CHOGM kicks off in Perth

CHOGM kicks off in Perth

Perth in Western Australia has been locked down tight as Queen Elizabeth II and the leaders of some 54 nations convene for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) the largest ever gathering of world leaders in Australia.

The center of the city is a designated security zone and police have warned protestors, ranging from Tamil supporters demanding UN action against the Sri Lankan government to gay and lesbian activists seeking equal rights, not to breach agreed security protocols.

Inside the CHOGM venue at the Perth Convention Centre, host Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd are welcoming the Queen, and almost all the heads of government of the 54 state Commonwealth with the notable exception of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

An estimated media contingent of thousands will be walked through a series of media conferences and sideline commentaries as CHOGM lives up to its reputation as a rolling photo opportunity.

The commonwealth has been criticized for lacking relevance in an increasingly globalized world, while its consensus format has meant that marginalized voices from smaller developing nations are often not heard.

Supporters, such as the event's chair, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, insist that the commonwealth can generate positive global change as a union of nations sharing a common set of values -- what she described in her opening address as a " Commonwealth of values".

"Shared values of peace, democracy, racial equality, the rule of law and a commitment to social and economic progress. Shared values freely embraced and consensually expressed. Values we can put to work in addressing some of the most pressing concerns that face our world like climate change, financial stability and food security," She told members.

The Commonwealth is home to over 2 billion people of various faiths and ethnicities with member countries spanning six continents and oceans with the most recent member, Rwanda joining in 2009.

Editor: An

English.news.cn 2011-10-28 12:13:48 FeedbackPrintRSS

PERTH, Australia, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)

U.S. seeking to restore military communications along Afghanistan-Pakistan border

U.S. seeking to restore military communications along Afghanistan-Pakistan border

The United States is attempting to re-establish military communications along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which was no longer "open" following the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a senior U.S. commander said Thursday.

"A year ago, it was common, and has been for some time, we would have radio communications cross-border between coalition, Afghan and Pakistani forces who face each other across the border," Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Afghanistan.

"About May of this past year, after the bin Laden raid, those routine communications just were not available in most cases," he said. "We had a difficult time arranging border flag meetings. We had a difficult time arranging communications back and forth."

The remarks came as the U.S.-Pakistani relationship deteriorated since early May when the U.S. military killed bin Laden in an unilateral action in Pakistan, a move condemned by Islamabad as violation of its sovereignty.

The relationship worsened recently after senior U.S. military officials publicly accused Pakistan's spy agency of having links with armed Afghan insurgents, including the Haqqani network.

"There has been communications now. They're not at the regularity that at one time they were or I would like them to be," Scaparrotti said.

"We're attempting to re-establish the communications along the border, particularly between units that are facing each other, Afghan and Pakistani," he said.

Editor: An

English.news.cn 2011-10-28 12:11:45 FeedbackPrintRSS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua)

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) opens in Western Australia's Perth

CHOGM opens in Western Australia's Perth

The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) started on Friday in Perth in Western Australia.

More than 50 Commonwealth leaders were introduced in turn on Friday, ending with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Queen, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

They were greeted by local Aboriginal people through a traditional Aboriginal welcome.

Earlier, leaders were welcomed to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Center with a traditional indigenous cleansing ceremony.

Security has been tightened in central Perth ahead of the CHOGM opening ceremony.

The commonwealth leaders will hold talks on human rights, Commonwealth reform, economic turmoil, climate change and other topics during the three-day meeting in Perth.

Editor: Liu

English.news.cn 2011-10-28 12:03:30 FeedbackPrintRSS

SYDNEY, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) kicks off in Perth

CHOGM kicks off in Perth

Perth in Western Australia has been locked down tight as Queen Elizabeth II and the leaders of some 54 nations convene for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) the largest ever gathering of world leaders in Australia.

The center of the city is a designated security zone and police have warned protestors, ranging from Tamil supporters demanding UN action against the Sri Lankan government to gay and lesbian activists seeking equal rights, not to breach agreed security protocols.

Inside the CHOGM venue at the Perth Convention Centre, host Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd are welcoming the Queen, and almost all the heads of government of the 54 state Commonwealth with the notable exception of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

An estimated media contingent of thousands will be walked through a series of media conferences and sideline commentaries as CHOGM lives up to its reputation as a rolling photo opportunity.

The commonwealth has been criticized for lacking relevance in an increasingly globalized world, while its consensus format has meant that marginalized voices from smaller developing nations are often not heard.

Supporters, such as the event's chair, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, insist that the commonwealth can generate positive global change as a union of nations sharing a common set of values -- what she described in her opening address as a " Commonwealth of values".

"Shared values of peace, democracy, racial equality, the rule of law and a commitment to social and economic progress. Shared values freely embraced and consensually expressed. Values we can put to work in addressing some of the most pressing concerns that face our world like climate change, financial stability and food security," She told members.

The Commonwealth is home to over 2 billion people of various faiths and ethnicities with member countries spanning six continents and oceans with the most recent member, Rwanda joining in 2009.

Editor: Liu

English.news.cn 2011-10-28 12:02:55 FeedbackPrintRSS

PERTH, Australia, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)

Some 20 armed group members surrender in Myanmar in 3 months

Some 20 armed group members surrender in Myanmar in 3 months

A total of 20 individual members from some anti-government ethnic armed groups in Myanmar laid down their arms to the government forces in different military command areas in the three months of August, September and October 2011, the state-run daily New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

These members were from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Shan State Army (SSA)'s Wunhai Group and Ywetsit Group, and Kayin National Union (KNU)'s Saw Labwe Group.

In the previous three months of May, June and July, 17 members from five anti-government ethnic armed groups -- KIA, SSA, KNU, United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) surrendered to the government forces, according to earlier report.

The government said a total of 17 main anti-government armed groups and 23 small groups have so far made peace with the government, returning to the legal fold under respective cease- fire agreements since 1989.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's central government, in its peace efforts, issued an announcement on Aug. 18, calling on anti-government ethnic armed groups to come for peace talks to end internal armed insurrection and build internal peace in the country.

In response to the government's call, so far, Wa ethnic group in Shan State Special Region-2 and Mongla Group in Shan State Special Region-4 started their peace talks in Lashio and Kengtung respectively with the central government early this month.

Editor: An

English.news.cn 2011-10-28 11:43:06 FeedbackPrintRSS

YANGON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)