Saturday, September 11, 1999
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W O R L D | Saturday, September 11, 1999 |
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Firing at UN complex in
Dili
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 LISBON : A woman carrying an image of the Virgin Mary on her head, prays outside United States embassy in Lisbon on Thursday. Thousands, most of them wearing white as a sign of solidarity with the East Timorese people, demonstrated outside the embassy demanding international intervention to stop the violence raging through the former Portuguese colony of East Timor. Vatican media reported Thursday that anti-independence militias in East Timor are targeting the Catholic church, slaying priests and nuns. AP/PTI |
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Army may step in to end
crisis: Beg
Pak worried over India's N-plans African states ‘must
unite’ Opinion poll shows defeat for Gore |
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Firing at UN complex in Dili DILI, Sept 10 (AP) — Unchallenged by Indonesian troops, anti-independence militiamen fired shots at a U.N. evacuation convoy as it headed through the ravaged streets of Dili to the airport today, witnesses said. The militiamen, possibly fuelled by alcohol looted from a warehouse, also stopped a party of terrified Roman Catholic nuns who tried to make it to the airport on their own to catch one of the half-dozen flights to Darwin, Australia. Their driver was beaten up, but the nuns managed to reach the airport, which was under the control of Australian troops. Australian journalist Lindsay Murdoch, of the Sydney Morning Herald, said some of the U.N.’s open trucks came under fire as they rolled through the streets of Dili, scattered with debris and ash from days of burning and looting. There were no immediate reports of casualties. “Armed Australian troops have secured the airport in Dili. The first few trucks that went early this morning were OK, but now the militia are starting to emerge and there are problems”. In Jakarta, a high level U.N. delegation was meeting armed forces chief Gen. Wiranto to plead for international peacekeepers. The Indonesian government has daily refused such requests. The United Nations evacuated its embattled compound in East Timor today, leaving but a skeleton crew to continue working to bring the territory to full nationhood. Anti-independence militias had trapped the workers for several days. As the United Nations conducted its evacuation, rampaging militias continued their campaign of terror. “The militia are angry because local U.N. staff have been taken out”, said Mr Murdoch, as gunfire rang out. “They have wanted them to be handed over. They have already killed many, we believe ten, before all this killing and madness started last Saturday”. DARWIN, Australia (Reuters): U.N. evacuees from strife-torn Dili today landed in Darwin. U.N. officials in Darwin said about 50 international U.N. staff would remain in East Timor. Mr Kelly, one of those who will stay in Dili, said his decision to remain in the besieged city was not a heroic move. “Ours in many ways is a symbolic presence. But I think it is an extremely important presence in light of all that has gone before”, Mr Kelly told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. The U.N. compound had held some 2,000 refugees a few days ago. But many have fled into nearby hills fearing a massacre once the United Nations pulled out. Adding economic pressure to its highly visible build up of military hardware, Australia said today it will consider breaking economic ties with Indonesia if Jakarta fails to control the crisis in East Timor. Indonesia is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours and a major trading partner. Trade between the two nations is worth about six billion Australian dollars (USD 3.9 billion) annually. WASHINGTON: President Bill Clinton has said Indonesia faced dire economic consequences if it failed to settle the violence in East Timor. “It would be a pity if the Indonesian recovery were crashed by this, but one way or the other it will be crashed by this if they don’t fix it”, he said yesterday. Mr Clinton was speaking to reporters shortly before leaving for Auckland, New Zealand, for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, where the devastation in East Timor following a pro-independence referendum would be discussed. In New York yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave Indonesia an additional 24 hours to halt the uncontrolled violence by pro-Indonesian militias. Mr Annan said he had told Indonesian authorities that if they couldn’t bring the situation under control quickly, “all efforts must be made to convince them to accept help from the international community in maintaining law and order”. But in Jakarta, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie stood firmly by his refusal to allow any outside military force to help restore order at a meeting with five U.N. ambassadors on a Security Council mission. President B.J. Habibie, his remaining political esteem shattered by the East Timor catastrophe, said his policies on the territory had been carefully planned and should not be exploited for political ends. Breaking a three-day silence over the issue, which has turned his country into an international pariah, Mr Habibie also said he would accept it if he was not reelected in November. “In relation to the indication of exploitation of the East Timor problem... I need to reiterate that all the decisions concerning East Timor have been thoroughly calculated and planned,” he said in a speech. His offer of independence to East Timor infuriated the military, which encouraged pro Jakarta militias to embark on a “scorched earth” policy to lay waste to the territory after it voted overwhelmingly to break away from Jakarta. Indonesia has so far refused to buckle to international pressure to left in foreign peacekeeping troops, something the military is known to strongly oppose. In a shot at his
political opponents and the military, Mr Habibie said:
“do not get caught up in patriotism and nationalism
which are based only on the needs of a certain group and
which are not coming from justice and humanity. |
Anwar claims bid to poison him KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (DPA, Reuters) — Lawyers for Malaysia’s sacked Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim today said urine tests sent to Australia showed that he was suffering from arsenic poisoning, which could be fatal. Leading Defence Lawyer Karpal Singh, made the shocking revelation during Mr Anwar’s sodomy trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, forcing Judge Arifin Jaka to adjourn the trial. Later after being taken to hospital, Mr Anwar Ibrahim said he was poisoned as part of a criminal conspiracy and demanded an investigation into what he said could be attempted murder. Mr Anwar was taken to hospital today after his lawyer said a pathologist in Australia had certified arsenic had been found in Mr Anwar’s urine. “It’s now proven that I have been poisoned,’’ Mr Anwar said in a police report filed today and read to reporters by his wife. “I regret that the conspiracy to topple me has not been limited to just political action but now also involves physical moves to poison me.’’ Mr Anwar’s allegation he was poisoned was the latest twist in Malaysia’s year-long political drama pitting the charismatic ex-deputy prime minister against his former mentor, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Arsenic is a potent poison that can kill a person slowly over a period of time as its effects build up upon ingestion. Mr Anwar, when asked by the judge how he was feeling, pointed out that he had been suffering from hair and weight loss but was otherwise okay. “I’m generally all right, but certainly not my usual self,” he said from the dock. Mr Karpal did not say how the urine sample was obtained from Mr Anwar, who is under strict surveillance by the police and prison guards. But, he said, a sample was obtained a week before August 18, this year, and sent under a different name to Melbourne for tests. Mr Anwar’s urine sample contained about 230 miligrams of arsenic, which his wife, an eye doctor, told reporters present in the court was 70 points over the permitted level. Saying that those responsible for endangering Mr Anwar’s health should be tried for attempted murder, Mr Karpal said he suspected “some people in high places”were behind the attempt. Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah, who is leading the prosecution, objected to the insinuation, pointing out that Mr Anwar had also been seen eating food brought in by his family and supporters during breaks in the trial. Visibly angry, Mr Anwar
stood up and slammed the dock, saying authorities should
initiate an “Investigation, but don’t settle
political scores”. |
Hindujas deny charges on Bofors LONDON, Sept 10 (PTI) — The Hinduja group today denied involvement in the Bofors payoffs, but said it was opposed to transmission of Swiss bank documents to India "unrelated" to the controversial 155 mm Howitzer gun deal. Reacting to the claim of a BJP spokesman in Delhi yesterday that it was a petition by the Hindujas in the Swiss court which was preventing Bofors papers from coming to India, the Hindujas said the group had always been for "fair and proper investigations into the allegations." "There is not a shred of evidence on the allegations of corruption and bribery, as far as we are concerned because we are not involved in the gun deal at all," the group said in a press note here. "Ever since the time that the V.P. Singh government during its brief tenure of office of 11 months filed an FIR and sent a letter rogatory to the Swiss authorities implicating our name based on baseless grounds and falsified documents the controversy has become part of electoral politics and a campaigning tool for the last 10 years," it said. The statement said "the group has always denied, and does so once again, that it has any relation with the Bofors gun deal. It emphatically states that it has not received any payments in relation to the Bofors gun deal or made payments to any person in relation to the gun deal. What we are opposed to is transmission of documents which are unrelated to the 155mm gun deal." The Hindujas said "the group wants to make it clear that it has never denied having global commercial relations, dealing in commodities, chemicals and countertrade with the Nitro Nobel group the parent company of Bofors, since the ’70s, long before the Bofors gun deal in 1986." Stating that there was a mis-conception prevailing about the real scope of the Swiss law on the International Judicial Assistance in Criminal matters (IMAC), the group said the granting of international assistance by Switzerland was a formal procedure where substance of the case pending in the foreign country was not examined by the Swiss authorities. "The IMAC does not permit Swiss authorities to examine the authenticity of documents or the guilt or innocence of the concerned parties, the transmission of documents is an automatic procedure to provide information to the requesting state. It is upto the requesting state to prove the charges before an independent judiciary. Till charges are proved in court, there is a presumption of innocence. Somehow the impression given is that receiving of documents from Switzerland means the guilt has been proven," the statement said.
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Army may step in to end crisis: Beg ISLAMABAD, Sept 10 (PTI) — Pakistan’s former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg has expressed apprehension about an army intervention in view of the growing political turmoil triggered by the Opposition-sponsored agitation against the Nawaz Sharif government and hinted that some “secret forces” were behind the agitation. General Beg, leader of Awami Qiadat Party, said in Karachi that the army could step in either at the request of the Prime Minister or on its own if Mr Nawaz Sharif ignored the Opposition protest and situation went out of control. “The Opposition tactics were aimed not at confronting the state power but to bring down the government by choking the economic activities through successive strikes,” he said in a statement hinting at some secret force behind this whole planning. The former army chief said this was the reason that the opposition parties, who were poles apart on various issues, had joined hands against Mr Sharif at the behest of, “some interested quarters” though he refrained from identifying these “interested quarters”. Indicating that the
current month could prove crucial for the government, Mr
Beg said after a public rally in Peshawar on Sept 17 that
the Opposition had plans for a three-day strike and if
that did not prove decisive it would be followed by a
week-long bandh. |
Pak worried over India's N-plans ISLAMABAD, Sept 10 (DPA) — Pakistan today criticised India for its "aggressive posture" along the line of control and "human rights violations" in the Indian part of Kashmir. A meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC), chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also expressed concern over "India’s plans for large-scale acquisition, operationalisation and deployment of the land, air and sea-based nuclear weapons and massive build-up of sophisticated conventional weaponry". "Such offensive military capability will be a threat not only to the security of Pakistan but also to the peace and stability of the entire Indian ocean region," an official announcement following the meeting said. It said the DCC approved
"Pakistan’s policy of restraint and responsible
behaviour" and urged the international community to
"arrest India’s dangerous plans for nuclear and
conventional arms escalation," adding that Islamabad
felt "alarmed with India’s expressed plans of
operationalising its nuclear weapons." |
African states ‘must unite’ TRIPOLI, Sept 10 (Reuters) — Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said African states must unite if they are to survive in an increasingly globalised world, adding that ideally the resulting union should embrace politics, the economy and culture. Mr Gaddafi, who hosted a special Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit on the issue in his home town Sirte on Wednesday and Thursday, said if a majority of African leaders favoured a more gradual approach then they could map out a blueprint. Mr Gaddafi told the ministers that he had formally called for a revision of the 53-member OAU’s founding charter because he felt it his duty to sound an alarm for the continent. “Without unity it is not possible for African countries to survive,’’ he warned, adding that “we think that this unity should be fully comprehensive — economic, cultural and political unity.’’ Mr Gaddafi, who called for a united states of Africa complete with its own Parliament and institutions, said various approaches were possible. “Is it going to be a united states of Africa or is it to be another approach?’’ he asked. Mr Gaddafi, who had
switched his long-standing dreams of unity to Africa from
the Middle East, paid tribute to Ghana’s late
independence leader Kwame Nkrumah who tried to rally his
fellow leaders around the idea of a federal Africa when
they founded the OAU in 1963. |
Opinion poll shows defeat for Gore WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (PTI, Reuters) — Leading Republican candidate and Texas Governor George Bush would get 56 per cent of the votes if the presidential elections were held yesterday, while Vice-President Al Gore would manage just 37 per cent, a Washington Post-ABC news poll has revealed. The reason for Mr Gore’s poor showing, is “strong doubts about Gore’s leadership capabilities and increased desire for change in Washington.” Mr Gore is President Bill Clinton’s choice to succeed him but President Clinton, the pollsters found, “appears to have worn out his welcome” with many Americans. About 53 per cent said they are “just plain tired” of him, a view expressed by many political independents and moderates, two swing groups that will be crucial in determining the outcome of next year’s election. Meanwhile a former US
Senator from New Jersey Bill Bradley, formally kicked off
his uphill drive for the Democratic presidential
nomination from Crystal City yesterday, promising to help
“restore trust in public service: and make the
“American dream” a reality for all. |
Hip-hop queen bags 4 MTV awards NEW YORK, Sept 10 (Reuters) —Hip-hop queen Lauryn Hill was crowned the biggest winner at yesterday’s MTV video music awards, collecting four awards for her video “Doo Wop (That Thing).” Hill, whose debut solo album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was a runaway hit last year, gathered up this year’s awards for best rock band best female video, best art direction and video of the year, the grand prize of the evening. The 16th annual awards show was staged at the unlikely venue of the elegant metropolitan opera house, hosted by the often outrageous comic Chris Rock. Livening up the evening was superstar Madonna, whose entrance was preceded by drag queens dressed up as her many incarnations, from “Like a Virgin” to “Material Girl” to “Evita”. “It takes a real man to fill my shoes,” she quipped. Madonna’s “Beautiful Stranger” from “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” won best video from a film. Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin took away two awards — best dance and best pop — for his hugely popular “Livin La Vida Loca”. Female trio TLC won best group video award for “No Scrubs,” a catchy hit about women refusing to put up with no-good men. Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” won awards for best direction, best choreography and best breakthrough video, while the award for best new artist went to Eminem for “My Name Is.” Alternative Rock band Korn’s “Freak on a Leash” was named best rock video and also won in the editing category. Rapper and actor Will
Smith won the best male video category for his
“Miami”, but he failed to win any awards for
his “Wild Wild West” video, the theme from the
movie of the same name. |
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| Chinese military exercises BEIJING: China said that it had held landing exercises with warplanes, ships and thousands of soldiers on its coast facing Taiwan this month in a warning to the island’s leaders not to “separate the motherland.” The exercise described by the Xinhua news agency appeared to be a mock invasion of Taiwan. The exercises this month took place in the coastal provinces of Zhejiang, which faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait and Guangdong, Xinhua said. — AP Al
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