China on Tuesday executed the former head of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), Zheng Xiaoyu. The Supreme People’s Court approved the death sentence of Mr. Zheng, 62, for accepting 6.5 million yuan (approximately $850,000) in bribes to allow substandard medicine slip past regulations. He was accused of taking bribes from eight pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Zheng’s execution follows a string of food and drug safety lapses on products made in China. This is, however, the first time China has imposed a death sentence on an official of his rank since 2000. The People’s Daily, the voice of the ruling Communist Party, said the harsh punishment was intended to deter other corrupt officials and President Hu Jintao’s attempt to promote a tough, clean government image.

Under Mr. Zheng’s tenure at the SFDA from 1997 to 2005 dozens died in China from fake or bad drugs. One antibiotic caused the deaths of at least ten people. In another case, a gallbladder medicine containing the wrong ingredients is believed to have led to the deaths of at least five people. An SFDA spokesperson, Yan Jiangying says the agency is working hard to tighten its safety procedures.

Skeptics, however, say this harsh sentence may deter corrupt officials momentarily, but Mr. Zheng’s execution cannot stop corruption because it is so widespread and the risk to officials are so low.

For more information, please see:

–http://www.ft.com/cms/s/86ea503c-2eb4-11dc-b9b7-0000779fd2ac.html

–http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118412346727663053.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

–http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-China-Tainted-Products.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

–http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSSP32731420070711

Indonesia sued Suharto, the former dictator, for $1.54 billion. Suharto fell from power nine years ago.

The Indonesian government has claimed that Suharto and his foundation stole $441 million from state institutions between 1978 and 1998. The government also seeks $1.1 billion in damages. Suharto has avoided criminal corruption charges by claiming bad health.  He is 86.

Transparency International has estimated that Suharto and his family amassed up to $35 billion between his ascent to power in 1966 and the end of his rule in 1998. Suharto pressed state banks, other government institutions, and Indonesian businesses to give part of profits to his foundations. Suharto claimed that he collected the money to give scholarships to poor children. Instead, prosecutors accuse him of diverting the money to his other family foundations and companies.

Mr Suharto’s youngest son, Tommy, and half-brother Probosutedjo are the only family members convicted of corruption.

Tommy (Hutomo Mandala Putra) served five years for ordering the murder of a Supreme Court judge who convicted him of corruption in a land scam. The government seeks to seize $48 million of his frozen assets.

Probosutedjo is serving four years in prison for stealing $11 million from a government reforestation fund.

For more information, please see:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/297a8c78-2df1-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac,_i_email=y.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/09/suharto.sued.ap/index.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Suharto-Lawsuit.php

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/17ADABE2-EFDB-4F91-BB7F-79431210A9A3.htm

An opposition politician and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief Tian Chua has refused to apologize for posting a satirical photomontage featuring Malaysia’s deputy prime minister Najib Razak.  The photo links the nation’s prime minister to a murdered Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaaribuu.  Two of Deputy Prime Minister Razak’s police bodyguards are currently on trial, accused of killing the young woman.  Miss Shaariibuu’s body was found in a jungle clearing outside Kuala Lumpur last November.

Opposition politicians are using the Deputy Prime Minister’s link to the two bodyguards to hint at a possible political scandal, but others say Mr. Chua’s tactics are disgraceful and an example of dirty tactics.

A witness has said Mr. Tian Chua saw a photo of Miss Shaariibuu with the deputy prime minister.  This photo, however, has never been made public.  Instead, Mr. Chua created his own and put it on his website. 

What was supposedly comedy has sparked controversy.  Politicians want Mr. Chua to apologize for using the photo.  Others have demanded that action be taken against Mr. Chua.  One minister said if this were the case, others might also be tempted to insult the Prophet Muhammad.

Mr. Chua has refused to apologize or retract the photo from his website.

For more information, please see:

–http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6283056.stm

–http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/20070707085214/Article/index_html

–http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=271486

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 6.5 million people face food insecurity in Afghanistan.

In 2006, some areas of Afghanistan faced a food crisis when demand for food surpassed supply, FAO reported.

Floods and torrential rainfall have caused extensive damage to agriculture and livestock.

Acute malnutrition (severe weight loss) affects about 5 to 10 percent of children under five, according to the Afghan government and the UN. Acute malnutrition affects mostly children under two, and is often caused by diarrhea and other hygienic problems.

Afghanistan feeds a majority of its population through an underdeveloped agriculture system. Afghanistan is about 90 percent self-sufficient in cereal production, but it has a long way to go to properly feed its growing population, aid officials say.

Afghanistan needs to preserve its natural resources improve water and irrigation management, diversify agricultural production, expand its fruit and vegetable production, improve livestock production and help households diversify their sources of income, the FAO said.

For more information, please see:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/18a420db2b7c1a2d8fd9a19acd3cef9f.htm

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73131

http://afghandevnews.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/hundreds-of-families-displaced-by-floods-livelihoods-lost/

In Papua providence, Indonesian police beat and killed civilians and raped women during operations against separatists, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

Human Rights Watch interviewed alleged victims and witness, all of whom spoke anonymously due to fears of reprisal.

The report cited investigations of eight alleged killings by police and military since 2005, and several beatings. Human Rights Watch also reported two cases of rape.

Papua became part off Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot, which has since been dismissed as a sham.

A separatist insurgency started in the majority Christian region in Muslim-majority Indonesia. Tens of thousands have died because of military action by Indonesian forces.

About 100 Papuans demonstrated outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to demand an independence referendum.

Human Rights Watch said the abuse deepened mistrust of the national government and risked fueling separatist tensions in the region.

Human Rights Watch urged the government to open Papua to independent observers, and to allow independent and transparent investigations of rights abuses.

For more information, please see:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/05/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Papua-Human-Rights.php

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK225319.htm

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070705160128&irec=19

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286636/1/.html