AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 25, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 25, 2007

Data Protection Regularly Violated


1. Austria's Data Protection Commission does not issue a good report
for the state authorities and companies with regard to their
handling of sensitive data. In their Data Protection Report
2005-1007, the Commission has made a case for urgent legislative
action in three areas: Information on creditworthiness, passing on
of health data and private video surveillance. In the meantime, the
President of the Austrian Constitutional Court, Karl Korinek, has
warned that Austria is about to become a total surveillance state
after the pattern of the former German Democratic Republic. His
remarks have startled the coalition partners as well as the Data
Protection Council. [Der Standard, p. 1 and 9; other Austrian
media]
On Monday, government officials did not hold back with criticism of
Korinek's statement, writes centrist daily "Die Presse." OeVP
Minister of the Interior G|nther Platter rejected Korinek's
comparison of Austrian and former Stasi practices when it comes to
surveillance of ordinary citizens. Likewise, Josef Cap, head of the
SPOe parliamentary club spoke of a "totally unjustified" statement,
while conceding that any call for more caution with regard to
observance of fundamental rights had to be taken seriously. However,
the President of the Austrian Constitutional Court got backing from
the Green Party for voicing his concern over the issue of data
protection and the necessity to keep intact the private sphere of
Austrian citizens. Their legal spokesman Albert Steinhauser urged
the coalition parties to deliberate the issue, reports semi-official
daily "Wiener Zeitung."

Call for Action


2. Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the debate
at the UN climate conference on Monday with a remarkable speech in
which he called for "action" in the area of environmental
protection. He made a case for a future-oriented approach which he
himself pursues in California, where in the meantime, more capital
is invested in the development of green technology than in the
development of telecommunications. He urged the heads of government
and state who had gathered at the summit to follow his example and
take an active stance on the environment issue. Austrian Chancellor
Alfred Gusenbauer likewise participated in the summit where he had a
brief meeting with Schwarzenegger. [Kurier, . 3; other Austrian
media]
All Austrian media report on the UN climate summit in New York - and
repeatedly, commentators point out Austria's own lack of resolve
when it comes to implementing the Kyoto targets. Andreas Schwarz of
mass circulation daily "Kurier" criticizes that hardly any state has
so far adhered to the Kyoto goals and Oe1 radio morning news is
likewise uncertain whether one can take the UN climate initiative
very seriously: "Somehow, there is increasingly the impression that
the targets - projected and partially documented - are not nearly
being achieved. And Austria is no exception to this rule."
Independent daily "Salzburger Nachrichten" remarked that Austria,
according to the Kyoto Protocol, ought to reduce its greenhouse gas
emissions by 18 percent in comparison to 1990. Until 2005, however,
they had actually risen by 18 percent. Oe1 radio news takes note of
the absence of US President Bush from the conference and the
disturbing effect this has had on many participants, calling the
conference, which the US President has announced to hold on the
issue in Washington on Thursday, "a counter-conference, as diplomats
have scathingly remarked."

Austrian Military Considers Chad Mission


3. Austria is considering participation in a military EU mission in
Chad with the goal of protecting refugees from the neighboring
Sudanese crisis region of Darfur. The mission will be headed by the
French and will comprise about 4,000 troops. The precondition for
the planned mission is a mandate by the UN Security Council.
[Salzburger Nachrichten, p. 1]
Independent daily "Salzburger Nachrichten" reports on the planned EU
mission in Chad, where more than 300,000 refugees from Darfur have
fled - one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of the past few
decades. The question of Austrian participation in the mission will
be deliberated and the military will give its assessment at the
beginning of October. The Ministry of Defense is considering mainly
an Austrian participation in providing ambulance services and
processing drinking water. For this, the Austrian troops would also
be called on to provide the necessary means of transportation, such
as Hercules aircrafts. According to "Salzburger Nachrichen, the
Ministry has not confirmed this. In the meantime, the UN efforts for
an international peace initiative are moving ahead slowly. So far,
not enough countries have come forward and offered soldiers for the
mission, which is to comprise 26,000 soldiers and police forces.

Monks Challenge the Generals


4. On Monday, more than 130,000 demonstrators protested against the
military regime under General Than Shwe in the capital of Rangun.
The protests were headed by 20,000 monks and the demonstration was
the culmination of the biggest protest wave since the democratic
movement was struck down in 1988. The patience of the junta seems to
be exhausted, however: The military leadership of the country fears
for its existence and has now warned the monks that they cannot
tolerate the protests much longer. [Wiener Zeitung, p. 8; Oe1 radio
morning news; other Austrian media]
Having the Buddhist clergy spearhead the protests presents a big
problem for the generals: The monks are revered by the public and
if the junta resorts to violence in an attempt to stop them from
protesting, it risks arousing public wrath and thus provoking an
escalation of the situation. That could result in an eruption of the
aggression that was stored up in years of oppression and poverty.
Observers are united in their assessment that the monks are the only
ones hat could stand up to the military - since they are the only
opposition movement to have a comprehensive structure and
organization. What the junta will do to deal with the situation
depends also largely on the Chinese. Beijing is the biggest ally of
the Burmese potentates - it relies on the large oil and gas reserves
of Burma for its booming economy. "Salzburger Nachrichten" reports
that the US has adopted a strongly critical stance towards the
Burmese junta and France and Germany have both called for reforms in
the country.

Heated Debate


5. After the controversy caused by the invitation for Iran's
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to speak before students at the
Columbia University in New York, there was a heated debate when the
Iranian head of state actually made his appearance. The President of
Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, in his introductory speech,
charged Ahmadinejad with exhibiting the characteristics of a
"narrow-minded and cruel dictator." Bollinger explicitly challenged
Ahmadinejad about his Holocaust denial, calling the Holocaust "the
most documented event in history." The Iranian President did not
directly respond to Bollinger's charges - he gave a long religious
address and proceeded from there to sharply criticize the Bush
administration. [ORF online, other Austrian media]
According to ORF online, Ahmadinejad listed in his speech all the
sins of the current and former US administrations - his list of
topics ranged from the bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to
illegal wiretapping. With regard to Iran's nuclear program, the
Iranian President stressed that it served exclusively the purpose of
energy production. With regard to Israel, Ahmadinejad emphasized the
fact that Iran did not acknowledge Israel, because its regime was
founded on "occupation and racism." The Iranian President denied,
however, that Iran was planning to attack the country. "Iran will
not attack any country," he said. While the Iranian President is
apparently still planning a visit to Ground Zero, the New York
authorities have banned him from doing so - a decision which US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has welcomed. She called a

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possible visit of Ahmadinejad to the chief location of the 9/11
attacks a "farce."
McCaw