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DPRK Mount Kumgang. More than 426,000 South Koreans have toured Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the past three years since the mountain was opened to South Koreans on November 18, 1998, the Unification Ministry said Monday. More than 426,000 South Koreans have toured Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the past three years since the mountain was opened to South Koreans on November 18, 1998, the Unification Ministry said Monday. A total of 10,554 visited the mountain in 1998, 148,074 in 1999 ,213,009 last year, and 54,596 by last Sunday this year. The tourist number has showed a sharp decline due to the economic slump in South Korea and stalemated inter-Korean relations this year, said the ministry. The tour route to the mountain is from South Korean port city of Sokcho to DPRK port city of Changjon by boat and then to the mountain. The South Korean government has been making efforts in the hope that the DPRK will allow opening of a cross-border land tour route to the mountain. **** PLA Navy Vessel Visits Vietnam. Guided missile frigate Yulin of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Monday morning berthed at the Nha Rong Port of Ho Chi Minh. Guided missile frigate Yulin of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Monday morning berthed at the Nha Rong Port of Ho Chi Minh City, starting a four-day goodwill visit to Vietnam. The visit, made at the invitation of the Vietnamese People's Navy, is the first visit to Vietnam by PLA's navy vessel. Among those attending the ceremony to welcome the PLA navy vessel at the Nha Rong Port were senior municipal officials of Ho Chi Minh City, leading officers from Vietnam's Defense Ministry, the Vietnamese People's Navy and the Military Region 7 of Vietnamese People's Army, and Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Qi Jianguo, Chinese Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Gao Deke, Chinese Military Attache to Vietnam Li Yuehong as well as representatives from Chinese-invested enterprises in Vietnam. Senior colonel Qu Lishu, head of destroyer fleet of PLA's Nan Hai Sea Fleet, told Xinhua that "all of the officers and soldiers on board of frigate Yulin feel great horned to visit to Vietnam, the first ever visit by PLA Navy vessel." Qu, also commander of the visiting Chinese frigate Yulin, said that "we hope to further promote the mutual understanding and the friendship between the peoples and the armies of the two countries through the visit." He expressed his confidence in success of the visit, saying that "being an envoy of friendship, we will go back with profound friendship." The PLA frigate Yulin will leave Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday. **** Zimbabwean President Urges Countrymen to Remain Calm. Zimbabwean President Mugabe on Sunday urged the nation to remain calm and asked youths not to beat up people in retaliation to the murder of Cain Nkala, leader of pro-government war veterans in Bulawayo province, whose decomposed body was found last week. Zimbabwean President Mugabe on Sunday urged the nation to remain calm and asked youths not to beat up people in retaliation to the murder of Cain Nkala, leader of pro-government war veterans in Bulawayo province, whose decomposed body was found last week. "Let us not allow emotions to overwhelm us. Let us not take the curse of the terrorists and go wild attacking people," Mugabe said at the funeral of Nkala at the National Heroes Acre in Harare. He said the murder of Nkala was a bloody outcome of an orchestrated, wider and carefully planned terrorist plot by internal and external enemy forces. "With plenty of funding from some commercial farmers and organizations like the Westminster Foundation, which gets its dirty money from the British Labor Party, the Conservative and Liberal Parties and the government of Tony Blair, these sponsored terrorist forces of destruction in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are corrupting and ruining the youths at colleges and elsewhere," said Mugabe He said they were showering youths with donor trinkets, drink and drugs in order to use them as cannon fodder in terrorist fights not just against the Zimbabwe African National Union-patriotic Front (NANU-PF) but against the gains of independence. Mugabe said apart from widespread media reports of the MDC terrorist training camps on commercial farms outside borders of Zimbabwe and oversees, there had been numerous cases of kidnapping and assault of ZANU-PF members by the MDC terrorists. He said the MDC and the world had been given a rude awakening by the brutal circumstances surrounding the death of Nkala. He said the government would not allow rebels and the MDC criminal elements who are agents of external forces to ruin Zimbabwe. Mugabe said that the people of Zimbabwe have the power to guard their freedom and sovereignty. It was said that Nkala was abducted from his Magwegwe West home in Bulawayo by the suspected MDC gun-men. He was later tortured and killed using a shoe-laces and was buried in a shallow grave at Norwood Farm near Solusi University, 50 kilometers outside Bulawayo. **** 15,000 Anti-War Protesters March in London. Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London to protest against the war in Afghanistan, saying that the apparent rout of the Taliban did not justify the U.S.-led military action. Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London to protest against the war in Afghanistan, saying that the apparent rout of the Taliban did not justify the U.S.-led military action. Police estimated that 15,000 people had marched from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square for the event although organizers, Stop the War Coalition, put numbers at 50,000. Many protesters waved placards reading "Stop the War" and "Not in My Name" and a number of British Muslims held prayers for peace on mats placed on the ground. Stop the War Committee member Mike Marqusee said he was delighted with the "very diverse" turnout. "We are hoping to send out a clear message that Tony Blair does not speak for Britain and we hope that message carries across Britain and across the world," he said. "We believe that this march reflects both the scale and diversity of anti-war opinion in this country. "Our campaign will not end until the war ends and Britain and the U.S. stop the bombing." Organizer Lindsey German said the bombing campaign had done nothing to tackle international terrorism. "Meanwhile terrorism continues and will continue because the real roots of terrorism have not been dealt with and are not being dealt with in this war." Similar marches took place in London, Glasgow and other cities in Britain last month. **** Iran Calls for IOM Cooperation on Afghan Refugees. Iran has called on the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to engage long-term cooperation with the Islamic Republic to help repatriate the Afghanrefugees, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday. Iran has called on the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to engage long-term cooperation with the Islamic Republic to help repatriate the Afghanrefugees, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday. Iran's Majlis (parliament) Speaker Mahdi Karrubi made the remarks in his talks with the visiting Brunson Mckinley, director general of the Geneva-based organization, the agency said. Karoubi thanked the IOM for extending assistance to the displaced Afghans in Iran and called for its help in repatriating the Afghan refugees when the situation permits. Iran is currently hosting about 2.5 million Afghan refugees, said the speaker, adding that prolonged presence of Afghan refugeeshas caused problems for Iran in the economic, social, cultural, security and political fields. The only solution to the Afghan dilemma is establishment of a broad-based and multi-ethnic government in the country, he added. On his turn, Mckinley appreciated Iran's humanitarian assistanceto Afghan refugees, saying that the world community is indebted to Iran for its humanitarian assistance to the Afghans. Iran and the IOM have similar outlook about Afghanistan's political settlement and they should further cooperate in this respect, said Mckinley, who arrived here Wednesday for talks with Iranian officials and Iran's Red Crescent Society on the Afghan crisis and relief projects for the displaced Afghans. IOM and Iran's Red Crescent Society signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Saturday for mutual cooperation in sending humanitarian relief aid to the vulnerable people, refugees, and immigrants. **** Kremlin Pledges More Talks After First Meeting With Chechen Envoy. A meeting between Chechen rebelrepresentative and the Kremlin envoy ended here Sunday with a Kremlin pledge to continue such talks. A meeting between Chechen rebelrepresentative and the Kremlin envoy ended here Sunday with a Kremlin pledge to continue such talks. Akhmad Zakayev, envoy of Chechen rebel president Aslan Maskhadov, flew to Moscow from Istanbul on Sunday for talks with President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the Southern District, Vladimir Kazantsev. This the first such contacts since war resumedin the Russia's breakaway region of Chechnya two years ago. Kazantsev described the two-hour meeting as "constructive" and vowed to continue the dialogue, Interfax said. The envoy also said such contacts would be held along with President Putin's September television speech that urged Chechen rebels to contact with his envoy and discuss the modalities of a rebel surrender. The meeting sides expressed their "intention to seek a lasting peace in Chechnya", an aide named Maxim Fedorenko was quoted by Interfax as saying. The two sides also discussed ways for guerrillas to lay down their weapons and begin a peaceful life, he said. Interfax also said the meeting, beginning at around 13:03 Moscow time (1030GMT) was held at Moscow's Sheremetyevo-2 international airport instead of the previously reported venue as a state. According to the Interfax, Zakayev was set to fly abroad after the meeting. **** China Emphasizes Comprehensive Approach to Improve Public Security. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have called for enhanced efforts to improve public security through a comprehensive approach. The two authorities listed major threats to social security and called on the Party and government officials to assume more responsibility and strengthen crime-prevention networks. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have called for enhanced efforts to improve public security through a comprehensive approach. Major threats to social security A joint circular issued by the two authorities, made available to Xinhua Sunday, listed the major threats to social security in China, including infiltration and sabotage by hostile overseas forces, disturbance by nationalist splittism forces at home and abroad, religious extremists and terrorists through their collusion, as well as by evil cults and criminal gangs. Party and government officials urged to work harder The circular urges party and government officials at all levels to assume more responsibility for public security in their areas, and warned that performance in this regard will be an important factor in deciding their promotions. Crime-prevention networks to be further strengthened It underscores the importance of crime prevention, including through the establishment of a responsible complaint-addressing mechanism, effective control of weapons, explosives and poisonous substances, and better management of the transient population. The circular stresses the strengthening of crime-prevention networks at the grassroots level. For example, retirees and other volunteers may be mobilized to help maintain security in their neighborhoods. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council published "Opinion on further improving public security through a comprehensive approach strengthening " on September 5. Key points as follows: 1, to carefully implement the "Three Represents" Theory and strengthen the leading work of the improvement of public security 2, to vigorously develop crime-prevention networks 3, to strengthen basic and fundamental construction 4, to further perfect the system in improving public security through a comprehensive approach strengthening 5, to strictly adopt system of job responsibility and ensure a full implementation of regulations and measures in improving public security _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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