democracy so fragile that it cannot allow the raising of the West Papuan Flag and books on the issue of West Papua?
The banning of freedom of expression is contrary to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Its time to listen to what the West Papuans are asking for, and that is simply for dialogue with Jakarta to try and solve the many issues of concern they have.
Not a big ask.

Joe Collins
Sydney
Australia

Papua New Guinea's Swamp Ghost Headed for the USA The National, Monday 18 January 2010

The illegal export of Papua New Guinea’s most famous war relic, the “Swamp Ghost” B-17 airplane wreck, could take place this month.
Papua New Guinea’s well-preserved war wrecks attract tourists from all over the world, injecting money into local economies.
The illegal removal of 89 aircraft wrecks during the past decade has yielded little benefit to the nation and its people.
Papua New Guinea’s best wreck, the Swamp Ghost, landed intact in the Agiambo swamp in Oro province on February 23, 1942.
The bomber is internationally recognised as a symbol of World War II in Papua New Guinea.
Controversy erupted in 2006 when American businessman Alfred “Fred” Hagen salvaged the wreck, chopped it into pieces and transported it to Bismarck Shipping at Lae to await export.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigation produced a report entitled, “Sale and Export of the Swamp Ghost Aircraft and War Surplus Materials.”
Witnesses provided incriminating evidence about Swamp Ghost and other illegal exports of aircraft and parts from Papua New Guinea to wealthy collectors.
The Office of the State Solicitor stated the museum “had no power to sell State property at all or only in accordance with the Public Finances (Management) Act.”
Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith commented, “Swamp Ghost is part of Papua New Guinea culture and should not have been sold.”
The PAC report determined Swamp Ghost’s salvage to be illegal.
Mr Hagen returns this month to Papua New Guinea to take Swamp Ghost to the United States in defiance of the PAC report.
It concludes “Under no circumstances should the State through any of its agencies, arms or Departments again deal with Robert Greinert, Fred Hagen, HARS, Aero Archaeology LLC...in the sale, removal, export or on-sale of War Surplus Materials.”
Hagen has offered K300,000 plus a museum facility in exchange for Swamp Ghost.
Other experts estimate the wreck’s value at several million kina.
The people of Papua New Guinea lose when war relics are removed in an undercompensated fashion, says Justin Taylan, director of Pacific Wrecks, a non-profit organisation dedicated to sharing information about WWII wrecks.
It is up to Papua New Guinea to enforce its own laws, protecting these artifacts or at least sell them at their market value.
 
Albert H. Cross,
Australia
 

Indonesia's national parks Logged out The Jakarta Post, Sunday 17 January 2010

I refer to an article titled “Review 2009: RI’s tourism potential remains
untapped,” in The Jakarta Post, January 4.
I think no amount of glitzy marketing of Indonesian attractions is going to build international tourism when the very attractions are being incrementally destroyed or, at the very least, mismanaged.
My experience throughout Indonesia is that, with a few notable exceptions, the
combination of corruption and inept government agencies at all levels results in
incremental destruction of the very attractions and experiences that could be
the making of a great tourism industry.
Like any major asset, unless it is effectively protected and managed, it will
degrade and disappear.
This is clearly evident in the national park system where illegal logging,
encroachment and all manner of inappropriate, low-standard development is
allowed and prevents the parks being the centerpieces of Indonesian tourism that
they should be.
Some of the keys are likely be minimal direct government role in protection and
management, involvement of independent (foreign) guidance, income generation
flowing directly back to protection and management (instead of being siphoned
off by all and sundry corrupt government officials), effective enforcement of
protection (NGOs have proven effective in some cases, private enterprise
always).
Better protection of Indonesia’s tourism assets is one of many good reasons to
move the national park system out of the forestry ministry and its conflicts of
interest into a separate semi-autonomous conservation agency with a board of
management which includes independent people with international standing.
Transparency and accountability would, of course, be essential.
With good protection and land management, law enforcement and a good measure of private and NGO partnership, they have the foundations of a great tourism
industry.
Add to that their great marketing campaigns and success is almost guaranteed. Indonesia could do the same or better, but the government has to learn its proper role - to support and facilitate, not try to run, control and parasitize its tourism assets and industry.
Government needs to learn from the successes in nature-based tourism, not just
from Malaysia but also from the relative successes in Indonesia (e.g. Bunaken in
Sulawesi; Rajah Empat in West Papua; Komodo).
Without fundamental changes in the protection and management of natural assets,
Indonesia’s nature-based tourism has little future; no amount of marketing will
change that.

Nairdah
Sydney
Australia

 

Port au Prince tragedy Related to newly-constructed road The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday 15 January 2010

During the past week two earthquakes have attracted media attention.
The first, on 10th January 2010 was off the coast of Northern California (m6.5), and the second was the devastating earthquake near Port au Prince in Haiti (m7-m7.3), which occurred on 12th January 2010.
Both events were at transform plate boundaries involving the North American tectonic plate.
In my opinion, movement of that plate was accelerated by a number of immediately previous events of modest magnitude in the Rat and Fox Islands in the Aleutians of western Alaska.
Viewed in that way, the Haiti event was within a time/location succession of: Aleutian Islands to North California to Haiti.
Expression at the south of the North American plate also involved the smaller Caribbean plate, as earthquakes of modest magnitude at its Western end provided an arc of seismic activity around the West and South of the perimeter of the parent North American Plate.
I have previously mentioned here that I consider that earthquakes may be triggered by de novo vehicular-traffic vibrations, which I envisage to loosen tectonic contacts, and at that time cited now-historical events to illustrate that likelihood;
viz. – (i) the past San Francisco event of 1906; (ii) the Kobe quake of 1995; (iii) the Padang quake on 30th September 2009; (iv) the surprisingly destructive seismic event on 28th April 2007 in Kent, England close to the Channel Tunnel. I now add the Haiti earthquake of 12th January 2010 to that list – because - a significant new road has recently been constructed near Port au Prince.
That development is briefly reviewed in the Caribbean Daily News at:
( http://www.caribbeandailynews.com/?p=2897 ), where it is written (quote):
“Port au Prince, Haiti, CMC – United Nations officials say the construction of a new highway on the outskirts of the capital is improving both the health, image and security of the area.”;
and from Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive: “It is part of a global vision of reconstruction for the area”
We need to regret that the United Nations and the Haitian government were not aware of possible effects of increasing traffic vibrations on seismic activity, although, of course, accepting such facts usually does involve additional costs.

Raymond Groves

 

Kelly Kwalik Should have listened to Nicholas Jouwe The Jakarta Post, Saturday 16 January 2010

The death of Kelly Kwalik on December 16 was tragic and unnecessary, as Kelly should have listened to veteran Papuan separatist leader Nicholas Jouwe who said on his first visit back to Indonesia after more than 40 years in exile in March 2009
that the war for an independent Papua was over.
The late Kwalik was the reputed leader of the armed wing of the Free Papua
Organization (OPM), co-founded by Jouwe.
While Jouwe lived for most of his live in self-imposed exile in the Netherlands, Kwalik lived by the gun on the run, suspected of shootings, killings and kidnappings in the name of the OPM.
But in March last year Jouwe called for dialogue between the Papuan separatist
(secessionist) movement and the Indonesian authorities, and sought compromise as
neighbors instead of continuing the fight for independence, which albeit no more
than a low-intensity insurgency has inflicted personal pain and hardship on
civilians as well as on the families of slain security personnel and of the so-called freedom fighters.
However, equally tragic is that the 85-year-old Jouwe, as a young man listened
to the misinformation and false promises from vengeful Dutch colonial types who
had never forgiven the great majority of the Indonesian people who chose to
follow the lead of nationalist leaders such as Sukarno, Hatta and Sjahrir,
declaring independence from the Netherlands on August 17, 1945, and the Republic of Indonesia as the successor state to all the territories of the former Dutch East Indies, which have always included the western part of the island of New Guinea.
All the provinces were ruled centrally from the then colonial capital Batavia
(Jakarta), and it was to “Dutch New Guinea” where the leaders of the Indonesian independence movement were exiled, imprisoned at Boven Digoel.
But reactionary Dutch colonial types responded to the declaration of independence by fomenting secessionist movements in the regions in a failed attempt to partition
Indonesia.
After the Dutch government finally recognized Indonesian independence in 1949
under pressure from the UN and the international community, and transferred the
authority formally to the new independent state, it also took the unilateral
step of not transferring the territory of Dutch New Guinea to the RI pending
further negotiations, just as the secessionist movement of the South Maluku
Republic (RMS) was in its last throes of resistance.
Ten years later the then Dutch government decided for reasons best known to
itself to make one last stand in the colonial fight and go to war with Indonesia
again over the ownership of the western part of New Guinea, as it refused to
accede to the legitimate demands from the Indonesian government to negotiate the
terms of transfer of the territory.
But again under the pressure of the UN and the international community the Dutch government had to accept that the RI was the legitimate successor authority according to the principles of uti posseditis juri.
But those same old vengeful Dutch colonials told Jouwe and other Papuan leaders
to fight on for secession instead, under false promises of help, and while the
execution of the Act of Free Will in 1969 was not perfect, the UN recognized it
as the legitimate expression of the will of people of Irian, as the western half
of New Guinea was called then, to continue as part of the RI.
However, the OPM continued with its low-intensity insurgency that attracted more
support from non-Indonesians abroad for a variety of reasons than at home, but
without getting one step closer to its aim of secession.
After the end of the New Order regime and with the democratization of the RI and the provinces of Papua and West Papua gaining special autonomy under the reform process, the raison d’être for the OPM was gone.
Now Jouwe in the Netherlands has taken the courageous step, following the
earlier lead of the RMS movement in exile that made a similar step, by declaring
that the war for secession was over and that instead any differences should be
settled by peaceful means.

B.J.K. Cramer
Rotterdam,
Netherlands

On a Storm in an Internet Tea-cup And a possible Storm from the Sun The Southeast Asian Times, Friday 15 January 2009

I find this letter more difficult than it should be.
That is not because evidence is not there, but because the Internet has recently been swamped with forged graphs and comments posted by those who are clearly hell-bent, willy-nilly, upon denying that Global-Warming is real.
That seems to be from a variety of motives – mainly iconoclasm or to protect their Gods of profit and production.
Fortunately I researched the accusation that ‘Global-Warmists’ at East Anglia University had forged data some time before this extra-ordinary over-reaction to it on the Internet, although I need to rely on my memory of then conclusions.
That is simply because I have no intention of quickly, even slowly, wading through the mountain of cyber-garbage and red-herring material now being banded about.
My firm conclusions when I looked into the accusation were as follows:
Hackers stole 28mb of E-Mails to and from East Anglia University, UK.
I believe they did this with the specific intention to find mud and make it stick.
They should be criminally convicted.
All they found in this 28mb-pile of stolen, then illegally-propagated, E-Mails were two unfortunate, informal comments.
They only became unfortunate when the comments were butchered out of context with unscientific attempts to make them stand on their own.
The fact, that the remaining 27.9mb of E-Mail provided no more ammunition than those two comments for the anti-Global-Warming thieves to distort, is overlooked by this current swarm of what I believe to be disreputable, corrupted, sensationalist, Internet locusts.
The immediately following investigation did reveal one poor piece of sampling in one research project (potentially out of many).
However results were ‘called into question’ (unproven); rather than found as false.
That work should be repeated properly with adequate funding, but perhaps the anti-global-warming mongers will do everything they can to stop that from happening.
That deviant piece of work involved bad sampling of a batch of Siberian trees (that included one outlier), so as to obtain proxy-data from boring trees for annual-ring assessment.
It was critical for predictions about future global temperatures, but does not appear to affect the bulk of the 1000yy of data presented in the ‘hockey stick graph’ – although perhaps the graph should ‘end-down’ a little; as more of a ‘hammock’ than a ‘hockey-stick’. The ‘hammock’ would still completely support the solar explanation for Global-Warming, but not necessarily the anthropomorphic Greenhouse effect.
The Solar-flare theory is also under scrutiny – but not too fundamentally.
That scrutiny arises from immediately-current solar-flares being less intense than anticipated.
NASA believes this is from some incompletely understood phenomenon – and, after all, this is the first 1000y solar-peak that Scientists have ever examined in detail.
This unexpected lull in solar activity may represent a ‘calm before a storm’.
To support that, but without revealing a detailed explanation, NASA are predicting a massive ‘solar storm’ at the next solar peak, which they anticipate will be in 2013.
NASA say that; at that peak and at great material cost; the earth's communication system will be severely damaged. Perhaps a ‘tsunami wave’ of solar-flares may impact the earth at a closely-following solar peak.
Whilst at present some parts of the world are experiencing a freeze-up, most of the globe is exposed to temperatures of 10 degrees C above normal - and that includes Alaska and Canada.
Contrary to hysterical un-evidenced contentions, the Arctic ice is still retreating at a rate greater than previously predicted by anyone.
This freeze-up in Europe is associated with an abnormality in jet stream flow; a large, unusual, long-lasting, high-pressure system over the North Pole; and, according to some reports, a slowing down of the Gulf-Stream.
The latter is a critical claim because, according to many models, ice-melt in the Arctic with increased precipitation at the watershed of the great Siberian rivers will destroy an oceanic salinity gradient to cause the gulf-Stream to stop and Europe to plunge into an ice-age – despite general Global-Warming.
Because of the current explosion of general lack of understanding of the circumstances, I now prefer the expression “Climate Change” to “Global Warming” even though both expressions are equally true.

Raymond Groves

Save Australia From foreign ownership The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 14 January 2009

Great news, Peter Spencer the brave Australian farmer who has been staging a hunger strike to get heard by our politicians is ending his ordeal.
Not that he has won his cause far from it.
When listening to Peter interviewed he made the statement that Australians had become complacent.
How true that statement is, this great country has become ninety five percent foreign owned with the permission of the two major political parties.
To name a few, I was a shareholder in the following as all Australians were, Telstra, the Commonwealth Bank, The Commonwealth serum laboratories and all their valuable patents, our major Airports.
I was never asked by the politicians did I approve the sales as were no other Australians.
Our minerals have been allowed to fall into foreign hands without a murmur from those in charge of running our affairs.
Legislation passed by them that allows foreign companies in Australia to pay no tax if they pay tax in their own country.
These in most cases overcome by them by forming tax free companies in off shore tax havens.
I think it may be too late Peter to save us; I like to buy food and other items made by Australian owned companies.
Any person that does the same needs a magnifying glass to find such goods in our supermarkets.
If there is a chance it will not come from the two major political parties so that would mean a new party and I would like to offer a name, 'The save and buy back Australia Party'

Frank Crichlow,
Cronulla,
Queensland,
Australia

Global warmists Accused of selective data selection The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 14 January 2009

It is strange irony to see the warmists acknowledge the natural variability of climate in their January 6 press release stating that the coldest northern winter in 40 years
" does not disprove global warming" because the bitter winter weather is simply a short term "blip" and a manifestation of "the natural variability of climate".
Had it been the warmest winter in 40 years they would surely be singing a different tune.
That tune is the one they sang for the 2003 heat wave in Europe and the 2007 summer melt of sea ice in the Arctic Basin; as well as for Hurricane Katrina, Cyclones Sidr and Aila, recent floods and droughts in China, and droughts in southern Africa, and Australia.
In all of these cases, short term weather events and the effects of known
regional weather patterns were presented not as "blips" nor as "the natural variability of climate" but as effects of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.
In the very same press release they slip back to this old tune and present the deceptive statistic that "2009 will rank among the 10 warmest years since 1880" implying that these data indicate a warming trend even though the cited statistic could be produced by the natural variability of climate without a warming trend.
In any case, the issue is not the warming trend itself but whether it represents a natural variation or whether it is caused by fossil fuels.
It appears that the science of global warming depends on the very unscientific notion that data that support the hypothesis are good data and should be retained while those that do not are blips and outliers than must be discarded.
This method of data selection leads to a sense of "overwhelming evidence" to support their cause and the attitude that they already know the answer and that research methods are a mere formality; and a tendency to overlook statistical
principles and to use statistics only as a marketing tool.

Cha-am Jamal
Thailand

The 'breaker' generation Ready for Indonesia's 2014 election The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 13 January 2010

Image, which we know as a visual description of people or an object, is today
created by a group of people and known as marketing.
Democracy, however, is defined as a system that makes the civilian’s role the most important one.
In fact, democracy supports government and vice versa, even Abraham Lincoln said, “Democracy is from the citizen, by the citizen and for the citizen.”
We saw lots of New Year’s parties around the world, even today the media is
still talking about New Year’s resolution for this year.
If we look to the new year, then we’ll see that last year’s one was a step back.
In 2009, we saw President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono elected again for the second time.
But was it the real result?
Yudhoyono is supported by good and professional people in their own professions. However, there is political marketing now, which is known as having the new
agenda of making his image the symbol of democracy.
He’s the king, honestly.
Citizens were taken in by the political advertisements.
He was supported by political consultants who were included in his campaign team. Well, it worked, right?
They had plenty of time to make preparations, from 2004 to 2009.
What TV station did not back him up?
That’s OK, since it is allowed in law.
All we are saying is how long will it take to change, will it take a long time?
The answer is no, maybe only as long as this term.
Why?
Indonesia today has a lot of young, passionate, smart and talented cadres.
Parties such as the PKS, Gerindra, the PDI-P, Golkar and the NU will get involved in new, attractive issues for 2014.
They are preparing the new generation today, the “breaker” generation which is
independent, stronger and smarter.
They will take steps now, get supporters and prepare new cadres so that citizens
can elect them.
There won’t be any “image democracy” any more.
Politic can be run by long-oriented and professional people.
So, catch up, any new leaders in 2014.
There’ll be a lot of fresh candidates showing more ability to be elected, to organize and to manage this country.
Just wait and see, when the exact time comes it will be a new era for young
candidates to battle and break down this “democracy image”.

Mira Sukmawati
Student of SMAN 6,
Yogyakarta,
Indonesia

Don't blame career wives For obsession with the spa The Star, Tuesday 12 January 2010

I refer to a recent article in a local newspaper which blamed career-obsessed
wives for men turning to call girls.
In the article it was mentioned that “middle and upper-income earners go to spas and health clubs where women of different nationalities are available.”
I take exception to this unfair and derogatory reference to spas as it is
tantamount to calling a spa a brothel.
It also shows a lack of understanding and knowledge of an important multi-billion-dollar industry that has become an integral part of the hospitality industry globally. Spas are now considered an important component of travel and leisure.
The spa industry is also part and parcel of the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) movement that is spreading the world over.
Malaysia aspires to be the health and wellness tourism destination in Asia and
rightly so, given the many natural resources and the quality healthcare we are
able to offer.
But the negative references to spas are damaging to our efforts.
Such generalisation is unfair to the many professionals who remain dedicated to
an industry that promotes wellness and healthy living.
Besides, the industry is offering tremendous job prospects all over the world,
as well as career options for Malaysians.
This is a sunrise industry and it is not unusual for spa directors in world-class spas to earn five-figure salaries when they work abroad.
Ivy league universities are offering degrees in spa management while professionals in other fields are switching careers to go into the spa industry.
Even premier hospitals and medical centres are adding spas to their facilities
and yet we read negative remarks on spas so often here in Malaysia.
No wonder parents are sceptical about allowing their children to go into this perfectly legitimate industry.
Is it any wonder that our spa industry continues to depend on foreign therapists and staff?
Malaysia has what it takes to become a world class spa and health destination.
Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA) member spas are some of the finest in the region.
We do not deserve this kind of negative reporting and we are not doing ourselves any favour in doing so.

Datin Ramona Suleiman,
President,
Association of Malaysian Spas
Malaysia

 

The Rajah Brooke butterfly The most beautiful of all butterflies The Star, Monday 11 January 2009

The shocking destruction of the Rajah Brooke butterfly site in Ulu Geroh near
Gopeng as reported in the article 'Popular butterfly habitat destroyed' in The
Star, January 6 reminded me of an incident involving this most beautiful of all
butterflies.
Some years ago, I was in Genting Highlands helping out at an international
conference.
The Japanese president of the organisation had an unusual request for the committee.
He had heard so much about the rare Rajah Brooke butterfly and earnestly wanted
to know where he could see them even if it was just to have a glimpse of the
exquisite beauty of one butterfly.
So with only hours to spare before his opening speech I rushed him from
Genting Highlands to Ulu Geroh where he was ecstatic to see scores of these
living jewels at the very spot which is now being destroyed!
Ironically everywhere around us the very attractions promoted by our tourism
organisations are being destroyed.
We are losing our natural wonders such as the Ulu Geroh butterflies and Rafflesia through greed and apathy.
It seems Malaysians are like in this line from a song: we don’t know what we’ve
got till they’re gone.

Rajah Brooke Fan,
Taiping,
Malaysia

Recipient of Nobel Peace Prize Unworthy of noble concept The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 10 January 2010

The famous - or perhaps more appropriately 'infamous' - Nobel Peace Prize
(originally conceived as recognition of individuals considered worthy, by their actions, as contributors to the betterment of mankind) has fatuously and finally established itself as a leader in a crowded field of moral double standards.
With its' explosive origins rooted in a commercial history of death and destruction, does this current selection of 'worthy' recipients actually represent the sincere spirit of its' noble' concept?
To respond to that pertinent question, may we now look at the character of contemporary nominees - and - winners of this much coveted 'peace' award?
Research reveals that the former category includes such luminaries as Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, the bellicose Tony Blair and the born-again Christian - and Butcher of Baghdad - George W Bush.
While the latter 'rogues gallery' embraces those of rabid Zionist Dr. Henry Kissinger (former US National Security Advisor and Secretary of State in the subsequently proven corrupt Nixon administration) whose contemptible curriculum vitae includes the deaths of 3-4 million in South East Asia plus tens of thousands more worldwide.
In Palestine, Israel's leaders Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin almost matched his 'ethnocide of innocents' - which continues to this day under the US/Israel hybridized foreign policy.
Former collusive CEO of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, supported the attempted genocide of the Iraqi nation.
Al Gore, arguably, another political 'prostitute' is in familiar company - and the lamentable list goes on.
The common denominator in assessing the 'worthiness' of these winners is, surely, their success in promoting their sponsor's product to create indiscriminate murder and mayhem?
And so we come to the 'final selection' for 2009 of US President Barack Obama who, (after much promise), has religiously followed the obscene, acquisitive, protocols of the (also) Zionist dominated Bush administration under the 'advisory eye' of his former Columbia university professor and 'coach', political Zionist Zbigniew Brzezinski.
People looking forward to a New Year of hope and good fortune - with world -peace- and -the -feeling -of -security-in-our-time - face a forlorn future unless they rise, in significant numbers, and root out this cankerous, Canaanitic, coalition once and for all.
I support Jews against Zionism <jewsagainstzionism.org>

Harry A. Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia

Call for Thailand to respect Cambodia's National integrity and sovereignty The Nation, Saturday 9 January 2010

I wish to reply to the editorial published in The Nation newspaper, on December 29, 2009, "Hun Sen's vanity is a danger to the region's unity".
While this editorial is completely absurd and vulgar, it has shown how your newspaper has become a political propaganda tool of a government in power, with a complete lack of decent politeness, professional journalism, and truth. Undoubtedly, this editorial has greatly contributed to the deterioration of relations and exacerbating the tensions between the two countries.
First, I think if you call a foreign leader highly respected in his country "a halfwit", then you are more than a halfwit yourself, and imbecile.
This is a finger-pointing rule, which fully applies in this case.
Second, to say that "Hun Sen may be riding on Thailand's back to boost his
popularity…" means that you are completely ignorant.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, does not need any popularity at all, based either on Thailand's or The Nation's popularity, because he is vice-chairman of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) which has won a landslide victory in the elections and now has more than two-thirds of the seats in the parliament.
He also had been elevated to the dignity of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo, highly bestowed upon him by His Majesty the King of Cambodia.
Third, Cambodia did not extradite Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of
Thailand, because he was overthrown by a coup d'etat.
Cambodia does not expect or want anything in return.
It is just a question of justice for a leader who was overwhelmingly elected by the Thai people.
Fourth, with regard to the spirit of good neighbourliness, it is important for
neighbouring states to respect each other, especially national integrity and
sovereignty.
Today, there is no good neighbourliness with Thailand because the Thai Government opposed Cambodia's inscription of the Preah Vihear Temple on the
World Heritage List, despite the fact that the Temple belongs to Cambodia and
its location is on Cambodian soil; refused to recognise the name of the Preah
Vihear Temple, although the whole world, including the International Court of
Justice, had recognised and used it; invaded Cambodia by sending its troops
inside Cambodian territory first on July 15, 2008 and subsequently thereafter.

Ouk Sophoin,
Charge D'Affaires,
Royal Embassy of Cambodia

The Indonesian government should run the country According to the constitution The Jakarta Post, Friday 8 January 2010

I refer to a statement made by Djoko Suyanto, a patron of a foundation
established by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono supporters, who said that he
would have no problem if the foundation received a donation from businessman
Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra, a fugitive in the Bank Bali corruption case.
Dear Djoko Suyanto, you may have forgotten?
Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra, is a fugitive in the Bank Bali corruption case, and was convicted in the Rp 546-billion Bank Bali scandal.
He was sentenced to two years in jail for misappropriation of funds paid to Bank
Bali by Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency.
Because he received inside information on the impending court ruling he was able to flee the country by private plane to Papua New Guinea on June 10 before the two year sentence was officially handed down.
The same court sentenced former Indonesian Central Bank governor Syahril Sabirin also to two years in jail in the same case, which he now serves in the Cipinang prison in East Jakarta.
Djoko’s Bank Bali was paid US$120 million by then Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) to pay the Bank’s debts and to restructure it.
Djoko fled with all or part of those funds.
If Djoko, a sentenced fugitive from the State of Indonesia, contributed to a
foundation established by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s supporters and
managed by a number of state officials, there is a conflict of interest.
I also wonder why state officials manage a private fund?
The argument is that the contribution would not make the foundation “bad” is totally irrelevant.
Djoko obviously would not spend money on a foundation linked to the President if
he would not expect a favor in return.
Such contribution should have been declined and immediately reported to the AGO.
However, the sad point is: the executive, legislative and judicial branches of
government should provide the necessary checks and balances in running the
country according to the Constitution.
However, these branches are no longer independent but subject to strong and
corrupt influences from each other as well as private third parties with money.
In our country that is the bases that laws are developed and passed or not,
enforced or not and sentences meted out or not; allowing the likes of Djoko
to escape justice.
Some would argue and call such a rent-seeking system
“lobbying”, others would call it corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).

Henry Manoe,
Kupang,
East Nusa Tenggara,
Indonesia

Martial law in Maguindanao Wipes out evidence of electoral fraud The Philippine Inquirer, Thursday 7 January 2010

“ Commission on Elections (Comelec) wants Maguindanao ballot boxes” confiscated by the martial law enforcers turned over to it in Philippine Inquirer 7 December 2009.
That gave away Proclamation 1959.
The martial law declaration was quite evidently a red herring.
A fake.
No less than Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera admitted that the feared rebellion, the basis for the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao, was merely looming in the horizon and therefore not yet an actuality.
One of the whereas clauses of that declaration also noted it was merely imminent. The Constitution explicitly requires that rebellion must already be in existence, a foregone conclusion, and the Arroyo stooges knew this.
They were obviously playing it out anyway for a more sinister motive: wipe out any and all evidence of electoral fraud that took place in Maguindanao during the 2004 and 2007 elections.
Dropped like hot potatoes, the Ampatuans can shout all they want about any dark secrets they might have kept all these years against President Macapagal-Arroyo. While that might have afforded them hubris, immunity and a stranglehold on her in the past, now without “evidence admissible in the proper forum” they’re dead meat!

Stephen L. Monsanto
Manila,
Philippines

Wisma Putra recalls United Nations representative The Star, Tuesday 5 January 2010

The recall by Wisma Putra or Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Datuk Mohd Arshad Hussain, for casting a vote not sanctioned by the Government is a matter of grave concern to the country.
Since the damage to Malaysia’s reputation has already been done, the Government must endeavour to contain this impairment by assuring the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) that this incident was not in accordance with the
Government’s stand.
The issue here is not that Malaysia’s vote has offended the United States or
other Western countries to rebuke Iran on its nuclear ambitions, but more
importantly how did such a gaffe happen in the first place.
For a layman not familiar with the diplomatic world, I would like to know
whether Wisma Putra or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a modus operandi in place for its diplomats when crucial votes are taken at the UN or any international organisation.
I recall an article written by former ambassador Datuk Deva Mohd Ridzam “No
longer the envy of the diplomatic world” in which the writer highlighted his
concerns on the quality of our current corp of diplomats.
In the article, the writer stated that “our diplomat’s capacity to make sound
policy has suffered irreparable decline, both intellectually and
professionally”.
It should be taken into consideration by the Government.
Perhaps, it is time for the Government to open up the diplomatic service,
particularly for ambassadors and high commissioners, to include direct
recruitment from the private sector.
We have many seasoned Malaysians who can effectively represent and articulate
Malaysia’s views at the international fora in the best interests of the country.

James Gonzales,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Peace treaties are successful When arms are laid down The Philippine Inquirer, Tuesday 5 January 2010

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government peace panel negotiators must go beyond their original issues of concern and consider seriously the issue of disarmament in the resumption of their talks in Kuala Lumpur.
The gruesome massacre in Maguindanao is not only about warlordism, political rivalry and the insane exercise of power; it reveals the stark reality that the finger on the trigger of resolute brute and radical secessionists will always remain a threat to peace and reconciliation.
Successful peace accords have proven that only when arms are laid down that treaties of peace becomes successful.
This was achieved either by force or negotiation.
Having gone through the tedious process of resolving contentions in their search for peace, and after absorbing lessons from the discordant items from the talks which had led to the suspension of negotiations and then from the gruesome Maguindanao massacre of innocent Christians and Muslim civilians, it now behooves the
negotiators to stare closely at the issue of disarmament.
This challenge, so to speak, is in the court of the MILF, as a secessionist front.
This is not to say that the government should merely watch with arms akimbo, for the responsibility of security falls squarely on the government.
What compels individuals and groups to arm themselves is instinctive self-protection.
If the authority fails to enforce the laws and thereby allows criminal elements to abuse and threaten them, the next option for survival is to arm themselves.
The proliferation of firearms in Mindanao is due mainly to threats from warlords exemplified by the Ampatuans.
Remove the arms from the warlords and they are effectively defanged.
Look at how many of Ampatuans’ gunmen have turned their firearms to the government and offered to turn witness against them.
It is because the threat is gone and they can now talk freely without fear of being decapitated with chain saws or simply gunned down.
As in Maguindanao after the warlords are effectively accounted for, the government ought to assert its authority in other areas and ensure that peace and
security are properly safeguarded.
The problem of the MILF is that not a few of its followers cannot live in peace. This is so because by their guns they can intimidate communities and demand support.
If peace is reached, what will happen to them?
Secessionism has become fashionable and for as long as extremist Islamic groups have not run out of funds to fund their existence, they will always be there to oppose peace efforts.
There ought to be an assurance from the government that their future in a
condition of peace will be safeguarded and that they will be provided with decent jobs.
Those who want to invest in peace are willing to help for as long as there is a guarantee that a truce will be reached and normalcy will return.
With the start of the New Year and the commencement of the peace talks and peace process, we look forward to the resolution of the problems that have long bedeviled Mindanao.

Miriam Dahunog,
Manila,
Philippines

Australian tribute to Gus Dur should include His acknowledgement of the Morning Star flag The Australian, Monday 4 January 2010

The editorial tribute to former Indonesian president Gus Dur January 1, could also have mentioned that he acknowledged the right of West Papuans to use their traditional symbols including the Morning Star flag.
Unfortunately this right was not upheld by subsequent presidents with the result that many West Papuans are now serving long jail terms merely for displaying their flag.
Gus Dur also often spoke up in favour of dialogue between the Papuan people and the Indonesian government.
Again, unfortunately, subsequent presidents have allowed military/police intimidation to maintain rule in West Papua rather than dialogue.

Esther Anderson,
Surrey Hills,
Victoria,
Australia

Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) Funded and equiped by Arroyo The Philippine Inquirer, Sunday 3 January 2010

The most recent in the long-running series of splits in the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) has produced a purported new and reformed group, but it is composed of the same old opportunist elements.
The reported ouster of Mailed Molina and the rise of a new group led by Arsenio Humiding are nothing more than a quarrel over the division of spoils.
This same thing has repeatedly happened to the CPLA in the past, as various factions squabbled over the funds, weapons and jobs dangled before them by the reactionary government.
As an armed group devoid of any ideological mooring, the CPLA serves as a special paramilitary force for Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) counter-insurgency operations in the region.
Its members have been involved in horrible human rights violations such as the abduction, torture and the murder of Cordillera Bodong Association chairman and Cordillera People’s Alliance vice chairman Ama Daniel Ngayaan, and the killings
of scores of Cordillera activists and civilians.
Various factions of the CPLA serve in the private armies of warlord-politicians in Abra and other Cordillera provinces.
In Isabela, CPLA members serve in the private army used by a warlord clan in land-grabbing activities.
In recent years, even the Philippine National Police has complained about the armed robberies, extortion, land-grabbing, illegal logging, drug dealing, gambling protection rackets and other crimes perpetrated by the CPLA.
The current CPLA interim leadership keeps on harping on the same tired issues of the integration of more of their members into the AFP and the continuation of their supposed peace talks with the government.
This underscores their confused and laughable position.
Peace talks are held between adversaries.
The CPLA is not an adversary of the government.
In fact, the CPLA is pleading for more of their members to be integrated into the reactionary armed forces.
The CPLA raises the issue of their imaginary peace talks and their empty threats of “going back to the hills” whenever they demand more financial assistance and projects from the government.
The CPLA is simply a criminal armed group used by the military in counter-insurgency operations against the revolutionary movement and the people.
The CPLA is in the same sinking boat as the infamous Ampatuan private army and other armed groups funded, equipped and coddled by the military and the Arroyo regime.
The Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF) calls upon the public not to be deceived and to vigorously reject the purported new and reformed CPLA.
It is nothing more than an armed gang of lapdogs begging for crumbs from an increasingly isolated regime.
The CPLA must be immediately disarmed, disbanded and punished for the various
abuses and human rights violations it committed against the Cordillera people.

Simon "Ka Filiw" Naogsan,
Spokesperson,
Cordillera People’s Democratic Front,
Philippines

Heavies discharge tourist From Indonesia's corporatised hospital The Jakarta Post, Saturday 2 January 2009

Five-star, hotel-like hospitals, which can now be found in most of the larger Indonesian cities, exploit a need for better medical care without always fulfilling
that need.
Their elaborately decorated public spaces provide an illusion of medical
competence not necessarily reflected in what happens to the patient.
From my own direct observation, what these five-star hospitals are most adept at is using powerful legal teams to ruthlessly extract payment for medical services
rendered.
It would be interesting to know how many families have lost their homes
following the legal actions of these hospital’s accounts departments.
Here in Batam, I once saw a foreign tourist who suffered a heart attack after being
attacked and robbed of all his belongings.
Some public-minded citizens bought him to one of Batam’s “better” hospitals. When, the next morning, that hospital found out that the tourist had lost all means to pay, he was immediately removed from life support and unceremoniously dumped back at his hotel; not alone, but in the company of two thug-like men from the hospital’s accounts department who spend the next 48 hours badgering and bullying the sick tourist to find the means to pay the hospital’s bill.
The hotel, ironically, was far more tolerant and humane towards the sick tourist’s predicament than the hospital.
One reason why Prita Mulyasari’s case has such an outpouring of public support
is that too many of us have suffered at the hands of Indonesia’s corporatized
profit-oriented medical services industry.
The professional standards and moral aims of health care in this country need more, not less, open debate and public scrutiny.

Evan Jones,
Batam,
Riau Island,
Indonesia

Proper research in water management Missing The Jakarta Post, Friday 1 January 2010

This is a response to the article titled “NTB imposes environmental service
fees”, in The Jakarta Post, December 28.
As a trained environmental engineer I see a big logical flaw.
When rain falls on a watershed upstream of a reservoir, it can go to one of three places: into the ground as groundwater, evapotranspire the process of vegetation evaporating water into the atmosphere or flow off the watershed as surface drainage.
When a watershed is deforested, the trees will no longer evapotranspire water
into the atmosphere.
Instead, the amount of surface drainage water is increased.
The environmental damage which typically happens is erosion and downstream siltation of earth into the reservoir.
Rainwater is not retained by vegetation and the net result is increased flows of
water into the reservoir.
The only thing that can decrease the flow of water in a river is decrease in the rainfall.
Whoever is analyzing the problem of decreased flow of water into the reservoir
has not conducted the proper research to find the cause of the problem and
obviously is not properly educated and trained in the field of hydrology and
watershed management.
Why do I get the feeling this extra tax money will be going to some bureaucrats pocket and not producing more water?

Ben Johnson,
Lombok,
West Nusa Tenggara,
Indonesia

Maguindanao political warlordism Product of a weak state Philippine Inquirer Thursday 31 December 2009

The world community strongly decries the Maguindanao massacre, giving a variety of reasons and explanations why it happened.
My explanation is based on several studies which have the same conclusion: poverty and illiteracy are directly related to violent conflicts and warlordism in the least developed areas of weak states.
Ifzal Ali, chief economist of Asian Development Bank, stated in his paper, “Inequality and the Imperative for Inclusive Growth in Asia,” that lack of opportunities, as indicated by higher poverty rates or lower literacy rates, has been found to be significantly associated with the higher intensity of violent conflicts; and that rising inequality poses a danger to social and political stability as well
as to the sustainability of the growth process itself.
In the case of the Philippines, the NSCB 2006 data showed that the population poverty incidence was 32.9 percent (one of the highest among Asian countries), with Luzon having the lowest level at 31.6 percent, the Visayas at 40.8 percent, and Mindanao at 46.7 percent.
In Mindanao, it is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
which has the highest poverty incidence at 61.8 percent; and two of its provinces have the highest records—Maguindanao at 69.3 percent and Tawi-Tawi at 78.2 percent.
In terms of literacy rate, the country’s record is 92.3 percent while ARMM’s is 68.7, followed by Western Mindanao at 85.3 percent (NSCB, 2000 Simple Literacy of the Population 10 Years Old and Over).
In particular, Maguindanao has the lowest literacy rate of 75 percent, while Tawi-Tawi has 83.4 percent (NSO, 2000 Household Population by 5 Years Old and Over).
The above poverty and literacy data jibe with the fact that Maguindanao appears to be the center of a violent conflict spawned by the Muslim separatist rebellion and political warlordism.
Moreover, political warlordism, which is a product of a weak state, has become an opportunity for “employment” for people who, coming from towns which are the most poverty-stricken and with the lowest level of education, have been brainwashed to follow their benefactors with blind obedience and loyalty.

Edmundo Enderez,
Manila
Philippines

Public political gullibility Its' own worst enemy The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 30 December 2009

The Raymond Groves letter in The Southeast Asian Times, 28 December 2009 included a most interesting website
( http://www.flwi.ugent.be/cie/CIE2/shahak.htm) offering vital information for all.
A reading of the scholarly and informative book authored by Professor Israel Shahak entitled ' Jewish History, Jewish Religion: The Weight of Three Thousand Years" clarifies, to a great extent, that the social, commercial and military aggression perpetrated throughout the world is orchestrated, motivated and financed by a particular extremist group.
Professor Shahak explains, quite clearly, ( in extract sub-chapter 3 from chapter 5 of "The Laws Against Non-Jews") that "the legal system of classical Judaism applies and is recognised and implemented to this day".
Significantly, if a Jew kills a gentile (i.e. a non-Jew) the accused is guilty only of the Laws of Heaven; not punishable by a civil court of law.
For a Jew to cause, indirectly, the death of a gentile is considered no sin at all.
So, suddenly, to understand the genocide being bloodedly practiced by Israel in its' unlawful occupation of Palestine is to become acutely aware of the religious indoctrination, sense of spiritual superiority, indifference to the value of other human life that, as a race, dictates their unfeeling aggressive religious/political/commercial attitudes.
And the question now arises, in the light of Professor Shahak's revelations and the teachings of the militant Orthodox Rabbis :"Do Jews despise us simply for being non-Jews"? - Or because we are easily bribed and/or manipulated.
Actually, the contemporary philosophical amalgamation of politics and organised religion always functions to serve the extremist views of all power hungry groups.
Together with the strategy of bogus threats to national security, the time worn maxim of 'divide-and-rule' still serves to divert public attention from their devious intentions.
The saddest aspect of this secretive/destructive power play is the public political gullibility that proves to be its' own worst enemy.

Harry A. Boniface
Queensland
Australia.

Bells jingle all the way To a hearing disability The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 30 Dec 2009

I would like to offer some advice to students doing medicine at University.
Not that I am associated with the medical profession but can see a glaring opportunity for any doctor specializing in hearing disabilities.
After visiting some of the main retail outlets during the Christmas period and entering shops specializing in teenage goods when seeking presents, the thing that must strike all mature people whilst in those shops is the extreme near deafening volume of the music being played in those places.
Shop assistants must speak loudly to be heard whilst the teenage customers seem oblivious to the loud din.
These young people will obviously have hearing defects in later years caused by the noise and even the volume of radios in their cars and at home will have to seek medical attention for total or partial deafness.

Frank Crichlow,
Carrara,
Queensland,
Australia

Brother Datuk Michael Jacques The last of Malaysia's great teachers The Star Tuesday 29 December 2009

Not many among the younger generation are aware of the contributions of the La
Salle Brothers in the field of education in Malaysia.
Many of these missionaries left their homes in countries like Ireland and Canada
to build and serve in many schools throughout Malaysia.
All of them set very high standards, not only in the field of education, but also in discipline in all the schools they taught.
They left an indelible mark on the lives of many they taught.
For someone who studied and taught at a mission school for nearly 40 years, I
was pleased to learn that the memoirs of the famed Brother Datuk Michael Jacques will be published.
Kudos to the Xaverian Club of Kuala Lumpur (XCKL) which launched his memoirs as a Christmas present for him.
The book which details a personal account of Bro Jacques as an educationist
should serve as a useful point of reference for the teachers of today.
Here is a man who dedicated 48 years of his life to the field of education and
to be a witness to the success of many Malaysians who were moulded by him.
Serving La Salle schools throughout the country from 1937 to 1985, this humble
servant of the teaching profession not only touched the lives of thousands of
Malaysians, but was also a founder and adviser to educational and social
organisations such as the Malaysian Christan Schools Council, Malaysian Catholic
Education Council, La Sallian Federation of Old Boys’ Association, XCKL and the Franciscan Club of Kuala Lumpur.
Despite his advanced age of 93, he continues to exemplify the true spirit of a
La Sallian - always ready to serve.
Perhaps the Education Ministry can still tap the wealth of experience of great
educators like Bro Jacques.
I am sure that even now he will be more than willing to share his experience with our present-day teachers.
Sadly, we don’t produce any more great educators like him.

James Gonzales,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

All atrocities are evil Not just those committed against Jews The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 28 December 2009

It seems that British citizens need to read Australian news (such as the letter here from Maurice Horsburgh of 21st December), to discover that Israel's Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni had a UK arrest warrant issued against her to face charges of war crimes.
Such news is not regarded by our Zionist-dominated press as suitable reading for we hoi-polloi, so at the best is ‘tucked into corners’, and at the worst ‘swept under carpets’.
I hope it is not claimed as “anti-Semitic” to point out the facts of that situation.
The reason given for the withdrawal of the arrest warrant was that Livni has decided not to visit the UK after all.
However, it must be said that the fact the warrant appeared to prevent her visit has been cited as a good argument for keeping it in place.
The British Prime Minister may be speaking as a puppet when he tried to placate her by saying that Livni is welcome to visit Britain, for I do not believe he speaks for many people in the UK.
But then the majority of UK citizens were, and still are, against British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, which did not prevent their Zionist-dominated government from invading anyway – and in that respect I am not optimistic that the impending further investigation into the causes of the Iraq war will be anything more than yet another Zionist, whitewashing, PR exercise; especially given that important, informed, potential witnesses - such as UN WMD-inspectors - are being excluded from the hearing.
The suggestion (in a letter here from Harry Boniface on 25th December), that the signboard; reading Arbeit Macht Frei; earlier stolen from Auschwitz, should be installed in a Palestinian Holocaust Museum, is pertinent in principle and scores a worthy rhetorical point.
However any efforts by the Palestinians to conserve their collective identity are being destroyed by regular, ‘pre-emptive’, systematic, Israeli raids that target Palestinian offices, and I’m sure that museums etc. would be added to the list.
I wonder if the signboard was stolen by Polish people resentful about being excluded from ‘holocaust remembrance’, for, year-by-year it becomes increasingly clear that we are expected to accept that only the deaths of Jews there are worthy of remembrance.
We are frequently and repeatedly told we must remember the holocaust to ensure that the same thing will never happen again – yet, as Harry Boniface points out, similar atrocities happen in Palestine on an almost daily basis.
To discover a possible reason for this hypocrisy it may be pertinent to examine the History of Jewish Law in relation to murder.
While the letter of Israeli law does not conform to Judaist tradition, in practice it does govern legal attitudes within Israel.
Perhaps that explains how Israelis accused of war crimes might believe they can get away with murder.
As can be seen in: http://www.flwi.ugent.be/cie/CIE2/shahak.htm Israel’s racist, legal structure regards Jews quite differently from non-Jews, which probably explains how Zionists who distastefully and immorally misuse the Auschwitz atrocity as propaganda to promote their current sectarian causes, can so frequently overlook the fates of many non-Jewish minorities at the hands of the nazis during WW2.
Even, it increasingly seems that this propaganda is being used to induce guilt with compliancy among those very people who liberated the Jews from the undeniable horror of the death camps.
I happen to believe that the Zionists do not make satisfactory ‘chosen people’ at all, as, over many decades, they have failed to show sensible, inherent qualities of leadership over their handling of the Palestinian dispute – exactly as; to balance the scales; I do not believe that ‘Arians’ are viable as a ‘chosen people’, or that Hitler was ‘a good leader’.

Raymond Groves

Sura Choojai Your son is looking for you The Nation, Monday 28 December 2009

I am John Derick Cuenca from the Philippines and am looking for my long-lost father Sura Choojai.
All I know is that he studied in the Philippines 23 years ago and met my mother, but for some reason they have lost contact.
I have been looking for him for years now, and four years ago, a woman named Nuntawan
Choojai helped me out.
She said my father was in Bangkok and had a family, but I did not hear from her after that.
I mean no harm to anyone.
I just want him to know that I'm looking for him.
I can be contacted at: (639) 158 942335 or on johnderickcuenca@yahoo.com.

John Derick Cuenca,
Manila,
Philippines

Philippine Ampatuan massacre Not an isolated incident Philippine Inquirer, Sunday 27 December 2009

A month has gone by since at least 57 people, including at least 31 media workers, were slaughtered in the hills of Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
Last December 23, all over our benighted land, journalists gathered to commemorate the fallen and recommit ourselves to the cause of ensuring justice
for them.
We gathered that day to remember that the Ampatuan massacre was not an isolated incident triggered by a feud between two contending warlord families but was the logical, if bloody, consequence of a system of governance that not only nurtures but also arms the likes of the Ampatuan clan and the many more warlords like them who rule their regions, provinces, cities and towns like personal fiefdoms.
We gathered that day to remember that the Ampatuan massacre was not only the worst single attack on the press in history but a continuation of the series of assaults on press freedom, abetted not just by official inaction but by this administration’s many attempts to muzzle the independent Philippine media.
We gathered that day to remember and to impress on our people that the Ampatuan massacre and the search for justice for its victims are not the cause of the media alone but should be the cause of each and every Filipino who values freedom and democracy.
On the 23rd of each month hereon, let us gather and remember the fallen and recommit ourselves to the cause of justice and freedom and hold accountable not just the killers but, just as important, those who created the circumstances that made this crime against humanity possible.

Nestor P Burgos Jr,
Chair,
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines,
Quezon City
Philippines

 

A green Christmas Maybe next year The New Straits Times

After the disappointment of the just-concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen to check global warming it is time to think of a green Christmas.
With Christmas being one of the most widely celebrated festivals and also the most commercialised, a green Christmas can have a major impact globally.
There are numerous ways one can reduce, reuse and recycle festive items and cut down on unnecessary expenditure which in the long run could lessen environmental pollution and climate change.
There are various ways for a green Christmas, such as getting natural Christmas trees, sending e-greetings and SMSes in lieu of cards, choosing to use fewer plastic bags during shopping, using fewer decorative lights thereby lessening power demand and reducing plastic and synthetic accessories or decorations.
During the Christmas open house, the host could opt for reusable utensils - plates, cups, forks or spoons - instead of discardable items which will end up in the overflowing landfills.
Churches and non-governmental organisations can organise year-end recycling programmes where parishioners and the public could bring recyclable items such as newspapers, school textbooks or electrical appliances for sale to fund charities.
Using fewer lights to decorate the Christmas tree can help lessen power demand.
As we wish one another Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, bear in mind that the years ahead will be merrier and happier if we help in greening back Earth.

V. Thomas,
Sungai Buloh,
Malaysia

'Arbeit Macht Frei' At Gaza entrance The Southeast Asian Times, Friday 25 December 2009

In the disturbing but edifying letter from Maurice Horsburgh in The Southeast Asian Times on 21 December exposing the mysterously cancelled UK warrant issued for the arrest of Israel's Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni on charges of alleged war crimes, he encourages the establishment of a Palestinian Holocaust Museum which I think is, in all fairness and following zealous contemporary precedents, an excellent archival idea.
The sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp during WW2 which read and still reads ' Arbeit Macht Frei' (work makes you free) was recently stolen and, since recovered, should really be appropriately relocated at the entrance to Gaza and the area fittingly renamed " Gazawitz - the largest and longest inhabited concentration camp in the world". Supported by the politically compromised Israeli and American governments, under inhuman conditions, with inmates constantly harassed and humilated, the 'jailers of Gaza' appear to pursue the same old maxim of " Never kick a man when he is down - only if he looks like getting up".
In order to substantiate charges of brutality and genocide; to contribute to the annals of history; we now have tangible proof and every aspect of 'the crime of the century' is verified.
Do those White Hall mandarins, responsible for the release of alleged Israeli war criminals ( like Livni et al), remain installed in 'British public service' and can we expect further reprehensible conduct inherent in a compromised political and judicial system captive of an unyielding Zionist yoke?
Wall and Threadneedle Street's appetite for money and power is insatiable and their recent destructive advances in the fields of politics and finance should alert all and sundry that, to retain their hard won freedoms, they must cast off their lethargy and fight for their democratic rights - their future.
Otherwise,the alternative is too horifying to contemplate.

Harry A. Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia

It's our economic model That's not right The Nation, Thursday 24 December 2009

The Copenhagen agreement is a long-term disaster that will resonate until we
adopt a new economic model for the world - but probably too late.
Indeed, it is the political leaders and their masters, the great business/industrial powers, who will not change the status quo due to their self interest and basically national greed.
Not until we have political and industrial leaders who understand clearly that our economic model is what is wrong, the world will continue towards a level where economic livelihoods and sustainable outcomes become irreversible.
Indeed, it will be their mutual destruction also that will come to pass.
Then the human race will be in the years of global wars to survive and the acquisition of 'scarce' natural minerals and resources for their nations' personal self-preservation.
Then the penny might drop, but it will be far too late by then to reverse events.
The Copenhagen agreement should have brought about a total reduction in
temperatures over the long-term and where the financial costs were found over
the years to come in order that a balance in the inequalities between developed
and developing nations were solved.
The costs for not doing so will inevitably be far, far greater.
We have lost a golden chance to stop the critical decline in the human experience but where our political leaders and industrialists are blind presently to what is really upon the horizon for humankind in this very century.
The defining century to whether humans as a species will live on or die.

Dr David Hill,
World Innovation Foundation Charity
Bangkok,
Thailand

Open letter to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs From Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 23 December 2009 The Hon Stephen Smith MP Minister for Foreign Affairs Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 20 December 2009 Dear Mr Smith, I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney), concerning the volatile situation in West Papua caused by the shooting of OPM leader Kelly Kwalik on Wednesday the 16 December. While his death has yet to be confirmed (the family of Kelly has declined to provide DNA samples to the authorities), there is no doubt that there is increasing tension in West Papua because of the reports of his death by the security forces . The West Papuan People are expressing their grief and outrage through numerous rallies which include calls for independence Media articles have reported that Kelly was shot by members of the Police Mobile Brigade and by members of the anti-terror force Detachment 88. AWPA's concern is that the Australian military may have been training these forces as part of our commitment to Indonesia under the Lombok treaty. We point out that Kelly Kwalik is a hero to the West Papuan people and who, like all members of civil society organisations in West Papua, had committed himself to the concept of West Papua as a land of peace. We ask the question, what benefit have the West Papuan people received by our troops training with the Indonesian military? It is reported that the security forces are also seeking other members of Kelly's unit and we have great fears the civilian population could suffer during any military operations in the area. We are also concerned that the security forces will now try to make Kelly a scapegoat for the fatal shootings around the Freeport copper and gold mine in West Papua earlier this year, including that of Australian mine technician Drew Grant. The Australian Government sent two Australian Federal Police officers to the mine area to investigate the shootings and we would be interested to hear about their findings. Kelly Kwalik had denied any involvement in the killings. We ask you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government, urging it to control its security forces in the territory during any funeral and mourning services by the West Papuan people for Kelly Kwalik and asking it to halt any military operations as a way of avoiding further bloodshed. Yours sincerely Joe Collins Secretary AWPA (Sydney)

The Consumers Association of Penang Against the urbanisation of the Malaysian monkey The Star, Tuesday 22 December 2009

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) or Consumers Association Penang refers to a media article on the keeping of primates as pets.
It is truly disturbing to see an increasing number of baby monkeys being sold in pet shops.
Licences for their keeping are issued by the Wildlife Department for both pig-tailed and long-tailed macaques on the grounds that they are abundant .
Has the department ever considered that an infant monkey will eventually grow up
and become the wild animal it was meant to be?
Raising a monkey among humans does not change the wild nature of monkeys, and as they mature their natural inclinations are stifled by attempts to mould them into 'obedient pets.'
In accordance with their natural behaviour, they often bite and scratch.
The end result is displacement, following negligent and abusive treatment both
physically and mentally of the monkeys by their owners.
As far as the welfare of primates is concerned, permit holders are also never
subjected to inspection for proper facilities and care except when there is a
complaint from the public.
As such, many pet monkeys end up either in small cages or on short chains which restrict movement.
Monkeys need large open spaces with natural settings to jump and hang around to
keep them challenged and mentally stimulated.
They need a large amount of social interaction and attention from the owners apart from the commitment of time for routine care.
Failure to provide all of these needs will result in severe behaviourial and
psychological problems for the captive monkeys.
When problems arise in finding a new home for a pet monkey, it will be extremely
hard on the monkey which has been bonded to its owner.
Normally they will be given to zoos or released into the wild, which can result in dire consequences for the released pet.
On the health aspects, infections such as dysentery, herpes virus, hepatitis,
scabies and even tuberculosis can be transmitted from primates to humans.
Similarly human carriers may also pass the salmonella bacteria to monkeys
directly or indirectly.
The worst part of the trade is the taking of baby monkeys from the forest, which
is symptomatic of a largely unregulated trade in pet primates – creating
problems with everything from smuggling to serious health risks to the public,
let alone to the animals.
Traders may not be licensed, and Sahabat Alam Malaysia or Consumers Association Penang doubts whether there is proper monitoring of the trade in pet primates.
Separating the mothers from their babies is also an extremely cruel act as the
mother mourns, screams and will fight to the death for her infant.
One can question just how the traders get hold of the babies, and this must not be taken lightly by the department.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia or Consumers Association Penang, is strongly opposed to the keeping of a monkey or ape as a pet.
We recommend that federal and state legislation prohibit private ownership of non-human primates and future commerce in non-human primates for the pet trade; and
strongly discourage the rearing of monkeys or apes as pets.
Most owners lack the knowledge, devotion and ambition necessary to prevent
disease transmission and to maintain the health and welfare of the primate.
Therefore, veterinarians should diplomatically discourage the practice of keeping pet primates.
Currently there is no regulation to address this issue effectively, and the
exotic animal trade raises complex issues of animal welfare, public health and
conservation.
The use of a monkey or ape as a pet should be strongly discouraged.
Wild animals deserve to be in their natural habitats - especially non-human primates, which come with numerous health and safety risks.

S.M. Mohd Idris,
President,
Sahabat Alam Malaysia,
Consumers Association Penang,
Penang.

Arrest warant for alleged war criminal Cancelled The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 21 December 2009

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Zionists are now in full control of the UK House of Commons.
This was once the seat of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, which included an independent judiciary; it now appears that democracy has gone “down the tube”.
The recent issue of a warrant, which was later annulled, for the arrest on war crimes charges of Israel’s Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, has seen the most appalling display of ‘brown-nosing’ by Gordon Brown and his band of Israeli ‘puppets’.
On whose orders was the warrant cancelled?
The British Ministry of Justice told Israel's ambassador, Ron Prosor, that they were unaware of any arrest warrant against the former foreign minister.
Yet, further inquiries by Israeli officials revealed that a warrant had indeed been issued.
Are the Israelis more informed about British affairs than the UK Parliament?
London (AFP) (16/12/09): “Prime Minister Gordon Brown told Tzipi Livni on Wednesday that she would "always be welcome" in Britain. Brown also reiterated his determination to change the law that allows British courts to issue warrants for alleged war crimes.”
It is unbelievable that the UK PM can sit back or actively take part in what appears to be the subversion of the democratic process.
Jerusalem Post (15/12/09): “Livni warrant threatens ties with UK. Livni's office stated that UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed his ‘shock’ at the arrest warrant and promised to work immediately to ensure that a similar occurrence would not happen in the future against Livni or other Israeli leaders”. Miliband said the warrant was "completely unacceptable."
Will the Zionist Miliband attempt to politicize the judiciary?
Should he succeed, Britain will become a banana republic and totally subservient to a bunch of alleged Israeli war criminals.
Haaretz Service (15/12/09): Livni's office also said that “The opposition leader was proud of all the decisions she made as foreign minister during the Gaza war.”
Livni was part of a government that sanctioned the use of phosphorus bombs in the murder of 1400 men, women, and children and was proud of it.
Gordon Brown actually apologised to this woman because of the arrest warrant!
The Sunday Times (01/06/08): Livni’s career was forged in the violent creation of Israel.
Both her parents were arrested for terrorist crimes in the 1940s.
Her mother was a leader of Irgun, the militant Zionist group that operated in Palestine at the time of the British mandate and whose exploits included train robbery.
Her father, Eitan, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for attacking a British military base.
It is well documented that the Zionists murdered British soldiers and citizens in Palestine and many British military personnel have since being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan which is really a war to defend Israel.
Is Gordon Brown’s message now ‘Come on down’, Britain welcomes all terrorists with open arms; forget Habeas Corpus, the Magna Carta and the separation of powers?
In the meantime a Palestinian Holocaust Museum should be established to record the true history of what went on in Palestine.
This should also expose the countries which have financed, supplied arms or were in any way complicit in the sixty years of slaughter and ethnic cleansing by so-called Holocaust ‘survivors’.
Until Israelis start behaving as citizens of the world and stop acting as self-appointed Masters of the Universe, no civilised western country should host an Israeli embassy.

Maurice Horsburgh,
Palm Beach,
Queensland,
Australia

 

Strong case for war criminal trial For Bush, Blair and Howard The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 20 December 2009

Tony Blair openly admits he would have attacked Iraq even with the absence of weapons of mass destruction.
From this one must assume Bush and Howard would have taken the same path. How such a decision could be arrived at is completely beyond me.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraq civilians slaughtered, plus many thousands of troops from participating countries killed or maimed.
Saddam Hussein should never have been put on trial at a kangaroo court, rather he should have been apologised too by Blair, Bush and Howard and asked to clean up the mess they have caused.
Saddam had the secret keeping the trouble makers in check whereas the present attackers have no idea.
The other point being the Iraq oil has now fallen into the hands of foreign oil companies and will never return to the Iraq people unless they inherit another Saddam.
There would no doubt be a strong case for a war criminal trial for Bush, Blair and Howard.

Frank Crichlow,
Carrara,
Queensland,
Australia

Singapore's children Cared for by the least qualified The Nation, Saturday 19 December 2009

It has taken the Singapore Embassy unusually long to reply to the various
letters concerning maid abuse.
Maids might be abused by their employers or by agents but the biggest thief is the Singapore government, which takes more than 50 per cent of the total cost of a maid, thus reducing the money available for the maid.
This is in effect a tax levied on maids who on average make only 300 Singapore
dollars or Bt7,200, a fraction of the minimum wage for maids in Hong Kong.
Of course, a big levy regulates demand, but so would a higher wage.
The point is, Singapore is by far the richest Asean country but it treats workers from other Southeast Asian states like dirt.
What they don't consider is that paying next to nothing to maids, who most often are their children's caretakers, ensures that the least qualified people are attending to their children.

John Grant,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Fractional reserve lending Make banks billions The Southeast Asian Times, Friday 18 December 2009

One of the worst blunders of all time by any Australian government must surely be the deregulation of the banks and the sale of the peoples bank the Commonwealth. The bank is now saying they must disregard the movements of the Reserve Bank interest rate rises as they are now paying more for funds borrowed.
What they did not explain was that they loan the funds borrowed up to 32 times in savings banks and 18 times in trading banks then have the hide to have extra charges for depositors’ on top of that.
Unbelievable you say?
Well just do a search on your computer on 'fractional reserve lending' which will explain to you how banks loan money they don’t really have.
There is no way the Commonwealth could make several billions of dollars in six months if they only loaned their funds once.

Frank Crichlow,
Carrara,
Queensland,
Australia

Papua New Guinea's ombudsman Soon to be made powerless The National, Thursday 17 December 2009

It embarrasses many Papua New Guineans to explain to anyone why the average
politician in his/her country seems undeterred by public opinion of any kind.
Unlike some democracies where politicians involved in misconduct cases will
either resign or step down to be investigated, Papua New Guinea politicians do neither of that.
An implicated MP usually denies publicly any adverse reports about his alleged
actions.
The errant politician will accuse the media of misrepresentation, local newspapers are spreading false stores to discredit his reputation, etc.
The MPs involved do not even feel disgraced at all or feel compelled to
temporarily step down from office to await investigations if any.
Despite public outrage, politicians unashamedly hold on to their jobs with the
Prime Minister failing to take tough action to ensure parliamentarians do the
'right thing' under the circumstances.
Over the years, successive prime ministers have all failed in this regard.
The citizenry today do not even bother about writing another useless letter of
complaint to their local MP.
It is a complete waste of time.
Except for a handful, most politicians are a disappointment to their electorates.
These so-called 'big men' are either too busy doing something unrelated to their
constituents’ interests, or simply ignore the complainants as trouble-makers.
As for the Ombudsman Commission, it may soon be made powerless if the Government has its way.
The Ombudsman Commission started off well with a new chief Ombudsman’s appointment with 'gusto'.
The new incumbent discontinued his master’s studies at a prestigious Australian
university to take up his political appointment under a newly elected government
after the 2007 elections.
He publicly reminded the politicians and senior bureaucrats the commission will
do its job without fear or favour and keep public office holders on their toes.
In recent times, his earlier passion has somewhat waned.
The familiar trend under all former chief ombudsmen repeats itself as political
inertia takes over.
Does this sound familiar?
Yes it does and the Government knows this but will not fix the problem as it
works in its favour.
As with most State institutions, the commission has limited resources with so
much to do to clear a huge backlog of outstanding cases.
With little capacity and money, the Ombudsman Commission has become impotent and toothless.
Is there any secret written deal between the Government and Ombudsman Commission?
I do not believe there is, even if that is the perception now.
On the whole, the Ombudsman Commission has to date done a sterling job but it must do more than what it is doing now, or not doing, to put away some 'bad' politicians behind bars.
It will need the help of the Attorney-General’s office and law enforcement
agencies.
However, if that is not bad enough, the Government now plans to pass a bill to
further regulate the watch-dog.
It shows the Government has something to fear to curb the powers of the
commission.
If this regulation bill is ever passed in Parliament, then Papua New Guinea will experience more gross political abuses of power.
The end result will be the Ombudsman Commission becoming a mere 'paper tiger' with no powers to stop 'crooks' occupying public offices in future.

Reginald Renagi,
Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea

Bangkok's concrete buildings Are excellent heat accumulators The Nation, Wednesday 16 December 2009

People living in Arctic areas used to build a huge concrete construction around
the stove to store the heat from daytime cooking and heating for the cold night,
when the firewood burned out.
In very cold nights they even slept on the top of this concrete construction.
In super-hot Bangkok the same phenomena occur unintended because the city mainly consists of concrete buildings and asphalt roads which are excellent heat
accumulators.
How are you Bangkokians going to survive in the future?
You seem not to like parks and gardens that could moderate the local climate and bring some fresh air.
The only things that count seem to be collecting money by building huge
shopping centres on every available piece of land.
Instead of Siam Paragon and the other big moneymaking buildings in the area you could have created a fantastic 'Bangkok central park' as a green lounge in the central strolling area of the city.
This central park would have been wall in wall with Wat Pathum, a perfect combination for withdrawal from business, noise, heat and unhealthy car-polluted air. Sad for you and your descendants, you didn't grab the one-time
golden chance.
When I left Bangkok last winter there was some activity on the free land plot
next to Asoke Skytrain-station.
I was sure Bangkok City was in full swing to make a garden there, Asoke garden. Coming back now, I realised it was only another moneymaking concrete heat-storing machine.
Almost all tourists I meet say two days in Bangkok are more than enough because
of the environmental issues mentioned.
With an even hotter and more polluted Bangkok, one day will be more than enough.
Short time thinking could turn your shopping palaces to ghost temples, who
knows, with nowadays a prospective hotter future?
You have to change now.
What Bangkok needs most are parks and gardens, flowers and trees.
I think Bangkok City has to start to buy or even expropriate land to survive.
You could start with Nana garden.
There is a land plot close to the Skytrain-station and the garden could be a
park by adding the land of the neighbouring never-finished parking-house, by
tearing it down.

A. Johnsen,
Chon Buri,
Thailand

The Ampatuan warlords of Maguindanao Are political allies of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo The Philippine Inquirer, Tuesday 15 December 2009

The gruesome, inhuman and savage massacre of 57 people, including defenseless women, journalists and lawyers and their torture and violation before they were killed in cold blood in Maguindanao last November 23, are crimes neither heaven nor earth will forgive.
These bestial and barbaric deeds perpetrated by more than 100 savages and beasts in the private army of the powerful Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao, as widely reported in the press, are war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity punishable by death by musketry under military and international laws.
The Ampatuan warlords of Maguindanao are close political allies, cronies and collaborators of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the bogus President criminally holding office in Malacañang after stealing the 2004 presidential election with the generous help of the Ampatuan warlords who gave her more than a 200,000-dirty-vote lead over her opponent Fernando Poe Jr.
In return, Mrs. Arroyo’s Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police provided the Ampatuan warlords with arms and allowed them to keep a murderous private army and rule Maguindanao with iron and bloody fist, and to monopolize political power and corruption in the local, provincial and regional
governments of Maguindanao for the last nine years of Ms Arroyo’s illegitimate presidency, this according to Maritess Vitug of the independent Newsbreak in a TV interview on the massacre last November 24.
Thus, the wholesale massacre of innocent civilians, which is unparalleled in cruelty and bestiality in Philippine postwar history, can be laid on the doorstep of Malacañang, and the blood of 57 people crying to the heavens for justice are equally on the hands of Ms Arroyo and the evil and bloody clan of warlords in Maguindanao she coddled for evil political ends.
Aside from the immediate disarming of the barbarous private militia of the Ampatuan warlords; aside from the immediate arrests, summary trial, punishment and execution of the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre; aside from the removal from office of the Ampatuans and placing Maguindano province under direct emergency rule to be administered by an independent civilian local government backed by non-partisan and professional military and police forces,
we demand the immediate disarming of all warlords nationwide and the immediate resignation from office of Ms Arroyo as president for the bloody massacre under the principle of command responsibility, for wholesale violations of human rights under her watch, and for monstrous crimes and unparalleled corruption in office.

Joe Soliman,
President,
Kilusan sa Pagtatanggol ng Konstitusyon,
Karapatang Pantao at mga Kalayaang Sibil,
Malabon City,
Philippines

 

Pattaya music police On the beat The Nation, Monday 14 December 2009

The recent downturn of tourism in the Pattaya Beach/Chon Buri areas has seen
possibly the greatest outbreak of blatant official corruption in the long
history of tourism in Thailand.
Daily, we hear reports of visitors and resident expats being mercilessly gouged
by Pattaya police, the Pattaya City Council, local government officials and
local licensing departments.
Foreign bar owners are being 'fined' up to Bt50,000 by self-appointed 'music
police', who are nothing more than off-duty Pattaya and Bangkok police making up laws to suit their own wallets!
Recently one Jomtien bar owner was fined for playing "fast" rock 'n roll music
when, according to the 'officials', his licences (two) were "only for slow
music"!
The pathetic police threat to imprison his heavily pregnant wife late at night
meant the money was forthcoming before a lawyer could be contacted.
Motorcyclists being fined Bt200-Bt400 a time by Pattaya and Bang Lamung police - after a cursory examination of their transport finds nothing wrong and with all
documents correct - are fined, wait for it, for wearing a wrongly coloured crash
helmet! I jest not!
When one visitor complained bitterly about this blatant extortion and demanded
to be taken to the Pattaya Beach Road police station to speak with a senior
officer, the officer unbuttoned his pistol holster and asked if the motorcyclist
'wanted problems'.
No-smoking laws have moved smokers out of bars and onto footpaths with tables
and chairs blocking walkways, forcing pedestrian visitors to walk along the
roadways of Pattaya's narrow sois or suffer, at best, verbal assault by arrogant
bar patrons and/or staff.
Several visually impaired friends unable to walk on footpaths were virtual
prisoners in their hotel, leaving Pattaya early, vowing understandably never to
return. Physically handicapped visitors and residents are also forced onto
roadways as wheelchairs or walking frames cannot use the blocked footpaths.
So much for 'Pattaya - handicapped friendly city'.
The Bang Lamung licence department has stooped to a new scam with every bar
forced to pay Bt5,500 per unit for an 'electrical safety inspection certificate'
needed, according to officials, because of the Santika fire tragedy last New
Year's Eve.
They forget the cause of that fire was not electrical.
No bar owner I know is aware of any visits by electrical engineers or indeed are
aware if any of these 'safety certificates' have been issued.
Add to this already well-documented jet ski, car hire and baht-bus scams and one
sees the tourist image of Pattaya and all of Thailand rapidly being tarnished
beyond repair.
Not only has corruption killed the Pattaya goose that laid the golden egg, but
these people have rendered it asunder with many tourists and expats leaving,
never to return.
And so it goes on.
It's clearly apparent the burghers of Pattaya City Council are unable, or unwilling, to call a halt to this corruption, which permeates all levels of their bailiwick.
Now is the time for the central government to take action, start rebuilding
Pattaya's tourist image and stop this blatant theft while there are still
tourists around to be welcomed.

Son of Veritas,
Jomitien,
Thailand

The earth omits more carbon dioxide Than earthlings The Jakarta Post, Sunday 13 December 2009

The idea that mankind has some kind of ability to control the thermostat of the
world is just ludicrous.
There are so many factors controlling the temperature and a lot of them are poorly understood.
Ask an astronaut what they can see from orbit.
Apart from the lights during night time it is next to impossible to see any sign of human habitation on Earth.
The earth is much bigger than us!
It is arrogance of the highest order to think that we could influence the climate with CO2 emissions.
Our carbon-burning emissions are a fraction of what the earth emits naturally.
CO2 levels have been higher in the past when the planet was cooler, and they have been lower when the planet was warmer, how does that work?
If CO2 were such a dominant force in climate surely it could never be cool when
there is an abundance of it in the atmosphere.
This is just yet another disaster for people to 'solve' so they can 'save' something.
I don’t understand how some people just cannot live without an impending disaster in their lives.
And in Australia, the ridiculousness of the argument is most apparent.
The green movement opposes the building of nuclear power plants and dams. Nuclear and hydro are the two most efficient noncarbon energy sources, yet the green warriors don’t like them?
Give me a break, this is total rubbish. Google 'climategate' and see what’s not being debated.
Skeptics are forever being called 'deniers' and 'in the pay of big oil'.
But if you want to make money out of this I suggest you go for government
grants, big oil is paying bugger all.
Five hybrids and 1,200 limousines are in use at the Copenhagen conference.

Simon,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

 

Not only Indonesian maids Work in Malaysia The Jakarta Post, Saturday 12 December 2009

Indraswari's story titled 'A tale of Indonesian migrant workers,' in the Jakarta Post, November 28 is a familiar tale.
I have spoken with many people here in my apartment block.
Some come from Medan, others from Surabaya and Malang, and still others
from Lombok.
They all say they have to earn sufficient money for their families.
Needless to say, they wouldn't have to be here in Malaysia if they could find work back home.
They save every single ringgit they can to send back home.
I am glad to note that the ladies Indraswari met have been well treated by their
employers.
But I have always worried about those who come here illegally.
They are always open to exploitation from both sides: by the Indonesian fixers and
Malaysian agents and employers.
With the ban on further recruitment of maids from Indonesia, I fear there will
be a greater influx of illegal workers from Indonesia to Malaysia.
To give your readers a greater perspective, Indonesian workers are not here only as construction workers or housemaids.
They work on plantations, as fish and vegetable vendors in the traditional markets, as supermarket and store employees, as restaurant workers, taxi drivers, caddies and waitresses in golf clubs, owners and operators of small stores open 24 hours a day that sell anything from cigarettes to cooking oil and sugar mostly from Aceh, traditional medicine peddlers, owners of small construction companies, factory workers and of course students from well-to-do families.
So we are quite interdependent.
I hope Indraswari can expand her research wider to cover areas beyond the domestic servant sector.

Majeed,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

The Smits in Indonesia Deserve the Nobel Prize The Jakarta Post, Friday 11 December 2009

I would like to thank Julia Suryakusuma for her excellent article about Willie
Smits, even though the title 'Monkeying with the environment' in The Jakarta Post, November 2 was, in my opinion, inappropriate.
Willie Smits does not 'monkey' or 'monkey around' (fool around) with the environment.
On the contrary, Smits is seriously engaged in saving the environment.
It is high time this man, who deliberately gave up his own comfortable Dutch
nationality in order to do more for Indonesia, its environment and the Indonesian people, is given the acclaim he so justly deserves.
As someone who has been granted the honor to be befriended by Smits and his
brother Theo, I can truthfully say I have seldom met people with more integrity,
honesty and dedication in struggling to help fellow souls and save the
environment.
These gentlemen were born Dutch, and their total commitment to make a positive difference for the Minahasa, for Indonesian wildlife especially orangutans and animal species threatened with extinction and for Indonesia deserves the highest praise.
However, as an Indonesian, I must say I am deeply ashamed of the way our country has treated Smits.
Other, more enlightened countries would have greatly appreciated and heartily welcomed Smits at the time this benefactor of the world and nature decided to adopt their nationality.
Not so here in Indonesia.
From trustworthy sources (some of Smits' ex-employees, I don't know where they
are at present),
I received information that this man, whose noble intent was and is helping Indonesia, had to struggle for years and pay through the nose to obtain Indonesian nationality. And that was about five or six years ago.
Furthermore, in past years, many narrow-minded and corrupt officials of the
Indonesian government have repeatedly thwarted and even seriously damaged Smits' ceaseless efforts to save the Indonesian environment and its threatened animal species.
To save rare animal and bird species that were illegally caught,
traded, and kept, Smits established, at enormous cost, Animal Rescue and
Rehabilitation Centers for confiscated animals in several locations across the
country, among others in Cikananga, Sukabumi, and Gadog, Bogor.
These animals were later released back into the wild after recovering from their
stay with humans.
As far as I know, the Indonesian government, especially the Forestry Ministry, reneged upon its promise to financially support and maintain these centers - for reasons unknown.
I herewith fervently call upon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his newly
elected government to please do the right and honorable thing for Willie Smits
and all who so courageously and tirelessly assist him.
For if our Indonesia is indeed to be regarded as a great country with great people, we should properly honor and reward those outstanding souls who make a positive difference, and we must never ever take their praiseworthy deeds for granted!
For more than 25 years now, Willie Smits has dedicated his great effort, his
energy, his life to the saving of the Indonesian people and the Indonesian
environment - and we haven't even honored him with a Kalpataru Award.
Willie Smits and his loyal supporters are doing their utmost to save our
environment and our people.
He urgently needs assistance, especially from the open-minded, honest and dedicated people who, I believe, are still in our government.
It is my opinion as a grateful Indonesian that, for all Smits has done for the world and for the Indonesian environment and its people, he justly deserves the Nobel Prize.

Tami Koestomo,
Bogor,
West Java

Private armies Supervise Philippine elections Philippine Inquiries, Wednesday 10 December 2009

On behalf of all loving and God-fearing people from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, we condemn the people who committed the barbaric act of killing defenseless men and women, including journalists, in Maguindanao last November, 23.
This incident is a wake-up call to all concerned namely:
Malacañang as an appointing authority.
The military and the police for allowing themselves to be used by politicians and warlords who are close to Malacañang, just to protect their personal interests and their ranks.
The Commission on Elections for assigning partisan officers to those provinces.
Last Octobert. 20, 2009, during the registration of voters in one of the Sulu towns, a massacre could have happened if cooler heads had not intervened.
The witnesses swear in their affidavits that there was a private army of more than 100 men armed with mortars, bazookas and machine guns and M203s, led by a certain Hadji Peping Halun of Barangay Pitogo.
Reportedly, it was ordered by Rep. Munir Arbison to go to Barangay Karungdong to snatch the Comelec machine used for registration; they threatened to massacre all civilians about 80 men and women, if they insisted on continuing with the registration.
A case against the members of this private army is now pending in one of the local courts in Sulu.
Malacañang should move now and direct the military to investigate and verify this incident and to demand the surrender of all the firearms in the hands of private armies for permit and license verification, otherwise the authorities should confiscate them all.
The military can take the lead by inviting Halun for inquest.
Also according to reports, Representative Arbison’s armory is now as 'heavy' as the Ampatuans.’
The arrogance of Arbison and his outlaws is mind-boggling and causes sleepless nights among civilians in this part of the country.
Let us not wait for another massacre to happen or for a clan war to erupt in this part of Mindanao.
While there’s still time, Malacañang should order the military, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police to swiftly act on the problem, now, so people in these areas will not have to worry anymore about private armies on top of another barbaric group, the Abu Sayyaf.

Juan A Diaz,
Manila,
Philippines

In Indonesia The rich get richer and the poor get poorer The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 9 December 2009

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has said there would be another agenda behind International Anticorruption Day commemorations scheduled to be held in Jakarta on December 9.
All of this is SBY's own fault.
As a leader he was not decisive.
There are many examples.
The Lapindo mud claims have still not been completed even now.
Another example is how he handed the alleged criminalization of two KPK leaders, Bibit and Chandra.
SBY should not have needed to form the 'Team 8' to conduct his investigations. This was not legitimate because it had no legal basis.
SBY also did not need to implement the suggestions or recommendations proposed by the team.
The President has authorized law-enforcement agencies under the law, such as police, prosecutors, and courts.
Whatever the reason, the official agency is a legitimate presidential aide.
The case of Bibit and Chandra was stopped when it is being handled by the official institutions due to intervention by the President on recommendations from his inquiry team.
SBY's action has made the problem worse.
People are confused and the official law-enforcement agencies are also confused. Meanwhile there have also been legal warnings (somasi) from the legal profession, and so on.
The root of these problems comes from SBY himself.
Nothing extraordinary was done by SBY in his first term.
Indonesia's current economic situation has already gone too far toward a capitalist system marked by the existence of modern supermarkets, large and modern shopping malls and luxury skyscrapers.
Meanwhile, traditional markets, slum areas and the malnourished children are mushrooming and given less attention.
The rich get richer and the poor become poorer.
It is very ironic! People are not anti-establishment.
The system is no longer pro-poor and I believe it should be redirected onto the right track.
People are often fascinated by macroeconomic indicators - fast growth; strengthening of the rupiah against the dollar; increases in the composite index; increases in international reserves; and so on.
I believe macroeconomic indicators are meaningless for the people because they often do not affect their interests.
These indicators are useful only for the upper-middle class.
People want a simple and easy answer - affordable prices of basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education and health.

Notohadinegoro,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

The Green revolution Sweeps the globe The Jakarta Post, Tuesday 8 December 2009

The state of the modern materialistic psyche, a desire to see as much money made as soon as possible, regardless of the consequences to others, endeavors to maintain or create economic activity that may result in harm is still more likely to receive popular support than economic activity that is creative and sustainable.
As a nation, are we better off waiting for the world to act for our sake, or taking a proactive role in promoting change throughout the globe for the sake of humanity?
Can we stay out of this 'war' on climate change?
Is there anywhere to hide?
Can others be sacrificed in our place?
Should we leave it to other nations to 'defend' our interests?
Should we wait until there is greater evidence that we are being 'attacked,' or by then will it be too late?
Are developed nations safe from this 'contagion'?
Too many countries define nationhood in terms of being defenders of self-interest. Too few nations see themselves as the custodians of ideals, of cultural and spiritual riches of an intangible nature, as stewards of the soil, as promoters of the best interests of all humanity.
Are people who are unwilling to take responsibility for making the changes necessary for sustainable economies to be developed, willing to face the consequences of not taking action?
If people decide they are unwilling to meet the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas production, are they then willing to prepare for the potential consequences of climate change in all their manifestations?
Quite clearly, humanity needs to renegotiate its relationship with great nature if we are to be sustained by nature.
Without acknowledging the role of nature in producing not only the food, clean water, and air we rely on to live, but the moderate weather we rely on to be sheltered and sustained, without regarding nature with a greater sense of awe and respect, we run the risk of ruining life.
Changes are now under way that may be truly epochal.
Humankind is extracting non-renewable resources from the earth and sequestering in their place substances that will remain toxic to life on an almost geological scale.
Countries that want intelligent, spiritually and culturally rich economies that operate in harmony with nature are countries that are truly contributing to global harmony and well-being.
Nations that promote the kind of economic activity that enriches not only the pocket but the heart, mind and soul of citizens, as well as the soil, the sea, the air and the natural environment upon which they depend to survive, are countries truly worthy of financial investment able to achieve lasting growth.
In enlightened nations, each and every household and business contributes to generating electricity, via photovoltaic and other means, rather than merely relying on central polluting sources of power production.
The so-called green revolution sweeping the globe, potentially bringing richness to the lives of humans and the natural realm, can help ensure that, as populations grow and our supplies of non-renewable resources diminish, humankind can continue to live in harmony and security.

Bruce Terry,
Tasmania,
Australia

Indonesia realises that pollution is an urgent problem That's progress The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 7 December 2009

I endorse the complaint about pollution in Indonesia, as raised in the letter reprinted here on 6th December from the Jakarta Post.
Indonesia’s skies are not only hazy from insufficiently-controlled, motor-vehicle emissions, but also from the burning of forest; when some rainforest trees produce particularly toxic smoke.
The more forest that is destroyed by this generation; the greater will be the regret among those of future generations.
I think the writer is correct in identifying that education is the way forward.
That perhaps should include encouragement towards a better understanding of the psychology behind acts of littering.
Cleanliness, hygiene, and tidiness arise from a state of mind that is difficult to attain when the only precedent has been the contrary.
The target is even more distant because of widespread poverty that limits the application of such basic tools as - domestic hot-water; cleaning agents; and cleaning cloths for various specific purposes.
Diseases, such as dengue fever, typhoid, and cholera, which are associated with fouled water, still take their toll.
There is lack of practical concern about sewerage pollution of the sea; as well as of the fresh-water water-courses.
In that there is an apparent lack of consciousness about how contaminator pollutant can transfer to edible marine animals such as prawns.
Indeed, in general, because of its extra-cultural origin and maintenance, there appears to be a general lack of understanding about Pasteur-ethics of hygiene (‘the germ theory of disease’).
Despite that the informality of many public markets conveys charm in other ways, the hygiene in those venues often borders on the unacceptable; and once again, ultimately, the problem largely arises from poor economy.
These pollution problems are ‘picked up’ by almost every foreigner who visits Indonesia - unless they spend their whole time there in five-star hotels.
To me, the fact that this particular letter of complaint, now under review, is from an Indonesian person is an indication of progress.
The way forward will involve much hard labour; often under an exhausting climatic regime.
It will also require widespread dissemination of information and advice by local authorities and through the schools.
If that path is not taken, then both duration and quality of life of the Indonesian population will remain compromised.
A past, high birth-rate - without adequate provision for a future - has exacerbated the now-witnessed problem.
So, historically-recent population growth appears to have ‘taken the infrastructure by surprise’.
In the future, falling birth rates with a consequent aging population (hopefully gradual; not sudden), will tax Indonesia’s youthful work-force.
It will also lower spirit, which might jeopardise the immunity of individuals.
So it is necessary ‘to grasp the nettle’ and to confront this problem - sooner rather than later.

Raymond Groves

Indonesia is polluted With plastic bottles and plastic bags The Jakarta Post, Sunday 6 December 2009

As an Indonesian, I am concerned about the rising rates of land, water and air
pollution in our nation.
Our skies are being polluted with smoke from an increasing number of cars and
motorbikes.
The beautiful night skies are being distorted by the hazy clouds of
smoke from factories.
The rivers are being used for waste disposal.
Clear blue streams have turned murky with garbage.
Our land is filled with either plastic bottles or plastic bags.
Indonesia is a country of immense natural beauty, but unsightly pollution
is having an intolerable effect on nature.
A change of government has not changed the situation.
Some organizations have made efforts top put up roadside posters and campaign to educate the public to keep their surroundings clean.
Unfortunately, these actions have not led to significant improvement.
Moreover, the situation has turned into a crisis here in Indonesia.
The people might not realize it, but right now Mother Nature is in peril!
The disastrous consequences of pollution have been affecting the human beings.
Clean drinking water is scarce, the air has become toxic, and if the situation
continues in some countries, gas masks must be worn in order to stop individuals
from choking to death.
Furthermore, emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
retains heat.
People in Indonesia must have realized by now that the rainy month
of October has turned into the worst summer one could ever go through.
The roads will be invariably lined with tons of garbage as landfills fill up again! These are not exaggerated, they are the cold hard truth.
To prevent our lives and the lives of succeeding generations from falling into a
pit of complete darkness, preventive action must be taken now!
More public transport should be used in order to reduce the amount of cars on the roads.
The streets should be kept clean to provide ourselves with a clean and healthy
environment to live in.
The deviant act of littering must be banned.
Fines should be imposed for such crimes.
Some might think these new rules are cruel and will cause discomfort to our daily activities.
This is not the attitude that we should develop, even though it might be hard at
the beginning; as the days pass these actions will become a way of life.
Many countries have already taken these actions and have benefited hugely.
One must not just keep rambling on about these problems here in Indonesia.
The silence must be broken and the voices must be heard.
A ray of hope is always present in everyone's hearts and when these little beams of light are joined together, the whole nation can be lit up in a blinding glow.
Here I end my argument and I am sure it will be picked up by many others.
Whatever troubles we might have gone through or will face, our destiny is one
and only one: one green planet.

Prasanna Lakshmi,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Philippines population control study Ignores family planning in Marcos constitution Philippine Inquirer, Saturday 5 December 2009

By citing the study of a population-control organization, purportedly showing the Philippines lagging behind Thailand and blaming the former’s non-adoption of population control, Manuel F. Almario 'Study reveals why RP lags behind neighbors,' in Philippine Inquirer, 10 November 2009 is merely like the junketing birth-control advocates who parrot what they have been fed in the West, which financed their junketing.
Almario fails to apply a critical historical lens to the study; he even forgets the Philippines’ own history.
The study reportedly said that because the Philippines did not adopt population control, “by 1975, even their incomes Thailand’s and RP’s, were about even, despite the fact that a quarter of a century before that, the Philippines’ per capita income was just slightly lower than Japan’s.”
The study does not mention—and Almario seems to forget—that in 1975,
the Philippines already had the 1973 Marcos Constitution that enshrined family planning, probably the only charter in the world that had made fertility control a state policy.
From martial law up to the end of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the Philippines was implementing a draconian population control law that freely distributed condoms and abortifacients, ligated women and vasectomized men, most of them poor.
What happened?
Did the Philippine economy improve?
No.
The Philippines slumped to what the study calls 'sick man in the region.'
What caused the collapse and the spiral of poverty?
Not 'overpopulation' because it had supposedly been checked by birth
control, but by wrong policy planning, gross mismanagement and widespread corruption.
Family planning itself was an instance of all three.
It is ironic that the Philippine Congress now wants to pass the so-called Reproductive Health bill, which is nothing but a resurrection of the “Marcosian” birth-control policy.
What the study and Almario overlook is the dark side of Thailand’s safe-sex program.
Boasting 100-percent condom use by its citizens, Thailand has become the leading HIV-AIDS sufferer in the region: nearly half a million Thais or more than one-in-100 adults in that country of 65 million people are infected with HIV-AIDS.
The statistic does not include the more than half a million who have died.
But still the population-control and safe-sex establishment calls it a model of AIDS prevention!
In the Philippines meanwhile, with various statistics putting condom use at very low rates from 10 percent to 37 percent, the HIV population is at 3,400 out of
what population-control extremists call as an 'overpopulation' of 89 million!
Now why should Thailand be foisted as a model on the Philippines?
Who’s really the “sick man in the region”: 'overpopulated' Philippines or condom-crazy and HIV-afflicted Thailand?

Levine Lao,
Manila
Philippines

The Maguindanao massacre Is linked to the election The Philippine Inquirer, Friday 4 Dec 2009

The Maguindanao massacre has marred the filing of the certificate of candidacy of the one person who wants to challenge the rule of the Ampatuans in Maguindanao.
This heinous incident recalls how election returns from this province gave an administration senatorial candidate a dubious victory in the 2004 senatorial elections.
This outbreak of election-related violence cannot but remind us that there are incumbents who will stop at nothing to retain power because losing their positions may lead to court cases and too many know how guilty they are that they cannot risk leaving office.
Such are the depths to which our democracy and society have plunged.
What makes these mass murders even more troubling is that the Philippine National Police in Maguindanao could not be reached by both the victims’ relatives and Metro Manila media.
Logic leads to suspicions that the Philippine National Police is either part of a cover-up if not part of the crime itself.
But even worse, what if the Maguindanao situation is not really an isolated case? Already, there are persistent rumors of possible failure of election and even more disturbing scenarios and moves by a government agency asking Comelec to allow jail inmates to vote.
This could too easily lead to more 'Hello Garci' opportunities to ensure victory for candidates friendly to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The Maguindanao carnage should be a wake-up call.
Government officials must do all they can to keep everyone safe.
All presidential aspirants should disabuse themselves of their delusions that they are sure to win; they should bear in mind that the untried automated elections cannot be honest and free because such elections run counter to the nature of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her interest to remain in power at all costs.
Let us pray that those who ignore this Maguindanao warning will not have to pay as high a price for naïvete and optimism.
Let us further pray that Filipinos realize that the 2010 elections will not solve
hunger, poverty and corruption.
Only a true revolution can do that.

Jose Osias,
Manila,
Philippines

Ships are the world's biggest Carbon dioxide polluters The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 3 December 2009

The Australian Rudd Government seems to be putting much blame for carbon dioxide pollution on the farming community.
Cows, sheep and horses are being blamed for 60 percent of carbon dioxide pollution.
This is a political ploy.
I must point out that there are other facts that the general public,
federal government members of parliament and world leaders need to take notice of:
The worlds shipping uses between 350-410 million tons of hard fuel each year, which equates to 1.2 Billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is nearly double United Kingdom total emissions and more than all the African countries combined.
1 large container ship pollutes as much as 50 million cars or 5 ships are equal to all the cars in the world.
There are some 90.000 ship's in the world.
Planes are just as bad as ship's putting 900 million tonnes of pollution into the atmosphere.
I believe the 'blame game' should start with the facts and not looking to tax the communities of Australia.
Shipping company's of the world have no regulations concerning carbon dioxide emissions.
Profits are more important than people's health.

In His Service,
Pastor Lawrence (Lofty) Shave,
Perth,
Western Australia

I'm dreaming Of a Thai Christmas The Nation, Thursday 3 December 2009

Here's why Bangkok shouldn't be filled with the sounds of tinny Christmas music:
Thailand is a Buddhist country, not a Christian one.
Buddhism is a beautiful and humane religion, and to pay homage to Jesus Christ in every Bangkok shopping mall is an insult to the Thai people.

Stan Sesser,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The whole world should unite To condemn Philippine massacre The Philippine Inquirer, Wednesday 2 December 2009

As a lawyer myself, I grieve for the two lady lawyers, Concepcion 'Connie' Brizuela, 56, and Cynthia Oquendo, 35, who were among the 57 victims as of press time of the November 23 Maguindanao massacre.
Also killed were around 30 media practitioners.
The rest of the victims belonged to the political camp of Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu of Buluan town, who is running for governor to challenge the Ampatuan political dynasty in Maguindanao, or were mere passers-by who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Ampatuans are affiliated with the political party of President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Independent-minded and courageous, the two lady lawyers were advocates of alternative lawyering and human rights.
They were also active pro bono officers of the Union of People’s Lawyers in
Mindanao (UPLM), a local voluntary bar association known for its public interest advocacy.
When a republican country, as the Philippines is, directly or indirectly abets the killing of lawyers and journalists for selfish political or economic reasons, its much-cherished democratic system is doomed.
A civil war is not farfetched.
The Maguindanao massacre will go down in the history of international media as the worst ever killing of journalists in one incident.
These past days, it has been occupying the front pages and the headlines of major dailies and television channels all over the world. It is one of the worst black eyes on the battered face of Philippine democracy today, negating whatever positive points Manny Pacquiao and Efren Peñaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year, recently
earned for our country.
The United Nations, the European Union and world media organizations have issued very strong statements condemning the Maguindanao massacre.
Indeed, the whole world should unite to condemn the massacre, to teach a lesson to our useless and corrupt Filipino political leaders and to our top military and police officers, by exposing them to global humiliation.
Humiliation is the best way to teach thieves and pirates, disguised as public officials in expensive coats or in shining military uniforms, decent conduct.

Manuel J. Laserna. Jr.,
Manila,
Philippines

Singapore Is the third least corrupt country in the world The Nation, Tuesday 1 December 2009

I noticed recently that Thailand has slipped to 84th place in the worldwide
graft index, but that fellow Asean member Singapore was ranked 3rd in the world
and was the cleanest country in Asia.
Whilst the position of Thailand and that of Singapore as the cleanest country in
Asia was to be expected, the fact that Singapore is ranked 3rd in the world
struck me as somewhat surreal.
One of the main precursors for an open and incorrupt society, as I understand
it, is a strong, independent and free press that is not afraid to undertake
investigative journalism to expose wrongdoers so that they can be prosecuted and
tried in fair and unbiased courts.
Singapore's press, however, is ranked 133 on a world scale of 175 for freedom,
languishing beneath such paragons of virtue as Bangladesh, the Central African
Republic, Cambodia and Nicaragua.
Given this fact, it is worrying that the Singaporean ruling family, the Lees,
have won yet another big court settlement and that the target of their latest
defamation suit was the well known and respected Far Eastern Economic Review,
owned by the highly responsible Dow Jones & Co, which wrote an article on Chee Soon Juan, an opposition party leader.
Where those who are the first line of defence in the fight against corruption
are bound and gagged and live in constant fear of law suits on a whim, I doubt
we are seeing anything that equates to a full and clear picture of the 'cleanliness'
of Singapore.

John Symons,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Corruption in Papua New Guinea Public enemy number one The National, Monday 30 November 2009

The investigation into alleged misappropriation of public money by former East
Sepik provincial administrator must be taken seriously.
I believe that greed and tribal pressure have transformed our people at higher
offices causing them to resort to corruption and stealing public funds.
This system is rife throughout the country and ESP is no exception.
Sepiks have an influential role in the running of this beautiful nation for the
last 34 years but we have nothing tangible to show despite the fact that the
first prime minister is a Sepik.
We are well known for our petty politics and systematic looting of public money
by our so-called leaders and high profile public servants.
Upon visiting my village at Imbongs in 2005, I was shocked by the health and
well-being of my people.
Their lifestyle had deteriorated to a level where the people are now dying from
preventable disease such as malaria, TB and diarrhoea.
The health centre at Angoram had deteriorated and I dare not imagine what it is
like today.
What I saw at Angoram was reflected in other districts and I dare to say
throughout the country.
Unless we change our attitude and treat corruption as public enemy number one
and get rid of it, everyone will continue to suffer except for the rich and privilege.
The National must continue to report the ongoing investigation until justice has
been delivered.

Pondo Qupan,
Kyushu,
Japan

The Maguindanao massacre A wake-up call for Filipinos The Philippine Inquirer, Sunday 29 Novemeber 2009

Just as the classic Greek tragedies provided some catharsis, the Maguindanao massacre may be doing the same for the Filipino nation.
The contemptible mass killing is the rock bottom to which the once “showcase of democracy in Asia” has sunk in infamy, but it may yet restore our spirit as a nation and enable our people to start anew.
After being buffeted by the strong and shameful condemnations from the United Nations, European Commission, civilized governments, human rights groups and national/international media, the Filipino nation may finally rise to the challenge of change.
That change should involve the purging of the following: the “old guards” from our political arena to give way to a younger, more idealistic breed of leaders; the private armies of the political warlords; the para-military units like the Cafgus (keep the constitutional responsibility of maintaining peace and order to the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines); those against any constitutional reform.
We need to cultivate and mold new, progressive values and attitudes among the Filipino youth and voters.
The Maguindanao massacre is a strong wake-up call to all sober-thinking Filipinos that there should be change in our present form of government, which has tolerated, nurtured and coddled incompetence, misgovernance, abuse of power, and even mass murders of innocent civilians, media men and would-be political candidates.
This seems to be the right, sensible, logical and opportune time for a change in the structure of our government—from the presidential to parliamentary.
This will definitely afford us all the opportunity to start the “cleansing process” needed by the country to recover from this national tragedy and embarrassment. Piecemeal and cosmetic changes are no longer acceptable.

Fructuoso Suzara,
Executive director,
Social Policy Advocacy,
Quezon City,
Philippines

 

Communist Party of Malaya general secretary, Chin Peng Not forgiven or forgotten The Star, Saturday 28 November 2009

It is surprising that there are still debates on allowing Chin Peng to come back
to Malaysia.
For the Government to be still mulling over this issue, when there are more urgent and pressing matters to be solved, is a sheer waste of time.
The prevalent argument seems to be to “forgive and forget”.
While this is a good trait to have in normal circumstances, some issues are sensitive and involve other factors that need deep consideration.
First and foremost, we must honour those who fought for our country.
There are still many of them who survive to this day, and the least we can do is not open old wounds.
It would be blatant disrespect to those who sacrificed their lives for the country fighting the communists led by Chin Peng.
Putting this one individual above the memories of our heroes and their deeds is
absolutely unpatriotic.
Secondly, Chin Peng is an individual.
The argument to forgive and forget would be more plausible if the case was against a particular group or race.
Yes, it is true that the Ameri­cans are now friendly with Germans.
But were Hitler to survive, what are the chances of him visiting California for some fun on the beach?
Finally, what is so worthwhile about this individual to warrant such sympathy?
What value would he bring back to Malaysia?
Let sleeping dogs lie, as they say.
And in the case of Chin Peng, he can lie and sleep anywhere he wants, except here in Malaysia, until the end of his days.

Nik Shazwan Nik Azam,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Indonesia's deforestation Justified under inherited Dutch land laws The Jakarta Post, Friday 27 November 2009

I would like to comment on a news report titled "IFC The International Finance Corporation offers loans to reforest degraded land", in The Jakarta Post, November 17.
Much of the territory making up modern Indonesia was a Dutch colony for
over 350 years, until it became independent in 1945.
As a small country, the Netherlands could only send out a relatively small Dutch
contingent to its colonial administration service.
In order to manage the huge territory the Dutch empire relied instead on a system of alliances with local political entities, usually governed by customs.
Pragmatism therefore compelled the Dutch empire to partially acknowledge
customary law for political convenience.
However, during the nineteenth century Dutch planters began to establish large plantations tobacco and other crops on fertile Sumatran soils.
To facilitate plantation expansion the colonial government passed the 1870 Agrarian Law which allowed the colonial government to provide planters with land leases for up to 75 years.
The law included a Domain Declaration (Domeinverklaring), which stated that all
land not under clear ownership was considered State land. Communities' rights
over land were not recognized as these were based on customary law which was not recognized as proof of ownership in Dutch law.
Under the customary system of land ownership, rights to fallow land and
secondary forests were retained by whoever had first cleared the land.
The Domain Declaration led to the establishment of 2.5 million hectares of
plantations in the Dutch East Indies by 1938, and resulted in farmers who had
owned land becoming landless laborers akin to serfs.
Plantation contracts issued under the 1870 law authorized planters to clear "empty land" in order to set up plantations.
Contracts established in 1877 and 1878 stated that concessionaires should be granted a specified amount of "wasteland" (woeste grond).
The terms "empty land" and "wasteland" referred to those areas which communities considered to be their uncultivated common lands.
In this manner, the 1870 law led to fallow and common land being considered state land.
After it became independent, Indonesia inherited the doctrine of state control over "wasteland" from its former colonial rulers.
To this day, the concepts of "wasteland", "degraded land" and "empty land" are used to justify plantation expansion.
For example, the Dutch Federation of Oils, Fats and Margarines stated in 2004 that "in Indonesia over 10 million ha of land is lying waste, much of which is suitable for palm oil expansion. Hence there is no need to convert forest."
The operations manager of a major plantation company told a Friends of the Earth
campaigner in 2006 that their interest was only in converting "degraded land".
In short, the term "degraded" is synonymous with idle, marginal, unproductive,
empty or wasted, and is derived from the similar colonial concept and model.

Norman Jiwan,
Bogor,
West Java,
Indonesia

Predicted ‘1000 year storms’ Are happening now The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 26 Nov 2009

This letter reacts to the present severe Atlantic storm.
Right now there are severe gale warnings (force 8 to 10) in place for every sea-area around the United Kingdom.
This is no one-day storm for it has unusually persisted for over two weeks, and locally expresses with gusts approaching 100 mph.
Subjective experience widens to global proportions upon reading reports of severe weather of one sort or another worldwide, including of the prolonged drought in Australia and the high incidence of destructive typhoons from every continent.
On the Internet, from all over the world, ‘1000-year storms’ are being predicted and described.
This oft-quoted ‘1000-year’ period is not derived directly from weather records; which only began historically recently; but, from other evidence and considerations, such as from proxy data and statistical projections from weather patterns.
The current Atlantic storm was predicted two months ago and is related to the expected, natural, 1000-year (actually 934-year), solar-flare maximum; one of the claimed causes of global-warming.
Some are saying that, after a decade or two, the present phase of abnormally severe weather events will ameliorate as the 1000-year solar-flare maximum slips into History.
But others, who regard carbon emissions as damaging to the environment, claim that idea; optimistically based on historically outmoded data; does not take into account the anthropomorphic, greenhouse-gas contribution to global-warming.
If the second view is correct, global weather will steadily and continuously deteriorate for all time.
These weather events are occurring earlier and to a greater extreme than had generally been expected – by any stirred into believing in global warming in the first place.
Some authorities have taken commendable steps to prepare – such as by reinforcing sea defences.
Nevertheless, during the past week, run-off, from the heaviest rain falling on the English Lake District since records began, has swept away seven well-constructed road bridges and immersed significant settlements under almost 3 metres of floodwater, leaving a trail of destruction with tragic loss of life.

Raymond Groves

Call for halt to Proposed Thai dam projects Bangkok Post, Wednesday 25 Nov 2009

Within one month, two massive dam projects have been reported by the Bangkok
Post.
On October 28 the paper reported the Huay Samong dam, worth 8.3 billion baht,
has already been approved by the present government.
According to the article, the planned dam in the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage Site will flood thousands of rai, including fertile forest in Thap Lan and Pang Sida national parks. Environmentalists fear the dam will destroy the local ecosystem.
The Royal Irrigation Department, and certainly behind-the-scenes local
politicians, are pushing this lame-brain scheme to provide water to the lowland
people at the expense of Thailand's wilderness that has evolved over millions of
years.
On Nov 17, another story was published about another dam project worth 9 billion
baht that is also being pushed by the same department and probably other local
politicians in Mae Wong National Park in the West.
If it goes through, this dam will again destroy hundreds of thousands of trees and animals in its wake.
This is an important buffer zone to Huai Kha Khaeng, another World Heritage Site.
There are many other protected areas in Thailand, Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary
in Chaiyaphum province among them, that are being eye-balled for dam
construction by greedy selfish people who don't give a damn about the Kingdom's
natural heritage.
It is without doubt that these so-called mega-projects are the worst form of
corruption, as some stand to make big money if and when these dams go through.
All the felled trees go to someone in the logging business, and the reservoirs
will open up the wilderness to so-called ''community forest use'', which will be
a disaster with the greatest consequences.
Conservationists need to band together, like they did on Egat's Nam Choan dam
project in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary back in the 1980s, and stop
these dam projects.
The death and destruction of the nation's natural forests cannot be justified.
It needs to stop now.

Damn Frustrated
Bangkok
Thailand

United Nations Quiet about West Papua The National, Tuesday 24 November 2009

Since 1969, some West Papuans treated the “Act of Free Choice as an Act of No Choice” and decided to “vote with their feet”.
This has forced West Papuans to scatter throughout Papau New Guinea and other Melanesian countries.
We are now seeing a bilateral approach between the Indonesian government and
ours to repatriate the West Papuans.
Prior to that, we have seen how harshly Papua New Guineans have treated our
landless Melanesian brothers and sisters, forcing them to turn to the UNHCR.
To date, we do not know what has become of these people.
Maybe they are in the first batch of West Papuans to be repatriated.
While the people and churches may share similar sentiments with the West
Papuans, our prime minister has given his undertaking to his counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Singapore recently that he will make it his business to ensure West Papuans are repatriated.
This undertaking leaves Papua New Guinea with little choice in our dealings with West Papuans.
This gives a perception that West Papuans are illegals.
However, we also see three of our politicians – Powes Parkop, Jamie
Maxtone-Graham and Boka Kondra – joining hands with other friends and supporters of West Papuans to bring the issue to the attention of the United Nations to relook into the Act of Free Choice it sanctioned 40 years ago.
I am of the opinion that this is the way forward as Indonesia will comply with
any decision on the future of West Papuans that comes from the UN.
As long as UN is quiet on West Papuan issue, the Melanesians will continue to
witness gross human rights violations which will lead to total eradication of a
Melanesian race.

Bomai Witne,
Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea

 

Indonesia's narrow mindedness About the film 2012 The Jakarta Post, Monday 23 Nov 2009

The number 2012 is becoming more and more popular these days.
Most of us know the book, the rumors, and now the movie.
From the first day it was played in cinemas, people were packed and willing to wait in long queues to get tickets.
We've heard that some Muslim organizations plan to ban this movie.
They said it was a bad, cruel, unrealistic movie and could give panic attacks to those who watch it.
Really, what's wrong with them?
Didn't they say it's unrealistic?
Yes, it is unrealistic, it's only a movie, it's fiction.
People only watch it for fun!
What about the horror or thriller movies in cinemas with blood spraying all over the place and people cutting each other limbs off, aren't they worse?
All my foreigner friends laughed when they heard about the ban.
They think it's funny how a movie can cause such fear.
This is really embarrassing: how a great country like Indonesia still has such narrow-minded religious leaders.
We are religious people who believe in God and His plans for us are beautiful.
So let's not make a fiction a big deal.
We all know this movie's another Hollywood box office blockbuster that
entertains audiences with great special effects, amazing stereo sound, and a
nice plot.
I'll go see it this evening.

Yenny V.
Bogor,
West Java

The serpents of Wall Street Subvert foreign policy of host nations The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 22 November 2009

Throughout 'the west' there resides a well worn maxim that " the enemies one makes on the way up ( the ladder of success) one, invariably, meets on the way down".
That is, of course, a popular romantic concept that 'poetic justice' does, indeed, function within an unbiased, unfettered, framework of contemporary democracy as we suffer it today.
But, a more glaring example of a case in desperate need of exposure, exploration and (even) extinction is the 'Hydra' serpent of Wall Street viz the callous -collossus -of -cash Goldman Sachs and its' treacherous fellow travellers.
Consisting of an unelected commercial/political/religious structure, its' financial powers have infiltrated the highest echelons of government subjecting (and subverting) foreign policy of host nations to the iron will of a relatively few omnipotent olygarchs.
Reliable research reveals the complete capture of the US White House administration and ancilliary executive by the highly skilled, cold blooded, and motivated Zionist (Israel) lobby deviously manouvreing to relieve the American public - and many others - of their wealth, resources, and national independence.
( See: Meet Mr Goldman Sachs
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and.../article6907681.ece ).
So, the vital question that now presents itself is : "Are we to maintain our placid acceptance of the aggregating greed of international Zionist bankers who periodically and perniciously deliver us recession, dispossession, depression - and choreographed wars"?
Indeed, has our national identity and authority already been irreparably diluted?
Do we really enjoy the promised calibre of political representation "of, by, for the people"?
I suggest that close scrutiny will provide room for serious doubt.

Harry A. Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia.

 

Hopefully the Whistleblower Act Will reduce corruption in Malaysia The Star 21 November 2009

Malaysia went down to the 56th position out of 180 countries surveyed in
Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from its
47th position in 2008.
The sharp fall is indeed disturbing, especially now since we are moving towards
a high-income country and about to launch our new economic model.
Even more depressing is the fact that on a scale of 10 points, our CPI score
fell from 5.1 points last year to 4.5 this year.
Among the Asean countries, Singapore was ranked third with 9.2 points, while
Brunei was 39th with 5.5 points.
Malaysia’s only consolation is that it was ranked ahead of other Asean countries
such as Thai­land 84th, 3.4 point, Indonesia 111th, 2.8 points, Vietnam
120th, 2.7 points, the Philippines 139th, 2.4 points, Cambodia 158th, 2.0
points, Laos 158th, 2.0 points and Myanmar 178th, 1.4 points,
Despite the setting up of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the
Integrity Institute of Malaysia, we still performed dismally.
Some soul-searching has to be done by the Government to ascertain the reason for this low ranking.
Perhaps the reason for our poor ranking can be attributed to the lackadaisical
attitude we adopted to some high-profile cases involving corrupt practices and
abuse of power.
Another reason could be the yearly recurrence of wastage, blatant fraud and
dishonesty as underlined in the Auditor-General’s Report every year.
Malaysia needs to work hard at improving its ranking, failing which the country
will be perceived in a negative light by the international business community,
and this would be detrimental to the inflow of foreign direct investments into
the country.
Corruption involves two parties – a giver and a taker.
However, most of the time, only one party is prosecuted. Perhaps it is time to amend the law to prosecute both parties.
Hopefully, when the Whistleblowers’ Act is passed and implemented, it will
reduce the level of corruption and consequently improve our ranking.

James Gonzales,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Will landslide report Be censored under Official Secrets Act? The Star, Friday 20 November 2009

The report that the Federal Government has put a gag order on the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) or the Public Works Department report on the Bukit Antara­bangsa landslide, Gag order on Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report in The Star, November 18 will not only distress residents in the area affected by the landslide, but will also be viewed with consternation by all sound-minded citizens of the country.
Why was the gag order issued?
If a government is fully transparent, its citizens must be informed of anything that affects their lives, be it good or bad, as hiding facts will only breed negative rumours.
In this instance, will the landslide report be detrimental to the nation, and
thus has to be protected under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) ?
If the report reveals that some parties have been negligent, why should those parties be protected?
It seems to me that we still cannot trust the Government to tell the truth. We
still have a government in denial, telling everyone that things are fine and,
like this case, sweeping problems under the carpet.
Changes must start from the top, if we are to change at all.

Tam Yeng Siang,
Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia

 

Uncertainty either way From earthquake prediction The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 18 November 2009

Two letters here led to a tentative prediction based on a hypothesis of connection between Antarctic-Rift and Tropical-Subduction earthquakes.
The first letter on 5th October -‘Thoughts about the latest Padang earthquake’, was a response to the widely publicized, destructive, high-magnitude earthquake near Padang, Sumatra on 29th September 2009.
With the support of other evidence, the letter proposed that a polar quake might be practically applied to predict time-and-location for a closely-subsequent, and consequent, more-equatorial event.
Related to the previous letter, the second letter on 8th November- ‘Will earthquake warning be regarded as ‘crying wolf’?’, was written soon after an M6.0 event near Macquarie Island on 5th November.
Based on the developing hypothesis, the second letter posed an actual tentative prediction - that within one week of that Macquarie Island event on 5th November, there might be a significant earthquake near Padang.
Although on 10th November there was a low-magnitude (M4.8) event near the Mentawai Islands (closely off-shore from Padang), since 5th November no significant earthquake has expressed near Padang.
From that one might too easily conclude that the prediction was shakily based. However, within seven days of the 5th November Macquarie Island event, only three earthquakes equal to or greater than M6.0 were recorded globally. In outline, they were:
8th November; Sumbawa; M6.6:
9th November; Fiji; M7.2:
10th November; Nicobar Islands; M6.0 :
I point out that all three of them were located along the tectonic boundary(ies) directly geographically-linking Macquarie Island with Sumatra and north from there.
So, although the prediction was not fulfilled precisely, it has confirmed a most probable connection between events on or near Macquarie Island and subsequent significant seismic activity along that specific, global, tectonic pathway.
Although some may too-easily regard the precise prediction as having ‘cried wolf’, to the more thoughtful and sensible, subsequent events may in fact have demonstrated that the principle behind the prediction does carry significant truth; and with more refinement that principle could lead to the development of a useful precognitive tool.

Raymond Groves

Women don't wear the pants In Aceh The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 18 November 2009

Having lived in countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, I support sharia law if
it is imposed without discrimination.
In Saudi Arabia, a princess was executed together with her lover in the early
70s. In this country there is no discrimination as far as sharia law is concerned.
Will Indonesia do the same?
The hand of a thief is chopped off if caught in the act of stealing.
Drunks get 80 lashes or are liable to pay a high fine.
Adulterers, rapists, murderers and corruptors are beheaded.
Hooray if this law is implemented all over Indonesia.
More than half of the Attorney General Office officials and police force will face beheading and officials at provincial level will face the same.
Indonesia will face a cleanup at central and provincial levels at all government
institutions.
Would this not be great?
In Saudi Arabia, women have the right to study and I have visited the King Saud University (for men), where women were allowed to follow lectures in the dentistry faculty.
There are banks managed and run by women, especially for women in Riyadh.
Women do have rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and soon the government will pass a law allowing women to work in government institutions - maybe they have done so already.
So, why is Aceh being so discriminative against women?
Why can't women wear pants?
Certainly, this is more decent than a mini-skirt?
The provincial government in Aceh should focus on rebuilding, educating and strengthening its people regardless of gender.
They are lagging behind the rest of Indonesia and should catch up.
Besides that, we already have constitutional law as well as common law (hukum adat).
Sharia law is not necessary; we are a multicultural and multiethnic nation.
Mahfud MD, chairman of the Constitutional Court, stated upon his election that
the Constitutional Court would remain independent from outside influences.
He also lashed out at regional administrations for enacting sharia-inspired bylaws.
The court has played an important role in transforming the law in Indonesia by
helping in the process of democratic transformation.
Please Mahfud, what are you going to do about plots to incriminate the two suspended KPK deputy leaders Bibit and Chandra?
And now Antasari Azhar is facing the same.
Are you going to try to stop the destruction of the KPK?
Did not you state that the most important role of the Constitutional Court is to ensure that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land?
Did you not state that the arrest by the police of the two suspended KPK leaders
will impact and harm the country's democratic development?
So what are you going to do about all this?
The public awaits your final recourse.

Lynna van der Zee-Oehmke,
Bogor,
West Java

Last ride on the trishaw for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation member countries The Nation, Tuesday 17 November 2009

The recent setting-up of the Asean Inter-government Commission for Human Rights does not give me much hope after seeing on television all the leaders at the
Apec meeting in Singapore being transported by trishaws driven by human power.
The organiser must think it is cute but I feel disgusted seeing one man using
his pure stamina to transport another man to a destination.
It may be a novelty for tourists but bad taste for Apec's leaders who had to appear via the news of CNN and BBC.
Many in the Western world still believe that we still live on trees and those
trishaw rides could support their erroneous conception.

Songdej Praditmanont,
Bangkok,
Thailand

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Should thank the Corruption Eradication Commission KPK The Jakarta Post, Monday 16 November 2009

If I were a corrupt official, of course I would want the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to die.
If the KPK institutionally cannot be "killed", I would try, at the minimum, to weaken its power and damage its reputation.
Losing the public trust will make the KPK equal to a toothless tiger because trust is its lethal weapon.
As the public desperately hopes for the KPK to crush the chronic corruption in this country, the KPK has been expected to be an angel who can do no wrong.
The KPK has been becoming a frightening specter that constantly haunts those who are corrupt.
This is a very serious menace that ensures that the rats (read: corruptors) never sleep in their nest peacefully.
The superpower body has been successfully throwing corrupt officials in jail since the body formed.
However, the success has not been without consequences.
The more corrupt officials that are sent to jail, the more enemies the KPK creates, because corrupt officials in Indonesia are countless.
All of those, of course, expect the KPK to die.
In opposite, the KPK has become a superhero for those who revolt against corruption, because the long-running practice has damaged the Indonesian country both economically and morally.
We saw transparently the so-called morality of high-ranking government officials, the lawmakers and the law enforcers who were meant to uphold the law and justice.
When money can buy everything, law is absolutely nothing.
We saw the decay of morality through the wiretapped conversation between someone suspected to be Anggodo Widjojo, the brother of fugitive Anggoro Widjojo, and several high-ranking officials that were publicly revealed in the Constitutional Court (MK).
In the hearing, obviously the law was in Anggodo's hands.
He was seen as more powerful than those who supposedly upheld the law.
He made all arrangements and the officials nodded.
That horrific scene was nakedly and publicly published.
I am hoping it wasn't true.
I am hoping the scene was just a soap opera or a mafia movie.
Suppose the wiretapped conversation was authentic; that it was Anggodo who easily orchestrated the music and asked the elite figures to perform this dirty dancing?
The criminal's relative conspired with brokers and the law enforcers to criminalize anti-graft fighters Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.
This is a country where we live, where money is power.
The corrupt officials let themselves be slaves to serve those who pay.
Is it obvious that money is the root of evil?
No, but loving money is.
It is okay to charge Bibit and Chandra with abuse of power and bribery.
Let's give the police the opportunity to prove it.
But the more important thing is, whether Bibit and Chandra are innocent or guilty as accused by the police, that the goal to eradicate corruption is in danger after a series of attempts to damage public trust in the KPK.
Indeed, the perfect way to shoot enemies is by using their own bullets.
So the perfect way to shoot corruption fighters is by corruption allegations, too. I am grateful for the massive support that has been shown by the public to save the KPK, regardless of whether Bibit and Chandra are guilty or not.
Some people have joined street demonstrations, some others have expressed their protest with hunger strikes, and others have given support via internet campaigns. As of today, the number of Facebookers who have committed to stand by Bibit and Chandra has almost reached 1 million as targeted by the initiator.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) should thank the KPK and stand on as the vanguard to save the KPK, because one of key reasons people revoted for him was his corruption-eradicating efforts.
People expect SBY to show the same commitment today.
Money can buy the law, but not justice.

Titus Jonathan,
Tangerang,
Banten

Soekarno's nationalism Far from over The Jakarta Post 15 Nov 2009

In a reference to an article Berlin Wall and the separatist movement in Republic of Indonesia, in The Jakarta Post, November 10, I would say that the reunification of Germany was based on a common first language, culture and history.
Indonesia does not have such a common first language, culture and history.
The reunification of Germany did not start the integration of Europe.
In fact, the first and most important step of this integration happened thanks to the
fact that Germany was divided.
As with a strong and united Germany, the other powers would have been too anxious to abandon parts of their sovereignty and, even now in the European Union, national interests ultimately come first.
This is no United States of Europe.
Even the United States could only be united after a very bloody war.
It was not Sukarno who 'united' Indonesia.
Republic of Indonesia was based on the Dutch (East) Indies.
Some parts like Western Papua were even missing the first decades and if, for instance, the Dutch and English hadn't have traded Malacca and parts of Sumatra, then perhaps peninsular Malaysia would now be part of Republic of Indonesia and Sumatra not.
Much of the territory of Republic of Indonesia has to do with historical chance, and less with being one people.
Of course, this can change over time and Indonesians can identify themselves as Indonesian first - not Javanese, Balinese, Chinese, Muslim, Christian, etc.
This process was started by Sukarno and his associates but it is even an understatement to say that it is far from finished.
Thus, the acquisition of East-Timor, Irian Jaya and even Aceh had nothing in
common with the peaceful reunification of Germany - accomplished by the people
and for the people - but more with Dutch or Portuguese imperialism.
The destiny of Indonesia depends on its ability to keep on creating a common
identity across the different cultures and religions.
But perhaps nationalists should ask themselves the question what is the goal of their nationalism.
Is it not the prosperity of the peoples?
Nationalism as a tool should reinvent its dogmas from time to time.
For example, a closer association with other ASEAN states may perhaps be a better structure in the future.

Paolo L Scalpini,
Toulouse,
France

Papua New Guinea Not tapping into gas The National, Saturday 15 November 1009

While the Minister for Petroleum and Energy focuses all his attention and
resources on petroleum, the energy division has been sitting on its backside
doing nothing for donkey years.
The Petroleum Minister and the State Enterprises Minister appear to place a lot
of emphasis on the oil and gas operations that is expected to generate
substantial revenue for Papaua New Guinea.
However, they neglect the fact that Papua New Guinea needs fuel itself.
The recent outcry by Morobe Governor Luther Wenge over the continuous power
blackout in Lae clearly shows the Government’s negligence on energy.
There is a parallel relationship between petroleum, mining and energy.
Energy is the integral part of the development of petroleum and mining sectors.
Papua New Guinea has world class gold mines and huge deposits of oil and gas.
Papua New Guinea Power should be sourcing for funds so that it can tap and turn our own gas to generate power for the whole country.
People are talking about clean energy today and we have that in abundance.
Our Prime Minister is one of the few leaders campaigning for lower emission of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
But we are doing nothing to tap the gas for our own use.
That should be the first thing the Government should have done, converting gas
into electricity so we can sell energy to the developers of the LNG project
instead of wasting time and resources on BSA and LBBSA.
All the giant mining, gas and oil companies are generating their own electricity
and Papua New Guinea Power can only look on helplessly when it could have been the sole provider.
As the mining and petroleum companies continue to expand, Papua New Guinea will continue to lose billions of kina because the Government has failed to look after Papua New Guinea Power.
The ministers responsible must seriously look into this by coming out with a
policy framework so that everyone, regardless of whether they are staying in the
remote or urban areas, has access to electricity.
If we want to be a developed country, we must be able to provide power to
everyone.
We have an abundance of gas and thermal power, yet we are doing nothing to
convert them for our own use.
Countries like China, for example, invest millions to generate electricity so
that they can power their industry.
Unless we do that, no amount of LNG projects or world class gold mines can bring
us to the next level.

Jeffers Teargun
Port Moresby,
Papaua New Guinea

Prayer for Muslims is obligatory But polygamy is not The Jakarta Post 13 November 2009

Referring to the article "On the question of polygamy" by Abdul Kadir Riyadi in the Jakarta Post on November 6, allow me to share my views.
People often miss the point that polygamy is not an obligation for every Muslim - unlike the five-times daily prayer.
This is a conditional permission under certain circumstances.
As Islam is a universal religion, its teachings comprehend all situations.
For instance, after war situations, when a country lost hundreds of thousands of men, and when the ratio of male versus female has been badly disturbed.
What about the widows and children of those soldiers who gave their lives for the sake of their country?
A state may be able to take care of their economy but not the emotional welfare and the natural instinct of such widows.
To save the society, in such circumstances, from moral corruption, Islam presents this solution.
This is why all of the wives of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) were widows, except one.
He also had other reasons to marry.
For example, preventing different Arab tribes from fighting each other.
Because it was tribal tradition not to fight with close relatives, marrying widows from different tribes made them all relatives to one other.
Had he had physical desires in mind while marrying, he would have married untouched women.
This would not have been difficult for him, considering his views and status.
Apart from this, in Islam, women are allowed to have a premarital agreement with their to-be-husbands, which bans the husband from polygamy.
In short, polygamy is only allowed in emergency situations.

Fazal-e-Mujeeb,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

 

Australian government should force oil companies To clean up Indonesia's shores The Jakarta Post

Referring to an article titled "Oil spill contaminating Indonesian waters" in The Jakarta Post, November 4, I would like to say the following:
If a third-world country causes an oil-spill contaminating a developed country's
coast and waters, action is immediately taken against that country and an
international outcry will ensues, condemning this third-world country.
This is a fact.
So, Australia, what are you going to do to clean up Indonesia's shores in NTT
and NTB?
What are you going to do to compensate poor fishermen who are losing their
income because of contaminated seas around their islands caused by your
negligence?
The Australian government should take immediate action to curb this oil-spill
and force oil companies who are responsible for this oil spill to immediately
start cleaning up contaminated waters around East and West Nusa Tenggara
provinces, and to start compensating fishermen and their families who have been
impacted by this.
The Indonesian government should take action against those who are responsible
for this oil spill.
Fish are dying, coral reefs are affected and most importantly of all, fishermen are now unable to feed their families.

Lynna van der Zee-Oehmke,
Bogor,
West Java,
Indonesia

Malaysia offers 'emergency' experience To southern Thailand The Star, Wednesday November 2009

The Thai Government has done well to confirm that the suggestion for more
autonomy for its southern states by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is
in fact consistent with its own official policy.
This confirmation was widely covered in the local print and new media because it
was very welcome news for historical and geopolitical reasons that one needs
hardly go into here.
However, the subsequent response of the Petani United Liberation Front (Pulo)
that Malaysia be invited as a third party to act as mediator to the conflict in
southern Thailand was felt to be “unworkable” by the Thai Deputy Prime Minister
on grounds of “similarities in religion, race and history”.
With great respect, what seems to be most urgently needed now is not so much a
mediator, but rather how to assist in the creation of the right social climate for autonomy so that people could regain trust and confidence in a situation.
At the same time, it is also heartening to note that the Thai Government has
initiated programmes and projects to win the hearts and minds of the people.
This is an area where Malaysia has had considerable success during the Emergency
and perhaps might be willing, if requested, to share some of those experiences
with the Thai Government.
In all humility, I have to say that we have trained and experienced community
development officers who could work with their Thai counterparts to initiate and
implement such projects in southern Thailand.
Moreover, being Malaysians from multi-ethnic communities and diverse cultures
and fluent in Malay, they will naturally overcome the possible constraints of
“race”.
But more importantly, it will also provide an excellent opportunity for
Malaysians to put “1 Malaysia” in practice, especially in a foreign country.

Dr Collin Abraham,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Save Indonesia From the dysfunctional judiciary The Jakarta Post, Tuesday 10 November 2009

The fact is the police and the Attorney General Office (AGO) have often covered up unjust arrests and the manipulation of people, and this Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) case could serve as an opening to investigate the police and the AGO institutions for corruption and abuse of power.
By forcing prosecution, these two agencies have intimidated the public and
tarnished the names of both the police and the AGO.
The latest case has been of particular interest to the public because it clearly lacks relevant evidence -
and has affected the chairman of the KPK, and his deputies.
We have seen a fabricated case of murder and now are seeing a fabricated case of bribery and abuse of power.
All of these accusations are lies.
Our country can imagine how its people would suffer at the hands of the police
and the AGO, if its citizens and foreigners were imprisoned with manipulated and
fabricated evidence.
The voice recordings are very clear and our country should seize this
opportunity to apprehend the arrogance and abuse of power at both institutions.
We find it reasonably true that Abdul Hakim Ritonga was promoted to become
deputy AGO to prevent them from being investigated on corruption charges.
The police and AGO are the main corruptors in our country.
They worked together in an attempt to stop the KPK investigating the two agencies.
Abdul Hakim Ritonga and three others from the AGO office should be removed, together with Susno and two others from national police, including the National Police chief and the attorney general who directed the meeting.
Save our country from plunging into the collapse of the judicial system.
We have had enough.
It is time to clean up the mess at the AGO and the police.

Ifa,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

The US stimulus package Helps the world help the US economy The Jakarta Post, Monday 9 November 2009

Most people have read or heard about the financial problems in the world these
days and, especially in the United States.
The United States leads the news in this area simply because of the staggering amount of money being allocated for stimulating the American economy.
In 2008, at the end of the Bush administration, the "Troubled Asset Relief
Program", or TARP, was enacted into law.
The goal of TARP was to stabilize the American financial sector.
The amount of TARP was US$700 billion and it was used to bail out troubled banks, invest in and support the auto industry and, in general, strengthen the financial sector.
After the election of President Obama, the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" was passed into law by the American congress in February of this year.
This "stimulus package" totaled $787 billion and was based largely on proposals made by President Obama and was intended to provide a stimulus to the US economy in the wake of the economic downturn.
With all that spending, the estimate is that, as of the end of August 2009, only
20 percent of the total money of the stimulus package has been spent and there
is talk of a second stimulus package.
A little-publicized fact is that most of the American donor organizations, as
well as various US government agencies, have had their budgets significantly
increased with the stimulus package.
In the past month, the United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA), the American Import/Export Bank (Bank ExIm) and others have all been here in Jakarta setting the groundwork for returning to Indonesia.
It may be coincidental that many of the agencies who pulled out of Indonesia during the Asian financial crisis in 1998/99 now want to return but most people can put two and two together and figure out that they have a lot of money to spend and since Asia, and especially Indonesia, look very good in recovering from the current worldwide downturn, they would like to invest in Indonesia.
In the pre-stimulus days of not so long ago, the donor community (World Bank,
USAID, IFC and other American donors) spoke in terms of getting the "most bang for their buck" or the maximum assistance for the widest range of people, cross sector if possible.
Now it is "find me the biggest project I can fund" simply because they have literally billions more to spend this year than they did last year.
Using the 787 billion figure, let's say that politicians in Washington are
scrambling to find a way to spend some of the 80 percent which has not yet been
spent and let's say that someone in Congress or the State Department or from the
White House itself says "let's spend some of this money on overseas
development".
Helping the world helps the US economy in the near future.
So, let's approve 5 percent of the stimulus for our overseas activities.
At 5 percent that figure is approximately $40 billion.
There is, of course, no way to prove any of that, but it is clear that American donors are now awash with funds they are mandated to loan/grant or otherwise get rid of.
I have no idea whether the 5 percent is accurate; it could be 15 percent, I'm simply making a guess.
In the pre-stimulus days of last year, it was relatively difficult to get loan
or grant approval for projects simply because of the lack of money available, it
had to be spent wisely and with the most impact.
That has mostly gone, with donors now under pressure to provide as much funding for projects as possible within the new guidelines of the Obama administration.
This means if you have a "green" project, the chances of getting it funded are
much better than a logging project (unless the project is re-growing the rain
forest!).
This is a relatively small and short in time frame window that is currently open
and, given the tortoise-like speed we tend to move here in this great country,
the opportunity could come and go before we even get started.

John Fenton,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Will earthquake warning Be regarded as ‘crying wolf’? The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 8 November 2009

On 5th November 2009 the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported an earthquake of M6.0 close to Macquarie Island in the Antarctic region.
This is next related to a letter here of the 5th October 2009, (‘Thoughts about the latest Padang earthquake’), which contains a prediction that such a rift earthquake might be followed by a further subduction earthquake off the coast of Sumatra; perhaps even near Padang.
That prediction was based on observations that indicate that, through stress referred along the tectonic boundaries leading from Macquarie Island to the Indian Ocean, that Antarctic location can be paired with the Sumatran coastline.
The delay between the twinned quakes might allow for a period of warning, and this becomes seminal when taken in conjunction with another more general warning from Kerry Sieh that there will likely be another earthquake near Padang in West Sumatra; based on observations on local Geological stress along the Sumatran subduction trench.
At first I considered that the M6.0 event at Macquarie Island on 5th November was of insufficient magnitude to lead to an earthquake off Sumatra.
However, subsequent reference to immediately past events indicated that, on 23rd September, it was an M6.0 earthquake at Macquarie Island, which was followed by, and possibly led to, both the M8.0 quake near Samoa on 29th September and then the destructive M7.6 quake of Padang on 30th September.
Accordingly I feel on balance it is salutary for me now to point out here that there may be a major earthquake somewhere off the central Sumatran coastline within the next few days.
I say ‘on balance’ because if there is over-reaction to this ‘warning’; judged from a situation that there is no following earthquake; then it may become regarded as ‘crying wolf’.
The prediction is of only statistical validity, and failure of this as a ‘prediction’ may weaken response to a positive similar following event where an earthquake does actually occur.
However if this warning results in extra vigilance being activated in both Padang and Benkulu, which results in afforded protection from an actual earthquake, then lives may be saved.
By now the local authorities in Benkulu and Padang should have contingency plans in place for such a situation.

Raymond Groves

Papua New Guinea Employs lots of consultants The National, Saturday 7 November 2009

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has been engaging consultants to attend to some of its programme activities since beginning of the year.
Thus, it is not surprising that it continues to advertise for more consultants to attend to its key programme activities.
However, one wonders why the DEC constantly requires these consultants and raises the question whether the DEC has the capacity and technical expertise to undertake the technical nature of the work required under its mandate.
The 2008 restructure of DEC was in line with the NEC decision 147/2008 for transformation of the department and the imperative for new performance management standards to achieve the Government’s policy directives and goals.
Has that been accomplished in the 2008 restructuring and the appointments made by DEC?
Why advertise for legal consultants to assist in the design of legislation to create an environment protection authority to manage environment regulation in Papua New Guinea when there are already two legal officers recruited under the 2008 structure?
The advertisements for consultants to conduct environment performance auditing (EPA) of the mining activities in the country is also another concern.
The DEC lacks that technical expertise, hence, the related mining environmental issues in the country.
But what about the mine monitoring PIP grant that DEC receives annually since 2005?
Why is it now calling for consultants to conduct EPA on mining activities in the country on an ad hoc basis?
The joint interim REDD strategy by DEC and OCCES, which comprises at least six main activities in preparation for upcoming Copenhagen meeting, will cost around K1 million to engage consultants to prepare the report between September and November.
Does this sound realistic in terms of the nature of the activities, the amount of money involved and the time frame?
I call on the relevant authorities to investigate the heavy engagement of consultants by DEC and to ascertain the department’s capacity and leadership in environmental technicalities and management in the country given the increased environmental development activities in Papua New Guinea.

Corridor consultant,
Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea

May the Corruption Eradication Commission deputy chairmen Emerge with all their honest gotten gains The Jakarta Post, Friday 6 November 2009

This is a comment on a commentary article titled "President SBY might forget the has hurt people's sense of justice," in The Jakarta Post, October 31.
Thank you for so accurately and courageously putting in writing the very thoughts that are on the minds of all of us Indonesians who are becoming increasingly alarmed and apprehensive about the way things are going in our country.
I, too, voted for the re-election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as, at
that time, I honestly believed that he was truly a man of honor, a man worthy of
admiration.
When I voted for him and this makes it the second time, I also believed that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would have sufficient sterling character and the required great courage to ruthlessly eradicate corruption, injustice, and appalling human rights violations.
Like many fellow Indonesians who voted for him, I, too, was aghast and extremely
disappointed upon hearing the President's Friday afternoon speech on October 30
about his view on the arrest of the two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and
Chandra M. Hamzah.
Quantum mutatus ab illo: how changed is he from him whom we know.
The "perfect technical explanation" he gave may be a sign that the President seeks a safe way out, thereby, to all intents and purposes, sacrificing the two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah and throwing them to the wolves.
Like many of my fellow Indonesians, and non-Indonesians too, I am plagued by the
following questions: Why does the President seek a safe, and in my eyes, less
than honorable, way out?
Who is, or are, he and the police protecting?
What interests are being protected here?
Why haven't the National Police chief Gen.
Bambang Hendarso Danuri and chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji resigned,
and revealed the truth and the absolute truth, as real honorable gentlemen with
sterling characters would do?
I would really detest eventually having to say, along with the ancient Roman
poet Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro, whom I quoted previously:
"Disce omnes - from one piece of villainy judge them all."
Having seen many times in the past that the ancient proverb: "Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat": "Whom God wants to destroy, He first makes mad" has horrific ways of coming true, I sincerely hope that all those involved in the shameful and unjust treatment of Bibit and Chandra will eventually see the light, and do what is right in God's eyes - before it's too late and our country's honor has deteriorated too far in the world's eyes to be retrieved.
Fellow readers of the Post, please, let us all fervently pray to God and ask
that the two KPK deputies, Bibit and Chandra, as well as their deeply suffering
families and friends, will emerge from this ordeal alive and well, with their sanity and all of their honestly gotten gains still intact.

Tami Koestomo
Bogor,
West Java,
Indonesia

Thailand with fewer people Is wealther than the Philippines The Philippine Inquirer, Thursday 5 November 2009

Many of our nation's leaders and opinion-makers bewail our country’s numerous problems but only seemingly refer to population growth as a concern that is not so urgent, if not already answered by pro-life arguments.
Thailand’s and the Philippines’ populations were on equal level in the 1970s, but now, Thailand, with a population of some 60 million, is more than three times wealthier than the Philippines, which now has a population of 90 million.
Here are some very explicit consequences of our population explosion:
The incidence of poverty continues to rise with the poor getting
poorer.
The health problem, affecting the poor most, is broadcast daily in media but measures designed to remedy it are nil.
The problems of educating Filipino children are getting worse.
Hunger, nutrition and personal intelligence problems naturally follow.
Population problems also lead to graft and corruption.
Excessive population growth causes expensive elections.
The problem leads to housing and squatting problems.
Urban pollution is spreading rapidly even as the deforestation of our mountains continues, leading to floods and landslides.
The problem also leads to moral decline and the proliferation of pedophilia, pornography, japayukis and a “blind eye” to immoralities.
Crimes, threats to personal safety and the deterioration of the justice system harshly affect our personal lives—regardless of whether we are rich or poor, but most especially if we are poor.
Separated families, without a father and/or mother, wreak havoc on the lives of the children.
The already heavy national debt continues to balloon due to budget deficits, with the government subsidizing the poor to prevent anarchy.
Thirty-five percent of the budget is used for debt service.
The poor economic growth, further weighed down by population explosion, naturally results in ineffective governance.
The worldwide collapse of communism in the early 1990s got Filipino communists to maintain that their campaign is home-grown and is designed to liberate the poor.
We cannot resolve the various insurgency problems due to poverty, injustice and ineffective governance which are the results of population explosion.
This last consequence is controversial but with the affluent marrying the good-looking while the ordinary-looking ones are left to choose from the ranks of the proliferating poor, the result is a decline of pulchritude among Filipinos.
It is encouraging to note that many national leaders and opinion makers especially Finance Secretary Gary Teves now admit that economic benefits do not trickle down to the poor because of the country’s population growth.
We pray that the nation would be able to avoid anarchy and totalitarianism that could arise from ineffective governance and widespread dissatisfaction.

Florencio F Magsino,
Brigadier General,
AFP (Ret.)
Mandaluyong City
Philippines

Bankrupt USA Subservient to Zionist State of Israel The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 4 November 2009

The encroaching, and socially painful, demise of democracy in the west is evidenced in the ready acquiescence of 'democratic' governments - and, by their deafening silence, the Christian Church Synods - to indiscriminate murder and mayhem on an international scale; together with the dispossession of homes and property without compensation; with all amoral excesses publicly defended claiming, as with their usual hypocritical piety, that "God is on our side".
(As quoted by the reformed alcoholic, semi-literate, born-again-Christian and warmonger the former US President George W Bush).
The continuing choreography of phony diplomatic footwork currently on display in the Middle East as US Secretary of State, Hillary "White Water" Clinton (while turning-a-blind-eye to the unholy genocide in Gaza by Israel) maintains the fatalistic guidelines of Israeli/US foreign policy and the Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion. The once leader of the democratic world, the ostensibly bankrupt United States of America still clings tenaciously to the illusory concept of that unchallenged power.
Now politically and economically subservient to the rampaging Zionist State of Israel, its' future would appear to be ominously preordained unless the 'star spangled' heart of America stirs to reclaim the high ideals of and pride in its origins; to live peaceably with its neighbours and learn to trade in a civilised manner.

Harry A Boniface,
Currumbin,
Queensland,
Australia.

Letter to the Hon Stephen Smith MP From Australia West Papua Association, Sydney The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday 3 October 2009 The Hon Stephen Smith MP Minister for Foreign Affairs Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 2 November 2009 Re; West Papuan political activists Yoab Syatfle and Victor Yeimo Dear Stephen Smith, I am writing to you concerning Yoab Syatfle, a political activist in West Papua because of concern for his safety. Yoab Syatfle has received a number of death threats which were sent by SMS to his mobile phone and apparently related to his peaceful political activities. We are concerned that his life may be in danger. We believe that Yoab Syatfle has been targeted because he is a prominent peaceful political activist in Papua. He is the Sorong Secretary of the Papua Traditional Council (Dewan Adat Papua) which represents Indigenous communities in Papua. He is also Secretary of the Papua National Consensus Team, a non-violent group campaigning for a peaceful internationally mediated solution to the political problems in Papua. On 26 October, Yoab Syatfle received a number of anonymous SMS messages threatening that he would be abducted and killed if he left his house. One of them warned: “you are one of the people we are looking for, we remember you, if you leave your house yard one more time, you will be killed”. We are also concerned about another West Papuan political activist , Victor Yeimo who was arrested on the 21st October in the Mansapurani Sentani hotel in Jayapura during a police operation called Pekat, which began on the same day, 21 October. We believe he was arrested solely because he helped organise a number of peaceful demonstrations earlier this year. Victor Yeimo has always advocated a peaceful solution to West Papua's future. We believe that the targeting of peaceful political activists by the security forces in West Papua is a deliberate campaign to create fear and stifle discussion of the many issues of concern to the West Papuan people. These include the human rights situation in the territory, the exploitation of their natural resources and the right to discuss their future The right to free expression, opinion and assembly is guaranteed under the Indonesian Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which the country is a state party. We request you to use your good offices to urge the Indonesian Government to take immediate action to ensure the safety of Yoab Syatfle, and to hold an immediate, effective and impartial investigation into the threats he has received with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice. to protect peaceful activists from harassment to allow human rights organisations in West Papua to work without interference from the security forces. to release Victor Yeimo and all other West Papuan political prisoners as a sign of good faith to the West Papuan people. Yours sincerely Joe Collins Secretary AWPA (Sydney) CC. The Indonesian Embassy, Canberra The Australian Embassy, Jakarta various human rights organisations

Profits privatised and losses nationalised In Malaysia's housing projects The Star, Monday 2 Nov 2009

I refer to the report: “Kong: Housing revival fund a one-off allocation” in Sunday Star, October 25.
I would like to look at the reasons why RM200mil of public funds have to be used
to revive abandoned housing projects, one-off or otherwise.
Abandoned housing projects are essentially failed businesses where the developers are no longer able to complete the houses they set out to build.
Thus, it is a situation of “profits privatised” while losses are nationalised!
By the way, the RM200mil represents only a small proportion of the total sum
required.
In Selangor alone, it was reported that RM4bil to RM5bil is required
if the abandoned projects in the state were to be revived.
Why does the Government have to intervene and dump in vast amounts of public
funds to revive these abandoned housing projects?
The answer is because innocent house buyers are suffering the effects of paying a lot of their savings to the
developers and not getting their houses.
Their dream houses have turned into nightmares!
How does this situation come about?
I would like to shed some light on the cause of this pathetic situation.
The main culprit is the present sell-then-build (STB) system.
The badly flawed system compels buyers to make progressive payments while the houses are being
built.
The National House Buyers Association (HBA) has over the past few years been
appealing to the Government to do away with the progressive payment system and
to adopt the 10-90 build-then-sell (BTS) system.
Opponents warn that the 10-90 BTS will shrink the industry because smaller
developers will be put out of business while the big ones will downsize their
projects.
They argue that there will be shortages and house prices will go up by up to 50 percent!
The HBA has adequately rebutted all those arguments.
A flawed system cannot be a sustainable system.
If we do not phase out the current obnoxious progressive payment system, house buyers will
continue to face hazards in buying houses and Malaysian taxpayers will forever have to shoulder the burden of paying for the revival of failed housing projects.
We believe the proposed 10-90 BTS not only benefits house buyers but it actually
benefits all parties involved in the housing industry as follows:
For the bridging financiers, collaterals will not be progressively fragmented.
Revival is less complicated and speedier.
Developers need not have to rely so critically on their sales to meet their
cashflows.
Joint-venture land owners’ interests are better protected and there will be
more land owners who will be willing to go into joint-venture partnership with
developers.
House buyers are insulated from the effects of project abandonment. There will
be better quality houses and less substan­dard materials used because come
payment time, the buyers will conduct a prior delivery inspection with their
developer.
For the end-financing banks, the risks are much lower as they now finance
completed houses that are readily cashable in the event of defaults.
Furthermore, the Government need not get involved with and spend a vast amount
of money to bail out what are essentially failed businesses. The industry will
be more self-regulating with less governmental policing and enforcement.
The STB progressive payment system has outlived its usefulness and is now
creating havoc to the industry. The switch to the 10-90 BTS is long overdue.

Chang Kim Loong,
Honorary Secretary-General,
National House Buyers Association.

Indonesian puplic believes That KPK Chief Antasari Azhar was framed The Jakarta Post, Sunday 1 November 2009

Corruption within the circles of authority officials has become standard practice.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has put many corruptors behind bars and therefore many officials see their flow of "easy money", which runs into billions of rupiahs, go up in smoke.
The public is not surprised that Nasruddin was murdered as he threatened to
blast open corruption within Radjawali Nusantara and this was going to involve a
number of high officials.
He unfortunately paid for it with his life.
Powerful figures are trying to wreck the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as the antigraft commission is threatening their upper-class standard of living.
SBY as the President of the nation should take action to protect the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
He should listen to those Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) members who are presently being slandered and threatened with jail sentences.
SBY should never take sides but should listen to all parties concerned in this
mess.
The police have a bad record although many police officers are genuinely and
honestly doing their jobs.
But one rotten apple always contaminates the whole basket.
The public still believes that Antasari Azhar was framed, because fighting over
a caddy, which caused the death of Nasruddin, is such an unacceptable fabricated
lie, that no one in their right mind believes this cock and bull story.
Bibit and Chandra are a threat to many corrupt officials and businessmen.
This is the most important reason why they are being discredited now suspended.
But the tape recording as published by the media, shows the truth and nothing
but the truth.
The public is happy that there are honest officials who are doing their utmost to protect Bibit and Chandra.
How is Indonesia ever going to move forward with so many dishonest people
holding powerful positions?
Indonesia today is not the Indonesia of 50 years ago, where the public easily
accepted statements made by government officials.
Nowadays, the press is a wonderful and powerful weapon.
Journalists will do their utmost to uproot the truth, sometimes paying for it with their lives.
The public urges SBY to help protect the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and to get to the truth with the help of the press.

Lynna van der Zee-Oehmke
Bogor,
West Java,
Indonesia

Caesarean births in Jakarta A matter of convenience The Jakarta Post, Saturday 31 October 2009

While women around the globe are actively planning to have an intervention-free,
drug-free labor, women in Jakarta are opting for exactly the opposite.
Della (not her real name) aged 26, is one of these women.
She was told by the doctor she could have a normal vaginal delivery if she wanted to, indicating that she had the options to do otherwise.
Making a decision based on personal judgment and very little fact-based
information, Della decided the date on which she wanted to see her little bundle
of joy.
So on the seventh day of August 2009 which reads 07-08-09 on a digital
calendar, the baby was born.
Anissa (not her real name), aged 25, has a different story to tell.
She has been reading a lot of information on giving birth and she has been preparing herself physically and, most importantly, mentally to have a natural birth on the day her baby is ready to be born. During her weekly checkup with the doctor, she was told her baby needed to be delivered right away, given the circumstances.
Without any second opinion, she went straight into the operating theater, even
before her family had arrived at the hospital.
A few days later, Anissa was finally able to overcome the disappointment of not being able to give birth naturally.
She added it would have been better for her to know she was going to have a
caesarean section from the very beginning, than to have gone into labor and been
given the verdict halfway that she had to have a caesarean.
Such ways of thinking are becoming all too common among pregnant women in big
cities nowadays.
The scary stories of vaginal births far outnumber the success stories, and this has created a significant distortion in public perception about the advantage of natural versus caesarean birth.
There is very little information for Indonesian mothers on how natural birth can
benefit both mother and baby, especially given by their preferred healthcare
professionals.
Although nationally the rate of caesarean births in Indonesia is still considered low (probably because the only people who have the option of having a C-section are the affluent ones), one media has announced one of every two mothers are now electively choosing to have a C-section.
It is beyond comprehension that mothers can now choose whether to have a natural birth or a C-section with no clear reason other than chasing a pain-free labor, to get a special birth date for their child, or even to declare their social status. Most pregnant women may not know that a C-section poses a series of threats to the mother.
Private hospitals or clinics, assumed to provide an educated service compared
with their public counterparts, are faced with the dilemma of promoting natural
birth or getting more revenue.
It is apparent that when performing C-sections, doctors will receive extra fees and this is the very loophole within the Indonesian healthcare system.
Healthcare professionals ideally suggest what is best for their patients, as opposed to what is "convenient".
This requires a separation of authority between doctors who evaluate patients' health and those who perform the operations, and a mechanism to monitor the performance of the two.
It is about time the government have a formal say on the matter, before
caesarean sections becomes a common thing and giving birth is just matter of
selfish convenience and digging deeper into the patient's pocket.

Kanti Pertiwi,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Beware the trade In fake carbon credits The Jakarta Post, 30 October 2009

I refer to an article titled "Beware of fake carbon brokers, says govt" in The
Jakarta Post, October. 25.
I hope that regencies in East Nusa Tenggara take notice of the consequences of
ignoring fake carbon brokers.
I recall that East Nusa Tenggara started introducing the cultivation of jatropha plants by small-holders after Kupang's administration gave the green investment light to an international project development company.
The Kupang regental administration provided facilities and gave a license to a
local broker, which was meant to cooperate with an international firm, The
international company did indeed promise regencies and cities huge rewards if
they committed to REDD projects, but in fact were not offering any concrete
programs at all!
It is sad to note that most jatropha planted did not produce the amount of seeds
that was expected.
In fact, most seedlings died.
This has also been the experience in India, the Philippines and Brazil, among others. Of course much money has been spent, however, the so-called main beneficiaries, the thousands of small farmers, are now suffering because their land has been tied-up by a crop that is not a food crop and had no value.
Even the meager harvest of jatropha seeds could not find any buyers.
There is no market!
The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) government has been mostly silent about the issue except to tell farmers that they did not use the proper cultivation practices, or there was not enough rain etc.,
I am sure that a lot of money has changed hands and that the international company has indeed used the scam to fraudulently trade in fake carbon credits from a jatropha crop that never produced except more poverty and hardship!
Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothing!

Henry Manoe
Kupang,
East Nusa Tenggara,
Indonesia

Philippine Election Commission Awaits Estrada's nomination Philippine Inquirer, Thursday 29 October 2009

Re “Comelec bares rules on substitution of candidates” in Philippine Inquirer 10 October 2009: It is completely understandable to me that a candidate substituting for another who withdraws from the 2010 race must file his own certificate of candidacy not later than December 14, 2009.
Indeed, that deadline, unexampled in the past, should give the commission the five to six months it needs to prepare the official ballots, which must now, and for the first time, contain the official list of all candidates.
What I still do not know is how the commission would handle a relatively more intricate problem when ex-President Joseph Estrada’s decision to contest the presidency inevitably throws a monkey wrench into our first-ever national
automated elections.
Everybody knows that none but the Supreme Court may rule on Erap’s legal capacity to run.
That, incidentally, is why I have always laughed at columnists and legal luminaries endlessly debating an issue which, bereft of a referee, is just a pathetic waste of time.
But my personal impression is beside the point.
The point is the high court’s rulings in these parts generally take at least three months, from when an issue becomes justiciable.
And that is ignoring the time for motions for review, etc, after the initial ruling has been issued.
At the earliest, then, Erap’s case would become justiciable after December 14, when the Comelec shall have received all the certificates of candidacy and is ready to order the printing of the ballots.
I seriously doubt the ballot printing process is amenable, if necessary, to a re-run.
At that juncture, then, I ask: “What kind of ballot must the Comelec
order to be printed?”
Is it one that includes or excludes Estrada among the presidential candidates?
I assume that would somehow depend on the Comelec’s own position on Erap’s capacity or incapacity to run.
And so, assuming it believes Erap is qualified, and thus has put his name on the ballot, will the votes cast for him be counted even if he may be eventually disqualified?
On the other hand, if the Comelec is of the opinion that Erap cannot run and has
thus excluded his name in the ballot, what happens if the Justices finally rule in his favor?

Rudy L. Coronel,
Batangas City,
Philippines

The more Indonesia changes The more Indonesia remains the same The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 28 October 2009

On Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore in his 34 ministers for
the 2009-2014 period.
As the names, pictures and ministerial portfolios appeared on the television screen, we realized that there were no major surprise at all since the president's choices concurred with what the media had predicted a few days previously.
Rumor had it that names never mentioned before might possibly be announced.
Obviously, as the President himself reminded everyone before announcing the
members of his new Cabinet, "some may like it, some may not like it. But that's
democracy".
Without playing the game of preferences - the pros and cons - we may at least
give a general comment on the chosen ministers.
First, echoing Yudhoyono-Boediono's slogan during the presidential campaign
Lanjutkan! (Continue) the names of the new Cabinet already give us the tone that
it will be about continuity.
Second, a few "professional" ministers from the previous Cabinet are still in
the team if not being permuted to other ministries.
Third, figures from the presidential political parties' coalition are there to remind us that political negotiations are rewarded.
Fourth, besides outstanding figures like Mari Pangestu or Sri Mulyani, let us
appreciate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's appointments of promising ones such as Marty Natalegawa, Fadel Muhammad and Gamawan Fauzi, respectively as foreign minister, minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, and home minister.
What then can we learn about these "appointments"?
We might say that perhaps Lanjutkan means a change in continuity or the
continuity of change.
That the political system in Indonesia tends to be more
and more presidentialized as there will be less opposition in the future but
does opposition really exists?.
And finally, given the configuration of the United Indonesia Cabinet II, as well
as the House of Representatives (DPR), what matters most for political parties
is definitely realpolitik, not ideology (party line, genuine political
programs.
In the meantime, for the sake of our nation, let us congratulate the new Cabinet
and wish them all the best. The entertainment is over: time for them to get to
work.

Faried Kei Lanur,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Former Philippine president Estrada Blew it big time Philippine Inquirer, Tuesday 27 October 2009

Joseph “Erap” Estrada should get real.
He should realize that he is not the redeemer of the Philippines or the Filipino
nation.
Heaven forbid!
He had his chance as president but he blew it, big time.
He can turn to other ways of helping, if he so wishes.
But his glossy love for the poor works only in the movies.
People already know better, and people want change.
Erap is not change, does not represent change.
Absolutely not, because his avarice for power shows through his wristband, and his sense of true service seems, at best, false.
As for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, even before “Ondoy” and “Pepeng,” her presidency has been tarnished by scandal after scandal: election cheating, massive corruption at every government level, artistic ignorance, family greed.
As if the filthy mess weren’t enough, two typhoons conspire to demand, literally, a clean-up act she must do to save her name before she goes.
If she cannot leave an honorable legacy for the country that she twice promised God to serve, she should at least do it for her parents Diosdado and Eva who must be turning in their graves because of what her image has become.

Pido K. Aguilar Jr.
Manila,
Philippines

Papua New Guinea landowners Spoilt by mine and petroleum money The National, Monday 26 October 2009

Royalties paid to landowners of major mining and petroleum development projects should be strictly regulated to ensure the money is put to good use.
At present, nearly all of what they get is spent without a thought for those back in the villages, who continue to suffer.
The worst affected are the children as the money is not being used to educate them.
These landowners do not know how to invest the money because they themselves are illiterate and do not realise that the resources are non-renewable.
There are many examples in Papua New Guinea of forest resource owners whose lives and land have been ruined because of their own ignorance.
A study on the changes in the quality of life as a direct result of royalty payments should be conducted.
I call on the Government to fund the National Research Institute and other relevant agencies to conduct this study.
A legislation should then be passed by Parliament based on the results of the study.
Landowners have been demanding for an increase in their stakes in benefits sharing agreements lately.
Their demands may be provided for by law but I am not sure if the people are genuine.
Their ability to better their lives from the money handed out leaves a lot be desired.
We are allowing our rich resource owners to be spoilt by money they never dreamt of receiving without raising a sweat.
Let us help them quickly before they sink further into the quicksand.
They are potential contributors towards achieving a sustainable national economy if they are encouraged to invest their money in economically viable businesses or projects.
And by the way, do not introduce the dole system.
I would prefer an increase in school subsidies or free education, and introduce a medi-care health policy for everyone.

Emmanuel Xavier,
Kerema,
Papua New Guinea

Zionist bankers turn American Dream Into American Nightmare The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday 25 October 2009

The ceaseless - and lucrative - production of lethal military hardware moves in strict tempo with the orchestrated dance-of-death.
American taxpayers (1000's now unemployed and dispossed) have, unwittingly, underwritten the Israel/US unholy financial/political alliance that has created the killing fields of Iraq and, more recently, Afghanistan (allegedly) for the purpose of defending Israel's borders.
The US White House remains under the unswerving control of the Zionist lobby
(as was the previous Bush administration) with ex Vice President and leading neocon Dick Cheney still "beating-the-aggressive-drum" of confrontation, rather than mediation.
After all, there is no comparable profit to be made during peacetime.
Surely, as an example of blatant audacity he, as the major beneficiary of overnment military contracts - as ex CEO of major military contractors Halliburton - continues to agitate for an increase and movement of troop numbers to this God-forsaken gentile graveyard?
The clandestine liquidation of the "American Dream" (at present $trillions in debt to the Zionist bankers) is another American nightmare in the making.
Will common sense ever prevail?

Harry A Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia

 

Vietnamese patients no different Says US doctor in HCMCity Thanh Nien, Saturday 24 October 2009

I have been living and working in HCMCity for one year; before that, in the US for 30 years.
I am currently a doctor in a private hospital.
When I first started working here, I often heard from local colleagues that
Vietnamese patients were “different,” often uneducated and incapable of understanding medical matters; therefore it was a waste of the doctor’s time to explain or fully inform them.
This justifies the authoritarian approach many doctors here take toward their patients: “Just do this because I said so.”
Many people come to me with no idea of what their previous diagnoses were, what medication they were taking, or how to take it properly.
Unfortunately, when patients don’t understand what they have and what the
treatment is for, they often don’t follow through with the treatment plan, making it less effective even when it is correct.
I don’t find Vietnamese patients at my private hospital or at the charity clinics I help out at any different from my patients in the US.
There are always reasons why some patients do not follow doctor’s instructions for
treatment or follow-up, such as poverty, difficult access to care, overcrowding, conflict with work, lack of information, or psychological denial of the problem,
but these are the same reasons as anywhere else in the world.
Having a lack of information is not the same as being unintelligent.
I find that Vietnamese people in general are among the most literate and intelligent in the world, eager to learn and be proactive.
If patients do not understand their medical condition and how it is being treated, it is the doctor’s responsibility to explain it in ways they can understand i.e. not in
medical terminology.
This is an important part of the treatment.
Of course, there are many difficulties and barriers for doctors here in doing their jobs, too many patients, too little time!, but I don’t agree that we have to contend
with low intelligence in our patients.

Namtran Pham, MD,
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam

Indonesia cannot provide Its people with clean water The Jakarta Post, Friday 23 October 2009

I refer to a news report titled "Surabaya river should not be drinking water
source", in The Jakarta Post, October 16.
Thanks to the The Jakarta Post and the writer for highlighting this water issue.
It has been in my mind for years.
Have you heard of this phrase by a foreign leader:
"A failed government is a government who can't gives its people clean water!"
Think about it.
When I first set foot in Indonesia in 2002 I was surprised to note that there are lots of flies around. hovering on food, garbage and at almost anything. Produce and food stalls are infested with flies and nobody seems to care about it, and what about the quality of tap water!
When I am in Surabaya I have to buy bottled water for my everyday consumption as not only do I itch after taking a bath, but I frequently have diarrhea if I use
the tap water.
That's an extra expense.
Not too long ago I decided to find out where the water sources are.
To my surprise, it was the kali or Surabaya water canals.
My God, the government of the day is irresponsible in providing its people such water for consumption.
It is the by-product of the millions of city households, factories and sewerage systems and networks.
On the other hand, I am amused to note that the thousands of environmental scientists living in the city have not protested to being fed with city waste products. This very clearly shows their ignorance and their "don't care" attitude.

Patrick JB
Surabaya,
Indonesia

Afghanistan The Graveyard of Empires The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday 22 October 2009

Zionism thrives on chaos; how else would their New World Order succeed? Witness the farcical antics of their 'lackeys' at a recent UN meeting:
The “Jerusalem Post” September 23, 2009, on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to the UN General Assembly, "Prime Minister Netanyahu will not be there because he does not want to be in the same hall as Ahmadinejad."
No doubt the feeling was mutual.
Right on cue, as President Ahmadinejad entered the hall, their remote controller in Tel Aviv pushed the ‘Walk out’ button and the empty headed, brain-washed Zionist puppets from Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary and Italy trooped out of the room.
No doubt these lazy fat cats will still accept their grossly inflated taxpayer funded salary; this was Zionist manipulation at its ugliest.
These people do not have an independent thought in their heads.
Geneva 16/10/09, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution endorsing the Goldstone report, which accused Israel and Hamas of war crimes.
Once more the Israeli puppets from the US, Britain, France, Italy, Holland, Hungary et al voted against or didn’t attend.
The ethnic cleansers of Palestine can continue on their merry way.
Zionism rules!
The European Union is becoming a cesspool of Zionism. 10 of the 27 countries are now under the Zionist jackboot in as much as legitimate questioning of the Holocaust Industry carries a mandatory term of imprisonment.
The Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is another example.
The ‘Master Race’ failed to get their ‘evil’ plan through at the first attempt so they forced the Irish to hold another referendum.
To ensure success Ireland had been plunged into economic chaos.
The British Labour government had promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty but reneged when it became obvious its chances of passing were slim.
The recent Labour Party Conference was more like a Gay Mardi Gras than a political talkfest.
The highlight was the appearance on stage of Zionist homosexual Lord Peter Mandelson who pranced onto the stage to a pink backdrop and pink spotlights and claimed that “If I can come back, so can you.”
This was a reference to allegations of his numerous alleged corrupt dealings.
Lord Levy the Zionist ‘controller’ of British Labour is Mandelson’s ‘boss’.
He was also investigated for various ‘shady’ activities; one being the ‘Cash for Honours’ scandal.
It was alleged that if you paid him enough money you too could become a ‘Lord’. Nothing came of the investigations as it seems they are (legally) ‘truly untouchable’.
Even the judiciary is not immune to corruption; Baroness Scotland the Attorney-General has just been fined £5000 for employing an illegal immigrant from Tonga.
Most UK public assets have been sold.
12 years of pseudo socialism’s ‘Third Way’ (Third Reich) has turned Britain into a moral and economic sleaze ridden ‘Basket Case’.
There is a culture of juvenile binge drinking, drug taking and street violence.
In the midst of all this chaos, the UK is once more bowing to its bosses in Israeli-occupied Washington by sending more troops to Afghanistan, the ‘Graveyard of Empires’.
This, amongst other things, is to introduce democracy!
The self-appointed ruler of the Universe, American citizen Rupert Murdoch has ordered his Sun newspaper to ‘stick the boot’ into the Brown Labour Party and back David Cameron’s pro-war Conservatives.
The name and faces will change but Zionist Democracy version 3.5 (the usurers and shyster) will still run the UK.
Within one week:
1. President Obama announced that the ‘recession was over’.
2. It was reported that 236,000 Americans lost their jobs in September. 3. TV news showed food riots on the streets of Detroit.
Last October, Zionist “banksters” Goldman Sachs, a private entity whose annual revenues exceed the economic output of 100 countries, was bailed out with billions of TARP (taxpayers) dollars.
On 16/10/2009 Goldman Sachs Q3 profit was US$3.19 billion.
So when Barack stated that the ‘recession was over’ was this for greedy Zionist money manipulators only?
Zionism rules yet again?
Barack Obama has just been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
He is in excellent company.
In 1947, Menachem Begin led a raid on an Arab village in which all 254 inhabitants were massacred.
Begin became Prime Minister of Israel and in 1978 he was awarded a Nobel ‘Peace’ Prize.
The notorious Henry Kissinger is also a recipient of this ‘prestigious’ award.
If Obama sends 40,000 American troops to ‘kill Muslims’ in Afghanistan – forget the road-building and training program propaganda - will he trade his Peace Prize for a 'Nobel ApPEASEment Prize'?
BBC TV (17/10/2009) broadcast, ‘Intelligence Squared Debate: Democracy is not for everyone.’
The motion was defeated.
One participant put it succinctly, ‘HAMAS was democratically elected yet was ignored by all Western Democracies.’
There is talk of Tony Blair, an ‘alleged’ war criminal, Israeli puppet and Peace envoy to the Middle East, being ‘elected’ EU President.
This would be the ultimate insult to the people of Europe but a great achievement for the Zionist New World Order.
I have recently read through a number 76 year old German newspapers dated December, 1933.
The parallels of events taking place today are mind blowing; just change a few names and history is repeating itself.

Maurice Horsburgh,
Palm Beach,
Queensland,
Australia

Which bank made a profit Of nine billion dollars in six months? The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 21 October 2009

Since Bank deregulation our Australian Banks are really getting away with excessive profits.
There may have been a chance to keep them in check whilst Australians owned the Commonwealth Bank.
Under a system called fractional reserve lending our Savings Banks loan their funds up to thirty two times and the Trading Banks eighteen times.
Therefore if they are loaning their funds out at say eight percent on the depositors funds whilst the depositor is getting at present four to five percent.
The savings Banks are really getting over two hundred percent interest.
Hence the now owned by who knows, Bank, the Commonwealth, was able to make a nine billion profit in six months.
In spite of that they have had the audacity to raise their interest rates even though the Reserve Bank did not raise interest rates.
The peoples Bank when owned by the people, the Commonwealth was able to finance world war one at an interest rate of five eighth of on percent as and we came out of that conflict with a large casualty rate of our troops but no debt.
The UK is still paying back their loan from the Wall Street bankers and still has not paid the interest.
When is an Australian Government going to see the light and open a peoples Bank once more.
Our State and Federal Governments are now back borrowing from the Wall Street thieves.
Which means the Australian public is being taxed to pay the high interest.

Frank Crichlow,
Carrara,
Queensland
Australia

What is the justification for "extra-judiciary" and "extralegal" In describing murder in the Philippines? The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday 20 October 2009

After reading another article about what are being described as “extra-judicial” or “extralegal” “killings” in the Philippines (News report from Manila; October 19), I remain puzzled by, and disapproving of, the terminology used to identify the involved crimes.
In this context, the terms “extra-judicial” and “extralegal” are both inferring that the related killings are ‘above’ or ‘outside’ the law.
The only viable way in which these murders can or should be described in that way is from execution of law having failed to apprehend the perpetrators.
Yet, probably the immediate reaction evoked by those terms is more likely that the murders are outside or above the law; in the sense that they suggest there may be some perverse quasi-political justification for the acts; and that surely encourages, rather than deters, those who organize these killings.
The latter interpretation (the one carrying the implication that these kinds of murders are possibly in some way justified), is also endorsed by the frequent use of the word “assassination” (implying an extreme political rationale); and, at the same time, by the avoidance of use of the simple word “murder”.
However apparently respectable, well-heeled, or powerful the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are, and whatever their motives are, the murderers’ actions are nothing short of blatant thuggery, and that must be made clear.

Raymond Groves

Quezon mayor and city treasurer Reminded to look after welfare of residents Philippine Inquirer, Monday 19 October 2009

I was disgusted and disappointed, to say the least, when I read the news story that “the Quezon City government will identify ‘dangerous areas,’ especially those prone to floods...” in the Philippine Inquirer 30 September that Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” R. Belmonte Jr., better known as SB, “has ordered the city’s 142 barangay captains to assess their areas of responsibility and identify critical and dangerous spots in times of flooding.”
In his ninth year as QC’s chief executive it’s only now that SB thought of this need, why?
Is it because since he assumed office on July 1, 2001 he has been busy in some other things, such as purchasing vehicles which bear his favorite Serbisyong Bayan logo painted in flaming red on the vehicles?
Pardon my mentioning this: The very first thing my wife and I did when we arrived from abroad after helping organize Filipino teacher retirees was to pay our real estate taxes for 2009 and 2010 for a mortgaged old house and a residential lot.
For senior citizens like us who spent the best and most productive years of our lives as public school teachers, we don’t mind paying taxes despite our meager and often delayed monthly pension from the Government Service Insurance System. That is our civic duty.
But I think it is also our civic duty to remind the mayor and the city treasurer, Victor B. Endriga, to look after the welfare of Quezon City residents.
For example, when we went to city hall to pay our taxes, we saw a number of counters that were unmanned.
So people had to wait so long for their turn to be attended.
Likewise, it is our civic duty to tell city government officials about the difficulty senior citizens go through in getting their identification cards and medical booklets which are needed to purchase medicines with some discount.
Truth to tell, we had to spend for the photocopying of our booklet which has on its cover a collage of colored photos of the mayor in various poses.
Worse, for this we had to join a long line under the scorching heat of the sun
to avail ourselves of the services of an “exclusive” entrepreneur doing business right outside the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs.
Quezon City residents also suffer from uncollected garbage: e.g., the huge pile of garbage near the Tandang Sora market and at the plaza of Barangay San Vicente in the fourth congressional district which SB represented as congressman for nine years.
For the last several years, SB and and Endriga have been claiming and proclaiming that Quezon City is the richest city in the Philippines.
That being the case, why not allot a reasonable amount for the effective delivery of basic services to QC residents?
Also, they should earmark funds for increasing the cost-of-living allowance of the downtrodden teachers who are overworked but underpaid.
Is this asking too much from the richest city government?

Eusebio S. San Diego,
Founder,
Kapisanan ng mga Gurong Retirado (Kaguro) and former president,
Quezon City Public School Teachers Association,
Philippines

Rabid Bali dogs Bite tourists and Balinese The Jakarta Post, Sunday 17 Octobter 2009

I am lucky because I could pay for a vaccine.
If you are infected with rabies after being bitten by a dog, you need rabies immunoglobulin.
Without it, you may die.
It's not just hospitals in Bali that said so, but the European hospital group
SOS told me the same thing.
When I was bitten by a rabid dog, I needed the vaccine within seven days.
So we flew to Singapore to get our vaccination.
Besides me, seven local people were attacked by the same dog, but I do not know
what has happened to them now.
If they were infected they have possibly died, especially if there was nobody to help them.
Many people in Bali think that people who are attacked by dogs do not need
vaccines. But this issue is big news in European countries.
So please inform the people.
The Jakarta Post can start saving lot of lives and maybe also the tourist industry in Bali and Indonesia.

Harry van de Pol,
Sanur,
Bali

Malaysia 'Must never be afraid of its history' The Star, Saturday 17 October 2009

I was shocked to read about the Penang Veteran’s Association’s visit to clean up
Sir Francis Light’s grave, and even more surprised to hear that it was in a sad
state.
It is therefore no wonder that tourists are never told where Sir Francis Light’s grave is.
Malaysia, like any other country, must never be afraid of its history as it actually happened.
We have a rich history, a rich heritage and a very interesting and fascinating story that can and should be known to all Malaysians, and told to the rest of the world.
There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in our history, because our
forefathers never did anything tragically wrong or as shocking as some other
nations’ forefathers.
Sir Francis Light founded Penang in 1786.
This is a fact that we know and is recorded very well in history books.
His statue was removed from the city centre and moved into a museum.
That is fine and acceptable for the sake of nationalism, but to bury his grave amidst
moss, long grass and weeds is surely not the Malaysian way.
Let us keep the history of Malaysia as it is, or as it was.
There is nothing we can do to change history. In fact, by teaching and letting the younger generation know what actually happened, we can truly unify Malaysia as
1Malaysia.
The history as I learnt from Parameswara to Hang Tuah, to Yap Ah Loy, with the
Portuguese, Dutch and later British rule, preceded by Arab, Chinese, and Siamese
influence, is perfectly colourful by itself.
The influx of Chinese and Indian immigrants that transformed the whole country into a truly multiracial nation, together with the races of Sabah and Sarawak make Malaysia what it is today - truly Asia!.
There are enough, well-balanced, sensible and sensitive Malaysian historians who
will be able to write and relate events objectively without stirring up emotions, tensions and fear.
How can the young be proud when they do not know about their past, and bury the grave of a founder in moss?
For a start, the Penang Govern- ment can restore and maintain Sir Francis
Light’s grave.

Dr K.H. Sng,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Logging and mining go on in the Philippines Despite devastation caused by floods Philippine Inquirer, Friday 16 October 2009

Last September 26, some 334 millimeters of rainfall in a matter of hours submerged 80 percent of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.
We saw the worst flooding in 40 years.
Sadly, storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” were just a taste of how climate change would impact on our country.
They showed us that we are the most vulnerable yet are the least prepared.
We are thankful that Pepeng spared Metro Manila and surrounding areas still reeling in Ondoy’s aftermath.
Ondoy left behind more than 200 people dead and caused extensive damage to agriculture and public and private infrastructures.
Tens of thousands are now homeless, living in packed temporary shelters,
dependent on food donations and with only a vague idea of what their future would be.
The devastation caused by Ondoy would not have reached such a magnitude if the right social system were in place: there would be no shanties on river banks, there would be no housing subdivisions on natural catch-basins, there would be adequate shelter for all, there would be comprehensive disaster response plans, there would be sufficient social protection encompassing such natural disasters.
But even before Ondoy, half of the 90 million Filipinos were already languishing below the poverty line.
The recent devastation is bound to worsen the economic situation.
We are aware that such calamities are not entirely of natural causes.
They are, to some extent, nature’s revenge against a social system that encourages greed, disrespects nature and disregards people’s general welfare.
Logging, urban congestion, irresponsible disposal of industrial waste, clogged esteros and brazen disregard of land-use plans by the so-called development companies have made
Metro Manila and surrounding towns utterly vulnerable to typhoons and floods.
I am saddened because there are so many people still missing and yet logging and mining go on.
This must stop.
We need to take stock of the lessons we have learned and put them to good use. We must have a total logging ban, protect our remaining forests and embark on a
massive reforestation program.
We must help each other combat climate change.
We must stop converting forests and farm lands into building sites.
We must have environmental education at all academic levels.
We must all know about the environment and prioritize it.
We must stop polluting our lands and waters.
We must segregate and recycle waste.
We must be ready for the worst.
We must use eco-friendly material and not plastic.
For the future generation of our children, we must act now.
Before it’s too late.

Roy A. Calforforo,
Board of director and environmental program coordinator
People’s Alternative Study Center for Research and Education in Social Development (Pascres),
Quezon City,
Philippines

Captain's oath does not assure safety Says retired Philippine captain The Philippine Inquirer, Thursday 15 October 2009

A ship sinks for causes other than an “act of God” but captains on the dock readily blame it on the Lord Almighty.
The following observations may be worth looking into in the light of recent sea
tragedies, before we lose more lives and ships at sea:
Some of our domestic shipping companies operate second-hand cargo-passenger vessels that have been refitted with additional decks to accommodate more passengers.
The original architectural designs of these ships have specific constants that determine their stability and trim.
Any alteration in a ship’s architectural design will have a critical effect on its seaworthiness.
Most of the inter-island ships we lost were cargo-passenger vessels.
When cargo such as container vans and vehicles are not properly lashed and secured, they can move around in the cargo hull below.
The cargo can then tilt a ship, thereby capsizing her.
Excess passengers on these large cargo-passenger vessels can hardly cause
them to sink, but the mishandling of cargo can.
It may not be feasible for some of our shipping companies to operate passenger
liners that do not serve as cargo vessels, but they can have separate schedules for passengers and cargo, especially during peak seasons.
This may seem costly, but what could be more costly than lives and property lost, and how much would it cost to remunerate their survivors?
Allowing a cargo-passenger vessel to set sail merely on the captain’s oath—that is, a Master’s Oath of Safe Departure (MOSD) is like riding one of those dilapidated buses driven by a tricycle driver who, before starting the engine, assures his passengers:
“You’re safe, trust me.”
Unlike the Philippine Medical Association, the associations for deck officers and marine engineers do not have the power to sanction a member for incompetence or immorality.
And, as it is, the Philippine Coast Guard, through its Board of Marine Inquiry, can
only investigate a sea mishap and submit its recommendations to the Professional Regulation Commission for the suspension or cancellation of the license of an officer found liable.
So far, from the numerous sea disasters we have had, we have yet to hear of a
captain or a deck officer whose license has been suspended or canceled.

Rey S. Trajano,
Retired PCG captain,
Manila,
Philippines

Sinking South Pacific coral atolls Cannot be stopped by cutting CO2 emissions The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 14 October 2009

South Pacific coral atolls are by-products of volcanism.
First a volcanic island emerges from the ocean floor.
Then, corals begin to grow all around the island to form coral reefs.
Finally, the volcanic island begins to sink by subduction and goes completely under water, leaving only a ring of coral islands visible above water.
Such a ring of coral islands is called a coral atoll.
It's existence implies that somewhere in the middle of the atoll is a sinking volcanic island because the atoll could not have formed otherwise.
The atoll itself remains above water as long as the rate of sinking does not exceed the rate of coral growth and begins to go under water otherwise.
The Carteret Islands in the South Pacific are coral atolls.
That some of these atolls are sinking and becoming inundated by seawater is a
tragic but natural event having to do with geological forces beyond our control. These events are not caused by carbon dioxide and they cannot be modulated in any way by cutting CO2 emissions.
In fact, these are not climate events.
People who abandon sinking coral atolls for higher ground are therefore not "climate refugees" and their plight has nothing whatsoever to do with our consumption of fossil fuels.
The continued attempt to link these events is inconsistent with what we know about coral atolls and with the observation that all atolls are not affected as would have been the case had rising sea levels been the cause.

Cha-am Jamal,
Thailand

 

Papua New Guinea wants More equitable distribution of mining The National, Tuesday 13 October 2009

I read with interest three letters about the proposed amendments to the Mining,
Oil and Gas Acts in The National on Tuesday 6 October 2009..
It is my personal opinion that Parliament must pass the proposal so that
landowners are empowered to become real resource owners.
This will give them a say in the exploitation of the resource and compensate them adequately for the destruction to their environment and way of life.
Misima, Ok Tedi and Bougainville are examples of unjust exploitation and massive
destruction.
I agree that amendments will have bearings on other related legislations.
They must be worked out in a coherent manner.
Maybe we should just amend the Mining Act first and leave the Oil and Gas Act
till later.
Whatever the case, we cannot rush.
Most resource owners are responsible people.
We are not trying to scare investors away, nor are we greedy.
We only want a fair distribution of benefits.
Some time ago, Sir Julius Chan made an audit of benefits derived from mining and
he was astounded to find that under the current legislation, landowners get only
a mere 2.25 percent
This is ridiculous.
What we want to see is a more equitable distribution, taking into account the
rest of Papua New Guinea through the National Government, provincial governments, LLGs, developers and landowners.
What I suggest is the following – State 20 percent at cost; developers 40 percent at cost; provincial government 10 percent at cost; LLGs within impact areas 5 percent at cost; resource owners 20 percent free carried interest; and future generation trust fund 5 percent free carried interest.
North Fly MP Boka Kondra said the proposal was the result of massive destruction
to the Fly River system with hardly any tangible benefits to the people. Their
food source, land, ecosystems,etc, have been destroyed.
You might sing differently if your land is affected.

Yandera Asples,
Madang,
Papua New Guinea

Palestinians were to be intergrated Against their will The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 12 October 2009

In addressing, and assessing, the unfavourable reports regarding Israel's murderous incursion into Gaza, we are confronted by the timeless riddle of -"What came first, the chicken or the egg"?
Surely, what we are desperately asking is -"Who were permanently settled on this contentious site first"? and "Who, legally, retains the moral rights to this land"? British Hansard reports that, in 1917, Arthur Balfour, British Foreign Secretary, instigated legislation establishing the premise of a "Jewish homeland in Palestine . . and that nothing shall be done which may prejudice civil and religious rights of non-Jewish communities in Palestine . . ."
The1922 census estimated that there were 650,000 Arabs peaceably domiciled within the country with some 85,000 Jews.
At this time, according to British parliamentary records the Palestinians, though long established majority residents, were to be 'integrated' into the Zionist state of Israel - against their will.
Now, in modern parlance, there is a disreputable name for this sort of forced relocation- depending upon who it is transcribing the 'historical facts'.
And so just who, indeed, do we concede is the 'chicken' and who is the 'egg'? Apparently the solution to this ongoing dilemma is clear to the probing investigations of Richard Goldstone, Jewish head of the UN Fact -Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict who states that "Israel's leaders are behaving contemptuously "ignoring specific allegations by simply launching a broadside - and shooting the messenger".
The Zionist infiltration and domination of the major world wide private and public institutions allows these crimes against humanity to proliferate beyond conscientious control.
And, in passing, does it not seem significant, and timely, that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the US President Barack Obama coincides with his decision to delay the timetable for the cessation of Jewish construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian territories?
So, in the final analysis, it would seem that time and The Torah (together with their fellow travellers) do not combine to promote compassionate change in the human condition.
Indeed, it simply reinforces the gathering international concept that 'every man has his price' and that 'the ends justify the means’.
Surely, a sad commentary on the parlous state of 'man's' social (and religious) evolution?

Harry A. Boniface,
Queensland,
Australia

The problem with palm oil Is the plantations The Jakarta Post, 11 October 2009

The palm oil industry is in denial and in a panic. See "Green groups
misinformed about palm oil, says report," The Jakarta Post, October 10.
It knows
the industry is responsible for the deaths of thousands of orangutans, tens of
millions of other wildlife forms, and logging - both legal and otherwise, on an
industrial scale throughout all of Kalimantan and Sumatra.
Of this, there is not a single doubt. It is now time for the industry to stop trying to deny the undeniable truth.
Trying to misrepresent the motives of NGOs will win the industry no friends in
either the public or political arenas.
The truth will win in the end and the public will decide with their credit cards and checkbooks, as they have done so massively with Fair Trade products, whether or not they want palm oil in their homes or cars.
No one I know is opposed to palm oil.
It is a very versatile oil and we all need and consume it.
The problem is not palm oil, but the methods used to develop and manage plantations throughout Indonesia and Sarawak.
To visit Kalimantan, Sumatra or Sarawak is to witness the catastrophic decimation of wildlife, forests, local communities, and rivers polluted with insecticides.
The scene resembles and feels like a Klondike gold rush, with palm oil companies
grabbing what forest they can, whilst they can and, before a competitor does.
Countless documentaries have shown thousands of hectares of bare land, where
palm oil companies have bought a license to log a forest and convert the land to
a plantation.
Once the forest is logged, many companies vanish with their quick profits from
logging, leaving the land bare, only to start again under a new name not far
away, time and again.
Does World Growth chairman Alan Oxley honestly believe the BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, etc are all wrong with what they have filmed and reported?
In Sarawak, there have been innumerable reports of this same industry denying
indigenous tribes their rights to their land.
Although less reported, the same happens in Indonesia.
Alan Oxley claims NGOs are opposed to poor people improving their lives, when the truth is exactly the opposite.
In Indonesia, there are countless NGOs trying to help indigenous people improve
their lives, which sometimes means helping them, at their request, defend their
ancestral forests from the land-grabbing palm oil companies.
Any NGO brave enough to help tribes people repel loggers making way for palm oil plantations in Sarawak runs a very serious risk to their personal safety.
Only if and when the palm oil industry get out of denial will they begin to see
the wood for the trees and start to address the real causes of the problems,
rather than attempt to denigrate NGOs who expose this industry for what it is,
arguably the most environmentally destructive in the world.

Sean Whyte,
London

Timor Leste no holiday paradise For East Timorese The Jakarta, Saturday 10 October 2009

This is a comment on a news report titled 'East Timor falls in UN development
rankings,' in The Jakarta Post October 6.
Timor Leste has one of the highest rates of foreign assistance in the world, at more than US$8,000 per person.
Roughly $8.7 billion has been spent by the United Nations, foreign donors and
the Australian military over the past decade.
That is exactly where the problem lies.
The Timorese are not sufficiently involved in the development of their own
country.
Development initiatives are taken by others who do not have a long-term
stake in the country.
The myriad of foreign aid agencies, NGOs and do-gooders all have their own agenda.
Timor Leste has become a do-gooders' holiday paradise, as is so evident from the nightlife in Dili!
The Timorese do not need to be told how to grow their food crops or vegetables
or coffee.
They have done so successfully for decades but now start to depend on
handouts while being marginalized.
Besides, the Timor Leste government is not able to coordinate what is going on
with many programs overlapping or even duplicating each other.
If I were in a top decision-making position in Dili, I would send most NGOs home
and curtail development aid and concentrate on multilateral assistance through
the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to not only help develop programs, but also implement them through the private sector.
Treat it as a business!
The Timorese can manage their own country very well, but have succumbed to the typical "take over a country" syndrome brought on by the "development aid community".
Shame!

Jose Dinoy,
Kupang,
East Nusa Tenggara

Imported luxury cars on Jakarta streets But no money for earthquake victims Jakarta Post, Friday 9 October 2009

Several days ago I read a news report saying that a government minister and a
senior member of the Golkar Party had openly pledged to set up a Rp 1 trillion
trust fund for Golkar to help them win elections in the future if they make him
their leader.
But up to now, I haven't read anything about a one trillion rupiah fund, from Bakrie or anyone else, to help earthquake victims in Padang and West Java.
It seems that when power and prestige are at stake, Indonesia's political and
financial elite are able to find massive sums of money to further their
ambitions.
There is certainly no shortage of personal wealth available here, as evidenced by the ever-increasing number of Bentleys, Ferraris, Porches, Hummers
and Lamborghinis that are visible on the streets of Jakarta these days.
People who are members of the financial elite seem to care so much about power
and money that when opportunities to get more power and money present
themselves, massive amounts like one trillion rupiah can suddenly become
available.
But when it comes to providing much-needed humanitarian assistance for fellow citizens, the same voices are never heard.
Although, if this was still election campaign season, then there would be up to 40 political parties at the disaster area, handing out food and T-shirts with candidates' faces on them, and money would flow like water. Unfortunately, campaigning is over.
And the government seems determined to do everything as slowly and
bureaucratically as possible.
For example, I saw on the news that one regent refused to release aid which was piling up in his office unless victims could show documentation from their neighborhood chief presumably to prove that they were residents and that their houses had been destroyed.
I wondered how an earthquake victim would get the necessary letters if the local chief himself was also buried under the ruins of his house.
Many countries are lining up to send assistance to the victims in Padang, and
that is both desperately needed and gratefully accepted.
But the wealthier citizens of Indonesia are capable of doing so much more themselves.
Unfortunately, they probably won't.
A majority of well-off people I have seen in Jakarta is so full of self-interest it almost seems to be a cultural obsession to take care of yourself above all else and do as little as possible to help others.
Or at least, help others a little bit as a token gesture without sacrificing too much, so that you can still live in excessive luxury.
Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of larger-than-life
individuals, who were less concerned with lives of excessive luxury and more
concerned with how they could be of service to others, for the benefit and the
betterment of all mankind.
Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa are just a few examples.
If only we had such people living here in Indonesia to set an example to others, then there might be fewer Hummers on the streets of Jakarta and more free public kitchens in Padang right now.
Realistically, we can expect that aid will slowly arrive, some people will live,
some will die, some will survive and become beggars because they are now
destitute or physically disabled, and the whole country will forget and focus
their attention once again on which TV stars are getting divorced.
At least until the next natural disaster occurs, and then everyone will care again for a few minutes before their favorite soap operas and celebrity gossip shows start.
And the people with wealth and power in Jakarta will also quickly forget, and
will refocus their attention on a very a difficult decision:
"Shall I buy another Bentley or a Ferrari this time?"
And life will go on as usual.
Welcome to Indonesia.
See you next natural disaster, when the comments above will be repeated, as nothing will have changed.

Gene Netto
Jakarta,
Indonesia

It's not easy to change Thai military culture Nation, Thursday 8 October 2009

Great minds are wasting their time and effort in discussing and negotiating
constitutional amendment.
Since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has had 18 military coups in 77 years.
That's approximately one coup every four years.
Every time there is a coup, the constitution is literally rescinded by brute force. Hence in the same time period, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions.
Until the culture of military influence and interference is ended, the best
constitution imaginable cannot help Thailand.
For example, the consultation and drafting process in the lead-up to the 1997 Charter used the world's 'best practice', and was lauded internationally by academics.
Yet that constitution was criticised more than a number of times by ex-prime minister Thaksin, and subsequently confined to the dust bin of history by the 2006 coup participants.
Constitutions do not have magical powers.
Thailand needs to concentrate instead on improving its political culture and institutions, such as continuing with its considerable recent effort to follow the rule of law and operate an impartial legal system; public campaigns and education with broad political party support to foster a non-political military; and learning to use elections as often as necessary to resolve political crises rather than coups. Obviously none of these tasks are easy, particularly changing military culture.

Simon Wood,
Chiang Mai,
Thailand

Indonesian government responsible For deathtrap buildings The Jakarta Post, Wednesday 7 October 2009

Good news that the government proposes to assist financially with reconstruction
"Govt to give financial aid to quake victims", in The Jakarta Post, October. 3, but it is now that the people so desperately need help - food, water, emergency
repairs.
Why wait until November?
Cash in hand today to buy necessities would help relieve the suffering.
We can only hope that all levels of government are now fully cooperating and coordinating in an all-out effort to help the people of the Padang region in their time of need.
That is not the picture painted in the media, but I hope that nothing less than
a superhuman effort is now underway.
And let's hope the government's compensation offer is managed better than the Lapindo scandal.
Now that Vice President Jusuf Kalla has put the reconstruction of Padang on the agenda there are three vital questions that must be asked and honestly answered.
Given the repeated warnings by seismologists that Padang was a high risk for a
major earthquake, what did the three levels of government do to prepare for the
inevitable disaster?
For example, were public buildings like schools and hospitals constructed to earthquake-resistant standards?
Have we not learned anything from the repeated earthquakes along the south and
west coasts of Java and Sumatra about the type and standard of building
construction that contributes to the high death toll and building damage?
Will the government provide sound advice and assistance to the people to avoid
rebuilding "deathtrap" buildings using the same flawed construction methods?
One thing that strikes you when you examine the photos of damaged modern
buildings is the extent of clay brick construction with no steel reinforcement.
Indeed, broken concrete pillars showed little or no reinforcement rods, let
alone the heavy-duty rods that should be in use throughout earthquake-prone
areas.
I have observed the construction of low-rise buildings elsewhere in Indonesia
and have been appalled at the irresponsible and shoddy construction.
A lot could be learned from the Japanese who long ago adapted their house construction methods to minimize the loss of life and building damage in the event of
earthquakes.
I suggest the Indonesian government should urgently call upon the help of Japanese advisors to offer some guidance in the rebuilding of Padang.
One sobering thought which should guide us is that, as sure as night follows
day, there will be future earthquakes right along the west coast of Sumatra,
Padang included.
No better time to plan for those eventualities than now when we see our mistakes revealed in a devastated city.
Failing to plan the rebuilding of Padang is planning to fail.
Again.

Nairdah,
Sydney,
Australia

The giant Mekong catfish Should stay in the Mekong The Star, Tuesday 6 October 2009

The Consumer Association of Penang or Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is outraged by the proposal of the Terengganu Mentri Besar to bring the Mekong giant catfish to Tasik Kenyir.
There is one thing that is of greater value than our own recreation and that is
maintaining the integrity of the lake’s ecosystem and the balance of the native
species which cannot be duplicated or replaced.
To alter these systems for our pleasure is not only thoughtless and selfish, it will also be disastrous.
In the promotion of sport fishing, the Terengganu state government has opted to
stock Tasik Kenyir with fish species that are both attractive and exciting to
fishers.
The species that has got environmentalists and several quarters worried is none other than the Mekong giant catfish.
But the Mentri Besar has remained nonchalant to the voices of the NGOs.
Refuting the argument of environmentalists that waterways should contain only native species, he pointed out that the government had done its homework to bring the giant catfish as an attraction for fishing competitions.
He further added that it is not an invasive species.
Recreational impacts and economic costs associated with invasive species can be
substantial if they do become a problem.
Control measures are often very expensive and difficult to implement.
While other countries are spending millions of dollars to get rid of invasive
species, the state has instead introduced alien species into our environment.
A non-native animal may survive better than a native, not only because it has no
natural enemies in the new environment but also because it grows more quickly or
in less favourable conditions than natives.
Furthermore, as the giant catfish is listed as a critically endangered species,
the World Conservation Union has called for its protection in its natural
habitats and for it not to be brought in for the pleasure of fishing
enthusiasts.

S. M. Mohd Idris,
President,
Sahabat Alam, Malaysia,
Consumer Association of Penang,
Penang,
Malaysia

Thoughts about the latest Padang earthquake The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 5 October 2009

Ever since the Great Sumatran Earthquake in 2004, I have harboured and expressed concern about Padang’s future.
The city seemed/seems almost like ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
That concern is partly from Padang’s local topography, which would amplify effects from any large tsunami.
It also arises from the city’s proximity to the Mentawai Island chain, where there is a stressed tendency towards violent earth movement (as Danny Natawidjaja has clearly pointed out).
Finally, during the past decade, motor vehicle activity has increased many-fold in Padang, and, at least esoterically but with historical evidence, I believe that vehicular vibrations can induce an earthquake - as a ‘straw that breaks a camel’s back’:
In considering that, I often entertain a notion that, were there a sealed motorway around the coastline of Iceland, we might soon have a second moon.
The two recent large recent earthquakes (M8.0 in Samoa on 29th September 2009, and M7.6 near Padang on 30th September 2009) both closely followed an M6.0 quake near Macquarie Island on 23rd September, and there may be a causative link between polar rift-quakes and tropical subduction events.
The past M9.0 Great Sumatran Earthquake of December 2004 closely followed an M8.0 Macquarie Island quake, and when reading about the event near Macquarie Island on 23rd, I wondered if there would be a ‘twinned’ knock-on effect through the tectonic boundary reticulum, such as might express somewhere in the Mentawai Island chain.
My concerns are deepened by Kerry Sieh (Singapore; reported here on 3rd October), who predicts and warns that there may be an even greater tremor in the vicinity of Padang in the near future.
The summer season has reached the Antarctic, so the global warming factor that evidently encourages Antarctic rift quakes is now beginning to take effect.
So, a further event also seems likely as the Antarctic summer develops in relation to potential knock-on effects from associated increases in the postulated, tectonic scissor-stress accompanying the process of terrestrial oblation.
So, for my part I shall be closely watching (albeit distantly!), for significant Macquarie Island rift-quakes between now and next April, as I feel a larger one of those might provide a 3-7 day warning for the large tremor that Kerry Sieh feels is likely to eventuate off the coast of Sumatra near Padang.
With the possibly-seasonal revival of activity along the Sumatran fault-line, there is also the danger of the triggering of significant volcanic eruptions in the region. Although not yet media-cited as a danger, my own concern in that direction is about Gunnung Kerinci (the largest volcano in Indonesia outside West Irian), which has been showing enhanced activity for some years, and it may be pertinent that the epicenter of the second significant (M6.6) Sumatran quake of this season (on the 1st October), was south of Sungaipenuh, and not very far from G Kerinci.
Right now my own Internet communication with my friends in Padang has been physically interrupted, and I am left to hope and pray that that is the only reason why I am not succeeding communicating with them.

Raymond Groves

Few buildings in Indonesia Built to withstand earthquakes The Jakarta Post, Sunday 4 October 2009

Thousands of people are feared to still be trapped under the rubble of buildings
destroyed by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked West Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon.
West Sumatra's Padang Disaster Task Force chief Dedi Hadinal said Thursday
morning that among the victims were those trapped under the rubble of two-story
buildings and high-rise buildings.
Among them are guests at Hotel Ambacang on Jl. Bundo Kanduang in downtown
Padang, the Damar Plaza market and LIA language course building on Jl. Ketip
Sulaiman, and the Adira Finance office on Jl. Sawahan and BNI bank office on Jl.
Imam Bonjol.
Dedi said 200 guests at Hotel Ambacang were still unaccounted for, and were assumed to be trapped under the hotel's ruins.
He added there were many other victims trapped under the rubble of two-story shop-houses across Padang.
Jakarta will suffer the same fate, as only a few buildings are certified to any
earthquake standards.
Everyone is interested in low cost and low standards, which is driven by
bureaucrats asking for bribes from owners and contractors.
But this is Indonesia.
No one cares.
You have to be mad to live or work in a high-rise building in Jakarta.

John Ralph,
Jakarta,
Indonesia

1 Malaysia accelerated With a six-day work week The Star, Saturday 3 October 2009

The realisation of “1Malaysia” can be accelerated with increased contributions
of those in the government and private sectors.
There is already an enhanced civil service in place led by the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Director-General of Public Service who are very committed.
The only challenge may perhaps be “productivity time”.
Maybe the Cabinet should consider introducing a full six-day work week with half
the workforce on duty every Saturday in all government departments and
commercial banks.
This way, the Government and banking industry can have a longer “work week” to achieve the objectives of a “performance” economy.
Employees can be compensated with an extra two days off monthly, on a rotation
basis lumped with any Sunday, thereby giving them a three-day break every month.
This will also help boost local tourism.
Our Prime Minister’s noble aim deserves every citizen’s full support.
Let’s work with him for our benefit!

Stephen Fernando,
Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia

Human rights, secularism and Islam Are compatible The Star, Friday 2 October 2009

I refer to 'Human rightism vs religion' in The Star, September 22.
I wonder if the writer realises the supreme irony of the final statement in his piece which calls for more open-minded dialogues to foster understanding and harmonious co-existence.
Does he purport to do this by continually caricaturing proponents of human
rights and secularism as nefarious agents determined to undermine the faith of
Muslims and to destroy Islam?
It may come as a surprise to him that several of the fundamental concepts which
underpin modern human rights principles can be traced back to ancient
civilisations, including Muslim civilisations.
A little closer to home, every one of the rights contained within the
Fundamental Liberties section of Malaysia’s Federal Constitution mirrors a
corresponding set of rights to be found within the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR).
Contrary to what the writer says, human rights does not provide for absolute
freedom of the individual – an individual’s freedom is limited at the point
where it would affect the rights of others.
Human rights are also flexible enough to accommodate diverse cultural and
religious practices provided they do not impinge on the core set of rights.
Secularism is a vastly misunderstood concept. It is crucial to distinguish
between secularism as a personal outlook and way of life and secularism as a
form or style of governance. Secularism as an individual outlook may involve a
partial or even a total rejection of organised religion, though not necessarily
God.
On the other hand, secular governance refers to a form of governance that is
devoid of subjective influences. It therefore lends itself easily to promoting
the objective notion of human rights. There are many practising and pious
Muslims who choose to reside in secular democracies.
I am convinced that human rights, secularism and Islam are compatible, provided
that Islam and its tenets are interpreted with compassion.
Let us not forget that compassion and mercy form the two names by which Allah is
most often referred to by Muslims by way of the beautiful phrase
bismillahirrahmanirrahim, which Muslims utter prior to embarking upon any
significant endeavour.
It is thus natural to expect that these values are held dearly by all Muslims,
including scholars of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Yet, how often do we see
these values encompassed in today’s so-called Islamic punishments?
The writer suggests that only the ulama should be permitted to discuss matters
of religion and in support of this he offers the analogy that one should
approach a doctor instead of a layman on advice for a medical problem.
This argument is weak because ulama and doctors are not comparable. With
doctors, one is permitted to seek as many medical opinions as one would like and
subscribe to any or none of them.
That various aspects of Islam are today being debated by all and sundry is a
direct consequence of Islam being thrust into the political arena by
politicians, yet I do not see the writer lamenting this fact.

Umran Kadir,
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates

Penans Are Malaysians The Star, Thursday 1 October 2009

Rencently, the media exposed the many issues faced by the Penans in Sarawak.
But despite the media glare, the authorities seem to be taking their own sweet
time in solving their problems.
Sure, police reports have been lodged, a high-powered delegation of politicians have gone, seen and returned, and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has set up a special committee to look into the matter.
But the results, despite all these efforts, are not so forthcoming.
There is a feeling that the powers-that-be are rather nonchalant.
It is a sad reflection of the prevalent mindset as even Sarawak’s Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing said the Penans are “good storytellers” and their claims should be treated with caution in The Star, August 24.
However, the good minister admits that some logging companies had “behaved badly and caused extensive damage”.
What is missing though is what action the Government will take against these
errant companies?
Surely such companies should, at the very least, be barred from further logging activity until they clean up their act.
Those vested with the authority to protect the rights of the people should take
punitive action so “misbehaving” companies will be made an example of.
No doubt, logging activities will continue due to development pressures.
These activities should be conducted in a manner that does not enrich one party but
give a raw deal to a community.
For instance, logging companies which have built bridges to make transportation
of logs easier should not dismantle the bridges when they have finished logging.
Let the bridges remain as it could be the only access for the indigenous people
to the outside world.
This can be included in the terms of the concession agreement to ensure a particular community is not cut-off from society.
To prevent further confrontations, the relevant authorities should conduct a
survey of traditional and ancestral tribal lands.
With the information at hand, surely logging activities can be conducted in places where there are no claims to be made.
This can save a lot of frustration for the affected communities as well as save costs for logging companies which do not have to pay compensation.
There should be no need to remind anyone that the Penans, and any other
indigenous people, are Malaysians as well.
Just because they live in hard-to-reach places does not mean the authorities and society can close an eye to them.
Efforts to help them cope with the modern world should in fact be doubled to ensure they are not left out in the nation’s quest for Vision 2020.
The troubles these people face should be addressed head-on without a moment’s
delay lest the Prime Minister’s efforts of a 1Malaysia come to naught.
They are Malaysians and should be treated as such.

Aaron Ngui,
Balik Pulau,
Malaysia

Israel should get rid Of its Nuclear weapons The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday 30 Sept 2009

There is surely another answer to the Iran nuclear situation.
George Bush threatened to attack the country.
Israel also threatened attack so it must be obvious the country is defending itself. Israel already has nuclear weapons.
This fact bought to light by an Israeli whistle blower who suffered the consequences of his actions.
The US says Israel can have such weapons but objects to others having them.
The answer may be for the US to insist Israel gets rid of its weapons and stop occupying countries it has no right to, then the US can really put pressure on other countries considering nuclear weapons.

Frank Crichlow,
Carrara,
Queensland,
Australia

US foreign policy Dominated by Zionist controlled White House The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday 29 Sept 2009

Speaking at the rostrum at the UN General Assembly, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez observed that the chamber was not contaminated by the pseudo smell of sulphur as was the case during the Bush administration.
Obviously speaking tongue-in-cheek he was, surely, attempting to make the point that the Obama presidency offered some form of peaceful diplomatic initiative not forthcoming during the tenure of the former 'sabre rattling' White House regime? But, having extended the 'olive branch' of conciliation, President Chavez immediately questioned the credentials of US foreign policies under the auspices of the entrenched dominance of the Zionist controlled White House upper echelons. "Just who is Obama" he asks? -inferring President Obama to be a docile captive of the Zionist/neocon Washington lobby.
He effectively compares his (Obama's) dilemma to that of the late President John F.Kennedy whose assassination followed his alleged intention to limit the delinquent conduct of the US/Zionist banking corporations.
As the G20 meeting presents as an image of a more moral financial coalition,surely, a significant doubt remains while the same 'like-minded-people' who have delivered us a series of wars, recessions and depressions, are directing the present theatrical scenario.
An analogy of the symbol of the once powerful United States of America (now under the subversive control of the Israeli lobby), surely, represents as that of
"the-Zionist-tail-wagging-the-US-dog?
This, apparently, is the tragic price to be paid by any nation steeped in a climate of obsessed arrogance and political apathy.

Harry A. Boniface,
Currumbin
Queenslaand
Australia

‘Extrajudiciary assassinations’ in The Philippines Are better described as ‘Gangland Murders’ The Southeast Asian Times, Monday 28 September 2009

Constructive media attention upon apparently-systematic murders characterising Filipino politics has moved from the mysterious deaths of Journalists to murders of influential Filipino Union activists (see news column; 26th September).
I am unsure that the justification exists for classifying the deaths as ‘extrajudiciary’ - to involve Arroyo’s government’s complicity.
We must remember that she herself elicited international intervention to try to stop the murders.
It would be more accurate to refer to the killings as systematic gangland murders. Arroyo undertakes the unenviable task of steering the direction of The Philippines caught between two extreme and conflicting democratic forces.
On the one hand she needs to placate a ‘democratic’ demand for ‘free enterprise’; whilst on the other, she needs to try to satisfy demands from her grass roots for their ‘human rights’.
Her overall need to pursue an evident, albeit so-divided, democratic course is an implicit condition within her relationship with her selected international mentor – the United States - the country’s most important trading partner and ally.
That alliance endorses and perpetuates that The Philippines; from the point of view of its society history and culture, and despite its Geographical location; should be regarded as a South American, rather than as an Asian, country.
Clearly, ‘private enterprise’ there is ‘winning’ its assumed conflict with ‘human rights’, but this does not mean that Arroyo’s government necessarily fully condones that situation.
After all, in the face of existing military totalitarian influences there that are grounded in Filipino history, she needs to ‘watch her back’; so her policy appears to be one of compromise - involving slowly moving towards solving her country’s serious problems of injustice, rather than adopting a revolutionary stance.
I envisage that the economic pressures of recession, along with insensitive, facile demands from overseas business influences looking for a ‘quick buck’, are leading to an urgent need for Filipino industry to act flexibly and hurriedly to sustain profitable directions of production.
Profiteering business executives high in the hierarchy are probably in consultation their senior business operatives; overseas interest; and their government; yet they appear to destructively buffer themselves from the interests of the ordinary workers who bear the brunt of recession.
It does not take too-detailed an investigation to formulate suspicion that the interests of the workers are being violently suppressed; probably by gangland mercenaries employed by NGOs in their single-minded, blindfolded urge for profit.
In this process, ‘the insignificant people’ are treated as little more than slaves by these profit-mongers; and the assassination of representatives trying to ‘rock the boat’ expresses a total disregard of human rights.
It may be that Arroyo, through her country’s economic vulnerability, is much too compliant towards her American ally.
That is evidenced by her draconian, flamboyant, and aggravating stance against Moslem separatism in the South of her country; her obsession in trying to demonstrate improbable ‘links with Al Quaeda’; and the possible consequential tendency for catholic-based Islam-phobia to overspill influence across the Southern border into Eastern Indonesia.

Raymond Groves

Dismantling of KPK means anticorruption efforts In Indonesia are doomed The Jakarta Post, Monday 28 September 2009

The police have declared two Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia (KPK) deputy chairmen suspects in a case of abuse of power.
Soon they will have to be suspended from their posts at the KPK.
The latest deliberation by the House of Representatives, the Attorney General's
Office and the police to dismantle the KPK's special authority to investigate,
wiretap and prosecute is clear proof that the KPK is fighting a lone battle to
eradicate corruption.
The President's stand in watching this 'due legal process' from the sidelines
and refraining form interfering is quite understandable, given his circumstances.
A personal grudge against the current KPK seems justified.
Furthermore, the KPK, which supported his anticorruption efforts throughout his first term in office, is now being abandoned because his second term in office is already guaranteed.
With this lack of support, there is no other option for the remaining commissioners than to resign and leave the anticorruption efforts to the President and his existing and ineffective law enforcement agencies.
It will be back to business as before.
As already experienced so many times in our history, serious and deliberate
anticorruption efforts are once again doomed.

Soebagjo Soetadji
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Southeast Asia's contraband cigarettes Profitable to British American Tobacco The Star, Sunday 27 September 2009

I refer to “BAT cooperating fully with Govt” in The Star, Sept 17 and wish to
comment on several statements that do not provide an accurate picture of the
reality and is contrary to the international tobacco treaty (FCTC) that Malaysia
has ratified.
Contrary to British American Tobacco’s (BAT) claim, law enforcement is indeed
the responsibility of government authorities only.
According to Article 5.3 of the FCTC, tobacco companies cannot conduct joint programmes with the Government or engage in any activities that will enable the industry to influence public policy.
The current retailer education programme that BAT conducts in cooperation with
the Customs Department is contrary to the guidelines of the FCTC Article 5.3
which Malaysia adopted last year in Durban.
BAT said the smuggling problem arises because criminals exploit the large price
differentials between cigarettes sold in Malaysia and its neighbours.
However, even when there is no tax increase in Malaysia, smuggling of cigarettes remain high and this blows away BAT’s claims.
There are big differences in cigarette prices between Malaysia, Singapore and
Thailand, but it has not stopped the Singapore government from increasing
tobacco tax to ensure that it is not affordable to minors and the poor.
Similarly, the Thai government has increased tobacco tax to 75 percent, which is much higher than in Malaysia.
Tobacco smuggling is a law enforcement issue.
For example, in 2004 when the authorities introduced the security ink on cigarette packs, smuggling was reduced from 20 percentto 14 percent, emphasising that international anti-smuggling measures and law enforcement is key to addressing smuggling.
BAT claims the illegal cigarettes have deteriorated from one out of four, to one
out of three in less than a year.
These are industry figures, and who knows how accurate they really are.
Such statistics thrown around by tobacco companies need to be verified by the Customs Department.
If anything, BAT’s statistics show its joint programme with the Customs
Department launched two years ago is not working.
Worse, BAT’s statistics reflects poorly on the Customs Department’s ability to curb smuggling.
It is time for the authorities to stop this collaboration and implement FCTC
Article 5.3.
BAT’s own internal documents now made public reveal that the company was
involved in tobacco smuggling.
Articles have been published in international journals illustrating this.
The articles reveal contraband cigarettes have been profitable to BAT operations for over two decades.
It serves the authorities well to focus on smuggling as a law enforcement issue
and not be distracted by BAT’s tactics to discourage tax increase.
I urge the authorities to apply FCTC Article 5.3 and terminate the joint programme with the tobacco industry and raise tobacco tax to ensure cigarettes are beyond the reach of children and the poor.
As a longer term strategy, I endorse Malaysia’s active participation in the
negotiations on the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and hopefully
Malaysia can ratify the Protocol to facilitate better law enforcement to arrest
illicit trade on tobacco.

Dr Mary Assunta,
Senior Policy Advisor,
South-East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance.

Indonesian children beg During Ramadan The Jakarta Post, Saturday 26 September 2009

I took a short drive after breaking my fast, and I was so disturbed by a little girl, five years of age, holding a new born baby, who stood in front of my car
in the middle of chaotic and congested traffic on Jl. Fatmawati in South Jakarta, two days before Idul Fitri.
I was stunned.
I put on the hand break, and could not stop crying at seeing the picture in front of me.
It was a baby, holding a new born human baby!
A human baby.
I was even shivering to find there was not just one girl and a baby, there were three or even four of them.
What in heaven's name was going on?
I realized how poverty has long been an issue.
However, forcing children and toddlers to become beggars is definitely an indication of the failure of a state - my beloved country - to protect and nurture its next generation.
I cannot imagine how those girls and kids felt - vulnerable for long hours, tired, abused and intimidated for long hours in the congested pollution of Jakarta.
This is a gross violation of children's rights.
I do not expect the President to get up in front of a camera telling the nation
we have a peaceful and prosperous country.
And I can't help my anger at parents who force their children to beg.
This is physical and psychological cruelty.
I am certain it is voluntary work for babies to beg.
It was definitely under repression.
Ironically, this happened during the Ramadan month when everybody is asked by
God to take care of others.
Ironically it also happened under the noses of police officers stationed not even eight meters from them.
I texted and sent some messages about this to friends, and received different
responses.
One abstained.
One, who happened to be female, was sympathetic.
But another one said it was a systemic issue that is difficult to resolve and that
we cannot blame the government or the President.
I trembled at the fact that the Constitution was not really planted in the minds of Indonesia's best citizens.
I have cried a lot in recent nights - not for the romanticism of Ramadan, but for
the fact that I have lost all the dignity I have.
I have been working as one who thinks that development could help people, and I still believe this.
I voted in the last election.
I paid my taxes.
However, I was so weak and hopelessly expecting to have someone in the country to be my leader, to be my country's leader, to be my role model, to be my hero, to think and rethink the Constitution.
The Constitution is a social contract between the state and society, to protect
all citizens; to protect all children, educate them and to put them in peaceful
households.
The child beggars I saw were only five minutes from the house of Kak Seto, the
chairman of the National Commission on the Protection of Children.
It was in Pondok Indah, considered to be an area of the "haves", the elite and the bold and the beautiful.
But I believe this sort of thing is not unique to Pondok Indah.
Other areas of Jakarta and big cities may have tons of similar cases.
We can't expect the children of Indonesia to all go to school when many of them
are on the streets.
Forget the MDGs.
How can I expect a report saying that all is fine for achieving basic education, and the net enrollment rates reaching almost 100 percent, if there are still kids holding babies, while begging.
They must work long hours.
They must hand over almost all their money to parents or guardians or whoever who claims to be protecting them.
They live apart from their families, suffer particularly poor living conditions and are definitely denied education.
Their poverty and vulnerability have been seen by people not as something to be protected, but more a potential area to be exploited.
That morning I drove through the same area, and dropped by at Cilandak Town
Square (CITOS), and came across several girls - the same girls who I'd seen at
the traffic lights last night, standing up along fences in front of the town
square.
A woman was chatting with them, and she seemed know the kids well.
I felt like I was going to explode from my car seat.
My friends, even best friends, always charge me for being one who needs anger management.
Can anybody not be angry to see children who do not have a future?
Here is a call for everybody to think about the next generation.
Can we derive meaning from Ramadan beyond just not eating for the whole month?

Leya Cattleya
Jakarta,
Indonesia

Officials quick to take money At Bali airport The Jakarta Post, Friday 25 Sept 2009

I have recently returned from the latest of many trips to Indonesia since 1967.
I am concerned about the increasingly poor welcome tourists are receiving at
Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali.
While aware of the corruption charges against 44 Immigration employees at the airport in the Visa on Arrival scandal, I am more concerned here with the delays in processing new arrivals.
The day I arrived by Garuda from Sydney, on Aug. 13, it took five minutes to be
relieved of the US$25 VoA fee, but 1 hour 45 minutes in the immigration queue to
have my passport stamped.
Only one of the four desks in each queue was manned although several jumbo jets had landed at once.
Newly arrived tourists, after long hours of travel, were forced to stand for at least two hours.
This gives a very poor impression to the tourists that Indonesia wants to
encourage.
I have experienced this situation many times before and friends have complained of similar delays.
With the collection of vast sums from VoA fees surely Immigration could employ more staff and give the tourists the warm welcome for which Bali used to be renownde.

Toni Pollard
Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia

Sabah's coal fired power plant And the Kyoto Protocol The Star, Thursday 24 September 2009

I note Sabah’s intention to set up a coal-fired power plant in the state’s east
coast.
I hope the Environment Impact Agency will study the pros and cons thoroughly before deciding on such a project.
The main drawback to this proposal is pollution.
Burning coal produces more carbon dioxide than burning oil or gas.
Carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global warming.
Furthermore, it produces sulphur dioxide that causes acid rain.
Sulphur dioxide may be reduced by modern technology but carbon dioxide cannot.
Coal plants also produce carbon monoxide which can cause death.
They spew mercury into the air and pollute our lakes and rivers; mercury moves up the food chain and people eating fish get their brains damaged.
For example, fish in Lake Michigan and all Illinois waterways being contaminated
with mercury have forced the authorities to issue warnings to all to limit their
fish intake.
What is generally not well known is that burning coal releases naturally
occurring radioactive substances, mainly uranium and thorium, which in Punjab,
for instance, has caused birth defects in children.
Coal mining damages the landscape.
Coal-fired plants need vast amounts of fuel which necessitates train loads of coal continuously.
This in turn translates into the need to cover acres and acres of land of the surrounding area with piles of coal.
The eco system will be affected negatively by the impact of the noise generated
by noisy equipment, as will local wildlife.
We must not forget that we supported the Kyoto Protocol, signed on March 12,
1999, and ratified and accepted on September 4, 2002.
The implementation of this project may contradict our policy.
We must think renewable energy systems.

Dr A. Soorian,
Seremban.
Malaysia

Give Thai Prime minister Abhisit A break Nation, Wednesday 14 September 2009

When did we last have a prime minister with such eloquence and modesty?
Well, by my account, it has been far too long since such a humble personality was in the political arena.
Since taking office on the 17th of December last year, Prime Minister Abhisit
Vejjajiva has pretty much outwitted all his predecessors in terms of aura, flair
and |persona.
The way he relates to the people around him - be it his associates,
subordinates, media, people and even his opposition - he has done it with
genuine intentions and nothing short of elegance.
Though he stepped up to assume this position at a most gruelling time one might
say, I would say he has scored more points than anyone could have done.
Faced with some momentous turning points domestically and the global economic
recession, he has a lot on his plate right now.
To bring Thailand out of this mess and prosper, I could not find anyone more
fitting for the job.
His credentials and eminence practically speaks for itself.
As he confronted waves of criticism from the opposition on policies and
procedures, I think he is ever more determined and motivated to do things right
for the public and the country.
Let's give this charismatic figure a break.
I believe with all the right intentions, our Prime minister is having a tough time, tenfold more than ordinary people like us.
He deserves to be treated with respect and its only a matter of time before he
can solve all these critical issues and lead us all to a brighter future.

Sirinthra Malhotra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Philippines government broadcaster Ignores People Power revolution and Cory Aquino funeral Philippine Inquirer Tuesday 22 Sept 2009

I was not surprised that my son, who is 12 years old, did not know much about Tita Cory or Edsa 1 or martial law.
However, I was totally taken aback to learn that many of his teachers who are in
their mid-20s didn’t either.
Indeed it is difficult for anyone who did not live through the horrors of martial law to truly appreciate the miracle that was Cory Aquino and Edsa 1.
It was therefore quite instructive when, on August 3, the government television
stations totally ignored the tens of thousands of people who poured out into the streets to watch the transfer of Tita Cory’s remains to the Manila Cathedral as a way of expressing their grief and bidding her a loving farewell.
Government lackeys in the time of Marcos tried to conceal the fact that millions joined Ninoy’s funeral by blocking off media coverage of the event, choosing instead to highlight in the Marcos controlled press the banner story “Lightning kills 1.”
The current lackeys last August 3 chose to air instead Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address, which was delivered on July 27, 2009.
I used this event to teach my son how things will be under a dictatorship; it should serve as a reminder to all of how things will be if we forget the ideals that Tita Cory fought for, and allow anyone to usurp power for herself or himself, of course.

Emm Martinez
Manila
Philippines

Sellers market for Indonesian Maids In Malaysia The Star, Monday 21 September 2009

Those who complain about the RM800 minimum wage for Indonesian maids should not be dependent on maids to do their work but should re-plan their lifestyle to
take care of their own domestic needs.
I wonder how they would react if their employers decided not to give them
increments or bonuses because the company could not afford it, and reduced their
salaries, and increased their working hours to 16 or more hours, all of which
maids are being subjected to.
In my area there are employers who make their maids work from 5am to 11pm and
their duties include washing the cars of all the family members who live in two
different houses.
Five years ago Indonesians needed jobs and they accepted what was offered as it
was a buyers’ market.
Today the situation has changed.
It is now a sellers’ market and the Indonesians can demand better terms.
It may be noted that Filipino maids cost over RM1,200 a month and maids from
India cost about RM1,800 plus accommodation, food, etc.
There are some bad maids but then there are also bad employers.
For those who have had bad experiences, why are they still looking for maids?
Women should evaluate what they gain and what they lose when they outsource
their duties to maids.

Gursharan Singh
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Malaysia's syariah law is farcical When it comes to alcohol consumption The Star, Sunday 20 September 2009

There are some aspects of the caning case that baffle me “Syariah judge stands
by his caning decision” in The Star, September 16.
It is confusing when the Sya­riah law is not standardised throughout the
country.
What’s good for one must be good for the others, too.
It is to say that Muslims who drink in the other states - Perak, for instance - are not committing as serious an offence there.
Of course, in the eyes of the religion, it is wrong.
But then in the court of public opinion, it must look farcical to have a person tried and punished severely in one state but not in another for the same offence.
Alcohol is alcohol, there are no two ways about it.
The only difference is its potency.
Absinthe has a higher alcoholic content compared to wine or beer, for instance. Spirits, too are more alcoholic.
So how then does the ulamak view tapai?
There is the liquid, which is an alcoholic by-product of rice that has been fermented to produce that delightful Malay dessert.
Is that perfectly acceptable because it is a cultural food that has been consumed by generations of Malays?
If we have to be pedantic about it, the making of bread must also be banned.
In bread baking, fermentation occurs due to a conversion of sugars to alcohol and
carbon dioxide.
This is categorised as alcoholic fermentation.
Are we all going to be caned if we were to eat bread in Pahang?
No.
The syariah law as it stands is farcical if it has variations throughout the country. Either we standardise it, in relation to modern living or we stand to look like fools, if interpretation is varied and divergent.
The judge who ordered the caning previously said caning is not a punishment, but
that it is a lesson.
What then is the punishment?
It is better to educate people about the dangers of alcohol than to whip them,
be it in private or in public.
People like Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno could have been shown the terrible effects of alcoholic consumption or alcoholic poisoning.
She could also have been shown how families have been neglected by alcoholic
parents or she could have been made to help people in alcoholic rehabilitation.
Corporal punishment will only whet the appetites of the sado-masochists in our
society.
Think Afghanistan, when executions are held in the stadiums and the blood-baying crowd displays frenzied excitement whenever a beheading or stoning or hanging is carried out.
Is this what we want our society to become in time?
A people who are moved by blood lust, revenge and violence?
Whipping will only encoura