PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (PDMIN) 1 Jarrett White Road MCPA-DM, Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000 Telephone: 808.433.7035 · [email protected] · http://www.coe-dmha.org Asia-Pacific Daily Report April 12, 2004 Afghanistan Afghan government to send more troops to northwestern Faryab province following factional clashes over the weekend The Afghan central government of President Hamid Karzai is sending some 200 additional troops to Afghanistan’s northwestern Faryab province following new skirmishes between rival factions in the area. Mohammad Shafi, a local commander, told the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) that a small skirmish between fighters loyal to ethnic Uzbek warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum and that of his Tajik rival, Atta Mohammad, took place on Saturday (April 10) in Kod-i-Barq town, some 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Balkh province. Following the incident which left several people wounded, schools and other public institutions were reportedly closed in Kod-i-Barq. Lutfullah Mashal, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told IRIN that the situation in the provincial capital Maimana (also spelled Maymana) of Faryab province, which was overrun by Dostum’s troops last Tuesday (April 6), was calm and that some 500 troops from the Afghan National Army (ANA) were in control of Maimana. Manoel de Almedia e Silva, spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told a press briefing yesterday that the situation in Maimana and Faryab in general was calm with no reports of further unrest since last Thursday (April 8). He added that ANA troops, along with representatives of the Security Commission of the North and the National Security Directorate (NSD), were removing unauthorized checkpoints and weapons from the city. The clash, the second in less than a month involving two of Afghanistan’s most powerful warlords in the west and northwest with the central government authorities, is a serious cause of concern for Karzai’s government which has been struggling to extend its influence beyond the capital Kabul. The renewed call of a holy uprising against foreign presence in the country issued over the weekend, by the fugitive warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, underscores the need for security and exposes the country’s vulnerability to violence. Karzai needs to resolve issues with the unruly governor of Herat, Ismail Khan, in the west and General Dostum in the north before meaningful progress in Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR) ahead of the nationwide general elections now scheduled for September can occur. http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=40518&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/12/international/asia/12KABU.html?ex=1082347200&en=608048b2231eeda1&ei=506 2&partner=GOOGLE

Bangladesh 14 people killed, 200 injured in pre-monsoon storm in Bangladesh About 14 people have been killed in Bangladesh, after pre-monsoon seasonal storms hit the country late Friday (April 9) and Saturday (April 10). According to reports from officials and the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo, about 200 people were injured from the storms, which caused widespread damage to at least 300 homes and crops in at least 50 villages, mostly in Barisal district. A local politician, Abdul Hossain Khan, said that more than 100 families have been made homeless. According to News from Bangladesh, the storms had winds of up to 80 km per hour (50 miles per hour). The short but intense storms, locally called “nor’westers”, was the first of the season and are common during this time of year in Bangladesh. http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040411073637.w1igm6wz.html http://www.bangladesh-web.com

Cambodia Security tightened along Thai-Cambodian border due to recent attack on district office in According to the Bangkok Post today, security has been tightened along the Thai-Cambodian border in anticipation that Cambodian rebels who recently attacked a district office in Cambodia might try to escape into . A group of unidentified armed men reportedly attacked the Pathumskhon district office Cambodia’s . No injuries or casualties were reported. Captain Suwatthi Chiddecha, commander of the Thai navy task force in the Thai northern province of , said that the raiders were believed to be members of the anti- communist Cambodian rebel group called the Cambodia Fundamental Freedom. The group, led by Sun Seng, had previously based themselves in the Thai border village district of Hat Lek in Trat’s district. However, due to recent crackdown operations by Thai authorities, the group has reportedly fled back across the border to Cambodia. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Thailand struggled with communist insurgents from Laos and Cambodia, and indirectly supported Myanmar, Laotian and Cambodian anti-government rebels. However, in recent years, Thailand has pursued a policy of warmer relations with its neighbors. http://www.bangkokpost.com/120404_News/12Apr2004_news12.php

India Kashmiri separatist group to hold consensus rally for resolution of Kashmiri conflict, 8 people killed in continuing violence The main Kashmir separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) led by Mualana Abbas Ansari, said today that the alliance will hold a public rally on May 21 during which it will inform the public about their landmark talks with the Indian government and a possible “roadmap” for the resolution of the longstanding Kashmiri conflict. May 21 is reportedly the anniversary of the recent deaths of two well-known separatists in Indian-controlled Kashmir (IcK), Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone. He also said that the APHC would inform the public about talks that it had held with Pakistan politicians at the Pakistani Embassy in Delhi on March 23. Such talks are considered important as it may give the group more credibility since it may mean it has some sort of support from Pakistan. Ansari leads the moderate faction of the APHC, which has held 2 unprecedented rounds of peace talks with Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in late January and March amid growing opposition from hardliners. A third round of talks is scheduled for June. Ansari added that a recent thaw in India-Pakistan relations meant that Indian Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf were the only two leaders who could solve the Kashmir issue and said it was important for all separatist leaders to realize the seriousness of the fragile peace situation and unite to find a solution. The APHC has suffered a series of setbacks, including last year’s withdrawal of a major breakaway faction that favors a merger with Pakistan. In addition, a senior APHC leader withdrew from the talks, while the influential Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) recently withdrew from the alliance. Meanwhile, violence continued in IcK over the weekend. Yesterday an election rally by the federal main opposition Congress Party was attacked by unidentified gunmen in northern Kupwara district, but no injuries or casualaties were reported. The attack follows one last week on a rally by IcK’s ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in which 11 people were killed. In addition, a PDP member and a government employee were killed by suspected militants in southern Anantnag and Pulwama districts. Election campaigning and rallies in IcK are often targeted by separatist rebels. India’s general elections are due to be held later this month and early May. At least six militants were reportedly killed in separate incidents across the region. http://www.dailyexcelsior.com http://www.kashmirtimes.com/news1.htm http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_677878,0009.htm http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2004-daily/12-04-2004/main/main10.htm

Indonesia At least 7 injured in fresh attacks in Poso in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province Indonesian officials said yesterday that unidentified assailants fired automatic weapons at a group of Christians attending Easter services on Saturday (April 10) night in Poso, in Central Sulawesi province. At least 7 people were reported to be injured, although none reportedly had life-threatening injuries. “The gunmen fired indiscriminately as the churchgoers were singing a hymn…these are people who want to stoke up more trouble here,” said Lt. Col. Agil Assegaf. He says that hundreds of reinforcements have been sent to the area, where tensions remain high. More than 300 members of the Mobile Brigade police unit were due to arrive in the area today, regional police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridoh said. In late March a reverend was shot dead at his home while two others were wounded in similar attacks. The recent attacks have stirred up fears of a resurgence of violence between Muslim and Christians on Sulawesi Island. Parts of Sulawesi Island have been the scene of sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians since 1999 that have killed more than 2,000 people. After a peace deal was signed between rival Christian and Muslim parties in 2001, the area had been relatively peaceful with some sporadic violence. However, at least 20 people were killed in recent raids on mostly Christian villages in Poso and Morowali in Central Sulawesi since October 2003, leading to fears of a resurgence of violence. Although the majority of Indonesians are Muslims, Muslims and Christians are about evenly divided in Central Sulawesi province. http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040411/ap/d81sbk201.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040412/ap/d81t0s300.html http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/b24d19f1f16b3a3f49256e74000a53ef?OpenDocument

Micronesia One person dies from storm in Yap, most buildings reported to be damaged or destroyed One person has died from Typhoon Sudel which hit the island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) last week, Philip Raffilpiy, spokesperson of the Yap Disaster Office says. Additionally, he says that almost all of the island’s infrastructure, including the hospital, had been damaged or destroyed by the storm. The Guam Daily News also reported extensive damage to almost all of the buildings on the island as well. The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) reports winds of over 200 kph (124 mph) from Sudal. The IFRC says that a state of emergency has been declared and the most urgent needs are reported to be water, food, and shelter for over 6,000 people. Yap consists of a series of atolls and is one of FSM’s four states. Yap has a population of some 8,000 people. Links to other parts of FSM have only been partially restored, Agence France-Presse reports. Yap state official Tom Lutte says that most people on the island had no water, electricity or phone service. On Saturday (April 10) a US Coast Guard C-130 plane from Guam was able to deliver some relief supplies. Meanwhile, the US federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent officials to the island to assess and coordinate relief efforts. In July 2002, the neighboring state of Chuuk was hit by a typhoon that killed some 47 people, injured dozens of others and left at least 1,000 homeless. FSM is comprised of some 607 small islands with a population of some 106,000. http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/b0dd4ca83a5e4c6049256e74000e0628?OpenDocumen t http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/4cf6c59b068ee181c1256e7300679668?OpenDocument http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/7b427313f210f908c1256e73006a743f?OpenDocument

Nepal Rallies against king continue in Kathmandu despite new government ban In continuing defiance of a recent government ban on public rallies in the capital, Kathmandu, the five main political parties continued their rally against King Gyanendra. The parties staged demonstrations in various parts of the city, Kantipur Online reported. Clashes between demonstrators and police were reported, but so far no reports of injuries have come in. Student demonstrators reportedly burned tires and vandalized government vehicles. Police reportedly detained some 50 journalists, but they were reportedly released after a few hours. More than a thousand people have been arrested since the government imposed a ban last week, following nearly a week of massive protests against Gyanendra. Under the new rules which took effect Friday (April 9), no more than 5 people can gather in one place and anyone can be arrested and held for an undisclosed amount of time. The government claimed it needed the new powers because of reports that Maoist rebels were planning to infiltrate the rallies. Organizers from the five main political parties, who have been staging massive protests against King Gyanendra, over the past week claim that the government used the excuse of a Maoist rebel threat to ban rallies against the king. Tens of thousands have rallied to demand the restoration of the dissolved parliament or the formation of an all-party government comprised of their nominees, since the king assumed executive powers in October 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3619273.stm http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=10325 http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=10292

Nearly 2,500 have died in Maoist insurgency since ceasefire ended last August, Kathmandu-based rights group reports Close to 2,500 people have died since a ceasefire between Maoist rebels and the Nepali government ended in August 2003, the Kathmandu–based Informal Sector Service Centre reports. “We are deeply concerned by gross violations of human rights (and) the plight of the common people…There is need for people’s silent voices to be heard and a people-oriented consensus on the future of Nepal’s governance be agreed upon,” the report said. The report says that 2,480 people have died since the Maoists ended a ceasefire with the government on August 27 of last year. The human rights group says that the government is responsible for some two-thirds of the deaths. The report accuses the government for 1,622 of the deaths and the Maoists for another 819, with the rest of the killings unexplained. “Both the government and the Maoists have violated human rights in the country,” says Naina Bahadur Khatri, chair of the government’s autonomous National Human Rights Commission, when he released the report over the weekend. The group says that the death toll since the Maoists began their insurgency in 1996 was just under 9,200. In continuing violence, at least 3 people were killed when a bomb exploded inside a home in Jajarkot district yesterday, Kantipur Online (KOL) reports. The bomb was reportedly blamed on Maoists who allegedly “carelessly” left the explosive, according to KOL. Meanwhile, rebels have reportedly abducted over 300 people from a village in western Dadelhura district. Last week Thursday (April 8), rebels reportedly abducted some 2,000 villagers from the southwest of the country. Earlier this month, another 1,000 were reportedly abducted from southwestern Bajura district. It is not unusual for Maoists to abduct people but mass abductions such as these are relatively uncommon. The rebels are regularly accused of carrying out abductions and forcing people to attend political and cultural “education” programs and then are normally released after a few days. http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/1711d1dd8b06b8a649256e74000e662f?OpenDocumen t http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=10323 Philippines Two Malaysians, one Indonesian abducted near southern Philippine waters; At least 53 fugitives, including Abu Sayyaf suspects, escape from southern Basilan province Unidentified gunmen dressed in military fatigues reportedly attacked a boat traveling between Malaysia and the restive southern Philippines, kidnapping 1 Indonesian and 2 Malaysian crew members while setting the rest free yesterday. Officials differed about whether the attack occurred in Malaysian or Philippine waters. In the Philippines, Navy spokesman Commander Geronimo Malabanan said Malaysian army officials in Sabah had notified the navy, but gave no further details. The attack reportedly occurred near Malaysia’s Linkian Island in Sabah and the Philippines’ Sulu archipelago, near the Malaysia-Philippine border. While no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, officials have not ruled out the involvement of the al-Qaeda-linked Philippine rebel Abu Sayyaf group, which is active in the area. Kidnap raids blamed on southern Philippine rebel groups have occurred in Malaysia’s Sabah region several times in recent years. Last October, suspected rebels seized 5 Indonesians and 5 Filipinos from a Sabah resort last October. Officials refused to pay ransoms and their fate is unknown. In 2000, the Abu Sayyaf group kidnapped Asian workers and Western tourists from Malaysian resorts in 2000. Most were freed, reportedly after ransom was paid. Meanwhile, security forces have been ordered to seal off the entire southern province of Basilan after at least 53 prisoners, including 23 Abu Sayyaf rebel suspects, escaped from a jail on Saturday (April 10). Military officials have claimed that they have since killed or captured at least 25 of the fugitives. The prison break has caused discomfort to President Gloria Arroyo’s government, which has claimed that it has made significant progress against the Abu Sayyaf group, especially after a joint US-Philippine exercise was launched against the group in Basilan in 2002. The New York Times reported yesterday that the US had quietly warned the Philippines that it was not doing enough to crack down on terrorists on its soil, which prompted a major crackdown against terrorism in the Philippines in late March. http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2004&dt=0412&pub=Utusan_Express&sec=Latest&pg=ln_0 3.htm http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040412/kyodo/d81t9o1o0.html http://www.iht.com/articles/514365.html Thailand Thailand, Malaysia pledge cooperation to quell unrest in southern Thailand as nearly daily violence continues Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly met with his counterpart, Abdullah Badawi today to discuss more than 3 months of violence in southern Thailand and pledge security cooperation. The meeting occurred after Malaysia staunchly rejected suggestions by Thaksin that Muslim separatists behind the recent violence were hiding in Malaysia by taking advantage of the highly porous border between the two countries. However, the two leaders today said that they plan to coordinate against terrorists, criminals and drug traffickers. “Thailand and Malaysia’s principles are that we will not allow any criminal to hide in another country,” said Thaksin. “We view [the situation] with serious concern. [Thaksin] has sought my cooperation and I said I intend to cooperate with him,” said Badawi. Thaksin also said that both governments had agreed to stop the illegal practice of dual Thai-Malaysian citizenship, which he says enables attackers to cross the border easily. The two countries also reportedly agreed to increase joint border patrols. The two also said that poverty was at the root of the problem and also agreed to address economic and social development in the region. The largely ethnic Malay Muslim south has often reportedly been marginalized in Buddhist-majority Thailand. Meanwhile, violence continued in the region over the weekend, raising the death toll there to at least 75, even as the country went on alert on Saturday (April 10) for the weeklong Songkran Festival. A former politician was shot dead in Narathiwat province, while a Muslim village chief was killed in Pattani province near his home on Saturday. Today, two local rubber plantation workers were found stabbed to death, while a fisherman was also stabbed to death last night in a separate incident in Yala province. Today, a retired police officer was seriously injured by unidentified gunmen in Pattani province. http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/12Apr2004_news08.php http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040411/afp/040411081641asiapacificnews.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040412/ap/d81t62sg2.html http://www.nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=1&id=111836&usresess=1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/asia-pacific/3619199.stm