~ASEAN must stiffen its resolve on Burma
~ASEAN must stiffen its resolve on Burma
Yangon has for too long been allowed to take advantage of the wobbles that have plagued the grouping's approach to engagement
Until Myanmar's military junta decides one way or another whether it intends to retain the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006, the wobbly indecisiveness of members of our regional grouping will continue to make it an object of international ridicule.
It should be obvious that at this stage it is simply not realistic to expect the junta, which has ruled with an iron fist for a long time, to make responsible decisions.
It is also obvious that ASEAN has no "Plan" if Yangon goes to Vientiane intent on taking its turn as chairman no matter what.
It has been evident to the rest of the world -- though apparently not to some parts of Southeast Asia -- that Myanmar does not have ASEAN's interests at heart. And it never will unless ASEAN formulates a plan to enforce its will. The fact is, ASEAN will never achieve its goal of facilitating democracy in Myanmar so long as it allows its members to hide behind and manipulate its oft-cited doctrine of non-interference. -- The Nation, Bangkok
;DAGENS NYHETER; ANPAk..r.. Others-U.S.-rights U.S. double standards JP/6/Others
U.S. double standards
Criticism against the Guantanamo military prison is growing, also in the U.S. And the dilemma is evident: the Americans demand that others respect what they do not live up to themselves.
For example, they demand that others must disarm, or refrain from procuring nuclear weapons, while at the same time not living up to their own commitments in accordance with the Non- Proliferation treaty.
The U.S. is publishing annual reports about the state of human rights in different parts of the world while at the same time the prisoners at Guantanamo live in limbo.
To have such double standards is in practice to undermine the possibility to get support from the surrounding world for the rights you consider yourself to have. -- Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm
;THE IRISH TIMES; ANPAk..r.. Others-Jackson Jackson trial I JP/6/Others
Others-Jackson
If any other 46-year-old had been so open about his friendships with young boys, how he enjoyed inviting them to sleepovers and, ultimately, sharing a bed with them, then his behavior might have seen him face the law years earlier.
However, there is no other 46-year-old quite like Michael Jackson. No one else who has so traded on the persona of an emotionally stunted man-child; whose life, from childhood to middle age, has been viewed by the public as a bizarre soap opera; and whose questionable habits were so often interpreted by the public as forgivable eccentricities.
The singer has returned to his three children, even after testimony revealed the sad details of how the mother of two of them has signed away her parental rights. Jackson himself is someone whose childhood has quite obviously left him psychologically damaged. -- The Irish Times, Dublin
Jackson trial II
Throughout the trial, Jackson had his hardcore supporters, but it's safe to say they were only a fraction of the fan base he once commanded. Jackson's weird behavior and freak-show lifestyle had alienated the others long since -- and, we suspect, led most to conclude as the trial approached that he was guilty on some or all of the charges.
But the jury disagreed. Because of that requirement for unanimity, the verdict simply can't be attacked in any meaningful way. It stands alone in a way that even Supreme Court decisions can't match.
"Not guilty" isn't the same as "innocent," several jurors were quick to add. They found Jackson's lifestyle repellent and believed him to be guilty of something.
They just didn't feel the prosecution had proved its charges beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, the case is closed, Michael Jackson's free -- and the nation's will move on, fully trusting the considered judgment of, in Shakespeare's phrase, 12 "good men and true." -- Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, North Dakota
:THE EGYPTIAN GAZETTE; ANPAk..r.. Others-Iraq Iraq violence JP/6/Others
Iraq violence
It is unlikely that spiraling horrendous deeds in Iraq are carried out by locals, though there are many disillusioned among them. The key casualties of the latest bombings have been innocent compatriots braving unstable conditions to make ends meet.
Likewise, it is implausible that self-style Arab jihadis (holy warriors) are the perpetrators of such acts, which cannot be described as resistance fighting. They are apparently the work of hither-to-unknown quarters keen to perpetuate Iraq's nightmare.
No Iraqi, whatever his/her leaning may be, stands to benefit from seeing the country sliding deeper into such horrifying anarchy. It is a short cut to a civil strife. Such acts also give the U.S.-led occupation troops the pretext to stay in Iraq allegedly to maintain security. -- The Egyptian Gazette, Cairo
Dismissal of S. African deputy
By dismissing (his) popular deputy and heir apparent, South African President Thabo Mbeki has demonstrated that he will not let personal friendship and loyalty stand in the way of what is good and proper.
Deputy President Jacob Zuma has not been tried for crimes, leave alone convicted. But a court found his financial adviser and friend, Schabir Shaik, guilty of corruption and fraud.
It must have been a difficult call to make. President Mbeki, indeed, noted that he had worked closely with his deputy for more than 30 years.
Yet Mbeki did not hesitate to take action when dear ally and friend was caught up in corruption allegations. -- Daily Nation, Nairobi
Bush and global warming
You would think President Bush would be sweating bullets under that security blanket he keeps burying the United States under every time he's asked about global warming.
Earth to George: The science is clear. Well-respected members of the scientific community have spoken. We can't afford to research this subject to death. That kind of wait-and-see approach could very well be the death of us. And good old Planet Earth.
Our president says the United States is already doing something about the problem. But we're not doing enough. We need to invest more dollars -- more energy -- into finding alternatives to fossil fuels.
We need tougher limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. And we need our president to crawl out from under that blanket and lead the charge. -- The Express-Times, Easton, Pennsylvania