No Power Cuts During FIFA World Cup, Promises Meghalaya Govt

Shillong, Jun 3 : Meghalaya Power Minister A.T. Mondal Wednesday promised that there will be no power cuts during the FIFA World Cup matches to start in South Africa June 11.

“We are concerned with the sentiments of soccer lovers and football players. Soccer lovers can enjoy the World Cup matches,” Mondal told legislators during question hour in the assembly.

Mondal urged the people of the state to pray for more rain so it improves the power situation in this mountainous state.

Meghalaya, which was once a power surplus state, has now become power deficit. The state could generate only 175 MW against the peak hour demand of 650 MW, which is exclusively hydel-based power generation.

The state witnesses load shedding daily after the water level at Umiam dam reservoir dropped due to scanty rainfall.

The minister said the load shedding in various district headquarters and in Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya, is fixed as per the quantum of power available in the area.

“The load shedding will continue until the power availability improves,” Mondal said in reply to a question.

The 84 MW Myntdu Leshka hydro electric project is also expected to be commissioned to ease the state power deficit.

Manipur Minister’s House Set Ablaze by Miscreants

By Sobhapati Samom 

Imphal, Jun 3 : Unidentified miscreants set on fire a Manipur Minister’s house in Senapati district last night. However, there is no report of any casualty.

Police said the incident took place when some unidentified miscreants poured inflammable substances on the Senapati residence of the Tribal Development Minister D D Thaissi located at the hill district headquarter, 60 km north of here, in the intervening night of June 1 and 2.

“We have taken up a case in connection with the incident,” Superintendent of Police Nishit Kumar Ujjal of Senapati district said over phone. “Investigation is on”, he added.

Minister Thaisii, a Poumai Naga leader, who was away in his official quarter here when the incident occurred, could not be contacted for details. The Minister’s two niece and some others were inside the house at the time of the incident.

No one has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. However, All Naga Students Association Manipur, demanding amendment of the Manipur District Council Act, had been imposing indefinite economic blockade on the National Highways 39 and 53 since April 11 last. It may also be noted that out of nine Naga legislators in the Manipur Assembly, seven MLAs have submitted their resignation to Speaker Dr S Budhichandra in the aftermath of the stand off between some Naga bodies and Manipur Government over NSCN-IM General Secretary Th Muivah’s proposed visit to his native Somdal village in Ukhrul district.

Last night’s incident happened soon after reports of destruction of around 10 houses belonging to candidates of the second phase Autonomous District Council (ADC) election which was held in the three hill districts of Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul on Wednesday.

Each ADC has 24 members. Of the 72 seats in the three districts, 36 candidates were declared elected uncontested. Thus elections were held in 30 seats – 20 in Tamenglong district, four in Ukhrul and six in Senapati to decide the fate of 184 candidates who are in fray.

Polling in almost all the polling booths were reportedly poor. But district authorities are planning to hold re-polling in some polling booths. Sources from Ukhrul said poll percentage in the district is said to be nil. But officials are likely to recommend repolling in Huishu, Laihoaram and Etham.

Senapati also witnessed a similar scene except a couple of booths which saw some voters.

More than 40 polling booths out of 77 are expected to see repollling in Tamenglong district.

China's Wen Jiabao, Myanmar Leaders to Discuss Sensitive Topics

Myanmar's ruling generals expect their giant neighbor to endorse their political plans during the Chinese premier's visit, but Beijing is under pressure from the West to push for change.

New Delhi, Jun 3 : When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sits down Thursday with Myanmar's senior military leaders during the first visit to the isolated nation by a top Chinese leader in 16 years, they are expected to announce several economic agreements and promise to continue six decades of strong diplomatic ties.

But as is often the case with diplomacy, the news release almost certainly won't cover the most important and sensitive issues discussed, analysts said. Those include the Myanmar military's future grip on power and both nations' desire for stability on their shared border.

For Myanmar, also known as Burma, the visit should provide a useful endorsement of its political "road map," the cornerstone of which is a promised election this year. The balloting is aimed at convincing the world that the military-led government is becoming more open and democratic, analysts said.

"From the Burmese perspective, it's important that Premier Wen is going at this time," said Derek Tonkin, Britain's former ambassador to Thailand and now chairman of Network Myanmar, a civic group. "It will be seen as a Chinese endorsement of what Burma's doing and their support for the process."

Beijing is probably less interested in encouraging democracy, given its wary view of political reform at home, than in Myanmar's plans for exercising power after the election, which many Western governments have discounted as little more than window dressing.

At the same time, analysts said, Beijing is under some pressure from the West to push for constructive change in Myanmar, as China is one of the few countries with much influence on the isolated government.

"On the surface, China will pressure them to be more of a responsible stakeholder," said Aung Zaw, Thailand-based editor of the Irrawaddy magazine. "China needs to show the outside world it's asking. But the real issue will be how the military leadership is going to shape the postelection government."

Myanmar's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, won the last national elections in 1990 by a wide margin, but the ruling generals refused to recognize the result.
The National League was dissolved last month after refusing to re-register as a political party. Re-registering would have forced it to expel its leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, for serving a prison term. Suu Kyi has spent most of the last 20 years in jail or under house arrest because of her political activities.

On Thursday, Wen will meet with Senior Gen. Than Shwe, Prime Minister Thein Sein and other top officials. China is one of Myanmar's principal allies, and the ruling generals have promised to issue a stamp in honor of the visit.

As China ramps up its Myanmar investments in roads, dams, mines, fisheries and pipelines — public works designed in part to transport its southern neighbor's energy reserves north — Beijing is keen to ensure its investments are safe and won't become the target of sabotage.
Three bombs exploded last month at a dam partly funded by the Chinese, killing three workers.
"Since last month, when there were bomb blasts in Kachin state, the Chinese will be very interested in discussing ways to secure their investments," said Htun Htun, a coordinator with India's Burma Center Delhi, an activist group.

Two-way trade in 2009 totaled $2.9 billion, according to official figures, making China Myanmar's second-largest trading partner after Thailand. And as of January, China had invested $1.8 billion in Myanmar, making it that country's third-largest investor after Thailand and Singapore.

Stability along their shared border is also a likely topic of discussion, analysts said. China has expressed concern over its neighbor's bid to force ethnic minority groups in northeast Myanmar to disarm and join the government, amid fears the fighting could spill over into China.
In August, Myanmar troops attacked members of the Kokang minority, a group with ethnic Chinese roots, prompting as many as 30,000 people to flee across the border into China. Beijing is wary of any move that might add to its domestic instability.

Rail, Road, Air Connectivity in Northeast on Focus: Indian Govt

New Delhi, Jun 2 : Development of road and rail network and improving air connectivity to the Northeast have been the priority area for the UPA government to ensure overall growth in the region.

The government, in the 'Report to the People' released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said three greenfield airports have already been approved, besides launching of several projects to strengthen the road network in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Singh said government will give special attention for overall development of the Northeast.

In the report, Government said the capital cities of the North-eastern states are getting progressively connected by rail network and it will endeavor to expand it further.

"Guwahati and Agartala are already connected. Projects for connecting the capitals of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have been taken up," the report said.

This Health Minister Can't Tell AIDS From HIV

Shillong, Jun 2 : Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister Rowell Lyngdoh on Tuesday admitted that he did not know the difference between AIDS and HIV.

"These are technical terms. I require notice for the reply," Lyngdoh told legislators during question hour in the assembly, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator James K Sangma asked him the difference between HIV and AIDS.

Lyngdoh is a senior Congress legislator and deputy chief minister in the Mukul Sangma-led ministry.

While Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus, AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the disease caused by HIV.

Adviser Pariong, who is a parliamentary secretary in the government, also challenged the minister on cases of HIV/AIDS in the West Khasi Hills district.

And what prompted Adviser -- that is his name -- to ask a supplementary question was that one of his close friends was an HIV victim.

Taken aback by the ignorance of his minister on HIV/AIDS status in West Khasi Hills, Adviser stood up and asked several questions on HIV/AIDS, which the minister could not reply.

Earlier, Lyngdoh informed the assembly that 330 HIV cases, including 131  HIV positive females, have been detected between 2002 and 2009 in the state.

"East Khasi Hills district has recorded the highest number of cases at 279, followed by Jaintia Hills 25 and West Garo Hills 23," the health minister said.

On measures being given for treating those affected, Lyngdoh said: "If they are found to be HIV positive, they are provided psycho-social support and linked to treatment and care through anti-retroviral treatment, but their identity is kept secret as per NACO guidelines."

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was nonplussed when Leader of Opposition Conrad K Sangma sought for his intervention after his deputy fumbled on several occasions.

However, it was Independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri who came to the minister's rescue by saying that it had been hardly one month since he took over as health minister.

Integration of Naga Areas Will Need Consensus Among States: Centre

By Sushanta Talukdar

New Delhi, Jun 2 : The Centre on Tuesday told the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) that integration of Naga-inhabited areas would need consensus among the States concerned, as boundaries would have to be altered

The Centre on Tuesday told the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) that integration of Naga-inhabited areas would need consensus among the States concerned, as boundaries would have to be altered. The NSCN (IM) reiterated that integration of Naga-inhabited areas was a “natural aspiration of the Naga people” and hoped New Delhi would solve this issue in due course.

New Delhi's position was explained by the Centre's interlocutor on the peace talks, R.S. Pandey, during peace talks with the NSCN (IM) in Nagaland's capital Kohima. Both sides expressed their commitment to finding an early negotiated settlement to the Naga problem.

Assam, Nagaland and Manipur have been strongly opposing inclusion of any Naga-inhabited areas in the States in the proposed Nagalim — the single administrative entity to be created by integrating all Naga inhabited areas, which the NSCN (IM) has been proposing.

This is the first time that Naga peace talks were held in Nagaland since the NSCN (IM) signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997. Mr. Pandey was accompanied by Special Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Ajit Lal, while the 12-member NSCN (IM) delegation was led by its general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.

Mr. Pandey told journalists that based on proposals submitted by the NSCN (IM), discussions were held on a wide range of issues and both sides expressed a commitment to explore all possibilities to arrive at consensus on certain issues which were “sensitive in nature.” He said both sides hoped that they would be able to hammer out a solution in due course.

Mr. Muivah described the talks as “significant,” and added that the NSCN(IM) had noticed more seriousness and sincerity on part of the Centre for finding a negotiated settlement on the basis of the “unique rights, history and situation” of the Naga people. He said the NSCN(I-M) was determined to explore all means towards finding a negotiated settlement by removing obstacles.

Mr. Pandey is also understood to have conveyed the Centre's invitation to Mr. Muivah for the next round of peace talks in Delhi. Mr. Muivah, however, told the Centre's interlocutor that he would need to consult his people on it.

However, no concrete information was provided to the journalists on whether the two sides held any discussion on the current impasse over the proposed visit of Mr. Muivah to his birthplace Somdal in Ukhrul district of Manipur. The economic blockade enforced by the All-Naga Student's Association (Manipur) on NH 39 and NH 53 in protest against holding of Autonomous District Council polls in the hill districts of Manipur were intensified after the Manipur government banned the entry of Mr. Muivah.

Over 400 Bru Families Still to be Repatriated: MBDPF

Aizawl, Jun 2 : There were still over 400 Bru families in relief camps in Tripura, though over 240 families which fled Mizoram last year returned during May 21 to 26, according to Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum.

From one of the relief camps in Tripura a head count of refugees has been undertaken. It was found that there were still over 400 Bru families there, Elvis Chorkhy, president of the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) told PTI over phone today.

"We expect to complete the head count by Friday," he said, adding that the list would be submitted to the Mizoram government.

The repatriation began from May 21 after the Tripura government made transport arrangements. Around 240 families returned to the state till May 26.

Naga Peace Talks Held in Nagaland For The First Time

Kohima, Jun 1 : The Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) today held peace talks for the first time in Nagaland where the contentious issue of integration of Naga-inhabited areas, as demanded by the group, was discussed, officials said.

On the demand for a single administrative setup of Naga-inhabited areas of the region, the Centre's interlocutor, RS Pandey, told reporters that the Centre needs a consensus among the states concerned on the issue.

A 12-member NSCN(IM) team led by its general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah, which participated in the three-hour-long talks, acknowledged the difficulties of the Centre in certain areas on the Naga issue.

Muivah said, "Integration is a natural aspiration of the Naga people. We believe the government of India also understands it and hope they will solve this issue in due course of time."

Both sides came to an understanding on some issues, Pandey said.

"We hope in due course of time we will be able to hammer out the contentious issues," he said.

Wide-ranging issues based on a set of proposals submitted earlier by the NSCN(IM) to the government of India were discussed at the meeting. Both sides expressed their commitment to explore all possibilities to arrive at a consensus on "certain issues" which are "sensitive in nature", Pandey said, without elaborating.