China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang says she has not read any reports of border encroachment around the Lines of Control in Ladakh. In fact, she says, "China has always strictly honored its commitments."
Indian Defense Minister, AK Antony, also denies the recent claims that China is subversively grabbing land along the border.
Both of these articles - from Times of India and Press Trust of India - are quite short and without many details. The TOI article reports Antony saying, "There is only a difference in perception," about the border encroachment. One wonders about pressure to post some information from an Indian source denying the recent claims...
What is the difference? How should it be explained? What are the different perceptions - that China IS harassing nomads along the high mountain plateau border, but India shouldn't perceive it like that? His words certainly imply that something is going on.
China and India are in their final rounds of talks to "safeguard peace and tranquility along the border."
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Affect vs. Effect
Affect is a verb.
Effect is a noun.
most of the time.
Global Tiger Initiative
In this year 2010, the Year of the Tiger, the Global Tiger Initiative launched with a conference including the 13 countries that govern tiger habitat. The conference was in Kathmandu... (neutral ground? Or where the best facilitators are?) in late October. During the four days, aims and objectives were established to protect tiger habitat which has reached 10% of the historical range, and make efforts for valuing live tigers rather than dead ones.
This HT article talks about Nepal's initiative to count their tigers starting next week. Only full grown tigers will be counted. Estimates were at 121 tigers in Nepal two years ago.
World Bank is involved: this is their tiger website.
Youtube has a page for GTI.
(read some of the reports on the gti website to see if any are appropriate for the Chitwan reader... final report summary? other academic papers? how can we link this in with lectures the students will hear? ask anil and watch youtube pieces to see if any are appropriate for viewing with the students)
This HT article talks about Nepal's initiative to count their tigers starting next week. Only full grown tigers will be counted. Estimates were at 121 tigers in Nepal two years ago.
World Bank is involved: this is their tiger website.
Youtube has a page for GTI.
(read some of the reports on the gti website to see if any are appropriate for the Chitwan reader... final report summary? other academic papers? how can we link this in with lectures the students will hear? ask anil and watch youtube pieces to see if any are appropriate for viewing with the students)
More Chatter on the HLPM and the CA Circus
The goal (according to this Republica article) is this: "The formation of the mechanism is termed as a breakthrough in the wake of growing political rift between the major political parties in the country." A Koirala idea, the HLPM (and its three members) is intended to reach directly into the heart of the political stalemate. When there is no way to move forward, the 'mechanism' takes effect and the three (who, arguably, are causing the problems anyway) have to sit face to face and talk out their differences. They can't hide from each other anymore.
The deadline for constitution writing is set for May 28, 2010 - now that the HLPM is in place, it's time to get to work, seriously. Battarai says that if the CA is dissolved, the Maoists will take to the streets - does this mean they are invested in the process and want to see it succeed? Or is this another round of political chatter?
So is it positive? Negative?
Seems it was an answer to the fourth phase of aggitation by the Maoists under the guise of 'civilian supremacy' - they have clearly been included (or Prachanda has) in the mechanism. Will this inclusion put a halt to the 24 Jan threat?
It is unclear who supports or is suspicious of the UN efforts to form this HLPM to sort out the government stand still.
"Dahal said that his party would never bow down to any foreign forces for the sake of preserving the national sovereignty and dignity."
While, in the same article he states that the method would "ease political standstill."
In this Republica article - "Relevance of HLPM", Prachanda says that anyone who is not supporting this new effort is suffering at the hands of foreign pressures. Here, the first priority of the HLPM should be giving itself proper form.
President Yadav stated his feeling of being the head of a political party rather than the president of a functioning parliamentary system. In this Republica article, the president says, "If the constitution is not written within the time stipulated by the Interim Constitution, it will lead to serious political complications. I am worried about that situation."
It is not clear what the functioning of the HLPM will be. This forum exists, people in the forum are suspicious about intentions, and others are saying if you are suspicious of this, it is clear you are influenced by outsiders. But who is facilitating? organizing? keeping watch over the process? I have read that UNMIN was the one to propose this idea, but I have yet to see written evidence of that fact. Is India involved? Will the HLPM be just another facade? A proper circus tent over the three + rings that are already giving the world a great show?
The deadline for constitution writing is set for May 28, 2010 - now that the HLPM is in place, it's time to get to work, seriously. Battarai says that if the CA is dissolved, the Maoists will take to the streets - does this mean they are invested in the process and want to see it succeed? Or is this another round of political chatter?
So is it positive? Negative?
Seems it was an answer to the fourth phase of aggitation by the Maoists under the guise of 'civilian supremacy' - they have clearly been included (or Prachanda has) in the mechanism. Will this inclusion put a halt to the 24 Jan threat?
It is unclear who supports or is suspicious of the UN efforts to form this HLPM to sort out the government stand still.
"Dahal said that his party would never bow down to any foreign forces for the sake of preserving the national sovereignty and dignity."
While, in the same article he states that the method would "ease political standstill."
In this Republica article - "Relevance of HLPM", Prachanda says that anyone who is not supporting this new effort is suffering at the hands of foreign pressures. Here, the first priority of the HLPM should be giving itself proper form.
President Yadav stated his feeling of being the head of a political party rather than the president of a functioning parliamentary system. In this Republica article, the president says, "If the constitution is not written within the time stipulated by the Interim Constitution, it will lead to serious political complications. I am worried about that situation."
It is not clear what the functioning of the HLPM will be. This forum exists, people in the forum are suspicious about intentions, and others are saying if you are suspicious of this, it is clear you are influenced by outsiders. But who is facilitating? organizing? keeping watch over the process? I have read that UNMIN was the one to propose this idea, but I have yet to see written evidence of that fact. Is India involved? Will the HLPM be just another facade? A proper circus tent over the three + rings that are already giving the world a great show?
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