Posts Tagged ‘ARF’
World focus on Burma (26-7-2008)
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Burmese Army soldiers slaughter livestock in famine hit areas
A vengeful Burmese junta has been using Burmese Army soldiers to kill domestic animals in Darling village in Matupi Township, southern Chin state in areas that have been badly hit by food crisis. The slaughtering is a sort of revenge because the residents of the area did not vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum to approve the draft constitution.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING …
7thSpace Interactive (press release), NY -
Before concluding its consideration of its agenda item on human rights, the Council took note of the Report of the Committee on Economic, …
Torture Survivor Campaigns for Freedom in Burma
NewsBlaze, CA -
At the panel discussion, Aung Din said the Burmese regime is holding about 2000 political detainees, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. …
City of London’s link to Burmese junta revealed
Nation Multimedia, Thailand -
… the generals running the oppressed south-east Asian nation. The London insurance involvement, to be exposed this week in a report by Burma Campaign UK, …
Burma: Calling Reporters and Bloggers to boycott Beijing and to …
OpEdNews, PA -
While I was studying in the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka in September 2007, there was a Saffron Revolution in Burma. The military regime …
Sports: Iraq flagged for “interference”
World Magazine, NC -
… has chosen to crack down on the democratically elected government that replaced the Hussein regime—while welcoming to Beijing Zimbabwe, Burma, Cuba, …
EWAN’S PROTEST WALK IS GATHERING INTEREST
Guide and Gazette, UK -
For the oppressed people of Burma this date is particularly significant. It is the 20th anniversary of the massacre ending the last democratic uprising. …
Weekly Business Roundup (July 26, 2008)
The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand -
At least 20 percent of the hundreds of millions of dollars for aid already channeled into Burma has been “lost,” reports Inner City Press, a New York-based …
UN Security Council Action Needed on Burma
The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand -
… Burmese regime when UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari visits the country mid-August. Ban also convened a meeting of the so-called “Group of Friends” on Burma …
China Invented Everything
New America Media, CA -
And the Emperor grudgingly let the British Ambassador celebrate his birthday in Burma, and give him presents. They gave him clocks. …
Aljazeera.net, Qatar -
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, requires foreign aid money to be converted first into foreign exchange certificates at a fixed price and then into the …
Not quite the end of history
National Post, Canada -
There’s no democracy in China, which imprisons its citizens at will, supports dictatorships in Burma and elsewhere and nevertheless demands respect for its …
UN: Myanmar taking cut of cyclone aid
United Press International -
Sean Turnell, an economist at Macquarie University in Sydney, said much of the aid is being delivered to Myanmar, formerly Burma, in the form of goods, …
AFC Challenge Cup ’08 Team Profile: Myanmar
Goal.com, Switzerland -
Amoy Ghoshal looks at the sole representative of ASEAN – Myanmar. Myanmar formerly played under the name of “Burma” and was very successful in the 1960s. …
Burma aid cash lost to regime, says UN
Financial Times, UK -
By Harvey Morris at the United Nations International aid money sent to Burma’s cyclone victims is being lost as a result of the junta’s foreign exchange …
The IOC dictatorship: let the Olympic muzzling begin
Georgia Straight, Canada -
I’d say it’s hardly the IOC’s business whether or not athletes express solidarity with oppressed peoples in places such as Tibet, Darfur and Burma… or …
DVD REVIEWS; Action Movies Fail to Deliver
RedOrbit, TX -
The story – Rambo to the rescue, along with some mercenaries, of a bunch of Christian missionaries in brutal and bloody Myanmar (Burma) – is just a device …
Charity May Begin at Home, But It’s Moving Online
Huffington Post, NY -
Online giving has had a particularly significant impact in responding to massive crises like Katrina, the Asian tsunami, the flooding in Burma and the …
Border row exposes Asean’s Achilles heel
Bangkok Post, Thailand -
Fresh from its successful work in spearheading an international humanitarian mission into cyclone-devastated Burma, the 10-country Asean abdicated from …
Farrow calls for Olympics protest
The Keene Sentinel (subscription), NH -
Myanmar was formerly known as Burma. Farrow also lamented President Bush’s decision to attend the opening ceremonies, saying it was “a missed opportunity …
Scoop World Coverage: Sec. Condoleezza Rice In NZ
Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand -
And so you can count on US support for your efforts to integrate the ASEAN community. We want to continue to be a good partner and support ASEAN.” – Sec. …
Fixing Failed States: A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World …
Times Online, UK -
In the 1950s, the Philippines and Burma were perceived as frontrunners for economic success, while Taiwan and South Korea were basket cases. …
Robert Fulford on Robert Kagan: Not quite the end of history
National Post, Canada -
There’s no democracy in China, which imprisons its citizens at will, supports dictatorships in Burma and elsewhere and nevertheless demands respect for its …
Voice of America -
ASEAN, together with the United Nations and Burma, formed the Tripartite Core Group after the international community pressured the Burmese government to …
Burmese blogger face the trial
Mizzima.com, India -
The court had begun hearing on one of the three charges against Nay Phone Latt, who is currently detained in Burma’s notorious Insein prison in Rangoon. …
Junta sentences 10 student activists to labour camps
Mizzima.com, India -
Tate Naing said, Burma’s military junta might have arrested the young Muslim students out of fear that their involvement in the protests during September …
Religious leaders vow to work for combating Aids/HIV
The Daily Star, Bangladesh -
But the prime concern of the government is that Bangladesh is surrounded by countries like India, Nepal, Burma and Bhutan where the disease is spreading …
UN Says as Much as 25 Percent of Burma Cyclone Aid Lost Due to …
FOXNews -
BANGKOK, Thailand — As much as 25 percent of cyclone relief aid in Burma (also known as Myanmar) is being lost because of the military government’s foreign …
Food top priority for Burma’s cyclone victims
Mizzima.com, India -
“The situation remains dire in Myanmar [Burma] ,” said Chris Kaye, WFP’s Country Director for Burma on Friday. “The vast majority of families simply don’t …
People in the News
Annapolis Capital, MD -
Myanmar was formerly known as Burma. PHOENIX – DMX rapped for reporters outside a Phoenix courtroom yesterday after pleading not guilty to felony charges of …
International aid for Burma (Myanmar) faces funding crunch
Christian Science Monitor, MA -
By Simon Montlake | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor BANGKOK, THAILAND – International efforts to help millions of people in Burma (Myanmar) …
Obama Statement on the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting
7thSpace Interactive (press release), NY -
I remain particularly concerned about conditions in Burma. I commend ASEAN for its attempts to reach the suffering people in southern Burma, who continue to …
World focus on Burma (24 July 2008)
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Full script of Obama’s speech
CNN International -
Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words “never again” …
Cyclone donors should set up monitoring body: HRW
Mizzima.com, India -
New Delhi – The New York based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged donors helping Burma’s cyclone victims to form an independent monitoring body to ensure …
JA applauds Burmese gem ban
National Jeweler Network, NY -
The ban places a total embargo on the importation of gemstones from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), including those that are mined in Myanmar and …
Google Knol Launches
WebProNews, KY -
You may also not write anything commercial if you’re in “Cuba, Iran, Burma (Myanmar), North Korea, Syria, or Sudan,” Google says.) Other articles, like the …
South-East Asia ASEAN and the temple of doom
Economist, UK -
Mr Yeo said Myanmar had hinted that Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s opposition leader, might soon be freed from house arrest. Embarrassingly, his Burmese …
ASEAN Countries Criticise Burma for Disaster Response
Vatican Radio, The Vatican -
… also criticised Myanmar’s ruling military junta for its response to Cyclone Nargis. The Director of the Burma Campaign UK Anna Roberts gave her reaction …
Court hears case of female reporter covering on Cyclone
Mizzima.com, India -
Chiang Mai — Despite of the absence of a key prosecutor’s witness, a township court in Burma’s former capital on Thursday conducted the hearing of the case …
Asia-Pacific countries to co-operate on disaster relief
CBC.ca, Canada -
… like Burma, also known as Myanmar, which feel the presence of foreign troops on their soil, even for relief work, would jeopardize their sovereignty. …
UN acknowledges huge foreign exchange loss in Myanmar relief
Earthtimes (press release), UK -
“This is an extraordinary exchange loss, and where that gain goes I’m not sure,” Holmes said in an interview before departing Myanmar after a three-day …
WFP to Stop Relief Flights to Burma Next Month
The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand -
Aid organizations that will have to find their own means of continuing to send relief supplies to the cyclone-devastated Irrawaddy delta include UNICEF and …
The price of being a judge in Rangoon
United Press International, Asia, China -
… a member of the Asian Human Rights Commission with over 15 years of experience as an advocate of human rights and the rule of law in Thailand and Burma. …
No Political Prisoner in Burma: Junta’s MouthpiecesThe Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand - A Burmese human rights group in exile, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP) welcomed the declaration on July 22. encourages all … |
Water Buffalo and Beautiful MusicThe Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand - Foreign groups on the border have concentrated on teaching non-violent methods of dissent, human rights training and techniques of network building inside … |
Spotlight on human rights
Huddersfield Examiner, UK -
With the Olympic Games in Beijing drawing close a Huddersfield group is joining the growing clamour bringing the issue of human rights in China to the fore. …
Russia against ‘narrow’ Asia-Pacific military-political groupings
RIA Novosti, Russia -
SINGAPORE, July 24 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Moscow was against “narrowly-defined” military-political structures in …
Asian Nations, Partners Meet at Annual Regional Forum
Voice of America -
… in the wake of two deadly regional disasters in May – a massive earthquake in southwest China, and Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma’s Irrawaddy delta. …
Myanmar ‘badly out of step’ with rule of law: RiceBusiness Standard, India - The regional grouping pursues a controversial policy of “constructive engagement” with Myanmar, a military-run nation formerly known as Burma. … |
ASEAN forum endorses disaster relief exerciseRadio Australia, Australia - Disaster preparedness has risen high on the regional agenda after Cyclone Nargis struck Burma and an earthquake in south-west China together left more than … |
Asia-Pacific Powers Finalize Ambitious Joint Disaster Relief Plan
The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand -
They called for civilian-military coordination in disaster relief—a need that became evident during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Burma cyclone in May …
Rice hits out at Burma ‘mockery’
BBC News, UK -
After a meeting with the 10 South East Asian foreign ministers, and other regional powers, the US secretary of state accused Burma – also known as Myanmar …
Asia’s security forum urges ASEAN, China to keep peace in Spratlys
Monsters and Critics.com -
Singapore – Asia’s main security forum on Thursday urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to expedite the formulation of …
DEMOCRACY FORCES WILL CHALLENGE THE CREDENTIALS OF THE MILITARY …
UNPO, Netherlands -
The democratic movement of Burma will be challenging the credentials of the Burmese military junta at the 2008 United Nations General Assembly session and …
Asia’s security forum urges ASEAN, China to keep peace in Spratlys
Monsters and Critics.com -
Singapore – Asia’s main security forum on Thursday urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to expedite the formulation of …
DEMOCRACY FORCES WILL CHALLENGE THE CREDENTIALS OF THE MILITARY …
UNPO, Netherlands -
The democratic movement of Burma will be challenging the credentials of the Burmese military junta at the 2008 United Nations General Assembly session and …
Burma: Where do we go from here?
UNPO, Netherlands -
The peoples of Burma pleaded to the United Nations, the superpowers, China, Russia, India and ASEAN countries for help. But International countries are …
UN Chief convenes fourth ‘Group of Friends’ meet on BurmaMizzima.com, India - New Delhi — The United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday convened a meeting of the ‘Group of Friends’ to review the situation in Burma and … |
FM Urges Aussie Govt. to Ban LTTESri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka - Foreign Minister Bogollagama who arrived in Singapore yesterday held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Australia, Myanmar, Laos, South Korea, … |
Cronyism, unhealthy competition in Burma media marketSoutheast Asian Press Alliance, Thailand - … in other business sectors in Myanmar (Burma), due in part to the government’s mismanagement of the country’s business environment,” the editor said. … |
US Burmese Gem Ban Approved by CongressIDEX Online, Israel - The US Congress this week approved legislation blocking the import of gems from Myanmar ( Burma ). A sister bill was passed in the US House of … |
It’s tempting to be isolationist
Paradise Post, CA -
Those idiots in Myanmar (Burma) allowed thousands to die while our relief ships were anchored off their coast – ready to help. …
Asia forum plans multinational disaster exercises
The Standard, Hong Kong -
… disaster management in a region that has seen international aid efforts mounted after a major cyclone in Burma and a devastating earthquake in China. …
US Senate Bans Import of Burmese Gems
The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand -
Referring to the crackdown on monks last year and the junta’s decision to place restrictions on international aid for cyclone victims, Berman said: “These …
Rice urges Asean to step up pressure on Burma
Nation Multimedia, Thailand -
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee US States Secretary Condoleezza Rice urged Thursday the Asean to press Burma’s junta towards political reform and a release of …
UNITED NATIONS – / MaximsNews Network / – 23 July 2008 — Daily …
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MICHELE MONTAS is the Spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. |
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The Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly.
MaximsNews Network, NY -
Question: Who are all the countries participating in the meeting on Burma today? Spokesperson: The countries participating are Australia, China, France, ..
Naga border villages depend on Burma villages for survival
Expressindia.com, India -
… cut off from the rest of the world in the absence of motorable road, villages in Myanmar just across the international border have come as a saviour. …
US calls Myanmar’s promise of democracy a ‘mockery’; Asia-Pacific …International Herald Tribune, France - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered a stinging rebuke to Myanmar, also known as Burma, before attending a security conference hosted by the … |
Myanmar ‘badly out f step’ with rule of law: RiceKhaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - The regional grouping pursues a controversial policy of ‘constructive engagement’ with Myanmar, a military-run nation formerly known as Burma. … |
UN Wants ‘Tangible Progress’ in BurmaThe Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand - Second, unlike the UN group, this luncheon meeting includes Myanmar (Burma). So there is a sense of ownership,” Sen said. “Without involving Myanmar … Asia-Pacific Security Forum Discusses Civilian-Military Relief …The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand - Rice praised ASEAN for forcing Burma’s doors to open to aid. “That was a useful role, but it should never have happened in the first place,” she said. … |
Myanmar victims still struggling as emergency aid winds downEmirates Business 24/7, United Arab Emirates - Emergency relief operations are winding down in Myanmar’s cyclone-struck delta, but aid workers say that with many survivors still without enough food or … |
Dhaka, Rangoon Agree to Resolve Maritime DisputeNarinjara News, Bangladesh - Dhaka: Two top foreign officials from Burma and Bangladesh pledged on Wednesday during a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Singapore to resolve … |
Sri Lanka Minister at South-East Asian Meet Urges Australia to Ban …istockAnalyst.com, OR - Minister Bogollagama said that there is broad support within SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] for Myanmar’s [Burma] admission as an … Rice urges countries to settle disputeThe National, United Arab Emirates - We are concerned about it and there needs to be a way to resolve it peacefully,” she told reporters outside the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting. … Thai-Cambodia border row should not be pushed to UN : USNation Multimedia, Thailand - Q : Madame: A question on Burma; I read somewhere you said earlier that you will push Asean to do more on the Burma. Have you done over the past days? … |
Malaria Control Goals Are Likely To Be UnachievableScience Daily (press release) - For example, Burma (Myanmar) received US$0.01 for each person at risk, compared to US$147 in Suriname, South America. Certain areas, such as Africa, … |
Within And Beyond AseanSin Chew Jit Poh, Malaysia - The Thai-Cambodian dispute centred on the Preah Vihear temple is flaring so soon after Asean barely managed to tackle the Burma humanitarian situation. … |
Rice’s Asean ‘Gardening’
Wall Street Journal -
By DOUGLAS H. PAAL Yesterday US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped in on an important Asian political conference she has missed in recent years. …
Singapore: ‘Asean Needs To Find Ways To Resolve Disputes’
Sin Chew Jit Poh, Malaysia -
The Burma crises sorely tested Asean’s principle of non-interference. Now, the Thai-Cambodian spat has put into the spotlight one of the fundamental …
Govt to appoint new ASEAN ambassador
ABC Online, Australia -
Officials have also expressed the need to plan and test how member states could help each other during disasters such as the Burma cyclone, …
Remember Burma’s Child Soldiers
Washington Post, United States -
Children, some as young as 11, are forcibly recruited into Burma’s armed forces. According to a 2002 report from Human Rights Watch, Burma had the largest …
How Hostages, and Nations, Get Liberated
Black and White, AL -
Before that, the cause du jour was Burma, where a vicious dictatorship allowed thousands of cyclone victims to die by denying them independently delivered …
US backs ASEAN Burma statement on rights
Radio Australia, Australia -
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Southeast Asian nations to put more pressure on Burma’s junta to improve human rights and adopt …
US lawmakers consider Olympic rights message to China
AFP -
… rights of its citizens, to cease repression of Tibetan and Uighur citizens, and to end its support for the governments of Sudan and Burma (Myanmar). …
North Korea to Sign Non-Aggression Treaty With ASEANistockAnalyst.com, OR - The ASEAN group consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. … |
UN mediator’s Myanmar trip must yield progress: global groupStraits Times, Singapore - UNITED NATIONS – A GROUP of countries trying to foster democratic rule in Myanmar said on Wednesday that UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari’s upcoming visit to the … |
Letter to donors on reconstruction after Cyclone NargisReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland - The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) conducted by ASEAN, Burmese officials, and UN officials, is an important step towards an accurate assessment of the … NZ offers more aid to Burma cyclone regionRadio Australia, Australia - New Zealand is to give extra funds to Burma following the devastation caused by cyclone Nargis. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says just under $US2 million … US praises ASEAN as ‘place to rally’ despite failure to resolve …PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - go She said ASEAN had an important role to play bringing about change in Myanmar, also known as Burma, whose military rulers have faced severe international … |
Congress Passes ‘Burma’ ActJewelers Circular Keystone Online, NY - “In essence, this act closes the loophole that allowed stones to be recut outside of Burma and no longer be considered as “Burmese origin” when imported,” … |
HRW Urges Donors to Ensure Burma’s Rulers Do Not Divert Cyclone AidVoice of America - The United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said Monday that Burma needs more than $1 billion in aid over the next three years to … Unique summer campOrangeburg Times Democrat, SC - The children enrolled at the camp were from many different nations including Burma (Myanmar), Somalia and Mexico. A common bond in their lives is that their … |
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FM urges Aussie govt. to ban LTTEDaily Mirror, Sri Lanka - Foreign Minister Bogollagama who arrived in Singapore yesterday held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Australia, Myanmar, Laos, South Korea, … |
IB eye on China, NE outfits ‘link’Howrah News Service, India - IB sleuths were working on information that arms are being procured by the insurgents from Kunming province in China bordering Burma. … |
Pres. Signature is Next Step for Ban on Gems, Jade from Myanmar
Diamonds.net, NY -
The bill, which originated in the House and passed the Senate yesterday, also makes leaders, officers, and their families in Myanmar (also called Burma) …
Burma: Cyclone Donors Should Ensure Transparency and Accountability
Human Rights Watch (press release) -
The Tripartite Core Group (TCG) – comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and the Burmese ruling State Peace and …
60 years of celebrating human rights
The New Nation, Bangladesh -
“The tragedy of 20 years of isolation of Burma has done no good, even though the politicians have felt good about condemning the human rights record of the …
Back from BurmaThe Asian Pacific Post, Canada - By Lucy-Claire Saunders The only Canadian Red Cross worker to spend more than a month in Burma arrived back in Canada last week after providing logistical … |
Congress Moving to Extend Sanctions Against Myanmar
CQPolitics.com, DC -
The sanctions bar all US imports from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, until its regime improves its record on human rights, moves toward a democratic …
EU-ASEAN meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (July 23-24, 2008)
France Diplomatie (press release), France -
It will notably be an opportunity to raise the EU’s concerns with respect to the situation in Burma and North Korea. The Minister of State will also have …
At UN, High-Level Friends of Myanmar Meet But Few Speak, As …
Inner City Press, NY -
Practically, in this case silence meant that while the US criticized Gambari performance, or what he has emerged from his previous trips to Myanmar with, …
National Jeweler Network, NY -
… it will hurt small gemstone dealers in Burma and the gem and jewelry industry that processes the goods in Thailand, more than the government of Myanmar. …
Beijing Olympics: To Attend or Not to Attend?
Embassy, Canada -
Liberal Foreign Affairs critic Bob Rae last week argued Canada needs “to engage” with the Asian nation, “don’t rebuff China.” But in an interview with CTV …
Southeast Asia Nations Back Indo-US Nuclear Deal – PTI
istockAnalyst.com, OR -
The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar [Burma], the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. …
Dhaka, Yangon vow to resolve maritime disputes
Bangladesh News 24 hours (subscription), Bangladesh -
Dhaka, July 23 (bdnews24.com)–Bangladesh and Myanmar have pledged to resolve disputes over their maritime borders in the quickest possible time, …
Rice Urges ASEAN to Increase Pressure on Burma
Voice of America -
By VOA News US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the southeast Asian regional bloc has an important role to play in pushing Burma towards democracy. ..
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Asia sets stage for disaster relief exercise with key powers
13 July 2008, 15:11 CET
News summary
(WASHINGTON) – After much debate, Asia is finally expected to agree to hold its first civilian-military disaster relief exercise with key powers such as the United States, Russia and the European Union.
It will set the stage for real emergency response to disasters, such as the recent cyclone that ravaged Myanmar and left 138,000 dead or missing as its ruling military junta came under strong criticism for blocking aid efforts.
An upcoming ministerial meeting in Singapore of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Asia’s top security forum, may agree to hold the disaster relief exercise among its 27 member nations as early as 2009, a US official said.
ARF senior officials agreed in May to conduct such an exercise that could pave the way for militaries of ASEAN, China, India, the United States, Russia and EU member states to help coordinate a disaster relief response.
“So, I hope that at this meeting, we can move that to the next stage — to the point it is agreed and planning begins so that it could actually happen as early as next year,” US envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Scot Marciel told AFP.
“I know next year sounds like a long time away but in the ARF world, it takes a while to have consensus on everything,” he said.
Asked whether the ARF foreign ministers would endorse the plan at their July 24 talks in Singapore, Marciel said, “I think it is a good possibility.”
“There is genuine interest and enthusiasm for this and political will is there.”
Disaster relief had been a hot topic in ARF since a tsunami swept through the region in December 2004 killing 220,000 people in a dozen countries.
The United States, Japan, Australia and India forged a loose coalition to help coordinate relief to victims of the tsunami, triggered by an undersea earthquake that struck off Indonesia.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to attend the ARF ministerial talks after skipping the annual gathering in Manila last year, an ASEAN diplomat said.
Aside from the ASEAN states of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, ARF comprises Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, the Koreas, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka and the United States.
The ARF, the principal official forum for security dialogue in Asia, adopted a set of guidelines for disaster relief cooperation at the Manila talks last year.
It also agreed to terms of reference for a troika comprising the incoming and previous ARF chairs and a non-ASEAN member to quickly convene during an emergency for decision making.
Marciel cautioned that certain “technical issues may get into the way” of a swift ARF disaster relief exercise.
They include sensitivities such as the issue of “military of one country operating in another country,” one State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“There is a need to have agreement on that (but) there has been a lot of work done already on this in ARF,” Marciel said.
Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region, at the mercy of tropical storms, earthquakes, floods, landslides and other calamities.
In May, aside from the devastating cyclone in Myanmar, an earthquake in China’s southwestern Sichuan province left nearly 88,000 people dead or missing and up to five million homeless.
Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1215912721.9
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Pictures of Disaster Relief Exercise
To provide realistic training in a RIMPAC humanitarian disaster relief exercise, local civilian Red Cross volunteers gather to play the roles of refugees. Photo by PH2 Lena Gonzalez, USN
Landing stores with Somerset’s Lynx helicopter to assist an earthquake-struck village in a disaster relief exercise
Firefighting Team after attacking oil fires as part of the Disaster Relief exercise during DANEX 06.
Servicemembers support El Salvador disaster relief exercise
Members of Joint Task Force-Bravo unload a UH-60 Blackhawk in preparation for Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias 2008 May 4 at Comalapa Air Base, El Salvador. The American servicemembers are involved in the U.S. Southern Command and Salvadoran Ministry of Defense-sponsored disaster relief exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. William Farrow)
PACAF Airmen participate in Exercise Balikatan ’08
Master Sgt. Joseph Salvador explains the C-17 Globemaster III to members of the Philippine Air Force prior to taking off on mission Feb. 27 from Clark Field, Pampanga, Philippines during Exercise Balikatan 08. Sergeant Salvador is a loadmaster from the 204th Airlift Squadron Hawaii Air National Guard, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Balikatan is an annual combines bilateral exercise involving U.S. military and Armed Forces of the Philippines, subject matter experts from the Philippine Civil Defense Agencies and observers from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Singapore working on humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)
