North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s absence fuels speculation about health, coup - VIDEO: Where is Kim Jong-un?

FILE 2013: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a Mushroom Farm in Pyongyang. There is speculation about the young leader’s health because he has not made a public appearance in over a month. (REUTERS/KCNA)

North Korea’s mysterious leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for 34 days and wasn’t on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party on Friday, sparking speculation that the head of one of the world’s most secretive countries is ailing or has been removed in a secret coup.

An official state media dispatch listed senior government, military and party officials who paid their respects at an event marking the party’s 69th anniversary, but not Kim. It said a flower basket with Kim’s name on it was placed before statues of his father and grandfather, both of whom also ruled North Korea.

State media earlier said that the might of the party “is growing stronger under the seasoned guidance of Marshal Kim Jong Un.”

While his absence is not in itself all that important or unusual — such anniversaries are generally given more weight when they are landmark years, though he attended the celebrations in the last two years.

Even so, because the young leader has not been shown in the North Korean media for the past month, his attendance at the event has taken on more meaning.

Kim, who was last seen in public attending a concert on Sept. 3., had been seen earlier walking with a limp.

Maybe it’s gout, unidentified sources tell South Korean reporters, or diabetes, or high blood pressure. A thinly sourced British report says the Swiss-educated dictator has been laid low by a massive cheese addiction. A headline in Seoul offers up the possibility of a common South Korean obsession: fried chicken and beer.

During a surprise visit to South Korea last week to attend the closing ceremonies of the Asian Games in Incheon, three senior North Korean leaders assured their South Korean counterparts that Kim was healthy, but that has done little to calm the rumors abroad that he was unwell.

Paul French wrote in a Reuters’ opinion, “to add to the current coup rumors, Hwang Pyong So, recently appointed director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army (the top political position in the powerful DPRK military), appeared in Incheon in South Korea sparking more speculation that Kim was gone and a coup had occurred.”

U.S. and South Korean officials told The New York Times that there is no immediate evidence that there has been a coup.

“The last time was when everyone was predicting that Kim Jong-un would be pushed aside by his more experienced uncle, and look what happened to him,” a senior official told the paper.

After surviving several earlier purges, Kim’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was publicly shamed and then executed on treason charges in December 2013.

Geoffery Cain wrote in The Global Post that some analysts believe the 31-year-old leader’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong has been running the country in his absence.

“She is one of the only people in that we know has unfettered direct access to KJU. At the present time I would not be surprised if she is sole gatekeeper,” Michael Madden, who runs the North Korea Leadership Watch blog, told Cain.  

The article points out that little is known about the sister, believed to be born in the late 80s, but in March she appeared on state television as a senior official.

Kim, for his part, missed a meeting of the country’s parliament late last month, and was absent again from a gathering this week to mark his late father’s election as ruling party head.

Adding to the uncertainty, Kim has not been seen in North Korean media reports greeting the athletes who returned from the Asian Games — though they were given a lavish reception and heavy media coverage when they returned to the capital.

Kim is usually a near-constant one-man show in state media, but he has kept a low profile before. In 2012, he wasn’t seen publicly for about three weeks, South Korean officials say.

“Such vanishing acts would be most unusual in democracies, but in totalitarian North Korea, Kim is the state. He is free to come and go as he pleases,” Lee Sung-yoon, a North Korea expert at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, told The Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s absence fuels speculation about health, coup - VIDEO: Where is Kim Jong-un?

VIDEO: Where locals are shocked to see police

After a major operation to clear out drug dealers, a Brazilian police force is now planning to set up the first permanent police station in one of Rio’s largest slums.

It’s part of a move to restore control in some of the city’s most dangerous areas, ahead of next year’s World Cup and the Olympics in 2016.

Jefferson Puff reports.

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VIDEO: Where locals are shocked to see police

Where is the $100 million?

News

JLP wants probe into spending of money allocated for festival activitiesKIMMO MATTEWS Observer reporter Matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.comFriday, August 09, 2013

OPPOSITION Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Spokesperson on Culture Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange yesterday called for an investigation into the spending of the $100 million allocated for this year’s Emancipation and Independence celebrations.“What did they (Government) do with a $100 million for the Independence celebration. It was not reflected in the events that we saw,” said Grange, who spoke with the Jamaica Observer yesterday as she toured with JLP candidate Beverley Prince, who went up against Sheryn Bromfield in the Cassia Park by-election.“That was not a Grand Gala; it was a big stage show,” the Opposition spokesperson quipped.“Certainly Jamaicans went to see the Grand Gala but they saw the wrong Gala; it was a big disappointment [and] an investigation is needed,” said Grange.The Ministry of Youth and Culture said, however, that the celebrations were a success.“This year’s event, which culminated the celebration of the country’s 51st anniversary of Independence, was truly a symbol of what can be attained through collaborative action and synergies,” a release from the ministry stated.The release said the $100 million was spent on all festival and Independence celebratory activities co-ordinated by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission in all parishes, as well as the national level, adding that the Grand Gala was within its budget of $52.8 million.The ministry, meanwhile, expressed thanks and appreciation to all participants, adding that their efforts allowed for “a successful production and execution of this year’s Grand Gala event”.

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Where is the $100 million?

Where are the bananas?

St Mary ‘gold’ on rapid decline as parasites, disasters and thieves plague farmers

BANANAS have for ages been the foundation for the economic livelihood of the north-eastern parish of St Mary.So much is the cultivation of banana revered and respected, that the crop has been referred to as the “gold” of the parish.St Mary is well-known for its bananas. In fact, it is referred to as the banana parish of Jamaica, as years ago shiploads of the starchy food, most of them from St Mary, left Jamaica’s shores for destinations in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America.Now, if you ask the average housewife she will tell you that shopping for bananas these days can be tedious and frustrating in the parish as there is said to be a significant decline in production, which has resulted in a hike in the price paid for the product.Farmers, too, will admit that the production of banana in the parish is on the decline.Some persons have been blaming this on the passage of Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed the majority of the crop in the parish last year, but farmers say that other factors have resulted in the drop in production over the years.While many have said that they have still not received any assistance since Hurricane Sandy struck last year, one group of St Mary banana farmers has admitted that it is not only natural disasters which are causing a shortage of the commodity in the parish.Several farmers from Jack’s River said that the cost of production, lack of markets and praedial larceny have demotivated farmers, especially the younger generation, from continuing to grow bananas on a large scale.Richie Rose told the Jamaica Observer that he has lost interest in growing bananas, as there is no one to talk to regarding the problems being faced.“The RADA field officers need to leave their office and mingle with the farmers, tell we what good and what we must use,” Rose said.“We need people to come and sit down and talk to us and say don’t use this fertiliser. We no have anybody to talk to when things going wrong,” Rose stated.The farmers said that the crops continue to die as a result of worms and for reasons unknown to them. Guidance from those who are knowledgeable about such things, however, could see an improvement in the amount of bananas planted.“Some of what we use to treat the banana not working again,” Rose said, adding that new chemicals or methods of treatment had to be used, but that the farmers cannot do it on their own.The market for their produce is another issue which is said to have resulted in the decline.Sylvester Green, another farmer, said that for farmers to be selling only to higglers, it is not worth it and has called on the Government to build more factories where farmers can supply food products.“If the farmers know they have a set location where dem can deliver the bananas and collect a cheque at the end of the month they would put out more effort, but to be walking and selling one-one higgler it nah go make it,” Green stated.He added: “The Government needs to set up factories so that farmers can have markets.”The farmers said that they have had produce such as watermelons, lettuce, ackees, mangoes spoiling as they do not have ready markets.“The Government also needs to implement some cold storage areas. Food nuh suppose to a go to waste,” Green added.Jamaica faces a high importation bill, but, Green said, small farmers can supply adequate food. However, he believes that proper structures have to be put in place and more assistance granted to the farmers.“We can support ourselves foodwise,” he added.He, however, stressed that many Jamaicans are “foreign-minded” and are not eating what is grown in the island.He went on to explain that with the informal structure of agriculture in Jamaica and one not having a sure market, persons are fearful of always operating at a loss.“If we have one point where we all take our goods and the Government distribute it both locally and abroad, it work out better,” he said.This, he said, could also see a reduction in praedial larceny.Green stated that many persons in the community have also cut back on the amount of bananas planted as they cannot afford the fertiliser or treatment against diseases or insects, which destroy their crop.“We don’t get benefits; St Mary is left behind. Nobody business wid we round here,” he said.“In the past, Government used to assist us … you cannot plant banana without fertiliser,” another farmer, Neville Burnett, said.Burnett said that fertilisers, and other things needed, have become very expensive.The farmers also lamented the lack of water in their community. They said that living in a community with a river has saved them from embarrassment.“Not even water we nuh have round ya. You can imagine that. We worse than swine,” Green said.The farmers not only have to deal with hurricanes, high cost of production and lack of a structured marketing facility and inadequate resources, but also thieves.“Everything you have, three-quarters of it gone to thieves,” Burnett said.The farmers said that harsher penalties should be meted out to those convicted of praedial larceny.“We need some judges who are farmers,” Burnett said.“These sentencing of three months for stealing what you work so hard to plant and wait so long to come in, too easy. Dem only entice criminal,” a passionate Burnett added.He said that with the situation facing the farmers, they are not encouraged to continue farming.“Him [thief] should work and pay you back what you lose and still get sentenced,” he added.With so many factors affecting them, the farmers said that many are forced to cut large-scale farming.The farmers are also lamenting the practice of fertile lands being used for housing, as farmers are forced to “try their hands on rocky soils”.The farmers said that there are also lands that are fast becoming woodlands but which could be leased and used for agriculture in the parish, if the Government wants to ensure food security.“People have lands harbouring criminals and not using it,” Green said.In the meantime, Custos Emeritus of the parish and former Jamaica Agricultural Society and the All-Island Banana Growers’ Association president, AA “Bobby” Pottinger, said that while bananas are on the decline, St Mary remains the leader in banana production in Jamaica.“As a concentrated crop, St Mary leads the way,” he said. “In spite of this, bananas are on the decline, resulting in a scarcity,” he added.Pottinger said that the majority of banana growers were small- and medium-scale farmers, so recovery efforts have been a challenge for them after Hurricane Sandy.Pottinger stated that many of the farmers depend on assistance given to the country by the European Union as they do not have enough insurance to protect them after a hurricane.“What we now have is just a catastrophe fund which was seeded by the European Union (EU) and which farmers continue to put something in,” he said.The assistance from this fund is not much, so farmers still face big costs after disaster strikes.“Many farmers are trying to get back on their own at the moment,” Pottinger said.He went on to add that the majority of farmers should rebound from the effects of Hurricane Sandy by the end of July. However, the supply will still not be enough, as more of the crop should be planted to supply the local market as well as to fulfil the possibility of an export market.Pottinger said that banana farming remains attractive to those who are already in it; however, the challenge is now to get young farmers on board.“We have a lot of lands that we could put in bananas if we get the level of assistance,” he argued.Pottinger said that there are many idle lands and idle hands in the parish which could not only remedy the shortage but which could reduce crime in the parish, too.“Agriculture is the answer, but it has to be attractive,” Pottinger pointed out.The veteran farmer added that strategies had to be taken to get young men interested in banana growing.“Banana is a long-term crop and no youngster is going to sit down for nine months and just sit and wait,” he suggested.As a result, he said, the young men have to be assisted with cash crops to provide them with an income as they start off in banana growing.He said that more assistance for the farmers is expected to come from the EU later this year.However, farmers have lamented the process to get assistance provided by the EU as very tedious and disadvantageous to small farmers as this assistance is often issued in the form of loans and requires much documentation the small farmers are unable to provide.While farmers are bashing the Rural Agriculture Development Agency for not providing them with assistance to combat the decline in banana in St Mary, parish manager Howard O’Hara said that the farmers, if they are in need of assistance, should contact the office and help will be given.O’Hara said that field officers were active in the parish. However, the farmers, he said, had to seek assistance, if needed.President of the All-Island Banana Growers’ Association Grethel Sessing said that there are three major factors which had caused a decline in banana production in the parish. These, she said, were the frequency of bad weather, high cost of input and the inability of farmers to access affordable financing.She admitted that if famers had easier access to financing, the situation could be improved.Farmers Richie Rose (left) and Neville Burnett relax outside a shop at Jack’s River. (PHOTOS: RENAE DIXON)Farmers (from left) Sylvester Green, Colin Cormack and Rose outline problems that they are facing.Richie Rose shows how farmers have to hide bananas to prevent thieves from knowing when they are ready.Colin Cormack takes the Jamaica Observer on a tour of his farm.

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Where are the bananas?