holding firm. myanmar's president won't compromise over an issue keeping democracy leader aung san suu kyi from taking her seat in parliament. welcome to "newsline." aung san suu kyi appears willing to work with myanmar's government, but the leader for the national league for democracy has her limits. she and other nld members are refusing to take an oath of office because of the way it's written. they even skipped parliament's opening session, but president thein sein says he won't change it. >> translator: the parliament welcomes aung san suu kyi, but it's up to her whether to take part in parliament sessions or not. >> thein sein says aung san suu

kyi and 40 other newly-elected lawmakers are against taking the oath to safeguard the constitution. they say it will be the same as acknowledging the military superiority. the nld is pushing to change the wording to respect the constitution. they want to amend the document. president sein says it will be possible to discussion that in parliament. the constitutional amendment requires support from at least 75% of the lawmakers. 25% of the seats are allotted to unelected military officers. they don't support the nld proposal. revision is considered virtually impossible. myanmar's reforms are still being recognized despite the dispute between thein sein. foreign ministers agreed to su pend most of the sanctions on the country for one year.

they made the decision monday at a meeting in luxembourg. the eu imposed economic sanctions against myanmar 15 years ago. the foreign ministers agreed to keep equipment sales in place. analysts opted to suspend rather than lift the sanctions to pressure myanmar's leaders to continue with the democratic reforms. that makes it possible for them to reimpose the measures. an expert on myanmar joins us, toshihiko kudo is here. thank you for coming in today. first off, aung san suu kyi and other nld members didn't attend the reopening of the parliament. how do you see this situation? is thein sein's party going to react in a very negative way, do you think? >> actually, this is symbolic issue rather than a substantial one. >> okay. >> aung san suu kyi wants to amend the constitution, which has some democratic clauses. for example, one fourth of the parliamentreserved for the

military members, and they are appointed by the commander in chief. and aung san suu kyi took advantage of the victory by elections on april 1st. however the oath wording itself is written in the constitution and it is not easy to amend the sentences. president thein sein pointed out the amendment of the constitution is possible but only according to prescribed procedures, so it may take some time to resolve this problem. >> definitely not an easy task there. now japan decided to resume its aid. oda, eu and other countries are getting ready to ease sanctions against the country as well, but they are sending a clear message to myanmar, unless democracy happens, they are not going to do it. how will myanmar take steps to democracy, do you think? >> yeah, actually japan's resumption of oda is one of the

biggest results that the thein sein government achieved. the u.s. and the eu started to relax their sanctions on myanmar step by step, so these are also rewarding the president's effort. i think the reforms will go on for the foreseeable future. however, the landslide victory of the nld in the bielections has made the change of power a possible scenario for the people at the next general elections scheduled for 2015. the possible loss of power is now a real threat to the usdp government. are they ready to release power? the political situation could be fluid again after that. >> so 2015 definitely a crucial year for democracy in myanmar. >> yeah, exactly. >> thank you very much for your time.

an expert on myanmar joined us, toshihiko kudo from jethro in tokyo. china and russia fought during the cold war for leadership of the communist world. now their navies are finding common ground on the yellow sea. naval personnel from china and russia have launched joint drills. political analysts say they're trying to counter the growing u.s. presence in the asia pacific. nhk world reports. [ applause ] >> reporter: a scene like this was almost unthinkable during the cold war. senior officers from the chinese and russian navies gathered together to run drills. commanders began by plotting strategy. they will hit water for drills through the next four days with defense and submarine tactics,

search and rescue. china and russia have participated in four military drills since 2005. these are the first for the navies. chinese commanders have deployed 18 vessels including two submarines. the russians have sent seven ships, including a missile cruiser. they say the two powers want to emphasize their military ties to counter the u.s. armed forces. pentagon regions adopted the new strategy last year that puts a renewed focus on the asia pacific. both the chinese and russians are modernizing their military capabilities. china's defense budget this year increased by more than 10% to more than $100 billion. military leaders have pushed to

develop more advanced aircraft carriers and they are overseeing the next generation of fighter aircraft. russian commanders plan to spend more than $700 billion by 2020 to modernize their armed forces. they, too, are working on new hardware, including submarines and missiles. some observers say the russians have another goal. the chinese are developing a j-15 fighter. the plane resembles russia's aircraft carrier best fighter, the sukhoi-33. >> translator: the russians have complained the chinese copied their technology. it would not be in russia's national interest if china unilaterally increased its

influence in the far east. >> reporter: security analysts say russian commanders distrust their chinese counterparts. they say the russians have to use their drills to keep watch, not only the u.s., but on china too. nhk world, russia. the yield on benchmark japanese government bonds has hit a 17-month low over speculation that the bank of japan may take additional monetary easing steps this week. investors rushed to buy ten-year government bonds during trading in tokyo on monday, pushing the yield down to 0.915%. the level marked a new low since november 2010. the yield is now quoted

lower, .910%. the central bank is to hold a policy board meeting on friday. japanese and australian officials have resumed long running trade talks aimed at securing economic partnership agreement. high on the agenda for the four-day meeting is easing tariffs on farm and industrial products. the talks began five years ago, but have been snagged on key differences. australia wants lower tariffs on beef, wheat and other farm products. but japan wants to keep the tariffs to protect its domestic farming industry. the two nations are also at odds over japan's bid to join talks for the trans-pacific partnership free trade agreement. australia has not expressed support for japan's move, saying the country needs to open up its market more to meet tpp standards. the 2012 beijing automotive exhibition is under way and it is showcasing ecofriendly and energy efficient models. the trade show that opened on monday is one of three auto exhibitions in china with those in shanghai and guangzhou.

carmakers from around the world are displaying about 1100 vehicles. they include 120 models that have never been shown before. china is the world's largest auto market. the new car sales have been slowing down amid rising fuel prices. >> we would like to be leader in electric car and we want to be at the top level in term of fuel efficiency in all of the other segments of the car market. >> toyota revealed a prototype of a new hybrid model which the company plans to produce and sell in china by 2015. china automaker byd is displaying plug in hybrid vehicles. the chinese government aims to have over 5 million ecofriendly vehicles on the roads by 2020. it plans to provide subsidies on experimental basis for buyers of ecofriendly cars. baby greens are becoming popular in japan, but vegetable farmers often run into trouble trying to ship the salad leaves. different kinds of leaves grow

in different season. one japanese company has overcome the problem and is expanding rapidly. nhk world has more. >> reporter: this is where baby greens grow. >> translator: the farm is run by a company in southwestern japan. it grows 15 kinds of vegetables including garden rocket and spinach. sales have are soared over the past six years, making the farm one of the top vegetable producers in the country. originally the company specialized in medical analysis taking advantage of its sophisticated data analysis knowledge has boosted its farm efficiency. the farm has been building a database by inputting various information, for instance on how

much water and fertilizer are given each day. by carefully analyzing the data it has been able to find the best time for planting and watering different vegetables in different seasons. it can grow vegetables all year round regardless of weather and nature of soil. >> translator: the database will become key to managing live scale vegetable farming. we'll continue to expand production. supply hasn't caught up with demand yet. >> reporter: with the company's know-how even people with no farming experience can grow vegetables efficiently. on this day an official visited an auto parts factory. today baby greens are packed where the assembly line used to be. the auto parts maker joined

hands with the venture firm last year to start growing baby greens. it wanted to keep the workers even after auto parts production declined. a official gives detailed guidance on everything, including how to give fertilizer and when to plant seeds. business has been good and the auto parts company now has 17 workers on its payroll. it plans to farther increase the start and double production. >> translator: we learn something new every day. managing a vegetable farm is different from making car parts and changes each season. >> reporter: the venture company's innovative farming system is also drawing attention from abroad. an official of china's biggest private agriculture enterprise

visited the farm last month. his company told the japanese firm technology will make vegetable farming more efficient. even in the best country where soil differs from region to region. >> translator: demand for safe vegetables is growing in china. this system is very attractive to us and we would like to do business with them very much. >> translator: we believe our technology will also be useful in other asian countries. our company is aiming to expand our share in the huge asian market. >> reporter: in business size often does matter. what is important is original know-how. nhk world. here is the latest market

figures. north korea's military has warned it will launch special action against south korea for what it calls grave insults directed at the country's new leadership under kim jong-un. south korea says there is no evidence the north's military is now engaged in any unusual ma nufrz.

>> the supreme command of the north's military released a statement on monday. it accused south korea's president lee myung-bak of showing disrespect towards north korea. it gave no details of what actions it is planning to take. the korean people's army released a statement last week criticizing a south korean conservative group for destroying a photo of kim jong un. the north staged a massive rally against lee's administration in pyongyang. the south korean government expressed concern but main maintains the north is fueling tension to divert attention from the country's recent failed missile launch. analysts say north korea's leadership is attempting to consolidate support for kim jong un. they also say the north hopes to boost national unity ahead of the 88th anniversary of the korean people's army on wednesday. a japanese minister is trying to resolve an issue

that caused anger and frustration in his country for decades. north korean agents kidnapped citizens from japan in the 1970s and '80s to learn about their language and culture. some of the kidnapped have been returned. some remain missing. details are sketchy. jin matsubara is now the minister in charge of this file. he spoke monday at the international conference in seoul. he was addressing the matter of north korea's human rights violations. he said he senses a change in the north's attitude recently following the admission by authorities in the reclusive nation at what they called the rocket launch earlier this month failed. >> translator: i expect a fresh and forward-looking approach from north korea to the abductions issue. as it showed in admitting to the launch failure. >> matsubara says japan and u.s. and south korea should pull together on this matter. he wants the countries to lead an international effort to clear up issues related to the abductions and other human rights violations by north

korean authorities. one of the dangers posed by earthquakes is liquefaction. liquefaction happens when strong shaking loosens the ground soil sending water and mud spewing to the surface. homeowners in new zealand are learning something else, if it's happened once, it will happen again. nhk is reporting from christchurch. >> reporter: walking the empty street near her home, sue holmes is alone. no cars on the road, no children in the yards, no people in the houses. >> it's like walking through a ghost town. this general was a retired car salesman with his wife. now everybody is gone. >> reporter: the liquefaction

has turned holmes' neighborhood into a scene of desolation. some 40 families used to live here. now there are just two. >> we had a big sign there so people will know we're still here. >> reporter: holmes wants to stay. christchurch is her hometown, but she's faced with a disaster that never seems to end. christchurch seems to be a city under siege. earthquakes have shaken the surrounding area in the last year and a half. buildings in ruins and many streets under water. the quake started in september 2010. each one has triggered liquefaction and holmes' neighborhood has been hit every time. this whole area used to be wetlands. reclaimed land is especially

vulnerable when the ground starts shaking. this is holmes' house before the quake. the lawn and garden were her pride and joy. the first liquefaction left her yard covered in a blanket of mud. then five months later her house sunk into the ground. mud gushed through her doors. >> it's horrifying. at first you think the ground shakes it is bad enough, but it is what comes after the shake which is worse. >> reporter: in all, more than 20,000 homes and buildings have been affected by liquefaction. the government is helping those that were affected. it has offered to buy 6,800 homes. residents in the hardest-hit areas have been asked to move out. holmes has decided to take the offer and leave her home for

good. >> it's changed landscape and it's changed lives. and broken our hearts. when is it going to end? when is life going to start? i feel like it is a nightmare and i'd like to wake up. >> reporter: officials are working on plans to reinforce the affected land, but relentless aftershocks keep adding to the problem. >> the challenge first off is to understand, what are the issues? why has this land really been socked? that was the initial challenge and that's still an ongoing challenge. >> reporter: authorities are struggling to find an answer. for now, people like sue holmes have no choice but to restart their lives on firmer ground.

hiromi kurosake, reporting from christchurch. japan is also struggling to deal with liquefaction from last year's disaster as well. they sent experts there for joint research. it's been wet for the last two days in tokyo. robert speta is here to tell us what to expect going forward from here and elsewhere. rob sne robert? >> yes, in tokyo, we have been seeing rain showers but good news this is working toward the east and behind it, dryer weather, fairer weather working itsgoing to be accompanied by a westerly wind. reducing visibilities down to 3 to 5 kilometers at times. anybody out here that does have any respiratory issues, you want to take the proper precautions as that sand continues to blow in from the east. fair weather overall in japan extending out to wednesday, before another low pressure system develops here in eastern

china, working its way toward the east, already bringing heavy rainfall there, just towards the west of shanghai. going into wednesday, start to expect to affect the korean peninsula before moving on to japan. on thursday, bring in another shot of rain showers. down towards the south in the tropics, here in the philippines, you're seeing some easterly wave action move through, bringing some afternoon thunderstorms down there with temperatures at 35 in manila. bangkok looking very steamy, warm at 39. off in shanghai, at 24. ulan batur, just above the freezing mark at 4. now, here into the americas, high pressure off towards the west very warm air out here, as warm air continues to surge in out of mexico. but into the east, very potent nor'easter is affecting here, already reports of school delays and cancellations, flight delays and up to about ten centimeters of snowfall already has been seen here in portions of western new york and also western

pennsylvania. could see up to 30 centimeters overall going into monday and eventually into tuesday. this means driving conditions are going to be very dangerous. the national weather service has already asked tomorrow stay indoors here. you don't have to venture out, please do not do so as the snow continues to pile up. power lines will be falling down on to the roads potentially here so that could be creating a very hazardous situation. driving, overall flight travel as well across much of the northeast is going to be very dangerous across much of this area with the flights continuing to be canceled or delayed. now, look at this jet stream, it is continuing to dive all the way down towards the gulf states. cold and wet air is spilling in, in here into the west, warm air is surging off from the south as this jet stream, the ridge is all the way up to there to southern canada. what that means is in denver, you're looking at a high of 28 for you and there, and expecting that to go all the way up to 31 on to your tuesday. winnipeg at 22 and oklahoma city

at 21 and these temperatures are expecting to continue to soar throughout the mid part of your week. into europe, a low pressure system is moving on shore here into the british isles. and also the western portions of the iberian peninsula. but good news, as this works its way off towards east, it will gradually start to dissipate. at least by midweek. now, in northeastern europe, some rain showers continue to affect your area here. they should be breaking off by about tuesday and with some sunshine peeking through. in madrid, 16. 13 in paris. london, looking at 12. over in stockholm, your high is a pair of 1s. here is the extended outlook.

i'm gene otani in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us on "newsline." before i go, i'll leave you with signs of the arrival of spring in fukushima prefecture. a cherry tree more than 1,000 years old is coming into bloom in miharu town. it is located west of the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. the tree has downward sweeping branches and has been named takizakura or the waterfall blossoming cherry tree. the cherry tree is a national treasure. >> translator: i want all the people of fukushima to see the blossoms and feel cheer. >> the town office says the blossoms appeared ten days later than usual due to cold weather, but the tree will be in full blossom soon.