Weekly Round-Up - IRINAS-55: 20-Jan-06
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
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Asia
IRIN-AS Weekly Round-Up 55
14 - 20 January 2006
CONTENTS:
AFGHANISTAN: Coalition forces install windmills in south
AFGHANISTAN: Amnesty International condemns the killing of civilians in
south
AFGHANISTAN: Landslide kills 13 in the north
AFGHANISTAN: National police to open first family response unit
CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap
KYRGYZSTAN: World Bank helps to prevent bird flu
KYRGYZSTAN: Women face uphill battle for property rights
NEPAL: Concern over escalating violence on civilians
NEPAL: Families despair over missing relatives
NEPAL: Government detains activists to foil rally
NEPAL: UN Secretary-General dismayed over recent events
NEPAL: Democratic rally foiled by the government
PAKISTAN: UN special envoy arrives in Islamabad
PAKISTAN: NRC conducts winter skills programme for quake relief workers
PAKISTAN: IOM's radio emergency hotline getting popular
PAKISTAN: Debate over new status for Afghans continues
PAKISTAN: UN special envoy concludes trip
TURKEY: WHO says bird flu fatality rate low
TURKEY: Poultry farmers feel impact of bird flu
TURKEY: Culling all rural poultry not necessary - FAO expert says
TURKMENISTAN: Year in Brief 2005 - A Chronology of key events
AFGHANISTAN: Coalition forces install windmills in south
US-led coalition forces are installing windmills across southern
Afghanistan to provide farmers with water 24 hours a day, a statement
released from the Bagram airfield said on Thursday. "Windmills for the
farmers provide an easy energy source to a rural area," said army Lt Col
Andrew Mazerik, a civil affairs officer with the Coalition's Combined
Joint Task Force-76. "There's not a lot of maintenance needed for the
windmills and this effort shows that the Afghan government is doing
something for the people."
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51231&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN: Amnesty International condemns the killing of civilians in
south
Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday condemned a recent spate of
civilian killings in southern Afghanistan, calling on the government to
take solid measures to investigate these crimes and to bring those
responsible to justice. "Amnesty International condemns the recent wave
of killings of civilians in southern Afghanistan, notably the 16 January
suicide bomb attack on spectators at a sporting event in Spin Boldak, in
southern Kandahar province, killing at least 22 people and injuring 20
other," the rights group said in a statement.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51223&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN: Landslide kills 13 in the north
A landslide triggered by heavy rain and snow killed at least 13 people
in a remote village in the northern Sar-e-Pol province, Afghan officials
confirmed on Sunday. "A landslide on Friday night in Ghuldori village in
the Kuhistanat district killed 13 people and injured three others
including men and women," said Mohammad Nadir Fahimi, chief of police in
Sar-e-Pol province, speaking from the provincial capital of the same
name. He has asked government and relief agencies to provide aid to
those affected.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51131&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN: National police to open first family response unit
In an effort to reduce violence against women, the Afghan National
Police (ANP) is set to inaugurate the first ever Family Response Unit
(FRU) in the post-conflict nation. "Violence within the family is a
matter of power and lack of accountability," Paul Greening, programme
and staff development officer for the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), which is supporting the endeavour, said in the Afghan capital,
Kabul, on Tuesday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51157&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN
CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap
This week in Central Asia, countries in the region boosted up their
defences against bird flu, following recent outbreaks of the disease in
Turkey. Kyrgyzstan's veterinary service imposed a ban on the import of
animal products, including all types of poultry products from countries
where the virus had been detected, the Kyrgyz AKIpress news agency
reported on Sunday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51242&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=CENTRAL_ASIA
KYRGYZSTAN: World Bank helps to prevent bird flu
The World Bank is to provide US $5 million assistance to Kyrgyzstan for
the prevention of bird flu outbreaks in the country. "We plan to use
these funds in all areas, including, first of all, laboratory
facilities, monitoring and training, public information and awareness
raising," Liudmila Shteinke, Kyrgyzstan's chief sanitary inspector, said
in a phone interview from the capital, Bishkek, on Monday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51135&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=KYRGYZSTAN
KYRGYZSTAN: Women face uphill battle for property rights
Life took a dramatic turn for 32-year-old Bahtigul when her husband
divorced her, leaving her with two small children to raise alone. She
now lives in a small two-room house and works at a local food bazaar in
the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, to maintain her family. "It's been three
years since I got divorced and my husband banished me from his home. But
shouldn't I have any rights to some of his property and the land that he
cultivates?" she asked, with tears in her eyes.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51213&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=KYRGYZSTAN
NEPAL: Concern over escalating violence on civilians
Human rights activists and development workers in Nepal warn that a
further increase in violence in the country may place more civilians at
risk and jeapardise development work. The situation in both the villages
and cities has been one of fear and increasing insecurity since the
Maoists called off their four-month long unilateral ceasefire on 2
January after the government, led by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah,
failed to respond to their offer of peace, they maintain.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51165&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=NEPAL
NEPAL: Families despair over missing relatives
>From dawn to dusk, Shanta Bhandari spends her time looking for her son,
who disappeared in 2002 when the Nepali police arrested him on charges
of working with the Maoist rebels, who have been waging an armed
rebellion against the state for the last 10 years. But her 21-year-old
son Bipin was just a student at the time and a member of the
Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Free Student's Union-Revolutionary
(ANNFSU-R). Until 2002, the union had not been directly involved in
Maoist activities.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51194&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=NEPAL
NEPAL: Government detains activists to foil rally
Prominent human rights activists and political leaders were arrested on
Thursday by security personnel in an effort to upset a large political
rally planned for Friday in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, aimed at
mobilising a nationwide protest municipal elections scheduled on 8
February. Local human rights organisations, including National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC), Insec, Nepal's foremost human rights
organisation, and the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), have
already circulated a list of the arrested people.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51230&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=NEPAL
NEPAL: UN Secretary-General dismayed over recent events
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed concern over recent
developments in Nepal where, on the eve of a major demonstration planned
for Friday in the capital, Kathmandu, the government has arrested a
large number of political party leaders and other critics. Ian Martin,
the Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, had raised the matter with the government and
OHCHR officers had visited 97 of the more than 120 persons reportedly
now in detention, a statement released out of New York said on Thursday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51237&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=NEPAL
NEPAL: Democratic rally foiled by the government
A much anticipated anti-government rally in the Nepalese capital,
Kathmandu, was foiled by a daylong curfew imposed by the authorities on
Friday. According to the main seven political parties, who were the
primary organisers, over 500,000 people were expected to participate in
the rally to protest against the municipal elections scheduled for 8
February.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51257&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=NEPAL
PAKISTAN: UN special envoy arrives in Islamabad
The UN Special Envoy for the South Asia Earthquake, former President of
the United States George Bush Senior, arrived in Pakistan on Monday. "He
has arrived today. If the weather permits he will travel to the
earthquake-affected areas to meet survivors and get a first-hand look at
the needs and the situation on the ground," Ben Malor, a spokesman for
the UN's quake relief operation, confirmed in the Pakistani capital,
Islamabad.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51134&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN: NRC conducts winter skills programme for quake relief workers
In a bid to prepare relief workers operating in Pakistan's quake-hit
north, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is set to begin training
humanitarian staff on working under conditions of extreme cold.
"Hundreds of national and international humanitarian staff have been
working in what has become the largest winter emergency operation ever,"
Ann Kristin Brunborg, manager of the NRC's quake relief operation in
Pakistan, said in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51147&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN: IOM's radio emergency hotline getting popular
In a bid to support thousands of quake survivors during the bad winter
weather, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has deployed
about 10 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to Muzaffarabad, capital of
Pakistani-administered Kashmir, to respond to the emergency assistance
hotline established at a local FM radio. "The service is getting very
popular and close to 1,200 help requests - mainly for more warm
clothing, replacement of wet blankets, re-erection of collapsed tents
and problems relating to drainage of rainwater - have been served since
the system was put in place on Saturday night when the heavy rain
started," Salim Rehmat, an IOM spokesman, said in the Pakistani capital
Islamabad on Wednesday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51202&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN: Debate over new status for Afghans continues
A refined criteria regarding the future status of Afghans living in
Pakistan is now under consideration, a new report by the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. The
annual report of the Pakistan chapter of UNHCR, released earlier this
month in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, comes after a census
conducted in March 2005 revealed entirely different reasons for Afghans
wishing to stay in the country than those of a refugee.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51225&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN: UN special envoy concludes trip
The UN Special Envoy for the South Asia Earthquake, former President of
the United States George Bush Senior, on Tuesday concluded his brief
visit to Pakistan as part of his efforts to spotlight the plight of
earthquake victims. "I've just been briefed by the UN team [in Pakistan]
and I must tell you that I am very impressed with what the different
agencies are doing, pulling together to try to save lives," Bush said in
the capital, Islamabad, after meeting with senior UN senior officials
working in the country.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51160&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN
TURKEY: WHO says bird flu fatality rate low
The fatality rate of avian flu cases in Turkey, otherwise known as bird
flu, remains low in comparison to cases observed in Asia, the World
Health Organization (WHO) noted on Tuesday. "Turkey is seeing a fatality
rate of 20 percent which is lower than the fatality rate observed in
Asia, which was around 58 percent," Cristiana Salvi, a spokeswoman for
the world health body's mission in Turkey, said in the capital, Ankara,
citing early detection and treatment as the primary cause.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51158&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=TURKEY
TURKEY: Poultry farmers feel impact of bird flu
Poultry farmers in Turkey want to cull millions of their egg-laying fowl
following a sharp decline in egg consumption after four confirmed deaths
because of avian influenza or 'bird flu' in the country. "We can hardly
sell any eggs. People are scared to buy eggs and poultry," Ahmet Sisman,
the owner of the Buyuk Sismanlar egg production company, said on
Wednesday at his farm housing some 300,000 egg-laying chickens in the
Cubuk area, 40 km northeast of the capital Ankara.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51199&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=TURKEY
TURKEY: Culling all rural poultry not necessary - FAO expert says
A massive cull of rural poultry in Turkey following recent outbreaks of
avian flu in the country is not deemed necessary, according to an expert
from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "A complete cull
of all rural poultry in the country is not necessary and we were very
vocal about this when I was there [in Turkey]," Juan Lubroth, senior
officer of FAO's Animal Production and Health Division (APHD), said from
the FAO's headquarters in Rome on Thursday.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51221&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=TURKEY
TURKMENISTAN: Year in Brief 2005 - A Chronology of key events
Efforts to curtail religious freedom in the reclusive oil-rich state of
Turkmenistan continue, with at least seven mosques demolished in 2004
alone, activists said on Wednesday. "By destroying mosques - as well as
a Christian church and Hare Krishna temples, as was done in the past
-the Turkmen government is demonstrating its contempt for the rights of
believers of different faiths to maintain their own places of worship
where they can pray freely in the way they wish to," Felix Corley,
editor of Forum 18 News Service, an agency covering religious freedom in
the former Soviet republics and Eastern Europe, noted from London.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51121&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=TURKMENISTAN
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