SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015 INTERNATIONAL Indonesian police reject Rohingya sex assault claims

BANDA ACEH: Indonesian police yester- arrived as migrants by boat. The women “We still have not learned the reason favoured destination for many of the been languishing in the camp since they day rejected allegations several Rohingya had been with three children and two why they claimed to have been raped region’s migrants. came ashore in May. women were sexually assaulted by local men. and sexually assaulted because we are Migrants are allowed to venture out- The regional migrant crisis erupted ear- men outside a migrant camp in Aceh Lhokseumawe police chief Anang still concerned with their psychological side the camp but only to nearby vil- lier this year when a Thai crackdown on province. Four Rohingya women, aged Triarsono said the medical examinations state as refugees,” Triansono told AFP yes- lages. If they want to go further afield the lucrative smuggling industry prompt- from 14 to 28, had said they were sexual- performed on three of the Rohingya terday. they must obtain permission from the ed traffickers to abandon their human car- ly assaulted by a group of men on women found no trace of sexual assault. Triansono said the police suspected authorities. go of Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants Monday evening shortly after sneaking The fourth woman was not examined the women made the false claim after Hundreds of Rohingya, a Muslim at sea. Aceh, a staunchly Islamic province, away from the camp, housing members because she later admitted she had not they were caught trying to leave the group which has long suffered persecu- has generally been welcoming to the of the Myanmar minority who had been sexually assaulted. camp for neighbouring , the tion in Buddhist majority Myanmar, have Muslim Rohingya. —AFP Australia shooting ‘an act of terrorism’: PM ‘It was a cold-blooded murder, targeting NSW Police Service’

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister at police headquarters with a gun 15-year-old boy. Scipione said police were aware Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday above his head, he was yelling “And it underlines the impor- they could be targeted. that a Sydney attack in which a 15- something and dressed in a black tance of families, communities, In September 2014, Melbourne year-old gunman shot dead a civil- robe,” one witness told Sydney’s leaders being very aware of police shot dead a “known terror ian police employee appeared to Daily Telegraph. whether young people are becom- suspect” who stabbed two officers, have been an act of terrorism. Turnbull called on Australians to ing radicalised,” he said. Andrew just one day after the Islamic State Police said the teen, who they go about their lives as usual as they Scipione, the police commissioner group called for Muslims to indis- did not name, was shot dead in an begin a long weekend in which two for the state of New South Wales, of criminately kill Australians. exchange of fire with officers after major sporting finals will be held in which Sydney is the capital, told And in December, Iranian-born he killed finance worker Curtis Sydney and Melbourne. “This reporters that investigators were a self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis and two hostages were killed fol- lowing a 17-hour siege at a central Sydney cafe. Scipione said early indications were that the boy was acting alone, and police had no warning of any attack. He said they were not sure whether Cheng was targeted simply because he had left the police building. “We may never know that. But he was certainly targeted in terms of the shooting. It was a direct DHARMSALA: Exile Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gets into a car shooting,” he said. New South Wales outside the Kangra Airport in Dharmsala, India, yesterday. The Dalai Lama state Premier Mike Baird said he has assured his followers that he is in excellent health upon his return to the believed that the lives of others Tibetan government-in-exile’s headquarters in northern India. — AP had been saved by the quick actions of police at the scene. “There’s no doubt that this Dalai Lama brushes tragedy will echo around the world, as people try and understand how someone so young could commit off health fears such a hideous crime,” Baird said, adding that his first reaction to the event had been of shock. But he DHARAMSALA: The Dalai Lama said he was hospitalised in Mumbai in 2002 with an added: “We cannot let actions such was in “excellent” health yesterday after doc- infection. as this divide us. We cannot let hate tors told him to scrap a tour of the United Concerns about the impact of his heavy overtake us. We have to come States as he returned to his home in north- workload also led him to step down as the together.” ern India. The 80-year-old Tibetan spiritual political head of the exiled Tibetan leader- Australia, like other countries leader walked unaided from his plane after ship in 2011. The Dalai Lama fled across the around the world, has been grap- it landed at Dharamsala airport and spoke Himalayas to India in 1959 in the aftermath pling with the complex issue of the with a small group of followers who had of a failed uprising among Tibetans to SYDNEY: A fireman hoses down the scene where a 15-year-old gunman shot dead a civilian radicalisation of young people and gathered to welcome him back, before Chinese rule. Although he insists he does police employee the previous day, before being gunned down by police, in Sydney yesterday. Turnbull said it was important to telling reporters that there was no cause for not seek independence for Tibet, China Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday that the attack in Sydney appeared understand the critical importance concern. regards him as a “splittist” and takes a dim to have been an act of terrorism. —AFP of collaboration with the Muslim “I’m okay,” he said in brief comments. “I view of any governments who agree to community. went for check-up, then basically excellent.” meet the Dalai Lama. Cheng at close range outside the appears to have been an act of “long way” from establishing what “We must not vilify or blame the He said that he had received some “advice” Many observers believe that China is con- New South Wales force’s headquar- politically motivated violence so at exactly prompted the attack, entire Muslim community with the from his doctors but gave no further details. fident that the Tibetan movement will lose ters in western Sydney on Friday. this stage it appears to have been adding that the boy had no crimi- actions of what is, in truth, a very, The exiled Buddhist leader, who maintains a much of its potency and global appeal Reports said that the youth, who an act of terrorism. It is a shocking nal history. very small percentage of violent punishing schedule, had been due to when the charismatic Dalai Lama dies. The police said was of Iraqi-Kurdish crime,” the prime minister said in extremist individuals,” the prime embark on a tour of the US when doctors Dalai Lama has also increasingly spoken of background and had been born in Melbourne. No warning minister said. told him to rest. He then checked in to the succession and has not ruled out picking his Iran, had been shouting religious “It was a cold-blooded murder, Australia has stepped up its “The Muslim community are our prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, reincarnation before his death, fearing that slogans before shooting Cheng in targeting the New South Wales efforts in countering the risk of absolutely necessary partners in Minnesota, according to CNN. China would instead pick its own boy whom the back of the head. Police Service. It was doubly shock- extremist attacks, lifting its terror combating this type of violent The Nobel laureate had been due to it would use to advance its agenda. “I saw him pacing up and down ing because it was perpetrated by a threat alert to high a year ago, and extremism.” —AFP receive the prestigious Liberty medal in His stance has led Chinese communist Philadelphia in recognition of his cam- rulers, who are officially atheist, to insist that paigning work on human rights. Although the Dalai Lama can only reincarnate after his Indonesia search underway for missing plane he has been in generally good health, he death. —AFP

JAKARTA: An air and ground search was Indonesia. The DHC-6 Twin Otter plane lost Transportation Ministry spokesman Julius underway yesterday for a small passenger contact with air traffic controllers 11 minutes Barata. No distress signal was received. The Former detainee plane that went missing with 10 people on after taking off in good weather Friday from plane, owned by the private Aviastar board during a domestic flight in eastern Masamba in South Sulawesi province, said Mandiri airline, was headed for Makassar, nominated for Nobel Prize the provincial capital. It was carrying three crew members and seven passengers, SINGAPORE: Singapore dissidents said yes- determined man with stubborn if misguided including three children, Barata said. terday they had nominated the city state’s convictions” who had refused to give up Four aircraft were deployed to search for longest-held for the Nobel even after the collapse of communism the missing plane, said Petrus Budi Peace Prize to highlight his role in the fight worldwide. Prasetyo, commercial general manager for for greater political freedom. “His detention, in spite of Western media the airline. In a symbolic announcement nearly sev- pressure, served to discourage other com- “We have dispatched a Twin Otter and a en months after the death for former prime munist cadres from achieving their cause helicopter to comb the area, along with an minister Lee Kuan Yew, activists said they aircraft each from the military and police,” hoped the nomination of his old foe Petrus said. “But we have not yet received Thye Poh would open the door for a any information from the scene.” reassessment of Singapore’s history and the Aside from the aerial search, more than role dissidents played. Bangkok University professor James 160 personnel, including 120 soldiers, were Gomez said he nominated Chia in January deployed for a ground search, said Henry and had been given confirmation it had Bambang Soelistyo, who heads Indonesia’s been received and registered. The Nobel National Search and Rescue Agency. selection committee traditionally does not Soelistyo said the search for the plane disclose the names of nominees. was focusing on a 15-mile (24-kilometer) However, speculation has mounted that radius from where it last made contact. this year’s award-to be announced on Ahmad Munir, head of the airport authority October 9 — could go to German Chancellor in Makassar, said satellite data showed the Angela Merkel for her leadership during aircraft’s last known position was about 32 Europe’s migrant crisis. kilometers (20 miles) from Masamba. Chia, 74, was arrested for anti-govern- The 1981 Canadian-made plane joined ment activities in 1966 under the ruling Aviastar last January and underwent its People’s Action Party (PAP) led by Lee, who most recent maintenance on Sept. 15, jailed political opponents during his 31-year SINGAPORE: This file photograph Petrus said. Indonesia, a sprawling archipel- rule ending in 1990. taken on November 27, 1998 shows ago nation of about 250 million people, has Chia was imprisoned for 23 years under longtime Singapore political pris- been plagued by transportation accidents the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows oner, Chia Thye Poh, standing at in recent years, including plane and train for detention without trial, and media reports say much of his detention was in solitary con- the side of a basketball court near MAKASSAR: Military personnel walk past a Twin Otter plane similar to the one that is crashes and ferry sinkings. It is one of Asia’s his home in Singapore. —AFP most rapidly expanding airline markets, but finement. Chia, a former physics teacher, was reported missing on Friday, at Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar, South released in 1989 and placed under house is struggling to obtain qualified pilots, Sulawesi, Indonesia, yesterday. An air and ground search is underway yesterday for a arrest on the island of just off the under cover of exercising their democratic small passenger plane that went missing with 10 people on board during a domestic mechanics, air traffic controllers and mod- mainland for nine more years until all restric- rights. They were formidable opponents. We flight in eastern Indonesia. —AP ern airport technology. —AP tions on him were lifted in 1998. had to be as resolute and unyielding to this Activists note that Chia’s total 32 years in contest of wills,” Lee wrote. detention was longer than the 27 years’ Activists said the nomination is filled with imprisonment suffered by , symbolism. Chia “has over the years been a China orders tighter mail security after bombings the former South African president who won source of inspiration for those who have tak- the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. en the hard road of speaking up for political BEIJING: China’s postal service is ordering tion with police will also be required. ernment buildings. Wei was believed to have and other freedoms in Singapore-a road still tighter checks on packages following a series The order follows a series of 18 explosions been killed in one of the blasts. Source of inspiration fraught with difficulties and challenges,” uni- Lee, who died in March this year at the versity professor Gomez said in his letter of of mail bombings that killed 10 people and in the southern region of Guangxi on China tightly restricts the use of firearms, age of 91, had accused Chia and other dissi- nomination. injured 51. Wednesday and Thursday blamed on a 33- making bombs the frequent weapon of dents of being communists trying to over- Tan Jee Say, an opposition politician who Mail carriers and overnight delivery servic- year-old man, Wei Yinyong, who had long- choice in revenge attacks. The number of throw the government. Chia, who was never first mooted the idea of the nomination, said es must conduct additional checks for explo- standing disputes with neighbors and compa- bombs used in the Guangxi attacks appeared charged with any crime, was not present at he hoped it will shed fresh light on a chapter sives, dangerous chemicals, weapons, gun- nies involved in stone quarrying. unprecedented, however, especially consider- the announcement of his nomination. in Singapore’s history he claimed has been powder and poisons, the State Post Bureau The explosions hit a hospital, markets, a ing that they all were delivered within the sin- In his memoirs, Lee described Chia as “a left out in the national narrative. —AFP said on its website Saturday. Closer coopera- shopping mall, a bus station and several gov- gle small county of Liucheng. —AP