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Nov 16, 2012
Obama to begin Thailand visit with tour of Wat Pho
Obama to begin Thailand visit with tour of Wat Pho: US President Barack Obama's visit to Thailand will not focus solely on important bilateral issues, but will include a cultural element, as the president has chosen to begin his trip with a visit to Wa .....
Indonesia dismisses 'incidental' religious violence
Indonesia dismisses 'incidental' religious violence: Indonesian law minister is rejecting claims made by the United Nations high commissioner on human rights that the government has done little to stop religious violence in the nation. Law and Human Ri .....
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China's top seven
China's top seven: Xi Jinping, 59 The chemical engineer from Tsinghua University replaces Hu Jintao as general secretary of the Communist Party and commander-inchief of the People's Liberation Army. He has worked mainl .....
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Filipino workers' remittances hit new record high
Filipino workers' remittances hit new record high: Remittances rose further in September, hitting a new monthly high of US$1.8 billion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank, said. This only showed that the crisis in the eurozone di .....
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Indonesia cement giant acquires Vietnam firm, eyes Myanmar
Indonesia cement giant acquires Vietnam firm, eyes Myanmar: Indonesia's largest cement producer PT Semen Gresik has entered into a deal to acquire a majority stake in a cement producer in Vietnam and is considering a similar move in Myanmar as part of the comp .....
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Singapore's luxury terminal set to soar with facelift
Singapore's luxury terminal set to soar with facelift: Changi Airport's six-year-old luxury terminal has invested in a S$500,000 (US$408,000) makeover to further pamper customers. Upgrading works at the 2,000 sq m JetQuay facility - next to Terminal 2 - .....
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Embassy violence suspect dies in Tunisia
Embassy violence suspect dies in Tunisia: Man detained in connection with unrest outside the US embassy in Tunis dies after a 57-day hunger strike.
Jordan vows 'iron fist' response to unrest
Jordan vows 'iron fist' response to unrest: Authorities warn of heavy crackdown on riots after attack on police during protests over fuel price rises.
Egypt PM decries Israeli 'aggression' on Gaza
Egypt PM decries Israeli 'aggression' on Gaza: Hesham Qandil, on a brief visit to the Palestinian enclave, says Cairo will try to secure a ceasefire.
Iran arrests group linked to 'Zionists'
Iran arrests group linked to 'Zionists': Tehran detains what it describes as "terrorists" armed with explosives provided by an unnamed Gulf state.
Japan parliament makes way for elections
Japan parliament makes way for elections: Lower house is dissolved as parliament prepares for December 16 poll when prime minister's party could see heavy losses.
Croatian generals return home after acquittal
Croatian generals return home after acquittal: Appeals judges at war crimes tribunal reverse 2011 rulings for crimes committed against Serb civilians in 1995.
Sierra Leone readies for tight elections
Sierra Leone readies for tight elections: Eight presidential hopefuls challenge incumbent Koroma in vote closely watched by the international community.
Updated Scholar Metrics: Now Grouped by Research Area
Updated Scholar Metrics: Now Grouped by Research Area:
Earlier this year, we launched Scholar Metrics which provides an easy way for authors to quickly gauge the visibility and influence of recent articles in scholarly publications. Today, we are updating Scholar Metrics to make it easier for you to explore publications in research areas that you are interested in.
To get started, you can browse publications in broad areas like Engineering & Computer Science, Health & Medical Sciences, or Social Sciences. You will see the top 20 publications in the area ordered by their five-year h-index and h-median metrics. To see which articles in a publication were cited the most and who cited them, click on its h-index number.
To explore more specific research areas, select one of the broad areas, click on the "Subcategories" link and then choose one of the options. For example: Databases & Information Systems, Development Economics, Virology or Composite Materials.
We use a statistical model based on the articles published in the last five years to compute the set of publications associated with each research area. Recognizing the multi-disciplinary nature of many publications, our model allows a publication to be associated with more than one research area.
Browsing by research area is, as yet, available only for English publications. As previously, you can browse the top 100 publications in several languages. You can, of course, also search for specific publications by words in their titles.
Scholar Metrics currently covers articles published between 2007 and 2011. It only includes journal articles from websites that follow our inclusion guidelines, selected conference articles in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering and preprints from arXiv, SSRN, NBER, and RePEC. Scholar Metrics does not include publications with fewer than 100 articles, nor publications that received no citations in 2007-2011.
The metrics are based on citations from all articles that were indexed in Google Scholar as of November 15, 2012. Since our previous metrics were based on citations from all articles indexed as of April 1, 2012, the new numbers are expected to be a bit higher. Alas, that does not indicate that your favorite journal has become more influential over this short period.
For more details, see the Scholar Metrics help page.
Posted by: Helder Suzuki, Software EngineerTo get started, you can browse publications in broad areas like Engineering & Computer Science, Health & Medical Sciences, or Social Sciences. You will see the top 20 publications in the area ordered by their five-year h-index and h-median metrics. To see which articles in a publication were cited the most and who cited them, click on its h-index number.
To explore more specific research areas, select one of the broad areas, click on the "Subcategories" link and then choose one of the options. For example: Databases & Information Systems, Development Economics, Virology or Composite Materials.
We use a statistical model based on the articles published in the last five years to compute the set of publications associated with each research area. Recognizing the multi-disciplinary nature of many publications, our model allows a publication to be associated with more than one research area.
Browsing by research area is, as yet, available only for English publications. As previously, you can browse the top 100 publications in several languages. You can, of course, also search for specific publications by words in their titles.
Scholar Metrics currently covers articles published between 2007 and 2011. It only includes journal articles from websites that follow our inclusion guidelines, selected conference articles in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering and preprints from arXiv, SSRN, NBER, and RePEC. Scholar Metrics does not include publications with fewer than 100 articles, nor publications that received no citations in 2007-2011.
The metrics are based on citations from all articles that were indexed in Google Scholar as of November 15, 2012. Since our previous metrics were based on citations from all articles indexed as of April 1, 2012, the new numbers are expected to be a bit higher. Alas, that does not indicate that your favorite journal has become more influential over this short period.
For more details, see the Scholar Metrics help page.
New refugee arrivals at South Sudan's Yida settlement
New refugee arrivals at South Sudan's Yida settlement: South Sudan's largest refugee settlement - Yida, in Unity State - is seeing a sharp rise in new refugee arrivals. Over the past week there have been 2,100 new arrivals, 826 of them on Wednesday and 527...
80,000 internally displaced people return home to southern Yemen
80,000 internally displaced people return home to southern Yemen: Returns over the past four months mark the first significant decline in IDP numbers since fighting erupted in 2011
UNHCR and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in programme to educate 172,000 refugee children
UNHCR and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in programme to educate 172,000 refugee children: UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Wednesday announced a joint programme with Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar to provide quality education for 172,000 refugees and other...
SYRIA: Turkey opens up to international aid in camps
SYRIA: Turkey opens up to international aid in camps:
 | ANKARA, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - Turkey has treated Syrians fleeing to its territory better than most countries in the world ever would or could. Refugees receive three hot meals a day and live in modern facilities, in much better conditions, they say, than their counterparts in Lebanon and Jordan. |
WATER: Enough in the Nile to share, little to waste
WATER: Enough in the Nile to share, little to waste:
 | ADDIS ABABA, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - As Ethiopia's massive dam-building plans continue to cause disquiet in downstream Egypt, new research suggests there is sufficient water in the Nile for all 10 countries it flows through, and that poverty there could be significantly eased as long as access by small-scale farmers is boosted. |
HEALTH: TB response failing children
HEALTH: TB response failing children:
 | JOHANNESBURG, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - The global fight against tuberculosis (TB) has failed children: most TB programmes under-diagnose, under-treat or completely leave children with TB out, despite the increase in paediatric TB, and rising numbers of children who are infected with drug-resistant forms of TB strains, according to new research. |
Briefing: DRC's M23 rebellion under pressure
Briefing: DRC's M23 rebellion under pressure:
 | GOMA, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - Heavy fighting broke out on 15 November in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo between M23 rebels and government forces (FARDC), breaking a virtual truce that had lasted on the frontlines between these forces for nearly three months. |
SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape farmworkers join strikes
SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape farmworkers join strikes:
 | DE DOORNS, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - Farm labourers are the latest group to join a wave of strikes across South Africa in recent months as food price increases outstrip the official inflation rate. |
ISRAEL-OPT: Border communities prepare for the worst
ISRAEL-OPT: Border communities prepare for the worst:
 | SDEROT/TEL AVIV/GAZA CITY, 16 November 2012 (IRIN) - Sderot's streets are empty, its schools and shops closed. Residents of this southern Israeli town are accustomed to the alarm that sounds almost daily as rockets fired from Gaza land here. But the upsurge in violence in recent days is, for some, the last straw. |
IDP News Alert, 16 November 2012
IDP News Alert, 16 November 2012: Myanmar: 89 killed, more than 36,000 people newly displaced in new waves of violence
Mali: Fear of mass displacement as result of proposed military intervention
Haiti: Tropical Storm Sandy displaces 35,000 people, while over 31,000 earthquake IDPs are hit again
Indonesia: hundreds return home following peace deal between community leaders in South Lampung
Mali: Fear of mass displacement as result of proposed military intervention
Haiti: Tropical Storm Sandy displaces 35,000 people, while over 31,000 earthquake IDPs are hit again
Indonesia: hundreds return home following peace deal between community leaders in South Lampung
Eight Held for SOS to Obama
Eight Held for SOS to Obama: 
Authorities in Phnom Penh on Thursday detained eight eviction protesters who had painted “SOS” and posted photos of U.S. President Barack Obama on their rooftops ahead of his landmark visit to Cambodia for regional summit meetings.
The eight, who are members of a community threatened with eviction ahead of a planned airport expansion, were released later the same day after rights groups demanded their freedom.
Their detention came amid a clampdown on civil society groups attempting to raise rights issues as Cambodia prepares to host world leaders for the annual East Asia Summit, which Obama will attend on Nov. 18-20.
His visit will be the first by a sitting U.S. president to Cambodia, which is hosting the meeting as this year’s chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Residents of Throm Kol village in outer Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district painted the distress signals on their homes in the hopes of drawing Obama’s attention to their plight when he flies to the city on Sunday.
Resident Phoung Sophea, who spray-painted the word “SOS” on her rooftop, said she wanted the world leader to be aware of her case.
She wanted to show her sadness that their homes will be destroyed, she told RFA’s Khmer service.
Dozens of armed police and local authorities raided the village Wednesday night, before authorities rounded up the eight the next morning, taking them into custody without providing arrest warrants, rights groups said.
The detainees were released hours later, after signing with their thumbprints agreeing they would not display any more SOS messages or portraits of the U.S. president.
Some 180 villagers in the area have been told they must leave their homes without receiving any compensation, in one of a slew of bitter land disputes in the country that rights groups say threaten the country’s stability.
‘Within their rights’
Pung Chhiv Kek, president of Cambodian rights watchdog Licadho, said the residents hadn’t done anything wrong by publicizing their imminent forced eviction.
“The villagers didn’t commit any serious crime. Decorating their houses is within their rights,” she told RFA’s Khmer service.
Six local rights groups issued a joint statement on Thursday decrying the detentions as part of a move to intimidate protesters and silence dissent ahead of the 18-nation meetings.
“Cambodian authorities are trying to suppress protests leading up to the ASEAN Summits. It seems they are willing to go to any lengths to achieve this, even arresting community members peacefully expressing their fear of threatened forced evictions,” Licadho’s director Naly Pilorge said in the statement.
The detentions over the eviction protest followed a demonstration by more than 100 from communities involved in five separate land disputes who gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh on Monday to petition Obama to press Cambodia to respect human rights and resolve the conflicts over land.
Clampdown
Authorities have threatened to arrest anyone holding public protests ahead of the sensitive regional summits and have disrupted several events held by nongovernmental organizations.
Over 70 civil society organizations from across Southeast Asia called on authorities in a statement on Thursday to stop intimidating and harassing groups attempting to discuss plans to petition world leaders during the ASEAN meetings.
Authorities have harassed civil society groups that have converged since Nov. 12 on Phnom Penh for the ASEAN Grassroots People’s Assembly and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference timed to coincide with the summit meetings, the groups said.
One conference was cancelled after electricity supply to the venue was cut off, participants were turned away from their guesthouse, and the venue itself was not made available following pressure from authorities, they said.
The groups warned that restricting and disrupting the gatherings will worsen the Cambodian government’s “already dismal” human rights record and “make a mockery” of Cambodia’s commitments as an ASEAN member state.
“We strongly urge the Cambodian authorities to respect the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly in accordance with their constitutional and international obligations, particularly in view of rising concern that it will heighten its crackdown on these fundamental freedoms ahead of the two summits,” the statement said.
Freedom Park gathering
In the face of such restrictions, more than 1,000 people affiliated with the civil society groups gathered in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park on Thursday to discuss the issues on which they plan to petition world leaders.
Representatives said they were meeting in the park because they could not find any other place to meet after local authorities warned building owners against allowing their premises to be used for such meetings.
The groups plan to march to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday to deliver a petition detailing specific demands that will include issues over land disputes and over land, environmental, and human trafficking concerns.
The groups also plan to march in front of the summit buildings during the meeting next week.
Municipal authorities have refused a request to hold demonstrations in the summit area.
Authorities have said they will deploy around 10,000 police officers during the ASEAN meeting, during which time demonstrations will be prohibited and universities located near the area will be ordered to close.
Reported by RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
Authorities in Phnom Penh on Thursday detained eight eviction protesters who had painted “SOS” and posted photos of U.S. President Barack Obama on their rooftops ahead of his landmark visit to Cambodia for regional summit meetings.
The eight, who are members of a community threatened with eviction ahead of a planned airport expansion, were released later the same day after rights groups demanded their freedom.
Their detention came amid a clampdown on civil society groups attempting to raise rights issues as Cambodia prepares to host world leaders for the annual East Asia Summit, which Obama will attend on Nov. 18-20.
His visit will be the first by a sitting U.S. president to Cambodia, which is hosting the meeting as this year’s chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Residents of Throm Kol village in outer Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district painted the distress signals on their homes in the hopes of drawing Obama’s attention to their plight when he flies to the city on Sunday.
Resident Phoung Sophea, who spray-painted the word “SOS” on her rooftop, said she wanted the world leader to be aware of her case.
She wanted to show her sadness that their homes will be destroyed, she told RFA’s Khmer service.
Dozens of armed police and local authorities raided the village Wednesday night, before authorities rounded up the eight the next morning, taking them into custody without providing arrest warrants, rights groups said.
The detainees were released hours later, after signing with their thumbprints agreeing they would not display any more SOS messages or portraits of the U.S. president.
Some 180 villagers in the area have been told they must leave their homes without receiving any compensation, in one of a slew of bitter land disputes in the country that rights groups say threaten the country’s stability.
Representatives from local rights groups investigate the detentions, Nov. 15, 2012.
‘Within their rights’
Pung Chhiv Kek, president of Cambodian rights watchdog Licadho, said the residents hadn’t done anything wrong by publicizing their imminent forced eviction.
“The villagers didn’t commit any serious crime. Decorating their houses is within their rights,” she told RFA’s Khmer service.
Six local rights groups issued a joint statement on Thursday decrying the detentions as part of a move to intimidate protesters and silence dissent ahead of the 18-nation meetings.
“Cambodian authorities are trying to suppress protests leading up to the ASEAN Summits. It seems they are willing to go to any lengths to achieve this, even arresting community members peacefully expressing their fear of threatened forced evictions,” Licadho’s director Naly Pilorge said in the statement.
The detentions over the eviction protest followed a demonstration by more than 100 from communities involved in five separate land disputes who gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh on Monday to petition Obama to press Cambodia to respect human rights and resolve the conflicts over land.
Clampdown
Authorities have threatened to arrest anyone holding public protests ahead of the sensitive regional summits and have disrupted several events held by nongovernmental organizations.
Over 70 civil society organizations from across Southeast Asia called on authorities in a statement on Thursday to stop intimidating and harassing groups attempting to discuss plans to petition world leaders during the ASEAN meetings.
Authorities have harassed civil society groups that have converged since Nov. 12 on Phnom Penh for the ASEAN Grassroots People’s Assembly and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference timed to coincide with the summit meetings, the groups said.
One conference was cancelled after electricity supply to the venue was cut off, participants were turned away from their guesthouse, and the venue itself was not made available following pressure from authorities, they said.
The groups warned that restricting and disrupting the gatherings will worsen the Cambodian government’s “already dismal” human rights record and “make a mockery” of Cambodia’s commitments as an ASEAN member state.
“We strongly urge the Cambodian authorities to respect the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly in accordance with their constitutional and international obligations, particularly in view of rising concern that it will heighten its crackdown on these fundamental freedoms ahead of the two summits,” the statement said.
Freedom Park gathering
In the face of such restrictions, more than 1,000 people affiliated with the civil society groups gathered in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park on Thursday to discuss the issues on which they plan to petition world leaders.
Representatives said they were meeting in the park because they could not find any other place to meet after local authorities warned building owners against allowing their premises to be used for such meetings.
The groups plan to march to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday to deliver a petition detailing specific demands that will include issues over land disputes and over land, environmental, and human trafficking concerns.
The groups also plan to march in front of the summit buildings during the meeting next week.
Municipal authorities have refused a request to hold demonstrations in the summit area.
Authorities have said they will deploy around 10,000 police officers during the ASEAN meeting, during which time demonstrations will be prohibited and universities located near the area will be ordered to close.
Reported by RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
Labor Woes Grip Garment Exports
Labor Woes Grip Garment Exports: 
A labor shortage in Laos’ garment sector may prevent the country from meeting its goal of nearly tripling clothing exports by 2015, an industry source said, and the problem is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Garments are the single biggest manufactured export in Laos, but according to an official from the country’s Garment Industry Association, the sector will need to double its workforce to at least 60,000 to meet the target of U.S. $500 million in exports in three years.
The export market for garments in Laos currently draws an estimated U.S. $100-200 million annually, said the official, who spoke to RFA’s Lao service on condition of anonymity.
As of 2011, the official said, Laos was home to around 110 garment factories which employ around 30,000 workers. Fifty of the factories were export-oriented and, in the first six months of 2012, shipped products worth more than U.S. $85 million.
The Garment Industry Association plans to secure more investment from the Lao government for additional factories to meet growing demand, but export volume will be restricted by labor constraints.
He called the labor shortage a “chronic issue that is hard to solve and will continue.”
Seasonal labor is one of the reasons factories are unable to maintain a steady supply of workers, he said, with rural workers returning to their fields for planting and harvesting crops.
He also cited a lack of skilled workers in Laos, which has forced companies in the garment industry to increase job training and to import labor from neighboring countries. But despite these efforts, the number of workers is still not meeting demand.
A government official, who also spoke to RFA’s Lao service on condition of anonymity, said that the number of garment factories in the country is increasing too rapidly to hire sufficient workers.
He said that the industry needs to hire at least 12,500 workers a year but has only been able to recruit 4,000-5,000 this year, largely because Laotians are attracted to more lucrative jobs across the border in Thailand.
“Laos does not have efficient measures to prevent them from going to Thailand,” he said.
“It’s so convenient to go to Thailand—whoever has a passport or a border pass can go.”
The Lao garment industry has trained around 300,000 workers over the past 20 years, the official said, but has only maintained a workforce of around 30,000.
Growing sector
The World Trade Organization’s recent approval of Laos’ membership is expected to help the landlocked communist nation of 6.5 million people grow its garment sector, officials say. Following approval by the Laotian parliament, the country should officially join the WTO in early 2013.
According to the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX), a grouping of textile and garment associations of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), garment exports in Laos peaked at U.S. $189 million in 2008, with the bulk going to the European Union and the U.S.
Exports dropped significantly as the global economic crisis dampened demand, but have now begun to rebound, according to the Garment Industry Association.
The country’s main garment buyers are Germany and France, but the association said that Lao factories are now looking to branch out to Asian markets as well, where demand is now on the rise.
Many producers have turned to Laos from China to secure their garments because of lower labor costs, which has exacerbated the labor shortage problem, it said.
But association officials have also said that many Lao workers prefer not to work in the garment industry because the pay cannot keep pace with inflation in the country.
The average garment worker earns around 630,000 kip (U.S. $79) per month—slightly more than the national minimum wage—working six days a week.
The Garment Industry Association says factories have been unable to increase wages for workers lest product prices rise, lessening the advantage of Lao garments in the global arena.
Reported by Manichanh Phimphachanh for RFA’s Lao service. Translated by Bounchanh Mouangkham. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A labor shortage in Laos’ garment sector may prevent the country from meeting its goal of nearly tripling clothing exports by 2015, an industry source said, and the problem is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Garments are the single biggest manufactured export in Laos, but according to an official from the country’s Garment Industry Association, the sector will need to double its workforce to at least 60,000 to meet the target of U.S. $500 million in exports in three years.
The export market for garments in Laos currently draws an estimated U.S. $100-200 million annually, said the official, who spoke to RFA’s Lao service on condition of anonymity.
As of 2011, the official said, Laos was home to around 110 garment factories which employ around 30,000 workers. Fifty of the factories were export-oriented and, in the first six months of 2012, shipped products worth more than U.S. $85 million.
The Garment Industry Association plans to secure more investment from the Lao government for additional factories to meet growing demand, but export volume will be restricted by labor constraints.
He called the labor shortage a “chronic issue that is hard to solve and will continue.”
Seasonal labor is one of the reasons factories are unable to maintain a steady supply of workers, he said, with rural workers returning to their fields for planting and harvesting crops.
He also cited a lack of skilled workers in Laos, which has forced companies in the garment industry to increase job training and to import labor from neighboring countries. But despite these efforts, the number of workers is still not meeting demand.
A government official, who also spoke to RFA’s Lao service on condition of anonymity, said that the number of garment factories in the country is increasing too rapidly to hire sufficient workers.
He said that the industry needs to hire at least 12,500 workers a year but has only been able to recruit 4,000-5,000 this year, largely because Laotians are attracted to more lucrative jobs across the border in Thailand.
“Laos does not have efficient measures to prevent them from going to Thailand,” he said.
“It’s so convenient to go to Thailand—whoever has a passport or a border pass can go.”
The Lao garment industry has trained around 300,000 workers over the past 20 years, the official said, but has only maintained a workforce of around 30,000.
Growing sector
The World Trade Organization’s recent approval of Laos’ membership is expected to help the landlocked communist nation of 6.5 million people grow its garment sector, officials say. Following approval by the Laotian parliament, the country should officially join the WTO in early 2013.
According to the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX), a grouping of textile and garment associations of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), garment exports in Laos peaked at U.S. $189 million in 2008, with the bulk going to the European Union and the U.S.
Exports dropped significantly as the global economic crisis dampened demand, but have now begun to rebound, according to the Garment Industry Association.
The country’s main garment buyers are Germany and France, but the association said that Lao factories are now looking to branch out to Asian markets as well, where demand is now on the rise.
Many producers have turned to Laos from China to secure their garments because of lower labor costs, which has exacerbated the labor shortage problem, it said.
But association officials have also said that many Lao workers prefer not to work in the garment industry because the pay cannot keep pace with inflation in the country.
The average garment worker earns around 630,000 kip (U.S. $79) per month—slightly more than the national minimum wage—working six days a week.
The Garment Industry Association says factories have been unable to increase wages for workers lest product prices rise, lessening the advantage of Lao garments in the global arena.
Reported by Manichanh Phimphachanh for RFA’s Lao service. Translated by Bounchanh Mouangkham. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
ASEAN to Sign ‘Flawed’ Rights Pact
ASEAN to Sign ‘Flawed’ Rights Pact: 
Southeast Asian nations are set to sign a human rights declaration at a summit next week despite objections by rights groups who say the document is “fundamentally flawed.”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Human Rights Declaration, which would be the first pact on rights by the 10-member grouping in a region notorious for rights abuses, is on the agenda for the bloc’s annual leaders meeting that starts Sunday in Cambodia.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters at a press briefing Thursday that the leaders "will adopt the declaration" when they gather in Phnom Penh on Nov. 18-20.
But international rights and civil society groups have called for a delay until the text of the document is revised to meet global standards.
Over 60 grassroots, national, regional, and international civil society groups issued a statement on Thursday calling on ASEAN member states to postpone adopting the declaration, saying the document in its current form “is not worthy of its name.”
“The Declaration as it stands now unquestionably fails to meet existing international human rights standards, let alone add value to them,” said the statement by the groups, which include Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
“It flies in the face of the international consensus on human rights principles that have been in place for more than six decades,” it said.
The declaration includes stipulations that make rights subject to “national and regional contexts” and other provisions, eroding the protection for them, the statement said.
The groups warned that the bloc’s adoption of the pact during the summit in Phnom Penh would “reflect negatively” on the Cambodian government, which as the current ASEAN chair is hosting the annual summit as well as the East Asia Summit.
Lack of consultations
United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay had voiced similar concerns about the rights declaration last week, urging the bloc "to take the necessary time to develop a declaration that fully conforms with international human rights standards.”
She expressed concern about the lack of input from civil society groups.
In an open letter Wednesday to U.S. President Barack Obama, who will attend the East Asia Summit next week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists asked him to urge ASEAN governments “to take the time to draft the declaration with the participation of human rights and civil society groups, and ensure that it fully conforms with international human rights standards.”
Obama is also scheduled to meet the leaders of ASEAN, which comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
ASEAN diplomats have called the declaration a milestone in the region despite its imperfections, saying that it could help cement emerging reforms in some member countries such as Burma, emerging from decades of harsh military rule.
Hor Namhong said ASEAN was not surprised with the opposition to the declaration from international rights groups.
"Of course, this declaration will not totally satisfy some civil society groups," Hor Namhong said, according to Agence France-Presse.
"This is the first step," he said, adding that ASEAN might consult with civil society groups in the future to improve the text.
Reported by RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
Southeast Asian nations are set to sign a human rights declaration at a summit next week despite objections by rights groups who say the document is “fundamentally flawed.”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Human Rights Declaration, which would be the first pact on rights by the 10-member grouping in a region notorious for rights abuses, is on the agenda for the bloc’s annual leaders meeting that starts Sunday in Cambodia.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters at a press briefing Thursday that the leaders "will adopt the declaration" when they gather in Phnom Penh on Nov. 18-20.
But international rights and civil society groups have called for a delay until the text of the document is revised to meet global standards.
Over 60 grassroots, national, regional, and international civil society groups issued a statement on Thursday calling on ASEAN member states to postpone adopting the declaration, saying the document in its current form “is not worthy of its name.”
“The Declaration as it stands now unquestionably fails to meet existing international human rights standards, let alone add value to them,” said the statement by the groups, which include Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
“It flies in the face of the international consensus on human rights principles that have been in place for more than six decades,” it said.
The declaration includes stipulations that make rights subject to “national and regional contexts” and other provisions, eroding the protection for them, the statement said.
The groups warned that the bloc’s adoption of the pact during the summit in Phnom Penh would “reflect negatively” on the Cambodian government, which as the current ASEAN chair is hosting the annual summit as well as the East Asia Summit.
Lack of consultations
United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay had voiced similar concerns about the rights declaration last week, urging the bloc "to take the necessary time to develop a declaration that fully conforms with international human rights standards.”
She expressed concern about the lack of input from civil society groups.
In an open letter Wednesday to U.S. President Barack Obama, who will attend the East Asia Summit next week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists asked him to urge ASEAN governments “to take the time to draft the declaration with the participation of human rights and civil society groups, and ensure that it fully conforms with international human rights standards.”
Obama is also scheduled to meet the leaders of ASEAN, which comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
ASEAN diplomats have called the declaration a milestone in the region despite its imperfections, saying that it could help cement emerging reforms in some member countries such as Burma, emerging from decades of harsh military rule.
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong (r) speaks to reporters in Phnom Penh, Nov. 15, 2012. Credit: RFA.
Hor Namhong said ASEAN was not surprised with the opposition to the declaration from international rights groups.
"Of course, this declaration will not totally satisfy some civil society groups," Hor Namhong said, according to Agence France-Presse.
"This is the first step," he said, adding that ASEAN might consult with civil society groups in the future to improve the text.
Reported by RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
Nov 15, 2012
Crying and Curing: A Photo Essay on Jamu Cekok (Traditional Medicines) in Yogya
Crying and Curing: A Photo Essay on Jamu Cekok (Traditional Medicines) in Yogya:
Photos and story by: Nico Haryono
In the very early morning, a woman is mixing and putting ingredients into a piece of cloth. Several mothers and their children sit in line on a long bench, filling up the room.
Jamu Cekok, open for service
In the waiting room
They wait for their turn to be serviced. Some of the children start being fussy, their faces describe feelings of worry and even anxiety. Then the woman walks towards them with a handful of Jamu (herbal ingredients) packed in a piece of cloth, squeezing it directly into the children’s mouths.
Historic handkerchief
Then the sound of crying starts, coming from the child who was forcibly given Jamu and the other children who watched the scene. The mothers have to put in considerable effort, to calm their children down while looking away at the same time; they feel sorry for their children struggling to get lose. The drama stops when the herbal solution is swallowed and the child is given a drink to neutralize the herbal taste. The crying turns into smiling when given a toy from the vendor behind them.
Force feeding the medicine
And the tears...
Development in Indonesia, with the strong growth of science and technology, does not seem to decrease the nationwide interest and faith in traditional medicine. Traditional medicine relies on treatment trough utilizing essential natural ingredients, tried and tested by the close relation between human and nature. In this modern era medical treatment exists side by side with jejamuan (traditional/herbal medicine).
Doing what's best...
The sound of children crying in the stall of Jamu Cekok Jampi Asli Kulon Kerkop in Yogyakarta hasn’t waned over the years. This traditional jamu shop specializes in treatment for children. It is called jamu cekok signifying that the ingredients will be fed directly into the mouth. The jamu cekok often have a bitter taste. Parents bring their children when they suffer from worms, influenza and loss of appetite.
Jamu Cekok Kulon Kerkop is a family business that has been around since Kertowiryo Raharjo initiated this kind of business for the first time in 1875. Now, the business of jamu production is managed by the fourth generation Z. Zaelani. The customers don’t only consist of children, the elderly also frequent the shop, hooked on traditional concoctions as Beras Kencur (mixture of rice and galangal, improves appetite and stamina, reduces physical sores), Kunir Asem (turmeric drink with tamarind, refreshes and invigorates, good for skin, slimming, cools the body, to facilitate menstruation) and Pahitan (for itching and diabetes, lack of appetite, eliminate body odor, lower cholesterol, abdominal bloating, acne, and dizziness).
Beras kencur, the childrens' favorite
The children are mostly treated with Endhak-endhak Cacing (worm treatment). Its purpose is to increase the appetite. Every day in the morning and afternoon and even more during holidays, dozens of people queue outside the jamu stall in Jalan Brigjend Katamso 132 Gondomanan, Yogyakarta.
Photos and story by: Nico Haryono
In the very early morning, a woman is mixing and putting ingredients into a piece of cloth. Several mothers and their children sit in line on a long bench, filling up the room.
Jamu Cekok, open for service
In the waiting room
They wait for their turn to be serviced. Some of the children start being fussy, their faces describe feelings of worry and even anxiety. Then the woman walks towards them with a handful of Jamu (herbal ingredients) packed in a piece of cloth, squeezing it directly into the children’s mouths.
Historic handkerchief
Then the sound of crying starts, coming from the child who was forcibly given Jamu and the other children who watched the scene. The mothers have to put in considerable effort, to calm their children down while looking away at the same time; they feel sorry for their children struggling to get lose. The drama stops when the herbal solution is swallowed and the child is given a drink to neutralize the herbal taste. The crying turns into smiling when given a toy from the vendor behind them.
Force feeding the medicine
And the tears...
Development in Indonesia, with the strong growth of science and technology, does not seem to decrease the nationwide interest and faith in traditional medicine. Traditional medicine relies on treatment trough utilizing essential natural ingredients, tried and tested by the close relation between human and nature. In this modern era medical treatment exists side by side with jejamuan (traditional/herbal medicine).
Doing what's best...
The sound of children crying in the stall of Jamu Cekok Jampi Asli Kulon Kerkop in Yogyakarta hasn’t waned over the years. This traditional jamu shop specializes in treatment for children. It is called jamu cekok signifying that the ingredients will be fed directly into the mouth. The jamu cekok often have a bitter taste. Parents bring their children when they suffer from worms, influenza and loss of appetite.
Jamu Cekok Kulon Kerkop is a family business that has been around since Kertowiryo Raharjo initiated this kind of business for the first time in 1875. Now, the business of jamu production is managed by the fourth generation Z. Zaelani. The customers don’t only consist of children, the elderly also frequent the shop, hooked on traditional concoctions as Beras Kencur (mixture of rice and galangal, improves appetite and stamina, reduces physical sores), Kunir Asem (turmeric drink with tamarind, refreshes and invigorates, good for skin, slimming, cools the body, to facilitate menstruation) and Pahitan (for itching and diabetes, lack of appetite, eliminate body odor, lower cholesterol, abdominal bloating, acne, and dizziness).
Beras kencur, the childrens' favorite
The children are mostly treated with Endhak-endhak Cacing (worm treatment). Its purpose is to increase the appetite. Every day in the morning and afternoon and even more during holidays, dozens of people queue outside the jamu stall in Jalan Brigjend Katamso 132 Gondomanan, Yogyakarta.
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