North Korean leader Kim Jong-il attended a concert yesterday celebrating the 57th anniversary of the Korean War as the two main adversaries from that conflict conducted war drills off his country’s eastern coast.

The State Merited Chorus performed numbers such as “Our General is the Best” and “My Song in the Trench,” state-run Korean Central News Agency reported today. The audience gave “enthusiastic cheers” to Kim, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, who “heartily congratulated them on the victory” in the Fatherland Liberation War.

As Kim took part in celebrations to mark the cease-fire that ended open hostility on the Korean peninsula, U.S. and South Korean forces were putting on a display of military might that included anti-submarine maneuvers intended as a deterrent to the North.

The four-day drills, which end today, are being held after a South Korean-led investigation team in May blamed North Korea for torpedoing the South’s warship Cheonan, killing 46 sailors.

The three-year Korean War ended in a cease-fire after China’s entry pushed back the U.S. and United Nations forces. South Korea remains technically at war with the North, with the two sides separated by one of the world’s most-fortified borders.

Answering journalists’ questions about the situation in Kyrgyzstan, a spokesman of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry underlined: “We’re faced with a serious international problem. Our President, Alexander Lukashenko is working on directions for a resolution. There is no doubt that this problem can be solved only within the framework of international law.”

Ensuring the Belarusian Embassy’s safety in the Kyrgyz Republic is under control, Andrei Savinykh said at a press briefing in Minsk. According to the spokesman, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry is working with local authorities in Bishkek, and “they are providing us all possible assistance.”

“The main problem, as you know, is uncontrolled destructive elements involved in riots and looting. It is important to note that this is a systemic threat is not only for us but for the Kyrgyz society in general. In this regard, we also implement a range of measures aimed to ensure security of the embassy staff and their families,” said Andrei Savinykh.

Earlier this week Kyrgyz bloggers launched a flash mob called “Let’s bombard the Belarusian president web-site with messages,” which was supported by many Internet users who expressed outrage towards Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s refusal to recognize his resignation from office saying that the interim had not kept their side of the promise to protect his family from harassment.

After his arrival in Belarus, the president of Kyrgyzstan declared his non-resignation as the head of state. In turn, Alexander Lukashenko noted that Kurmanbek Bakiyev can be dismissed from his post only be holding election in the Kyrgyzstan and the leader of the country should participate in it.

According to the opposition politician, there should be a “fair trial” in Kyrgyzstan against Kurmanbek Bakiyev. “If he’s a criminal, then we have no right to conceal such people in our country, it blows upon its prestige,” said activist leader “For Freedom” (Za Svabodu) movement, Alexander Milinkevich. “Firstly, I think that there should be an investigation on the case of the dead and injured during the Kyrgyz events. If Bakiyev is proved by trial, he should be in Kyrgyzstan, not hiding in Belarus,” he said.

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has asked the government to look for new commodity markets. “There are other fish in the sea besides Russia and Europe — it is necessary to reach out to the new regions”, he told Interfax. According to Lukashenko, Belarus is being pushed to embrace new partners because of unfair trade conditions with Russia and evasion of arrangements.

Minsk started it’s search for new partners when Russia stopped to finance delivery of cheap oil, he reminded. This year Belarus will receive 6.3 million duty-free tons of oil though 1.7 million tons less than asked for.

China decided to grant Belarus a soft loan of one billion dollars for the implementation of joint projects. According to the deputy chairman of China, President Hu Jintao personally ordered Chinese officials to study all the proposals of the Belarusian side on development of joint projects.

“We need to develop the potential of trade and promote cooperation in most large-scale projects, and thereby raise the level of our cooperation”, – said Xi in Minsk during his official visit to the country.

The Belarusian government’s press-service informed that the two countries’ cooperation program includes 89 projects, such as car manufacturing, renovation of power stations, building of hotels and a China-town in the country. Projects ought to be realized within three to four years. “Belarus prepares for privatization, and China would like to participate in it”, said the head of “Strategia” analytical center Leonid Zaiko.

The vice-premier of the government Vladimir Semashko told Reuters that Minsk going to import oil from Venezuela and a trial run of 80 000 tons is supposed to arrive in May.

Earlier Belarusian representatives declared their intention to import 4 million tons from Venezuela in 2010 and to increase volumes of purchases to 10 million tons in a year’s prospect. The total amount of the country internal consumption is now 6.3 million tons.

“We do not want to avoid cooperation with Russia, this is a question of markets diversification and mutually beneficial cooperation with new partners” announced Minsk officials to local media, while adding, “We offer Venezuela and China the projects rejected by the Russian Federation”.

Meanwhile, head of Mizesa’s Research center Yaroslav Romanchuk is assured that the transportation costs from Venezuela will block any profit. “The union with Venezuela is a rather political anti western campaign than economical decision”, — said Romanchuk to Russian business paper Vedomosti. The statistics does not reflect any growth of trade between these two countries. In January 2009 Venezuela bought 517 Belarus tractors while only seven in January 2010 .

After a lengthy, interesting, and highly competitive presidential election in Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich was finally sworn into office in the country’s capital of Kiev yesterday.

During the presidential runoff over the last few months, the defining contrast between Yanukovich and his chief opponent, Yulia Tymoshenko, seemed to be the former’s pro-Russian affinity versus the latter’s pro-European inclinations.

In his inaugural speech, however, President Yanukovich said that it was important for his country to build relations with Russia, the European Union, and the United States.

“Being a bridge between East and West, an integral part of Europe and the former Soviet Union at the same time, Ukraine will choose a foreign policy that will allow our country to get the most out of the development of equal and mutually beneficial relations with Russia, the European Union, the United States, and other countries that influence development in the world,” he said.

In addition to dealing with finicky relationship between its neighbors on either side, Yanukovich will also have his hands full repairing the debt-ridden and unreliable Ukrainian economy, fighting rampant corruption and poverty, as well as stabilizing a shaky political system that hasn’t been able to achieve much in recent years due to fighting within the Orange Revolution parties.

Check out this CNN interview with Mr. Yanukovich.

KIEV, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Monday renewed her attacks on President-elect Viktor Yanukovich, whom she accuses of winning election through fraud, and rejected any post-election deal with him.

In a televised statement she accused her rival of already beginning to sell off Ukraine’s gas pipeline network — a sensitive issue since it touches on relations with Russia — and predicted he would not stay in power for long.

The sharp attack by the fiery 49-year-old premier, who on Saturday dropped her legal challenge to Yanukovich’s election, significantly raised political tensions before his inauguration on Thursday.

“Yanukovich, who came to power by lies, is not our president and he will not last long,” she told a televised broadcast. “I want to say that I would not, under any circumstances, create a coalition together with Yanukovich,” she declared.

Yanukovich, a 59-year-old ex-mechanic who is backed by wealthy industrialists in eastern Ukraine, beat Tymoshenko by a narrow margin of 3.5 percentage points in the Feb. 7 runoff.

She says she was robbed of victory by electoral fraud, but at the weekend she withdrew an attempt to get a high court to give the go-ahead for another vote. She said she could not trust it to fairly consider the evidence.

Yanukovich is set to be sworn in to office on Feb. 25 and now has to steel himself to working with Tymoshenko — albeit for only a short period — until he can force her out by forging a new coalition in parliament.

Delays in ending Ukraine’s long political turmoil and bringing a measure of stability to the power structure will only continue to deter much-needed investment for the struggling economy.

The ex-Soviet state of 46 million has been kept afloat by an International Monetary Fund bail-out programme of $16.4 billion, but this has been suspended because of paralysis in decision-making and breached promises.

The IMF has said it will resume the programme once stability has returned to government.

The Yanukovich camp is pressing ahead with trying to strike a deal for a new coalition among the opportunistic deputies in parliament which can involve long and tricky horse-trading.

If he fails to do this, he may be forced to call an early parliamentary election with unpredictable consequences.

Until then, he is doomed to share the higher echelons of power with a prime minister who does not regard him as legitimately elected.

FUTURE IN OPPOSITION?

Yanukovich is expected to tilt Ukraine back towards the old imperial master, Russia, after five years of estrangement under pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko. His first foreign visit after inauguration is expected to be to Moscow in early March.

One specific charge Tymoshenko levelled against him was that he had begun “selling off Ukrainian national interests in all directions”, including the privatisation of the gas network system.

Yanukovich has proposed creation of a consortium including Russia to run the country’s gas pipelines.

On Monday, she broached for the first time a possible future in opposition if Yanukovich managed to outflank her in parliament and form a new coalition bringing in defectors from among her erstwhile allies.

“If the patriotic forces, the democratic political parties in parliament sell out politically, then I will go into opposition to bring closer the time when our state returns to a civilised way of development,” she said.

Earlier on Monday, her camp said it wanted a quick parliamentary vote which she hopes will back her government before Yanukovich has time to muster support to bring it down.

The Regions Party faction of Yanukovich said on Friday it planned a vote of no-confidence in the government in early March after his inauguration. But Tymoshenko’s bloc said it had collected enough signatures to force the vote this week before his swearing-in.

Tymoshenko’s BYuT bloc appears to feel that the Yanukovich camp, which is busy preparing for the inauguration, will not have time to muster the necessary 226 votes for it to succeed this week.

The Associated Press
Friday, February 19, 2010; 6:46 AM

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan — Turkmenistan is set to allow the creation of a second political party this year, breaking up the one-party system that has been in place since the Central Asian nation gained independence, state media reported Friday.

The only political force registered in the ex-Soviet nation is the pro-government Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, which is closely modeled on the Communist Party.

“If anyone wishes to propose creating a new political party, we can register one this year, as stipulated by the Constitution,” President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said at a government meeting Thursday. The constitution that was adopted in 1992 allows for the formation of political parties.

It was not immediately clear to what extent the new party could diverge from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan. It’s a common practice in former Soviet Central Asia to create nominal opposition parties loyal to the government.

Most active government opponents have fled the energy-rich Central Asian nation, where dissent is not tolerated.

Berdymukhamedov came to power in December 2006 after the death of Saparmurat Niyazov, who kept Turkmenistan largely isolated in two decades of authoritarian rule and an all-encompassing personality cult.

Berdymukhamedov has made vague commitments to implement democratic reforms, kindling hopes the Central Asian country would introduce greater freedoms.

But critics say Berdymukhamedov has failed to live up to his pledges.

In the 2008 parliamentary elections, almost all elected deputies were from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan. A small number of independent candidates drawn from state-approved civic groups were also allowed to run. Everybody competed on a platform of support for Berdymukhamedov.

Under reforms enacted earlier in 2008, the number of seats in Parliament was more than doubled to 125, and the chamber’s powers were nominally boosted.

Another seminal development was the abolition of the rubber-stamp People’s Council – a 2,507-member assembly of presidential appointees, town elders and others that was formerly Turkmenistan’s highest legislative body.

In a session that lasted less than ten minutes, a Beijing court on Thursday upheld an 11-year sentence against popular Chinese human rights activists Liu Xiaobo, co-author of the pro-democracy Charter 08.

After the court decision, US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman called on “the government of China to release him immediately and to respect the right of all citizens to peacefully express their political views and exercise internationally recognized freedoms”.

European Union representatives in Beijing said: “The EU believes that the verdict against Liu Xiaobo – for his role as author of Charter 08 and for publishing articles concerning human rights on the internet – is entirely incompatible with his right to freedom of expression.”

Beijing said the prosecution was in accordance with Chinese law.

“China has no dissidents,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.

The following is an abridged statement by Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, co-author of the Charter 08 campaign for constitutional reform, given in his trial on 23 December 2009. Today the result of his appeal against an 11-year jail sentence for subversion was announced – the court upheld the verdict.

June 1989 was the major turning point in my 50 years on life’s road. Before that, I was a member of the first group of students to take the newly restored college entrance examinations following the Cultural Revolution; my career was a smooth ride, from undergraduate to grad student and through to PhD. After graduation I stayed on as a lecturer at Beijing Normal University.

On the podium, I was a popular teacher, well received by students. I was also a public intellectual: in the 1980s I published articles and books that created an impact. I was frequently invited to speak in different places, and invited to go abroad to Europe and the US as a visiting scholar. What I required of myself was to live with honesty, responsibility and dignity both as a person and in my writing.

Subsequently, because I had returned from the US to take part in the 1989 movement, I was imprisoned for “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement to crime”, losing the platform I loved; I was never again allowed to publish or speak in public in China. Simply for expressing divergent political views and taking part in a peaceful and democratic movement, a teacher lost his podium, a writer lost the right to publish, and a public intellectual lost the chance to speak publicly. This was a sad thing, both for myself as an individual, and, after three decades of reform and opening, for China.

Thinking about it, my most dramatic experiences after 4 June 1989 have all been linked with the courts; the two opportunities I had to speak in public have been provided by trials held in the people’s intermediate court in Beijing, one in January 1991 and one now. Although the charges on each occasion were different, they were in essence the same, both crimes of expression.

Twenty years on, the innocent souls of 4 June are yet to rest in peace, and I, who had been drawn into the path of dissidence by the passions of 4 June, after leaving the Qincheng prison in 1991 lost the right to speak openly in my own country, and could only do so through overseas media, and hence was monitored for many years; placed under surveillance (May 1995 – January 1996); educated through labour (October 1996 – October 1999), and now once again am thrust into the dock by enemies in the regime.

But I still want to tell the regime that deprives me of my freedom, I stand by the belief I expressed 20 years ago in my hunger strike declaration – I have no enemies, and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested and interrogated me, the prosecutors who prosecuted me, or the judges who sentence me, are my enemies. While I’m unable to accept your surveillance, arrest, prosecution or sentencing, I respect your professions and personalities. This includes the prosecution at present: I was aware of your respect and sincerity in your interrogation of me on 3 December.

For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy. I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society, to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions, and defuse hate with love.

I firmly believe that China’s political progress will never stop, and I’m full of optimistic expectations of freedom coming to China in the future, because no force can block the human desire for freedom. China will eventually become a country of the rule of law in which human rights are supreme. I’m also looking forward to such progress being reflected in the trial of this case, and look forward to the full court’s just verdict – one that can stand the test of history.

Ask me what has been my most fortunate experience of the past two decades, and I’d say it was gaining the selfless love of my wife, Liu Xia. She cannot be present in the courtroom today, but I still want to tell you, my sweetheart, that I’m confident that your love for me will be as always. Over the years, in my non-free life, our love has contained bitterness imposed by the external environment, but is boundless in afterthought. I am sentenced to a visible prison while you are waiting in an invisible one.

Your love is sunlight that transcends prison walls and bars, stroking every inch of my skin, warming my every cell, letting me maintain my inner calm, magnanimous and bright, so that every minute in prison is full of meaning. But my love for you is full of guilt and regret, sometimes heavy enough to hobble my steps. I am a hard stone in the wilderness, putting up with the pummeling of raging storms, and too cold for anyone to dare touch. But my love is hard, sharp, and can penetrate any obstacles. Even if I am crushed into powder, I will embrace you with the ashes.

Given your love, my sweetheart, I would face my forthcoming trial calmly, with no regrets about my choice and looking forward to tomorrow optimistically. I look forward to my country being a land of free expression, where all citizens’ speeches are treated the same; where different values, ideas, beliefs, political views … both compete with each other and coexist peacefully; where, majority and minority opinions will be given equal guarantees, in particular, political views different from those in power will be fully respected and protected; where all political views will be spread in the sunlight for the people to choose; [where] all citizens will be able to express their political views without fear, and will never be politically persecuted for voicing dissent.

I hope to be the last victim of China’s endless literary inquisition, and that after this no one else will ever be jailed for their speech.

Freedom of expression is the basis of human rights, the source of humanity and the mother of truth. To block freedom of speech is to trample on human rights, to strangle humanity and to suppress the truth.

I do not feel guilty for following my constitutional right to freedom of expression, for fulfilling my social responsibility as a Chinese citizen. Even if accused of it, I would have no complaints.

*This statement was translated from the Chinese by Professor David Kelly of the China Research Centre, University of Technology, Sydney. It can be read in the original and in full here ]]> http://communisttaxlawyer.com/location/china/china-has-no-dissidents-1225.html/feed 0 http://communisttaxlawyer.com/location/eastern-europe/1214-1214.html http://communisttaxlawyer.com/location/eastern-europe/1214-1214.html#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:19:44 +0000 The Proletariat http://communisttaxlawyer.com/?p=1214

Opposition leader Viktor F. Yanukovich has declared victory over current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine’s 2010 presidential election, which has garnered immense international attention over the last few months.

It is not yet official, and Tymoshenko will not concede, but exit polls currently put Yanukovich three to four points ahead.

In the simplest form, Tymoshenko has the support of eastern Ukraine with her pro-Europe stance while Yanukovich, in contrast, has the support of the Russian-speaking western and southern Ukraine.

The two fierce rivals have spared no expense in their efforts to insult, humiliate, and discredit one another with smear campaigns as they dragged each other through the mud.

Although it has been entertaining, the true victims of this election are the Ukrainian people. They are the ones who will be stuck with one of these candidates as their president in a now more divided country that already has its fair share of problems.

Furthermore, for those hoping this drawn out election may finally find its conclusion, you may be disappointed. The fallout of Tymoshenko’s loss may carry on for some time.

Over the weekend, she called on her supporters to take to the streets in protest if Yanukovich prevails.

As the elections started on Sunday, Tymoshenko’s team also said that Yanukovich supporters were practicing “terrorism” and “open banditry.”

Ukrainian officials deny any such reports.

The air force will buy EC-225 search-and-rescue helicopters, defense ministry spokesman Martin Yu said without offering details.

China has blasted the United States over a planned $6.4 billion arms package for Taiwan, saying it would place sanctions on U.S. firms that sell weapons to the self-ruled island that Beijing considers a breakaway province of China.

Taiwan will sign a $111 million deal in the next few days to buy up to 20 choppers from Eurocopter, the Defense News reported. Eurocopter is a subsidiary under German-based EADS.

“What is equally odd about the contract award is China has remained silent on the issue after it threatened to sanction U.S. companies selling arms to Taiwan and occurs at the same time European leaders have been pushing for a lifting of arms exports to China,” Defense News said.

The EC-225 is considered a dedicated search and rescue craft rather than a combat helicopter.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.

Taiwan seeks advanced foreign-made weapons to update its military, which lags China in the balance of power.

U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration notified Congress a week ago of its first proposed arms sales to Taiwan including Black Hawk utility helicopters, Patriot “Advanced Capability-3″ anti-missile missiles, and command-and-control technology.

However, since Yanukovich has seemingly failed to gain a majority vote in the first round, the election process will continue on to a second round which will be held on February 7th.

While Yanukovich is ahead by 13 points after the first round of voting, experts predict Tymoshenko will garner a large percentage of the votes that previously went to the 16 other defeated presidential candidates in Sunday’s election.

The result being a potentially nail-biting finish to an election already wrought with accusations, smear campaigns, and name-calling.

“Yanukovich, who represents criminal circles, has no chance (in the second round),” said Ms. Tymoshenko at a post-election news conference.

Mr. Yanukovich retorted that Ukrainians are evidently ready for a change and said Tymoshenko was, “in despair.”

Although the two presidential hopefuls disagree on several important issues, many are quick to simply distinguish Ms. Tymoshenko as pro-Europe and Mr. Yanukovich as pro-Russia.

That may be due to the fact that Tymoshenko, a former comrade of current president Viktor Yushchenko and of the Orange Revolution, is largely supported in the western, pro-Europe area of the country

In contrast, Yanukovich, a former CPSU member and the man accused of voter fraud in the 2004 election, is against NATO membership and seems to have the support of Russian speaking Ukrainians east of the Dnieper River.

The result of the election may be a key indicator of which direction the country is heading in the future.

Ukraine’s economy has been one of the worst hit by the recent economic crisis with GDP dropping 14 percent in 2009 and its currency, the hryvnia, having a tumultuous year.