New Patriot Act blocked by Democrats in US Senate

AP , WASHINGTON

In a stinging defeat for US President George W. Bush, Senate Democrats blocked passage of a new Patriot Act to combat terrorism at home, depicting the measure as a threat to the constitutional liberties of innocent US citizens.

Republicans on Friday spurned calls for a short-term measure to prevent the year-end expiration of law enforcement powers first enacted in the anxious days after Sept. 11.

"The president will not sign such an extension," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican, as lawmakers on each side blamed the other for congressional gridlock on the issue.

The Senate voted 52-47 to advance a House-passed bill to a final vote, eight short of the 60 needed to overcome the filibuster backed by nearly all Senate Democrats and a handful of the 55 Republicans.

"We can come together to give the government the tools it needs to fight terrorism and protect the rights and freedoms of innocent citizens," said Democratic Senator Russell Feingold, arguing that provisions permitting government access to confidential personal data lacked safeguards to protect the innocent.

"We need to be more vigilant," said Senator John Sununu, a Republican from New Hampshire, where the state motto is "Live Free or Die."

He quoted Benjamin Franklin: "Those that would give up essential liberty in pursuit of a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security."

But Frist likened the new bill's opponents to those who "have called for a retreat-and-defeat strategy in Iraq. That's the wrong strategy in Iraq. It is the wrong strategy at home."

Republican Senator John Kyl, said, "If 90-plus percent of the Democrats vote against cloture, and 90-plus percent of the Republicans vote for cloture, it is hard to argue it is not partisan."

Cloture is a Senate term that refers to ending a filibuster.

Much of the controversy involved powers granted to law enforcement agencies to gain access to a wealth of personal data, including library and medical records, in secret, as part of investigations into suspected terrorist activity.

The bill also includes a four-year extension of the government's ability to conduct roving wiretaps -- which may involve multiple phones -- and continues the authority to wiretap "lone wolf" terrorists who may operate on their own, without control from a foreign agent or power.

During debate, several Democrats pointed to a New York Times report that president Bush had secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on individuals inside the US without first securing permission from the courts.

"Today's revelation makes it crystal clear that we have to be very careful," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said.

Avoid marginalization by China, analysts urge

STAYING IN THE GAME: Since China is doing its best to keep Taiwan out of regional economic forums, the naiton must pursue creative strategies

By Shih Hsiu-chuan

STAFF REPORTER

While it's too early to judge the prospects for the "pan-Asian" free trade community mentioned in the inaugural East Asia Summit (EAS), Taiwan, which has been excluded from participating, should devise a strategy to avoid being marginalized before it's too late, analysts said.

The sixteen-member group, which includes the 10 members of ASEAN, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India, represents half the world's population and a fifth of global trade.

Although Taiwan is an east Asian country and has close trade ties with the community -- the nation's value of foreign trade with ASEAN+3 (including China, Japan and South Korea) countries for the first three quarters this year stood at about 60 percent of the total sum -- Beijing's clout in ASEAN and its insistence on the "one-China principle" have blocked Taiwan's entry.

Lin Juo-yu, an associate professor at Tamkang University, said that the entry of Australia, New Zealand and India into the EAS enhanced the complexity of this regional mechanism compared to ASEAN+3, but at the same time diminished China's influence.

She said that Taiwan should grasp the opportunity to develop its relations with the group's individual members and gain access to the process of building the East Asian community, since China has been trying to strengthen its power in regional affairs at Taiwan's expense.

"Otherwise, once the integration is completed in the group sometime in the future, Taiwan will face a tougher diplomatic predicament than it does today, since persuading one country to admit Taiwan is much less difficult than persuading the whole group," she said.

The government's main strategy should be to sign bilateral agreements with Taiwan's major trading partners, she said, adding that promoting mutual cooperation in developing technology and communication -- areas in which Taiwan is strong -- are also workable.

Aside from intensifying economic cooperation, Lin said that the nation should make use of other non-governmental channels such as Taiwanese businesspeople's connections in Southeast Asian countries to deepen mutual relations.

China has stood in the way of Taiwan's relations with other countries not only at the EAS but also in other bilateral relations, with Guo Jiann-jong, director of the Graduate Institute of Mainland Studies at Tamkang University, saying that China has been the main obstacle.

"While Taiwan has already completed the FTA [Free Trade Agreement] consultation process with countries such as Singapore, Australia and New Zealand [which are all members of EAS], the final conclusion is yet to be reached due to Beijing's objection," he said.

Since Beijing's intention to exclude Taiwan from regional integration is not likely to change, Taiwan should actively promote global free trade and the establishment of bilateral free trade agreements with its trading partners, said Tung Chen-yuan, an assistant professor of National Chengchi University.

Tung regards the East Asian Community as an opportunity, rather than a threat, to Taiwan as long as the nation can use the community as a chance to promote global free trade.

China dam aims to stop toxic water

MAKING AMENDS: Beijing is building a dam and supplying carbon for filtration in an attempt to ease tensions with an important trading partner

AP , BEIJING

"We are ready to increase contacts and consultations with the Russian side and take effective measures to minimize the impact of the pollution."－Qin Gang, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman

China is building a temporary dam in an effort to reduce the impact of a toxic spill flowing along a river toward a city in the Russian Far East, the government said yesterday.

Beijing also said it is sending a second shipment of carbon to the Russian border city of Khabarovsk for use in filtering water.

The temporary dam and carbon shipments are part of Chinese efforts to ease strains with Moscow over the slick caused by a Nov. 13 explosion at a chemical plant in China's northeast.

Work began Friday to dam the waterway along the Heilong River, which forms the Chinese-Russian border and is carrying the spill toward Khabarovsk, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The waterway links the Heilong to the Wusuli River, which also supplies water to Khabarovsk, and authorities hope to shield the Wusuli from pollution.

Moscow said Friday the spill has reached Russian territory, flowing from China's Songhua River into the Heilong.

It is expected to hit Khabarovsk on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry.

"The temporary dam will be removed after the pollutant slick passes Khabarovsk along the Heilong River," Xinhua said. "China will bear the cost for the construction and demolition of the dam."

The spill was a diplomatic disaster for President Hu Jintao's government, straining relations with Moscow, China's main foreign arms supplier and an important source of oil for the energy-hungry Chinese economy.

The chemical plant explosion in the Chinese city of Jilin spewed 90 tonnes of benzene, nitrobenzene and other toxins into the Songhua.

The general manager of the government company that owns the plant was removed from his post. China's chief environmental regulator resigned after his agency was accused of failing to detect and take action on the spill quickly enough.

Beijing has launched an investigation of the explosion and spill, promising to punish anyone responsible.

Local Communist Party officials in China's northeast were accused of endangering public safety by trying to conceal the spill but there has been no indication that they might be punished.

The government didn't announce that the Songhua was poisoned until Nov. 23, hours after the major city of Harbin shut down running water to 3.8 million people. The city earlier caused a panic by announcing the shutdown but saying it was for maintenance, an explanation that few of the city's residents believed.

Russia has built a dam on another waterway linked to the Heilong near Khabarovsk in an effort to move the slick past the city more quickly and protect nearby wetlands.

China also has sent nearly 150 tonnes of carbon to Khabarovsk for use in water filtration plants.

Yesterday, Xinhua said Beijing would send another 900 tonnes of carbon, plus water-monitoring equipment.

"We are ready to increase contacts and consultations with the Russian side and take effective measures to minimize the impact of the pollution," Qin Gang, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying.

The head of the slick arrived Thursday in Tongjiang, a Chinese border city where the Songhua flows into the Heilong, Xinhua said.

The slick has lengthened and slowed as the rivers freeze, stretching from 90km in length at its start to 150km at the last report.

US House assails China over labor camps, products

AP , WASHINGTON

The House of Representatives called for international condemnation of China's forced labor prison camps and urged President George W. Bush's government to implement laws barring the import of goods the camps produce.

In a resolution approved 413-1, the House on Friday deplored China's use of the so-called laogi camps. Lawmaker Christopher Smith this week likened the reported practice of harvesting organs from prisoners at the camps to "atrocities committed by the infamous Nazi, Dr. Josef Mengele."

China's human rights record has long been a source of international condemnation. US lawmakers seized on a recent report by the UN Human Rights Commission's special investigator on torture who visited China to underscore what they said was the communist nation's continued disregard for international human rights law.

The House resolution also called on the US government and the European Parliament to urge the introduction of a UN resolution condemning the laogi.

It also demanded that China disclose the number of prisoners held at the camps, how many had been executed and the list of goods produced at the factory camps using forced labor.

Recalling a visit to one of the prison camps in 1992, Smith said the "place reeked of cruelty and sadness and was a nightmarish insight into the dark soul of the Chinese communist dictatorship."

Lawmakers said the practice of forcing prisoners to produce goods was contributing to the wide US trade deficit with China. Representative Tom Lantos, senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, said such goods continue to be sold in the US by "some of America's largest retailers."

"When the history of communist rule in China will be written, maybe 50 years from now, China's laogi prison system will undoubtedly be treated as a tragic and despicable act perpetrated by the Chinese leadership upon the people of China," Lantos said.

Draw the curtains on the DPP farce

By the Liberty Times editorial

Ever since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost the Dec. 3 local government elections, those who care about Taiwan and pro-localization political parties have called on the DPP to get serious about reform and win back popular support. Until it does, it cannot stand up to the ever-growing threat posed by China.

The party cannot allow this defeat to tear apart localization forces within the nation. Such an outcome would only boost the momentum of the pro-China forces, with serious implications for the next generation. In the space of just a few days following the election, the party leadership was plunged into internal conflict. In fact, the infighting within the party has descended into farce -- which doesn't bode well for the future of Taiwan.

Having suffered the recent election debacle, the DPP did indeed show signs of wanting to change. DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang resigned to take political responsibility for the DPP's defeat. After days of soul-searching, President Chen Shui-bian also recently pointed out, in his weekly electronic newsletter published on his Web site, that he would accept the people's verdict, take responsibility for the mistakes and work towards restoring the DPP's reputation as an uncorrupt, hard-working party.

Following the elections, Chen even mentioned in a public speech the importance of reforming the 18 percent preferential rates enjoyed by retired public servants.

Regrettably, these attempts to revamp the party were but a flash in the pan. In the last few days we saw an even more ludicrous farce unfold when Chen asked Premier Frank Hsieh to remain in his post. Although Chen said that he would not accept Hsieh's verbal resignation at this time, he did not actually ask Hsieh to stay on.

This didn't stop Hsieh and his aides from telling the media that he had accepted Chen's request to remain in office. In view of this, we cannot help but wonder if Hsieh has truly understood the negative impact that the government's failings had on the elections, or if he ever really intended to resign from his post.

The second farce took place when Chen and Vice President Annette Lu openly criticized one another by trading insults through the media. In fact, the bad blood between Chen and Lu did not occur overnight. However, the situation is bordering on hostile, simply because of Lu's decision to serve as acting chairperson of the DPP. In addition, both have behaved badly as a result of critical remarks made by both sides. In fact, the DPP's acting chair post is no more than a transitional position. The tenure is only about a month and the main task is to organize the party chairperson elections. Therefore, it is pointless for the acting chairperson to elaborate on the details of the reforms that the party is planning to pursue.

Moreover, the president should not care too much about who fills the acting chairperson post. Unfortunately, the misunderstanding between Chen and Lu is so serious that it has deteriorated into a long litany of criticisms about each other made through the media.

Voters have taught the DPP a lesson in the recent poll, in the hope that the party can genuinely pursue reform, hold on to the drive toward localization, address its failings and continue to fight for Taiwanese awareness. While conducting an internal review, the DPP should discuss the future development of the party, what ideals the party should uphold, and the policy it wants to follow to appeal to the public. It needs to consider how to ensure and protect the interests of all Taiwanese if it is to live up to their expectations.

However, Hsieh's claims of being asked to stay on as premier and the verbal brawl between Chen and Lu just go to show how DPP heavyweights are scrambling for power, even to the extent that they have allowed themselves a public display of emotions. This has not only shifted the focus away from reform itself, it has also offended the party's supporters.

To be sure, even if the DPP was united, it still might not be able to defeat the KMT, currently led by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, in the 2008 presidential elections. Given this fact, it is very disappointing to see the president and the vice president engaging in such pointless bickering.

Therefore, these two national leaders must stop their quarreling. The DPP should also review its policies as well as its morals to regain people's confidence. If this farce is allowed to continue, the nation will only plunge into turmoil, with DPP supporters eventually abandoning the party.