One of twelve hostages released

Taliban militants released twelve more South Korean hostages Wednesday and the remaining seven hostages may also be released as early as the end of this week.  Among the 12 released were two men and ten women.

On Wednesday, the Taliban released 12 of 19 South Korean hostages as part of a deal with South Korea.  The Taliban originally demanded release of imprisoned insurgents in exchange for the South Korean hostages.  They later backed down on these demands.  Under the terms of this deal, South Korea reaffirmed a pledge it made before the hostage crisis began to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year.  Seoul also said it would prevent South Korean Christian missionaries from working in the Muslim country, something it had already promised to do.

The Taliban originally kidnapped 23 South Koreans and killed two male hostages in late July.  They also released two women in early August was a gesture of good will.

Both Seoul and the Taliban have said that no money was exchanged in this deal.  Furthermore, the Afghan government was not a party to the negotiations.  South Korea’s government was under intense domestic pressure to bring the hostages home safely.

As the hostage crisis comes to an end, the father of one of the two hostages killed in the crisis accused the church that sent the Christian volunteers of being reckless.  Critics also said the government would suffer diplomatic damages for negotiating directly with the extremists.

For more information, please see:

–http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-29-korea_N.htm

–http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/30/news/hostages.php

–http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/08/30/afx4066960.html

–http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/taliban.hostages/

–http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aL5wx3d8ia1Q&refer=home

In an effort to curb pollution, China began drafting a new law that would save energy and reduce emissions.  Where most Chinese cities are often wrapped in a toxic gray shroud, the issue has become more urgent as China prepares to host the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The China Daily newspaper reports that the drafted amendment to China’s old water pollution law would remove a 1 million yuan ($132,000) cap on fines for water polluters and allow penalties of 20 to 30 percent of the direct economic losses caused by a spill or pollution.  The law also stipulates that governments at all levels should control energy use and emissions, strengthen management of resource-intensive companies and divert capital into environmentally-friendly industries.

The New York Times has examined the human toll, global impact and political challenge of China’s epic pollution crisis, naming it “Choking on Growth.”  China’s speedy rise as an economic power has given rise to its unparalleled pollution problem.  China’s success and growth derives from the expansion of heavy industry and urbanization that requires colossal inputs of energy, almost all from coal, the most readily available, and dirtiest, source.

The Ministry of Heath says pollution has made cancer China’s leading cause of death.  Nearly 500- million people lack access to safe drinking water.  Furthermore, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides spewed by China’s coal-fired power plants fall as acid rain on Seoul and Tokyo, and much of the particulate pollution over Los Angeles originates in China.

China’s leaders recognize that they must embrace a new model that allows for steady growth while protecting the environment.  As Wang Jinnan, one of China’s leading environmental researchers says: “It is a very awkward situation for the country because our greatest achievement is also our biggest burden.”

For more information, please see:

–http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/27/ap4055935.html

–http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29160120070826

–http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003851947_sundaysell26.html

–http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), Uzbekistan is a serious threat to itself and Central Asia.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) claims that the human rights situation is grave and the government severely persecutes its critics. Citizens who seek to leave the country live in constant danger of attempts to return them forcibly.

An ICG report says that the Uzbek government has almost eliminated civil society and the independent media; foreign news journalists face threats and persecution.

President Islam Karimov’s term ended in January, but he has not yet left office, and there are no signs that he plans to do so. His eventual departure could lead to a power struggle.

The government justifies its policies by citing the dangers imposed by radical Islamist groups. However, according to ICG, there is no evidence that these groups pose a clear threat.

The European Union recently renewed sanctions imposed in 2005 after Uzbek troops fired on protesters.

The ICG is an (NGO) that works to prevent and resolve conflicts.

For more information, please see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6959934.stm

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/13ab3d10-5598-487e-91f8-3f6331a7c97a.html

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5027&l=1

Dhaka University students burned a military van and damaged at least 50 vehicles yesterday. The students also burnt effigies of army leaders. The students were protesting the army’s presence on the campus during a soccer game.

In response, police used teargas and rubber bullets to break up the crowd. More than 100 students were injured. The police also ordered a curfew on Dhaka and five other cities.

A military-backed interm government took power in January following months of political violence. Since then, the government has banned protests and street assemblies. Also since then, army troops have been camping in Dhaka Univerity’s gymnasium.

The students seek an immediate dismantling of the army camp on the campus. They retaliated against the police with sticks and stones. There are 40,000 students there. The Dhaka University Teachers Association supports the students’ demands. Some teachers have joined the protesting students.

The Dkaka and five other Bangladesh universities have been indefinitely closed.

For more information, please see:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/Students_clash_with_securtiy_forces_in_Bangladesh_dozens_hurt/articleshow/2296863.cms

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2011415.htm

http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070821120034.dtfeurpo&cat=null

President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev’s governing party won every seat being contested in Kazakhstan’s weekend parliamentary elections.  The opposition has rejected the results, saying they were manipulated; international observers, including the US, have criticized the results and deemed the vote flawed.

Gonzalo Gallegos, a spokesman for the US State Department said Sunday’s election fell short of international standards.

President Nazarbayev’s Nur Otan (Light of the Fatherland) party received 88% of Saturday’s vote, and no other party cleared the 7% barrier needed to win a seat in the Parliament’s lower house.

Nazarbayev has ruled the oil-rich country since 1989, when it was still a Soviet republic.  He had pledged the elections would be free and fair.  These parliamentary elections were called two years early because of Nazarbayev’s intent to strengthen the Parliament and expand the country’s political spectrum.  This move was widely seen as a maneuver by him to try to improve Kazakhstan’s democratic image while maintaining his grip on power.  Critics say the 7% barrier for representation in Parliament is too high for a country where most political parties are in early stages.

Senator Consiglio Di Nino of Canada has said that notwithstanding the concerns, he believes that the elections continue to move Kazakhstan forward in its evolution towards a democratic country.

For more information, please see:

–http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/08/20/kazakh_leaders_party_is_victorious/

–http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/08/20/afx4034598.html

–http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/20/america/NA-GEN-US-Kazakhstan.php

–http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/world/asia/20kazakh.html

–http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1654203,00.html