Nov
14
China’s ethnic Mongolians hang on to identity by a thread
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HOHHOT, China - As the capital of a sprawling frontier region that was once in Mongol leader Genghis Khan’s vast domain, Hohhot has many ethnic Mongol flourishes. Streets signs are in Mongolian, yurt-themed architecture graces the city and some park benches have a Mongol saddle motif. At least one television channel airs in the Mongolian language.
There’s only one thing in short supply: ethnic Mongolians.
Fewer than 10 percent of the greater metropolitan area’s 2.6 million inhabitants are ethnic Mongolian, and the ratio isn’t much higher in the surrounding grasslands.
Over the last six decades, China has kept an open-door policy on migration to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region , and now only one out of five people in the region abutting Russia and Mongolia are ethnic Mongolian. Activists say the influx has overwhelmed them and imperiled their culture.
“We used to be the hosts here. Now we feel like the guests in our own land,” said Xinna, an owner of a handicraft store who, like many Mongolians, uses only one name.
What happens in Inner Mongolia might seem like a footnote in the story of social changes that are accompanying China’s economic rise and massive population boom. The issue of preserving ethnic identity is weighted with politics, however. It resonates in restive Tibet in the southwest and in Xinjiang to the far west, where minority Tibetans and Muslim Uighurs use the example of Inner Mongolia to explain why they resist migration by China’s majority Han ethnicity.
“In the autonomous region of ( Inner) Mongolia , Mongolians became a minority,” the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, said earlier this month in Japan . “That is our real anxiety. If in Tibet and in Xinjiang the local people become a minority, it’s very difficult to preserve culture.”
Authorities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region , which has a population of about 23 million, offer a vastly different perspective on the issue, saying that they seek to preserve Mongol culture, enshrining protections in law and promoting the culture. They note that some ethnic Mongolians have chosen to assimilate with the Han.
“Among the five autonomous regions of China , Inner Mongolia does best in dealing with relations among minorities,” said Wang Huiming, the vice director of Hohhot’s ethnic affairs commission. “For example, marriage between Mongols and Han people is very common. I myself am Mongol but my wife is Han.”
Wang said Inner Mongolia was “recognized by the central government as a model autonomous region” with “very stable” social and political conditions.
Late last year, though, authorities acknowledged a dramatic falloff in the number of students who were being taught in the Mongolian language, one of the indicators that Mongols are steadily losing elements of their culture as they adopt Chinese names, wear Chinese clothing and abandon speaking and reading Mongolian. According to the official Inner Mongolia News , the number of students who were receiving Mongolian-language education had fallen from 380,000 in 1986 to 240,000 last year.
Officials said they were aggressively trying to turn the trend around.
“I was worried about this,” said Dalaiduren, the principal of the Xing An Road Ethnic Elementary School in Hohhot . “If we lose our language, we will lose our culture.”
He said that some Mongolian parents chose to send their children to schools that taught in Mandarin Chinese, thinking that it would give them a leg up in the job market.
“If both parents are Mongols and their kids go to a Mandarin school, they begin to lose Mongolian ability. Sometimes they can’t speak Mongolian at all,” Dalaiduren said.
In another sign of the decline of Mongolian literacy, the number of copies of the Mongolian-language newspaper Inner Mongolia Daily has dropped in the past 15 years from 13,800 a day to 6,000.
Some Mongols complain that reading and writing Mongolian brings no benefit, a situation that’s painfully clear to those who obtain degrees in Mongolian literature and culture.
“A graduate or a Ph.D. in this field finds it difficult to get a job. Only if they are good at foreign languages, like English or Japanese, or they specialize in doing research can they get one,” said Nabuqi, who graduated from Inner Mongolia University but operates a small dairy-goods shop that she said barely made ends meet.
An exiled human-rights activist, Enghebatu Togochog, of the Southern Mongolia Human Rights Information Center , said that laws protecting Mongol language and culture often were ignored.
“It is said that it is an official language. But in meetings, they don’t use Mongolian,” he said in a telephone call from New York , where the group is based. “If you want to send a letter and you address it in Mongolian, they won’t deliver it. It’s really useless.”
Like the Kurdish people in the Middle East , ethnic Mongolians spill across borders. Some 3 million live in the Republic of Mongolia , an independent landlocked country of steppes to the north. Another million live in Russia . More than 5 million live in China , in Inner Mongolia or in abutting Liaoning province in the northeast.
The dispersion has strengthened the hand of Han Chinese rulers who don’t want ethnic unrest in a resource-rich frontier region.
“They are very confident they have already assimilated these people. They feel victory is almost theirs,” Togochog said.
Nov
6
Rice: Mideast peace by year-end no longer possible
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TEL AVIV, Israel - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday all but conceded that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by a year-end deadline is no longer possible.
But she also said upon arriving here that it is important to maintain momentum and support for the negotiations so that new governments in both Israel and the United States have “a firm foundation” to continue to the talks next year.
En route to the Middle East for her eighth trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories since the parties set the deadline for reaching an agreement at last November’s summit at Annapolis, Md., Rice said political uncertainty in Israel is the main complication to the goal.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is being forced from office by a corruption scandal, and the country is set to hold new elections in February. Rice noted that the situation “is a constraint on the ability of any government to conclude” a deal.
“I’ve learned never to predict in this business,” she said, “but it is clear we’re in a different situation now because Israel is going to elections.”
“It is our expectation that the Annapolis process has laid groundwork which should make possible the establishment of a Palestinian state when the political circumstances permit,” Rice added. “I think that whatever happens by the end of the year, you’ve got a firm foundation for quickly moving this forward to conclusion.”
The two sides for months have been backing away from the timeline pushed in Annapolis.
Although Rice refused to absolutely rule out the chance of an agreement by year’s end, her remarks reflect the first time that a Bush administration official has publicly not held out hope that the deadline could be met.
Israeli and Palestinian officials have long said they believe the year-end deadline is unrealistic.
“We’ll see where they are at the end of the year,” said Rice, vowing to “work on this with the parties until the day that we leave.”
With her time in office rapidly waning, Rice is hoping to shore up the fragile Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and leave a viable process for the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama.
She will also visit Egypt and Jordan to shore up Arab support for the talks. At some point before Obama moves into the White House on Jan. 20, Rice said she would like to see the sides memorialize the progress they have made but not stretch to conclude a partial deal.
“It will be important to wrap up all of that work one way or another,” she said.
Rice has been making the same twin challenges to Israel and the Palestinians on more than 20 largely fruitless journeys to the region during her tenure as secretary of state: Israel should loosen its grip on the West Bank and the Palestinians should tighten theirs on militants.
The talks that began in Annapolis, Md., have produced few tangible results and are expected to be placed on hold for at least several months during the U.S. transition from Bush to Obama. In addition, Israel will hold elections on Feb. 10 and there are questions about the tenure of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose opponents claim his term expires in January.
Rice will see Abbas and Olmert, along with the chief negotiators from both sides, on Thursday and Friday before visiting Jenin, the West Bank town where Palestinians retook security control early this year on Saturday.
She then heads to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt where top officials from the international diplomatic “quartet” on the Middle East will be briefed on the status of the talks on Sunday.
Any results officially reported to the quartet - the European Union, Russia, the United States and the United Nations - from Palestinian-Israeli talks so far could become a basis for future negotiations, even after the Israeli election.
The quartet envoys will get from Israeli and Palestinian negotiators a progress report that could prevent backpedaling during the Israeli and U.S. leadership changes.
The idea is to “listen and to record and to know where we are heading,” EU envoy Marc Otte said after meeting with the chief Palestinian negotiator in Jerusalem on Thursday.
Israel and the Palestinians have agreed on key principles, such as a land swap, but gaps remain wide on core issues, including the partition of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
Nov
6
LOS ANGELES - Actor George Takei and longtime partner Brad Altman were the first to receive a marriage license in West Hollywood when a court cleared the way for gay marriage earlier this year. Best known for his role as Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek,” Takei on Wednesday was disappointed but philosophical about California voters’ decision to yank that right by passing a constitutional amendment restricting marriage to heterosexual couples.
“There are going to be heartbreaks, setbacks and sacrifices to be made,” he said, “but we will soldier on.”
The passage of Proposition 8 stirred anger, protests, lawsuits and a deep sense of loss among gays in California. At least three legal challenges were filed by Wednesday night and others were being prepared, ban opponents said.
More than 1,000 people took to the streets against the ban in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, blocking traffic. Police said at least four people were detained.
Hundreds also gathered on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall. Some held candles and carried signs that read, “We all deserve the freedom to marry.”
It was unclear what would happen to the estimated 18,000 gay and lesbian couples, many from other states, who married after same-sex marriage was legalized in California in June. California will still allow same-sex civil unions, which offer many of the legal trappings of marriage.
On the other side of the issue, supporters of the ban hailed the outcome of the vote.
“Government did not create marriage, and neither politicians nor legislators have the right to redefine its basic meaning,” said Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage California.
“Common sense, and concern for the common good, trumped ideology, bigotry and power politics here in California,” he said in a statement.
Andrew Pugno, attorney for the coalition of religious and social conservative groups that sponsored the proposition, said they planned to defend the measure, saying the legal action is “an insult to California voters and an attack on the initiative process itself.”
Among those voting for the ban was Denise Fernandez, 57, of Sacramento. “I believe a Christian is held accountable, and we have to make a difference.”
Many gay marriage supporters had hoped that a strong Democratic turnout for presidential winner Barack Obama would cement the right to marry extended by the state Supreme Court in May.
But the success of Obama, who does not support same-sex marriage but had opposed the gay marriage ban, did not translate into a win for gay marriage. Amendments to ban gay marriage also were approved in Arizona and Florida.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday night, 52 percent of those voting in California favored the ban versus 48 percent against. It was the first time a state took away gay marriage after it had been legalized.
In the Castro, San Francisco’s gay neighborhood, the marriage ban’s success squelched what had been a boisterous celebration Tuesday night.
A crowd swarmed from the neighborhood’s many bars into the streets immediately after Obama was declared the presidential winner. Police cordoned off a block in the heart of the district as disco music coursed through giant speakers.
But the party was over a few hours later.
“It’s very disappointing,” Michael Walker said outside the Moby Dick bar, resigned that the measure was going to win. “It’s discrimination.”
In downtown San Francisco, a city where a majority of residents voted against the ban, residents were disappointed by its success.
“I feel sad,” said Venkaf Mannava, 30, a computer programmer who is married with three children. “It’s a personal decision and we should not say how other people should live their lives. They should be free to love and marry who they want.”
Despite intense disappointment, some newlyweds took comfort in the fact that millions of Californians had voted to validate their relationships.
“I’m really OK,” said Diana Correia, of Berkeley, who married her partner of 18 years, Cynthia Correia, on Sunday in front of the couple’s two children and 80 relatives and friends. “I hope the marriage holds, but we are already married in our hearts, so nobody can take that away.”
In Los Angeles, Altman said having the state recognize his marriage to Takei was “extremely meaningful to me, but our relationship will continue and we will live long and prosper no matter what happens on the legal front.”
Aug
29
Plan to slash PSDP by Rs100bn
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The government has decided to cut the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) by Rs100 billion to contain fiscal deficit at 4.7 per cent level and allow a ‘hefty increase’ in electricity tariff to achieve macro-economic stability, says Minister for Finance and Privatisation Naveed Qamar.
“One of the most serious issues is our depleting foreign exchange reserves, which have come down to about $10 billion because of exchange rate pressure, and, therefore, urgently needed to be enhanced through more privatisation and by attracting new foreign inflows,” he said at a press conference in his parliament chambers here on Friday.
The government, he said, had decided to take a number of steps to contain the fiscal deficit target during 2007-08 and for this purpose “we will have to slow down the economic activity.”
He, however, said that oil prices, which had gone down to $112 a barrel after peaking $148 barrel in the international market and then again rose to nearly $120 a barrel, would not be brought down “unless the government achieves an equalization.”"We will pass on the benefit of reduced oil prices when the government starts buying and selling oil at the same price.”
He said all supplementary grants to the ministries and divisions had been stopped along with a directive to cut back on foreign tours and stop buying physical assets.
He said that funds would be withdrawn from development projects which do not have any economic impact.
Terming it unfortunate, he said that the government would have to slash its development budget from Rs550 billion to Rs450 billion to avoid piling up problems.
He said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was insisting on keeping fiscal deficit pegged at 4.3 per cent target, had been told that it was not possible, but it had been assured that the deficit would not exceed 4.7 per cent target which had been fixed in the budget.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) is believed to have recommended a 61 per cent increase in electricity tariff, which the government was anxious to pass on to consumers.
Without hinting about the exact amount of the power tariff increase, the finance minister said: “It will be a fairly hefty increase to help remove Wapda’s growing financial difficulties.”
He said that Wapda needed to make payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which had threatened to shut down their plants because of non-payment.
He said the government could not offer sovereign guarantees to the IPPs but that they would be made their due payments by allowing Wapda to go for substantial power increases.
“Pakistan has to survive as a normal country. It also favours the IPPs.”
He said that all government subsidies, including on oil and electricity, would be eliminated by June 2009, and consumers would have to share the burden of increase in prices of all commodities.
“Wapda’s circular debt is increasing, which will have to be cut by allowing the increase in electricity charges.”
The finance minister said that Wapda and Pepco had been ordered to eliminate line losses.
The minister said that the government had decided to control expenditure by reducing unnecessary borrowing from the State Bank, which had earlier tightened its monetary policy.
Instead, he said, the government would borrow from the National Savings Directorate and a target of Rs150 billion had been set which would be achieved by launching new schemes.
Mr Qamar also said that the government would impose more taxes on import of luxury goods and non-essential items, adding that the rate of duty on such items would be increased from 35 per cent shortly after the federal cabinet’s approval.
He said the government would launch a new commercial instrument to mop up Rs300 billion deposits of ministries and other public sector corporations, adding that they had been ordered to withdraw their funds from various savings accounts which would be used for launching the instrument.
Initially, he said, that Rs40 billion would be used for launching the instrument next month.
He said the cabinet was considering approving a five-day work week.
Referring to petroleum export, he said, the export of oil to Afghanistan would be controlled by imposing a regulatory duty on subsidised petroleum products.
“Oil is being bought at a subsidised rate and then exported to Afghanistan and in the process, people are earning considerable profits. This practice will be discouraged by imposing a regulatory duty,” he added.
He, however, clarified that the regulatory duty would only be applied on the subsidy for oil export.
The finance minister also said that the government had worked out a plan for privatisation which would be unveiled on Tuesday next and is aimed at achieving over $2 billion.
“The government will raise Rs52 billion from the privatisation other than big ticketing items.”
He said there would be more foreign inflows, including $26 million coming from privatisation of the PTCL and $750-800 million through the launching of a new bond scheme.
“These new bonds will be securitised against workers’ remittances,” the finance minister said.
He said that the CNG prices are expected to be fixed at Rs49 a kilogramme for which OGRA is finalising details.
In reply to a question, he said that the government was in touch with the government of Saudi Arabia to import 120,000 barrels of oil on deferred payment.
He, however, said that unless the issue was finalised, he could not reveal the cost in dollar terms.
He also disclosed that the US and Canada had offered to give wheat on deferred payment.
“All subsequent wheat imports will be made on deferred payment and this will be in addition to the wheat to be received from the US under the PL-480 programme.”
He said that the IMF had issued a ‘letter of comfort’ on the basis of which the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank would soon start disbursing funds to Pakistan.
But he made it clear that the government did not seek any new IMF programme.
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Aug
29
Nomination papers of the three main candidates senator Asif Ali Zardari of PPP, retired chief justice Saeed Uz Zaman Siddiqui of PML-N and Mushahid Hussain Syed of PML-Q have been accepted by the Chief Election Commissioner for the Presidential election.
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The chief election commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq also accepted the papers filed by Dr. Faryal Talpur, covering candidate of PPP and Roaedad Khan, covering candidate of the PML (N). Nomination papers of the remaining 27 independent candidates were rejected on different technical grounds. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by tomorrow noon and the final list of the contesting candidates will be issued the same day. Polling for the Presidential election will be held on the sixth of next month in the National Assembly hall and at the four provincial Assemblies buildings.
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Aug
27
A Sudanese passenger jet hijacked by unknown assailants soon after it took off from Darfur has landed in Libya.
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There are more than 100 people on board the plane. The Libyan officials are holding dialogue with the unknown number of hijackers while all passengers remained on board. The hijackers, who are believed to be hard-line Darfur rebel group, have asked for jet fuel in order to fly on to Paris.
Aug
20
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar has said that ruling coalition will hold another meeting after completion of intra-party consultations by ANP, JUI(F) and Fata MNAs.
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In an interview he expressed the confidence that the issue of restoration of judges would be resolved amicably.
Aug
18
The U.S has termed launching of a home-built rocket into space by Iran as troubling saying such technology could also be used for ballistic missiles.
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A white house spokesman said development and testing of rockets by Iran raises further questions about their intentions. Earlier, Iran said it had successfully launched a rocket capable of carrying its first domestically built satellite.
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Jul
31
AMSTERDAM (Reuters Life!) - Scientists have made a colored view of an early rejected painting underneath Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Patch of Grass’ painting, using advanced X-ray techniques, a Dutch university said on Wednesday.
The very detailed image shows the face of a woman and may give art historians a better understanding of the way Van Gogh developed as a painter.
“It is estimated that one third of Vincent van Gogh’s early paintings have been painted on top of existing ones. Van Gogh literally recycled his own canvasses,” scientist Joris Dik of the Delft University of Technology said.
Conventional X-ray techniques give a colorless, partial view of the hidden painting and only show vague contours of a person behind ‘Patch of Grass’, the university said.
By recycling his work Van Gogh painted many layers over the original painting but the scientists managed to scan all the different elements in those layers of the relevant area with X-ray fluorescence.
“We can make a virtual 3-dimensional model of the painting and start to peel off all the layers one by one. Then we get a nice detailed view of the hidden face,” Dik said.
Van Gogh painted ‘Patch of grass’ in 1887 in Paris and it hangs in the Kroller-Muller museum in the Dutch eastern city of Otterlo.
(Reporting by Tineke van der Struik, editing by Paul Casciato)
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Jul
16
NATO says it had abandoned an afghan outpost days after it was stormed by militants who killed nine US soldiers.
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Afghan officials said the soldiers pulled out of the outpost in Wanat village in northeastern Kunar province on Tuesday. NATO spokesman in Afghanistan, confirmed that they have vacated the combat outpost at Wanat saying all these kinds of outposts are temporary. Fifteen u.s. and four afghan soldiers were wounded in Sunday’s fighting, in which militants breached the outpost.
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