ANGEROUS POLICIES PAKISTAN PAL

Ever since the Cold War ended and the US gained primacy in what still is a uni-polar world the US has been struggling to find a way to use its primacy. This search led the US into Afghanistan and then into Iraq. A leader is judged by the legacy he leaves behind. George Bush’s legacy is the thousands of dead and maimed Americans and their grieving kin and of course the quagmire that Iraq and Afghanistan have become and the economic recession. For 25 years the folly of Viet-Nam was accepted because of the Cold War but what is the excuse for the strategic blunder of a war without end in two countries that cannot possible threaten the primary military power in the world today and its NATO allies.

President Obma’s arrival was to herald a change as he moved to tackle the recession and the joblessness that it had brought to America. He was expected to get into meaningful talks with North Korea and Iran. He was supposed to extricate out of Iraq and create the environment for an eventual exit from Afghanistan. None of these events are in sight. Iraq may drift into civil war and violence as the US leaves and the forces struggling to free Afghanistan are getting ready to welcome the troop surge that the US / NATO are planning. The US / NATO operations in Afghanistan are fuelling the expansion of terror into Pakistan.

The AF-PAK strategy will do nothing to resolve conflict. Pakistan has lost, and is losing, for more than it is getting. The promised 1.5 billion dollars will not shore up Pakistan’s shattered economy and the regulatory conditions have alienated Pakistanis. Why could not the US set u a partnership with the private sector in Pakistan to develop projects that will create jobs, step up production and create any economy that could be a bulwark against terror and extremism?.

Pakistanis are also asking that if Pakistan is an ally and if there is a strategic dialogue with Pakistan then why the Pentagon is making public statements against the military and the ISI--- statements that may be music for Afghans and Indians but hurt Pakistanis deeply. Why is it hat the US only listens to those who have made careers out of saying what the US wants to hear?. Surely the US knows that this will undermine those who are its real allies and well wishers in Pakistan. Supporting a civilian government should not be a the cost of alienating the military and its intelligence apparatus--- that would be counter-productive.

If the US is to succeed in Afghanistan then it must get rid of those in the Afghan government with past baggage. The Afghan government must be made representative by giving the majority Pashtuns of Southern Afghan enough space. The drug economy must be destroyed and the smuggling route strangled. Financial inflows must be checked and sources for weapons dried up. The Afghan people must be provided security. Talks with moderate Pashtuns must be started. These actions must take priority --- nation and capacity building in Afghanistan can continue over a longer period but the environment must change now. The US presence in Afghanistan should change from a destabilizing to a stabilizing influence in the interest of regional harmony.

If there is a struggle within extremists and moderates within the US should not take sides. Islam is within the US, UK, Europe, India and other countries. By taking sides the US is creating a bigger problem for the worlds . Islam can resolve any conflicts within it without outside interference. Those who did 9/11 must be amazed at the success that they have achieved.

Doctors, paramedics protest Shopian twin rape, murder

Srinagar: Hundreds of doctors and paramedics on Monday staged demonstrations across the valley to protest the dual rape and murder of Shopian women last month allegedly by troopers.

On Saturday, Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued fresh week long programme urging, doctors, journalists, government and private sector employees to hold demonstrations against the rape and murder of Asiya Jan and Nilofer Jan of South Kashmir’s Shopian district allegedly by troopers.

Reports reaching Press Bureau of India said that hundreds of doctors and paramedics on Monday afternoon took to streets in response to Hurriyat call and staged demonstrations to protest the double rape and murder of Shopian women. The protesters including a large number of women were demanding stern punishment for the persons responsible for the Shopian incident.

However, the biggest demonstration was witnessed at SMHS hospital, Srinagar where hundreds of doctors and paramedical staff including a large number of women took out a march to protest the rape and murder of Shopian women. Chanting pro-freedom, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans, the protesters were demanding the probe report to be made public at the earliest.

“The gruesome rape and murder of Shopian women is a slap on the face of Indian democracy. The world should see how Kashmiri women were being raped and murdered by the forces of the so-called largest democracy,” Mohammad Hafeez, a protester told Press Bureau of India.

“Shopian incident is not first of its kind, where troops have shown their cruel face. They have been doing such inhuman acts for decades now,” he added.

Demonstrations were also held at the valley’s largest healthcare institute, SK Institute of medical sciences, Soura, where hundreds of doctors and para medical staff staged demonstrations and demanded punishment for the people responsible for Shopian dual rape and murder case.

Chanting “We want Freedom,” “Islam Zindabad,” “Punish the killers,” the protesters were demanding withdrawal of troops and revocation of AFSPA and other special powers given to the forces.

“The time has come when the forces should be withdrawn completely from the valley. Unless that happens, the women folk will continue to be under threat,” a doctor wishing not to be named told Press Bureau of India.

“The people had high expectations from Omar Abdullah led coalition government. His promise of revoking AFSPA and withdrawal of troops proved to be a hoax,” he added.

Meanwhile, reports pouring from Central, South and North Kashmir said that hundreds of persons associated with the medical fraternity staged demonstrations against the Shopian incident and demanded strict punishment for the persons responsible for the act. (PBI)

Sectors for Boosting Georgia’s Economy Tbilisi

The Investment Climate Advisory Servicesunit of the World Bank Group has released a new report that identifies thefour most promising manufacturing sectors for investors in Georgia andprovides recommendations to accelerate investment and growth in thecountry. The report, entitled “Georgia Manufacturing Sector CompetitivenessAssessment,” recommends that government, donors, and other players focusparticular attention on viticulture, fruit and vegetable production,construction materials, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices –areas in which Georgia has certain strong competitive advantages. Thereport also noted significant potential for exports and job generation innon-manufacturing sectors, including logistics, tourism, utilities, andprimary processing industries. Domestic demand for construction materials, food, and consumer goods inGeorgia has boomed in response to investment flows into infrastructure,construction, and retail, but domestic production in these sectors haslagged. To address this issue, the World Bank Group’s Investment ClimateAdvisory Services conducted a basic analysis of the competitiveness ofGeorgia’s agribusiness and manufacturing sectors in order to identify thoseareas in which the country has the best opportunity to increase itscompetitiveness and attract investments. “The survey and its recommendations will greatly assist the Georgiangovernment, especially the Ministry of Finance, in working effectively toimprove the business and legislative environment in its support of thesesectors,” said Kakha Baindurashvili, Georgia’s Minister of Finance. “Thisis particularly important, since the development and promotion of thesectors outlined in the report will support the creation of new jobs andattract new foreign investments countrywide.” Based on the report’s key findings, the World Bank Group detailed sixissues that must be addressed in order to enhance Georgia’s competitivenessin the above-mentioned sectors. These include improving human capitalthrough education, internal and external promotion, progress towardsmeeting internationally recognized production standards, increasingcollaboration between producers, improving access to finance, and taxadministration. Karin Millett, head of the World Bank Group's Investment Climate AdvisoryServices office in Vienna, said, “This analysis will help make more peopleaware of the opportunities that exist and will help donors and businessorganizations to

Sex education saves lives

By : ROJANA MANOWALAILAO, Bangkok Post

Sixteen-year-old Teerapol never uses condoms when he has sex. He expressed the view that using condoms might make sex less fun. The secondary school student said he never talks to his parents or teachers about sex, but learns about it from his own experiences, friends' experiences, pornographic movies and the internet.

When is the right time?

Students examine various condoms displayed at the launch of the Healthy Sexuality Database. Young people must be taught that there are consequences and responsibilities associated with having sex. NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM OF THAILAND

"My parents said it's not yet the time to [have a sexual relationship] or talk about sex. And I feel too shy to talk to my teachers," said the Mathayom 5 (Grade 11) student.

When asked if he is scared about making his girlfriends pregnant, Teerapol said birth control is all about practice and technique. When asked if he is afraid of sexually transmitted diseases, Teerapol gave an empty look and did not comment.

Young people, aged 15 to 24, account for 45 percent of all new HIV infections in adults, which suggests that many young people still lack accurate information on how to avoid exposure to the virus, according to UNAids.

"There is a prevailing myth among adults in most countries that if young people are taught about sex, they will run out and try it. However, studies from many different cultures have consistently shown the opposite to be true," said Philip Bergstrom, adolescent reproductive and sexual health adviser at Unesco Bangkok's HIV Coordination, Adolescent Reproductive and School Health Unit.

"Teaching comprehensive sex education actually delays the first sexual experience," he said.

Sex is 'serious' Mr Bergstrom said sex is then demystified, and a youngster's curiosity, in part, has been satisfied. And as long as the sex education is comprehensive, there is an understanding and acceptance of the reality that sex is serious, and that there are consequences and responsibilities associated with it that must be considered.

However, comprehensive sex education is still not being adequately taught in many Thai schools.

A comprehensive sex education programme covers love and relationships, healthy communication and emotional responses that can occur within relationships, such as heartbreaks and jealousy, besides teaching about the biology and physiology of sex, said Mr Bergstrom.

"It recognises and teaches respect for gender diversity the reality of the diversity of gender identities and is holistic in the sense that it seeks to encompass all component aspects of healthy sexuality and healthy relationships, while still delivering critical life-saving information on the potential negative results of sexual activity, such as sexually transmitted infections," he said.

Database sorely needed Sex education is often viewed as a taboo subject in Thailand, and many Thai teachers have said reading materials and teaching resources are limited and outdated.

"Teachers still use [obsolete] textbooks to teach students, while young people can easily click on the internet for the latest information," said Phattaraphorn Korbkoonchai, a sex education teacher at Debsirin School in Bangkok.

She said busy educators have to find extra time to search for the most recent information and materials to be able to teach their students properly.

June 15 Joint Declaration, Programme for Korea’s Reunification

The historic June 15 Joint Declaration is the reunification programme common to the Korean nation and the banner of great victory as it showed a shortcut to realizing the desire and wish of the entire nation for independent reunification, peace and prosperity.

Embodied in the joint declaration is the unanimous desire of all Koreans for national independence.

The joint declaration calls upon the Korean nation in the north and the south to join efforts and independently settle the problem of national reunification by itself as the very one responsible for this problem. The presentation of the idea “By our nation itself” made clear the path of independent reunification in the new century.

Carried in the declaration is the demand of all Koreans for peace and peaceful reunification of the country.

The declaration indicates the ways for preventing military conflicts between the north and the south and realizing the national reunification peacefully, thus rousing the Koreans to the struggle for durable peace of the Korean peninsula and its peaceful reunification.

Reflected in the declaration is all Koreans’ will to improve the north-south relations and make a new turning point in achieving unified development of the country and prosperity of the nation through reconciliation and cooperation.

The idea of “By our nation itself” advanced in the joint declaration mirrors the fundamental principles for improvement of the north-south relations and national reunification.

Signal achievements have been made one after another in the development of the inter-Korean relations since the publication of the joint declaration. This is a clear proof of the vitality of “By our nation itself”, the most just and patriotic idea for reunification.

By clarifying that the north and the south will develop the national economy in a balanced way and activate cooperation and exchange, the joint declaration opened up a broad avenue for intensifying reconciliation and cooperation based on the idea “By our nation itself”.

The joint declaration serves as a milestone for the independent reunification of the nation and a great programme of national reunification.

Independent reunification, peace and prosperity depend on defending and implementing the inter-Korean declarations.

Immortal Feats in Opening up June 15 Era of Reunification

June 15 is a significant day when a historic turn was made in the efforts for accomplishing the reunification cause of the Korean nation.

It is none other than leader Kim Jong Il who opened up the June 15 era of independent reunification in the efforts for achieving the unity and reunification with the concerted efforts of the Korean nation against the foreign forces.

The relations between the north and the south were faced with the pitch of confrontation and a grave obstacle was laid on the way of national reunification owing to the moves to stifle the DPRK the imperialists and traitors to the nation had intensified more than ever before with the demise of President Kim Il Sung as an occasion in the 1990s.

It was at that time that true to the lofty intention of the President, Kim Jong Il declared his strong will to hand over the reunified country to the rising generation without fail and led the Korean people’s national reunification movement wisely.

He published his famous work Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung’s Instructions for National Reunification on August 4, 1997. In the work, he re-clarified the will of the Workers’ Party of Korea to carry forward the cause of national reunification pioneered and led by the President and realize the country’s reunification and advanced all the principles and tasks for the solution of the reunification issue.

On April 18, 1998 he also made public his work Let Us Reunify the Country Independently and Peacefully through the Great Unity of the Entire Nation, to arouse all the Koreans in the north, south and overseas to the campaign for achieving the country’s reunification with the internal force of the nation.

Thanks to his sagacious leadership, prominent political ability, great courageous determination and magnanimity of loving the country and the nation, the Pyongyang summit was arranged on June 15, 2000, the first of its kind in the history of national division, and the north-south joint declaration was issued to set up the idea of “By our nation itself” as a milestone for the independent reunification.

As a result, a breakthrough was made in the barrier of having divided the territory into two for more than half a century, railway lines and roads were re-linked and air and sea routes were opened. This brought the atmosphere of national reconciliation and cooperation to upsurge and pro-reunification festivals of the nation were held alternately in Pyongyang and Seoul one after another, opening up the June 15 era of reunification.

The meeting of the leaders of the north and the south and the summit meeting were made in October 2007 to make public the October 4 Declaration, which marked a new turning point in the implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration.

Under the leadership of Kim Jong Il who has raised the cause of national reunification, the supreme desire of the nation, up to the highest stage, the Korean people are certain to build a reunified and prosperous country on this land.

Establishment of village fuel wood plantation assigned

YANGON -Myothit Township Forest Department organized the ceremony to assign duties for growing trees in the rainy season at the meeting hall of Township Peace and Development Council office on 27 May morning.

Prime Minister attends dinner hosted by Governor of Jeju Island Special Self-governing Province

NAY PYI TAW -Prime Minister General Thein Sein attended a dinner hosted by Governor of Jeju Island Special Self-governing Province Mr. Kim-Tae Hwan at the Lotus Hall of the Shilla Hotel in Jeju of the Republic of Korea at 7 pm on 2 June.

Yangon Mayor signs Condolence Book

YANGON - Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor Brig-Gen Aung Thein Lin signed Book of Condolence opened at the Embassy of Israel, No 15, Khabaung Street, here at 10.30 am, for the passing away of Professor Ephraim Katzir, Former President of the State of Israel, on 30 May 2009.

Water-sharing as per 1991 accord: Gilani

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the issue of water distribution to the provinces would be resolved by following the 1991 water treaty carried out by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Speaking in the National Assembly, after the members raised the issue of water shortage in the country, Prime Minister Gilani said it was a temporary phase, which is over now. He held out categorical assurance to the House that water share of one province will not be diverted to the other.

The Prime Minister said that he was in constant contact with the Chief Minister of Punjab and the shortage of water was no more there. He said the 1991 water accord, hammered out by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, will be followed. “There should be no doubt that the 1991 water accord will be followed in letter and spirit and no one should have any doubt about it,” he added.

He said that he would soon chair a meeting of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and Ministry of Water and Power where parliamentarians would also be invited to raise issues pertaining to water and its distribution.

Responding to various points of order from the members that women members in particular were not allowed to speak by the chair, he said if they will bring their issues through adjournment motions it will make the parliament strong.

“This will be more effective and enhance the prestige of the parliament”, he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the leader of various parties to nominate their members to speak; therefore, the onus does not lie with the Speaker.

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that to make parliament effective and sovereign, there was need for strong committees system where the issues of national importance could be discussed. He urged various committees to elect their chairmen as soon as possible to ensure their smooth working.

The Prime Minister at the very outset congratulated Mian Nawaz Sharif for his acquittal in the Helicopter Case by the Lahore High Court. “This is a victory of democracy,” he added.

He also congratulated the house for unanimous passage of budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 and said such unanimity was unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. The Prime Minister said that the funds from international donors for IDPs were being used judiciously.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on the point of order that the government could not fallow parliamentary calendar and violated it for eight times while it had been passed unanimously in the House Business Advisory Committee.

Special Report :  Expo 2010 Shanghai China
Chinese artist appointed to design replacement for Little Mermaid

COPENHAGEN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A renowned Chinese artist has been chosen by the Danish government to design a replacement as the symbolic Little Mermaid goes on display at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs announced on Tuesday.

A video installation will be put where the famed statue currently sits during the six months as it stays in Shanghai as part of the Danish pavilion.

According to the ministry statement, the new artwork, to be designed by Chinese famous artist Ai Weiwei, is to reflect connection and difference between the Chinese and Danish cultures.

    Ai Weiwei, born in Beijing in 1957, had served as the Chinese program consultant for the design of the Olympic National Stadium in Beijing, also called the Bird's Nest.

    Copenhagen's iconic statue of The Little Mermaid, known from H.C. Andersen's fairy tale, is scheduled to arrive in China next April. Copenhagen's city council voted on March 12 to allow the statue to leave its perch in the Copenhagen harbor for a visit to China.

Forensic experts and doctors have confirmed Tu Yuangao, a cook at the Yonglong Hotel, whose mysterious death sparked civil unrest here last week, "committed suicide by jumping off a high building", local authorities said yesterday.

Liu Yunchang, a spokesman for the government of Shishou city, Hubei province, said experts from the Ministry of Public Security and Tongji Medical Institute carried out an autopsy, which confirmed he "committed suicide".

Tu's dead body was cremated at 4 am yesterday, he said.

The provincial public security bureau and Jingzhou police criminal technical department yesterday also claimed to have recovered an "unsigned letter" from Tu's residence, which reads: "I don't know what's happened to me. There is a shadow always looming over me. Maybe it's my destiny."

Authorities claimed they have confirmed the handwriting in the letter "matches" that of Tu's.

The cook's body was found lying near the gate of the Yonglong Hotel on the evening of June 17, with multiple injuries to his chin and chest.

An initial investigation revealed Tu committed suicide, but his family refused to believe it.

Rumors spread wide and fast that Tu was killed because he threatened to expose drug dealings in the hotel after he failed to get his monthly pay, triggering a mass protest against the government's suicide theory.

"Tu had no reason to commit suicide. I just spoke to him a week before his death, and he sounded normal and happy," Tu's elder brother Tu Yuanxin said yesterday.

"I still have many questions regarding my brother's death. But the officials refuse to show us the autopsy report."

"I also talked with him on the day before his death, when he asked me if he could help me get pig feed," said the cook's father Tu Deming.

After Tu's body was taken to a local funeral parlor, negotiations to cremate the corpse began between the deceased's family and the government, Tu Yuanxin told China Daily.

"The body was cremated after the two parties agreed on a settlement amount at 3 am yesterday," he said.

UNCTAD TO HOST SECOND PORT TRAINING WORKSHOP IN DUBLIN

Twenty-five senior managers from ports in Djibouti, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Tanzania will participate in UNCTAD's second Dublin-based Train-the-Trainers Workshop for English-speaking Port Communities.

The 30 June - 15 July workshop is being organized in cooperation with the Dublin Port Company (DPC), with financial support from Irish Aid. This is the second in a series of seminars to train port officials from English-speaking developing countries on port management and to prepare them for national replication of the UNCTAD Port Training Programme in beneficiary countries.

The workshop will cover modules 5-8 of the port-management course, continuing from the previous workshop, which covered modules 1-4 and was held in Dublin last year. Modules 5-8 include methods and tools of modern management in ports; economic and commercial management; administrative and legal management; and technical management and development of human resources.

Port communities in developing countries can foster economic development by providing efficient and competitive services to boost local and regional trade. The increasingly sophisticated nature of global port operations makes training essential. Moreover, international shipping and port communities need actively to address climate change and to take into account the broader implications of climate change for maritime transport. The UNCTAD programme helps port communities in developing countries to strengthen employees' skills so that ports can keep up with the competition and meet new challenges.

To promote the development of human resources and skills in the maritime sector, the Human Resources Development Section of UNCTAD’s Division on Technology and Logistics (DTL), with the assistance of the Transport Section and the Trade Logistic Branch, has been implementing the TrainForTrade[1] “Port Training Programme” since 1996. To date, the programme has trained over 1,000 port operators from 15 developing countries.

The upcoming workshop is a follow up to the Dublin Declaration of June 2007 -- an agreement adopted by port representatives of English-speaking African and Asian countries. Under the Declaration, missions have been organized by UNCTAD and the Dublin Port Company to assess the needs for development, training, and capacity building of the signature countries.

To know more information and study on friendly relations between Nepal and Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Please contact :
The General Secretary
Nepal-Pakistan Friendship and
Cultural Association
(Central office)
Post Box No. 285
Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone : 4262426
Mobile : 9851024388, Fax : 4279544
Email : manju_sakya@hotmail.com