Asia-Pacific Daily Report
July 15, 2004

Afghanistan

UN staff pulls out of Ghor province following mob attack on election office
The UN has evacuated 10 foreign staff members and 7 Afghan UN and aid workers from Ghor province on Thursday (July 15) after an angry mob ransacked a UN-run election office in the provincial capital Chaghcharan located some 217 miles (350 km) west of Kabul. The mob had gathered to protest the killing of two militia fighters by members of the US-trained Afghan National Army (ANA) during a skirmish at a checkpoint in Chaghcharan on Wednesday (July 14). The crowd chanted slogans against the ANA before heading to the compound used by the Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB). Members of the crowd then vandalized the office and vehicles, injuring one security guard. Last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai sent about 200 ANA troops to the province after factional fighting broke out and a group of renegade Afghan militias, led by Abdul Salam Khan, seized control of Chaghcharan. The provincial governor, Ibrahim Malikzada, was forced to flee to the neighboring province of Herat. The incident marked the third time in less than three months that a provincial governor appointed by Karzai had been forced to flee. Last week (July 9), the JEMB decided to postpone the presidential elections until October 9 amidst uneven levels of voter registration across the country and fears that unruly militias will continue to use violence to try to disrupt the electoral process. Parliamentary elections have also been delayed until next spring.
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B76DE28D-33BB-4049-BF9294215747F51A
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/15/content_1603226.htm
http://www3.cjad.com/content/cp_article.asp?id=/global_feeds/canadianpress/worldnews/w071506A.htm

Bangladesh

Repatriation of Rohingya refugees in eastern Bangladesh stall
According to News from Bangladesh, the repatriation of ethnic Muslim Rohingya refugees to Myanmar from eastern Bangladesh has stalled for the past two months. Officials reportedly say that the refugees are not willing to return to Myanmar. Between May and July 2003, about 2,229 refugees were repatriated. However, between August 2003 and May 2004, only 905 refugees have returned, and no other repatriations have taken place since May this year. Isaque Ali, acting commissioner of the government’s Rohingya Refugee Repatriation Commissioner’s (RRRC) office in eastern Cox’s Bazar district, says that the remaining refugees have not submitted their Declaration of Voluntary Repatriation (DVR). The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which coordinates the repatriations, stipulates that the refugees should not be forcibly moved back. Other officials say that the refugees have grown comfortable living as refugees in Bangladesh for the past decade. The UNHCR has proposed a program to allow the refugees to interact with the community and work while living in the camps, but the government has turned down the project, saying that the Rohingyas should remain in the camps. In 1991, Rohingya refugees began fleeing into Bangladesh from government persecution in Myanmar. Since 1992, about 236,490 refugees have been repatriated. Presently, there are about 19,841 officially recognized Rohingya refugees in 2 camps in Cox’s Bazar. However, there are about 200,000 unofficial refugees living outside the camps. In late June, local news sources reported that the unofficial refugees were living in poor conditions. Officials say the presence of Rohingyas cannot be checked as many continue to cross the porous border into Bangladesh. In late June, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed Khan expressed dissatisfaction to the UNHCR over the slow repatriation of refugees, saying that they are causing law and order problems as they participate in crime and smuggling.
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000014403
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000013002

China

At least 5 killed by floods in southern Guangxi province, Chinese state media reports
Chinese state media reported that at least 5 people were killed and three others reported missing after floods hit a remote part of China’s southern Guangxi province. The state Xinhua news agency reported that flooding along the banks of the Xi River spread across 33 counties and affected some 3.5 million people. Xinhua says that some 30 reservoirs had been destroyed along with some 2,200 houses. Meanwhile, forecasters predicted more thundershowers over the region over the next few days. China every year suffers from summer flooding along its major rivers and in mountainous south and northwest regions. Hardest-hit so far this year from the annual floods is southwest Yunnan province. Around 130,000 houses have been destroyed in the province. Last week, the China Daily reported that flooding and landslides had killed 288 people in central and southern China. The Chinese government this week reported that some 555 people have been killed by floods, landslides, mudflows, drought, and earthquakes across the country in 2004.
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/bbc7573b26e14989c1256ed20044210e?OpenDocument
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10077398%255E1702,00.html

India

About 8,000 refugees live in-between India and Bangladesh borders
According to One World news today, there are about 8,000 refugees that live in a no-man’s land between India and Bangladesh, and are not accepted by either country, mostly in the northeast Indian state of Assam. In the 1980’s, about 20 villages in Assam’s Karmiganj district were cut off from India when India began building fences to demarcate its border with Bangladesh. According to Karimganj district officials, the villages were part of India during the time of the 1947 partition, but are now between the fence and the international border. Because the demarcation was never originally done on the ground, the border has cut through villages and communities. Bangladesh’s longest border is with India, which runs for 2,545 miles (4,094 km), and borders the Indian states of Assam, Meghalya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. Although survey authorities in both counties have demarcated most of the highly porous border, about 6.5 km (4 miles) remain unresolved in Assam, Tripura and West Bengal. Many of the refugees cross into India to work during the day, and no movement is allowed at night. The refugees are reportedly harassed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and rebels, which carry out abductions, crimes and extortions. At least 17 northeast Indian rebel groups use the villages as corridors to travel between India and Bangladesh. In addition, illegal smuggling gangs are also active in the area. Human rights activists say that the implementation of the Indira Gandhi-Mujibur Rehman Treaty of 1974, which governs the joint demarcation of boundaries and transfer of enclaves, would help to solve the problem but it has been long delayed. Meanwhile, the fencing project reportedly continues in Assam and is staunchly opposed by the residents of 200 border villages, who say the fence will make them refugees.
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/90034/1/

Drought concerns continue on decreased rains in India’s central and western regions
Indian weather officials today said that monsoon rains were likely to arrive in mid-July in key agricultural regions, however, other experts say that the rains are expected to be below average. Despite heavy rainfall in the northeastern regions, which has caused massive flooding in many areas, rains have remained below average in central and western areas. Weather officials say that a low-pressure system from the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring good rains within the next few days to the central and western regions, which grow mainly rice, cotton, oilseeds and sugarcane. Despite a good initial wave of rains in June, so far no further rains have arrived. The state-run Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said that the monsoon rains this year are expected to be below 3 percent for the country as a whole and about 11 percent lower in the northern region. The National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting also said that rainfall is unlikely to be sufficient when the monsoon arrives in the north in mid-July. Senior government officials have met this week to assess the situation. Government officials have ruled out the possibility of a drought similar to the one in 2002, which adversely affected India’s economy. Agriculture accounts for about 22 percent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports about 60 percent of the 1 billion-strong population.
http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040713133024.8nz8oy5o.html
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews.newsdesk/108988042452.htm

Japan

At least 12 reported killed by floods in Japan's northwest
At least 12 people have been reported killed from heavy rains and flooding in northwestern Japan. At least two other people are reported to be missing. In Niigata prefecture (state) more than 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain has fallen since Monday (July 12) night. Around 20,000 people have been evacuated to some 100 emergency shelters. The International Federation of the Red Cross says that mudslides have been triggered at 370 different locations. According to local government officials, at least 24,000 houses were damaged due to the floods and landslides. Reports say the hardest hit area was Sanjo, a city located about 135 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Tokyo, where the Ikarashi River overflowed its banks and left some 5,000 buildings under water. Niigata Observatory spokesperson Mitsuru Saito said that at least 1 inch (3 centimeters) of rain was expected over the next 24 hours. Japan’s Meteorological Agency also forecast heavy rains and possible flooding in Kanagawa prefecture, located west of Tokyo. Officials say that it is still too early to estimate the extent of damage. Niigata is one of Japan’s major rice-growing region, and it has been reported that wide swathes of land have been buried in mud.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040715/ap/d83r8ago1.html
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/1b6da17300b627e8c1256ed2002df157?OpenDocument
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20040715_102.html

South Asia

Death toll in worst floods in South Asia in years rises to over 349, reportedly affects 18 million
The death toll in floods in South Asia reportedly rose to over 349 today (from 326 yesterday) and affected about 10 to 18 million people, according to different reports. About 207 deaths in India, 68 in Bangladesh, 100 in Nepal and 5 in Pakistan have been reported, however tolls have varied. In India, more than 9 million people have been reportedly affected in eastern Bihar state. K.A.H Subramanian, Bihar state chief secretary, said that the floods were the worst in 17 years and 16 out of 38 districts have been affected, while 4 districts have been completely submerged. About 400 Indian soldiers are reportedly struggling to bring relief to about 4 million victims in Bihar who do not have food or drinking water, by carrying out airdrops and rescue missions. Relief camps in the state are reportedly crowded. The Bihar government has appealed for federal funds, and there are no western aid agencies operating there. In Darbhanga town, relief grain stores were plundered due to food shortages. In nearby Assam state, where 5 - 9 million people have been affected, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that 23 of the state’s 28 districts were now flooded. Last night, landslides hit the state capital Guwahati, killing at least 12 people. Gogoi says that so far, about 3,000 people have been rescued. State officials have appealed to aid agencies for help. In nearby Arunachal Pradesh state, floodwaters are receding, however, there are concerns over the outbreak of waterborne diseases. In Bangladesh about 5 million people have been officially affected. All three major river systems, the Jamuna (Brahmaputra), Padma (Ganges), and the Meghna, continue to flow above danger levels, and the Jamuna inundated fresh areas in the northern region, claiming 19 more lives. At least 5 people died and 5,000 others displaced when a dam burst in northwestern Bogra district. Locals have blamed the incident on a local feud to repair the dam. Waterborne diseases are reportedly spreading rapidly through 25 flood-affected districts, and district administrations have reportedly appealed for aid. The government has distributed 2,650 metric tons of rice and 13,000 tins of biscuits to affected districts. It has also allocated US$77,800 for relief and US$66,200 for housing assistance, but has not appealed for international aid. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) in Dhaka said that flooding will ease a little in the northeast, but it will worsen in the northern, southwestern and central regions. In Nepal, Kantipur Online reports that the death toll has risen to100 after new landslide deaths were reported today. However, the floods have reportedly begun to recede after a week of heavy rains in east and central Nepal.
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/57bf10cdb17c660949256ed20021526f?OpenDocument
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/fcf431d18864599485256ed100676399?OpenDocument
http://www.ffwc.net/html/bulletin.html
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040715/ap/d83r4iho0.html
http://www.matamat.com/fullstory.php?gd=15&cd=2004-07-15
http://ww.matamat.com/fullstory.php?gd=19&cd=2004-07-15
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/07/15/d40715011313.htm
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000014540

Other World News

United Nations

UN's disaster reduction arm says that number of disasters increasing and becoming more severe, however, governments more capable of handling them
In a report released yesterday, titled “Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives,” the UN’s disaster reduction group says that the number of disasters is increasing and the disasters are becoming more severe. The Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) says that more than 70,000 people died last year as a result of some 700 natural disasters around the world. The disasters caused damages of some US$65 billion and affected some 600 million people. Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, says that the amount of people at risk is rising because of population growth and because some of the population centers are located in prime hazard areas. However, Egeland says that the scale of human losses and damages to livelihoods and infrastructure have been reduced because governments are improving the way they protect their people from disasters. The report sets out strategies for countries to consider when planning on how to reduce damage from disasters. The UN says that a global conference on disaster reduction will be held in Kobe, Japan this coming January, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the earthquake there, and delegates are expected to further discuss these issues.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11353&Cr=disasters&Cr1=
http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/$All/F2188B9320A3033A65256ED2001F95EC?OpenDocument