(6-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( BDA )
(7-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
(ALD )
(8-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( LBD )
(9-10-2008) SHIBUYA (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( DPNS-JPB)
(10-10-2008) SHIBUYA (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( NLD-LA-JB )
(11-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( FWUBC )
(12-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( KNU-J )
(13-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
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(14-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
(ALD )
(15-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
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(16-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( DPNS-JPB)
(17-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
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(18-10-2008) SHINJUKU (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
( FWUBC )
(19-10-2008) IKEBUKURO (15;00 ~ 17 ; 00)
Friday, October 10, 2008
JAC MOVENENT
The 4th International Symposium of Organization for Asian Studies, Waseda University,TOKYO,JAPAN
IMF: UK to be worst hit in global economic downturn
http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/2008/10/08/imf-uk-to-be-worst-hit-in-global-economic-downturn/
October 8, 2008
IMF: UK to be worst hit in global economic downturn
by Kay Murchie
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the UK faces its most severe economic downturn since the collapse of the early 1990s.
In its latest bi-annual World Economic Outlook report, the IMF predicted that the UK will be the worst hit out of the world’s leading rich economies, due to the ongoing financial turmoil and falling house prices which the nation has experienced in the last 12 months.
The global economy is up against the most threatening crisis since the 1930s warned the report.
The IMF has downgraded Britain’s prospects and expects the economy to grow by 1% this year, while in 2009, the British economy is forecast to shrink by 0.1%, according the IMF.
The organisation also predicts that world economic growth will slow drastically this year, and improve modestly later in 2009.
According to the IMF, the global financial crisis, which started with the collapse in US sub-prime mortgages in August last year, had deteriorated in the last six months and entered a ‘tumultuous new phase‘ last month.
Action needs to be taken by Governments to keep a lid on inflation, warns the IMF and it is calling on Governments to co-ordinate their actions and added that measures taken to deal with the problems should send a strong signal to improve market confidence.
Its report coincides with this week’s IMF-World Bank meeting in America, which will see finance ministers and economic experts come together from around the globe.
Discuss this in the Finance Markets forums
Story link: IMF: UK to be worst hit in global economic downturn
World economy in 'major downturn'
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7e19cce243eb21aa6f421be58b5dcbf1
World economy in 'major downturn'
Downbeat forecasts contribute to recession fears
By Georg Szalai
Oct 8, 2008, 07:58 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Stock markets around the world slumped further Wednesday, with the U.S. doing better than most countries, as global recession fears took center stage.
Downbeat economic forecasts from the International Monetary Fund left stocks down despite a 50 basis points interest rate cut coordinated between the U.S. Federal Reserve and European central banks.
Some big-name media and entertainment stocks continued their recent slumps and hit 52-week lows Wednesday, including India's AdLabs Films, which declined 9.8%; India's Eros International, listed in London, which lost another 3.7% of its value; and German pay TV giant Premiere AG, whose stock fell 4.1%. Shares of U.K. broadcaster ITV hit a new 52-week low but rallied to close unchanged in the end.
In the U.S., ADRs of Sony (down 5.5%) and shares of Viacom (down 3.8%) and CBS (down 3.6%) were among those setting new 52-week lows.
The Hollywood Reporter Showbiz 50 index fell below the 700-point mark to set a new all-time low of 685.39 early Wednesday before recovering and closing down 0.8% at 776.12. Its biggest decliners were Lionsgate (down 11.8%) and John Malone's Liberty Capital (down 9.8%).
U.S. markets swung back and forth all day before closing down. The Dow finished 2% lower, and the broad-based S&P 500 index dropped 1.1%. The damage was more pronounced elsewhere. In London, the FTSE 100 index finished down 5.2%, the German DAX lost 5.9%, and Japan's Nikkei shed 9.4%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 8.2%.
The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England as well as the Canadian, Swedish and Swiss central banks each cut their benchmark interest rates by half a percentage point Wednesday in a rare coordinated move to send a strong signal of unity as markets try to overcome the current financial crisis.
However, the move seemed partly overshadowed by the International Monetary Fund, which slashed its forecasts for economic growth around the globe.
According to the IMF, the U.S. and Europe already are in or on the brink of recessions. IMF officials said the rate cuts were steps into the right direction but that more might be needed to overcome frozen credit markets and low consumer morale.
The Washington-based IMF cut its 2008 forecast for world economic growth from 4.1% -- as projected in July -- to 3.9%. For 2009, its estimate fell from 3.9% to 3%, which would mean the slowest pace in seven years.
"The world economy is now entering a major downturn in the face of the most dangerous shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s," it said.
The world's advanced economies will see the weakest momentum since 1982 next year, while emerging countries also will experience a hit to their growth, according to the IMF forecast.
In the U.S., it sees growth slowing from 1.6% in 2008 -- ahead of its July projection of 1.3% -- to merely 0.1% next year.
"For the remainder of 2008 and early 2009, the U.S. economy faces flat to negative growth," the IMF said. "An emerging turnaround in the housing sector and more stable oil prices should help lay the basis for incipient recovery in the second half of 2009."
World economy in 'major downturn'
Downbeat forecasts contribute to recession fears
By Georg Szalai
Oct 8, 2008, 07:58 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Stock markets around the world slumped further Wednesday, with the U.S. doing better than most countries, as global recession fears took center stage.
Downbeat economic forecasts from the International Monetary Fund left stocks down despite a 50 basis points interest rate cut coordinated between the U.S. Federal Reserve and European central banks.
Some big-name media and entertainment stocks continued their recent slumps and hit 52-week lows Wednesday, including India's AdLabs Films, which declined 9.8%; India's Eros International, listed in London, which lost another 3.7% of its value; and German pay TV giant Premiere AG, whose stock fell 4.1%. Shares of U.K. broadcaster ITV hit a new 52-week low but rallied to close unchanged in the end.
In the U.S., ADRs of Sony (down 5.5%) and shares of Viacom (down 3.8%) and CBS (down 3.6%) were among those setting new 52-week lows.
The Hollywood Reporter Showbiz 50 index fell below the 700-point mark to set a new all-time low of 685.39 early Wednesday before recovering and closing down 0.8% at 776.12. Its biggest decliners were Lionsgate (down 11.8%) and John Malone's Liberty Capital (down 9.8%).
U.S. markets swung back and forth all day before closing down. The Dow finished 2% lower, and the broad-based S&P 500 index dropped 1.1%. The damage was more pronounced elsewhere. In London, the FTSE 100 index finished down 5.2%, the German DAX lost 5.9%, and Japan's Nikkei shed 9.4%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 8.2%.
The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England as well as the Canadian, Swedish and Swiss central banks each cut their benchmark interest rates by half a percentage point Wednesday in a rare coordinated move to send a strong signal of unity as markets try to overcome the current financial crisis.
However, the move seemed partly overshadowed by the International Monetary Fund, which slashed its forecasts for economic growth around the globe.
According to the IMF, the U.S. and Europe already are in or on the brink of recessions. IMF officials said the rate cuts were steps into the right direction but that more might be needed to overcome frozen credit markets and low consumer morale.
The Washington-based IMF cut its 2008 forecast for world economic growth from 4.1% -- as projected in July -- to 3.9%. For 2009, its estimate fell from 3.9% to 3%, which would mean the slowest pace in seven years.
"The world economy is now entering a major downturn in the face of the most dangerous shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s," it said.
The world's advanced economies will see the weakest momentum since 1982 next year, while emerging countries also will experience a hit to their growth, according to the IMF forecast.
In the U.S., it sees growth slowing from 1.6% in 2008 -- ahead of its July projection of 1.3% -- to merely 0.1% next year.
"For the remainder of 2008 and early 2009, the U.S. economy faces flat to negative growth," the IMF said. "An emerging turnaround in the housing sector and more stable oil prices should help lay the basis for incipient recovery in the second half of 2009."
We Should Join Hands’
http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/tibet/archives/2008/10/we_should_join.html
October 09, 2008
‘We Should Join Hands’
http://www.newsweek.com/id/161410
We Should Join Hands’
China's prime minister speaks out in his first interview with a
Western publication in years.
Fareed Zakaria
NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Oct 6, 2008
In New York last week for the opening of the United Nations General
Assembly, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao gave a rare exclusive
interview to NEWSWEEK's Fareed Zakaria. Wen, 66, is known for his
openness and economic mastery, and has presided over some of the
fastest growth in China's history. He began the conversation by
pledging to "tell the truth" and invited Zakaria to interrupt him,
since Wen "prefers dialogue to long-winded speeches." The two covered
topics ranging from Tibet and Tiananmen Square to Darfur and human
rights, from political philosophy to the U.S. elections, from the
current financial crisis to the future of Chinese democracy. Excerpts:
ZAKARIA: What do you think of the financial crisis affecting the
United States?
WEN: We should join hands and meet the crisis together. If the
financial and economic system[s] in the United States go wrong, then
the impact will be felt not only in this country, but also in China,
in Asia and the world at large.
Regarding your own economy, many people now say there will be a
significant slowdown. Do you think that will happen? And if it does,
what do you think will be the consequences?
China's economy has been growing at an annual average rate of 9.6
percent for 30 years running. This is a miracle. And between 2003 and
2007, China enjoyed double-digit growth—yet the consumer price index
grew less than 2 percent a year.
China has been proactive in adopting regulatory measures. Our previous
concerns were to prevent a fast-growing economy from overheating and
to prevent soaring prices from becoming inflation.
But things have changed very fast [because of] the subprime crisis in
the United States and the serious turbulence that followed. We have
seen a decline in external demand, and China's domestic demand cannot
be significantly increased in a short period of time. [So] we do risk
a slowdown. We must re-adjust macroeconomic policy.
Do you think you can continue to grow if the United States goes into a
major recession?
Given the statistics for the first eight months of this year, we have
managed to do that. [But] a U.S. recession would certainly have an
impact on China's economy. Ten years ago, China–U.S. trade stood at
only $102.6 billion. Today the figure has soared to $302 billion—a 1.5-
fold increase. A shrinking of U.S. demand would certainly have an
impact on China's exports. And U.S. finance is closely connected with
Chinese finance. If anything goes wrong in the U.S. financial sector,
we would be anxious about the security of Chinese capital.
China is the largest holder of U.S. Treasury bills — by some accounts,
they ' re worth almost $1 trillion. Can you reassure [Americans] that
China would never use this status as a weapon in some way?
We believe that the U.S. real economy is still solidly based,
particularly the high-tech and basic industries. Something has gone
wrong in the virtual economy, but if this problem is properly
addressed, it is still possible to stabilize the economy. The Chinese
government hopes to see sustained development in the United States, as
that will benefit China. Of course, we are concerned about the safety
and security of Chinese money here. But we believe that the United
States is a credible country. And particularly at such difficult
times, China has reached out to the United States. And actually we
believe such a helping hand will help stabilize the entire global
economy and finance and prevent major chaos from occurring ... I
believe now that cooperation is everything.
Many people see China as a superpower already, and they wonder: why is
it not being more active in political resolution of issues such as
Darfur or Iran?
I need to correct some elements of your question. China is not a
superpower. Although China has a population of 1.3 billion and
although in recent years it has registered fairly fast economic and
social development, China still has … 800 million farmers in rural
areas and we still have dozens of millions of people living in
poverty. We need to make committed and very earnest efforts to address
these problems. That's why we need to focus on our own development and
on our efforts to improve people's lives.
But surely the Chinese government could pressure the Sudanese
government or the Iranian government or the government in Burma to be
less repressive. You have relations with all three of them.
That brings me to your second question. China is a justice-upholding
country. We never trade our principles. Take the Darfur issue that you
raised just now, for example. China has always advocated a dual-track
approach: China was among the first countries sending peacekeepers to
Darfur. China was also the first country that gave assistance to
Sudan, and we also keep [up] our efforts to engage the leaders in
Sudan to try to seek a peaceful solution.
Do you think it would be dangerous for the world if Iran got nuclear
weapons? And what do you think the world should do to try to prevent
it?
We are not supportive of a nuclear rise for Iran. We believe that Iran
has the right to develop a utilization of nuclear energy in a peaceful
way. But such efforts should be subject to the safeguards of the IAEA,
and Iran should not develop nuclear weapons … We hope that we can use
peaceful talks to achieve the purpose, rather than resort to the
willful use of force, or the intimidation of force. It's like a
relationship between two individuals. If one individual tries to
corner the other, the effect will be counterproductive. Our purpose is
to resolve the problem, not to escalate tensions.
I have a question for you: don ' t you think that the efforts made by
China in resolving the Korean nuclear issue have actually helped that
situation? I know it will take time to [achieve] a complete solution
to the Korean nuclear issue. But the model we have adopted has proved
to be r ight in this direction.
China's efforts have been appreciated in the United States and around
the world. And it makes people wish that China would be active in
other areas in the same way.
We have gained a lot of experience and learned lessons from the years
of negotiations. The progress made also had a lot to do with the close
cooperation among the six parties in the talks.
The Dalai Lama says now he would accept China ' s rule in Tibet. Why
don ' t you negotiate directly with him and solve this issue once and
for all?
The Dalai Lama is a religious leader and enjoys certain influence in
the Tibetan region. He is not an ordinary religious figure. The so-
called government in exile founded by the Dalai Lama practices
theocratic rule. And the purpose of this so-called government in exile
is to separate Tibet from China. All over the world, the Dalai Lama
keeps preaching about autonomy for the greater Tibetan region. He
wants to separate the so-called greater Tibetan region from the
motherland. Many people in the United States have no idea how big this
region is; it covers Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and Gansu: a
quarter of China's territory.
For decades, our policy [has been that] as long as the Dalai Lama is
willing to recognize that Tibet is an inalienable part of China's
territory, and as long as the Dalai Lama gives up his separatist
activities, we're willing to have contact and talks with him or his
representatives. Now, sincerity holds the key to producing results out
of the talks.
What action would you like to see from the Dalai Lama that would show
sincerity?
His sincerity can be demonstrated in giving up separatist activities.
… Of course, talks may continue, and in light of the progress in the
talks, we may also consider raising the level of the talks.
Premier Wen, your country has grown, as you pointed out, 9.5 percent
for 30 years — the fastest growth rate of any country in history. What
is the key to your success? What is the model?
[The answer is] the reforms and opening-up policy we introduced in
1978. We emancipated productivity in China. We had one important
thought: that socialism can practice market economy.
People think that ' s a contradiction. How do you make both work?
Give full play to the basic role of market forces in allocating
resources under the macroeconomic guidance and regulation of the
government. Ensure that both the visible hand and the invisible hand
are given full play. If you are familiar with Adam Smith, you will
know that there are two famous works of his. "The Wealth of Nations"
deals with the invisible hand: market forces. The other book deals
with social equity and justice. In the other book, he stressed the
importance of the regulatory role of the government to distribute
wealth among the people. If most of the wealth in a country is
concentrated in the hands of the few, this country can hardly [have]
harmony and stability.
Some Americans and Europeans, particularly human-rights observers, say
that China has cracked down on human rights over the last few years.
They say they had hoped that the Olympics would lead to an opening,
but there has been more repression. How would you respond?
By hosting the Olympics, China has become more open. Anyone without
biases will see that. Freedom of speech and of media coverage are
guaranteed in China. The Chinese government attaches importance to,
and protects, human rights. We have incorporated these into the
Chinese Constitution, and we also implement [them] in earnest. We
don't think that we are impeccable in terms of human rights—it is true
that in some places and in some areas, we have problems. Nonetheless,
we are continuing to make improvements.
When I go to China and I ' m in a hotel and I type the words "
Tiananmen Square " into my computer, I get a firewall, what some
people call the Great Firewall of China. Can you be an advanced
society if you don ' t have freedom of information?
China now has over 200 million Internet users and the freedom of the
Internet in China is recognized by many, even in the West. To uphold
state security, China, like many countries in the world, has also
imposed some proper restrictions. On the Internet in China, you can
have access to a lot of postings that are quite critical about the
government. It is exactly through reading these critical opinions on
the Internet that we try to locate problems and further improve our
work. I don't think a system or a government should fear critical
opinions or views.
What are your favorite sites?
I've browsed a lot of Web sites.
There is a photograph of you at Tiananmen Square in 1989. What lesson
did you take from your experiences in dealing with that problem? Did
you feel it was necessary to stop political reform? Do you think in 25
years there will be national elections in w hich there will be
competition?
I believe that while moving ahead with economic reforms, we also need
to advance political reforms, as our development is comprehensive in
nature, our reform should also be comprehensive. I think the core of
your question is about the development of democracy in China. When it
comes to the development of democracy in China, we can talk about
progress in three areas. No. 1: we need to gradually improve the
democratic election system so that state power will truly belong to
the people and state power will be used to serve the people. No. 2: we
need to improve the legal system, run the country according to law,
and [have] an independent and just judicial system. No. 3: government
should be subject to oversight by the people. That will [require] us
to increase transparency in government affairs. It is also necessary
for government to accept oversight by the news media and other
parties.
We need to take into account China's national conditions and we need
to introduce a system that suits China's special features and we need
to introduce a gradual approach.
It's hard for me to predict what will happen in 25 years. This being
said, I have this conviction: that China's democracy will continue to
grow. In 20 to 30 years, Chinese society will be more democratic and
fairer and the legal system will be improved. Socialism as we see it
will further mature and improve.
People say you ' re studying the Japanese system because there ' s
democracy, but only one party seems to win elections. Is that the
model you see for China?
There are multiple forms of democracy in the world. What is important
is whether it really represents the interests of the people. Socialism
as I understand it is a system of democracy. And such a democracy
first and foremost should serve to ensure the people's right to
democratic elections, oversight and decision making. Such a democracy
should also help people to develop themselves in an all-around way in
an environment featuring freedom and equality. And such a democracy
should be based on a full-fledged legal system.
You ' ve said that you ' ve read the works of Marcus Aurelius a
hundred times. He is a famous Stoic philosopher. My reading of him
says that one should not be involved in the self, and in any kind of
pursuits that are self-interested, but should be more for the
community as a w hole. When I go to China these days, I am struck by
how much individualism there is, how much consumerism there is. Are
you trying to send a signal to the Chinese people to think less about
themselves and more about the community?
It is true I read the meditations of Marcus Aurelius on many
occasions, and I was very deeply impressed by the words that he wrote.
I very much value morality and do believe that entrepreneurs,
economists and statesmen alike should pay much more attention to
morality and ethics. In my mind, the highest standard to measure
ethics and morality is justice. When we think about the economy, we
think more about companies, capital, markets, technology, and so on.
We might forget about elements like conviction and morality. Only when
we combine these two kinds of factors can we [have] a full picture of
the DNA of the economy. It is true that in the course of China's
economic development, some companies have pursued profits at the
expense of morality. We will never allow such things to happen,
because such an approach simply cannot be sustained. That's why we
advocate corporate, occupational and social ethics.
Let me ask you a final question. You must have been watching the
American election. What is your reaction to this strange race?
The presidential election of the United States should be decided by
the American people. What I follow very closely is [what] the
relationship between China and the United States [will be like] after
the election. In recent years, there has been sound growth in China-
U.S. relations. We hope that whoever is elected president, he will
continue to grow the relationship with China. And China hopes to
continue to improve its relationship with the United States no matter
who takes office.
Go here for a transcript of Fareed Zakaria's interview with Chinese
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/161410
Bank of Japan makes record liquidity injection
AP
Thursday October 9, 6:21 am ET
Bank of Japan makes record liquidity injection of $40 billion
TOKYO (AP) -- The Bank of Japan pumped a record 4 trillion yen, or $40.3 billion, into the Tokyo money market Thursday to unthaw credit flows still frigid despite a series of interest rate cuts by central banks around the world.
The move was the central bank's largest ever single-day liquidity injection and marked the 17th straight day of emergency operations. It has added more than 25 trillion yen ($249.2 billion) to the system since the global financial crisis erupted last month.
South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all slashed interest rates Thursday, following Wednesday's coordinated rate reductions led by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. China's central bank also cut rates Wednesday, thought did not say if it was part of the joint action.
Still, funding conditions remained tight in Japan, especially for foreign banks.
While the Bank of Japan applauded the synchronized monetary policy moves, it did not participate in the effort.
The central bank on Tuesday left its overnight call rate at an already low 0.5 percent. Monetary conditions remain accommodative, it said in a statement, adding that it has engaged in "decisive actions of liquidity supply."
Japan looks for new ways to boost economy By Yuzo Saeki
Thu Oct 9, 4:23 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso sought new ways to stimulate the economy on Thursday, as a 14.5 percent dive in machinery orders provided further evidence the global financial crisis is pushing Japan into recession.
Tokyo has already prepared an $18 billion stimulus package. But, a day after major central banks staged coordinated rate cuts to kick-start financial markets, Aso asked his ruling party to consider compiling another one.
"It is extremely unclear how financial market developments will affect the real economy, and we need to respond to it," Aso told reporters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party met to discuss such a package, which may include loans for small firms and corporate tax cuts, and vowed to hammer out new measures by the end of this month.
The world's second-largest economy has so far proven more resilient than Europe and the United States in the face of global financial turmoil, and its banks have bought into U.S. lenders hit by bad subprime debt.
The fear is that Japan will suffer as the crisis spreads beyond banking and markets.
The slide in machinery orders for August reinforced expectations that Japan is on the brink of recession, after the economy contracted at its fastest rate in seven years in the second quarter.
"There is a chance Japan's economy may contract again toward the end of this year and early next year. In this market environment, corporate revenues and sentiment could worsen further," said Yoshiki Shinke, a senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
The Nikkei stock average (.N225) fell to its lowest close in more than five years on Thursday, with hopes for new policy steps warring with concerns over the global economy. (.T)
Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda said he was closely watching how global share price falls affect Asia's emerging economies.
While the worst stage of inflation has ended for many Asian economies, the global economic slowdown was making a significant impact on the region's growth, Kuroda told a news conference.
CENTRAL BANK HOLDING BACK
Unlike its neighbors, China, South Korea and Taiwan, Japan has not joined a round of interest rate cuts by central banks around the world, part of an effort to contain the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
The Bank of Japan says its rates, already very low at 0.5 percent, do not need to be cut, though analysts believe it may be forced to move depending on the reaction of markets.
Japan's fiscal policy has almost as little room for maneuver as its monetary policy, given the dire state of public finances.
Aso said he was not planning to issue deficit-covering bonds to finance the new package because of budget conditions, although he did not rule out other forms of bond issues.
Japanese media reported the new spending package would be bigger than the existing 1.8 trillion yen ($17.92 billion) extra budget for the current fiscal year, which is expected to pass parliament next week.
"Even if the government has to launch fresh economic stimulus measures, I do not think that additional spending on public works or interest rate cuts are necessary," said Yasuo Yamamoto, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute.
The fall in often-volatile machinery orders was four times as big as the market had expected, and the third monthly fall in a row.
For a graphic for machinery orders, go to:
https://customers.reuters.com/d/graphics/JP_MCHORD0810.gif
Machinery orders are a leading gauge for capital spending, one of the key areas of growth for Japan's economy in recent years as large exporters geared up production.
Government officials say the economy is either heading toward or already in recession, which Japan defines as a downturn in the economic cycle, rather than the more widely used definition of two straight quarters of economic contraction.
(Additional reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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Film Reveals Murder of Burmese Fishermen In Thailand
Film Reveals Murder of Burmese Fishermen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 9, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A film capturing eyewitness accounts of the appalling maltreatment of Burmese fishermen in Thailand was released on Thursday at the Fishers’ Conference of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) in Pusan, South Korea.
Titled “Abandoned, not Forgotten,” the 10-minute documentary was produced and directed by David Browne for the ITF.
In one scene, an ex-fisherman describes how a cook beat a young Burmese crew member with an iron bar. “The skipper asked if the guy was dead or not. I told him: ‘He hasn't died yet, leave him alone, I'll look after him.’ The guy was hit again on the back of his head and his brains spilled out.
He took an hour to die.” He concluded: “I think our Burmese boatman die like dogs and pigs.”
The film can be seen at: www.itfglobal.org/fisheries/film.cfm or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deCo_ZBSk-U
In a press release by the ITF on Thursday, General Secretary David Cockroft said, “This film is a sometimes sickening but very necessary addition to the evidence that many Burmese citizens forced to flee their country are being appallingly treated. This is a 21st century scandal, and everyone involved—including those who wittingly or not buy or sell fish products tainted by this horrible exploitation—must examine their consciences and act.”
According to London-based ITF, an estimated 250,000 Burmese migrant fishermen and women working in fish-processing factories are employed in Thailand’s billion-dollar, export-driven fishing industry. Only 70,000 are legally registered. With little or no legal status or protection, many face brutality and near slavery, said the statement.
Along with 186 affiliated seafarers’ unions—including Burmese, Thai and Indonesian unions—the ITF urged the Thai authorities to “tackle the systemic exploitation and abuse,” as well as calling for: action by the flag states of the vessels to fulfill their obligations and ensure that the rule of law is upheld on their territory; action by all buyers and companies involved in the buying, processing and exporting of the fish stocks to ensure that decent conditions are upheld throughout their supply chains; and the commissioning of a tripartite investigation mission by the ILO (International Labor Organization).
Meanwhile, a Thai human rights group, Labor Rights Promotion Network, has called for a total compensation package of 15 million baht (531 million kyat/ US $430,000) to be shared among the families of 39 Burmese fishermen who died aboard—and the 38 surviving Burmese crew members of—a Thai fishing fleet which lay adrift for three months without fresh water or food.
The calls came after a labor court in Thailand ordered the owners of the Praphasnavee fishing fleet to recompense the survivors, but did not award compensation to family members of the fishermen who died of starvation in June 2006 aboard six deep-sea trawlers. Copyright © 2008 Irrawaddy Publishing Group | www.irrawaddy.org
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