December27, 2006:
Pakistan has offered to build a fence, and plant landmines, along
portions of the Afghan border, to prevent Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists from
crossing. Afghanistan opposes this, because the barriers would make it more
difficult for Pushtun tribesmen, from tribes that straddle the border, to
freely cross. Moreover, Afghanistan does not recognize parts of the border, and
wants Pakistan to shut down Taliban bases inside Pakistan. This is difficult
for Pakistan to do, as the tribes do not like outside interference, and are
currently undergoing a civil war of their own, as various factions (traditional
elders, Islamic conservatives, newly wealthy men) struggle for control of the
tribes.
In
Bangladesh, rival political parties fought in the streets for the last week,
leaving several hundred injured. The violence is over accusations of corruption
in the voting process.
December
26, 2006: A recent opinion poll in South Asia found that about half of
Pakistanis don't care if their country is ruled by a democracy or not. In fact,
a majority in Pakistan, and Bangladesh, preferred rule by the military. It was
quite the opposite in India and Sri Lanka. It appears that the lower the
education levels, the more preference for non-democratic rule. In Pakistan and
Bangladesh, economic problems are of paramount importance, with so many people
just getting by. Moreover, in Pakistan, there has been little example of
democracy working, and producing a government that is any better than a
non-democratic one.
December
25, 2006: In Kashmir, three days of fighting followed an operation to arrest
Islamic terrorists in their rural hideouts. Several of the terrorists were
found to be Pakistanis. At least five people were killed.
December
22, 2006: On the Indian-Bangladesh border, two more Bangladeshis were killed by
Indian border guards. That makes about a hundred Bangladeshis killed this year
for trying to cross the border illegally. Sometimes, the Bangladeshi border
guards will fire on their Indian counterparts, when the Indians are seen trying
to stop Bangladeshis from crossing. Population pressure in Bangladesh
makes crossing illegally into India attractive, but the tribal peoples on the
Indian side resent the illegal migrants, and stage violent protests against the
Indian government for not keeping the Bangladeshis out.
December
21, 2006: Pakistan is feeling the international heat to do something about the
terrorist sanctuary it has allowed on the Afghan border. Basically, Pakistan
told the tribes that if they kept quiet (at least in Pakistan) and did not
harbor anti-Pakistani terrorists, the government would stop trying to take
control of the tribal areas. Unfortunately, this deal, according to the tribes,
allowed Taliban terrorists from both Afghanistan and Pakistan to establish
bases, and raid into Afghanistan. Pakistani officials say they are talking to the
tribal leaders, to try and clear up with Taliban business.
