Myanmar assails US State Department reports

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Yangon | Thu, 03/05/2009 3:07 PM  

Myanmar's military junta angrily dismissed two recent U.S. government reports critical of its human rights record and counter narcotics efforts as unfounded and politically motivated, state media reported Thursday. 

Myanmar's Foreign Ministry issued two separate statements carried in the English-language New Light of Myanmar saying the country was the victim of a "disinformation campaign." 

The U.S. State Department issued a report Feb. 25 on human rights around the world. It said Myanmar's junta committed "severe human rights abuses" and "brutally suppressed dissent" through a campaign of extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture. 

"Instead of making false allegations at other nations, the United States should concentrate on uplifting its own human rights records," one ministry statement said. 

In recent months, the junta has launched a judicial crackdown on dissidents that rights groups say was aimed at putting vocal critics behind bars before elections in 2010. 

Myanmar now has more than 2,100 political prisoners, according to rights groups. 

The junta also reacted angrily to the State Department's annual survey of global counternarcotics efforts, released Feb. 27, which said Myanmar had "failed demonstrably" to combat drug trafficking. Myanmar is the world's second-largest producer, after Afghanistan, of opium and heroin. 

The U.S. report said in 2007 rising opium values pushed poppy cultivation into new regions of Myanmar. It noted it had not received 2008 U.N. statistics on Myanmar in time for the annual report. 

The Foreign Ministry said authorities have tried to wage a war against drugs with little or no external assistance. 

"It is a sad fact that these sincere efforts have not received the full acknowledgment and support that they deserve," said the statement. It called the U.S. report "inaccurate and politically motivated."

Malaysia plans $2.7 billion stimulus package

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Thu, 03/05/2009 12:01 PM  

Malaysia's government plans to spend another 10 billion ringgit ($2.7 billion) to stimulate the sagging economy and avert a recession. 

This will bring the total stimulus spending to 17 billion ringgit ($4.6 billion) after a 7 billion ringgit ($1.9 billion) package announced in November. Some analysts have warned it may be insufficient to keep recession at bay. 

Deputy Finance Minister Kong Cho Ha presented the proposed second stimulus plan to Parliament on Thursday for debate before it is approved by lawmakers. 

OIC lauds Indonesia for interfaith peace

The Jakarta Post, Wed, 03/04/2009 3:56 PM  

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has praised Indonesia's success in establishing peaceful relations among different religious groups, despite frequent cases of attacks on other faiths. 

"What you have achieved here is what we are trying to reach at the global level," OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said Tuesday in his lecture in Jakarta on the Islamic world and globalization. 

He was responding to a statements by Theopilus Bela, secretary-general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion for Peace, on practical steps, such as holding informal gatherings on theology for leaders of different religions in order to familiarize them with one another and minimize attacks on religious minorities. "It's good when Christians are invited to Muslim celebrations, and Muslims also come to their neighbors' Christmas celebrations," Ihsanoglu said. 

The concept of living side by side in peace while putting aside religious differences encompasses the concept of interfaith peace in Islam, he explained. 

Ihsanoglu then referred to a verse in the Koran that says, "Your religion is for you, and mine is for me." 

"What you have managed in your country is a tradition of 14 centuries in our part of the world," he added. 

Ihsanoglu said that for centuries the Islamic community in the Middle East had lived peacefully with Christians and Jews, until the age of colonialism and the establishment of Israel. 

Bela said one of his agendas was to achieve a "historical reconciliation" between Islam and Christianity, adding that such a reconciliation should be easier to achieve than one between Judaism and Christianity. 

He then cited the reconciliation between the Vatican and representatives of Judaism. 

Effective dialogues among the countries of the OIC with those outside the group are vital in solving those problems, Ihsanoglu said. 

"Dialogues in the Muslim world have not been effective for 40 years." 

He added most countries tended to carry out monologues in different directions rather than dialogues, thus reaping no real reward. 

"In the globalization era, after the bipolar period of East and West, culture and identities have become more vocal." (dis)

Bangladesh`s GDP growth to slow down to 5.5-6.0 per cent in fy09: ADB

Dhaka (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has predicted that Bangladesh's economic growth is likely to slow down to between 5.5 and 6 per cent during the current fiscal year from the 6.5 per cent target set before the onset of the global financial crisis. 

With the financial crisis in the advanced economies unfolding and recession appearing to last longer than anticipated, a growth rate in the range of 5.5-6.0 per cent seems more likely in FY09, said an ADB forecast released Monday. 

Although the country's exports and remittance weakened a little in recent months, the government and Bangladesh Bank were still expecting that the GDP growth would be around 6.0 per cent during the current fiscal year, which is 0.5 percentage point lower than the target.

ASEAN: Myanmar must treat Muslim migrants better

The Jakarta Post, Eileen Ng, The Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Wed, 03/04/2009 4:13 PM  

Military-ruled Myanmar must assure its neighbors that thousands of Muslim boat people who have fled the country will not be persecuted if they're returned home, Malaysia's foreign minister said Wednesday.

The comments by Rais Yatim came after Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last week called for the Rohingya to be sent back to Myanmar because they had become a burden to the countries where they washed ashore. 

The Muslim Rohingya number about 800,000 in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are denied full citizenship and face widespread abuses including forced labor, land seizures and rape, rights groups say. 

Thousands have fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Middle East, and rights groups have expressed concern they will be tortured or killed if forced to return to Myanmar. 

Rais said the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations recently agreed to find a regional solution to the problem. ASEAN wants Myanmar to promise "not to persecute them when they go back," he said. 

Myanmar was informed of the bloc's wishes at a recent summit in Thailand, but the country's leaders didn't indicate whether it will cooperate, Rais told reporters. 

Rais said he will also send a diplomatic note to his Myanmar counterpart to urge it to comply with international human rights standards. 

The plight of the Rohingya gained international attention in January after allegations that more than 1,200 of them were detained by Thai authorities and later sent adrift at sea on boats with little food or water. 

Hundreds are believed to have drowned. 

Suaram, a Malaysian rights group, slammed the call to return the refugees as "inhumane," and urged ASEAN nations to give temporary shelter to the Rohingya until conditions were safe for them to return home. 

But Rais defended his government's stance. Malaysia has the biggest number of Rohingya refugees in the region, totaling 14,700, many of whom have stayed for years in the country, working illegally in plantations or factories, he said. 

"We like to state categorically that they are illegals coming to our country. ... We have to contend with the problem they are giving us," Rais said.

Asean +3, +6 summits in Phuket

Bangkokpost.com,  3/03/2009 at 08:39 PM 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and Plus Six summits will be held April 10-12 in Phuket, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Tuesday. 

Mr Abhisit said Phuket was chosen because it has all the facilities needed to host a meeting of this size and the leaders of the participating countries are also happy with the timing. 

The Phuket summits are being held in tandem with the14th Asean Summit, which ended last weekend in Cha-am, Phetchaburi. 

The Asean Plus Three consists of leaders of the 10 Asean countries, Japan, South Korea, and China. 

Attending the Plus-Six would be leaders from the 10 Asean countries, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, and India.

ASEAN leaders want forex swap pact ready in April

By Nopporn Wong-Anan, Sun Mar 1, 2009 10:34am GMT 

HUA HIN, Thailand (Reuters) - Leaders of Southeast Asian nations want to see a $120 billion currency swap pact put in place in April, a month earlier than their finance ministers had agreed, a top ASEAN official said on Sunday. 

"I have detected some sense of impatience among the leaders at the summit. Why is it taking so long?" Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of South East Asian Nations, told Reuters in an interview. 

Asian finance officials agreed last weekend in Thailand to enlarge a foreign currency pool to $120 billion from $80 billion proposed last year, to help defend their currencies from the fallout of the global economic crisis. 

The 10 ASEAN nations would participate in the fund, which was to be operational by May along with China, South Korea and Japan. 

Surin said leaders of the 10 Southeast Asian nations would prefer to see remaining issues resolved and the pact to be signed at an April summit between ASEAN and leaders from China, South Korea and Japan in Thailand. 

But Surin said ASEAN finance ministers and their counterparts from South Korea, China and Japan would need to meet earlier and sort out their difference before May. 

The 10 members of ASEAN plus Japan, China and South Korea -- known as ASEAN+3 -- pledged last year to pool bilateral currency swap arrangements under the so-called Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) within a multilateral fund that could be tapped in emergencies. 

Asian currencies have been battered in recent months, and analysts said that made the swaps pact all the more urgent. 

The idea is to allow countries hit by short-term liquidity shortages to borrow foreign reserves from other countries to absorb selling pressure on their currencies. 

Surin said among the issues remaining were the circumstances under which a country would be qualified to draw from the pool. 

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, countries with vastly different political and economic systems. 

Japan, China and South Korea will contribute 80 percent of the funding and ASEAN countries the rest.

Disbursement of funds under the existing bilateral agreements depends largely on a country's adherence to IMF programs. 

(Editing by Bill Tarrant/Will Waterman)

Capital Flows to Developing Countries Decrease

Tuesday, 03 March, 2009 | 14:31 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has said that capital flows to developing countries have decreased to less than one-third of the original amount of more than US$600 billion. 

“Now there is only US$180 billion left,” said Sri Mulyani in Jakarta yesterday (2/3). 

Therefore, there will be funding shortage in developing countries. 

Currently, representatives of 20 G-20 member countries are gathering in Jakarta to discuss an international response to this situation. 

They will also discuss about the role of international funding agencies like the World Bank, the ADB and the IDB. 

The forum will try to find solution to the decreasing capital flows. 

Sri explained that President Yudhoyono's idea about a global expenditure fund for Moslem countries, which was announced at the World Islamic Economic Forum, could be a solution for developing countries to manage the global economy crisis. 

Moslem countries that are rich with oil resources are expected to help poor Moslem countries. 

GUNANTO ES 

ASEAN gears up to build security community

Lilian Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Cha-am, Thailand | Mon, 03/02/2009 2:13 PM  

Border disputes, human trafficking and illegal logging will pose great challenges to ASEAN member states as they gear up to live under one security community umbrella by 2015. 

As member states clinched their commitment under the ASEAN Charter and adopted the blueprint for security community during the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand last weekend, relations among members in the 41-year-old bloc have remained testy, with the thorny issue of border security threatening to jeopardize the idea of a security pillar. 

Analysts have warned the vague concept of a security community amid the lack of commonality in standards of maintaining border security and settling disputes among member states might render the charter a toothless document. 

Philip S. Robertson Jr., adviser to the Bangkok-based Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation in Human Development (SEARCH) human development group, said the governments were left with a raft of homework to improve their security gaps before they could really implement the idea of one community. However, he highlighted the governments' "lack of political will" as a major obstacle to any good ideas they had given birth to. 

"They might tell the public about how much or how well they have progressed at the negotiation tables, but at the end there's not much to expect. Disputes will prolong and it's just an on-and-off matter," Robertson said. 

Member states have been faced with many disputes over their border security and boundaries, which have sparked military tensions and some ominous saber rattling. Standoffs have spilled over to the political stage and triggered exchanges of arguments among politicians, such as between Indonesia and Malaysia. Both countries have been locked in a dispute over the oil-rich Ambalat maritime area in the Sulawesi Sea, off the northern coast of Kalimantan, since the 1980s. 

Although the idea of using the ASEAN forum to settle disputes might strengthen the region's leverage on the global stage, a foreign minister in the region said member states might be underwhelmed with the idea. 

"Border disputes are a very sensitive matter," said the minister, who refused to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. 

"If solved in a regional forum and later *the body* has to rule in favor of a certain country, there could be tensions, not only between the two *conflicting* countries, but also *among members* in the whole region." 

Despite the many disagreements over how ASEAN should handle border disputes or disputes triggered by a lack of security, ASEAN governments have committed to cooperating with each other in the bloc, home to more than half a billion people. 

There is no shortage of problems in the region. Member countries often quarrel over the issues of illegal fishing, illegal logging, human trafficking, migrant workers, haze, pollution control and border disputes. 

Antara reported that Indonesia suffered US$3 billion a year in losses from illegal fishing in its vast waters, amid a lack of human resources to control its maritime borders. Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand have long been countries of origin for human trafficking victims destined for Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and a number of European countries. 

On haze and pollution, ASEAN members have yet to reach agreement on a control mechanism. Indonesian lawmakers rejected in 2008 a bill that would have allowed the government to ratify the ASEAN treaty on trans-boundary haze control. They argued ASEAN members would first have to agree on measures to curb illegal logging from Indonesia to a number of ASEAN countries before they could proceed on the haze control issue. Haze from Indonesian forest fires has become the center of the issue as it disrupts flights and creates breathing problems for residents of neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. 

ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said all members should improve the way they sorted through their disputes and engaged themselves more on the regional stage for a better new community. 

"If you want to be taken seriously as a regional organization, members have to sort through their problems in a manner that is acceptable to the international community. Whether conducted in informal or formal talks, *problems* should be addressed among them. We are now under a new chapter of ASEAN and members should not jeopardize it," Surin said in Cha-am, Thailand.

European Union to send election experts to Aceh

Hotli Simanjuntak, THE JAKARTA POST, BANDA ACEH | Tue, 03/03/2009 10:19 AM  

The European Union is scheduled to send a team of election experts to Aceh to monitor the upcoming general elections in the province, said Hertmurt Nassauer, head of the EU delegation to Aceh. 

“Right now we are preparing to send electoral experts to be on the ground here during the campaign and election,” Nassauer said Sunday just before leaving Aceh after a three-day visit.

He added the plan to send the experts was still awaiting approval from the Indonesian government.

The EU delegation visited Aceh over the weekend to check the rehabilitation and reconstruction process in the province after it was devastated by a powerful tsunami in 2004. 

Besides checking rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, the delegation also took a look at preparations made by the provincial administration for the elections. 

Nassauer said the duties of the electoral experts would be different from those of foreign observers. They would have limited authority and only several legal aspects in the process of the elections, from campaign activities to their implementation, he said. 

The experts will also not be allowed at polling stations or to make statements while executing their duties, he said. 

With regard to sending foreign observers to Aceh, Nassauer said they would be deployed only on the invitation of the Indonesian government. The EU is ready to send them if requested, he added. 

“But for sure, we are confident the observer mission will be able to contribute greatly to a peaceful campaign and peaceful election in Aceh,” he said, adding he had received reports about a heated political situation ahead of the elections. 

“I would like to express and underline our strong hope that the election campaign and the election will be peaceful, fair and free. And we hope the police can guarantee the freedom and peace during the election,” he said. 

This year’s election in Aceh differs from the process elsewhere in the country. The difference lies in the participation for the first time of six local parties. 

The EU delegation expressed satisfaction over the election preparations in Aceh, as well as over

the results of post-tsunami reconstruction projects by the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency. 

During the three-day visit, the eight-member delegation visited various projects funded by EU countries grouped in the Multi Donor Fund. 

“We have visited a number of reconstruction projects and are very pleased with  the progress,” Nassauer said. 

He added the delegation needed to check on the progress of the projects because they were financed with money from countries participating in the reconstruction process. 

“It’s our responsibility to examine that EU-funded projects be implemented efficiently and reach their targets,” he said. 

The projects visited included the flood mitigation project in Banda Aceh and the Tsunami Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) at Ule Lhuee, Banda Aceh. 

The EU contributed about US$700 million for post-tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in Aceh, of which US$282 million was put up by the European Commission.

RI, Australia agree on working, holiday visas

The Jakarta Post,  Jakarta  |  Tue, 03/03/2009 8:26 PM  

The Indonesian and Australia governments have signed an agreement to give working and holiday visas for citizens who fulfil all requirements, state news agency Antara reports. 

Such agreement is part of the Memorandum of Understanding inked between Indonesia's Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalatta and Australia's Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans on Tuesday in Jakarta. 

Andi said that the visas would be helpful for both Indonesian and Australian citizens who often travel to the countries for working or holiday purposes. 

“All citizens must fulfill all requirements to obtain the visas and we expect such agreement is an investment for both countries in the future,”Evans said. 

Australian and Indonesian single citizens aged between 18 and 30 years old can apply for the visas, which are valid for 12 months. Both governments issue 100 visas each year. (ewd)

Cambodia to host ASEAN-U.S. military exercise in 2010

www.chinaview.cn  2009-03-03 12:03:10        

PHNOM PENH, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will host a large-scale ASEAN-U.S. military exercise in 2010, Khmer-language newspaper the Deum Ampil said on Tuesday. 

"It is an honor for Cambodia to be chosen by ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and superpower U.S. as the location for such a large-scale international military exercise," Pol Saroeurn, Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), told the paper. 

"We will take efforts to make it a success," he said, adding that he will also instruct all his subordinates to be careful with the work. 

The Sihanoukville port will be used as the maritime location ofthis military haul, the paper also quoted a governmental official as saying on condition of anonymity. 

Cambodia once joined international military exercises respectively in Bangladesh and Mongolia and also sent peacekeepers to Sudan for de-mining operation under the U.N. umbrella. 

In April 2008, 40 Cambodian soldiers participated in a three-week multi-national peace-keeping exercise in Bangladesh. 

The U.S.-led mission was named "Ambassador of Peace" and involved some 400 soldiers from 12 countries, including Bangladesh,India, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Nepal, Brunei,Mongolia, Tonga, Cambodia and U.S. 

In July 2007, 43 Cambodian soldiers took part in a military exercise for UN peacekeeping mission in Mongolia. 

In addition, Cambodia sent 135 deminers to Sudan in 2006 for UN peacekeeping mission, and then 139 in June 2007 to replace the oldones. The deminers were renewed again in 2008. 

China sending group to Europe to look for mergers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/03/2009 3:18 PM  

China will send a group to Europe this weekend to look for merger and investment targets following a visit by a multibillion-dollar Chinese buying delegation, the commerce minister said. 

Chinese companies have been stepping up investments abroad despite global financial turmoil and have signed a flurry of foreign energy and resource deals. 

"We will send a tour to Europe this weekend mainly for the purpose of investment and mergers, to take a look at what enterprises would be worth our taking shares in and operating together," Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Monday in comments shown on state television. 

The report said the delegation of businesspeople would visit Britain and other countries but gave no other details. Chen's ministry did not immediately respond to a request for more information. 

Chen led a 200-member group of Chinese businesspeople and officials on a buying mission to Switzerland, German, Britain and Spain last week. The total spent was not announced but the group said in Germany it signed contracts worth $10 billion. 

China's major companies have largely avoided the impact of the global financial crisis and are still flush with cash. 

In February, China signed multibillion-dollar deals to obtain oil from Russia, Venezuela and Brazil. China's biggest aluminum producer agreed to invest $19.5 billion in Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto Group.

Bangkok May Host Asean Summit, Says Abhisit

Bernama, March 03, 2009 13:08 PM 

By D. Arul Rajoo BANGKOK, March 3 (Bernama) -- The delayed Asean+3 and +6 meetings maybe held in Bangkok after last week's 14th Asean Summit was held in Hua Hin, about 230km from the capital. 

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the local media that the matter would be discussed at the weekly Cabinet Tuesday. 

Immediately after the end of the Summit in Hua Hin two days ago, there had been various speculation on the venue for the Asean+3 and Asean+6 Summits, with Koh Samui, Phuket and even Hua Hin being touted as the possible host. 

The +3 members are China, Japan and South Korea, while the +6 are the +3 nations plus Australia, India and New Zealand. 

Bangkok was originally supposed to hold the 14th Summit and related meetings with the dialogue partners last December but months of anti-government street protests here forced it to be shifted to Chiang Mai. 

But the collapse of the Somchai Wongsawat's government and the airport closure by anti-government supporters again forced the event to be postponed. 

Abhisit, who came into power in mid-December, then picked Hua Hin to avoid confrontation with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, but the +3 and +6 meetings were not included as Chinese leaders were busy with their domestic programmes. 

The Hua Hin meeting went on smoothly without any major protest with talks on current financial crisis, Asean Economic Community and the proposed human rights body, but the Government is still wary of holding the coming Summit in the capital due to the fear that the red shirt supporters of Thaksin could distrupt the event. 

Under the newly enforced Asean Charter, the grouping must hold two Summits annually, and the 15th Summit is expected to be held in October. 

-- BERNAMA

Singaporean FM visits Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/03/2009 12:15 PM  

Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo is scheduled to be on a working visit to Makassar and Jakarta, from Tuesday to Thursday, Antara news agency has reported. 

In Makassar, Yeo would meet South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Makassar Mayor Andi Herry Iskandar and leading local businessmen, as reported by ChannelnewsAsia on Tuesday. 

In Jakarta, the foreign minister will meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Yeo will also meet Trade Minister Mari Pangestu and other high-profile personalities. 

Yeo had met his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda on the sidelines of the 14th ASEAN Summit in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand, last Thursday. Both countries had agreed to reaffirm strong cooperation. 

Both ministers also expressed both countries' satisfaction over a recent conclusion of an agreement delimiting maritime boundaries between the two to be signed in Jakarta on March 10. (dre) 

Asean must address Rohingya

The Strait Times, 2 March 2009
     

 Mr Lee, seen here at a press call, also urged Myanmar to take
 advantage of a 'window of opportunity' to engage the United States
and the international community

.

HUA HIN - SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the first time addressed the issue of stateless Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar yesterday, warning that Asean must address it seriously or risk losing credibility. 

While addressing leaders at the summit, he also made a pitch for Myanmar to engage with the United States and the international community, saying he saw a 'window of opportunity' for this now. 

Some Western countries, he noted, have been questioning whether sanctions against Myanmar were the best approach. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he observed, recently said that sanctions were not working, and that US officials were looking at 'possible ideas'. 

'We see a window of opportunity for Myanmar to engage the US and the international community,' he said. 'Myanmar can capitalise on this opportunity by cooperating with the United Nations.' 

The PM also urged Asean to support United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's mission to Myanmar, but added that Asean should not encourage a visit by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon 'unless there are concrete deliverables'. 

'A visit will raise unrealistic expectations that cannot be met and would be counter-productive,' he said. 

The PM also raised the plight of Rohingya refugees. 

The issue has raised some tension within the region as the refugees have been fleeing Myanmar for countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Myanmar denies them citizenship, while the refugees say they have been abused by the Thai military - which has denied this. 

Mr Lee pointed out that media reports on the alleged ill-treatment of the Rohingya had hurt Asean's image. He said: 'We must address this seriously. Asean will lose credibility if we are unable to sort out a problem in our own region.'

RI discussing anti-terror cooperation with six countries

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and six other countries, namely Poland, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Sudan and Venezuela, are now discussing a plan to  cooperate in the fight against terrorism, a senior minister said. 

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs widodo AS told a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I (defense affairs) that Indonesia had already concluded anti-terrorism cooperation agreements with seven countries, namely Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Romania, Russia and Egypt. 

"Besides that, we have also established cooperation in the same field with European Union nations, the United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and countries grouped in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Widodo said adding, however, the cooperation with those countries had not been formalized in  memorandums of understanding. 

The activities carried out so far under the international anti-terrorism cooperation agreemtns included  training in  crisis-handling capabilities, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) management, intelligence, police, military, mutual legal assistance, legal enforcement and institutional capacity and human resources building. 

Within the framework of ASEAN, Indonesia signed an ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism on January 17, 2007 as the legal basis for cooperation to crack down on terrorism in the ASEAN region, the  minister said. 

"Cooperation with other countries is very important because terrorism is a very complex transnational crime which has to be faced together based on UN' Security Council Resolution 1566/2004 which calls for member countries to fully cooperate in fighting terrorism," he said. 

On the potential threat of terrorism in Indonesia in 2009, Widodo said the matter should continue to be given careful attention by all sides because not all of the terrorist networks, such as the one led by Noordin M Top, had been crushed.

Abdullah disappointed over 0.1% growth but is not surprised

By MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR,  The Star Online 

HUA HIN (Thailand): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hopes Malaysia’s gross domestic product for the first quarter of this year will still show positive growth. 

Although the Prime Minister was disappointed with the 0.1% growth recorded in the fourth quarter of last year, Abdullah said he was not surprised. 

“I know this is not due to the lack of effort on our part but due to pressures of the global economic crisis. We still registered very small growth and it does show that our effort to help the economy by providing the stimulus package given is slowly showing some good support. 

“Otherwise, we would have suffered more because other countries are doing worse than us,” he told a press conference here on the sidelines of the Asean summit yesterday. 

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced yesterday that for the fourth quarter of last year, Malaysia’s GDP grew only 0.1% — the lowest growth since the third quarter of 2001 when growth was -0.4%.

 Diplomacy in blue: Abhisit and wife Pimpen greeting Abdullah and Jeanne when they arrived for the gala dinner in Cha-am yesterday. — Reuters

Abdullah also said the RM7bil stimulus package announced in November had not really shown the results yet as it would take time. 

He said it was not impossible to register growth as it depended on how big the mini budget to be revealed on March 10 would be. 

“It will also depend on how efficient and effective the spending will be not only by the Government but that of the private sector as well. 

“With the stimulus package to be announced in March, we have nine months and I hope the achievement will be better than what was shown in 2008,” Abdullah added. 

Related Story: 

Nor Mohamed: Malaysians must accept reality of prolonged financial crisis

"Unbridled greed" to blame for economic woes: Malaysian PM

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi blamed "unbridled greed" Monday for the global financial meltdown as business people from across the Islamic world gathered to discuss the crisis. 

Badawi called for a new financial system to replace the Wall Street model as he spoke at the opening of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta alongside Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. 

"We have inherited a system where people can trade what they do not own and the resulting inflationary pressure in the global market has caused immense damage to the economic well-being of the world`s poor," he was quoted by AFP as saying in a speech. 

"Such is the impact of unbridled greed in the financial system where there is no accountability on money lending.... The world is beginning to appreciate the need for alternative financial arrangements." 

He said Islamic finance -- which shuns interest and avoids profiting from industries such as alcohol and gambling -- was "gaining credibility as an alternative." 

"I do believe that Islamic finance has a bright future in the global financial system. This is something that we can capitalise upon," Badawi added, while noting the lack of harmonised standards in Islamic banking. 

The fifth WIEF since 2004 gathers hundreds of business leaders from across the Muslim world as well as senior officials such as Organisation of the Islamic Conference Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. 

Organisers say the two-day forum at a luxury hotel in the capital of the world`s most populous Muslim country "aspires to change the global perception of the Muslim world from a conflict zone to a lucrative economic region." 

Discussions are focusing on the US-led financial meltdown, the environment and the future of fossil fuels, food security and small business development. 

All speakers at the conference extolled the virtues of Islamic finance and the need to boost food production to feed the poor in developing countries in the wake of last year`s food crisis. 

Prices soared due to a combination of factors including poor harvests, changing diets in emerging economies and growing demand for food crops for biofuel production. 

Badawi said that if the growth in world food production continued to fall "the Muslim world will not be able to feed its growing population." 

Indonesian President Yudhoyono said 22 of the 50 least developed and most indebted countries in the world were Muslim, and called for oil-exporting Islamic countries to set up a fund to support poorer Muslim states. 

Yudhoyono warned against any trend toward protectionism in the face of the global slump, and called for the completion of the latest round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks designed to free-up world trade. 

WTO members came close to a deal last July in Geneva but talks fell apart amid mutual recriminations between developed and developing countries. 

A new trade pact is seen as a way of preventing protectionism by binding countries to rules monitored by the Geneva-based WTO. 

"The worst thing that anyone can do is become protectionist and thus invite protectionist retaliation in a trade war in which everyone will emerge a pitiable loser," Yudhoyono said. 

"We should remain practitioners of free trade and persevere in working for a development-oriented trade regime in the WTO round of negotiation." 

Southeast Asia`s largest economy, Indonesia has denied allegations it is imposing non-tariff trade barriers by restricting imports of major goods to five ports and requiring translations of imported food labels. 

Indonesia recently successfully launched its first retail Islamic bond issue to help fund a six-billion-dollar economic stimulus package. 

Other leaders from Muslim countries at the conference included Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi and the deputy prime ministers of Qatar and Yemen.

President calls for increased cooperation among Muslim countries

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on Muslim countries to intensify cooperation in trade and investment to help stem the impacts of the current global multi-facet crisis. 

"In the trade and investment sectors, especially in the current crisis, we must increase solidarity in the form of cooperation for the welafere of the Muslims," President Yudhoyono said in his opening speech at the Fifth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) here on Monday. 

Cooperation was crucial particularly to curb protectionism in the international trade following the global financial crisis, he said. 

The Muslims countries should intensify trade among members of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) as stipulated int he OIC`s 10-year action programs which recommended 20 percent increase in the total trade volume among Muslim countries, he said. 

Cooperation agreements signed by the private sectors during the forum were concrete cooperation among Muslims countries, according to him. 

The President witnessed signings of business agreements, among others, between the Ras Al-Khaimah Emirate and the East Kalimantan provincial administration, PT Garuda Indonesia and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Indonesian state own oil and gas company Pertamina, ETA Star Grup Dubai and Itochu Corporation of Japan, Bank Muamalat Indonesia and the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia, as well as between PT Pos Indonesia and Islamic Payment Sdn Berhad of Malaysia. 

He also believed that the application of the Islamic banking system should be boosted to help deal with the financial, food, and energy crises. 

The President said that the syariah (Islamic) banking could cope with the impacts of the global financial crisis better than the conventional banks. 

It showed that the syariah banks was not tempted to invest in the financial and asset sectors only, but they also operated to support the real economic, he said. 

Indonesia has had a Law on syariah banking sicne last year, and in the near future would issue syariah bounds, he said. 

Among those present in the WIEF opening ceremony were Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Morocco Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Somalia President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

SBY tells OIC to continue with internal reforms

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 03/02/2009 8:13 PM  

Yudhoyono has told the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ishanoglu to continue reforming the grouping’s internal structure and to use soft power to carry out its policies, tempointeraktif.com reports. 

During a brief meeting on the sidelines of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), Yudhoyono thanked the OIC for aid sent to Aceh tsunami victims and orphans after the disaster hit the region five years ago, presidential spokesperson Dino Patti Djalal said Monday. 

“The OIC also showed its appreciation to Indonesia for its active participation in pushing for internal ref .

The organization would seek more donors to help orphans continue their education, Dino said. 

“The OIC also asked for Indonesia to continue supporting peace efforts in the Southern Philippines between the Muslim minority Moro National Liberation Front and Philippine government,” he added. (ewd)

World Islamic Economic Forum

The Jakarta Post  |  Mon, 03/02/2009 3:43 PM 
 

 

All eyes on Sharia economy: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi walks past by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono prior during the opening ceremony of the 5th World Islamic Economic Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

21pc new foreign workers found to have diseases

Daily Express, Sunday, Malaysia, March 01, 2009 

Kota Kinabalu: About 341 newly-arrived foreign workers from Indonesia have been screened by the Foreign Workers Health Assessment Centre (FWHAC) at Mile 5 of Jalan Apas in Tawau, since it commenced operations in early August last year. 

And 21 per cent of them were found to have communicable diseases, particularly hepatitis, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and so on and, therefore, could not be in the State. 

This centre, the first of its kind set up to serve as a holding centre for medical examination of foreign workers coming for the first time to Sabah, is being operated as a pilot project by Warisan Harta Sdn Bhd's (WHS) sub-contractor Growarisan Sdn Bhd. 

"The centre in Tawau is a pilot project and set up to fulfil the requirements of the Government both at the State and Federal levels with regards to the health aspects of the foreign workers. It is only meant for those foreign workers who arrive in the State for the first time. As for renewal, they will go through the normal procedures," said Datuk Rahman Ghani, the Chief Executive Officer of WHS, a State Government wholly-owned investment holding company. 

He told reporters this after he attended a dialogue on FWHAC and other issues related to foreign workers in Sabah, organised jointly by the Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KKCCCI), Sabah United Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SUCCC) and Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA) at the KKCCCI building here, Saturday. 

Rahman said the holding centre provides a lot of benefits, one of them being convenience for all newly-arrived foreign workers in the State where they can get their medical report within just two days. 

"Secondly, it helps the authorities to prevent foreign workers from ending up becoming illegals if they are found unfit to work in the State. We and the Immigration Department will immediately send them out from the State, to prevent any communicable diseases from spreading in Sabah," he said. 

Growarisan Sdn Bhd outsourced to Visa Suria Holdings Sdn Bhd, the provision of support services such as transportation, meals, lodging and medical examination, etc. 

For medical examination, a male foreign worker is charged a fee of RM180 and RM190 for a female foreign worker. For the dormitory, it costs RM95 for a maximum of two nights stay and RM45 for each extra day's stay (if agent cannot collect foreign workers on time). 

Also charged is a RM210 refundable deposit per non-agent. The deposit is required in case of extra quarantine stay for unfit workers pending deportation and also to offset damages to the facilities provided. 

"We have not received any complaint about the services provided at this centre so far, except for the RM95 payment for the accommodation and food. The RM95 is considered very minimal. When we talk about the total cost we talk about the levy, where even the agent's fees are almost RM600. 

I think they will be talking more about the levy with the Government," said Rahman, referring to the associations involved in the dialogue. 

To a query from one of the dialogue participants on why the centre is presently just catering to Indonesian workers and not those from the Philippines and why it is only in Tawau, Rahman said the centre in Tawau is only a pilot project. 

"Actually we cannot set up every centre at the moment. Because just to set up the said holding centre in Tawau already costs us a minimum of RM5 million since it started operations," he said. 

He, nevertheless, said they are communicating with the relevant authorities and working very closely with the Immigration Department, hoping this can be made compulsory for foreign workers who arrive for the first time to Sabah. 

But those with renewal purposes will not have to go through the centre, he said, adding the Filipino workers are also screened but they go through the normal screening procedures without going through this centre. 

"Hopefully, if we succeed and although it would be costly, I will push for the setting up of such a centre in other areas in Sabah, for the benefit of the people in the State, which is to prevent them from getting infected by imported communicable diseases," he said. 

Rahman said the Government has set a procedure to require all foreign workers coming into the State for the first time to go through this centre and thus "we hope the decision will come in the very near future." 

"In 2007 there were about 97,000 foreign workers who went through medical check-ups, while last year about 70,000 to 80,000. Bear in mind there are about 300,000 registered foreign workers in Sabah and a lot of them, because of the previous procedures, did not go through the medical check-up," he said. 

But now all of them are required to go through a medical check-up once in certain period of time, he added. 

Rahman found the dialogue positive, with everybody understanding the explanation given on the need to have the holding centre. 

"That is a very positive sign. The views presented by the participants like Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) President Datuk Wong Khen Tau and others will help push forward the need for this holding centre," he said.

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Brunei defends whipping 400 immigrants in 5 years

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Bandar Seri Begawan | Mon, 03/02/2009 12:45 PM  

Brunei has defended its tough penalties against illegal immigrants after revealing that nearly 400 foreigners were whipped in the past five years for settling unlawfully in this oil-rich sultanate, a news report said Monday.

Authorities have flogged 396 foreigners with rattan canes for entering Brunei without valid travel documents or overstaying after immigration laws were tightened in 2004, according to Immigration Department data reported by the Borneo Bulletin newspaper. 

Those whipped were mainly from other Asian countries, including Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, the report said. 

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have slammed Brunei's whipping penalties, which are part of its criminal laws and are also used for other offenses including rape, theft and smuggling. 

Immigration Department representatives could not be immediately contacted Monday, but the Borneo Bulletin quoted a senior official as saying that foreign workers must abide by the law. 

"We also received inquiries concerning such punishment. Neighboring countries too carry out such lashes," the official told the Bulletin. Malaysia and Singapore also have flogging punishments for various crimes. 

Some diplomats in Brunei have also voiced reservations about corporal punishment, saying many migrant workers unknowingly commit visa violations because of negligent employers, who do not get whipped themselves. 

Brunei, a nation of 380,000 people, is located on Borneo island. Its offshore oil and gas reserves have made it one of the world's richest nations per capita, and it relies on foreign workers to fill such menial jobs as laborers and housemaids.

Muslim nations seek closer ties in economic crisis

The Jakarta Post, Zakki Hakim ,  The Associated Press ,  Jakarta  |  Mon, 03/02/2009 3:36 PM 
 

 Economic brotherhood: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center with black cap) joins other Islamic leaders at the opening of the fifth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta on Monday. The other leaders are (from left to right) WIEF chairman Tun Musa Hitam, United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheik Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, (Yudhoyono), Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Qatar Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Organization of Islamic (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and the fifth WIEF organizing committee chairman Sofyan Djalil. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

Muslim nations need to forge closer ties to meet challenges posed by the global financial crisis, Indonesia's president said Monday at the opening of the annual World Islamic Economic Forum in Jakarta. 

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proposed creating a Muslim support fund, noting that Islamic nations account for nearly half of the 50 leas-developed and heavily indebted countries in the world. 

He also said oil-exporting countries should help cushion the economic blow for developing countries by investing more in their agricultural sectors. 

"Muslim countries with vast reserves but without a real agricultural sector can come to the rescue," he told the delegates. "And since they are food importers, they will also be securing their own food supply needs." 

Yudhoyono said the financial crisis also opened up new opportunities for Islamic banks in oil-exporting countries, noting that they have not been as severely affected as their Western counterparts because they did not invest in "toxic" assets or in leveraged funds. 

Yudhoyono also touched on climate change, energy security and food shortages. 

This is the fifth meeting of the World Islamic Economic Forum. This year nearly 1,600 participants from 36 countries - including the leaders of Malaysia and Morocco, as well as senior government ministers and corporate leaders - are attending the three-day event.

Fifth World Islamic Economic Forum kicks off in Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 03/02/2009 10:41 AM
 

 Business class: Business leaders share a moment before a signing an MoU for future cooperation, on the sidelines of the fifth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta on Monday. The leaders are (from left to right) Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Capital CEO Robert J. Genise, Garuda Indonesia president director Emirsyah Satar, Utama Pos Indonesia deputy president director Ketut Marjana, Bank Muamalat Indonesia president director Riawan Amin and The Islamic Payment System Sdn. Berhad managing director Shahzad Kader Sultan. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama
 

Hundreds of delegates from around the world attended the fifth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Jakarta on Monday. 

The two-day international conference was officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and WIEF committee chairman cum State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil. 

"This forum is aimed at increasing cooperation and understanding between participants," Djalil said, as reported by kompas.com. 

Sofyan added that the forum seeks to raise some US$3 billion in investments. 

Kompas.com also reported that 1,557 people, including 1,395 delegates, 85 speakers and 70 heads of state from 38 countries were present. (amr) 

Good news for tuna fishers: Indonesia adopts fisheries consortium with RP

Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews,Sunday, 01 March 2009 17:00 

HUA HIN, Thailand  (MindaNews/01 March) -- Indonesia has formally adopted a proposed fisheries consortium with the Philippines that will eventually grant Philippine-based tuna fishing vessels access into Indonesia's tuna-rich fishing grounds. 

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Indonesian President resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accepted the proposed agreement from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 5th Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Leaders Summit at the Dusit Thani hotel here on Saturday. 

Remonde said the two leaders agreed to immediately commission a joint technical working group composed of Indonesian and Philippines fishery officials to work out the details of the proposed agreement.

“This is a significant breakthrough because in effect, the proposal will expand the fishing grounds of our tuna fishing companies,” he told reporters. 

Remonde said the proposed deal will mainly benefit the Philippines' tuna industry, which is based in General Santos City. 

Dubbed the Philippines' tuna capital, General Santos City hosts six of the country’s eight tuna canneries, employing  around 120,000 workers. 

A report from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources showed that Indonesia's fishing grounds supply at least 80,000 tons of tuna annually to the area's tuna canneries and other related industries. 

During the last two years, the Philippines has been trying to secure a new bilateral fishing agreement with Indonesia after the initial five-year deal expired in December 2005. 

The agreement earlier allowed Philippine fishermen to “catch tuna and tuna-like species within the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone.” 

Under the agreement, special licenses were given for Philippine vessels—75 catcher ships, 150 fish carriers, 20 long liners, 300 light boats and 10 single purse seiners. The pact also allowed access to the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas of the Indonesian EEZ. 

The agreement also allowed off-loading and re-supplying access of Philippine fishermen to 10 Indonesian ports. 

Aside from the proposed fisheries deal, Remonde said the BIMP-EAGA leaders agreed to explore the possible expansion of the roll-on roll-off or RoRo shipping routes within the sub-region. 

He said Ms. Arroyo, Susilo, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah jointly agreed to create a technical working group to study the opening of the proposed shipping route. 

Remonde said the proposed RoRo shipping route will connect strategic markets and production areas within the BIMP-EAGA, which comprises the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; the provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Papua in Indonesia; the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and, Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. 

“They (BIMP-EAGA leaders) were very much committed to accelerate the cross-border trade and investment within the sub-region to complement the bigger economic integration initiatives in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” he added. 

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda, who graced the summit, lauded the efforts of the four governments to sustain their cooperation within the sub-region. 

“The BIMP-EAGA has made progress toward improving transport links, facilitating trade and developing economic corridors. Looking forward, the region could become a major player in the regional and global food market,” he said in a press statement. 

He said the ADB, which has been assisting the sub-region's integration programs, will work on new studies to facilitate trade, improve logistics and streamline customs policies in the area. 

"To increase productivity in the agriculture sector, increased investment is needed in infrastructure development, technology upgrading, and marketing support. Policies on trade in agriculture products also need to be reformed to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers,” Kuroda noted. 

The summit, which was also attended by local government and business leaders from the sub-region, tackled various developments related to the implementation of flagship programs and projects under the BIMP-EAGA Development Roadmap for 2006-2010. 

The BIMP-EAGA leaders reviewed the continuing strengthening of the Customs-Immigration-Quarantine-Security (CIQS) coordination, expansion of air and sea linkages, local government cooperation and the development of the sub-region's halal industry. (Alden V. Estabillo/MindaNews)