INTERNATIONAL TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2016

Indonesia forms team to probe 1960s massacre the ‘graves’

JAKARTA: Indonesia announced yester- sympathisers killed, but had long Killings, who handed him information Foundation head Bedjo Untung said the discussions that the government would day that it will form a team to investi- remained taboo in Indonesia. about 122 sites on Java and Sumatra government’s response seemed posi- not issue an official apology. The mass gate what activists say are mass graves However the government reopened islands, his ministry said. After the tive. “I feel the government is serious. killings happened around the time from 1960s anti-communist massacres, the painful episode last month by back- meeting, the ministry said on it This is a new chance,” he told AFP. General Suharto came to power, and its latest move to resolve the dark chap- ing a series of public discussions into would form a team to start excavating “There’s a willingness to resolve issues during his 32-year rule the official narra- ter. The decision came after activists the atrocity for the first time, after the sites. from Luhut Panjaitan’s side, not to bur- tive was that they were necessary to rid handed authorities a list of sites where which President Joko Widodo ordered a Panjaitan stressed that authorities den the next generation with the past.” the country of communism. The mas- they say some of those killed during the senior minister to launch a probe. would protect the safety of those However, other activists have sacres, conducted by local groups sup- massacres were buried. The purge in Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan involved, it said. “He sends a message expressed scepticism about whether ported by the security forces, began 1965-66 was one of the worst mass yesterday met with activists led by a for everybody to stay calm,” it added. the government is serious about after Suharto put down a coup on killings of the last century and saw at group called the Foundation for The ministry did not say when the unearthing the truth. Panjaitan faced October 1, 1965, that the authorities least 500,000 alleged communists and Research into Victims of the 65-66 team would begin excavating. criticism after insisting at last month’s blamed on communists.—AFP Kim crowned as party leader at North Korean congress Congress seen as a coronation for the young leader

PYONGYANG: North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un was named chairman of the ruling Workers’ Party yesterday at a once in a genera- tion congress seen as a coronation for the young leader. Thousands of delegates, many in uniform, clapped and cheered enthusiastically as the country’s official head of state, Kim Yong-Nam, announced the post at the first top-level meeting of the party for 36 years. The speech was the first time foreign journalists allowed into the reclusive country to cover the con- gress have got a glimpse of the delegate hall, festooned in red and gold banners carrying the party’s logo. Kim departed from his usual black outfit as he appeared on stage, sporting a tailored Western suit and grey tie along with large, trendy glasses. The congress, which opened on Friday, has given 33-year-old Kim a podi- FUJIAN, CHINA: Rescuers search for potential survivors at the site following a land- um to secure his status as supreme leader and slide in Taining county on Sunday.—AP confirm his legacy “byungjin” doctrine of twin economic and nuclear development. North Korea has carried out two of its four 31 dead, 7 missing after nuclear tests under Kim’s leadership, most recently in January when it claimed to have southern China landslide PYONGYANG: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un reporting works of the North Korean Workers tried out a powerful hydrogen bomb-a claim Party Central Committee during the third day of the 7th Workers Party Congress at the ‘April experts have disputed. There has been grow- 25 Palace’ on Sunday.—AFP BEIJING: Rescue teams have recovered the fighters and police, were searching for the ing concern that Pyongyang may be on the bodies of 31 victims while seven people missing and attempting to clear sections of verge of conducting a fifth test, with satellite wanted better relations with previously “hos- heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung. were still listed as missing yesterday follow- roads leading to the site that had been imagery showing activity at the North’s tile” nations and proposed military talks with When his own turn came, following the ing a landslide at the site of a hydropower made impassable by mudslides and flood- Punggye-ri nuclear test site. South Korea to ease tensions on their heavily death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, the project in southern China after days of ing, hindering efforts to get heavy machin- Delegates to what is technically North fortified border. new young leader quickly set about cement- heavy rain, authorities said. ery through. The project in mountainous Korea’s top decision-making body on Sunday ing his power base and securing his legitima- Rescuers aided by experts sent by the Taining county in Fujian province is an adopted his motion to “boost self-defensive ‘Propaganda with no sincerity’ cy as the inheritor of Kim family’s ruling central government were searching with extension of the Chitan hydropower sta- nuclear force, both in quality and quantity”. The government in Seoul dismissed his dynasty. tools and sniffer dogs for signs of life, while tion, an affiliate of state-owned Huadian The meeting also enshrined a policy of not remarks, including a vow to pursue global One of his earliest moves was to adjust his mechanical diggers hauled away stones Fuxin Energy Ltd., and was expected to denuclearisation, as meaningless propagan- father’s “songun”, or military first policy, to the and soil, part of a 100,000-cubic-meter (3.5 begin operations in August 2017, Xinhua using nuclear weapons unless the country’s million-cubic-foot) mountain of rain-satu- reported. An official at the county depart- sovereignty is threatened by another nuclear da. “There is absolutely no sincerity in talking “byungjin” policy of economic-nuclear devel- rated debris that buried an office building ment, who gave only his surname, Wei, said power, and of working towards the reunifica- about the necessity of military talks... while opment. The nuclear half of that strategy had and a living area for construction workers by phone that the cause of the landslide tion of the divided Korean peninsula. calling oneself a nuclear weapons state and dominated the run-up to the party congress, early Sunday. was still unclear, but that the area had seen “But if the South Korean authorities opt for launching nuclear and missile provocations,” starting with a fourth nuclear test in January Continuing heavy rain in the area was rainfall in the past few days. a war... we will turn out in the just war to mer- defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang- that was followed by a long-range rocket hampering the rescue effort and more Severe weather, mountainous topogra- cilessly wipe out the anti-reunification forces,” Gyun said. Moon said the party congress had launch and a flurry of other missile and evacuations were being organized, the offi- phy and high population density over much said a document published by the North’s offi- only served to reaffirm North Korea’s intention weapons tests. cial Xinhua News Agency reported. “We of southern and eastern China make land- cial KCNA news agency. to develop its nuclear arsenal, and added that Some observers had predicted that the were asleep when the mountains began to slides a constant threat. Overdevelopment Reiterating the North’s long-held argument Seoul would continue to counter those ambi- congress might switch the focus to the eco- jolt very strongly and before we knew it, and shoddy oversight can increase the dan- that its push for a nuclear deterrent was tions with sanctions and pressure. nomic side of the equation, and Kim did sand and mud were flowing into our room,” ger, as was the case in December when 74 forced by US hostility, the congress said the The South Korean Unification Ministry was unveil a five-year economic plan — the first of survivor Deng Chunwu told Xinhua. He and people were left dead or missing after a nuclear weapons programme would move equally dismissive, describing Kim’s remarks its kind for decades. But his report to the con- three other workers survived by huddling man-made mountain of construction waste forward “as long as the imperialists persist in on improving North-South ties as a “propa- gress offered few details of the plan’s policies underneath a supporting pole. collapsed onto buildings in the city of their nuclear threat”. Presenting his report to ganda act with no sincerity.” Kim was not even or targets beyond general ambitions to boost Their room was shifted a distance of 10 Shenzhen. Police detained 11 people fol- the congress in a marathon three-hour born when the last party congress was held in production across all economic sectors, with a meters (30 feet) by the flowing mud, Deng lowing that accident on suspicion of failing speech on Saturday, Kim said Pyongyang 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the particular focus on energy production.—AFP said. A number of other people were being to prevent the disaster. treated for bone fractures and other Heavy rain has affected much of south- injures, Xinhua and state broadcaster China ern China since Wednesday, triggering Central Television said. floods and landslides, disrupting transport N Korea’s nuclear More than 600 rescuers, including fire- and destroying crops.—AP Sushi chef says Kim Jong-Un plan ‘has has ‘no plans for war’ not changed’ Australia turns back on TOKYO: A Japanese sushi chef who served we launch rockets and missiles is the BEIJING: Chinese state-run media yesterday played Kim Jong-Il claims North Korea’s current United States,” the 33-year-old ‘supreme three asylum-seeker boats down North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s pledge not leader has no intention of waging war with leader’ said, according to the report. to use nuclear weapons unless his country’s sover- the United States. “When we begin talks with the SYDNEY: Australia has intercepted three asy- settled in Australia. “Please don’t accept the eignty is threatened, saying that his pursuit of atom- The chef, who goes by the pseudonym Americans, they soon make unacceptable lum-seeker boats so far this year, including word of con agents that are masquerading as ic arms remained dangerous. Kenji Fujimoto, told a Japanese tabloid demands with difficult conditions. one carrying women and children from Sri these people-smugglers, that if you pay your Beijing is Pyongyang’s main diplomatic protector magazine he was invited to Pyongyang last Although our relations with the United Lanka, the country’s immigration minister money will you come to Australia. You will not,” and source of trade and aid, but relations between month for the first time in almost four States remain perilous, I have no intention revealed yesterday. he said. Fate of PNG asylum seekers could take them have become increasingly strained by the years, and that Kim Jong-Un himself picked of starting a war,” Fujimoto claims Kim Under Canberra’s hard-line measures, asy- months The fate of nearly 900 men held in an North’s nuclear ambitions, and Kim has yet to visit him up at the airport. “I was surprised when added. Fujimoto, who has a 24-year-old lum-seekers trying to reach Australia by boat Australian detention center in Papua New his neighbor. I looked at the driver’s seat,” Fujimoto was daughter by his Pyongyang-resident North are either sent back to where they departed or Guinea is unlikely to be determined for several The North’s first ruling party congress in nearly quoted as saying in a piece written under Korean wife, also revealed that Kim had to remote Pacific island camps, where living months, Australian Immigration Minister Peter 40 years formally endorsed Kim’s policy of expand- his byline in the weekly Shukan Gendai. been on a recent wine binge. “I emptied 10 conditions have been criticized. The govern- Dutton said yesterday. ing the country’s nuclear arsenal, after he said it “Field marshall Kim Jong-Un himself was bottles a few days ago and my stomach ment has defended the policy as stopping That timetable could put the politically sen- would not use the weapons unless attacked, and driving, he’d come to check up on me.” feels a little bad,” Kim said at a dinner deaths at sea. Since the start of its “Operation sitive decision beyond a federal election on would work for global denuclearization. But the Fujimoto, one of the few non-Koreans to attended by some 20 senior North Korean Sovereign Borders” in September 2013, it has July 2, although Australia’s tough immigration international community and the United Nations have met the young leader, said that he officials, according to Fujimoto. managed to halt the flood of boats, and policy is expected to be a feature of one of the have long demanded an end to the North’s nuclear arrived in Pyongyang on April 12 to have “Although maybe one glass won’t do drowning, that characterized previous Labor longest poll campaigns in the country’s histo- and missile programs. dinner with Kim, who greeted him with a any harm.” Fujimoto, who claims to have administrations. ry. The PNG government said two weeks ago it Kim’s declaration “was made from the perspec- hug and asked about feelings in been jet-skiing and motorbiking with Kim In March, Canberra hailed 600 days with no planned to close the detention centre on tive that North Korea is now a nuclear state”, China’s towards the secretive state. Jong-Il, lived in Pyongyang in the service of vessels arriving, with 25 boats carrying 698 Manus Island after the Pacific island nation’s Global Times newspaper, which is close to the rul- Fujimoto, who is said to carry business the first family for ten years. people turned back and “safely returned to Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful, a deci- ing Communist party, said in an editorial. As such, it cards emblazoned with the words ‘Kim He says he fled the regime during a their country of departure”. Immigration sion that threatens to undermine Australia’s said, its “attitude has not changed, and neither has Jong-Il’s chef’, reportedly replied “with shopping trip to Japan in 2001, and has Minister Peter Dutton said three boats had closed door asylum policy. Each country has its biggest contradiction with the outside world blunt honesty: it’s terrible. Since the start since made his living from media appear- been intercepted this year, including a small argued that the other is responsible for the been resolved”. of the year there have been nuclear and ances, lectures and writings about his days wooden fishing vessel from Sri Lanka last fate of the men. “Major countries will not change their stance to missile tests.” in the isolated country. Fujimoto only ever week. “I can advise that there were 12 people While the numbers of asylum seekers try- recognize North Korea as a nuclear state,” it added. Kim, whose plans to expand North appears in public wearing aviator sunglass- on that vessel,” he said. “And the vessel had ing to reach Australia are small in comparison “As long as Pyongyang resists giving up its nuclear Korea’s nuclear arsenal were formally es and a bandana, precautions he insists departed from Sri Lanka and we were able to with the floods in Europe, the issue has been a weapons, normalizing relations with the outside endorsed this week at Pyongyang’s first rul- are necessary to shield his identity, and successfully return those 12 people, which major feature of recent political campaigns world will be highly unlikely.” ing party congress in nearly 40 years, says he wears a bulletproof in Japan, fear- included men, women and children, back safe- with the ruling conservative government com- China’s foreign ministry said that Beijing’s position offered a conciliatory response. “The reason ing for his safety.—AFP ly to Sri Lanka on May 6. ing to power in 2013 on a promise to “stop the on the nuclear question “remains unchanged” follow- “Now, that brings to three the number of boats”. The Manus Island detainees are a ing the weekend’s events. “We maintain that all reso- vessels that have sought to arrive and have headache Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull can lutions of the UN Security Council related to the issue been turned back, people returned back to ill afford as opinion polls show his Liberal-led should be applied by all the parties,” spokesman Lu Missing Malaysian their country of origin, in this calendar year.” He Coalition government running neck-and-neck Kang told reporters at a regular briefing. gave no details on the other two boats. The with the centre-left Labor opposition. There were no Chinese representatives at the vessel from Sri Lanka came within 500 meters Dutton described talks between the two Workers’ Party gathering, the Global Times reported boat likely sank (1,600 feet) of Australia’s thinly-populated nations in PNG last week as “constructive”, but last week, although a large delegation attended the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean on Moday when pressed on a timetable by reporters he previous congress in 1980 headed by Li Xiannian, lat- last week, according to reports. said a resolution would likely take “a couple of er China’s official head of state. Beijing has been KUALA LUMPUR: A missing Malaysian and divers have been deployed in the area The Australian Broadcasting Corporation months”. “We will have what I think will be reluctant to take measures against the North, fearing boat with three foreigners aboard that where the boat engine was found, he said. said that after being spotted, those on board detailed and long-run discussions with Papua that a crisis could send floods of refugees into its ter- disappeared in waters near the “We will seek the assistance of the local were transferred from a customs ship to a New Guinea,” he told reporters, saying that ritory. It also views as anathema the prospect of US Philippines, which has seen a spate of kid- fishermen to drag a large net across the smaller boat, which took them ashore. They Australia had made it clear the detained men, troops on its border in a reunified Korea. nappings, is believed to have sunk, an ocean floor,” the coast guard said in a state- were flown back to Colombo on a charter from countries including Iran, Syria and The North’s nuclear program had been a factor in official said yesterday. ment. The foreigners went missing along flight in a secretive operation under the cover Afghanistan, would not be settled in the US and South Korea “constantly upgrading their Mohamad Zubil Mat Som, a senior coast with a Malaysian off the coast of Sabah of darkness on Thursday, the broadcaster said, Australia. Legal action, however, may speed military preparation for strikes against Pyongyang”, guard official, told AFP that Malaysian fish- state on Borneo island during bad weather citing witnesses who claimed there were seven up the timetable, with lawyers for the the newspaper said. “The crazy logic of contempo- ermen over the weekend recovered an last week. The missing have been identified children, including babies, among them. detainees already going through the courts rary international politics has become a game of engine entangled in their net that was from as Spanish nationals David Hernandes Dutton reiterated that no boatpeople, even if to seek their immediate release and transfer who will blink first,” it added.—AFP the missing vessel. Gasulla and Martha Miguel, and Hong found to be genuine refugees, would ever be to Australia.—Agencies The small boat is “believed” to have sunk Kong citizen Tommy Lam Wai Yin.—AFP