Extracts. Signatures of One Million Chinese People Against Falun Gong Some one million people in Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou cities in east China's Fujian Province signed their names Sunday on white scrolls to protest the Falun Gong cult and protect human rights. The activity was initiated by the China Association of Anti- Evil Religion. A written proposal issued by the association says, peace and development will be the major trend in the coming century, but the spread of the evil Falun Gong doctrine worldwide is destroying numerous families and individuals. "The evil cult severely entrenches human rights and attempts to control the Falun Gong followers spiritually," the written proposal says, adding that "the cult leader Li Hongzhi and his Falun Gong also defy laws and endanger people's lives and minds." The illegal activities of the Falun Gong cult have inflicted serious harm on society and aroused public anger. The purpose of the signature campaign against the Falun Gong cult in the cities is to root out the evil cult, and make sure people will be able to live in a healthy environment and stable society. **** Barak Plays Down Expectations on Talks With Palestinians Israel <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/Israel.html> i caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak has repeated his pessimistic assessment of the imminent Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that are to begin in Egypt <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/egypt.html> ian resort city of Taba on Sunday evening. "In the short time left, with the gaps that exist, the chance of bridging them is not great," he told Army Radio on Sunday. Palestine Council Speaker and chief negotiator Ahmad Qurei, who is also called Abu Ala, told the Palestinian official newspaper Al Ayyam on Sunday that if there is progress in the talks they can lead to a summit between Barak and Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Barak, however, believes the chances of reaching an agreement before the February 6 prime ministerial elections are very low. The high-level negotiations are expected to last from a week to 10 days. Barak's "peace cabinet" composed of ministers and senior politicians involved in peace efforts Saturday accepted the proposal raised by Arafat to hold the non-stop marathon peace talks in the Red Sea resort of Taba in a bid to clinch a framework deal on the final-status issues based on former U.S. President Bill Clinton's peace proposal. The Israeli negotiating team will be led by Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, Tourism Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, while Barak and Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres will direct the team. The Palestinian team will be headed by Arafat himself and his presence is expected to facilitate the decision-making process. The Palestinian team will include Abu Ala and Chief of Preventive Security Forces for the Gaza Strip Mohammed Dahlan. In response to criticism that the peace cabinet decided to attend the talks just two days after a sixteen-year-old Israeli was lured and apparently murdered by masked Palestinians near the West Bank town of Ramallah, Barak said that Israel has no choice but to attend peace talks. Barak refused to comment on the weekend's opinion polls that put him between 18 and 20 points behind opposition Likud prime ministerial candidate Ariel Sharon in the race. He also refused to discuss the possibility of withdrawing his candidacy in favor of former Premier Shimon Peres who has a much better standing in the public opinion polls. As the prime ministerial election draws near, Barak's Labor and the right-wing Likud have stepped up accusations against each other in the national campaign to attract swaying voters. **** Portugal Surprised at NATO Use of Depleted Uranium in Yugoslavia Portuguese authorities were surprised to learn that depleted uranium munitions had been used in the attacks by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization against Yugoslavia, Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said Saturday. "It is essential to have a thorough clarification" on the use of DU rounds, Prime Minister Guterres said in a letter addressed to NATO Secretary General George Robertson. International media have reported cancer related ailments suffered by NATO soldiers who served in Kosovo as part of a phenomenon called the "Balkans syndrome." Minister of Science and Technology of Portugal Mariano Gago said, "I have no confirmation of the fact, but I am really surprised at the news related to the presence of plutonium in depleted uranium munitions." Director of the military hospital of Lisbon Col. Bargao dos Santos said that the application of examinations to Portuguese soldiers participating in the peace forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo would show if they had been exposed to radioactive pollution. The controversy on the use of depleted uranium started in Portugal after the decease of corporal Hugo Paulino last March, who stayed in Kosovo for six months. Quite a number of servicemen from different countries who were deployed in Kosovo have died of leukemia and other cancer-related diseases. **** UN, China Have Established Partnership: Kofi Annan Visiting Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations said Sunday, January 21, that China and the UN have established partnership in an age for countries and organizations in the world to establish partnership with one another. Annan said this at a seminar with the theme of "the UN in the 21st century". The seminar is chaired by Song Jian, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Annan, on his fourth trip to China in the capacity of the UN Secretary-General, recalled last year's UN Millennium Summit, saying it is "a historical meeting", and the "United Nations Millennium Declaration" passed at the summit contributes to poverty eradication, environmental protection and legal enforcement. He held that management should be strengthened within and among the nations through promoting correct mechanism, the rule according to law, and human rights. As the globalization prevails, the international law will play a bigger role, and the principles of the UN charter and other norms of the international laws should be respected by all the countries. The Secretary-General noted that the environment issue is one of the most urgent issues facing the world, and other problems like education, women and AIDS also trouble the human being. Only all nations cooperate could they deal with the challenge. Song Jian said that the UN has make great contributions to safeguarding peace and stability, expanding exchanges, and promoting development over the past years. Prior to the seminar, Song met with Annan. Some members of the Subcommittee of Foreign Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee exchanged views with Annan on the role of the UN in the 21st century, and the realization of the UN Millennium Declaration. **** UN Security Council Reform Need Consensus: Chinese FM Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Sunday, January 21, that the reforms of the United Nations Security Council concern the interests of all the member countries and should be conducted on the basis of consultation and consensus through soliciting widespread opinions. He said that "the main purpose of the reforms should be to further strengthen the functions and mechanism of the Security Council, so as to better contribute to the world peace and common development." In response to a question at a press briefing after talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who are here at the invitation of the Chinese government, Tang said that any measures taken in the reforms should not "stimulate those existing differences and sharpen the conflicts." Tang told reporters that he and Annan had "an extensive and in-depth exchange of views on the follow-ups of the UN millennium summit, the Security Council reforms, the UN peace-keeping operations, and some hot issues in the world." On the Iraqi issue, Tang said that China's position has been consistent and clear. On the one hand, Iraq should "cooperate with the U.N. and completely implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and on the other, as a sovereign nation, Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected by the international community," Tang stated. "The Security Council should justly and objectively evaluate Iraq's implementation of relevant resolutions, and gradually lift the sanctions and finally free the Iraqis from the sanctions completely," he added. China supports Annan's efforts to initiate dialogues with Iraq and hopes positive results will be generated from the communications, the foreign minister said. On the political change in the Philippines, Tang said that the new Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is an old friend of China, who has visited China many times. He said that he believes the new Philippine government will carry on the previous governments' policy towards China. **** Pan-American Assembly in Cuba A Pan-American Cyclist assembly met on Saturday in Havana, capital of Cuba, with 50 participants from 36 countries. Meeting participants will elect the executive members of the International Cyclist Union (ICU) for the next four years. Participants include the president of the ICU, Ahume Verbrugen from the Netherlands, and leaders of the four ICU geographical regions. During the meeting, President Verbrugen agreed to visit the facilities for the future regional center for training young talented people. A similar center has already been constructed in Aigle, Switzerland. Similar facilities will also be built in Moscow and Beijing. These facilities will train young people aged 18 to 20. **** Saddam Calls for Enhanced Relations with Vietnam Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Saturday called for the Joint Iraq-Vietnamese Cooperation Committee to work for enhanced relations between the two countries, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. Saddam made the call during his meeting with visiting Vietnamese Vice Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan and his accompanying delegation. Saddam stressed the depth of friendship between the two countries, INA reported without elaborating. For his part, the Vietnamese official criticized the almost daily airspace violations by the U.S. and British warplanes over northern and southern Iraq, and urged an early end to the decade- old sanctions. The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The U.S.-led coalition forces launched the six-week Gulf War in early 1991 to drive Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. Earlier Saturday, the Vietnamese deputy prime minister held talks with Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, who expressed the hope to achieve "strategic cooperation" with Vietnam. The Vietnamese official, heading a 100-member delegation, arrived here Friday evening in the first flight from Vietnam to Iraq in 10 years. Vietnam has been calling for the lifting of sanctions against Iraq and has become an important trade partner with the sanctions- hit country under the U.N. oil-for-food program, which allows Iraq to export oil in return for imports of food, medicine and other necessities under U.N. supervision. **** 34 Kayin Armed Group Members Surrender to Myanmar Govt Thirty-four members of the Kayin National Union (KNU), Myanmar's largest anti-government ethnic armed group which has not made peace yet with the government, surrendered to government forces earlier this month, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday. The 34 KNU members, led by platoon commander Hwayt Laphe, " exchanged arms for peace" in Dawei township, the country's southern Tanintharyi division, on January 9, the paper said, adding that they brought along with them 10 assorted weapons and 198 rounds of ammunition. The KNU has been operating for over five decades fighting the government since the early days of Myanmar's independence. The KNU lost its headquarters at Manerplaw and Kawmoora in Myanmar-Thai border area during an attack by its splinter group, the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organization backed by the government, in January-February 1995. Although four rounds of peace talks have been held between the KNU and the government since December 1995, peace has not yet been achieved between the two sides. According to official information, up to now, 17 anti- government ethnic armed groups as well as the Mong Tai Army, led by former drug warlord Khun Sa, have made peace with the government with cease-fire agreements respectively reached between them. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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