Dec. 4
CHINA:
China reveals evidence behind execution of missile spies
China on Thursday revealed detailed evidence behind the conviction and
execution of two Chinese men who spied for Taiwan and stole missile
secrets.
A cover story published in Global Times, owned by the People's Daily,
quoted an exclusive and reliable source that Wo Weihan, who was executed
last Friday after being convicted of leaking Chinese strategic missile
data to Taiwan intelligence, had brought about an "extraordinary loss to
national security".
Although not identifying the source, the story said 60-year-oldWo was
recruited by Taiwan intelligence agencies in Germany in October 1989
during a 5-year government paid study for doctoral degree in Munich.
Wo neither came back to China nor continued his medical research after
graduation, but started to develop his assets in the Chinese mainland and
collect political, economic and military secrets under the cover of a
businessman shuttling between Europe and China.
>From the early 1990s to early this century, Wo acquired Chinese military
secrets with Taiwan intelligence agencies' financial aid, including
information on the People's Liberation Army's night combat equipment.
The story also said the Wohua Biological Technology Company Ltd. that Wo
registered in Beijing, and his title "company's chief scientist", were
actually covers for his espionage.
(source: Xinhua News)
AUSTRALIA:
Push to kill death penalty
THERE is a bipartisan push for Australia to pass laws entrenching its
opposition to the death penalty, in a bid to send a strong message to the
region and stave off the executions of three members of the Bali 9.
A cross-party working group against the death penalty was re-established
in Parliament this week. On Tuesday it was briefed by Colin McDonald, QC,
the barrister for Scott Rush, who is on death row in Indonesia.
The group, which is being convened by the Labor backbencher Chris Hayes
and the Liberal senator Gary Humphries, wants Parliament to enact
legislation making it impossible for the states to reintroduce the death
penalty. While it is abolished in all states and territories, there is
nothing to stop them reviving it.
Senator Humphries said: "Our main concern has been to try and get a
situation occurring where we have a complete and final nailing of the
coffin lid shut on the application of the death penalty in Australian
law."
Mr Hayes said he hoped to gain support for a law based on the Second
Operational Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.
Such laws could be passed if the states referred their powers to the
Commonwealth, or the Government used its constitutional external affairs
powers.
The Labor MP Melissa Parke, a member of the working group, will lodge a
notice of motion in Parliament today calling on the Government to enact
such laws.
Mr McDonald told the group such a move would "send a firm and unequivocal
message to Indonesia" about Australia's abhorrence of the death penalty.
Mr McDonald told MPs the Government needed to change federal police
guidelines concerning death penalty situations involving Australians
overseas, because they allowed for "a repetition of the unfortunate
circumstances concerning the Bali Nine and Scott Rush in particular".
Three of the Bali Nine members are on death row but only Rush, whose
parents alerted federal police to his plans in an attempt to prevent him
travelling to Indonesia, was a drug mule.
Mr McDonald called on the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, to advocate in
the region for an agreement whereby citizens from abolitionist countries
could apply to countries such as Indonesia to commute their death
sentences.
The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will meet the Indonesian President, Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, at a democracy forum in Bali next week.
(source: Sydney Morning Herald)
******************
Politicians move to kill off death penalty
Politicians from both sides of the Federal Parliament are working towards
new laws to prevent the return of the death penalty in Australia.
A cross-party working group is seeking federal legislation to make it
impossible for the states and territories to re-introduce capital
punishment.
The group has been briefed by a lawyer for Australian Scott Rush who is on
death row in Indonesia.
Liberal Senator Gary Humphries says entrenching Australia's opposition to
the death penalty in new laws would send a message to the region.
"The group's working not only to bring about an end to the death penalty
in a legal sense in Australia but also to prevent its use overseas and to
encourage those countries in the region - and there are quite a few
unfortunately - to give up their resort to the death penalty," he said.
"I was pleased a few weeks ago when we had the execution of the 3 Bali
bombers that there were expressions by Australian politicians of
opposition to the imposition of that penalty, notwithstanding that a lot
of Australians would have cheered that on.
"I think that's an appropriate thing to do because we do also face the
prospect of those 3 Australians being executed in Indonesia."
(source: ABC News)
