A man visits the 2013 Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hongkong, May 23, 2013. The art show, which exhibits about 2, 000 artworks from 16 countries and regions, opened here on Thursday.

People visit the 2013 Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hongkong, May 23, 2013. The art show, which exhibits about 2, 000 artworks from 16 countries and regions, opened here on Thursday. <Xinhua/Lv Xiaowei>

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, center, is escorted by Heal Africa co-founder Dr. Jo Lusi, right, as the U.N. chief visits the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, eastern Congo, Thursday, May 23, 2013. Ban arrived Thursday in Goma, hours after a rebel group fighting government forces nearby said they would impose a cease-fire to allow the visit to proceed. The M23 rebels and the Congolese army began fighting three days ago just north of Goma, ending a nearly six-month-long truce. <AP Photo/Alain Wandimoyi>

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed Thursday that security must go hand-in-hand with development in Congo’s troubled eastern city of Goma, arriving just hours after a rebel group halted fighting to allow the visit to proceed.

The U.N. chief traveled to Congo, and specifically to Goma, for the first time since the Security Council authorized the creation of a new intervention brigade, which will be based in the city and will have an aggressive mandate allowing the peacekeepers to engage the M23 rebels stationed just north of the city.

“The intervention brigade being deployed within the U.N. peacekeeping operation is designed to bring added stability and protect civilians. But that is only one element of a much larger political process. A peace deal must deliver a peace dividend – health, education, jobs, opportunity,” he said soon after visiting a hospital where women are treated for serious internal injuries resulting from rape.

The rebels announced hours before Ban’s arrival that they would respect a cease-fire in order to avoid disrupting the diplomat’s trip.

“We will not fight today to allow Ban Ki-moon’s visit to successfully take place. We also want to give peace a chance and ask the government to come back to the negotiating table in Kampala,” rebel spokesman Amani Kabasha said by telephone.

After visiting Goma for two hours, Ban traveled on to neighboring Rwanda.

Last November the rebels handed both the government of Congo and the United Nations a humiliating blow when they succeeded in seizing Goma, a city of roughly 1 million that is both a major population center and strategically important. The rebels retreated 10 days later after intense wrangling by the international community, including diplomatic pressure on Rwanda, which is accused of arming and financing the rebels.

The U.N. came under scrutiny after the thousands of peacekeepers stationed in and around Goma stood by as the rebels marched into the city, claiming that their mandate does not allow them to engage militarily unless civilians are in imminent danger.

The new intervention brigade is meant to address that criticism by creating a standing force with a mandate that will allow them to fight the rebels, though only around 100 members of the brigade have arrived so far. M23 has called the creation of the brigade “a declaration of war.”

Using careful, diplomatic language, Ban made clear that the U.N. brigade would have the ability to strike at the M23 rebels. “The intervention brigade is coming with a specific mandate to enforce the peace. As you may know the peacekeeping operation of the United Nations has a very specific mandate to keep the peace. When there is no peace to keep, we will not be able to keep peace. This time we are going beyond the traditional way of peacekeeping missions. It has been mandated with a clear and robust mandate to enforce the peace when it is necessary. They will take proactive peace enforcing measures. That is different from normal peacekeeping mission,” he said.

Although the creation of the brigade was front and center during Ban’s trip, he travelled to Congo with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, who pledged $1 billion to the countries in the Great Lakes region to kick start their economies.

The message Ban brought during his trip to Goma is that fixing Congo’s endemic poverty is part-and-parcel of the peace process.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets children as he visits the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, eastern Congo, Thursday, May 23, 2013. <AP Photo/Alain Wandimoyi>

“Education and health care are part of the broader infrastructure of development that can bring economic progress and hope to the region,” Ban said. “(The peace deal) aims to address the roots, the fundamental underlying causes of this crisis. The intervention brigade, which shall be deployed soon in accordance with the Security Council Resolution 2098, will address all this violence and will try it’s best to protect human life, human rights and human dignity,” he said.

The secretary-general has been intimately involved both in the creation of the intervention brigade, as well as in the multi-country peace process which is trying to bring an end to the fighting in Congo. Ban personally travelled to Addis Ababa to sign the peace deal, which was between the U.N. and 11 countries in the region.

Talks between the government of Congo and the rebels have stalled in recent weeks. The rebels accuse the government of being unwilling to negotiate, as they wait for the U.N. intervention brigade to arrive this summer. On Monday, they attacked government positions and resumed fighting after a nearly six-month-long truce.

In just three days of violence, roughly 30,000 people have fled the Mugunga refugee camp, which was caught in the rebels’ crosshairs, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Ban’s visit remained uncertain up until his arrival on Thursday due to the possibility of further clashes. The last round of fighting between the two sides stopped at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Since then, the rebels situated around a dozen kilometers (miles) from Goma’s city center have respected the truce, though the fighting is expected to start anew once the U.N. chief leaves. <AP/Newsis>

A jaguar takes a rest at the United Nations Park El Picacho in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras on May 22, 2013, the International Day for Biological Diversity.

A woodpecker stores seeds in a tree at the United Nations Park El Picacho in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras on May 22, 2013, the International Day for Biological Diversity.

A snake takes a rest at the United Nations Park El Picacho in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras on May 22, 2013, the International Day for Biological Diversity. <Xinhua/Rafael Ochoa>

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, May 23, 2013.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Jerusalem Thursday, May 23, 2013. The United States and Israel raised hopes Thursday for a restart of the Middle East peace process, despite little tangible progress so far from Kerry’s two-month-old effort to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. <AP Photo/Jim Young, Pool>

Some “abused” dolls are seen at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 23, 2013. Approximately 1,000 dolls, made as if they have been abused, were on a display here to arouse public awareness of child abuse and its long-term effect on those victims.

A woman walks past “abused” dolls at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 23, 2013. <Xinhua/Yin Dongxun>

Foreign ministers attend the emergency meeting of Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria at the headquarters of Cairo-based Arab League (AL) in Cairo, Egypt, May. 23, 2013. The Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria held an emergency meeting Thursday here in the headquarters of Cairo-based Arab League (AL) to discuss efforts exerted to bring an end to the Syrian crisis. <Xinhua/Amru Salahuddien>

A Pakistani policeman comforts a mourner during a funeral ceremony for policemen killed in a bomb blast in southwest Pakistan’s Quetta, May 23, 2013. At least 12 people including 10 security men were killed and 17 others injured when a bomb hit security forces’ vehicle in Pakistan’s southwest Quetta city on Thursday morning, local officials said. <Xinhua/Mohammad>

Pakistani security officials examine the wreckage of security vehicle at the blast site in the outskirts of southwest Pakistan’s Quetta, May 23, 2013. <Xinhua/Asad>

Pakistani security personnel carry a victim’s belongings at the site of bombing in Quetta, Pakistan on Thursday, May 23, 2013. <AP Photo/Arshad Butt>

Indians fill water, supplied by a government tanker, into barrels in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 23, 2013. Many areas of the Indian capital are facing acute water shortage, a repeated annual phenomenon during summer when taps go dry as demand rises. <AP Photo/Manish Swarup>

A blistering heat wave has swept across most parts of north and western India, causing massive electricity cuts and leading angry residents to protest and even attack power company officials and property.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, enraged citizens have set fire to a power station and held power company employees hostage for several hours. Police said Thursday that at least 21 people have been arrested for the violence and for damaging government property.

Uttar Pradesh, home to 190 million people, is India’s most populous state and one of the poorest. Its inadequate energy infrastructure has been unable to cope with the high demand for electricity as temperatures have peaked above 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) in recent days.

Indian laborers without safety equipment climb atop a pole to work on high tension power cables in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 23, 2013. A blistering heat wave has caused massive power cuts and water shortages across much of north and western India, and some people are taking to the streets to express their anger with the government. <AP Photo/Kevin Frayer>

The power shortages have left people without air conditioning or fans – and in some cases without water, as electric pumps failed – for hours each day. Uttar Pradesh has only 8,000 megawatts of electricity available against a demand of about 11,000 megawatts, forcing officials to schedule power cuts.

People set fire to a power station to protest power cuts in Bahraich, a town 180 kilometers (112 miles) southeast of state capital Lucknow, while in Gorakhpur town, enraged people held power employees captive for more than 18 hours.

In Lucknow, residents of one neighborhood lost electricity for more than 50 hours. They came out on the streets and staged a protest outside the home of a local lawmaker.

“We were awake the whole night. This morning the power line was restored after our protest. There was no water, as no electricity means power pumps did not work. Small children were crying,” resident Shankuntala Rastogi said.

An Indian boy drinks water dripping from a government tanker supplying water to residents of a colony in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 23, 2013. <AP Photo/Manish Swarup>

The state’s chief minister, Akilesh Yadav, said in a statement that the government was trying its best to provide enough power.

The high temperatures are expected to continue through the week, local weather officials said.

Several neighborhoods in the national capital New Delhi have also suffered several hour-long power cuts this week amid searing temperatures.

Western India also sizzled, with temperatures in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra states hovering between 47 to 48 degrees C (116 to 118 F). <AP/NEWSis>

The never-ending rape of the Camerons
[Malaysia, The Star, 22-05-2013]

Once a destination to getaway crowds, the Cameron Highlands, one of the most prominent hill resorts in Malaysia, is now swamped by tourist crowds and being threatened by reckless development around the resort. The once pristine virginal greenery has turned into strip of red earth. The once romantic image of small, old-fashioned resthouses, tea plantations, and vegetable farms has turned into hills full of poor planned ugly high-rise structures here and there to accommodate the large crowds.

Later, the area experienced an agricultural boom and large of areas of land were cleared to feed the local and export demand. During this development process, legal and illegal clearing brought about naked slopes, landslides and poisoned highways.

Recent images of Camerons have angered the public and shook many to horror and anguish. The hills of the Camerons are dying, but there are no measures being taken. When the issue is raised, the authorities only see the culprits at work. However, instead of later trying and punishing the criminals, we need to stop the destruction now. This is the only way to save the majestic nature of the Camerons before it completely vanishes before our own eyes.

Myanmar’s road to democracy not without challenges
[Singapore, The Straits Times, 22-05-2013]

Two weeks before Myanmar hosts its first World Economic Forum on East Asia, Myanmar President Thein Sein made a landmark visit to the United States where he discussed the following matters: an end to inter-communal violence in Myanmar, developing a national identity of religious tolerance and sharing power and resources to bring about peace with Kachin ethnic minority.

Thein Sein also discussed the military’s special role in the country’s history and admitted that the military’s role must change. The military continues to play a major role in the economy and politics.

President Barack Obama praised Thein Sein for his “genuine efforts to resolve longstanding ethnic conflicts,”yet also raised concerns over recent violence directed at Rohingya Muslims, who have fled the country in thousands. Thein Sein publicly
announced that this was a tragic incident and that all sort of discrimination needed to be eliminated.

Even though much of Thein Sein’s rhethoric brings hope of Myanmar’s road to democracy, analysts raise concerns of the
obstacles ahead.

Squaring the Arctic Circle

[China, China Daily, 23-05-2013]

On May 15, China has finally joined the Arctic Council which decides the rules for the Arctic region. China was granted observer status, which is seen as a victory for China’s geopolitical diplomacy in issues such as polar research and cooperation, and the Arctic’s sustainable development in the light of climate change.

The council’s decision reflects the expectations of the council’s member states: becoming more influential in natural resources and climate change issues and exploiting the mineral resources in the region.

Being the biggest exporter and second largest importer – as well as leading importer of mineral resources – China has given special importance to opening new shipping routes and importing mineral resources because of the threats posed by climate change. And since China is expected to be one of the most frequent users of the shipping routes and a leading resource developer in the Arctic region, it deserves to be part of the decision-making process.

Also, as the Arctic greatly influences the world’s weather and climate patterns, China’s participant to the Circle is important since it was suffered the devastating effects of famine that led to the death of tens of millions of people from the 1920s to the 1940s.

History teaches us to prepare for natural calamities, and increasing our inputs in research on the Arctic is part of that preparation. Therefore, the international community has no reason to stop a country with one-fifth of the world’s population from conducting scientific research for every human’s benefit.

Even though resource development in the Arctic Circle seems a lucrative proposition, high cost makes China not attracted by mineral resources and natural resources in the region. The real value of Arctic lies elsewhere: shipping routes and climate research.

In China, bloggers push for freer media

[Hong Kong, South China Morning Post, 23-05- 2013]

A Chinese journalist Luo Changping’s decision to reveal details of a high-ranking official’s wrongdoing in a microblog message would appear to be a game-changer. Instead of censoring the allegations and punishing the reporter and those who spread his claims, authorities have given praise and the target, Liu Tienan, deputy director of the powerful National Development and Reform Commission, has been sacked. Luo’s high profile and his timing as Xi was stepping up calls to fight corruption made silencing or ignoring his claims difficult. It cannot be an isolated incident, though; if his aims are to be attained, the media – social and otherwise – have to be given free rein.

Lesser officials have been brought down by microblogs. A video posting of Lei Zhengfu, party chief of Chongqing’s Beibei district, engaged in sex with a woman hired by developers seeking favours recently led to penalties against him and 20 others. Never before, though, has anyone of Liu’s seniority been dealt with as a result of a microblog message.

The tactic skilfully gets around the censorship that is so much a part of the government’s strategy for controlling information. But only a privileged few benefit from such censorship. It has led to corruption, neglect of the rule of law and ignoring of human rights. Allowing an independent media promotes transparency and accountability. There can also be informed public discussion and the government has a better chance of meeting the aspirations and concerns of society.

A team of climbers led by 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura, third from left on the peak, stand on the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday, May 23, 2013. Miura on Thursday became the oldest man to reach the top of Mount Everest, a Nepali official and Miura’s Tokyo-based support team said. The photo was taken with a telephoto lens from an altitude of 5,550 meters (18,208 feet). <AP Photo/Kyodo News>

In this Tuesday, May 21, 2013 photo distributed by Miura Dolphins, 80-year-old Japanese extreme skier Yuichiro Miura rests as he goes through the South Col pass to a camp at 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) during his attempt to scale the summit of Mount Everest. According to his management office, Miura plans to reach the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak on Thursday, May 23 to be the world’s oldest person to climb the world’s highest peak. His rival, 81-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan, from Nepal, who nabbed the record just before he could in 2008, was at the base camp preparing for his own attempt on the summit next week.

In this Tuesday, May 21, 2013, photo distributed by Miura Dolphins, 80-year-old Japanese extreme skier Yuichiro Miura rests in a camp at 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) during his attempt to scale the summit of Mount Everest. <AP Photo/Miura Dolphins>