G20 leaders pledge to cut off financing to curb IS terrorism

The world's 20 most important countries intend to work together to curb "Islamic State" terrorism - not just by direct attacks, but also using financial means. Bernd Riegert reports from the G20 summit in Antalya.

Deutsche Welle, 17 Nov 2015

For the first time in their history, the 20 most important industrial and emerging nations, who together represent two thirds of the world's population, have issued a strong condemnation of international terrorism. Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, the G20 wrote in a joint statement published in Antalya.

In response to the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday and the bombings in Turkey - the G20 host country - in October, the organization's members pledged to do more to combat terrorism, ensure better cooperation among security services and dry up the terror networks' sources of finance. This last point is in fact specifically a G20 task: The organization was established during the international financial crisis in 2008 as a coordination center for business and financial policy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told journalists that the flow of cash to terrorists had to be stopped. She was referring primarily to the group calling itself "Islamic State," which has established governmental structures in parts of Syria and Iraq and collects both taxes and protection money there. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, also taking part in the summit, reminded people that initiatives were already in place to detect and prevent financial activity by terrorist groups on the international financial markets.

France has already made a number of suggestions following the "Charlie Hebdo" attacks in Paris in January, including that terrorists' accounts and assets should be swiftly frozen or seized. The heads of state and government now promise that actions will follow words. European Council President Donald Tusk declared that after the shock of the Paris attacks, things could not continue as before.

G20 members pledged to do more to combat terrorism and dry up the
terror network financing

Support from Saudi Arabia

Experts in the field, as well as many Western secret services, believe that until a few weeks ago finances and supplies were reaching the terrorists of "Islamic State" relatively unimpeded. Its main sources of income are still presumed to be the sale of Syrian and Iraqi oil, as well as ransoms extorted for Western hostages and the proceeds from the sale of relics and antiquities.

Many Western secret services have repeatedly indicated in their reports that for years Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were financing "Islamic State" (IS). These Sunni-dominated countries saw IS as a spearhead against Shiite rivals in the region, such as Iran. Daniel Wagner, the head of a private security analysis company in the US, said it was only after IS started using excessively cruel practices and the financiers themselves felt threatened that they cut back on official funding.

"The monster they helped to create is coming to attack them in their homeland," he wrote in the Huffington Post. However, he said that "a few wealthy individuals in these countries picked up where the governments left off" and continue to fund IS." Following the pledge given in Antalya on Monday, Saudi Arabia could, as a member of the G20, stop them from doing so.

Turkey also plays a significant role as far as supplying IS is concerned. DW reported as early as last year that goods and equipment were being delivered to the IS stronghold of Raqqa by Turkish suppliers. IS is also said to be delivering oil from Syria to Turkey.

The hosts of the G20 could therefore also take action to stop the provisioning of the terrorist army. According to media reports, after Libya collapsed into chaos the United States transported large quantities of arms through Turkey to Syria to arm rebel groups there. Some of these weapons may also have fallen into the hands of IS militants.

Plans for joint military action

Obama and Putin met on the sidelines
of the conference on Sunday

On the sidelines of the G20 summit there appears to have been a thawing of relations between the United States and Russia, the two main military players involved in the bombing of rebels and terrorists in Syria and Iraq. After a spontaneous discussion between the American and Russian presidents on Sunday, a Kremlin spokesman said there had been no breakthrough, but there had been a rapprochement.

The US and Russia did at least agree to better coordinate their parallel air attacks. The US is demanding that Russian bombers, like the forces of the international coalition, attack "Islamic State" positions and installations. The West accuses Russia of also bombing positions of the pro-Western rebels, in support of the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Chancellor Merkel welcomed the proposal to involve the United Nations in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war in Syria. She announced that Germany and Britain would be organizing a donor conference for Syrian refugees in February.

Merkel declined to say whether the German army might also be involved in some way in an intensification of the attacks on IS. "We haven't got that far yet," she said, "so we can't yet foresee what tasks will fall to us." To date, the Bundeswehr has been arming and training Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. Obama had declared, on the sidelines of the summit, that efforts to "eliminate" IS should be redoubled.

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Dutch banks not on top of terrorism financing, money laundering: central bank


2015 Kryon Kundalini Tour (Cusco #2, Peru) - Nov, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New (Reference to Paris/ISIS/Dark-Old Energy/USA+Warning for Governments around the World !!!)

"Revelations of Darkness" - Oct 1, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ .. Do Not Despair

There's too much information to give you in one channelling, in one sitting, so I refer to past messages for you to better understand and reference the information in order to get the bigger picture. So I wish to remind you of something I also told you in a recent channelling called Do Not Despair. You're winning! It's because you're winning that the dark consciousness on this planet is feeling it, and the humanity that represents darkness is pulling out everything it has to survive.

It Has Always Been There

Let's look at it, because it's all over the news. Are you shocked at the sudden existence of the organization that will remain unnamed [for this channelling]? Where did it come from? How could it be so organized? How could it be so well funded? This organization could have its own country soon! They might as well name it, “The Old Energy Dark Country”, for that's what it will represent.

The barbaric past of humanity comes forward to show its face. It has always been there, hiding under the rocks and between the cracks of civilized humanity. It couldn't show itself until now, but now it has to. It's ugly and it's not for the faint at heart, is it, dear ones? Seeing evil personified in Human action is abhorrent. It is so ugly and so dark that you cannot look upon it with a gentle heart. God is not a part of it and this is obvious.

You're winning! Light is winning! The uprising of dark consciousness would not have shown itself with this strength, or this quickly, if this were not so. This is exactly what I told you to look for, and it is proof that those representing this dark consciousness are in trouble. Dear ones, dark consciousness has always had a tried-and-true system. It lurks in the shadows and influences all the power places of the planet - government, commerce, finance. Suddenly, it can't hide there as well anymore and it's out in the open.

Where is the funding coming from? It is coming from a storehouse that has always been there, dear ones. It uses income that has been generated from low consciousness acts, collected for a very long time. Funding didn't just appear. It has been stored, waiting to be used in order to spread fear and darkness to save what they believe is their way.

Who Will Win?

Dear ones, they haven't got a chance! But it looks like they do, doesn't it? Everything that they are doing is calculated to scare you into submission. Are they winning? Now, that's a question I want you to take from here and examine every day.

Fear is black. If you're in fear, there is no light. You can be the grandest Lightworker, or even be the channeller, but if you're in fear, it doesn't matter how many years you've done light work, or how much light you've accumulated personally. It all goes away with fear, and then they've won the battle for your mind. Do you understand this?

The Strength of the Old Soul - YOU

Old souls, Lightworkers reading this, the experiences you have had over lifetimes and lifetimes are incredible! The old soul knows fear. I don't want to be too graphic, but I want you to understand! What was it like when you put your head in the guillotine because you talked about God in a way that was inappropriate? What was it like to be bound hand and foot when they lit the match at your feet? Old soul, that's fear! You carry those experiences in your Akash.

I want to tell you they haven't got a chance to scare you! You absolutely know what fear is, and they haven't got a chance as long as you cling to that part of you that is the strength of God. You've been through it all. That means you've got the weapons of truth, wisdom and light. Don't forget it. Don't forget who you are!

Do you see how fast they assembled? It seemed like only yesterday that there was no organization at all. Where did they come from? Have you noticed a certain hesitancy to fight them? Why is it that the citizens of the lands that they are invading are hesitant to fight them? Instead, these leaders are calling on others to help. Why is it that the others are also hesitant? I want to show you that there are some anomalies of logic that are not making sense, because this is a battle you have never seen before on this planet. We've expected it, but you haven't. It's about consciousness, not land or resources.

How to Win?

We gave you the secret before of how to defeat them without taking even one life: Simply take away their funding. They cannot exist without their funding. The funding has to be organized, stored, and distributed. It has to be generated in such a way that it must also go through institutions. Did you hear that? All you have to do is stop the system. Winning won't be done with bombing. It's going to be done with intelligence, clever thinking and financial forensics. It's time to get smart on some of these things and not to be afraid to look at this puzzle differently than you have before. Do not apply the energy they are using in order to fight them, because you won't win. Figure it out. It's the last bastion of organized darkness and evil thinking on this planet coming together to try to survive the assault of your light. Don't be afraid to look at the funding trail, no matter where it takes you.

Fear is Their Weapon

I want you to know something as you look at your news. It may appear that you are unable to stop them. In many places, they will gain strength as they create fear. The fear is easily created in those who are not old souls and who don't know fear like you do and who don't have the armor of your spiritual experiences. This puts you in the front line, dear one. Did you realize that? But you don't have to go fight them on their terms. All you have to do is broadcast light. High consciousness will beat fear any day.. .”

People's Daily lays out China's motive in founding AIIB

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-03-19

The UK, Italy, France and Germany strain against Uncle Sam's bonds of
"friendship" and "brotherhood" to get at a cake offered by China,
with the word "benefits" on top. (Cartoon/CFP)

An opinion piece published on the official WeChat account of the overseas edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily has outlined the motivation behind Beijing's efforts to set up the Asian Infrastructure Bank (AIIB).

Germany, France and Italy have now followed in the footsteps of the United Kingdom to apply to be founding members of the bank against the advice of the United States, pushing the number of countries taking part in the initiative to 31.

Many international news organizations have interpreted the AIIB as an attempt by Beijing to challenge the status of the US in the international community. The People's Daily commentary said China had no other option but to do so due to the unequal treatment of emerging and developing economies in existing institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

After 2008, the G8 countries — the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia — came to the realization that their "wealthy nations club" was not enough to save them from the effects of the global financial crisis and they needed to include emerging and developing countries, including China, to sort out the crisis, which led to the convening of the G20, the piece said. This had little or no effect on the fundamental manner by which the world economy was governed, as implemented by the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, as the US and the G8 nations were still the dominant voices, the commentary said.

Attempts to reform the IMF in 2010 by giving emerging and developing countries more clout were blocked by the US, which left a gap in representation in the global economy which China believes the AIIB can fill, the piece said.

Other multilateral development funds in Asia have been unable to keep up with development trends in the region and there has long been a need for a new organization to resolve issues with the Asian and Chinese economies, the piece said.

The Asian Development Bank has shown its political colors with the US "Asia Pivot" strategy, the piece said, adding that the bank, founded in 1966 and led by the US and Japan, is in decline and that it is inconsistent in the loans it gives to Asian countries, making it difficult for some of them to get the funds they need.

The piece also said that the AIIB differs from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in terms of its functions, as the latter two are aimed at reducing poverty, whereas the former is aimed at building infrastructure and supporting the social and economic development of Asian nations.

China also likely hopes to benefit financially from regional infrastructural development, including large-scale transnational highways and railway networks, the piece said. China is currently capital rich, but there is not enough demand for infrastructure projects domestically, so infrastructure investments in other Asian countries are a good way to assert its influence in neighboring countries, as well as finding a purpose for surplus funds.

According to Asian Development Bank figures, Asian countries will require around US$8 trillion in infrastructure investment up to 2020, which will provide China with good investment opportunities, according to the article. China has a great deal of experience in infrastructure construction and this will likely mean a good return on investment, the piece said.

If China shares the dividends of its economic transformation it will also improve relations between countries in the region, the piece said. Many countries in the region are undergoing similar reforms to China, but they lack funds, skills and experience, all of which China can help to provide.

The launch of the bank will also lead to the further internationalization of the renminbi, the piece said.

Related Article:

France, Germany, Italy to join China-led infrastructure bank

Narendra Modi : Repatriation of black money, BRICS bank key priorities

India.com, Indo-AsianNews Service, November 15, 2014

Brisbane, Nov 15: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the repatriation of black money kept abroad was a key priority and called for “close coordination” on the issue during an informal meeting of the five-nation BRICS leaders here ahead of the G20. The prime minister told the leaders of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa that “repatriation of unaccounted money kept abroad is a key priority for us”, according to tweets posted by the external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin. Read - Repatriation of black money key priority: Narendra Modi at BRICS

Modi also said that BRICS should set 2016 as the target for the inauguration of the BRICS Bank. The ministry of external affairs, tweeting about the speech, wrote: “At BRICS meet ahead of G-20 PM @narendramodi calls for ‘Close coordination on unaccounted money kept abroad’.”

“Unaccounted money abroad is also linked to security challenges – PM @narendramodi ahead of G-20 Summit in Brisbane,” said the MEA tweet. In his departure statement Nov 11 before leaving on his tour to Myanmar, Australia and Fiji, the prime minister had said that he will highlight the importance of global cooperation against black money at the G20, which kicks off here Saturday.

The informal meeting of BRICS is an event held on the sidelines of the G20. He thanked Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff for hosting the BRICS Leaders’ Meeting and congratulated her on her re-election. Referring to the Sixth BRICS Summit held at Fortaleza, Brazil in July, Modi said it had “delivered – the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement”.

“These signal our collective capacities to create and manage global institutions. These can be effective in promoting sustainable development and bridge infrastructure gaps. We can be more aligned to local conditions and requirements. We should focus on next generation infrastructure,” he said, according to an official statement. He said: “We can promote new models of governance and financing, while maintaining the highest banking standards. We should also make it more participatory and urged towards its early implementation. We propose that we should set the target of 2016 for inauguration of this Bank.”

“We hope to ratify the agreement by the end of the year. We would soon nominate our candidate for the post of the Presidency. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement is also a very timely initiative. ”The work on the Reinsurance pool among BRICS is also a welcome one. We hope that our officials will be able to come up with a concrete proposal by the next year.”

These measures send a strong message to the rest of the world about the efficacy of BRICS. ”Besides these, we have started work on many other proposals that would deepen our relations and enhance our cooperation in all spheres,” he said. On the sidelines of the meeting, Modi warmly shook hands with Rousseff, who won a tough re-election last month, smiled and chatted with Russian President Vladimir Putin who is slated to come to New Delhi next month for the annual summit, and also with Chinese President XI Jinping, who came to India in September.

He also chatted with South African President Jacob Zuma.

Xi Jinping to visit Fiji for meetings with 8 Pacific island state leaders

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-11-14

An illustration shows Xi Jinping's visiting route, Nov. 14. (Illustration/CNS)

Chinese president Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Fiji and collective meeting with leaders from Pacific island countries will be a historical first for China, a senior foreign ministry official said Thursday.

Xi will attend the 9th G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, and pay state visits to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The summit is slated for Nov. 15 and 16 while the state visits are from Nov. 16 to 23.

Assistant foreign minister Zheng Zeguang told a press briefing that China has forged diplomatic ties with eight Pacific island countries, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Niue.

The total land area of the eight countries is 500,000 square kilometers and they comprise more than 1,800 islands. The total population in the region exceeds 8 million.

The countries occupying this area play an important role in the region and in the world, Zheng said.

Speaking highly of the relations between China and the eight countries, Zheng said several of the leaders have recently visited or attended forums or expos in China.

China has expanded cooperation with these countries in areas including economy and trade, agriculture and minerals, said Zheng, adding the total trade volume between China and these countries reached US$4.4 billion in 2013.

"The relations between China and the Pacific island countries are entering the prime time in history and will face more opportunities in the future," said Zheng.

He said China has provided economic and technological assistance within its capability to these countries and was welcomed by the local governments and people.

On the visit to Fiji, the first Pacific island country to forge diplomatic ties with China, Zheng said Xi will meet with leaders and exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern.

Xi will also hold bilateral one-on-one meetings with leaders of the rest of the seven Pacific island countries during his stay in Fiji, said Zheng.

The Chinese president will deliver a speech on China's policy towards Pacific island countries and announce major measures that better bilateral cooperation and support development for the island countries, Zheng said.

He said a series of documents and deals will be signed during the visit, covering areas such as finance, education, training and infrastructure construction.

"I am sure the visit will chart a course for the future development of relations between China and Pacific island countries, and further cement the traditional friendship, " said Zheng.

Obama optimistic on Myanmar democracy despite concerns

Yahoo – AFP, 13 Nov 2014

US President Barack Obama (2-L) shakes hands with Myanmar's President

 Thein Sein at the end of their bilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace in

Naypyidaw on November 13, 2014 (AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan)

US President Barack Obama voiced optimism Thursday that Myanmar was on the right path to democracy despite worrying "backsliding" on its much celebrated reform process.

Obama delivered his cautiously upbeat assessment after holding separate meetings with Myanmar President Thein Sein and a group of lawmakers, which included democracy heroine Aung San Suu Kyi, in the Southeast Asian nation's remote capital of Naypyidaw.

"The democratic process in Myanmar is real," Obama said following his hour-long talks with Thein Sein, a former general who in 2011 ended decades of military rule that had made the country a pariah state.

Hla Myint Oo (L) and Myanmar opposition

 leader Aung San Suu Kyi take part in a

 roundtable meeting with US President

Barack Obama at the Parliamentary

Resource Center in Myanmar's capital

Naypyidaw on November 13,

 2014 (AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan)

"We recognise change is hard and you do not always move in a straight line but I'm optimistic."

Obama was in Naypyidaw for the East Asia Summit, gathering leaders from 18 nations for talks on issues ranging from regional territorial spats to economic integration and fighting terrorism.

But much of Obama's focus on Thursday was on Myanmar's democracy efforts.

Earlier in the day, Obama met

'Backsliding'

the tone for his three-day trip with hard-hitting comments on the pace of reforms in an interview with news website The Irrawaddy published to coincide with his arrival on Wednesday.

"Even as there has been some progress on the political and economic fronts, in other areas there has been a slowdown and backsliding in reforms," Obama said.

"In addition to restrictions on freedom of the press, we continue to see violations of basic human rights and abuses in the country's ethnic areas, including reports of extrajudicial killings, rape and forced labour."

After meeting Thein Sein, Obama again emphasised the democratic process was "incomplete".

He specifically identified the plight of the nation's Muslim Rohingya minority as a concern.

Around 140,000 Rohingya languish in fetid displacement camps in western Rakhine State after religious violence flared two years ago, leaving about 200 dead.

Rohingya are widely viewed as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, even though many in the community say their families have been in Myanmar for generations.

Obama also criticised the failure to make important changes to the constitution ahead of elections next year. One key issue is a clause that bans Suu Kyi from becoming president.

Still, Obama also said there were many reasons to cheer the reform process so far, including the release of political prisoners and an end to the army recruiting child soldiers.

Speaking after meeting Obama, Thein Sein acknowledged there were problems but insisted his government was genuinely trying to reform the country.

Students wearing costumes representing Myanmar's different ethnic groups 

welcome delegates as they arrive for the 25th ASEAN Summit at the Myanmar

 International Convention Center in Naypyidaw on November 13, 2014 (AFP

Photo/Ye Aung Thu)

"We're in the process of addressing these concerns. We definitely need to address these concerns," he told reporters.

Obama has framed Myanmar's reform process as an example of the positive effects of US engagement.

His administration has in recent years made a foreign policy "pivot" towards Asia and -- until now -- Myanmar's democratic steps have been trumpeted as a success for that strategy.

Obama will hold more in-depth discussions with Suu Kyi on Friday in the commercial hub of Yangon, followed by a joint press conference.

Myanmar's government had hoped this week would be a celebration of the nation's democratic achievements, as it welcomed its biggest gathering of world leaders since the reforms began.

Thein Sein hosted the heads of the other nine members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc for an annual summit on Wednesday.

ASEAN was then joined by Obama and leaders from Japan, China, India, Australia, Russia, South Korea and New Zealand for the East Asia summit on Thursday.

At the summit, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang offered $20 billion in loans and a "friendship" treaty with ASEAN, in an apparent bid to defuse tensions over contested claims to the South China Sea.

Still, Li warned: "China's resolve to safeguard territorial sovereignty is clear".

Obama is in the midst of a hectic Asia-Pacific tour that started in Beijing for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, during which he announced a surprise climate deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He will travel to Australia on Friday for the G20 summit.

Jokowi Leaves for Beijing on First Foreign Visit

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardhy,  Nov 08, 2014

President Joko Widodo and the First Lady depart for Beijing on Nov. 8.
(Antara Photo/Andika Wahyu)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo departed for Beijing on Saturday to meet with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the first leg of an official trip which will see the president visit three countries.

Joko departed from Halim Perdanakusuma International in South Jakarta to fly to Beijing to attend APEC, which takes places over Nov. 10-11.

Joko was accompanied by First Lady Iriana Wibowo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Lestari Priansariarsudi, Coordinating Minister of the Econony Sofyan Djalil, Minister of Finance Bambang Brodjonegoro and Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto.

On his first trip abroad since he was elected president, Joko will also meet with US president Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin on the side of the summit.

The president is expected to deliver a speech focusing on Indonesia’s maritime role in the region.

Joko will then fly to the Association of the Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from Nov. 13 to 14 and to the G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia from Nov.15 to 16.

Obama to meet Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar

Yahoo – AFP, 4 Nov 2014

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, pictured on April 15, 2014
in Paris (AFP Photo/Pierre Andrieu)

Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama will meet Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon on November 14, during a six-day trip that also includes stops in China and Australia, the White House said Tuesday.

Earlier in the November 12-14 Myamar stop, Obama will participate in a US-ASEAN Summit in Nay Pi Taw, where a bilateral meeting with Myanmar president Thein Sein is planned, the statement said.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party is favored in upcoming legislative elections at the end of 2015, but the Myanmar constitution currently bars her from running for president.

Last month, the parliament agreed to consider changing the constitution to allow her candidacy.

Obama called the Myanmar president last week to underscore "the need for an inclusive and credible process for conducting the 2015 elections."

The government has promised the vote next year will be the freest in the country's modern history after the military ceded direct power to a quasi-civilian government three years ago.

Thein Sein has surprised the international community in recent years with a number of dramatic reforms that have seen international sanctions removed as the country opens up to the world.

But the country still faces a myriad of challenges -- including an opaque legal system, creaking infrastructure and significant poverty levels -- that will need to be tackled by any new government after next year's election.

Obama's Asia trip will also include a stop in China from November 10-12, where he is to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and have a state visit with President Xi Jinping.

And from November 15-16, Obama will head to Australia for the G20 Leaders Summit and to deliver a speech on US leadership in the Asia-Pacific.

World Economic Forum Gives SBY Global Statesmanship Award

Jakarta Globe, May 23, 2014

Indonesia's outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been
honored by the World Economic Forum. (Reuters Photo/Toru Hanai)

Manila. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was awarded the Global Statesmanship Award on Friday at the 23rd World Economic Forum on East Asia for his achievements during his time in office.

He was the third recipient of the award since the WEF was established in 1971. The two other recipients were Felipe Calderon in 2012, when he was president of Mexico, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2010, when he was president of Brazil.

“I stand before you now with a sense of pride for what Indonesia has become today,” said Yudhoyono, whose second five-year term ends in October. “In a world marked by political turbulence, economic uncertainty, and strategic tensions, Indonesia does have a good story to tell.

“We have achieved that critical point of no return in our democratic development. We have proved to ourselves and to the world that we do not have to choose between democracy and development, and that indeed we can have both political freedom and high economic growth at the same time.”

On Thursday, Yudhonoyo reiterated that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) could reach its development agenda to double the region’s combined gross domestic product to around $4.4 trillion by 2030. With millions of poor people across the region, Asean could also try to reduce the region’s poverty rate to 9.3 percent in the same time frame, he said. World Bank data show 43.3 percent of Indonesia’s population lived on less than $2 a day in 2011, compared to 52.7 percent in 2009.

“But as an optimist, I do see the glass as half full,” Yudhoyono said on Thursday. “I believe our generation is now endowed with the resources and knowhow to beat age-old problems of poverty, deprivation and conflict.”

Indonesia has embarked on a plan to support economic growth, aid the poor, promote jobs and protect the environment, he said.

“The overall purpose is to attain sustainable growth with equity,” Yudhoyono said on Thursday. “By pursuing this strategy over the past 10 years, we have been able to stimulate growth, reduce inequity and alleviate people from poverty.”

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was presented the award at a launch sponsored by the Lippo Group, which is the parent company of the Jakarta Globe.

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A Call for Peace as Asean Deals With Disputes

APEC Leaders See the Light

Jakarta Globe, Dion Bisara, October 8, 2013

This general view shows leaders attending the “Leaders Retreat” during the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali on
October 7, 2013. (AFP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Nusa Dua, Bali. Optimism reigns among members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, as leaders from some of the biggest economies in the region pledge to put more emphasis on cooperation toward sustainable growth.

“Certainly APEC has been a great success so far. I think this will only lead to even greater success,” said Stevan Kosciuszko, managing director at CQS, a London-based asset management firm.

“I’m entirely convinced that there is an entirely bright future for China and bright future for APEC.”

Kosciuszko made his comment after Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered their keynote addresses at Monday’s APEC summit.

Xi said that China was focusing on transforming into a modern economy with emphasis on domestic consumption — which currently only accounts for 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product — shifting away from an export- and investment-led economy. That should provide balance as China moves away from double-digit growth, Xi said.

Such a move by China would in turn benefit the Asia-Pacific region, the country’s main trading partner.

“China cannot develop in isolation from Asia Pacific, and Asia Pacific cannot prosper without China,” Xi said, adding that China would take a more sustainable and efficient path of growth.

“President Xi Jinping’s comments were well-balanced, well-made, and he covered all the points, that people are concerned about China, and more positive points as China transitions to a new modern economy,” Kosciuszko said.

Kerry emphasized the US commitment to engage with the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on business to accelerate growth.

He also said that trade and investment liberalization should be continued, and that the 21 members of APEC should not implement protectionism and make difficult decisions for entrepreneurs.

“The role of the private sector is very important in spurring growth and creating equity. Therefore never make investors or businesspeople frustrated,” Kerry said.

He urged governments and the private sector to work together to improve cooperation, calling for greater transparency, fairness and accountability. Government plays a central role and appropriate government policies would attract investment and encourage more entrepreneurship, Kerry said.

Kerry substituted for President Barack Obama, who was unable to attend because of the US government’s budget impasse. Kerry said he believed the political crisis would be resolved soon, and the fiscal crisis would be overcome in the near future.

The US economy will rise, he said, because through freedom and supporting regulations, the US private sector can innovate, producing high value-added technology products through such companies as Microsoft, Google and Facebook.

Putin said that APEC needed long-term planning in ensuring structural reform, more job creation, providing financing sources for investment, and a fairer distribution of risk.

“G-20 [Group of 20] leaders come to the consensus that growth incentives should be accompanied by fiscal consolidation. This is difficult but G-20 leaders believe it’s possible,” Putin said.

He noted that the US government shutdown was a difficult situation.

“The reason Obama did not come here is a justified one. If I were him, I won’t come either,” he said.

All countries are in interested in the US overcoming the crisis because it is still the world’s biggest economy and the dollar is still the main reserve currency, Putin said.

Lixia Qiu, president of Overseas Zhejiang Merchants, said that the world leaders had assured a more sustainable path of growth for the Asia-Pacific region, against the background of uncertainty in the global economy.

“We are more optimistic now” about future economic growth, Qiu said.

Kosciuszko added, “This gave a solid foundation for future agreement. I expect bigger agreements would be made [at next year’s summit].”

 Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivers his speech during
 the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in
 Nusa Dua, Indonesia resort island of Bali October 6, 2013. REUTERS/Beawiharta

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Yudhoyono Against Attack on Syria

Jakarta Globe, Primus Dorimulu, September 9, 2013

G20 leaders (left to right, front row) US President Barack Obama, Germany’s
 Chancellor Angela Merkel, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, (left to right, back row) British Prime Minister
 David Cameron, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, United Nations (UN) Secretary
 General Ban Ki-moon, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Australia's
 Foreign Minister Bob Carr, pose for the family picture during the G20 summit in Saint
 Petersburg on Sep. 6, 2013. World leaders at the G20 summit on Friday failed to bridge
 their bitter divisions over US plans for military action against the Syrian regime, with
 Washington signalling that it has given up on securing Russia's support at the UN
on the crisis. (AFP Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev)

St. Petersburg, Russia. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has written letters to US President Barack Obama and four other leaders of the UN Security Council in an attempt to persuade them not to attack Syria.

In addition, the president has also written a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“There are peaceful ways of addressing this conflict if the UN Security Council announces a cease fire,” Yudhoyono told journalists before leaving Russia late on Saturday. He arrived in Jakarta on Sunday after a three-country visit, culminating in Russia for the Group of 20 summit.

Yudhoyono said a vote by the UN Security Council would have a major impact on the situation, especially if it called for a ceasefire. “That’s why I wrote the letters,” Yudhoyono said. “President Obama and the US government can reconsider their decision There are other ways of dealing with this conflict besides war,” he added.

US officials have said that it had enough evidence Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered a chemical-weapon attack last month that killed more than 1,400 of his people.

Obama subsequently said he had decided the United States should take punitive action but wanted support from Congress, which may vote on the issue soon. With the exception of France, no other country has supported the US plan for a military strike.

During the G-20 summit many countries, including the European Union, affirmed they would await the UN Security Council vote before deciding on their course of action.

Russia and China, two permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto powers, have voiced rejection and may block any attack on behalf of the UN. Yudhoyono said Indonesia would never agree on the use of force against Syria without a UN mandate.

While Indonesia was far from the Middle East and seemed to have nothing to do with the issue, he said, “We have a moral and constitutional obligation to prevent wars. On behalf of humanity and good intention, we must be active in resolving the issue peacefully.”

He dismissed suggestions that Indonesia could significantly influence US policy decisions with regard to the conflict.

Other world leaders have reacted to the issue in recent days. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was convinced the US would be able to build a coalition for action although Britain will not take part in the military action following last week’s vote in parliament. Russian President Vladimir stated recently he will not exclude supporting a UN resolution if it is proved that the Syrian regime used poison gas.

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China joins anti-tax evasion convention

Want China Times, Kuo Chi-yun and Staff Reporter 2013-08-31

Wang Jun of the State Administration of Taxation of China, shakes hands
 with OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria after signing the Multilateral Tax
Convention in Paris on Aug. 27. (Photo/Xinhua)

In demonstrating its determination to crack down on tax evasion, China has partnered with the European Commission and OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) in signing the the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters this week, becoming its 56th signatory.

China's participation in the convention may have considerable influence on Taiwanese-invested companies in China, especially those who often conceal their profits offshore, a practice which will be liable to huge fines under the rules of the convention, said Tuan Shih-liang, a certified public accountant at PwC Taiwan.

Crackdowns on cross-border tax evasion have been a major global issue since the last financial crisis in 2008, with many multinationals such as Google, Amazon, Apple and Starbucks having been criticized for committing paying low amounts in taxes despite their huge profits. The signing of the convention is meant to underscore the Chinese government's determination in dealing with problems of tax-base erosion and profit transference.

Insiders noted that many Taiwanese businesses have invested in mainland China via tax havens such as the Cayman Islands. Tuan noted that the agreement allows taxation authorities of signatory nations to provide specific income information about taxpayers to other signatories, greatly boosting the risk of tax investigations about Taiwanese businesses.

China is the last G20 member nation to sign the convention, underscoring the consensus among developed and emerging nations on cracking down on cross-border tax evasion.

China started tightening its regulations in 2011. The effort generated 34.6 billion yuan (US$5.7 billion) of extra tax revenue in 2012, 27.9 times the amount in 2008, according to the State Administration of Taxation.

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