'Gangnam Style' effect

Julie Jackson, Asia News Network (The Korea Herald), Seoul, South Korea | Entertainment | Thu, October 04 2012, 5:51 PM A- A A+

'Gangnam Style' effect: Thousands of fans of South Korean rapper PSY, who sings the popular 'Gangnam Style' song, wait before his street concert in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday. (AP/Lee Jin-man) On Thursday night, the sight at Seoul City Hall was in one word: chaotic. It appeared as though the whole city was trying to get a taste of the Gangnam phenom. Four hours before Psys concert was even set to begin, the air was filled the whistles of traffic cops trying to redirect traffic; the rooftops of adjacent buildings were all lined with TV cameras; and the front of Seoul Plaza was packed so tightly with shouting fans that the security staff had to physically reinforce the barricades to keep the crowds from knocking them down as they were trying to weave their way through the hordes of people in hopes of finding any spot to catch a live glimpse of the infamous horse dance. The place was so overrun with fans that the staff were forced to push back the crowd barricades which then led to an instant stampede reminiscent of the running of the bulls. Because it was a free event open to the general public, there was no way to calculate exactly how many people actually attended the event, but the crowd size was expected to be around 50,000. Anyone who was skeptical of the Psy fever taking over the world would have without a doubt been made a believer last night. One local fan even held a sign that read Psy for president. But the venue not only drew his local fan base, but also grabbed the attention of his many international followers as well.

Theresa Waz, an exchange student from Buffalo, New York, was a Gangnam Style fan who said she had to see it for herself. I need to catch this, she said. Its a once-in-alifetime thing and I want to catch this phenomenon while its big. Waz came hours early to claim her spot in the crowd, but after seeing how many fans were already there, she remarked, I cant believe it. Bola Olanusi, a vacationer from Orlando, Florida, said she heard Gangnam Style for the first time when she came to Korea three weeks ago and became a fan of both the song and Psy. I do like the way hes not so traditional. Psys performance in front of City Hall had such high expectations right from the get go, and all that hype did not disappoint. Although this much-anticipated concert was hoped by many of Psys fans to be a celebration of the singers reign at the top of the U.S. Billboard chart, he has yet to conquer that feat. As he stands at second place this week, the world is still left wondering and waiting. Nevertheless, the night showed off exactly why he became a global sensation. Just by the look on the faces of the thousands in the crowd and the deafening reactions by his hometown and international fans, one could tell that no matter the current Billboard ranking, Psy was still No. 1 in their hearts.

Bogor-Jakarta commuter train derailed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Indonesia | Jakarta | Thu, October 04 2012, 1:27 PM A- A A+

An official examines a train that left the tracks at Cilebut station, Bogor, West Java, on Thursday. No casualties were reported in the accident that involved an air-conditioned train serving the Bogor-Jakarta route. (Antara/Jafkhairi)

An air-conditioned commuter train serving Bogor-Jakarta route was derailed at Cilebut station in Bogor, West Java at 6:25 a.m. on Thursday. No casualties were reported in the accident but it caused hundreds of frightened passengers to leave the train and continue their journey by public minivans and motorcycle taxis to the next station, Bojonggede. Passenger Galang, 35, said the train had been unstable as it approached the station. When the train hit the platform, all the passengers felt the impact, he added. We were trapped for five minutes after the carriages slipped off the rails, but then the doors opened, he said. PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek spokesman Mateta Rijalulhaq said on Thursday that the train was derailed due to a broken track. There is an estimated 20-centimeter part of the track that is broken, when the train tried to stop, the carriages slipped off the rails, he said as quoted by Antaranews.com. Mateta denied that the broken rail was caused by poor maintenance, insisting that the company routinely checked the tracks. The train affected was not the first one operating today, so previous trains must have damaged the track, he said, adding that PT KAI would investigate the incident further. While PT KAI staff removed the carriages, at least 40 schedules were disrupted because of the accident. The route is currently limited to Bojong Bede Jakarta. (cor/iwa)

House bangs drum of war in Papua

Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Thu, October 04 2012, 7:56 AM A- A A+ The House of Representatives has urged the government to take concrete actions to stem the burgeoning support for the separatist movement in Papua. The House Commission I overseeing defense has also pushed the government and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to endorse any efforts by the Indonesian Military (TNI) to deal with the separatist movement in the countrys resource rich easternmost province. The law on the TNI mandates the institution to conduct military operations in times of war and at other times when terrorism or separatist movements occur. It is clear that the TNI could have legal justification to deal with separatist movement in Papua and in other parts of the country, Tubagus Hasanuddin Commission I deputy chairman said during a meeting on Wednesday. Tubagus said that the House was yet to give political support for any TNI offensive against the separatist movement in Papua, but it would not hesitate to back it if the occasion

demanded. To keep Papua integrated with the country we must encourage the TNI to do what they have to do in Papua, by showing our political support, said Tubagus of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in a meeting between the Attorney Generals Office (AGO), Commission I and officials from the TNI, the Home Ministry, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the National Police. Article 7 of the Law No. 34/2004 on the TNI stipulates that the military is responsible to defend the sovereignty and integrity of the nation, as well as to protect its people, through military and non-military operations. The article also stipulates that military operations are only allowed in times of war, whereas non-military campaigns are possible in dealing with an armed separatist movement, armed rebellion, terrorism and border security. Tubagus said that the separatist movement are now gaining ground in Papua and abroad. Certain pro-independence figures, who are living overseas, use this opportunity to nurture opposition against the government. The people have obviously welcomed [the idea of independence]. Therefore, we must seriously do something about it, Tubagus said. The government denied that there was an escalation of tension in Papua. Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi claimed that the government could maintain peace in Papua, while continuously conducting a constructive dialogue with many elements in the Papuan community. Gamawan said that the government is treading a fine line between respecting human rights and maintaining security and sovereignty in Papua. The government bases efforts to reach any solutions to conflicts on principles that promotes the sovereignty of the nation, affirmative and non-violent policies and human rights, Gamawan said. Separately, Free Papua Movement (OPM) leader Lambertus Pekikir said that the central government had failed in its effort to bring peace in Papua. Lambertus said that Indonesian government had been imposing its will on Papua and refused to acknowledge that efforts for a peaceful resolutions had failed. He said that one of examples of the governments lapse was its refusal to acknowledge ongoing violence in Papua, which has been put into the spotlight by the international community. Having said that, all of us must sit down and talk seriously and honestly about what has been happening here. Give us a chance to tell our version of the story. People say that Indonesia is a democratic country. Please let democracy prevail in Papua, he said.

Demand for outsourcing gets positive response in W. Java

Arya Dipa and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Medan | Archipelago | Thu, October 04 2012, 8:10 AM A- A A+ Paper Edition | Page: 5 West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan issued a circular on Wednesday, informing regents and mayors about work contracts, including the use of the outsourcing system, which is not considered beneficial to workers. Heryawan said that the issuance of the circular represented a form of support to workers who staged massive rallies both in West Java and other provinces across Indonesia, including Medan, Semarang, Batam and Makassar. Copies of the circular have been sent to related offices throughout the provinces, business employers association representatives and workers unions in West Java, Heryawan said in front of thousands of protesting workers. Heryawan said that the decision was taken as the best alternative for all parties, both the employers and the workers. The circular was issued after taking into consideration many industrial relations problems linked to contract agreements and the outsourcing system, he said. The governor expressed confidence the circular would be followed up by the issuance of decrees in the respective regencies and mayoralties. This is what the business world needs, while at the same time workers want welfare. There will be a kind of legal certainty, he said. After the circular was issued, the protesting workers dispersed. In Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, hundreds of protesting workers forced several factories to allow their workers to join the massive rallies in Medan on Wednesday. Their action briefly sparked disputes between protesters and security officers in the factories. Im not a member of the labor union whose members are supporting todays rally. Weve only sent five representatives to join the rallies, said an unnamed security officer of PT Innawood. The disputes ended after the factories agreed to the workers demand to allow 50 workers from each factory to join the rallies. The rallies were centered in front of the North Sumatra Legislative Council and governors

office in Medan. In Batam, Riau Islands province, the massive rallies, staged by up to 200,000 workers, caused estimated losses of up to US$10 million. Head of the Batam office of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Johannes Kennedy Aritonang said that the rallies paralysed nearly 20 industrial estates in Batam. In Semarang, Central Java, workers demanded wage hikes and the improvement of welfare. In Makassar, South Sulawesi, workers demanded stopping the use of the outsourcing system and refused a low wage payment. The workers held the rallies in different locations throughout the city. Fadli, Ainur Rohmah and Andi Hajramurni contributed reporting to this story.

Number of protesters less than expected

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Wed, October 03 2012, 6:50 PM A- A A+

Strike break: Workers with the Indonesian Metal Workers Federation (FSPMI) have lunch during a break from their rally at the MM2100 industrial area in Cibitung, Bekasi, West Java, on Wednesday. The protesters left a great amount of litter and waste at the location. (JP/Fikri Z. Muhammadi)The number of protesters in Jakarta on Wednesday - the day dubbed national labor protest day - turned out to be less than organizers expected. Around 1,000 workers gathered in front of the Jakarta City Council office on Jl. Kebon Sirih, instead of congregating in front of the Presidential palace as previously planned.

They did not march on the main streets of the capital. Field coordinator Mustopo said that the strike was not centered in one location. Only workers from Central Jakarta and West Jakarta went to the downtown Jakarta, while workers in North Jakarta and East Jakarta flocked to Pulogadung. Workers in industrial districts like Bekasi, Tangerang and Depok staged protests in their working areas, he said. Some 5,000 workers from the capital, 5,000 from Tangerang, 3,000 from Depok and 10,000 from Bekasi were expected to stage rallies in various areas on Wednesday. The Jakarta Police had prepared around 15,000 personnel to guard the city, especially at strategic sites such as in front of the Presidential Palace on Jl. North Medan Merdeka, the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Jl. Thamrin as well as the House of Representatives building on Jl. Gatot Subroto. The police said that there was no plan to detour the traffic on Jakarta's protocol roads. (cor/aml)

Gay pride march banned in Serbia

Dusan Stojanovic, The Associated Press, Belgrade, Serbia | World | Thu, October 04 2012, 10:21 AM A- A A+ Serbia's police on Wednesday banned a Gay Pride march in Belgrade, citing security concerns but also complying with a request from Serbia's Christian Orthodox church. Police said they were banning the march planned for Saturday because they feared a repeat of the violence in 2010, when right-wing groups attacked a Gay Pride event in Belgrade. That triggered day-long clashes with the police which left more than 100 people injured. Last year's gay pride march also was banned by authorities. The current ban was announced after Patriarch Irinej, the head of Serbia's Christian Orthodox church, urged the government to prevent Saturday's march. In a statement, he said such a "parade of shame" would cast a "moral shadow" on Serbia a conservative Balkan country whose gay population has faced threats and harassment. Allowing a Gay Pride march this year had been regarded by some as a test of Serbia's pledge to respect human rights as it seeks European Union membership. That was clear in the reaction of European Parliament official Jelko Kacin, who called the ban a "political decision that questions the rule of law in Serbia." Secretary-General Thorbjoern Jagland of the Council of Europe, the continent's main human rights body, said he was "surprised and disappointed" that the pride event has been banned again.

"Citizens should be able to exercise their rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression," he said. "Serbia should be in a position to safeguard such an event, which is commonplace in modern democracies." Amnesty International said the ban puts Serbia in breach of its own laws. "Serbia's government is effectively going against its own legal and constitutional protections for basic rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Serbia," said John Dalhuisen, the group's director for Europe and Central Asia. Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said in addition to banning the Gay Pride march, the government was barring a gathering of right-wing groups that planned to attack the event. It also canceled several national league soccer matches in Belgrade on Saturday because they often are attended by hooligans aligned with the extremists. "We believe that at this moment Serbia does not need clashes and victims, and that's why we banned the gatherings," said Dacic, who is also the national police chief. Opposition politicians said the ban showed that authorities are unable to protect freedom and human rights in Serbia. "No democratic society has the right to retreat from the threats of violence against basic rights," said Liberal Party leader Cedomir Jovanovic. Meanwhile, some 2,000 riot policemen were deployed Wednesday in front of an art exhibit in Belgrade organized by gay activists that the extremists had threatened to disrupt. The reason? They claimed the photographs by a Swedish artist desecrated the

Mexico declares nature reserve on Cozumel island

The Associated Press, Mexico City | Environment | Thu, September 27 2012, 9:54 AM A- A A+ Mexico's environmental authorities say they have declared the northern shore of the Caribbean island of Cozumel a protected nature area, with strict limits on human activity there. The Environment Department says about 146 square miles (378 square kilometers) of the island and coastal waters will be protected under the measure. The area designated Wednesday constitutes the shores and offshore shelf on the northern half of the island. The area is mostly unpopulated and well away from Cozumel's town, marinas and cruise ship dock.

Two species have native ranges only on the island: the Cozumel spiny lizard and the Cozumel racoon, which is a dwarf raccoon.

Threatened Vietnam cave bugs draw little sympathy

Mike Ives, The Associated Press, Hon Chong, Vietnam | Environment | Wed, September 12 2012, 4:31 PM A- A A+

In this photo taken July 1, 2012, hand railings lead the way into the Moso cave in the Moso mountains in Hong Chong, Vietnam. Hundreds of species live in the limestone caves of Hon Chong in southern Vietnam, and many of them are found nowhere else on Earth. Yet their habitat is being blown apart, chunk by chunk, in the name of making cement. One reason, biologists lament, is that these are creatures no one would want to hug, and many would want to stomp. Spiders. Mites. Millipedes. (AP/Na Son Nguyen) Hundreds of species live in the limestone caves of Hon Chong in southern Vietnam, and many of them are found nowhere else on Earth. Yet their habitat is being blown apart, chunk by chunk, in the name of making cement. One reason, biologists lament, is that these are creatures no one would want to hug, and many would want to stomp. Spiders. Mites. Millipedes.

People who have been trying to save them from extinction for more than 15 years have found few allies in government, industry or among local residents. "The problem is that limestone caves do not (have) any charismatic animals or plants that would melt people's hearts if they died out," Peter Ng Kee Lin, a biologist at the National University of Singapore, said by email. The degradation of Asia's vast but fragile limestone ecosystems is continuing apace as the region's demand for cement grows along with its economies. Limestone is a key ingredient in cement, the second-most consumed substance on Earth after water, and is used to build desperately needed houses, roads and bridges. Holcim Vietnam a joint venture of the Switzerland-based company Holcim and a stateowned Vietnamese construction company began quarrying 200 hectares (490 acres) of Hon Chong limestone in 1997. It is licensed to quarry about 91 million tons of limestone at three hills over 50 years. Hon Chong has among the few limestone outcroppings in southern Vietnam and lies about 250 kilometers (155 miles) west of the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City. Its isolated cave ecosystems are among the world's most biodiverse, according to Louis Deharveng, a biodiversity specialist at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Letters from scientists and a biodiversity study obtained by The Associated Press show that Holcim Vietnam and a key donor have received repeated warnings in recent years about the threats the company's quarries pose to Hon Chong's cave-dwelling invertebrates. Three respected European scientists have accused the company of ignoring red flags over two decades and provoking an ongoing "ecological disaster." "It's rather like a company going in to mine the Galapagos just before Charles Darwin arrives," said one of the scientists, Tony Whitten, a former biodiversity specialist at the World Bank who is now regional director for Asia-Pacific at the UK-based conservation group Fauna & Flora International. "How many species is a company prepared to eliminate from a planet we are supposed to be managing and sustaining?" Holcim Vietnam says its operations meet the highest international standards for social and environmental responsibility and that it is working to offset the damage it causes to Hon Chong's limestone. It partners with the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature to relocate rare monkeys living near the caves, and has also donated $30,000 toward a wetlandbased crane conservation project managed by the U.S.-based International Crane Foundation, according to the groups. Holcim and the Swiss conservation group also are working with provincial authorities to create two protected areas of about 2,000 hectares each near the Hon Chong quarries one for grasslands and the other for limestone. Holcim is also working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature to develop a "biodiversity action plan" for Hon Chong that is expected to be finalized in October. Jake

Brunner, Mekong program coordinator for the conservation group, said Holcim does not have a perfect environmental record but is an "island of excellence" when compared to Vietnam's state-owned cement companies. Holcim's critics, however, said that while the company is helping to mitigate the damage done to monkeys and cranes, it is slowly killing off the small cave dwellers that play an undervalued but important role in the ecosystem. Cave invertebrates are pollinators and the base of food chains that support a rich web of life, scientists say. Because limestone hills have rugged terrain and have largely been spared from agricultural development, their interior caves are now "islands" of tropical biodiversity, and most of the organisms living inside those caves are unknown to science. Ng, the Singapore biologist, said the destruction continues in part because caves do not house "sexy" animals that galvanize the general public's sympathies. "Our disregard for them speaks volumes of human wisdom," he said. Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, Holcim Vietnam's sustainable development director, said ecological factors couldn't be considered independent of economic ones. "That's the reality where we are living," he said in an interview at company headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City. Holcim declined a request by the AP to visit its Hong Chong quarries and cement production plant, saying it did not have enough advance notice to arrange a tour. But in July, AP reporters interviewed local residents who said they were grateful for the jobs, infrastructure and social welfare programs the company assists in. "Holcim has done a good job protecting the environment," said provincial environmental official Vo Thi Van. "It's not right to say the quarries have caused an ecological disaster." Holcim's plant was built with help from the International Finance Corporation, the privatesector arm of the World Bank. It arranged financing of $97 million for the project, though Deharveng warned the corporation in 1995 that "no comparable ecosystem exists elsewhere in Vietnam." The decision to go through with the loan was made based on an environmental impact assessment by Vietnamese scientists that did not specifically address threats to Hon Chong's cave biodiversity, said Richard Caines, one of the finance corporation's principal environment specialists. The corporation later commissioned a biodiversity survey that in 2002 reported "wide species diversity" in Hon Chong's limestone hills. The loan was paid off in 2003, but Caines said the corporation continued to work with Holcim Vietnam after that, in part because the quarrying operations posed a "reputation risk" to both parties.

Penn Museum makes deal with Turkey for 'Troy gold'

Kathy Matheron, The Associated Press, Philadelphia | Culture | Wed, September 05 2012, 9:55 AM A- A A+ A Philadelphia archaeology museum will indefinitely loan ancient jewelry known as "Troy gold" to Turkey in an arrangement that will allow the museum to host a future exhibit of artifacts related to King Midas, officials announced Tuesday. The deal is part of what Penn Museum officials called a landmark agreement with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to work more collaboratively on field work and exhibitions over the next several years. "It will lead to great opportunities for Penn, for Philadelphia and for the wider archaeological community to experience more of Turkey's rich cultural history and heritage in the future," museum director Julian Siggers said. Ertugrul Gunay, the Turkish culture and tourism minister, said the 24 pieces of jewelry are among thousands of historical artifacts returned to the country over the past two decades, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology acquired the early Bronze Age objects in 1966 from a now-defunct art dealership. But the origin of the items including earrings, pendants and pins was unclear. The purchase eventually led museum officials in 1970 to adopt a then-unusual policy of refusing to acquire artifacts of unknown provenance that might have been looted. Siggers said the jewelry remained in storage for years. Then in 2009, scholars found a grain of dirt on one piece that allowed them to identify the collection as most likely being from the historic city of Troy. Discussions for the objects' return began with Turkish officials last year. Brian Rose, an archaeology professor who co-directs the museum's excavations at Troy and Gordion in Turkey, said the jewelry is on indefinite loan because the Troy provenance is likely, but not certain. The pieces are expected to be displayed at a new archaeological museum being built in Troy that will open within two years, according to the Anadolu Agency. Troy is in northwest Turkey near the city of Canakkale, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Istanbul. In 2016, the Penn institution will host an exhibition of treasures excavated from what is believed to be the tomb of King Midas' father. It also will include "an incredibly impressive funerary assemblage" of objects from other sites, which Rose said will offer an overview of ancient aristocratic burial customs.

Midas ruled the kingdom of Phrygia, near present-day Gordion, in the mid-8th century B.C. A Penn archaeologist discovered the tomb in 1957, and the university has worked there for decades. Many artifacts uncovered there have been displayed in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Rose said. The agreement announced Tuesday includes continuing Turkish support for Penn excavations at Gordion.