East Asia as nuclear power

 

East Asia

Another Nuclear Power:       

 As newsflash must be spread the knowledge about the country which contain of nuclear power. Events in the East Asia region were overshadowed by the nuclear testing carried out by North Korea. Having remained a thorn in the side of the US for some time now, North Korea has continued to carry the title of 'rogue state' a policy overtly fuelled by the present Bush government, despite the relaxation of tensions between the North and South Korean governments since 2000 when Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung shook hands. Thus, on October 9, 2006 North Korea unabashedly declared its nuclear test as a 'historic event' affirming that it was carried out `safely and successfully.'  Following this open declaration of becoming a nuclear state, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to impose weapons and financial sanctions on North Korea, demanding elimination of all its 'nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.' While the Security Council's vote of imposing sanctions was accepted as a demonstration of international solidarity against the rogue state —including acceptance by China to a blockade of nuclear and missile technology into and out of North Korea — Kim Jongil appears undaunted and it does not seem that North Korea will be in any way altering its nuclear programme.

East Asia

North Korea’s face problems:

North Korea's refusal to halt its programme comes with the condition that the UN sanctions and America's financial restrictions should first be lifted before they agree to any change in their nuclear programme, a gamble that Washington is not prepared to take. However, the most crucial outcome of sanctions is feared by Aid agencies who are about the long-term humanitarian impact as food supplies coming in to North Korea from its main suppliers of food — South Korea and China — will be severely affected after suspended shipments. The World Food Programme (WFP) has already alerted authorities that there is enough food to last only until January this year, following which millions of North Koreans will be at risk of starvation. Around five million metric tons of cereal, rice and wheat a year is the estimated peed of North Korea to feed its 23 million people out of which the country is only able to 85% relying on outside sources for the extra one million tones.

 While the development in North Korea grabbed headlines because of its critical international fallout, it was Thailand’s domestic upheaval that put it on center stage under full media attention. Thailand's military, led by the army commander-in-chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, overthrew its premier, Thaksim Shinawatra, while the Prime Minister was attending the UN General Assembly session on 19 September, 2006. Though the 'bloodless coup' was condemned internationally, the new leadership was immediately endorsed by the Thai king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch who incidentally celebrated his 60 years as monarch in 2006 in a colourful and grand ceremony in the capital city of Bangkok. The 2006 coup is reportedly Thailand's first in 15 years but its 18th since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The new Thai government which calls itself the Council for National Security, is headed by the interim prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, and like most martial law regimes states its purpose for seizing power as 'a step towards unification of the nation after months of political turmoil,' with a promise to return the country to civilian rule.

Mr. Shinawatra's bewilderment and embarrassment was witnessed internationally when having flown to New York to deliver a speech to the UN, he received news that he had been overthrown in a military coup. With his speech at the UN cancelled, and all ties to Thailand cut off by the new regime, Mr. Thaksin was reported to have been 'able to do little but watch events unfold on a TV set in his room' and eventually fly off to London.

 Close by in Japan, the political 'leadership changed hands without the tension witnessed in Thailand, when Shinzo Abe succeedced Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister and head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September 2006. Abe is 52 years of age and said to be Japan's youngest leader since World War –11. A former chief cabinet secretary, the conservative Mr. Abe is expected to pusue economic reforms, spending cuts and a tighter alliance with the US — policies already set by outgoing PM Koizumi wants to 'rewrite the 1947 pacifist constitution.'

  While the flamboyant Koizumi has exited gracefully, he has also left behind a legacy of westernization that has seen Japan shed its drab colours. And most importantly, he was also to avoid the tough decision of altering the rules of succession for Japan's monarchy, following the birth of the first royal male heir after 1965. It was first the news of the pregnancy of Prince Kiko, the 39-year-old wife of the emperor's second son, that stalled the mounting debate in cabinet over whether majestic Household Law - - which permits just male beneficiaries ought to be corrected. At the point when she at last brought forth a child in pre-winter, those opposed to the possibility of ladies rising the Chrysanthemum Throne were excited. What's more, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had at first swore to get the progression lays, changed before the finish of parliament's meeting in June, became mindful and had the option to avoid the entire issue altogether.

Thought to be undergoing its 'second industrial revolution, China is presently the second largest oil consumer following the US at number one. Spending billions of dollars worth investments in foreign energy supplies, it is now also the world's biggest producer and consumer of coal. But despite these high statistic of its imports, foreign investments and exports which are bringing in soaring amounts of foreign investment, China's unofficial control over world markets -- not to mention its near monopoly on cheap, pirated goods — is not appreciated by other world powers mainly the United States. The outcome has been that China is being 'pressurzed into exposing itself to competition from abroad and Beijing is under pressure to raise the value of its currency, thus making Chinese goods more expensive for foreign buyers.

Which country in Asia Minor is an atomic force?

Also coming under scrutiny is China's alleged transfer of nuclear of long-range missle technology to countries like Iran, North Korea and Pakistan. However, a BBC report recently zoomed in on another aspect of China's arms technology which focused on routine export of conventional weapons and small arms to poor economies, an issue which hasn't yet received much global attention. The BBC report follows China's pre-capitalist-style economic reforms of 1978, when it used to give arms as free military aid to governments and revolutionary groups partial to China's interests. Tying it up with a recent report by Amnesty International, the report concludes that Chinese arms sales are actually fuelling conflicts and human rights abuses in countries such as Sudan and Burma.

 Analysts say that political reforms are badly needed in China as despite the economic boom, problems such as corruption, the growing rate of HIV and environmental degradation are rising at a high rate. The summer of 2006 also experienced the country's worst drought in 50 years in which 18 million people were affected.

 While a new Sultan — Mizan Zainal Abidin — was installed as Malaysia's 13th King in December last year, earlier in the year Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, became the victim of ex-premier Mahathir Mohammad's wrath when Badawi's government shelved the construction of a controversial bridge to Singapore — a project started by Dr, Mahathir when he was in office — on the grounds that-it might contravence international law. BBC's Jonathan Kent reported the Joke doing the rounds in Malaysia that its former Prime Minister was going through PPMS — Post Prime Ministerial Syndrome as Mahathir had publicly announced that he regretted appointing Mr. Abdullah as his successor saying, "I'm in the habit of choosing the wrong people!"

Indonesia again experienced a number of natural calamities in the year 2006, first in May when a powerful earthquake killed thousands of people on the island of Java and then in July again when a tsunami, triggered by a large undersea earthquake, killed more than 500 people on the island of Java.

In the Philippines, the political front remained somewhat stable after the previous year's scandals faced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo even though a brief state of emergency was declared by President Arroyo after the army said it had foiled a planned coup. But December once again brought its share of disasters to the typhoon prone area and hundreds of people died after Typhoon Durian triggered mudslides. In a village on the central island of Leyte, more than 1,000 people were killed by a mudslide.

Myanmar's military leaders showed no relaxation in their authoritarian rule for yet another year and despite outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's last appeal to the head of Burma's military junta, Than Shwe, to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's military rulers extended her detention under house arrest.

 Vietnam, though still a one-party communist state, is said to be one of south-east Asia's fastest—growing economies working towards becoming a developed nation by 2020. A recent political change also saw the prime minister, president and national assembly chairman in Vietnam replaced by younger leaders and the parliament confirmed Nguyen Minh Triet, the head of the Communist Party in Ho Chi Minch city, as president in June 2006.

 But despite its goals for a better future, Vietnam continues to bear the consequences of the infamous war. A BBC investigation has revealed the lingering fallout of the damage caused by the use of chemical weapon Agent Orange in Vietnam which has maimed millions for life and is feared to continue doing so for Vietnam's future generations.

Nuclear power