Intertanko supports Hebei Spirit offcers through letter to Korean president

Intertanko supports Hebei Spirit offcers through letter to Korean president

Intertanko supports Hebei Spirit offcers through letter to Korean president

Seoul: Industry body Intertanko, representing some 80% of tanker owners around the world, has submitted a letter to the President of the Republic of Korea, asking for a level playing field in the Appeal Court judges reviewing and handing down their decision in the Appeal (lodged by the Prosecutor and Samsung) against the ‘innocent’ verdict given in the initial trial of the Master and C/O of the Hebei Spirit.

The body has also supported the seamen, Captain Jasprit Chawla (pictured right) and Chief Officer Syam Chetan (pictured left), by taking a full page advertisement in the Korea Times, just one day before Korean judges hand down a judgement on the appeal.

The open letter, addressed to President Lee Myung-bak states:
“We, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, have noted with considerable dismay the Second (Appeal) Decision of the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) and its findings of fault on the part of the two ship’s officers of the “Hebei Spirit”; Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer, Syam Chetan.

As a responsible and accountable international shipping association, which represents over 80% of independent tanker owner interests worldwide, we first wish to offer all our sympathy to the people of Korea who were so badly affected by the spill of oil which resulted when the runaway Samsung crane barge struck the legitimately anchored tanker “Hebei Spirit”.

We are aware that both Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan were acquitted in the Daesan Court of the First Instance in June this year of all charges of criminal negligence. We are also aware that this Court Judgment is presently under appeal and understand that the Daesan Court of Appeal will be giving judgment as early as Wednesday 10 December.

We are further aware that the First (Inchon) KMST Decision has already been submitted in evidence in the Daesan Court of Appeal proceedings, and that it is likely that the Second (Appeal) KMST Decision will also be submitted in evidence in these proceedings. We are advised that Courts in Korea attach great weight to KMST Decisions. Noting this, and having considered in some detail the Second (Appeal) Decision of the KMST that is now before us as well as the First (Inchon) KMST Decision, we believe them both to be technically flawed and therefore that they draw unjust conclusions.
We wish also to express our concern that the KMST reports have not been produced in accordance with the internationally recognised IMO Interim Guidelines (MSC/Circ 1058) and IMO Code for the Investigation of Marine Casualties and Incidents. One of the cornerstones of this Code is the requirement to co-operate and consult with all interested parties before a final report is made.

We therefore urge the Daesan Court of Appeal to carefully consider all of the evidence, and in particular the judgment of the Daesan Court of First Instance, and not to rely solely on these KMST Decisions when reaching its decision. We also appeal to the Court to pay full respect to all its international treaty obligations to seafarers in rendering its decision. After it has made a careful and balanced review of all the evidence, we hope that the Court will reach a fair and just decision, not just in the interests of Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan, but also as a demonstration to seafarers trading to the Republic of Korea that they can expect the highest standards of fair treatment and justice.

It would be highly regrettable if the outcome of these proceedings were to prove detrimental to Korea’s international reputation and to its status as a tanker shipping nation, to its shipyards which rely on business from international tanker owners and to its refining and chemicals industry whose oil is delivered by the international tanker fleet.”

The case has raised a flurry of international support, led by the Indian Seafarers Federation (ISF), which has set up a web forum (http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/hebeitwo.cfm) and a web-log (http://www.justiceforhebeispirit.blogspot.com/) to mobilise support for the seafarers.

The VLCC Hebei Spirit was at anchor in December 2007 when it was hit by a crane barge, resulting in regrettable pollution from the VLCC’s crude oil cargo. The Captain and Chief Officer were found innocent by a Korean Court in June 2008. An appeal was made, which decision will be released on or around Wednesday 10 December.

The two seafarers have been detained against their will in Korea since December 2007 �" despite being found innocent by a Korean Court in June 2008. [08/12/08]

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Hebei Spirit oil spill case: Korean court sentences two Indians

Indian seafarers’ body calls meet today.

Amit Mitra

Mumbai, Dec. 10 As a captain of several merchant ships transporting an assortment of cargoes to far-flung destinations across the globe, he had weathered many a storm. But, the storm that Capt. Jasprit Chawla was caught in last year, after the anchored vessel he was captaining was involved in an accidental oil spill off the South Korean coast, is yet to blow over. In fact, it only intensified on Wednesday.

After being detained in South Korea for the last one year, an appeals court in South Korea on Wednesday handed down an 18-month imprisonment sentence on Capt. Chawla in connection with the oil spillage accident.

Although a copy of the judgment was not immediately available, some foreign news agencies said the Daejeon District court, reversing an earlier lower court ruling, also convicted another Indian officer to eight month prison, on charges of negligence and violating anti-pollution laws.

The detention of Capt. Chawla, along with his Chief Officer Mr Syam Chetan, has attracted the attention of the international maritime industry, with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) taking up the issue and demanding their release. This was after a lower court exonerated the two officers in June this year, but they were, however, continued to be kept under detention after the South Korean prosecution filed an appeal.

Even, the Union Minister for Shipping, Mr T.R. Baalu, had appealed to the Government of Republic of Korea in October to allow the two offers to leave Korea, as they had been declared innocent by the Daejon District Court.

Mr Abdulgani Serang, General Secretary, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), described the judgment as unfair. NUSI has called for a meeting with various stakeholders in the shipping industry, including the Indian National Shipowners Association, on Thursday to discuss the issue.

The two Indian officers were part of the crew of a very large crude carrier, Hebei Spirit, carrying 2.6 lakh tonnes of crude oil. According to the ITF, on December 7, 2007, a tug-towed crane barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries collided with the anchored VLCC near the Port of Daesan on the Yellow Sea Coast of Taean County.

The barge was said to be floating free after the cable linking it to the tug had sapped in the rough seas. Although there were no casualties, the collision punctured three of the five tanks aboard Hebei Spirit, resulting in the spillage of 10,800 tonnes.

Despite that, reports have it that within two days of the spill, the oil slick had become 33 km long, 10 metres wide and 10 cm thick in certain areas.

The incident was dubbed as the worst of such spillages faced by South Korea, with the spill being about one-third the size of the Exxon Valdez release. “The Hebei Spirit oil spill was a traumatic event in Korea and there can be no intent to evade responsibility for it. The tanker was safely at anchor when a runaway barge holed it,” an ITF statement says.

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Ship firm calls jail term for tanker crew a 'disgrace'

Dec 10, 2008

SEOUL (AFP) — Managers of a Hong Kong supertanker whose crew chiefs were jailed over South Korea's worst oil spill have blasted the decision as a "disgrace and insult" to the world shipping community.

An international union federation separately described the South Korean appeal court ruling as "incomprehensibly vindictive."

Reversing a lower court decision, the appeal court on Wednesday jailed the Indian captain Jasprit Chawla and chief officer Syam Chetan after ruling they were negligent in minimising the spillage.

The accident happened in December 2007 when a barge carrying a construction crane broke free after a cable to one of two tugs snapped in rough seas.

The barge rammed the anchored 147,000-ton tanker Hebei Spirit, holing it in three places and spilling 10,900 tons of crude oil.

V.Ships, which says it is the world's largest ship manager, said in a statement Thursday the court's decision "will surely go down as one of the most disgraceful examples of a miscarriage of justice in a 'supposedly' advanced nation state.

"For Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan to be sentenced to prison terms and led from the court in handcuffs is a disgrace and insult to the whole shipping industry," it added.

Shipping operators and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) insist the tanker crew were blameless. The lower court in June had found them not guilty but prosecutors appealed the decision.

The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners has expressed "extreme dismay and disappointment" at Wednesday's ruling.

V.Ships said the ITF and its international membership were now "questioning whether it was safe for its members to travel on ships to Korea."

The lower court blamed barge operator Samsung Heavy Industries, part of the country's biggest business group, and the Korean tugboat skippers for the spill which fouled scores of marine farms and miles of beaches southwest of Seoul.

The appeal court in the central city of Daejeon agreed the Korean operators were mainly at fault and confirmed jail sentences on the tugboat skippers. But it said the tanker crew failed to take prompt action to abate the spillage.

Chawla was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined 20 million won (14,000 dollars) while chief officer Syam Chetan was sentenced to eight months and fined 10 million won.

Their lawyers said they would appeal to the supreme court.

The ship's owner, Hong Kong-registered Hebei Ocean Shipping, was fined 30 million won.

The ITF said in a statement the campaign to free the two officers would go on.

"What we have seen... is scapegoating, criminalisation and a refusal to consider the wider body of evidence that calls into question the propriety of the court," said Stephen Cotton, its maritime coordinator.

"This decision is incomprehensibly vindictive and will impact on all professional mariners."

V.Ships said the appeal court had relied on findings by the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) which meant that "technically flawed, unreliable and unjust evidence" had been submitted to judges.

"In submitting their report, the KMST has demonstrated both its incompetence and an obvious desire to find fault with the officers of the Hebei Spirit," the management firm said.

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Thursday December 11, 4:04 PM
S Koreans Affected by Oil Spill Urge Govt, Samsung to Compensate
TAEAN, South Korea, Dec 11 Asia Pulse - Residents in an area devastated by South Korea's worst-ever oil spill urged the government and an affiliate of Samsung Group, the largest conglomerate in South Korea, to provide redress for damages.

On December 7, 2007, around 12,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the west sea following a collision between an oil tanker owned by the Hong Kong-registered Hebei Spirit Shipping Co. and a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. (KSE:010140) in waters off Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, blackening beaches and fish farms along the west coast. A barge carrying a crane separated from its two tugboats and collided with the tanker.

At an appeal court Wednesday at a South Korean court, both Samsung Heavy Industries and Hebei Spirit were held responsible for the damages.

Each company was fined tens of millions of won while some of their employees were sentenced to imprisonment.

"It has been a year since the incident, the government has not conducted any proper assessment of the damages in the area and did not take actions to restore the area," the fishermen in the region said in a statement.

"The government and Samsung must make amends as soon as possible, and Samsung, as a wrongdoer, must compensate to an unlimited extent," they said.

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Marine fraternity to give Samsung the cold shoulder

Members of the Merchant Navy Officers Association and other navy organisations, during a demonstration in the city on Sunday/P Anand Kumar.
Express News Service
First Published : 22 Dec 2008 03:06:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 22 Dec 2008 03:15:31 PM IST

CHENNAI: The marine fraternity across the nation is seriously considering boycott of the South Korean technology major, Samsung, by creating an economic blockade for all its products in the country.

The decision follows a reversed verdict given on December 10 convicting two Indian marine officers of crude oil carrier `MV Heibei Spirit’ in an oil spill case in South Korea that has sent shock waves across the world’s sea-faring community.

The extreme step to boycott was reinforced after over 1,000 mariners of the Merchant Navy Officers Association and other navy organizations, including the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), staged a demonstration on Sunday against the imprisonment of captain Jasprit Singh Chawla and chief officer Chetan Syam of Heibei Spirit. The two officers were first declared innocent by a Korean court of charges of being involved in the oil spill in December when a barge belonging to Samsung Heavy Industries collided with their anchored oil tanker.

But, the court reversed the final judgment without reason and while captain Jasprit Singh Chawla was sentenced to 18 months in jail, chief officer Chetan Syam received an eight-month jail term.

Dressed in pristine white shirts and black trousers, officer’s cap worn primly on their heads, the mariners stood in a neat file and raised slogans condemning the South Korean Government for the `gross injustice’.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Captain Vivekanand, president, Merchant Navy Officers Association (Madras), said the boycott of Samsung products was just the first among a series of demonstrations planned by the mariners intended to create a `snowballing’ effect throughout the country. On Tuesday, a similar demonstration would be held in Mumbai., he said.

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India urges South Korea boycott over Hebei Two
Blockade of Hyundai factory and bans on unloading ships possible

Keith Wallis - ??? 23 12? 2008

INDIAN seafarer groups will today call for a general boycott of all South Korean products, especially those made by Samsung, at the second big rally in support of the jailed master and chief officer of the tanker Hebei Spirit, writes Keith Wallis.

Further action, such as a blockade of a Hyundai car factory in Chennai and a ban on loading and unloa...

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* Posted: Thu, Dec 25 2008. 10:47 PM IST
Don’t make criminals of innocent seafarers
There is no justification for finding scapegoats that often puts seafarers in the firing line, making criminals out of innocents

The harsh prison sentences handed down by an appeal court in South Korea on 10 December to two Indian ship officers—who were in no way responsible for the worst-ever oil spill in that country in December last year—is disgraceful.

Jasprit Singh Chawla, captain of the Hong Kong-registered oil tanker Hebei Spirit and the ship’s chief officer Syam Chetan were given jail terms of 18 and eight months, respectively, ironically on International Human Rights Day for their alleged role in the incident. They were also fined 20 million won (about Rs7,12,000) and 10 million won, respectively.

A district court in Korea, had in June found the two officers innocent of all charges of negligence and violating the nation’s ocean pollution law after the mishap.

The ship was anchored in a Korean port on 7 December 2007 at a position designated by the port authority when a crane barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd, one of Korea’s biggest and powerful business groups, broke its tow from one of the two tugs towing it in stormy weather and smashed into her side, holing three cargo tanks and spilling about 10,500 tonnes of crude oil into the sea.

Besides Chawla and Chetan, two South Korean tug masters were also jailed for their part in the incident.

Also Read P. Manoj’s earlier columns

After the verdict, the two Indian officers were paraded outside the court in handcuffs in an act clearly intended to assuage Korean public opinion on the incident that caused huge environmental damage to the South Korean coastline and affected many people’s lives.

Adding further insult, the appeal court reduced prison terms for two of the tug captains directly involved in the incident. One captain had his jail term cut from 36 to 30 months, while the other had his sentence slashed from one year to eight months.

The international shipping community has slammed the re-trial and the subsequent jail sentence for the two officers, calling it a “parody of justice”. They say the judgment was based on a report prepared exclusively within Korea, which was never presented to the other party in breach of international rules.

Experts who have since seen the report say that it is inaccurate.

The Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal did not prepare the report—heavily relied upon by the appeal court judges to pronounce the two men guilty—in accordance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines on the fair treatment of seafarers in the event of a maritime accident.

IMO is the specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for the safety of shipping and prevention of marine pollution by ships. Its rules clearly require an agency conducting an enquiry to consult with all interested parties before making a final report.

In this case, this was not done, possibly indicating that there was a pre-concluded intention to attach the blame for the unfortunate incident to the officers of the ship.

The plight of the Hebei Spirit pair is the worst thing that could happen to an industry that is already having so much difficulty in attracting young people in the face of an acute shortage of qualified and well-trained officers to run ships globally.

Local manning and recruitment agencies admit it will be difficult to encourage young people to take up a career in shipping—which has already started to lose its charm among job seekers—because of this episode.

India is a key supplier of quality manpower to the global shipping industry, much to the envy of many other maritime nations. The Korean oil-spill incident is one more testimony to the way in which authorities in many countries try to cripple the morale of Indian seafarers.

Chawla has already alluded to the emotional damage when he said that the trial has dealt a big blow to his confidence and left him unsure of his command. Decision-making in future, he said, would be influenced by the court experience, on how he thought they would be interpreted rather than just doing what he thought was right.

India has mounted diplomatic pressure on South Korea hoping for a “fair hearing” on the appeal filed by the ship owner in that country’s supreme court against the sentence.

The shipping industry all over the globe is also vigorously campaigning by holding protest rallies and demonstrations to free the two Indian officers jailed unfairly and unjustly. Even IMO, the guardian of safe shipping, is lending support to these efforts.

There should be no compromise on environmental issues. But at the same time, there is no justification for finding scapegoats that often puts seafarers in the firing line, making criminals out of innocents.

The officers’ acquittal would send a positive message to the world’s seafarers that the system of justice in South Korea is fair and independent.

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Dec 30, 2008
Rally against Samsung

SEOUL - ABOUT 3,000 residents hit by South Korea's worst oil spill protested on Tuesday outside the headquarters of the Samsung group, whose vessel was blamed for causing the leakage.

Fisherman and others rallied peacefully outside the building to demand greater compensation, displaying a funeral bier to commemorate three residents who killed themselves over the disaster.

Dozens of police buses were used to barricade the headquarters in southern Seoul and thousands of riot police, backed by two water cannons, were on standby. Police put the number of protesters at 3,200.

The accident happened when a barge carrying a construction crane broke free after a cable to one of two tugs snapped in rough seas in December 2007.

The barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries, part of the country's biggest business group, rammed the anchored 147,000-ton supertanker Hebei Spirit.

The Hong Kong-registered ship was holed in three places and 10,900 tonnes of crude oil was spilt.

Scores of marine farms and miles of beaches were coated and three frustrated residents in Taean, about 110km south-west of Seoul, killed themselves.

Last week Samsung Heavy asked a court to limit the total compensation payable over a suit launched by some 7,500 fishermen to five billion won (S$4.4 million).

Protesters urged Samsung to promise 'unlimited' accountability and compensation. They also denounced the government for failing to conduct a proper assessment of the damages.

In June the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds estimated damage from the spill may total 573.5 billion won.

On Dec 10 an appeal court found Samsung was mainly to blame for the accident and confirmed prison terms passed by a local court on the South Korean tugboat skippers.

Reversing the lower court's decision, the court also jailed the tanker's Indian captain Jasprit Chawla and chief officer Syam Chetan after ruling they were negligent in minimising the spillage.

The ruling sparked widespread anger in the international shipping community, which insisted the tanker crew were blameless. Indian seafarer unions have staged protests.

Both Samsung and the tanker owner have said they will appeal to the supreme court but no date for the hearing has been set. -- AFP

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Seafarers free to boycott S Korea

By Robert Wright in London

Published: December 28 2008 18:50 | Last updated: December 28 2008 18:50

Seafarers will be free to boycott voyages to South Korea amid growing concern over the jailing of senior officers from the oil tanker involved in the country’s worst oil spill, leading shipping organisations have said.

Jasprit Chawla, master of the Hebei Spirit, was jailed on December 10 for 18 months and Syam Chetan, the chief officer, for eight months. Their vessel, which had been sitting at anchor, spilt 10,800 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea off Daesan on December 7 2007 after being hit by an out-of-control barge.

Any widespread boycott could pose serious problems for South Korea, which relies on ships to supply oil, gas and coal to meet nearly all its energy needs.

The pair’s case is the latest in a series worldwide to have caused concern about seafarers’ treatment by courts. Many involved believe coastal states’ authorities find it easier to blame pollution and other effects of accidents on foreign seafarers than on local companies or officials who may have been at fault.

The SHI barge hit the Hebei Spirit after breaking its tow line to one of two tugs manoeuvring it in bad weather. As it was repeatedly blown against the oil tanker, which lacked the double-skinned hull of more modern vessels, the barge ruptured three of the Hebei Spirit’s five tanks. Compensation claims from local fishermen, fish farms and others affected are likely to reach several billion dollars.

The original trial in June exonerated the officers, who are both Indian, and jailed the tug operators. However, the officers were refused permission to leave South Korea and the appeal court convicted them largely on the basis of a widely criticised official report which found they should have done more to avoid the collision.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation said the ruling was “incomprehensibly vindictive”. Indian trade unions have called for boycotts of South Korean goods and there have been suggestions that mariners avoid the country because of the risks.

Intermanager, an international organisation of ship managers, said it would not stand in the way of crew who refused to sail to South Korea. Peter Swift, managing director of Intertanko, a trade body for tanker owners, said his organisation would take the same stance.

“If ships’ staff opt not to sail to Korea until we get some improvement in the situation, they should not be victimised,” he said.

South Korean authorities have yet to respond to the disquiet.

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０８年人口、過去最大の５万人減…出生数は微増だったが

　厚生労働省は１日付で、２００８年の人口動態統計の年間推計を発表した。

　出生数は前年比２０００人増の１０９万２０００人で２年ぶりに増加したが、死亡数が出生数を５万１０００人上回り、０５年、０７年に続く戦後３度目の「自然減」の年になる見通しだ。死亡数は前年比３万５０００人増の１１４万３０００人で、戦後最多。高齢化が背景にあり、人口減少幅も過去最大だ。

　出生数が微増となることに伴い、合計特殊出生率（１人の女性が一生に産む子供の人数に近い推計値）は、前年の１・３４から１・３６程度に上昇しそうだ。

　一方、婚姻件数は前年比１万１０００件増の７３万１０００件で、２年ぶりに増加した。離婚件数は前年比４０００件減の２５万１０００件で、６年連続の減少となった。人口動態統計の年間推計は、０８年１～１０月の速報値などを基に、１１～１２月分を予測するなどして取りまとめたものだ。

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日比谷公園に「派遣村」、温かい年越し求め１４０人
特集 大揺れ雇用
「年越し派遣村」で夕飯の炊き出しを配るボランティアら＝立石紀和撮影

　「派遣切り」や「雇い止め」で職と住まいを失った人たちの生活相談に乗ったり、住居をあっせんしたりする「年越し派遣村」が３１日、東京・千代田区の日比谷公園で開村し、１４０人以上が訪れた。
もち入りの年越しそばも振る舞われた＝立石紀和撮影

　全労連などの労働組合や日本労働弁護団の有志、ＮＰＯ法人など、約２０団体で構成される実行委員会の主催。元派遣社員らは近くの銭湯で体を温めたり、もち入りの年越しそばを振る舞われたり。夜になると、大型テント内のテレビで「紅白歌合戦」を観賞した。苦しかった２００８年が終わりに近づくと、ボランティアの人たちと声を合わせてカウントダウン。紙コップのお酒で新年を祝った。

　着替えなどを詰めたショルダーバッグを抱える元派遣社員の男性（３１）は、９月末で寮付きの仕事を中途解約されたという。１０月からは日雇い派遣で生活費を稼ぎながら、ネットカフェなどで寝泊まりしてきたという。「ここに来なければ野宿していた。本当にありがたい」と、おにぎりをほおばっていた。

　ボランティアの兵庫県西宮市の大学院生、川元みゆきさん（２３）は「社会に出れば、いつ自分も同じ目に遭うかわからない。少しでも何かの役に立てば」と話していた。派遣村は５日朝まで。問い合わせは同村の臨時電話（０９０・３４９９・５２４４）へ。

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非正規労働者らの年越し支援、各地で食事や居場所提供（1/2ページ）

2009年1月1日

　「派遣切り」などで仕事と住まいを奪われた労働者に、食事と居場所を提供する「年越し派遣村」が３１日、東京の官庁街の近くにある日比谷公園に開村した。労組や市民団体による実行委員会が年越しそばなどを出し、労働・生活相談に乗った。

　この日、非正規労働者ら約１３０人が「村民」として登録。駆けつけた約３６０人のボランティアらが炊き出しや届いた支援物資の運搬、銭湯への案内を手伝った。

　ビル街の夜景がまばゆい大阪市北区の扇町公園でも同日夕、炊き出しがあり、ボランティアの若者らが約８０食分のビビンバと豚汁を振る舞った。食事の後、若者らとたき火にあたった男性は「いろいろと苦労があるけど頑張っていかないと」。

　　　　　◇

　大みそか、「派遣切り」などで不安な年越しを迎えた各地の労働者たちは、支援者たちが用意した居場所にひととき身を寄せ、温かい食事で体を温めた。

　東京・日比谷公園の「年越し派遣村」を訪れた男性（４１）は、大手自動車メーカーの群馬県の下請け工場で派遣の仕事を切られたという。約２カ月間、ネットカフェや野宿でしのいできた。所持金は１千円ほど。温かい食事や寝場所が確保できると聞き、大みそかに身を寄せた。

　「『このまま野垂れ死んでもいいかな』と思った時もあったが、今ほど人の情けを感じたことはない」

　実行委員会によると、寄せられた３０件の相談では、所持金ゼロや数十円という人も多く、ほとんどが生活保護を申請する必要がある。山口県や新潟県で仕事を失い職探しのために東京に来たが、行く当てもなく途方に暮れている人もいたという。

　広島市の市民団体「野宿労働者の人権を守る広島夜回りの会」は３１日夕、広島市民球場前で路上生活者ら約５０人におせち料理と温かいお茶、携帯カイロなどを配った。

　解体工事などをしていた男性（４５）は給与が少ないので派遣会社を辞め、９月ごろからＪＲ広島駅前の地下街で暮らしているという。「通行人の視線や声が気になり、路上生活は嫌だ。とにかく働きたいと思うが、すぐに切られる派遣は……」と不安を漏らし、「安心できる正社員として働きたい」と話した。

　大阪市北区の扇町公園の炊き出し会場では、最大３０人が寝泊まりできる三つのテントを公園内に張った。「派遣切り」で利用者が増えるのを見越し、追加のテントも二つ準備して５日朝まで提供する。

　周辺を夜間パトロールして野宿者を支援しているボランティアの男性（２８）によると、１年前から、派遣切りにあったという２０～４０代の人が目立つようになったという。男性は「みんなで助け合って厳しい冬を越したい」と話した。

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16:55 GMT, Wednesday, 31 December 2008
China and Vietnam agree borders
Map

China and Vietnam have resolved a border dispute 30 years after a war which left tens of thousands dead.

The two countries announced they had completed the demarcation just hours before a midnight deadline.

Government teams from both sides had worked for years planting stones to mark the line of the frontier which stretches 1,350 km (840 miles).

China and Vietnam both hailed the agreement, but neither mentioned any progress on a separate maritime row.

"The completion of the land border demarcation between China and Vietnam will promote the development of the China-Vietnam strategic partnership," said Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei.

Mr Wu said the agreement would also "benefit peace, stability and development" in the region.

The BBC's Nga Pham in Hanoi said the last-minute agreement had caught observers by surprise.

Many had believed that there were differences between the two sides that could not be quickly resolved.

However, it was not clear whether the two parties had signed any official protocol on the completion of land border demarcation and no map of the newly-defined border was released, says our correspondent.

Sensitive issue

The two neighbours, which normalised relations in 1991, have had an uneasy relationship.

China supported the Vietnamese Communists during the Vietnam War, but Vietnam is wary of its huge northern neighbour and the countries have had several confrontations in the past few decades.

These include disputes over the Spratly Islands, a strategic string of rocky outcrops in the middle of the South China Sea, to which both countries, as well as several others, have laid claim.

Analysts say border and territory controls have always been highly sensitive issues in Vietnam.

Last year, public grievances over China's claims to the Spratlys led to mass anti-Beijing protests in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Greek shipping magnate dies

By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent

Published: December 18 2008 19:30 | Last updated: December 18 2008 19:30

Loucas Haji-Ioannou, one of the most important tanker owners of the 1980s and founder of a dynasty that remains central to the Greek maritime community, has died aged 81 in Athens.

His career echoed those of the postwar generation of Golden Greeks such as Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos, except that he was born into poverty in the Troodos mountains of Cyprus, rather than on the small Greek islands that produced most of the others.

Like others of his generation, he had a key experience in the Greek-speaking diaspora, working for his uncle’s trading company in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He then moved to London in 1959 to enter the shipping business, buying a 10,500 deadweight tonne dry cargo ship as his first purchase.

He moved on in 1965 to Athens, where he realised that the then-booming international trade in oil would be the future of the shipping industry. He bought his first tanker in 1969 and named his company Troodos Shipping.

The key experience of Mr Haji-Ioannou’s career, however, was to be the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88, when he was one of the few owners ready to take the risk of sending tankers into the Gulf, where tankers were vulnerable to attack from the rival air forces.

After advice from British security specialists, Mr Haji-Ioannou equipped his vessels with special safety devices that reduced his insurance bill and profited substantially from the high charter rates available to those prepared to take the risks.

The money he earnt enabled him to build up what was at its peak in 1990 the world’s largest independently owned tanker fleet, numbering more 50 vessels with a capacity of 7.5m dwt.

The company’s fortunes waned, however, after an accident with the very large crude carrier, Haven, off Genoa in 1991 killed five people, caused significant pollution and sparked a long-running series of lawsuits from the Italian government.

Although Troodos was eventually cleared of all wrongdoing over the accident, it took a severe toll on Mr Haji-Ioannou’s health.

It also inspired his son, Stelios, when founding Stelmar, his own tanker company, to ensure it had one of the most modern safest fleets. Stelios Haji-Ionannou is best-known as founder of EasyJet, the low-cost airline, while Polys, his brother, runs Polyar Tankers, a privately held shipowner.

In recent years, Mr Haji-Ioannou senior had concentrated on philanthropy. As well as his two sons, he is survived by Nedi, his wife, and Clelia, his daughter.

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外為証拠金取引、税制上の手続き変更

　1月から外国為替証拠金取引（ＦＸ）の税制上の手続きが変わる。投資家に取引の詳細や利益などを示す「支払調書」について、すべてのＦＸ会社に税務署への提出を義務付ける。投資家の申告漏れや所得隠しを防ぐ狙いだ。

　ＦＸには東京金融取引所の取引所取引（くりっく３６５）と、ＦＸ会社と顧客が相対で取引する「店頭取引」がある。支払調書の提出はこれまで取引所取引だけに義務付け、ＦＸの9割を占める店頭取引にはなかった。くりっく３６５の場合、売買を取り扱ったＦＸ会社が毎月分の支払調書を翌月末までに税務署に提出する。個人投資家が自分で手続きをする必要はない。(14:36)

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道路向け地方債、発行可能範囲を拡大　総務省

　総務省は2009年度から、道路整備のために自治体が出す地方債の制度を見直す。国の直轄事業や補助事業で地方自治体が支払うお金は今まで45％しか起債で賄えなかったが、今後は90％まで充当できるようにする。自治体が独自で実施する単独事業も地方債で賄える範囲を広げる。道路特定財源の一般財源化を踏まえ、地方の道路事業に地方債で借りた資金を幅広く使えるよう制度を見直す。

　地方自治体にとって資金繰りの自由度が高まり、地方の裁量で独自の道路事業に取り組みやすくなる一方、公共事業の乱発につながる危険性もある。各自治体が財政規律を守りながら、必要な道路事業を見極めることが求められる。(15:38)

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世界の株式市場、時価総額2800兆円に半減　08年

　日経平均株価が過去最大の下落に見舞われた2008年は、世界の主要株式市場も同時に大幅安となる異例の年だった。金融危機が深刻さを増した9月以降は、リスクマネーが一斉に市場から引き揚げ、株価下落が加速。最も下落率の大きかったロシア市場は7割超下げた。1年で世界の株式時価総額は29兆ドル強（2600兆円）消失し、08年末は31兆ドル強（2800兆円）とほぼ半減する。

　金融危機は瞬く間に世界に広がり、世界各国で株価が急落した。ヨルダンなど規模が小さいごく一部の市場を除けば、株価が上昇している国・地域は見当たらない。経済のグローバル化が急速に進んだところに「大小問わずすべてのバブルがはじけ飛んだ」（モルガン・スタンレー・アジアのスティーブン・ローチ氏）ことが、世界同時株安に拍車をかけた。(31日 12:12)

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公文書館、専門家10人採用へ　政府、管理体制強化

　政府は30日までに、公文書管理に関する専門知識や実務経験を持つ10人程度を、2009年度から独立行政法人国立公文書館で非常勤の「公文書専門員」として新規採用することを決めた。

　公文書管理体制強化のため担い手を確保する狙い。歴史学や情報学などの分野で修士課程を修了したり、それと同程度の知識を持ち図書館や博物館での勤務経験がある40歳未満の人が対象。公文書館のホームページで応募を呼び掛けている。

　年金記録問題などでずさんさが指摘された政府の公文書管理の在り方をめぐっては、福田康夫首相当時に設置された有識者会議が11月に、公文書館を含む担当機関の機能強化を提言する最終報告を取りまとめた。これを受け政府は「公文書管理法案」を通常国会に提出する方針だ。(07:00)

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０８年人口：死亡数、戦後最高に　「自然減」５万１千人

　厚生労働省は１日付で、人口動態統計の０８年推計値を公表した。出生数は１０９万２０００人と０７年確定値を約２０００人上回る半面、死亡数は３万５０００人増えて１１４万３０００人と戦後最高（戦中戦後の混乱で１９４４～４６年はデータがない）を更新。出生数から死亡数を引いた人口の「自然増加数」は過去最大のマイナス幅となる５万１０００人（減）と推計している。

　人口減は２年連続で、０５年を含め３度目。同省は、本格的に人口減社会に突入したとみている。

　死亡数の増加は、高齢化の進展によるもの。戦後の最高は４７年の１１３万８２３８人だが、０８年はこれを５０００人弱上回るとみている。死亡数が１００万人を超えるのは６年連続だ。

　一方、出生数の微増は、０８年が平年より１日多いうるう年だった影響で、０８年がうるう年でなければ「減少か横ばい」という。出産期の女性人口が減っているため、合計特殊出生率（１人の女性が一生に産む子供の数に相当）は前年（１．３４）より上昇し、１．３６前後になると予測している。

　結婚件数は前年比１万１０００組増の７３万１０００組、離婚は４０００組減の２５万１０００組。結婚の増加は２年ぶり。離婚は６年連続の減少。

　人口動態の年間推計は、１～１０月分の速報値などをもとに通年分を予測している。

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ユーロ：加盟国が１６カ国に　スロバキアも加わる

　【ロンドン藤好陽太郎】中欧のスロバキアは１月１日、欧州単一通貨ユーロを導入する。９９年１月の導入から丸１０年を迎えたユーロは加盟国が１６カ国に、人口は３億２８６０万人（推計）に拡大。ドルに次ぐ国際通貨の地位を占めるようになったユーロの拡大は今後も続く見通しだ。

　ユーロは９９年１月にドイツやフランスなど１１カ国で導入された後、０２年１月に紙幣や硬貨の流通が始まった。０７年の世界の外貨準備に占めるユーロの割合は２５％を超えた。米ドルの６５％には水をあけられているものの、途上国での割合は大幅に増えている。

　世界的な金融危機で周辺の小国が自国通貨急落に苦しむのを尻目に、スロバキアは０８年７月に自国通貨とユーロの為替レートを固定していたことから、難を逃れている。

　ユーロ圏は当初の１１カ国に加え、０１年にギリシャ、０７年にスロベニア、０８年にキプロス、マルタが加盟している。

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Dollar’s Share of Central Bank Reserves Climbs as Euro’s Falls
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By Christopher Swann

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar’s share of foreign exchange reserves climbed in the third quarter as the currency rebounded and central banks sought the safety of the world’s leading reserve currency, data from the International Monetary Fund showed.

The dollar accounted for 64.6 percent of the reserves held by governments and central banks at the end of September, up from 63 percent at the end of June, the Washington-based lender said today. The dollar’s share had fallen in the prior two quarters after the U.S. currency’s exchange rate fell to a record against the euro.

The euro’s share of reserves fell to 25.5 percent from 26.7 percent, and the yen’s declined to 3.1 percent from 3.3 percent. The quarterly figures go back to 1999, the year the euro was introduced.

Total reserves held by governments fell to $6.9 trillion at the end of September from $7 trillion three months earlier. Central banks submitted figures on their currency allocations for $4.36 trillion of the total, the IMF said.