The Star Online: World Updates
The Star Online: World Updates |
- Japan visits to war shrine likely to anger Asian neighbours
- Indonesian anti-graft agency arrests head of energy regulator
- Central African Republic on brink of collapse - U.N.
| Japan visits to war shrine likely to anger Asian neighbours Posted: TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a controversial shrine for war dead on Thursday - the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two - but did not visit in person in an effort to avoid inflaming tensions with Asian neighbours. However, at least two cabinet ministers publicly paid their respects at Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, which is likely to anger South Korea and China and risks undermining tentative diplomatic overtures to Beijing. "I asked my special aide ... to make the offering on my behalf with a feeling of gratitude and respect for those who fought and gave their precious lives for their country," Abe told reporters at the prime minister's office. "As for when I might go to Yasukuni Shrine, or whether I will go or not, I will not say as this should not become a political or diplomatic issue," he said after his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) aide conveyed the offering in the name of "Shinzo Abe, LDP leader." Chinese state media reported the country's military would conduct live fire drills for four days from Thursday in the East China Sea, though not close to Japan. Some Japanese media speculated this was timed to coincide with the Yasukuni visits. Visits to the shrine by top politicians have outraged Beijing and Seoul in the past because the shrine honours 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, along with war dead. "Can you imagine what the world would think of Germany if they paid homage to Nazi boss Hitler?" retired Chinese Major General Luo Yuan, one of China's most outspoken military figures, wrote in the influential tabloid the Global Times. Japanese conservatives say it is only natural to honour the war dead and deny that doing so at Yasukuni glorifies the war. That leaves Abe treading a fine line between trying to mend ties with neighbours and appealing to his conservative backers. "Paying homage to the war dead is a purely domestic matter and it's not for other countries to criticize us or intervene in these matters, Keiji Furuya, a minister whose portfolios include the national public safety commission, said after paying his respects at the shrine in central Tokyo. Internal affairs minister Yoshitaka Shindo also visited the shrine as did a group of 89 lawmakers, including LDP policy chief Sanae Takaichi and aides to another 101 MPs. MIXED SIGNALS Bitter memories of Japan's past militarism run deep in China and South Korea. Despite close economic ties and recent calls by Abe for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japan's relations with its neighbours remain fraught because of territorial feuds and disputes over wartime history. "Japanese leaders should show their courageous leadership to heal wounds of the past so that both countries can develop as a true cooperative partner," South Korean President Park Geun-hye said in a speech in Seoul marking the anniversary of the end of Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the peninsula. Speaking later at a memorial service in Tokyo, Abe said: "We will carve out the nation's future that is full of hope, while facing history with humility and deeply engraving lessons to be learnt in our minds." Crowds of Japanese, including pensioners and schoolchildren, streamed through the shrine complex after it opened around dawn. "My father died during the war, so I come here every year to pray for him and for the people who sacrificed their lives for the country," said Mariko Matsuda, 70. "It's a great shame that Prime Minister Abe won't visit the shrine today." Tokyo hoped that if Abe stayed away, it could send a signal to China of his desire to ease tensions and help pave the way for a summit. Beijing has made clear, though, that it will look askance at visits by Japanese political leaders in whatever form. A dispute over rival claims to uninhabited islands in the East China Sea intensified last September after the previous Japanese government bought the isles from a Japanese citizen. Feuding over the islands and wartime history, combined with regional rivalry and mutual mistrust, suggest that a summit is unlikely any time soon, officials involved in behind-the-scenes talks between Beijing and Tokyo told Reuters. Visits to Yasukuni by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during his 2001-2006 term sent Sino-Japanese ties into a chill. The deeply conservative Abe thawed relations by staying away from the shrine during his short first term as prime minister, but later said he regretted not paying his respects as premier and made a visit after becoming LDP leader last September. Abe's agenda of bolstering the military and easing the limits of the pacifist post-war constitution on Japan's armed forces as a prelude to revising the U.S.-drafted charter have raised concerns in China, while Japan is worried about Beijing's military build-up and its maritime ambitions. (This story has been refiled to add the word "an" in the lead para) (Additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Cheng Leng and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Jane Chung in Seoul; Writing by Linda Sieg; Editing by Richard Pullin, John Mair and Ron Popeski) |
| Indonesian anti-graft agency arrests head of energy regulator Posted: JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's anti-graft agency on Wednesday arrested the head of the energy regulator to probe allegations he took more than half a million dollars from an oil firm, piling more uncertainty on energy policy in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. The arrest is a new blow to Indonesia's attempts to attract more investment from international energy companies, several of which have threatened to scale back operations due to uncertainty about the investment environment. The former OPEC member's oil output is declining, and the country has faced criticism for unclear regulations and complaints about a nationalist stance on resources. Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Agency (KPK) said SKKMigas Chairman Rudi Rubiandini had been caught taking around $400,000 (257,616 pounds) in a black brief case and ownership documents for a BMW motorcycle from the owner of Singapore-based Kernel Oil, Simon Tanjaya. An additional $190,000 was found in the chairman's residence, KPK spokesman Johan Budi said. KPK said it was the biggest cash seizure by the agency in its 10-year history. Kernel Oil officials in Singapore and Indonesia declined to comment, while Rubiandini could not be reached for comment. The firm buys crude from Indonesia's SKKMigas and then sells it to international markets. It also supplies oil products to Indonesia. Finance Minister Chatib Basri told Reuters that while the government was committed to zero tolerance of corruption the case did send a "bad signal to investors." Some oil company officials were also shocked by the news. "This industry is already tough to deal with and it shouldn't be weighed down by this sort of scandal," said an official at a foreign oil firm with operations in Indonesia. The oil and gas sector is politically crucial, accounting for about a fifth of Indonesia's government revenue. Indonesia was once self-sufficient in oil and gas but has been struggling for years to attract investment to halt declining output from a peak of around 1.6 million barrels per day in 1995. Indonesia produced an average 831,000 bpd in the first half this year. LATEST HIGH-PROFILE GRAFT SCANDAL Rubiandini was appointed in January to head SKKMigas after the independent industry regulator BPMigas was declared unconstitutional. Some experts say the motivation was to gain greater control over the sector after SKKMigas was placed within the energy ministry. SKKMigas denied the arrest would damage Indonesia's oil operations. The agency has existing contracts with oil majors including BP Plc, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. "Operations will continue to run. There is no impact," Biantoro said. "For now, with the vacuum in the top post, there are no crucial issues that need to be decided upon." Energy Minister Jero Wacik said Rubiandini has been temporarily suspended as SKKMigas chairman and would be replaced by Vice Chairman Johanes Widjonarko. The SKKMigas chairman is the latest high-profile government official to be accused of corruption in Indonesia. KPK in December named Youth and Sports Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng as a corruption suspect, while senior police official Djoko Susilo is currently on trial for money laundering. While foreign investment continues to pour into the resource-rich country, there are growing concerns that rampant corruption and an incompetent bureaucracy could throttle growth and see that investment turned away. (Additional reporting by Nilufar Rizki and Kanupryia Kapoor in Jakarta and Rujun Shen in Singapore; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Ed Davies) |
| Central African Republic on brink of collapse - U.N. Posted: UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Central African Republic is on the brink of collapse and the crisis is threatening to spread beyond its borders, senior U.N. officials said on Wednesday as they urged the Security Council to help fund and support an African Union peacekeeping force. The landlocked former French colony - one of the poorest places on earth - has been plunged into chaos since the Seleka rebels seized power from President Francois Bozize four months ago, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the heart of Africa. The African Union this month rolled an existing 1,100-strong regional peacekeeping mission, known as MICOPAX, into a new, larger AU peacekeeping force. The number of troops will be more than tripled to 3,600 and the force has an AU mandate to protect civilians, help stabilize the country and restore government. "The African Union has requested financial, logistical and technical support. We have recommended to the council to provide this support. We have also recommended to better adapt the U.N. (political) mission to the current situation," U.N. envoy to the Central African Republic, retired Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, said. The African Union and United Nations plan to send experts to the Central African Republic shortly to assess exactly what was needed and U.N. diplomats said that on the basis of those reports the Security Council would respond with a resolution. Gaye and U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic both signalled to the Security Council that the AU force would not be enough to combat the crisis in the Central African Republic, which borders six other states. "A much larger and nationally more diversified force is needed to provide security and protect the population," Simonovic said. "Such a force would also prevent foreign rebel groups, such as the Lord's Resistance Army or Islamist extremist groups, from finding a safe haven in the country." 'TOTAL BREAKDOWN' The U.N. Security Council said in a statement after Wednesday's meeting that it was willing "to consider all potential options to stabilize the Central African Republic (CAR)." "The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at the security situation in CAR, characterized by a total breakdown in law and order, and the absence of the rule of law," the statement said. "They stressed that the armed conflict and crisis in CAR pose a serious threat to the stability of the CAR and the region," it said. U.N. aid chief Valerie Amos told the council the Central African Republic was at risk of becoming a failed state. She said every one of the country's 4.6 million people - half of whom are children - had been affected by the crisis. About 1.6 million of them are in dire need of assistance. More than 206,000 people have been internally displaced and nearly 60,000 have fled to neighbouring countries. "It is critical for the continued safety of humanitarian operations that the AU mission has the funds and logistical support to operate effectively," Amos told the 15-member Security Council. "The failure to act now could not only prolong and exacerbate the appalling conditions the people of the Central African Republic have had to endure, but could also see the crisis spread beyond its borders and throughout a region already facing enormous challenges," she said. |
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