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| MAINA |
Posted
on 04-Apr-02 09:46 AM
Thursday, 4 April, 2002, 09:13 GMT 10:13 UK
Nepal eases emergency rules
There could be more scope to report the conflict
By Daniel Lak
BBC correspondent in Kathmandu
The government in Nepal has eased restrictions on the media and political parties imposed last November as part of a national state of emergency.
The Nepalese monarch, King Gyanendra, has approved a set of directives that spell out details of the emergency regulations.
Two of them allow slightly more scope for reporting by the media and for protest and public meetings by legal political parties.
The state of emergency is aimed at quelling a violent Maoist rebellion that has claimed three thousand lives in the past six years.
Amnesty report
The new regulations were imposed as the human rights group, Amnesty International, issued a report strongly condemning both the Nepalese security forces and the Maoists for alleged human rights violations.
Some arrested journalists had Maoist links
But it is doubtful there was any link between the Amnesty International report and these new regulations that relax restrictions on the media and political parties.
But in the past weeks, Amnesty and other groups have been harshly critical of the suspension of freedom of the press and the arrest of journalists in the months since the emergency was declared last November.
Local human rights activists say around 100, some affiliated with now banned Maoist publications, have been arrested.
Most, including a regional reporter for the BBC, were released after questioning.
Lack of access
Of more concern to human rights groups, aid donor countries and the press is the lack of access to areas where the security forces and the Maoists have been fighting and the almost total reliance on official statements from the government about casualties.
There are many unconfirmed reports of civilians being hurt or killed by both sides or in cross fire but the authorities have yet to allow independent reporting from war zones.
One editor said the new regulations might allow for such reporting but it was not clear.
While the government has relaxed some restrictions, it still explicitly bans anything that might encourage the Maoists or lower moral in the security forces.
A prominent Nepalese journalist commented there still appeared to be plenty of scope for officials to try to control reporting.
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| MAINA |
Posted
on 04-Apr-02 09:59 AM
Analysis
By Zaffar Abbas
BBC correspondent in Islamabad
General Pervez Musharraf may have been a reluctant coup-maker in October 1999.
But not any more. He has now decided that, in his own wisdom, there is a need for him to remain president for another few years to ensure continuity of his economic and political reform programme.
Hence the move to hold a national referendum to legitimise his rule even after this year's parliamentary elections.
The ambitious General Zia was aware that his real strength lay in his standing as the army chief - and decided not to shed the uniform
For General Musharraf, the not so trifling detail that such an exercise lacks constitutional legitimacy does not seem to be causing much concern.
He is convinced that the next parliament will never elect him, so a direct vote in the form of a referendum remained the only option.
Once he had decided that he would continue as president even after October's parliamentary elections, General Musharraf did not have to look far for inspiration.
The country's chequered history presents as many as three models adopted in similar circumstances by previous military rulers.
Pakistan's first military ruler, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, hung up his uniform, appointed a new army chief, created a political party and effectively ensured that he would remain president.
Support of army peers
Yahya Khan initially made it clear he had no desire to be president but got sucked into a treacherous political game that ultimately resulted in a dishonourable exit.
The ambitious General Zia, for his part, was aware that his real strength lay in his standing as the army chief - and decided not to shed the uniform.
To keep the army out, you will have to keep the army in
Senior military adviser
Musharraf's closest associates are understandably reluctant to admit as much, but what he has essentially gone for is the Zia formula.
Though members of the opposition would like the world to believe the decision is driven by General Musharraf's personal desire to prolong his stay in power, the move is in fact supported by the entire military leadership.
The military establishment wants General Musharraf to use the "legitimacy" bestowed by a referendum to secure a permanent constitutional role for the army.
Pakistan's main religious parties reject the general's proposed referendum
This he is expected to do by prevailing upon the future parliament to accept the military-dominated National Security Council (NSC) as the final authority on issues of national importance.
"The army is a political reality in Pakistan. To avoid regular military interventions, its role in the decision-making process must be concretised," says a top government aide.
"To keep the army out, you will have to keep the army in," is the way another key adviser interprets the need for a permanent NSC.
Seeking legitmacy abroad
These officials are convinced that the Westminster-style of parliamentary democracy does not suit Pakistan, and in order to have a friction-free system, there is a need for a mechanism to share power in the form of the NSC.
The general's move is supported by military leaders
Indeed it appears that the army's outlook vis-à-vis the NSC is the driving force behind the whole referendum exercise.
Significantly, the United States and other influential western players have also indicated that they would like President Musharraf to stay in office.
With the West interested primarily in Musharraf's campaign against Islamic militancy, the restoration of democracy has clearly become a non-issue.
In such a situation, General Musharraf knows he will have no problem in seeking legitimacy from the outside world.
Getting the vote out
He also remains convinced that his reformist policies are in the best interest of the country, and is therefore prepared to wage his reputation.
The military-led government feels enough voters can be mobilised to ensure a respectable turn-out to proclaim an honourable victory
His aides say the General is aware of the fierce opposition that may come from large political parties, whose boycott campaign may affect voter turn-out - something crucial in such an exercise.
So, the government has decided to mend rules to make it convenient for the people to cast their votes, and is planning an aggressive propaganda campaign in the run-up to referendum day.
And the military-led government feels that enough voters can be mobilised to ensure a respectable turn-out to proclaim an honourable victory.
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| MAINA |
Posted
on 04-Apr-02 10:10 AM
Free At Last
ZHENGZHOU, China, April 3, 2002
(CBS)
Jigme Sangpo was arrested in September 1983 and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of "counterrevolutionary incitement and propaganda" for campaigning against Chinese rule in Tibet.
(AP) China has released its longest-serving political prisoner, a 76-year-old former elementary school teacher imprisoned since 1983 for campaigning against Chinese rule in Tibet, human rights activists announced Wednesday.
Tanak Jigme Sangpo, a Tibetan, was released Sunday afternoon from Drapchi Prison in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, said John Kamm, president of the San Francisco-based Duihua Foundation. Chinese officials said he was released on medical parole, Kamm said.
Jigme Sangpo moved into his niece's home in Lhasa, but Chinese authorities agreed to consider a request to be treated abroad if he cannot obtain effective medical treatment in Tibet, Kamm said.
Jigme Sangpo was arrested in September 1983 and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of "counterrevolutionary incitement and propaganda" for campaigning against Chinese rule in Tibet, according to Kamm. His sentence was extended twice after that and had been due to expire on Dec. 3, 2011, when he would be in his mid-80s. Prison authorities exempted him from physical labor several years ago because of his age, Kamm said.
Kamm said the release was likely made "in order to improve relations with the United States."
Jigme Sangpo was one of five prisoners cited by U.S. Ambassador Clark T. Randt in a January speech in Hong Kong in which he urged China to respect international norms on human rights.
Beijing has made a practice in the past year of releasing prisoners when it wants to curry favor with Washington over human rights - the most persistent sticking point in China-U.S. relations.
By Joe McDonald
© MMII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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