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 Cambodia 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 Thailand. A group of unidentified armed men reportedly attacked the Pathumskhon district office Cambodia’s Koh Kong province. No injuries or casualties were reported. Captain Suwatthi Chiddecha, commander of the Thai navy task force in the Thai northern province of Trat, 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 Khlong Yai 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.