Greeks fear more violence after Golden Dawn members shot dead

By Renee Maltezou

ATHENS (Reuters) - A brazen drive-by shooting that killed two young members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party has shocked Greeks and prompted soul-searching about whether the crisis-hit country is slipping into a "cycle of violence".

Greece's anti-terrorism force is investigating whether Friday's rush hour shooting outside the party's offices in Athens was retaliation for a fatal stabbing of an anti-fascism rapper by a Golden Dawn supporter in September, police said.

Rapper Pavlos Fissas's death sparked protests across Greece and a government crackdown on Golden Dawn, which is widely considered neo-Nazi and is blamed for attacks against migrants.

"We cannot let this cycle of violence continue," Makis Voridis, a senior lawmaker in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's New Democracy party, told Mega TV. "This must end here."

"Twelve bullets against democracy," top-selling daily Ta Nea wrote on its front page on Saturday. "The double cold-blooded murder was a coarse provocation against stability."

The two Golden Dawn supporters, aged 22 and 27 years old, were gunned down in a busy street during the evening rush hour. A third man was seriously injured in the chest and stomach and doctors said he remained in a critical condition.

According to witnesses and CCTV camera footage, the attacker, who had an accomplice, got off a motorbike and shot the victims at close range, police said. Twelve bullets were found at the crime scene from a 9 mm gun.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The target, the place and the time of the attack are symbolic," said Mary Bossis, professor of international security at the University of Piraeus.

"This act had an audience and those behind it have succeeded in sending the message they wanted."

Golden Dawn, Greece's third most popular political force, urged Greeks to join a memorial service on Saturday evening outside its offices in the northern suburb of Neo Iraklio. Residents began gathering at the site and lay flowers.

INSTABILITY

Politicians who have in the past queued up to pour scorn on Golden Dawn united in condemning the shooting.

"This murder creates a climate of instability and targets democracy," said the leftist Syriza party.

Greece is in the sixth year of a recession that has fuelled anger against its foreign lenders and the political class, blamed by Greeks for bringing the country close to bankruptcy.

Golden Dawn, which rejects the neo-Nazi label but uses a swastika-like emblem and its leader has denied the Holocaust, stormed into parliament last year on an anti-immigrant agenda.

Since Fissas' killing, the party has seen several of its members arrested as part of an investigation into accusations it has been involved in a wave of attacks and crimes. Golden Dawn has denied any wrongdoing and said it had asked for police protection at its offices after receiving threats.

The Greek government has in the past promised to wipe out a party it describes as a "neo-Nazi gang". On Friday, it vowed to bring the killers of the two Golden Dawn supporters to justice.

Small-scale bomb attacks against police, politicians and businessmen are frequent in Greece, which has a history of leftist violence. A prominent fatal shooting like Friday's attack was last seen in 2010, when a Greek journalist was shot dead outside his home.

"Yesterday's killing marked a continuation of political uncertainty and instability in the country," said George Tzogopoulos, analyst at the Athens-based ELIAMEP think-tank.

"These kinds of killings, in the span of only 40 days, are obviously worrying for a country that is the cradle of democracy." (Additional reporting Deborah Kyvrikosaios; Editing by Deepa Babington and Gareth Jones)

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Desisting from violence will save Kerala, CPI-M: Chandy

Kannur (Kerala), Oct 27 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy suffered minor injuries after suspected CPI-M activists stoned his car here Sunday evening. Reacting to the incident, he said desisting from violence would save the state and the CPI-M.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has denied its involvement in the attack. While a probe has been ordered into the incident and two CPI-M activists detained, statewide condemnation has poured in.

The incident occurred as Chandy was arriving to attend the annual athletics meet of Kerala Police.

State CPI-M secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan condemned the incident and said his party had no role in this.

Addressing a public meeting here, Chandy later said: "I just heard Vijayan's statement and I see it in a positive light. If he has said it with utmost seriousness, I am the most happiest person because both Kerala and the CPI-M will be saved."

Amidst thunderous applause, Chandy said if Vijayan is serious about what he has said "then let us begin from Kannur that there will be no violence in politics".

"But if it is otherwise and they think they can take on their political rivals using violence, then they are mistaken," said Chandy.

He said he has firmly said a big 'no' to a statewide shutdown tomorrow (Monday) that was initially planned following the attack on him.

"I have nothing against anyone and I am one who never acts with vengeance and my sincere wish is that what Vijayan has said comes true because what we should practise is true democracy and not violence in politics," added Chandy.

Leader of the opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, in a written statement, condemned the attack.

"We never indulge in violence and hence I doubt if any of our supporters are involved in this as we have announced a democratic form of protest," said Achuthanandan.

State director general of police K.N. Balasubramanian has announced a probe into the incident by a senior police official even as two CPI-M activists have been taken into custody.

Across the state, Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) activists took to the streets with the strongest protests seen in Malappuram district where angry UDF supporters were seen shouting slogans against Achuthanandan and Vijayan and demanding that they not be allowed to enter the district.

"The attack on Chandy should be seen as an attack on the people of Kerala and the CPI-M should call off their protest against Chandy," said Finance Minister K.M. Mani.

"This is rowdyism by the CPI-M and this is going to be the beginning of their end," remarked Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed.

Speaking to reporters, party general secretary T. Siddiq said he was travelling with the chief minister in his car when the attack occurred.

"...Stones came from both sides and I immediately threw my hands around him to protect him and a stone hit my hand. The glass pieces came flying and hit him on the forehead and injured him," he said.

Chandy, however, was unfazed by what happened even as blood drops appeared on his forehead. In his characteristic manner, he smiled and waved to his supporters and took his position as the chief guest.

State party chief Ramesh Chennithala said they suspect there was a conspiracy behind the attack and demanded a probe.

"We have called for a statewide protest tonight against this ghastly attack. There is every reason to suspect that this was a pre-planned attack and was perhaps done with the knowledge of the LDF leaders ... a probe has to be conducted," he told reporters.

Kannur district has always been the stronghold of the CPI-M and top party leaders, including Vijayan and politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, hail from there.

Minister for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal said this is a ghastly incident and the CPI-M will have to pay a heavy price for this act. "Waving of black flags is understandable but stoning a chief minister is an act of attempt to 'murder' him. This has never happened in our state before and this should never be allowed," said Venugopal.

Media baron and former Lok Sabha member M.P. Veerendra Kumar said that with this act, democracy has reached its lowest ebb in the state. "This has been done purposely with the knowledge of the CPI-M and such a thing should never ever happen," said Kumar, who heads the Socialist Janata Democratic, an ally of the ruling Chandy government.

Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told reporters at Kottayam: "Our party never has a tradition of retaliation and even as Chandy's blood fell, we and our party maintained absolute calm. Our restraint should never be seen as a weakness."

CPI's youth legislator V.S. Sunil Kumar said such a thing should not have happened.

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Violence against Muslims threatening Myanmar reforms: UN envoy

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Violence against a Muslim minority in Myanmar is feeding a wider anti-Muslim feeling that poses a serious threat to the country's dramatic economic and political reforms as it emerges from half a century of military rule, a U.N. envoy said on Thursday.

The government says at least 192 people were killed in June and October 2012 clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, most of whom Myanmar deem illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite roots going back generations.

The clashes led to unrest elsewhere in the country, where other groups of Muslims have been targeted, including Kamans, who are of different ethnicity from Rohingyas. An estimated 5 percent of Myanmar's population of about 60 million is Muslim.

"The president (Thein Sein) has made some commendable public speeches in which he has emphasized the need for trust, respect and compassion between people of different faiths and ethnic groups in Myanmar," said Tomas Ojea Quintana, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation in human rights in Myanmar.

"However, more needs to be done by the government to tackle the spread of discriminatory views and to protect vulnerable minority communities," he told the U.N. General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with human rights issues.

Thein Sein heads a quasi-civilian government installed in 2011 after Myanmar's military stepped aside. Under his reforms, opposition leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest, has been allowed back into politics and has made a number of visits abroad.

"In our view the recent dramatic democratic changes in Myanmar were a clear demonstration of the changes of mindset in the government," a representative of the Myanmar U.N. mission told the Third Committee. Myanmar is also known as Burma.

"At the critical time of democratic transition no country is immune from challenges. Myanmar went through unfortunate communal violence in Rakhine state sparked by a brutal crime. We very much regret loss of life and property caused to both communities," he said.

The violence in northern Rakhine State, one of Myanmar's poorest regions that is home to 1 million mostly stateless Rohingya Muslims, has continued this year. Dozens more have been killed and 140,000, mostly Rohingya, have been left homeless.

"The situation in Rakhine State has fed a wider anti-Muslim narrative in Myanmar, which is posing one of the most serious threats to the reform process," Quintana said. "Rakhine State remains in a situation of profound crisis."

"The underlying issue of discrimination against Muslim and particularly Rohingya populations remains unaddressed," he said. "Allegations of gross violations since the violence erupted last June, including by state security personnel, remains unaddressed." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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