China govt opens cracks in its culture of secrecy

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Shenzhen | Sun, 01/31/2010 2:22 PM

The Chinese businessman battled for years to get cities to reveal their budgets, but his quest seemed quixotic in a country notorious for keeping citizens in the dark.

Then China did what would once have been unthinkable - it enacted an open-government policy, and last fall Wu Junliang pressed his case with the Guangzhou city government. This time, to his surprise, he won - big time. The largest city in southern China put budget plans for all 114 municipal departments and agencies online. Astonished citizens flooded the Web site to download documents, causing it to crash by the second day.

It was an eye-opening moment, illustrating the potential of the fledgling Open Government Information regulation to allow Chinese citizens to challenge the government's culture of secrecy.

"We were all very excited. It's the first time in 60 years in this country that a city government has released their budget. And more significantly, they put it online so everyone can access it," said Wu, 51.

Although he says he never set out to be a crusader, his victory was by far the biggest since the regulation took effect nationwide on May 1, 2008, allowing citizens to request information and get a response from the government within 15-30 days.

It's an important step toward transparency for a country struggling to combat corruption and meet the needs of a rising middle class and an economy that will soon be the second biggest after America.

"Clearly, nationwide, Chinese have become increasingly aware that they have legal rights and they are becoming more confident in using them," said Katherine Wilhelm, senior fellow at Yale University's China Law Center.

Recent years have indeed seen greater openness - public hearings on utility rates, for example - but the new disclosure policy could be the most significant in delivering government accountability.

"This is a starting point but it's also a turning point," said law professor Wang Xixin from Peking University. "Traditionally, China's legal and political culture emphasizes keeping secrets inside government. The idea of open government or transparency is quite new. One of the most significant impacts of ... (the new regulation) is that it helps to change that kind of bureaucratic ideology."

Although the change applies to all levels of government, its limitations are also clear. Exempt from release are official state secrets, a category so broadly defined that virtually anything - maps, GPS coordinates, even economic statistics - can be withheld.

In theory, the rule can be used to try to pry any information out of any government agency. But ordinary Chinese know to stay away from subjects that would directly threaten the Communist Party's monopoly on power, such as harassment of political dissidents or anti-government violence in Tibet. And officials can still easily put information beyond the reach of citizens by declaring it a state secret.

Implementation has been slow and uneven. One survey of 30 provinces found that more than 60 percent had failed the criteria for responsiveness. Even Wu's rare success may not be a total victory - some question whether Guangzhou's budget numbers are complete.

Still, experts say the new measure could be far-reaching, because it helps establish a foundation for broader legal reforms.

The very idea that citizens are entitled to obtain information from their government was electrifying to many. Requests, from the mundane to the politically sensitive, poured in as Chinese navigated new terrain.

A Beijing dog owner wanted to know where pet-licensing fees were going. A Shanghai lawyer sought specifics about China's 4 trillion yuan ($588 billion) stimulus plan. Artist Ai Weiwei asked why so many schoolchildren had perished in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake (5,300 out of 90,000 by official count, but the number is believed to be much higher.)

Beijing alone fielded some 25,000 queries and processed about 500 formal requests in the first couple of months. Many dealt with individual interests, such as property disputes, urban housing demolitions and company restructurings.

Among the first was a query about how much had been collected from tolls on the Beijing Capital Airport Expressway and where the money had gone. The request was filed by Wang, the law professor, who is among a group of legal scholars using the new rule to push open the doors of government.

He got only a partial answer but his effort got extensive media coverage. "We called it a test case," he said. "If we filed, would the government respond? But secondly, it was to let the public know they can do it too."

Shanghai lawyer Yan Yiming is still waiting for specifics on the massive stimulus plan. He filed his third request in January.

"Although a lot of obstacles get in the way, I will stick to it anyway," he said.

Wu has been portrayed in national publications as a public interest hero, though his glasses and thoughtful manner make him seem more wonkish than populist.

He spent 20 years in the U.S., and calls himself Julian. Wu got a master's degree in political science from the University of Houston and worked in financial services there. He now heads a financial assets firm in Shenzhen, a boomtown on the border with Hong Kong, south of Guangzhou.

Though he calls it "just a hobby," budget reform has become his passion. He even created a Web site (www.budgetofchina.com) in 2006, the year before he returned to China. Then he heard about the new disclosure regulation.

"I thought, at least I have something to back me up. I found a weapon I can use," he said. "Without this regulation, we had no legal way to ask these questions."

When May 2008 arrived, he and a small band of volunteers sent requests to 36 local governments and to 15 national ministries. Only the Shenzhen city government let him see its budget, but not make copies.

Last fall, he and other volunteers sent another round of requests to major cities and provinces, and within a week came Guangzhou's astonishing response. Shanghai, which initially said no, reversed itself after hearing about Guangzhou's decision.

Cai Dingjian, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said Wu's success highlighted the need for public pressure.

"If we only rely on the law to push for openness and there is no pressure from the citizens, the government probably won't take the initiative to open up its budget information," he said.

For his part, Wu plans to keep pushing for ansers.

"There's lots of ways to make society progress. People talk about democracy, freedom of speech, free press, which is all important but sometimes hard," he said. "When you wake up people as taxpayers, it's easier. I pay tax, you pay tax. You should get something from your government. People understad that."

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MARINA BAY SANDS - Attraction and Threat That Singapore Offers to Indonesia

Kompas.com, Kamis, 28 Januari 2010 | 17:41 WIB

Marina Bay Sands (model)

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - There is an optimism for Singapore to absorb more Indonesian visitors through its project, Marina Bay Sands. Thomas Arasi, CEO of Marina Bay Sands, during a press conference, Thursday, at Balai Kartini, Jakarta, voiced this by stating that it will be a grand attraction, especially for Indonesian tourists to visit Singapore, once it's accomplished.

According to Arasi, the majority of tourists in Singapore are indeed from Indonesia. He estimated that around one million Indonesians visit the Merlion country every year.

This number is even higher, at 1.7 million per year, according to Singapore Tourism Board (STB) manager, according to Hassan Kassim in a previous report to Kompas.com in November 2009. But both sources agree that the number will increase in the future.

So, it's only natural to make Indonesia the prime marketing target. In his press release, Arasi admits that, "Indonesia will be the main market for Marina Bay Sands."

For travellers from Indonesia

Well, if you're the travelling type, then the Marina Bay Sands will indeed be a magnificent tourism magnet, among which it boasts: a casino; three hotel towers topped by a single giant roof, the Sands Skypark, that gives you a 360 degree view of Singapore and even glimpses of its neighboring countries; lots of premium brand stores and world class restaurants; two glass pavillions built off-shores to look like floating icebergs; and a convention center with the capacity of 45,000 people.

Sheldon Adelson, president director of Las Vegas Sands, the developer of Marina Bay Sands, expects a gross profit of one billion USD per year. This coming April, the first stage of the Marina Bay Sands will be open, which covers 50 percent of the total project.

For travel agents

For Indonesian travel agents, this could be an opportunity. According to Sapta Nirwanda, marketing director general of the Department of Culture and Tourism, on January 22, 2010, with the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, Indonesian travel agents must be more daring in promoting foreign tourism spots. He believes that so far Indonesian travel agents only focus on domestic tourism. "We only take care of the domestic ones, the foreign ones are still limited."

So the Marina Bay Sands is another good spot to attract customers with, especially since travelling to Singapore is generally cheap for Indonesians. No extra cost for visa, with NPWP (tax register number) we don't have to pay the fiscal tax, and the plane ticket is relatively cheap, on AirAsia's website today there's even an offer of Rp. 99,000 for a Jakarta-Singapore flight.

Artists rendering of the "Welcoming Hand of Singapore", the museum which is part of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resorts.

For domestic tourism

But the Indonesian domestic tourism might have a harder time to compete. The most famous tourism spot in Indonesia is Bali, but, as reported previously, according to Al Purwa, chairman of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agent Association, Indonesian travel agents are urged to promote other tourism spots on the northern part of Indonesia so that tourists aren't bored with Bali.

Besides Bali, Indonesia has other great potential places for tourism. Some are quite well developed, take for example the three isles, Gili Meno, Gili Air, and Gili Trawangan, on Pemenang district, north Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara. Kompas recently did a coverage, praising this area for having good and cheap accomodations and facilities, and also recommending people to go snorkling there.

The Bunaken Island National Park in Menado is also one rising star. Its marine biodiversity is known world-wide and is a wonderful snorkling site.

But not all national tourism spots are doing so well. One random example is the Selarong cave, Yogyakarta. The cave and water fall there used to shelter a national hero, Prince Diponegoro, while struggling for independence. This intriguing tourism spot, as Kompas.com observed, is rather abandoned and has even been vandalized.

Just for your information, according to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009, regarding international tourism for ASEAN countries, Singapore is on the first rank, while Indonesia is on the 81st.

The Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism has set the year 2010 as the 'Year to Visit Museums', which is a noble vision, but which museum to visit? One of the Marina Bay Sands' iconic structure is also a museum: the 'Welcoming Hand of Singapore'. (C17-09)

Marina Bay Sands under construction

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Shoe Factory in China Moves to Indonesia

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 28 January, 2010 | 14:55 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Tangerang:Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said there seems to be a tendency for shoe manufacturers in China to relocate to Indonesia. The strengthening Chinese yuan can be one reason for this, along with the increasing cost of manpower and its regulations in China. “This is a permanent trend,” Mari said yesterday in Tangerang, Banten.

Major shoe producers like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance, have relocated their shoe purchases from China to Vietnam and Indonesia. Such a trend, Mari said, has been going on since 2005. For the last four years, the resulting value of these moves to Indonesia have resulted in US$ 1,8 billion. "Buyers are coming in large numbers,” she said.

The relocation, Mari continued, will improve production and investment in the country, especially when Indonesian shoes are now capable of competing with Chinese and Vietnamese products. The Indonesia Shoe Association board chairman, Harijanto, said with top shoe brands coming to Indonesia, the national shoe industry will make efficiencies and restructure the production system. “But the government must ensure that electricity supply is reliable and that infrastructure, like roads are repaired,” she said during the visit. She also cited the example of the Panarub factory in Pabuaran, Tangerang, which can only reach Tanjung Priok Port through the Tomang toll road which is often congested.

Harijanto also asked for more efficiency in arranging investment permits, especially in the provinces. Mari promised to reduce the bureaucracy, including the time to process the licenses. She said New Balance investors admitted that the cost and production of Indonesian manpower is competitive and the staff turnover is stable, as is the national political situation. “Then there is the infrastructure that need to be repaired,” she said. PT Panarub Dwikarya CEO, Hendrik Sasmito, said the local shoe industry will remain competitive with China and Vietnam, as long as it can keep down the cost of production. “So long as there is no out-pricing, it can still go on,” he said.

Panarub currently produces four shoe brands; Adidas, New Balance, Mizuno, and Specs. A pair of New Balance shoes is sold at US$ 12 to 16. Panarub has two factories and will open a new one in Cikupa, Tangerang. Panarub has exported 1 million pairs of shoes. Until the end of 2010, an additional 500.000 pairs per month will be produced.

IQBAL MUHTAROM

13 Asian Nations Meet to Save Tigers

Jakarta Globe, January 28, 2010

Asian tigers are severely threatened by habitat loss and poaching. (AFP Photo)

China and other Asian nations should shut privately run tiger farms as they are inhumane and fuel demand for the endangered big cat's bones and skin, the World Bank said Thursday.

The call came as governments from 13 countries where tigers exist in the wild met in Thailand to discuss their conservation and how to boost tiger numbers.

Tiger farms are found principally in China, as well as Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Owners claim rearing the cats in captivity will help reduce the illegal trade in tiger parts which are used in traditional medicine, but environmentalists say it only stimulates further smuggling.

``Our position is that tiger farms as an animal practice are cruel. They fan the potential use of tiger parts. That is extremely dangerous because that would continue to spur demand,'' said the World Bank's Keshav Varma, who is the program director for the Global Tiger Initiative, a coalition formed in 2008 with the Smithsonian Institute and nearly 40 conservation groups. It aims to double tiger numbers by 2022.

``The Global Tiger Initiative as well as the World Bank are in favor of shutting down these farms,'' he said by phone from the sidelines of the conference in the beach resort of Hua Hin.

Wild tiger numbers have plummeted because of human encroachment, the loss of more than nine-tenths of their habitat and poaching. From an estimated 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, the number today is less than 3,600.

China alone is believed to be home to 5,000 domestic tigers, and farms thrive despite the government banning the trade in tiger parts in 1993. It has imposed stiff sentences on offenders and ordered pharmacies to empty their shelves of tiger medications purported to cure ailments from convulsions to skin disease and to increase sexual potency.

The first tiger farms started before the ban, but others sprang up afterward because speculators thought the ban would be temporary. The government says the farms have been developed to attract tourists but critics say they are used to harvest tiger parts.

Despite lobbying from influential businessmen for the ban to be lifted, China last month announced it would take stronger law enforcement action on the trade in tiger parts and products. It also promised stricter regulation of captive breeding.

Conservationists like the group TRAFFIC welcomed the new measures but continue to call for tiger farms to be shut down. They say allowing trade in tiger parts would fuel poaching because it is cheaper to kill a wild animal than to raise a tiger on a farm. The parts are indistinguishable.

Varma said tiger farms had yet to be discussed at the three-day ministerial meeting that began Wednesday, attended by Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

AP

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Web Portal Launched To Promote Travel To Asean

Brudirect.com, by Ubaidillah Masli, Wednesday, 27 January 2010 08:30

Bandar Seri Begawan - Travel industry players in Asean will need the backing of their respective National Tourism Organisations (NT0s) in order to be listed on the region's new travel facilitation website, SoutheastAsia.org, which enjoyed its soft launching yesterday at the sidelines of the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) 2010.

The website is the result of a collaboration between Aseanta (Asean Tourism Association) and the US Agency for International Development (USAid)- backed Asean Competitiveness Enhancement (Ace) Project.

As Asean's tourism sector is dominated by small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), one of the aims of the project is to help Mean tour operators and travel agencies who do not have an existing website to create one using a template and automatically link to SoutheastAsia.org at no cost.

Speaking to The Brunei Times yesterday, Ace Project Director Et1 Gurley said that to link to SoutheastAsia.org, tour and travel agencies who already have their own website only have to register with Wego, the Singapore-based company providing the website's meta-search facility, to be listed as one of the resources and pay a referral fee of US$1.

Those without a website have to register themselves with Sota (Standard Online Tourism Architecture), where they can download a template website for free and will be automatically registered with SoutheastAsia.org, Gurley explained.

However, as part of the website's filtering system, interested tourism companies will first need to be endorsed by their respective NTO in order to be included on the website.

The Philippines Undersecretary of Tourism Services and Regional Offices, Oscar Palabyab, yesterday inaugurated the soft launch of the web portal during the Mean Tourism Conference held in conjunction with ATF 2010 in the presence of Brunei's Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah Hj Abd Wahab and local and foreign media.

Palabyab, the main patron of the initiative, said that the use of website takes advantage of the more cost-effective methods of telemarketing and electronic marketing to reach the targeted consumer profiles for Mean tourism.

"We look at SoutheastAsia.org as the necessary ingredient to make us (Asean) known to the rest of the world," he said.

The Philippines tourism undersecretary said that the campaign's slogan "Feel the Warmth" depicted the resounding characteristics of the region and among the main observations by visitors of Mean people when they visit the region. "We want the rest of the world to 'feel the warmth'," he added.

Gurley said that the campaign and website targeted three main tourist profiles. He said that based on findings from a six-month study, they were focused on drawing "adventurous culture-seekers, inexperienced travellers and young, independent travellers" through the website.

He remarked that the latter was known to visit two or more Mean countries on a single trip, which was the main goal of Asean in the regional grouping's new promotion as a single tourist destination.

The source markets identified for the campaign originate from medium- and long-haul destinations such as North America, Europe, India and Australia, leveraging on not only air travel but also through the growing cruise tourism sector.

Gurley said that now the main challenge was to populate the website, which is "20 per cent of the way there" in anticipation of its official launch scheduled for March, during the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) trade show in Berlin.

Starting next week, the website will hold contests open to journalists, travel writers and photographers to submit articles, photographs and other materials promoting Mean travel, putting up a total of US$15,000 in prizes to be won.

In a previous report, Gurley said that USAid will provide a budget of US$500,000 for their online marketing exercise. However, they hoped to make website self-sustaining, generating income from advertisements and referrals from the various agencies listed with the website. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah / Image via anakbrunei.org

Germany to host G20 financial regulation summit in May: report

Reuters, BERLIN, Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:00am EST

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will host a summit of the Group of 20 developed and emerging nations in May to focus on financial market regulation, German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

The goal will be to accelerate coordination within the group, the magazine reported, adding that Germany wanted to prevent finance ministers, central bankers, and experts from G20 countries from moving forward unilaterally on oversight.

(Reporting by Brian Rohan; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Singapore, for the first time, cooperative on Robert: Susno

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 01/20/2010 3:37 PM

Former National Police chief of detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji said Wednesday that Singapore had cooperated with Indonesia in recovering the Bank Century money stolen by its own owner Robert Tantular.

"Singapore, for the first time, gave us details of Robert Tantular’s bank account, containing US$14 million. This had never happened before," Susno said.

Not only Singapore, but Australia and Hong Kong had also cooperated with the National Police to freeze Robert's assets in those countries, Susno said.

However, Susno explained that another shareholder, Rafat Ali Rizvi, was still hiding in Singapore.

“He cannot leave Singapore. Even if he went back to the UK, he would be arrested there,” Susno said.

Susno explained that Robert Tantular was "sly and slick", noting that he had created fictitious companies to rob the bank.

"His crime was very well-planned," he said.

A Jakarta District Court convicted Robert Tantular of stealing money from Bank Century and sentenced him to four years in prison. The High Court confirmed the verdict but increased the jail term to five years.

Glaxo Sees 10% Growth in Asia This Year on Emerging Markets

Businessweek, by Regina Tan and Simeon Bennett, January 18, 2010, 05:29 AM EST

Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- GlaxoSmithKline Plc forecasts sales growth of as much as 10 percent in the Asia-Pacific region this year, in line with the market and last year’s 9 percent increase, spurred by economic expansion in emerging markets.

The strongest growth will come from Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines, where swelling wealth and lower prices for some drugs are spurring sales, Christophe Weber, London-based Glaxo’s regional director, said in an interview in Singapore today. Sales of some of the company’s products have surged in the past year, including a 10-fold jump for cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix, he said.

Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty is relying on revenue from emerging markets including Asia to prop up sagging sales in the U.S., its biggest market. Revenue from emerging markets expanded 25 percent in the third quarter, compared with a 12 percent decline in the U.S. and a 3 percent increase in Europe, the company said in October.

“You have different types of market in the region,” Weber said in an interview at his office. “You have more mature markets like Australia and New Zealand, and then you have more emerging markets which are fast-developing markets like all the middle-income countries in Southeast Asia.”

Northeast Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan “are in the middle,” Weber said.

The Asian Development Bank expects economic growth of 5.4 percent in Indonesia this year, making it the region’s third- fastest behind Vietnam and Laos.

Price Cuts

Glaxo, which ranks fourth among drugmakers in Asia-Pacific, cut prices last year in the world’s poorest countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea, to 25 percent of what it charges in Western nations.

The company said in June that it planned to reduce the price of Cervarix in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and lower the price of 28 products in the Philippines by as much as 50 percent after the nation’s government asked Glaxo and rivals such as Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis SA to cut prices.

Glaxo is also reinvesting 20 percent of its earnings from poor countries into health infrastructure development such as hospitals and projects for clean water and sanitation, Weber said.

“If you just reduce your price but you don’t change the way you market your product, promote your products, then you won’t have a volume increase,” Weber said. “Patient education is very important as well. How do you educate the doctor, the patient or the population in case of prevention so that they feel that they should be vaccinated?”

--Editors: Lars Klemming, Carey Sargent.

To contact the reporters on this story: Regina Tan in Singapore +65-6499-2833 or at RTan63@bloomberg.net; Simeon Bennett in Singapore at +65-6212-1574 or sbennett9@bloomberg.net

IBM Opens Asean Telecom Centre Of Excellence

BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- International Business Machine (IBM) has set up the Asean Telecom Centre of Excellence in Malaysia to meet the rising challenges in the region's telecommunications industry.

In a statement here Monday, IBM said the centre would bring together cutting-edge technical skills, specialised offerings and industry's best practices.

"The centre will offer a range of new telecom software solutions based on IBM's Service Provider Delivery Environment 3.0 framework, as well as hardware, services and business partner applications," it said.

IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd general manager (communications sector), Shekila Ramalingam, said to sustain growth in this competitive industry landscape, service providers must offer customers a more positive and differentiated user experience while reducing complexity and cost.

JP

Indonesian FM praises Vietnam`s ASEAN chairmanship

Antara News, Saturday, January 16, 2010 16:53 WIB

Da Nang (ANTARA News/VNA) - Indonesian Foreign Minister M. Natalegawa has praised Vietnam at the start of the year it WILL hold the regional organization`s chair, saying that "Vietnam has started its ASEAN chairmanship very well."

The Indonesian minister told reporters on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Da Nang on January 13-14 that he believed many of the grouping`s issues will be solved in 2010 as the first two weeks of the year have passed and Vietnam has already hosted several meetings.

The association will discuss and speed up a series of security-related issues such as the ASEAN maritime forum and the ASEAN defence ministers` meeting later this year, he said.

According to Natalegawa, cooperating in security matters among ASEAN countries was one of the three ASEAN Community`s pillars. He said that he hoped the issues would see practical outcomes in the year Vietnam holds the chair.

Regarding the relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia over the years, he said that both countries share a close relationship, adding that they have both also had to struggle for independence and understood the value of it.

He emphasised that both countries should enhance relations in the future and that the best days for the two countries lie ahead.

Myanmar Foreign Minister Pledges Free, Fair, Credible Election: ASEAN

RTT News, 1/15/2010 12:40 AM ET

ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the meeting in Da Nang City

(RTTNews) - Myanmar's foreign minister informed his counterparts of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that his country's first elections in two decades, to be held this year, would be "free, fair and credible."

Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN secretary general, said Thursday that this was conveyed by its Foreign Minister Nyan Win at a dinner Wednesday in Vietnam with his counterparts from the grouping.

"That was done last night (Wednesday night) and it was assured that it will be this year, and it will be free, fair and credible," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference of the foreign ministers in Vietnam.

Stating that ASEAN was informed of no date for holdlig the elections, but everything was moving on course, Surin said the bloc's ministers expressed their "high hope that the Myanmar issue will be resolved this year and that we can move on to the new era of ASEAN relations and cooperation with the international community."

ASEAN, which has a founding principle of non-interference in the affairs of its members, has been criticized by many western nations, including the U.S., for not taking a firmer stand on the former British colony, separated from India in 1937.

Last month, the United Nations General Assembly called on Myanmar to hold free and fair elections that would allow all political parties to participate in them.

Also, the United States and ASEAN agreed in November that Myanmar's scheduled elections this year must be "free, fair, inclusive and transparent" to be credible, and called for pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to be allowed to participate in them.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory in the last elections held in 1990. But the junta, which grabbed power in March 1962, never honored the results, and gradually tightened its hold on power since then.

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Democracy is best: Mahathir

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Thu, 01/14/2010 8:17 PM

Despite its many weaknesses, democracy is the best system a country can adopt to promote people’s welfare, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir said during a visit to Indonesia’s province of South Sulawesi on Thursday.

Mahathir was addressing an audience of around 1,000 at the graduate school of Hasanuddin University in Makassar. His speech concerned democracy following the recent religious turmoil in Malaysia over the use of word Allah by the Christian community.

“Is there any governance system better than that provided by the people, to people and for people?” he said at the seminar that also presented South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Mahathir also warned of the possibility of a decline in democratic values as certain groups could derail it for their own vested interests.

“Even if a democracy goes well there is no guarantee it will bring prosperity to the people. Everything depends on the culture and maturity of the people in carrying out democracy,” Mahathir said.

Malaysia is a country that mixes the governance system of an institutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. It is ruled by a premier elected by the people, and its king has no real power.

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ASEAN FMs discuss interaction in maintaining peace

Antara News, Friday, January 15, 2010 02:34 WIB

Hanoi (ANTARA News/Itar-Tass-OANA) - A meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened in the Vietnamese city of Danang on Thursday.

A session of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee and the Association`s Public Council for Political and Security Affairs is to be also held within the framework of the ministerial meeting.

These consultations, which have officially ushered in a year of Vietnam`s presidency at the ASEAN, will focus on a discussion of themes aimed at giving greater scope to interaction within the scope of the Association with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

The Ministers are also to discuss their countries` preparations for an ASEAN summit that is to be held in Hanoi at the end of this year under the motto "ASEAN Community: From Vision to Action".

As has been stated by Vietnam`s Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung, General Secretary of the National Committee for the Observance of the 2010 Year of ASEAN, Vietnam, while performing the functions of the Association`s presiding country, will devote paramount attention to the strengthening of solidarity and enhancement of interconnection among all ASEAN members.

Vietnam as ASEAN`s presiding country, will hold a series of ministerial meetings and two summits, including an ASEAN one, and arrange for their consultations with Dialogue Partner Countries, and hold a session of the Regional Security Forum.

The ASEAN brings together the following ten Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. Vietnam became an ASEAN member in 1995 and already performed the duties of presiding country in 1998.

Asian economy fragile, careful policies needed: ADB

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/14/2010 2:24 PM

Asian economic recovery remains fragile and careful policy adjustments, along with increased cooperation between countries, will be needed to sustain growth and cushion the region against future shocks, a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says.

The study, titled "Policy Changes for Asia after the Global Recession: Impact of the Global Economy and Policy Implications", noted that growth in the region is set to accelerate this year as the global economy begins recovery. But it warns that recovery in Asia is still dependent on policy support from developed economies, notably from the region’s largest market, the United States.

Surging capital inflows can cause volatility in exchange rates and domestic liquidity, posing a risk to emerging economies in the region, the study said.

"The region is now showing signs of a V-shaped recovery, with a 6.6 percent growth outlook for this year. While we believe developing Asia is leading the global economic recovery, it is still too early to relax vigorous efforts to restore demand and stabilize financial systems. In particular, exit strategies for fiscal stimulus must be carefully timed," ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda said in a statement.

Poverty reduction will not be sustained at the pace of pre-crisis years before sources of growth are rebalanced toward more domestic and regional demand, he added. It is imperative for the region to bring growth back to its higher trajectory to cover the lost ground on poverty reduction, and to support global recovery, he said.

The study will be presented at a two-day regional forum on the impact of the global economic and financial crisis organized by ADB at its headquarters in Manila starting today. Top officials including policymakers, finance ministers, heads of central banks, business leaders and development experts from nearly 20 countries from developing Asia are taking part in the forum.

The study noted that Asia should continue to strengthen cooperation in the financial sector to prevent future financial turmoil in developed economies.

“Policy makers should avoid using up scarce bureaucratic resources and limited political goodwill on huge initiatives which do not yield tangible benefits at the ground level but should instead focus on smaller scale efforts,” the study said.

Some areas where financial cooperation may be strengthened include bilateral agreements allowing large financial institutions in one country to expand or acquire banks in another, it said.

The study also advised that to support future growth, countries in the region should increase intra-regional trade and take steps to raise productivity and their capacity for innovation. Smaller economies should adopt policies which attract low-cost manufacturers, foreign direct investment and tourism.

RI seeks `concrete action' for ASEAN Community

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 01/09/2010 11:14 AM

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has called on Southeast Asian nations to work harder to create an ASEAN Community in 2015 amid concern regarding China's rise and renewed initiatives from Japan and Australia for new regional architecture.

Marty said in his first annual foreign policy speech Friday that Indonesia was set to enhance its conciliatory role in a world that remains divided, despite the enormous challenges it now faces: from the financial crisis to the global pandemic and what he called the "unfinished business" of climate change.

But he also stressed that, "Indonesia's preoccupation with various global challenges in 2010 will not be at the expense of its commitment to contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of its own region."

Marty said the concept of the ASEAN Community was forged to anticipate the recurring debate on the creation of East Asia or Asia Pacific communities, rekindled last year by Tokyo and Canberra respectively.

"For Indonesia, there cannot be an East Asian Community or an Asia Pacific without an ASEAN Community as its core constituent.

"Thus, the ASEAN Community, the various *ASEAN +' processes, the ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and East Asia Summit are to pave the way for the creation of an East Asian Community with ASEAN playing a central role," the minister said.

"The urgency of concrete action to create an ASEAN Community in 2015 cannot be underestimated."

The political and economic discrepancies in Southeast Asia have cast doubts the grouping can achieve its goal in time. Meanwhile, the mounting clout of China in the region has made the ten ASEAN countries apprehensive.

In a move that clearly showcases wariness of China, Indonesia has proposed the regional grouping postpone the full implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Marty, however, made clear that Indonesia would remain committed to the agreement it made with Asia's new powerhouse economy.

The year 2010 is predicted to be a tough year and therefore Indonesia will retain its focus on multilateral diplomacy, Marty said, urging the reform of the UN, especially its Security Council, to "better reflect the contemporary world".

"Indonesia will continue to be at the forefront in promoting the role of the UN in tackling the global crisis and at the same time calling for its reform."

With a tagline of "a thousand friends, zero enemies," Indonesia aims to strengthen the existing ties with countries around the world to a higher level, with renewed and focused efforts to promote economic diplomacy.

"The promotion of trade, investment and tourism is critical to ensure that foreign policy provides a tangible contribution to our development efforts. The foreign policy machinery will be galvanized for this purpose," Marty said.

Calling 2010 as the year for Indonesia to reap its "democratic dividend", he believed Indonesia's diplomacy was now at a crossroads, with a chance to take its international role to another level.

Official: Fourth church attacked in Malaysia

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Sat, 01/09/2010 3:33 PM

Officials say a fourth church has been hit by firebombs in Malaysia amid a growing dispute in the country over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

Bishop Philip Loke says two firebombs were believed to have been thrown at his Good Shepherd Lutheran Church early Saturday but missed the glass windows, hitting the building wall instead.

He says church members discovered two burned patches on the building wall at midday and found glass splinters on the ground. He said there was no damage to the church in the Petaling Jaya suburb.

The incident occurred a day after three other churches were attacked by firebombs.

Many Muslims are angry about a Dec. 31 court decision overturning a government ban on Roman Catholics using "Allah" for God.

Indian man attacked and set alight in Melbourne

By Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney

The murder led to protests from Australia's South Asian community

An Indian man is in a serious condition in a Melbourne hospital after being attacked and set alight by a gang.

The attack comes a week after an Indian graduate student, Nitin Garg, was stabbed to death in the city.

This prompted a travel advisory from the Indian government about the safety of Melbourne.

Last year saw a spate of attacks against Indian students, which has deterred many from studying in Australia.

The 29-year-old Indian was returning home from a dinner party with his wife when he set up by a gang of men, who poured fluid over him and then set him alight.

He is now in a Melbourne hospital, where his condition has been described as serious, suffering from burns to 15% of his body.

Police say they are not sure why the man was targeted and whether it was a racially-motivated attack - but it is bound to increase the sense of outrage in India, where there's been an angry reaction to the murder last weekend of Nitin Garg.

The Indian government has already this week issued an advisory warning about the dangers of travelling to Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, where the local Indian community claims that racist attacks are on the rise.

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ASEAN is foundation of East-Asia and Pacific: Minister

Antara News, Saturday, January 9, 2010 07:20 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government considered the concept of East Asian community or the Asia Pacific region can not be realized without the ASEAN Community as its main foundation.

This was stated by the Foreign Minister in his annual press statement in Nusantara Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta, Friday.

"Therefore, the ASEAN Community and the various processes of `ASEAN +`, ARF, APEC and the East Asia Summit, became the road to East Asia, where ASEAN continues to play a major role," said the foreign minister.

He added that it is the vision that will continue to guide Indonesia in carrying out its foreign policy in the region in 2010.

However, the foreign minister said, it must also be stressed that the government needs to ensure that Indonesian is ready for national connectivity to make full use of community development efforts in the region.

The Foreign Minister further said that the democratic transformation of Indonesia since 2003 in line with the evolution of ASEAN towards an ASEAN Community is not a coincidence.

"To Indonesia the evolution of ASEAN towards a more open community based on the democratic principles and good governance, is needed to ensure there is no discontinuity between Indonesia and the regional transformation," said Natalegawa.

Therefore Minister Natalegawa expected that the ASEAN Community 2015 is expected to be realized on time with the ASEAN charter implementation in 2010.

Hedge Fund Chief Warns China Bubble Will Burst

Jakarta Globe, David Barboza

A Chinese bank worker counts stacks of 100-yuan notes in eastern China's Anhui province. (AFP Photo)

James Chanos, the contrarian investor who predicted the collapse of Enron, insists that the economic boom in China is headed for a fall.

Chanos built his fortunes predicting the collapse of Enron and other high-flying companies whose stories were too good to be true, and now Chanos is working to bust the myth of the biggest conglomerate of all: China Inc.

Chanos is warning that China’s hyper-stimulated economy is headed for a crash, rather than the sustained boom that most economists predict.

He said that its surging real estate sector, buoyed by a flood of speculative capital, looks like “Dubai times 1,000 — or worse.”

He even suspects that Beijing is cooking its books, faking, among other things, its eye-popping growth rates of more than8 percent.

As America’s pre-eminent short-seller he bets big money that companies’ strategies will fail — Chanos’s narrative runs counter to the prevailing wisdom on China. Most economists and governments expect Chinese growth momentum to continue this year, buoyed by what remains of a $586 billion government stimulus program that began last year, meant to lift exports and domestic consumption.

Chanos, 51, whose hedge fund, Kynikos Associates, based in New York, has $6 billion under management, is not the only skeptic on China. But he is among the most prominent and vocal.

For all his record of prescience — in addition to predicting Enron’s demise, he also spotted the looming problems of Tyco International, the Boston Market restaurant chain and, more recently, home builders and some of the world’s biggest banks — his detractors say that he knows little or nothing about China or its economy and that his bearish calls should therefore be ignored.

He has already been spreading the view that the China miracle is blinding investors to the risk that the country is producing far too much. “The Chinese,” he warned in an interview in November with Politico.com, “are in danger of producing huge quantities of goods and products that they will be unable to sell.”

The New York Times

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