Panda Love May Reconcile China & Taiwan
(Beijing Bureau)

On the 18th of December officials explained how a pair of giant pandas will be sent to Taiwan next Tuesday as the latest sign of warming ties across the Straits. The long promised pandas will symbolise peace, unity and friendship.

The pandas were originally offered to the island in 2005 but were rejected by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party administration.

Ma Ying-jeou, the current leader of the island has however accepted the pandas from the mainland as a gesture of goodwill to nurture future ties.

On December 23 the four year old pandas will fly out from Chengdu in the southwestern Sichuan province for Taiwan. The panda’s names are Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and when you link them together, they mean “reunion” in Chinese.

Li Weiyi, a spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office told the China Daily how Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan would carry with them the deep attachment that people from the mainland have toward their compatriots in Taiwan.

In Chengdu, the pandas are recieveing the best treatment while being pampered on in every imaginable way to ensure that they remain healthy.

Li explained that the pandas have both been intensively trained to make sure that they have a healthy sex life. This is to ensure that the pair will later give birth to more babies ‘envoys’ once settled in the island.

The China Daily stated Li saying “Animal handlers from Taiwan have arrived on the mainland to get familiar with the pandas, and are even talking to them in local dialect so that the pair understands them during their stay in the Taiwan zoo,”

Huang Zhi, a keeper who works at the Bifengxia Base of the Chinese Giant Panda Research and Protection Center in Ya’an county, Sichuan province told how everyone is making careful arrangements to see that the pandas have a safe departure.

The pandas are currently being kept in “No. 2 House”, which is of course the biggest and best-equipped pen at the base. Within the pen, the pandas have two outdoor play areas and two dens inside. The pandas are being looked after by two veteran keepers and the principal of the animal husbandry department.

Deputy director of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, Li Desheng, said in a press conference how the pandas are in a perfectly healthy condition. Li continued by explaining how the pair has undergone a very thorough physical examination and was pleased that the results came back satisfactory.

The pandas will be expected to have their first baby as soon as they are settled in Taiwan.
The China Daily stated Li saying, “usually pandas have their first baby at the age of six. Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are now four years old. In all probability, they will have their first baby in Taiwan.”

To help strengthen the pandas bodies they are taken for a run everyday. This exercise will also make them have a successful and healthy sex life.

However, the male, Tuan Tuan does have to suffer a bit more than just a run. His legs need to be strengthened so the keepers are holding apples and corn bread above his head to make him stand on his two back legs for nearly 20 minutes every day.

The male panda has to be able to stand on his hind legs through out the duration of mating so they keepers are doing their best to ensure that Tuan Tuan is ready for the task ahead of him.

Police vs Media

Amber Butler-Davis (Staff Reporter)
Another provocative issue that involves the Philippine National Police has just occurred, the police blotter is now off limits to the public, in particular the media. On October the 20th, PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa stated how the blotters in the police stations nationwide will no longer be available to the public or the media unless the station commander has given authorisation or “unless the disclosure is in compliance with a lawful order of the court or any pertinent authority.”
Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, a spokesperson for the PNP told the Daily Inquirer on Thursday how the memo was intended to protect not only the victims but the suspects in crimes as well. The PNP is especially trying to protect women and children that are involved too. Bartolome explained how the new arrangement is not because the PNP does not trust the media it is in place because some victims have requested that their complaints may only be made for record purposes and not for the public. Bartolome also denied the accusations that this memo was meant to be some sort of diversion from the boiling issue of ranking police officials that were caught carrying at least 105,000 euros in the Moscow International airport early last month.
Access denied
On Thursday, the reporters that were covering the Manila Police District (MPD) were not given authorisation to read the blotter by the police officers. These police officers justified their actions with Verzosa’s memo which is titled “Decentralization of the Functions of the Public Information Office” (PIO)
Inside the memo it states how any information on any particular case can only be provided “exclusively” by a designated PIO or spokesperson “unless for justifiable reasons.” It is then up the head of office to either give out the information himself or elect suitable representative personnel to do so. The memo also states that if any information is requested, the request will be passed on and the PIO/spokesperson will obtain the information until the head of office clears it to be given out.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer did attempt to work with Senior Insp. Romana Geronimo, the head of the MPD’s PIO but she could not be found in her office. The Inquirer did also make phone calls to Geronimo’s mobile phone for a statement but none of the calls were answered. Even a text message was sent indicating compliance with the PNP memo they are still waiting for the reply.

The reporters that were covering the MPD did point out how the police blotter was actually a public document; therefore, the information contained inside the document must be made available to the public. A tabloid reporter commented how the PIO must be available every minute of every day if every request for the information has to be authorised by the PIO. Bartlome did issue a statement later on Thursday addressing the incident that occurred at the MPD and said that the police leadership was in no way prohibiting the media access to the police blotter and any other official reports that were requested. He simply explained how the latest move to distribute the public information was misinterpreted in the lower units and then further misconstrued by some media personnel.
Not a complete ban
Bartolome commented early Thursday how there was no “absolute prohibition” on accessing the police blotters because the unit commanders could still give the permission to hand it out. He also added how the information in the blotters is only one side to a story, the blotter is only a tool in an investigation. Bartolome understands that the police blotter is a public document but commented how not all public documents can be made available to the public. As the title of the memo indicates it is meant to “decentralize the functions” of the PNP’s Public Information Office, and that the general intent of the memo is to actually accommodate the media.
No consultation for the media
Police commanders were actually under instruction to issue press releases, conduct media briefings, answer the requests for information and interviews, and liaise with the reporters that are covering their areas and to implement public information and any other functions that will help pass on the information. However, the President of the PNP Press Corps, Alvin Baltazar told the Inquirer how reporters rely on the blotter for information, a ban like this will indeed affect their work. Baltazar, a reporter for radio dzRB also commented how Verzosa’s memo was without benefit of consultation with members of the media.
Professor Danilo Arao of the University of the Philippines’ Department of Journalism was asked to comment on the issue and stated that the police must recognise press freedom and also access to information. Journalists do not ask for special treatment. The main reason they need the blotter, is to do their work properly with the correct information and to also meet their deadlines. In Arao phone conversation with the Inquirer he stated how “The memo should be denounced as lack of transparency on the part of the police and an infringement on press freedom.”
The National Press Club viewed the memo and commented that while they do support the PNP’s stand, that an accused is innocent until proven guilty, they do however believe that the public’s right to information should not be withheld unless it will have an effect on the accused. As a journalist, it is up to them to decide if it is ethical to publish an article are not. They must follow rules and laws as well. One of the problems that journalists face when reporting on issues that are close to court cases is that they must not be in contempt with the court. By this, I mean that a reporter is not allowed to publish information or material about a particular defendant if it is going to prejudice a fair trial.
Journalists do need to be careful when reporting on police files and pending court procedures because it is contempt to publish material intending to prejudice them or to publish material that has the tendency to do so. A reporter is not allowed to publish an article that applies guilt are innocence to the accused in question. So I can understand why the police blotters are being made unavailable to the public but at the same time the police need to understand that journalists can not report on everything because they can not be seen to defame an individual.

Peacekeepers to the rescue
When the school collapsed in Haiti on the 7th of October, Filipino peacemakers rushed to the collapsed school to help pull out the victims. Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said in his report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo how as soon as the Filipino Blue Berets were on the scene they immediately went into action. They were rolling over concrete slabs and digging through the rubble with their bare hands to help pull both the living and dead free from the chaos.
Nearly 50 schoolchildren and teachers were killed when the three-story La Promesse (The Promise) school in Petion-ville, situated on the sidelines of Port-au-Prince, caved in, leaving a heap of cement slabs and twisted steel rods to replace it. The top floor of the school was under construction when it caved in. Five surrounding homes were also damaged by the tragedy.
Commander of the 8th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent, Colonel Raymundo Elefanto was responsible for leading the two platoons of Filipino peacekeepers to help with the search and rescue in Haiti. By late afternoon the team had helped recover nearly 50 bodies, majority of them being small children.
Considering there were nearly over 700 students with ages ranging from three to 20 years old inside the church-run school attending classes when it collapsed, Davide told officials that he had expected the casualty toll to be high. The narrow roadway was filled with vehicles and hundreds of distraught relatives and kibitzers trying to make there way to school so the peacekeepers were forced to run the remaining two kilometers to the accident site before they began working hard to free the victims trapped inside.
The Filipino peacekeepers did turn over the search and rescue duties to the military engineering and medical units from Brazil, Chile and Ecudor when they arrived on the scene later. The peacekeepers then concentrated their attention on restoring order by performing crowd control duties around the accident site so that the officials could work swiftly and un-interrupted by distraught relatives. Davide told the Inquirer how the peacekeepers did go above and beyond their call of duty and is grateful for putting their own lives at risk to help the victims that were trapped inside the rubble. He has paid a tribute to the members of the Philippine contingent who took part in the search and rescue operations on that terrible day.

Amber Butler-Davis
(Staff Reporter Reporting Asia)

The Philippines have been able to maintain a steady presence in Haiti since 2004 when the United Nations sent in the peace monitors. They were sent there to restore order in the impoverished Caribbean nation when massive protests led to the overthrow of the former president, Jean Bertrand Aristide. The Philippines did lose one of their peacekeepers in 2005 when gunman loyal to Aristide ambushed the UN peacekeepers, killing Army Technical Sergeant Antonio Batomalaque.
The Philippines now have 157 officers and personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force including 13 other officers from the Philippine National Police serving with the United Nations Stabilization Mission.

No More Drugs!
Somchai Wongsawat, the Prime Minister of Thailand, has plans to bring the war on drugs to an end with a 90-day campaign. Mr Somchai explains to the police that they must not take this new campaign as a license for extra-judicial killing. The 90-day campaign started on Thursday, the sixth of November but it is already being questioned about stirring concerns about a new wave of human rights violations.
The Prime Minster has down played the thousand deaths of people that occurred in the previous war on drugs, which was lead by the Thaksin Shinawatra administration. The Thai authorities blamed the deaths on drug dealers. Mr Somchai delivered an anti-drug policy to a gathering of 500 officials at the Army Club and called on the authorities to exploit all of their resources to help fight drugs. Mr Somchai explained how the new policy in the fight against the illicit substances, will focus more on the prevention rather than taking suppressive measures. Mr Somchai especially wants the youth of today to be more aware of illicit substances and the damage that they can do. He also said that the campaign’s achievements will not be judged upon how many drug traffickers are arrested but by the reduction in drug buyers. Mr Somchai believes that the drugs are only around because there is a demand for them, if he can reduce the number of buyers then the sellers will not have anything to sell. Without buyers, the drug traffickers will not be a problem any more.
The government does not expect to eliminate all drugs entirely in the 90-day period but they do expect to be able to reduce the number of drug traffickers. In Thailand, methamphetamine abuse is at an all time high and it needs to be stopped somehow. The 90-day anti-drug drive will be evaluated on a monthly basis. The Prime Minister has warned officials that they are to operate within the guidelines of the law and they are not to adopt a heavy-handed approach within the anti-drug drive.
Former Prime Minister Thaksin’s war on drugs, which was launched in 2003, endured criticism by a lot of people in Thailand and also abroad. Over 2,500 people were killed in that war on drugs. A surfeit of complaints and reports stated that many of the people that died and were killed during that period actually had nothing to do with the drug trade. Human rights activists and relatives of the dead did accuse the government and police of extra-judicial killings.
Two fact-finding committees were set up to look into the complaints by the victims’ relatives and human rights advocates, but no charges have ever been laid. The committees also claimed that they had found no grounds on which to indict anyone for murder. However, Thaksin and the police have claimed drug gangs who simply wanted to cover their own tracks killed the victims.
Mr Somchai expresses how the police are only responsible for the suppression of drugs and not for killing. He continued with saying how the government does not allow extra-judicial killing so the cases must be decided in a court.
Chartchai Suthiklom. an Adviser to the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) explains how the new campaign is purely focusing on the search for drug dealers. The main aim of the operation is to reduce the drug users aged 13-18 purchasing drugs. The teenagers that are caught buying drugs will be treated and rehabilitated at a number of different military camps. However, if those caught refuse treatment and rehabilitation they will be sent to jail. The ONCB expect to seize hundreds of millions of baht in assets, which are illegally acquired from dealing in drugs in the next year.
Wasant Panich, a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, said the government must follow legal procedures in its drug suppression campaign. He said Thaksin had given “ambiguous” orders, which have misled many state officials to understand they have a license to kill anyone that is trafficking drugs.

World leaders discuss relationship.
Beijing Bureau - Reporting Asia

US president-elect Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao discussed in a telephone conversation on Saturday the 8th of November the relationship between China and the United States plus other international concerns, including the global financial dilemma. Hu expressed gratitude to Obama for making mention in his election campaign speeches the importance of US and China having a relationship. Hu was also grateful for Obama advocating China and US operating together on global challenges and in sharing global development opportunities.

The two countries established a diplomatic relationship nearly 30 years ago and Hu pointed out that since then bilateral relations have kept developing despite the many setbacks, and also how both countries have scored hard-earned achievements while bringing tangible interests to both nations. China and the United States share an extensive common interest on issues that relate to world peace and development being the largest developing nation and the largest developed nation. Hu commented on how both of the leaders will be taking on the responsibility of these current issues. China will be maintaining a high-level of exchange with the United States in this new historical period of time. The continuation on strategic dialogue with the United States and also an increase in exchange and co-operation between the two countries in all fields of expertise will be seen. Including the strengthening of the exchange of opinion and co-ordination with the United Sates on all major international and regional issues. Both countries will respect one another and also accommodate each others concerns. They will try to settle sensitive issues between the two countries in an appropriate manner. The Taiwan issue in particular will promote the relationship between the US and China while showing a high level of constructive co-operation.

Obama commented that China is a great nation and the development and success that China has certainly interests the US. The US-China relationships are of vital importance on today’s international arena. Not only is the developing relationship between China and the US creating an interest in both of these nations, Obama said that the world would also benefit greatly from it. The relationship will see many development opportunities and Obama hopes that the United States and China will strengthen their co-operation and promote greater development of bilateral relations, which will bring benefits to both nations. The United States hopes to strengthen consultation and co-ordination with China on many issues. These issues include things such as security, climate change and the regional hotspot issues.

Hu did point out how the current global financial crisis has influenced the economic development seriously while also having an effect on people’s livelihood in countries throughout the world. Hu expressed how the international community needs to increase their confidence, strengthen co-ordination and have close co-operation while effectively dealing with this global challenge.
On November the 15th, a world economic summit will be held in Washington and China sees great importance in it. China will be discussing how to adopt powerful measures to re-establish the markets confidence as soon as possible with other participants in the summit. They will also be discussing how to prevent the global financial crisis from spreading and increasing and also how they plan to diminish its impact on the real economies and stop the prevention of a global economic recession. The current global financial crisis has exposed many hidden drawbacks of the global financial system. Hu stated how the international community should seriously sum up the lessons from this global financial crisis and launch necessary reforms of the global financial system, because of sufficient consultation among all the parties that are interested. Efforts should be made to on how to find a solution to the major global questions such as how to strengthen financial supervision and regulation, how to improve the system of international financial organisations and how to improve the international monetary system.

Obama said that settlement of the global financial crisis does require close co-operation of the governments in all countries that are of interest. Obama stated how he hopes that the United States and China will strengthen co-operation at the world economic summit.

Amber Butler-Davis
Staff Correspondent - ReportingAsia.com

Church takes control over government.
Five bishops led by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) are indicating that they are going to give their blessings for what may be the most dramatic change in government. The CBCP is being led by president Angel Lagdameo and has asked the public to shake the status quo. Lagdameo is not impressed with the “top to bottom” corruption in the government. He went as far as assuring the public that the ‘liberators’ are only just around the corner.
In a forum organised by the CBCP Lagdameo said that in response to the global economic crisis and the pitiful state of the country it is now time to rebuild the country economically, socially and politically. He also stated that the time to start a radical reform and moral regeneration is now. It is also the right time to prepare for a new government. He then continued saying that this is now the time to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy and to prove that the people have matured from our political statements.
Lagdameo added in his speech that the public should not lose hope and that by changing the present system will not be pointless. He stated that, “in spite of the seemingly hopeless and negative prognosis, our liberation may yet serendipitously happen. We are dreaming, praying and hoping that our county may yet have the needed liberators.”
Lagdameo hopes that these ‘liberators’ will be able to reform the country in a courageous, peaceful, uncompromisingly and effective way.
Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon and Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra were also present in the forum. It is understood that seven more bishops were to attend the forum but they cancelled for some reason.
At the forum Villegas urged the public to not be passive but to engage with the active involvement which will be effecting the change in government. Villegas believes that by curbing the corruption by at least half will immensely benefit the country. He also stated that the country would have been better prepared to deal with the ongoing global financial crisis if the corruption was not involved.
Cruz believes that the country is now in a dangerous, critical and precarious situation. He directly blames the mass of corruption on the current occupant in the Malacanang as the one in charge.
In Lagdameo’s statement, he also said that rampant poverty and hunger are directly related with rampant graft and corruption “which has invaded all public and private institutions.” Lagdameo noted that corruption under the past few years in the Arroyo government has become “endemic and systemic.”
He pointed to “overprized projects, multi-billion scams of various kinds, election manipulations, anomalous transactions, bribery of both high and low, unsolved murders of media practitioners” as the “faces and symptoms of corruption.”
On the whole, Lagdameo now feels that the country has been tagged as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia. He also can not fathom how the public still loves their country even after hearing about these realities.
The bishops’ statements have been made after hearing about the arrival of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante from the US following unsuccessful efforts of seeking asylum there. Bolante, is the main architect of the P728-million fertilizer scam. But has claimed political persecution and US immigration junked as his alibi.
In the past, church leaders have been criticised for simply sitting on the sidelines and also giving mixed signals on its verdict on the Arroyo administration. At the height of the wiretap scandal, where the President was caught on tape giving orders to disgraced poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano during the canvassing of the results in the presidential elections, the CBCP then took it among themselves to discover the truth but withheld the passing of a guilty verdict. The lack of active Church support has been mentioned as one of the major dampeners on the attempts to oust Arroyo.

Beijing Correspondent

Foreign reporters have their chains loosened.

On the 17th of October China issued new rules and regulations on reporting activities by foreign correspondents on its territory. These new rules now allow foreign correspondents to interview persons without having to apply for an application to the foreign affairs department. The last time the foreign correspondent rules were assessed was in 1990, the new rules are significantly different to those issued then. The new foreign media rules are a reflection on China’s determination to carry on the policy of opening up to the outside world. The new rules have been made to make foreign correspondents reporting activities in China more convenient. A senior information officer, Wang Chen told the China daily that the Chinese government welcomes foreign media and reporters. The government also hopes that more stories about the country will be told throughout the world. The new rules and laws not only mean that foreign reporters will have more access to the country’s new but it also means that the government will provide help and services to them. However, the government does hope that the foreign media and reporters will abide by the Chinese law and maintain professional morals; by this the government would like to see the foreign reporters still report unbiasedly and justly, so to promote understanding and cooperation between Chian and the rest of the world

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao told a press conference on the 16th of October that the new rules are following the major principles and spirits of the media regulations which were introduced for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Liu also commented that now reporters wishing to interview organisations or individuals Chian no longer need to be received and accompanied by the Chinese organisations. This particular new law has cancelled out an old item that asked foreign correspondents to get approval from the local government’s foreign affairs department when they wanted to report on the regions open to them. However, foreign reporters will still need to ask permission if they wish to do reporting in Tibet and other areas such as some military facilities, which are still off-limits to foreign correspondents.

The new rules says “China adopts a basic policy of opening up to the outside world, protects the lawful rights and interests of the permanent offices of foreign media organisations and foreign journalists on accordance with law, and facilitates their news coverage and reporting activities that are carried out according to the law.” So pretty much this means now according to the new rules, permanent offices of media and reporters can now temporarily import, install and use China’s radio communication devices for reporting on the news but only after gaining approval from the Chinese government.

The document also stated that foreign resident reporters are to apply for a press card within seven working days after arriving in China, which can be issued from the Foreign Ministry or local foreign affairs department. However, with press cards, they also need to get residency cards for m the local police and those who stay in China for less than six months every year will be revoked. But for short term resident foreign reporters reporting news in China, they only have to apply for a journalist visa.

Another new rule that is now in effect is that those foreign correspondents with permanent offices of media and reporters are now allowed to hire Chinese citizens to do auxiliary work. However, they do have to be hired form organisations designated by the Foreign Ministry or local governments.

Beijing Correspondent

China Housing Bust

China is facing a housing market lull, which could ultimately drag their economy further down, joining the worldwide financial crisis. Cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Xi’an have all seen a consecutive drop in housing prices over the last four months. Rescue policies will be helping the real estate market, since the central government is now keeping a close watch on the property market after 18 cities had to launch various measures to stop property sales from falling.

Chinese economists told the Inquirer that a worsening slump in China’s real estate market would not only undermine the healthy growth of the economy but also put the country’s financial system at a great risk. The financial crisis that is sweeping the world at the moment and hardening the lives of many citizens, did originate from the subprime issue in mid 2007 in the United States. The sudden bust of a 10 year American housing boom resulted in a numerous amount of American homeowners unable to pay their mortgages, which then resulted in the banks by being troubled from a mountain of bad-debt. China would like to prevent this from happening in their country so they have resorted to measures such as handing out subsidies to private homebuyers.

Pushed by the local government measures, the central government is now studying the market trends. Analysts have predicted that Beijing might have to rectify its strict regulatory decrees of higher taxation and also remove the harsh control that banks have when lending money to anyone wanting to buy a second home.

After the Shanghai municipal government raised the mortgage ceiling of the housing accumulation by one fifth the government is now closely watching its development. Employees can now deposit money from their wages every month, which in return they will get a lower interest rate. The vice-mayor of Shanghai, Yang Xiong said that the new measures by other cities was exciting new for them and that his government will continue to study and control the policies which are based on changing the economy and property market. Xiong’s biggest aim is to keep the property market stable.

Such offers like raising the funding for homebuyers and giving people more time to develop their land are being favoured by the people. It was in the fourth quarter of last year when the countries property market began to slow down and transactions have remained at a low since then. However, such analysts are reserved to explain on what this move actually means. Research chief at CB Richard Ellis’ Beijing Branch, Qin Xiaomei told the Inquirer that it is hear to tell whether this is the right time for the government to be saving the real estate market, as there is still plenty of room for prices to fall even further.

Qin explains how the property prices in most cities have fallen each month recently but the year to year indexes are still going up. According to the figures from NDRC, the prices in 70 major cities have jumped to 5.3 percent year to year, but the growth rate declined by 1.7 percent from last month.

In the mean time, the developers who bought land in 2005 or 2006 seem unaffected by the current price drop; they are still enjoying good profit margins. What they should really be doing is cutting down their prices so they can meet the consumers’ wallets. And it seems many buyers are waiting for the prices to fall, and really why wouldn’t you.

30.07.2008

(HONG KONG - Reporting Asia) Politics Bows Out to Olympic Common Sense

It was reported earlier today that the IOC have relented to allow the 7 Iraqi athletes to compete in the Olympics under the Iraqi flag. Earlier we reported that the IOC had banned Iraq from entering ostensibly because the Iraqi Olympic Committee was politically biased. It was reported that the IOC gave their consent provided the old Iraqi Olympic Committee was reinstated. Reporting Asia wishes athletes from all countries, clans and religions the best of luck with this incredible athletic gathering. In the meantime the great wall has gone up around inbound and outbound feeds. The Chinese media authorities are imposing a ban on all feeds in and out that are not specifically related to Olympic events. They have warned the media not to attempt to report on the 5 prohibited issues but they have not elaborated or issued a statement defining the 5 banned topics. They seem to have left it to the media to guess. Two are pretty easy being the Tiananmen Square episode and of course the conflict (or otherwise) in Tibet. In the meantime mobile phone and internet connections continue to increase regardless of banned content.

HONG KONG – (Reporting Asia)

Once more Politics get in the way of the Olympics with the recent news that The International Olympic Committee has imposed a ban on athletes from Iraq prohibiting them from competing in the Beijing Olympics. This is a huge set back to the seven athletes from Iraq who not only had hoped to travel to China but had been training for the event for the past four years.
In a letter to the Iraqi Youth and Sports Minister Jassem Jaafar the IOC said “In spite of all the joint efforts of IOC and OCA (Olympic Council of Asia), over the last months to find a positive solution with the Iraqi government authorities, we regretfully inform you that the decision of the IOC executive board dated 4 June 2008 to suspend the National Olympic Committee of Iraq is confirmed.” They went on to say, “We deeply regret this outcome which severely harms the Iraqi Olympic and Sports Movement and the Iraqi athletes but which is unfortunately imposed by the circumstances.”
The reason for the suspension was the accusation that the Iraqi government was involved in “political interference” in its National Olympic committee which was sacked and then replaced by a new committee which Jaafar heads up.
This was the final appeal by the Iraqi Olympic Committee to convince the IOC to allow the seven athletes in question to march either under the Iraqi flag or even the Olympic flag. Their hopes are now dashed with no further opportunity for redress.