Asia Over Night

My Ego Is So Big Only I Can Confront Myself

Or: I'm A Megalomaniac
Executives of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan decided Monday to put to the vote before the Diet session starts next month whether a Lower House ethics panel should summon scandal-tainted power broker Ichiro Ozawa to testify about a political fund scandal.

On Dec. 20, Ozawa, a former DPJ president, told Prime Minister Naoto Kan he would not appear before the Lower House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics even if it voted to summon him.

A vote is not binding.

The ethics panel is expected to convene early next month.

Ozawa's defiance puts DPJ Secretary-General Katsuya Okada in the position of having to weigh whether to have Ozawa explain his side of the story as a sworn witness before the Diet, which the opposition bloc has clamored for.

Which Kind Of Enemy Are You?

Are You The Real Enemy? The Enemy Of My Enemy Or You Want To Be My Enemy But Don't Know Where To Start
The Defense Ministry on Monday said it will describe the North Korean regime and military as an "enemy," instead of the old expression "main enemy," in its white paper 2010 due out on Thursday.

This is the first time the defense white paper has described the North Korean regime as opposed to the country as an enemy.

The white papers from 1995 to 2000 took North Korea as the "main enemy." Since 2004, they described the North as a "serious threat" or a "direct and serious threat."

Silence Is Golden Doesn't Bode Well For A Politician

Let's Face It They Never Shut-Up
The Criminal Court on Tuesday ruled not to cancel the bail of Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan and imposed addition conditions barring him from taking part in a political assembly of more than five people.
The court also issued a gag order for Jatuporn to stop spreading information with repercussion on his case. Jatuporn's gag order will not apply to his speeches from the House floor.

On Monday, Department of Special Investigation director general Tharit Pengdit argued for the cancellation of Jatuporn's bail on ground of his alleged spread of false information designed to influence the investigation into his terrorism charges in connection with the riots in April and May.

Those Damn Commies They Just Can't Win

I Guess They Haven't Gotten The Word. That Whole Marxist Leninist Thing Was A Failure
PILI, CAMARINES SUR: The number of communists in the Bicol region is declining. Major Gen. Ruperto Pabustan of the Army’s Ninth Infantry Division told The Manila Times that the communist insurgency in the Bicol region is waning and has been experiencing a “natural death” during the past two years.

“Records show that the numbers of the CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army] members have been drastically reduced for the past two years. From its strength of about 520 members in January 2009, we have reduced their number by 242 thereby dwindling their strength to its lowest number of 278 regular fighters. The significant reduction of government’s enemy is attributed to 49 rebels killed, 125 surrendered, 25 captured, 39 apprehended and four arrested this year,” he said.