Pakistan: Nuke Weapons Crucial

By Kathy Gannon Associated Press Writer Wednesday, August 25, 1999; 2:02 p.m. EDT
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990825/V000319-082599-idx.html

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Nuclear weapons are an indispensable part of Pakistan's security, but the country won't embark on a tit-for-tat nuclear arms race with hostile neighbor India, the government's defense committee said Wednesday.

The number and types of weapons Pakistan will possess will be determined by ``our minimum nuclear deterrent capability,'' which is an ``indispensable part'' of maintaining the nation's security, a government statement said.

The nation's defense committee condemned India's policy advocating the development of nuclear weapons and the retaliatory use of them. The committee's members include the army chief of staff, his naval and air chief as well as ministers of foreign affairs, finance and information.

Pakistan and India both exploded underground nuclear devices last year and declared themselves the world's newest nuclear powers.

The international community urged the Asian rivals to open talks, most notably on the 52-year-old territorial dispute over Kashmir. India and Pakistan have fought three wars.

A sluggish negotiation process that began earlier this year collapsed when Pakistan-backed Islamic militants gained control of territory in Indian-held Kashmir in May. The dispute threatened to escalate into an all-out war, generating fears of a nuclear conflagration.

While Pakistan ordered the militants to withdraw from their mountain peaks in the Kargil region of Kashmir, tensions have remained high, with both sides trading threats and accusations.

The defense committee said it wanted the international community to move fast to use its ``influence on India to accept a comprehensive restraint regime, especially with a view to preventing an arms race in South Asia.''

Both India and Pakistan possess and have tested short- and- medium - range missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The United States accused Pakistan of acquiring M-11 missiles from China, a charge both the Chinese and Pakistanis denied.

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Global Focus: PAKISTAN-INDIA RELATIONS

Washington Post, August 25, 1999
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/zforum/99/inatl082599.htm

India and Pakistan recently marked their independence from Britain in 1947. But the continuing war between Islamic rebels and Indian forces in the disputed region of Kashmir and the threat of nuclear strikes have marred celebrations and revealed ever increasing tensions between the two nations.

Washington Post foreign correspondent Pamela Constable was online to discuss the conflict.

Read the transcript below:

Washingtonpost.com: Welcome to our live discussion with the Post's Pamela Constable. We have quite a few questions already, so let's start with this question from Chicago, Ill.:

Is there credible evidence that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir? If yes then why doesn't the U.S. condemn it?

Pamela Constable: according to american and other experts, there is a great deal of evidence to support that allegation, and the pakistani govt in recent days has virtually acknowledged that its soldiers were fighting in kargil, after all. the us has condemned these connections, but it has also tried to maintain a diplomatically neutral stance in south asia for a variety of reasons. two things to remember: clinton did successfully pressure sharif into withdrawing the fighters, and the us has longstanding and close ties to pak intelligence stemming from afghanistan war days, so these relationships are very complicated.

Bethesda, Maryland: I feel Kashmiris are today where we were in 1776. Why don't we support Kashmiris to gain their independence from India?

Pamela Constable: excellent question. in the beginning, the early 90s, when the kashmiri independence movement was clearly home grown and supported by most muslims in the region, there was more us support for the cause, especially in terms of condemning indian human rights abuses. in the ensuing years, though, there have been a number of changes. one, the insurgency has acquired an increasingly foreign cast, with pak more and more involved, and that has soured us and other western govts on it somewhat. two, as hostilities between india and pak have heated up, and both have gone nuclear, the us priority has shifted to avoiding any serious conflagration in the region. three, the world is fed up with this intractable if tragic dispute and us officials are trying very hard to keep it at the level of a regional and bilateral issue.

Columbus, Ohio: India has gained the military and diplomatic upper hand over Pakistan due to Kargil. Perhaps due to this India refuses to hold talks over Kashmir with Pakistan and is obdurate about 3rd party mediation. With its new nuclear doctrine, is India attempting to emerge as a new assertive Asian power??

Pamela Constable: not exactly. i think what india seeks in its new, muscular nuclear doctrine is twofold. one, it wants respect in a world that seems only to respect might. it wants to be a member of the nuclear club, especially if its current members refuse to disarm, which india has always said it would prefer greatly. two, india sees itself as inhabiting hostile territory, especially with the proximity of pak and china. it has said repeatedly it will never use nukes first, and never against a non nuke nation. but it clearly wants both wary neighbors and foreign allies to know it is not kidding around.

Columbia, MD: How do Indians treat you as a white American? As a woman? As a journalist? Are any of these things hindrances as far as reporting is concerned? Or are they helpful? And regarding the stories you wrote from Kargil, how do you get access to such a war-torn region?Do you just walk in or does the govt. help out?

Pamela Constable: that's a whole lot of questions!!!! generally i am well treated in india as a woman foreign journalist. i do get a lot of stares but i am used to it. things are a bit harder in islamic countries such as afghanistan and some parts of pakistan, where a woman really does have to cover up in order to be respected. so when in rome, i follow suit. sorry, i forgot the second question. i'll see if i can get it back. oh, right, kargil. it was very hard to get access for a while, but then the army finally let us go on these guided tours, which were not very useful. finally they relented and let some of us stay and report, but none of us EVER got anywhere near the fighting, which was all taking place on very high, cold and remote mountains. brrrrr!

New York, NY: Is there an official-editorial policy at Washington Post and-or New York Times to refer to India as "Hindu majority India" or "predominantly Hindu India" when discussing Kashmir. I believe this description loads the debate against India. India is trying to forge a nation and I believe most Western reporters miss this aspect. They look at things as they are and not as they should be. Pakistan was supposed to be secular when founded - it is a far cry from that. A secular Kashmir can be as organic to India as secular Kerala. I wish reporters would seek out not only the bad reasons for India "holding" onto Kashmir but the good - a liberal framework for all religions.

Pamela Constable: i take your broad point, absolutely. the problem is that when one is writing a news story, as opposed to a history book, one needs shorthand descriptions, and hindu-majority india is a perfect example. it is not factually wrong, but neither does it capture the diversity of one of the world's most diverse countries. i agree.

North Dartmouth, MA: I have noticed that you -and many others, including the administration- always equate India and Pakistan. Should not the logical thing be to talk about India and China in the same breath, as opposed to India and Pakistan? After all, the population and capabilities of India and China are more similar, and India is more concerned with China than with Pakistan.

Pamela Constable: the last part of what you say is true. the only reason we "equate" india and pak is that they are the current, most active, most hostile and most engaged adversaries in the region. i agree china deserves a lot more attention and is in some ways of much more concern to india. but the current problem is very much with pak.

Memphis, TN: Don't u think that India and US have more in common in matters of geo-politics and defense?

Pamela Constable: more in common than whom? what india and the us has most in common are two things: one, they are enormous trade and business partners and will move more and more in that direction depending on indian govt policy evolution. two, they are both huge democracies whose stability and well being is of mutual interest. but in terms of defense, no, i don't think they have much in common. that, however, requires a very long answer........and i have 85 to go!!!!!

Arlington, VA: Pamela, what is the prevalent feeling in the US about this issue? Whom does the US support?

Pamela Constable: hello to a fellow arlingtonian. i live off south glebe! i don't know what most americans think, but i do know what us policy is. it is to remain steadfastly neutral on the outside, while trying quietly to work for some solution on the inside. there are those who wish washington would do a lot more. there are those who wish it would do nothing. this is a tough nut to crack.

London, UK: Dear Pamela Constable,

Recently, I saw Clinton tell the world he is launching military action against Kosovo "to prevent wider war in Europe", and yet the NATO troops were soon facing off against Russian forces in Kosovo airport in exactly such a "wider war" danger situation. Tell me, I would like to ask you, how is it that Americans can selectively pretend to show concern about India and Pakistan war danger, when Clinton was himself aggressively provoking an even worse situation in Europe?

Pamela Constable: you will not be surprised to learn that many indians, kashmiris and indian officials have raised that very point. india protested this apparent hypocrisy in formal protests to the us govt via the un. i think the us saw kosovo as a major humanitarian issue, in europe, with serious implications for regional peace and stability. i think it has seen kashmir as a local, solvable issue that will not travel too far. the kargil conflict woke a lot of people up, but india has insisted so aggressively that the us not get involved that it has tried to stay away. as i mentioned before, clinton did persuade pak to call off its fighters, and if nuke war ever did loom, i am sure the us would pull out all the stops.

Aberdeen, UK: Given India and Pakistan have now declared themselves over nuclear powers, there is little evidence to suggest that they shall both sign the Non Proliferation Treaty or reverse their nuclear programs altogether in the near future. Instead of attempting to avoid nuclear proliferation in a more or less discriminatory manner, would it not be considered a much more constructive response by the Non-Proliferation Regime to engage India and Pakistan via much needed, sound management techniques and technology in the nuclear field?

Ryan Hendy Aberdeen, UK

Pamela Constable: hey ryan, sorry, but your question addresses issues that are more technologically and strategically complex than i am prepared to answer intelligently, and i hate to fake these things.

Charlotte, North Carolina: Western parliaments have decided to suspend aid to Pakistan because of its trenchant attitude toward supporting radical causes? Even now the IMF funds are being held back because of that suspicion. What are your views?

Pamela Constable: dear charlotte, as a reporter, as opposed to an editorial writer, i am not supposed to have any views. it does seem to me, though, that such sanctions have had little impact and will continue to have little impact as long as there are forces in pak which see their entire mission in life as the liberation of kashmir and the aggressive spread of islam. i am not referring to the elected civilian government.

Princeton, NJ: Well, true the relationship between US and Pakistani intelligence is complicated and US needs to be cautious about not loosing that leverage. But, surely, US can put the economic squeeze on Pak, like say blocking IMF loans until there is credible evidence that Pak is curbing its terrorism.

Pamela Constable: actually, the us has done a lot to squeeze pak economically, and the imf just held up a loan disbursement, with us support, because of this very issue. there is another side to this, though, and that is that pak is very poor and very fragile, and making it poorer will undoubtedly make it more fragile and more prone to drastic political change. so this is not an easy choice.

Annandale, Va.: In your opinion, what's the solution for Kashmir?

Pamela Constable: ah, annandale, this is the 64 million dollar, 50 year, 20,000-at-least dead, question. god, i wish i knew. if i were king, i'd probably call for the un to intervene and hold a plebiscite in j and k and find out where it would lead. but i am not king, and i doubt very much that this will happen in the forseeable future.

NY, NY: Ms Constable, to what extent do you see a correlation between the USA's Afghan War policy of the 1980's, and the rise of guerrilla violence in Indian Kashmir and Punjab? This aspect of the issue is almost never covered in the western media -- why do you suppose that is?

Pamela Constable: this is a very tricky and tough and germane question. there are many threads there. many of the militants who have fought in kash are the same or related to those who fought in afghan vs. ussr. we backed them then, we paid insufficient attention to the pandora's box they opened, and we are now paying the price in kabul, pak and kashmir too. this, too, is a long discussion we do not have time for here, but one that very much bears looking into. thanks.

McLean VA: If India is a democratic nation, why not hold a referendum in Kashmir and ask the People of Kashmir to a desired solution? Fighting over territories only leads to prolonged suffering and ultimately defeat as seen Yugoslavia.

Pamela Constable: excellent question, mclean. i believe i cautiously suggested the same thing a few answers ago, at the risk of expressing an opinion, god forbid.

Reston, Va: I thought the Pakistani-backed militants were losing in Kargil and used Clinton's appeal to pull out as cover? Also what do you make of the "personal interest" angle Pakistan is playing up regarding Clinton's role? Also have you tried that great Thai restaurant near Fort Myer Drive?

Pamela Constable: three questions! not fair! a, i don't like spicy food, but please don't tell anyone in india. b, i think the personal interest angle was a nice thing to say but signified very little. c, you may be right about the militants but i think they wanted to fight to the bitter end. it was sharif who needed, and got, cover. know any good japanese places?

Laurel, MD: Why hasn't India kept its commitment to the United Nations to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir?

Pamela Constable: another very good question, laurel. india claims it has allowed free and fair elections in kashmir on a regular basis, and that this is sufficient. it does not want to hand kashmir over to pak for strategic, religious, and other reasons. not to mention that it is one of the most beautiful spots on earth!!

Bombay, India: Say if hispanics in America someday demand plebiscite? Should America allow it?

Pamela Constable: plebiscite on what? whether california should be returned to mexico? i'm not sure what the parallels are here. but i doubt very much it would ever happen.

Kandy, Sri Lanka: Pamela, There are instances where Australians are getting overly paranoid about the India and Pakistan conflict, in spite of being under a nuclear umbrella provided by the US. Is this necessary? Isn't it a hypocrisy?

Pamela Constable: possibly, although there is a much more real possibility that india and pak could start a nuclear war than, say, france and germany or china and russia. i don't think this is paranoia. i think it is realistic.

San Francisco, CA: Continuing on the question of using 'Hindu Majority India' as being factual, why is US not referred to as 'White dominated US' or 'Christian dominated US' in shorthand, as that is also factual? Does this not show an ingrained bias against India?

Pamela Constable: a very good question. here's a slightly different answer. when a black person gets killed in an american place, there is often a debate in newsrooms over whether it is accurate or racist to describe the person, the victim, the area or the city as black or black/white dominated. these are common problems. i personally think the test should be in all cases, whether the description adds to important information about the event or theme. it is not necessary to tell american readers that america is white dominated; it may be necessary to tell them that india is hindu dominated (which is not bad or good, by the way). on the other hand, it may well be necessary to say that a certain us state where an hispanic just got elected is white dominated, or that a neighborhood where a black man got killed is white dominated. or vice versa. make sense?

Chappaqua, NY: With all the unrest among India's minorities - the Muslim Kashmiris, the Sikhs of Punjab, the Christian Assamese and the Nagas - do you think India is destined for breakup like the former Soviet Union? Isn't this a sign that there is something truly wrong with democracy --or lack thereof-- in India?

Pamela Constable: no. in fact, in some ways, it is a sign of india's democratic health. india is one of the most diverse nations on earth, and its democracy is only a half century old. conflict and struggle are endemic. people in india feel they have rights, no matter how poor and downtrodden and abused they are. they make a lot of noise. sometimes they riot. sometimes they take up arms. in a really crackerjack dictatorship, i assure that none of this would happen.

Irvington, NY: Amnesty International recently reported that India is holding thousands of political prisoners without charge or trial. 29 Members of the U.S. Congress recently wrote a letter demanding the release of India's political prisoners. What can America do to get "the world's largest democracy" to release its political prisoners?

Pamela Constable: this is an issue i do not know much about. i imagine the prisoners may be militants from kash or assam or punjab. but until i learn more, i should probably not comment.

Chicago, US: Do you think India will ever invade Pakistan?

Pamela Constable: no. first easy question i have received tonight (it is 10 p.m. in delhi). well, i'll amend it. if pak does something really aggressive first, they might.

Chandler, AZ: I will appreciate you taking this question, thanks. Came to know of this Q&A session a second ago.

Do you believe that the US administration and Press need to get tuned to the reality of India as an emerging global power.

Pamela Constable: yes, but i also think that is already beginning to happen. there are many many foreign journalists and businessmen and diplomats and investors here, all nosing around to figure out what this huge and complex and striving democracy and emerging economic giant is all about. the news will get out soon enough.

Ft. Belvoir, VA: Hi Pam,

I have enjoyed reading your articles in the Past on Latino issues in the DC area, and now I especially enjoy your current coverage of India. I have a question about Kashmir, however,...does India still actively press its claim to the portion of Kashmir occupied by China in 1962? Has India held any negotiations with China to resolve this?

Pamela Constable: hello. with all the hullaballo over pak since i arrived, i frankly haven't had time to look at the china dispute. i believe that is still an issue. in fact there are may sections of these borders that are in dispute. i don't know if there have been negotiations on this or not. sorry.

Manassas, VA: As an observer to this mess, I feel Pakistan is acting irresponsibly by sending armed personnel to Afghanistan, India, Dagestan -Russia-. Why isn't anything being done to hold Pakistan responsible for their acts of provocation and their customary denial later ?

Pamela Constable: as i said earlier, there have been some pressures brought to bear on pak for this adventurism, but some people think more should be done. also please tell the guy from fort belvoir that i appreciate his kind remarks about my work. i never take compliments lightly!!!!!!!

Singapore: Most of the time, the world hears completely opposite views from the governments and media of India and Pakistan for any given situation in Kashmir. Who is telling the truth? How do you foresee the Kashmir issue getting resolved?

M.S Rao

Pamela Constable: yes, this is a real problem. imagine what it was like to cover a war when we were getting briefings every day from officials in india and pakistan that presented the facts in exactly the opposite light from each other!???? it is always hard to know who is telling the truth; we just have to do our best to present all points of view. frankly, i do not see kashmir getting resolved for a long time, and i don't see how......

Northport,AL: Hi Ms Constable, Is it true that Pakistan is encouraging terrorism in India & Afghanistan.If it's true why US is not listing Pakistan as a terrorist sponsoring state .

Pamela Constable: it is probably true, although pakistan denies it. the us has put some sanctions on pak, but it has stopped short of declaring it a terrorist state for a variety of reasons, some of which i talked about earlier. it has, however, declared some of these groups to be terrorist.

Amritsar, Khalistan: Amnesty International and other independent human-rights monitoring organizations have not been allowed into India since 1978. Even Cuba has allowed them in more recently. Why doesn't the American media ask India why it won't allow human-rights monitors into a democratic country?

Pamela Constable: are you speaking of punjab specifically? i know that human rights monitors have gone to kashmir, bihar, and a number of other states recently. i don't know about punjab, though.

Poughkeepsie, New York : Ms. Constable -

What ever became of the economic sanctions imposed on Pakistan and India for testing nukes? Was this a merely symbolic gesture or did it cause any real pain?

Pamela Constable: in some ways they were symbolic. they certainly did not hurt india much or affect its behavior. they have hurt pakistan more, but in that case the civilian authorities are not totally in control of the kind of activities the sanctions are meant to punish.

baltimore, md: do you think that the bjp is becoming more and more like congress or do you think they will bring back the ram mandir issue after some time?

Pamela Constable: thanks for a new topic, baltimore. i used to live on tyson street and work for the sun, by the way. the bjp is changing but it is too soon to tell how much and how permanently. i don't think it is becoming much like congress, but in an ideal world the two parties might evolve into something like the republicans and democrats. let's see what happens in september, and then see how the bjp behaves in or out of power.

Kansas City, Kansas: You and a few others have suggested a referendum and why India should agree to it in Kashmir. Don't you think that's oversimplifying the situation ? The original referendum question came up in 1947 when the popular leader of Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah wanted it. But then Pakistan sabotaged the politics inside Kashmir and repeatedly tried to infiltrate causing the referendum issue to be null and void ?

Pamela Constable: yes it's true the idea of a referendum has been sabotaged by a variety of groups and events over the years. but has anyone come up with a fair alternative? should they make the line of control permanent? what would you suggest?

Detroit, MI: From your point of view, what needs to be done to transform the stereotypical image of India as poor country & exotic-tourist destination etc... to a more realistic and contemporary viewpoint of that of a developing Science & Technology superpower... among the western public?

Pamela Constable: one, no more snake charmer stories. two, only one bride burning story per year. three, more indians in the us becoming more vocal and active in their communities. join the pta. join the civic association. let your neighbors know you have a phd, even if you work at mcdonald's. tell them about bangalore and hyderabad. invite them over for puris. force them to see you as a representative of the future of your country. if you are not indian, never mind.

Trenton, NJ: I had the privilege of meeting your predecessor Kenneth Cooper. He told me that he has nothing but wonderful memories of his stint in India. What about you, despite not liking spicy food :--, what kind of memories will you have of India after your stint? Please be honest even if Indians may not like your answer.

Pamela Constable: i love everything about india except the spicy food and the heat. it is the most diverse, fascinating beat on the planet, and it is a journalist's dream. i may never come back.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Is it true that India will be the world's largest muslim country? Are you aware of any statistics on this? How does this fit into Kashmir conflict? Thank you!

Pamela Constable: excellent observation. india has about 110 million muslims, making it the second largest muslim country after indonesia, i believe. many of them feel very patriotic and bent over backwards to show they were loyal during kargil. but others feel more ambivalent about kashmir. it is a sad and sore point.

Nairobi, Kenya: Do you think America is ready to get it's soldiers and allies get nuked for this no woman's land called Kashmir?

Pamela Constable: definitely not.

Pittsburgh,Pa: Majority of Afghanistani and Pakistani Muslim population think of USA as a "Satanic State" and thus needed to be confronted with all possible means -Osama bin Laden in Hero in these states-, how do you think US should counter it?

Pamela Constable: you are right about afghanistan but the opinion in pakistan is much more divided. osama is indeed a hero in karachi and peshawar as well as kabul and kandahar, but this feeling is not necessarily representative of all pakistanis. i think it is important for the united states to make it clear, as clinton has tried to do a bit, that it is not anti-muslim per se, that it is against terrorism but not religion. there are many millions of muslims in the us, and i think they can help too. but as long as there is terrorism in the name of islam, and as long as most americans don't know a sufi from a wahabi, this will continue to be a problem.

south Bend IN: In your opinion, is it possible to convince Pakistan of the desirability of partitioning Kashmir between India and Pakistan, giving the residents appropriate guarantees of self rule and autonomy?

Pamela Constable: i do think it's possible, although right now the tensions are so high that no one would dare suggest it. in the future, if things cool down, i would not be totally surprised if this idea comes up diplomatically.

Texas: Ms. Constable:I think plebiscite is not a solution to kashmir problem. The population of muslims in India is very close to population of muslims in Pakistan. India wants to be a liberal democracy. Another Partition of India on the basis of religion will put multiethnic and multireligious India to a great risk. We will end up like small African countries- fighting each other -remember Ruwanda, Somalia, etc.It will be a shame

Pamela Constable: i have heard the argument you make and there is some logic to it. my only question is, again, what is a better solution?

Chicago, IL: Why in western media Pakistan so often described as "very poor and very fragile", while India is rarely given that description despite the fact that India is ten times poorer than Pakistan.

Pamela Constable: let's take poor and fragile separately. india is often described as very poor. i myself had a story on the front page yesterday describing india as very poor. but india is not fragile. it is big and strong and free wheeling and civilian controlled and inclusive, despite all its problems. pakistan is both poor and fragile, with a history of military intervention and weak democratic institutions. these distinctions do need to be made.

Gaithersburg, Maryland: Does average Indian care about what Kashmiris think about their gaining Independence from India?

Pamela Constable: no, i'm afraid the average indian does not care much about this issue, though i could be wrong. i am told i am running out of time, which is ok because my fingers and brain are getting numb. thank you for all your questions, and i hope i have made some sense of the answers. i really enjoyed this, and please give my best to everyone in arlington.

Washingtonpost.com: Unfortunately, we are out of time and were not able to get to all of your questions. Thanks to Pamela Constable for joining us and to all who participated.

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Foreign Panorama

Deccan Herald (India), August 26, 1999
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/fp.htm

Foreign Office
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/fpoffice.htm

Post-Kargil developments have reinforced the world`s confidence in India`s commitment to peace. Not only the US but other powers who went out of their way to ostracize India after the Pokhran tests also seem to appreciate India`s concerns. India is no longer in the dog house.

Alarm bells set off
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/fpbhatia.htm

Analysts in the US warn that India`s nuclear doctrine will trigger off a new arms race between India, Pakistan and China which will have consequences for global proliferation.

The race begins
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/fpnq.htm

While hawks and doves work around the insignificance of the terms 'maximally effective` and 'minimal deterrent` in India`s draft nuclear doctrine, the Pakistani public view it as a poll gimmick.

Ironing out the creases
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/fpjnu.htm

The most distinctive feature of India`s nuclear doctrine is that it is embedded in the country`s continued commitment to total global nuclear disarmament, writes Matin Zuberi

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China: Farmers Formed Secret Army

By The Associated Press, August 26, 1999
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-China-Secret-Army.html

BEIJING (AP) -- Authorities say they have broken up a secret, private army set up by farmers in southwestern China, arresting as many as 20 members and charging 10 with subversion.

Dozens had joined the unauthorized militia in the two years since farmer Yang Jiahua began recruiting in the hilly countryside near Chongqing city, according to an account in the state-run newspaper, Yangcheng Evening News.

Yang's army had a flag, official seal, identification cards and badges, and its organization -- with a Politburo and a propaganda department -- shadowed China's communist government, the newspaper reported Wednesday.

The report did not say whether the group had illegally gathered any weapons, although many farmers own hunting rifles. But the group's existence underscores Chinese leaders' fears about restiveness among farmers angry over high taxes, stagnating incomes and corruption.

Controls on dissent have tightened noticeably in recent months as China prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1. The authorities have sought to squelch any public protests out of fears they could spiral into widespread unrest.

Official accounts did not describe any political agenda on the part of the secret army.

According to the human rights group Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China, the organization was set up to protest rampant corruption and to demand that the government reevaluate its decision to crush pro-democracy protests in 1989.

Authorities arrested 20 members of Yang's would-be army, the center said today. It added that those not formally charged might be sent to labor camps without trial.

Police began hunting for Yang two years ago but he fled, returning last year, the Yangcheng Evening News said.

Authorities rounded up Yang and nine other leaders of the group on Aug. 4, Li Qingyu of the Chongqing prosecutors office told The Associated Press.

They were formally charged Tuesday with ``counterrevolutionary incitement and subversion,'' Li said. Such charges usually carry a prison sentence of 10 years or more.

China has increasingly applied laws against subversion and illegal assembly against groups caught defying the government's ban on unauthorized organizations and dissent. Such charges often carry severe jail terms and appeals are invariably rejected.

Nine people have been sentenced to prison terms of 2 1/2 to six years for their involvement in a protest by more than 10,000 farmers on Jan. 8 in the central Chinese city of Changsha, the Information Center said.

It said all nine planned to appeal their convictions, although court challenges almost never succeed in politically charged cases.

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Japan Discovers Defense

August 26, 1999 New York Times Editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/26thu1.html

Japan is slowly overcoming decades of reticence about building and using military forces. This change in attitude carries important implications for Asia and the United States.

Despite defense spending of more than $40 billion a year, Japan's military strength remains limited. Tokyo relies mainly on American power and American forces based in Japan, South Korea and the Western Pacific to keep its territory and the surrounding region safe from hostile attack. Japan has no nuclear weapons of its own and no ability to transport its forces by air or sea beyond its immediate area. Its troops have not engaged in combat since World War II, and its Constitution bars waging war or threatening to use military force. Only in the past decade have Japanese forces taken part in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and then only in noncombat activities.

But in recent months, Tokyo has shown a new willingness to stand up to North Korean bullying, deflect criticism from China and involve itself in regional defense arrangements. Japan's military alliance with Washington remains the centerpiece of its security planning. Wisely, Tokyo and Washington are moving to update the alliance to give Japan a more explicit military role in responding to regional crises, like tensions on the Korean Peninsula. As it expands its military vision, Tokyo must be careful to avoid being drawn into a destructive arms race with China.

Japan's new assertiveness on defense is a healthy development that should not alarm other Asian countries. More than 50 years after the end of World War II, it is appropriate for Tokyo to cast off some of the inhibitions stemming from its earlier record of aggression and conquest. Japan is now committed to democracy and is unlikely to repeat that violent history, especially if it maintains a close partnership with the United States.

Several Japanese moves in recent weeks illustrate the new mood. These include a joint naval training exercise with South Korea, a new agreement to collaborate with Washington on developing advanced missile defenses, and plans for building a Japanese spy satellite. Japanese political leaders have also begun to talk with greater directness about their country's defense needs. Meanwhile, serious discussion has begun about easing Japan's strict constitutional restrictions on using military force.

Japan's Parliament recently voted to restore official status to the country's old Rising Sun flag and former national anthem. Both long predate World War II, and for all but a handful of right-wingers, their revival represents a return to tradition, not to imperial ambitions.

North Korea is the immediate source of Japan's defense anxieties. Last year Pyongyang fired a medium-range missile over Japanese airspace without advance warning, exposing Japan's vulnerability to missile attack. Japanese leaders are also uneasy about China. For decades, Tokyo has sought friendly relations and economic cooperation with Beijing. But China has recently seemed less receptive to Japanese overtures and has stirred new worries with its own missile testing and warlike talk about Taiwan.

Japan is the world's second-largest economic power, and nobody should expect it to remain aloof to matters involving its own defense.

As Tokyo starts finding its way to a new military role, it must continue coordinating its defense policies closely with Washington.

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Nuclear Reactor Shuts Down in Japan

Wednesday, August 25, 1999; 9:11 a.m. EDT
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990825/V000106-082599-idx.html

TOKYO (AP) -- A nuclear reactor in southwestern Japan automatically shut down Wednesday after monitors detected an irregularity, the plant's operator said.

There was no danger of radioactivity leaking out, said Hirokazu Terashima, a spokesman for Kyushu Electric Power Co. No one in the plant was hurt in the emergency shutdown, he said.

The reactor in the city of Sendai on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu shut down Wednesday morning after monitors detected something unusual about a valve connected to a pipe sending steam to a turbine, Terashima said.

He said plant officials were investigating the cause of the trouble. Sendai is 610 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Resource poor Japan depends on nuclear power for about one-third of its electricity needs.

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U.S. Lawmaker Criticizes Japan for Halting Food to North Korea

By CALVIN SIMS, August 26, 1999
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/082699korea-rice.html

TOKYO -- A U.S. congressman sharply criticized Japan on Wednesday for cutting off food aid to famine-stricken North Korea as millions of tons of surplus rice are sitting in Japanese warehouses.

Rep. Tony P. Hall, D-Ohio, who has a long history of fighting world hunger, passed through Tokyo on Wednesday on his way to North Korea, where he plans to begin an unofficial visit on Thursday to survey the famine situation and deliver medicine donated by U.S. religious groups.

"North Korea has sent out an SOS that it can't feed its people, and Japan, the world's largest donor, is ignoring that cry for help because of political reasons," Hall said in a meeting with reporters. "The Japanese are sitting on a tremendous amount of food which they are using as a weapon while millions of people are starving."

Hall said that Japan had stockpiled between three million tons and five million tons of rice after having a bumper crop. He suggested that Japan sell the rice surpluses at "friendship prices" to international aid organizations.

"Humanitarian aid should be given in an unconditional way," Hall said. "If any of you have seen people starve to death, you'll never forget it."

The Japanese government ended its relief aid to North Korea last August after North Korea test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over the Japanese mainland and into the Pacific Ocean. A spokesman for Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said Japan had no plans to resume food aid to North Korea.

"We are waiting for a constructive signal coming from North Korea to improve the bilateral relationship," said Akitaka Saiki, a deputy press secretary. "So far, that signal has not come from the North Korean capital."

Before the 1998 missile launching, Japan supplied North Korea with 500,000 pounds of rice and a $500,000 contribution to U.N. aid organizations in 1995; $6 million to international aid agencies like the World Food Program in 1996; and $27 million to the food program and $841,389 in medical assistance to the International Red Cross in 1997, according to the Foreign Ministry.

An official of the Agriculture Ministry, who requested anonymity, said that bumper crops during the last four years had allowed Japan to stockpile almost three million tons of rice. The official said the ministry planned to reduce those reserves to about two million tons of rice by the end of this year through crop reduction.

The official said that such large surpluses of rice are not necessarily available for donation, as Japan often uses them to offset shortages.

Hall's comments on aid echo those of Catherine Bertini, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, who after a recent trip to North Korea said that there were signs the famine situation was improving but that people were still starving and that more aid was needed.

Ms. Bertini called on the United States, Japan and other countries not to end their aid to North Korea, even if it launches another missile.

Some experts have estimated that between two million and three million people, mainly old people and children, died during the worst years of the famine, from 1995 to 1998.

While Hall was critical of Japan, he also had strong words for North Korea. He said said that he would use his fifth visit to the Communist-run country to warn officials that if they proceed with plans to test-fire a new long-range missile their country would suffer dire consequences.

"My message to North Korean officials will be very simple," Hall said. "Don't fire the missile. You'll be really, really hurting yourself if you do."

The United States, which Hall said supplied 83 percent of all aid to North Korea last year, has threatened to end its assistance if the missile is fired. South Korea said it would end its agriculture and economic development programs to the North, while Japan has threatened to cut off the flow of financial remittances from North Koreans living in Japan.

Hall said he was convinced that if North Korea proceeds with the missile launching, the Republican-controlled Congress will suspend all U.S. aid to the country. "The votes are already there and I'm afraid there wouldn't be much we could do to stop it," he said.

The congressman said that on his last visit to North Korea, last year, he saw North Korean children with patchy hair, protruding bones, open sores and signs of severe malnutrition.

He said the government was distributing what officials there called "substitute food" -- dried leaves and straw, so coarse that even cattle would not eat it.

Hall said that medicine and medical supplies were so scarce in North Korea that many operations are conducted without electric lights or anesthesia and that gauze and cotton balls are washed and reused.

Related Article

North Korea Appears to Be Emerging From Years of Severe Famine (Aug. 20, 1999)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/082099nkorea-famine.html

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North Korea Agrees to Talks with U.S. Aide on Missile Test

By JANE PERLEZ, August 26, 1999
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/world/nkorea-us.html

WASHINGTON -- In a promising sign that a resolution might be closer in the standoff between North Korea and the United States over North Korea's suspected preparations to test a new long-range ballistic missile, the two sides have agreed to meet early next month in Europe, the Clinton administration said Wednesday.

The U.S. special envoy, Charles Kartman, will lead a delegation of U.S. diplomats and the North Koreans will send their deputy foreign minister, Kim Gye Gwan, for four days of talks in Berlin starting on Sept. 7, the State Department said.

The talks are to be held about the time when the administration expected that the North Koreans might stage the test of the new Taepodong 2 rocket. North Korea will mark the 50th anniversary of Communist rule next month and some analysts have suggested that the test of the missile, which theoretically has the capacity to reach Alaska or Hawaii, would be staged as part of the celebrations.

As the possible test loomed, the United States, South Korea and Japan have shown an unusually high degree of diplomatic coordination in condemning North Korea and pledging to slow down food and oil assistance if the test is carried out. This month, Japan and the United States also agreed to conduct joint research on a missile-defense system that in theory could destroy incoming ballistic missiles from North Korea.

Administration officials were cautious Wednesday in forecasting what, if anything, might come out of the talks in Berlin. But they noted recent, relatively conciliatory statements from Pyongyang.

"There are signs that North Korea wants to improve relations," a senior official involved in the policy said.

The administration was also encouraged that North Korea had invited a correspondent from Cable News Network to report from the country this month, the first such opening to Western television.

There was also some suggestion Wednesday that the North Koreans were showing interest in proposals laid out in June by a U.S. envoy, former Defense Secretary William J. Perry.

Perry essentially offered the lifting of some trade sanctions and the beginning of a formal recognition of North Korea in return for a halt to its testing of missiles and an end to its export of missile technology to the Middle East and Pakistan.

Some members of Congress have been briefed on Perry's proposals, but they have not been made public. Washington officials have been monitoring the activities at the North Korean launching site by satellite.