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Accounts of mass murder and arson in Myanmar; White House: human rights came up briefly with Duterte; North Korea hits at Trump and Trump hits back; At least 343 killed in earthquake at Iraq-Iran border. Aired at 8-9a ET
Aired November 13, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:00:00] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now witnesses to a massacre. Rohingya survivors tell CNN what they say happened when Myanmar's military surrounded their village.
And President Trump makes controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the White House claims human rights briefly came up. And
President Duterte spokesman denies it. And hundreds are killed in a devastating earthquake right at the border between Iran and Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now the U.N. calls it textbook example of ethnic cleansing and the British prime minister has just released a statement echoing that.
Their concern here, the violence in Myanmar that is seen more than half a million Rohingya flee in just weeks. And now CNN has obtained exclusive
video showing their harrowing flight for safety. Clarissa Ward has this report in a warning. The images are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just a few hundred yards to safety but it doesn't take long to see that something has gone very wrong. A
woman's limp body is rushed through the No Man's Land between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
His anxious family has waited to see what has happened. On this day, it is a husband and wife, the crowd says they were shot dead as they tried to
leave Myanmar.
There are among more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled at this border to escape what the United Nations has called, a textbook example of
ethnic cleansing. Each it seems has a tail more harrowing than the next. Nurul Haq says he fled a brutal massacre in his village of Tula Toli.
NURUL HAQ (PH), ROHINGYA MUSLIM (through a translator): My sons and daughters were shot on Thursday. I can't find them, he says. There's no
one left.
WARD: Haq claims local officials told residents it was safe to remain in village but the days later, the Myanmar military report in and carried out
a bloodbath.
HAQ (PH), (through a translator): Please someone kill me, he cries. This is God's will.
WARD: Others who escaped Tula Toli tell a similar story. Rayhana (ph) says the soldiers rounded them up on the riverbank and separated the men
from the women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through a translator): We couldn't escape, many children were shot and they fell on their faces, she recalls. Those lying
on the ground were picked up, chop and later, they were thrown into the river.
WARD: cellphone footage given to CNN by Tula Toli residents appears to show the bodies of three children washed up on the shore. These witnesses
cry to God for mercy. CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the video or verify the many accounts. Access to Rakhine State is heavily restricted.
But we wanted to find out more about what happened in Tula Toli, so we traveled to a sprawling refugee camp along the border and met 30-year-old
Montes (ph). She says that Burmese soldiers raped her before setting the house alight with her inside.
But the burn that cover her body only hint at the horror she survived. Described to me what happened to you, what did you see with your own eyes
exactly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through a translator): My boy was just behind me and they hit him with a wooden stick, and he collapsed to the ground dead. His
head was split open, she says. Then they took my other son from my lap and threw him into the fire.
WARD: She managed to escape with her seven-year-old daughter, Rasiya (ph). All three of her sons were killed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through a translator): Oh God, she cries. Why didn't you take me?
WARD: But for the survivors of Tula Toli, there is no justice in this world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[08:05:00] LU STOUT: I hurt for the kind of what she had to suffer through. Let's take you live to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where many other
Rohingya refugees have fled. Now more than 600,000 have fled the violence in Rakhine State. Clarissa Ward joins us now. And Clarissa, what is the
government saying about your report?
WARD: Well, CNN has reached out to the Myanmar government. Unsurprisingly, they are denying the version of events that you heard from
those various villagers from Tula Toli. They are saying that the military came under attack from insurgents.
They said that there were eight terrorists, what they called terrorist attacks on the military carried out by hundreds of terrorists. They also
said that when it comes to the allegations from the United Nations of ethnic cleansing, they said that's simply is not the case.
And quote, that they have taken full measures to avoid collateral damage and the harming of innocent civilians but I cannot stress enough Kristie.
We have been here for about a week now. We have been talking to dozens of people, not all of them from the village of Tula Toli but all of them with
desperate, harrowing accounts.
Some of the most harrowing accounts I have heard during my career and none of these gels at all with what we're hearing here in this statement from
the military that essentially there was -- full measure was taken to avoid collateral damage, Kristie.
LU STOUT: And it was a clearance operation that kicked off in August and started this latest wave of Rohingya refugees fleeing into Bangladesh. Is
the violence in Rakhine State still ongoing?
WARD: So it does appear that the violence is not at the levels that we saw in late August and early September. The situation does appear to have
calmed down significantly, although we did hear from some Rohingya Muslims who crossed over just earlier yesterday that in the past few weeks,
villages were continuing to be burned down by the military.
We cannot force verify those reports because we are not allowed to report independently from Rakhine State but the real problem you now is that the
people who are left in Myanmar -- those Rohingya Muslims, they simply do not want to be there.
They feel they are being persecuted. They have seen hundreds of people slaughtered, hundreds of thousands flee the country, many are now living in
essentially what amounts to internment camps.
So even though the violence may have abated somewhat, you are not seeing much of a drop in the number of Rohingya who are still trying in hundreds
every day, Kristie, to make it to the relative safety of Bangladesh.
LU STOUT: And, Clarissa, the aid response on the ground in places like where you are, in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, now that over 600,000 Rohingya
Muslims have made this perilous journey crossing into Bangladesh, how much help is on the ground to meet this immense need?
WARD: There are a lot of NGOs on the ground, at least 70 different charities registered who are doing incredible work and all that they can to
try to provide assistance. This really is a desperate humanitarian crisis.
You have something 609,000 Rohingya living in these camps, another 200,000 are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. These people have no prospects
for making money, for having a job, for being able to be financially dependent or food independent.
And that means they are relying completely on the government of Bangladesh which is struggling and on the international community which up until now
has not really been responding to this crisis in the way that many people here would like to see them doing.
LU STOUT: Clarissa Ward reporting live for us from Cox's Bazar, thank you for your reporting. Just a short time ago, spokesman for the British
ministers said the crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims looks like ethnic cleansing. He went on to blame the military on Myanmar for what he called
the inhumane violence.
Meanwhile, at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, Donald Trump who seem talking with Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi as they walked onto
the stage for group photo. Suu Kyi has been under fire for her handling of the Rohingya crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the U.S. will not stay silent. He plans to visit Myanmar later this week for talks.
Now as mentioned, President Trump is in Manila and earlier he sat down with controversial Philippines' Leader, Rodrigo Duterte who has been criticized
over his brutal campaign to rid his country of drugs.
The White House claims the issue of human rights did come up during their talks but a spokesman for Mr. Duterte says it did not. Here's Jeff Zeleny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Rodrigo.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte but not dwelling today on the controversial
leader's bloody human rights record.
[08:10:00] White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters that human rights briefly came up in the context of the Philippines fight
against illegal drugs, a spokesman for Duterte saying otherwise.
HARRY ROGUE, SPOKESPERSON, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: No. That issue was not raised. However, the president explained in length his war against drugs.
ZELENY: As reporters questioned Mr. Trump, Duterte's aides stood and blocked the view of cameras. At another point, Duterte made clear he
wanted to meet behind closed doors, even channeling Trump by calling out the media, referring to them as spies.
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES: I would like to reference media to leave us alone. You may leave the room.
ZELENY: White House aides initially were anxious about visiting the Philippines, but Mr. Trump came to amplify his message on trade and North
Korea.
He stood alongside Duterte during a moment of handshake diplomacy, grimacing while trying to grasp the hands of leaders during a ritual
photograph. The president today basking in the glow of his travels through five Asian capitals.
TRUMP: Red carpet like nobody I think has probably ever been received. And that really is a sign of respect, perhaps, for me a little bit but
really for our country. And I'm very proud of that.
ZELENY: Yet outside the economic summit, a reality check. Protesters filled the streets. Water cannons deployed to keep demonstrators from the
U.S. embassy and elsewhere, the president's head burning in effigy on a swastika.
Some also protesting Mr. Trump's embrace of Duterte, blasted by human rights groups for sanctioning the extrajudicial killings of thousands. The
violent scenes were the most visible turbulence yet on Mr. Trump's 13-day trip to Asia.
After carefully measuring his words for days, the president also engaged in a weekend fight with the North Korean leader, saying in a tweet, why would
Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old when I would never call him short and fat?
Yet, it was Russia and President Vladimir Putin that's still hanging over the trip. After telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed
Putin's denial of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, Mr. Trump backtracked.
TRUMP: I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election. As to whether I believe it or not, I'm with our agencies,
especially as currently constituted with their leadership.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was CNN Jeff Zeleny reporting. Let's bring in Matt Rivers. He joins is live from the Philippine capital and Matt, just back
and forth about the issues of human rights. The White House says Trump raise human rights to Duterte -- Duterte spokesman has said, he did not.
So what was discussed?
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well -- I mean we are getting a bit of a conflicting message there with the White House specifically said was
that President Trump briefly discuss the issue of human rights in the context of illegal drugs here in the Philippines and what you heard from
the Philippine side, it was kind of confusing because in the beginning of the spokesman's statement he says the issue was not raised.
But then later on he said that Duterte brought that up and Trump didn't bring it up, Duterte brought it up. Talked about the war on drugs and that
President Trump did not think an official position on the matter.
And instead just nodded along according to the spokesperson, which that spokesperson interpreted to signal that President Trump understood what
they called -- what they call a domestic problem here in the Philippines.
So were not exactly sure of the play-by-play inside that bilateral meeting, but what we can be sure that at lease at that point, Kristie, and perhaps
the most important point of it is that it doesn't appear that President Trump forcefully raise the issue of the human rights violate -- the
allegations of human rights violations that advocates across the world that pretty much universally brought up over the last year.
That is what we were looking for. Would President Trump challenge President Duterte on his actions here in the Philippines, on the
extrajudicial killings, on the overcrowding of jails, on this ongoing drug war.
And whether or not he brought it up, it does appear that he did. But the level that he did -- he didn't criticize President Duterte publicly and I
think that is the main take away here.
LU STOUT: And your thought on the relationship because now Trump is boating of this great relationship he has with Duterte and we saw them
bond. I mean even Duterte serenading Trump and both of them sharing their distress in the media. Just how well did they get along and what could it
mean for policy?
RIVERS: You know, right even before the trip, we heard from the White House that President Trump was looking forward to his meeting with President
Duterte and that the two had a warm rapport, and we saw that in person.
They share some laughs. They seem to get along. It seems to be a very easy conversation between both men and I think that does have something to
do with policy, exactly you know how much the relationship really affects, you know, the diplomacy between both sides. I don't think anyone can
really put their finger on that.
[08:15:00] But the fact is that a personal relationship, a friendly relationship between both men is bound to have some effect on diplomacy
between the Philippines and the United States.
And it's worth pointing, Kristie, that this is a recurring theme on this -- on this president's swing through Asia. He seems to get along quite well
to Shinzo Abe, in Japan. He talked nonstop in China about his warm relationship with President Xi.
And that trend continued here in Manila. Exactly the effect on policy between all of these countries and the United States generally put our
finger on that but you can imagine it, it does have some effect over all.
LU STOUT: All right, Matt Rivers reporting live for us from Manila, thank you, Matt. Now President Trump has kept his message in Asia focus squarely
on trade and reigning in the threat by North Korea.
But he also engaged in some name-calling with the leader of Korea, and in the same tweet hinted at a possible friendship with Kim Jong-un. Now CNN
is the only U.S. network currently in Pyongyang. Will Ripley is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a surreal few hours over the weekend here in North Korea as insults were traded back and forth between
the president of the United States and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
Of course the state media here continuing their attack against the president showcasing all the anti-Trump protesters in South Korea. Well,
unsurprisingly, not mentioning that the larger crowds were actually in support of President Trump.
And there this article in KCNA, North Korea's News Agencies saying quote, the reckless remarks by a doter, which translates to old senile person like
Trump can never frighten us or put a stop to our advance.
That was followed up by a tweet from the president saying quote, why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would never call him short
and fat. Oh well, I tried so hard to be his friend and maybe someday that will happen.
Shortly after the tweet, there was a press conference in Vietnam where President Trump talked about the possibility of a friendship between
himself and the North Korean leader saying, stranger things have happened.
While from the North Korean perspective any friendship pretty unlikely at this point, especially given the fact that they have heard all of the other
fiery rhetoric from President Trump, including his threat back in September to totally destroy North Korea and the North Koreans tell me that actions
speak louder than words.
And the fact is, there are joint military drills, massive naval drills happening in the Pacific involving three U.S. aircraft carrier strike
groups.
The North Koreans also watching closely to see if the president follows through on his promise to make a decision about whether to add North Korea
back to the list of spate -- state sponsors of terrorism, something that he said he would be doing by the end of his landmark Asia visit. Will Ripley,
CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: You are watching News Stream. Still to come, a devastating earthquake near the border of Iraq and Iran kills more than 300 people.
The tremors are felt across the Middle East. The latest from the region, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:00] LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, rescue crews are desperately searching for survivors after a deadly earthquake struck along the Iran-
Iraq border. The epicenter of a 7.3 magnitude quake was near the Iraqi city of Halabja.
That's about 350 kilometers away from Baghdad. Now on the Iran side of the border reports of more than 336 people were killed and almost 4,000
injured.
In Iraq, at least seven people are dead but 300 injured. The tremor was felt as far away is Turkey and Pakistan. The overwhelming majority of
deaths reported have been in Iraq.
Jomana Karadsheh joins us now from Jordan. And, Jomana, just earlier today from the news room, we were steadily watching that death toll rise
throughout the day. What's the very latest on the devastation and the human toll caused by this major magnitude quake.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That earthquakes so powerful, Kristie, as you mention 7.3 magnitude and it was felt across the region and
beyond. You know, countries from Israel to Pakistan reporting feeling that earthquake.
But as you mentioned it struck the Iran-Iraq border region and it happened late in the evening on Sundays. It was difficult to get an assessment
straightaway of the devastation that was left behind by the earthquake and casualty figures.
But with daylight hours, we've seen search and rescue operations going on throughout the day and resume. As you mentioned, we have seen that
casualty toll continue to climb throughout the day.
It seems the hardest hit area is the Western province of Kermanshah in Iran. Authorities there are reporting the latest figures we've seen and
not continues to change that at least 340 people have been killed and nearly 6,000 others were injured.
Iran declaring three days of mourning across the border in Iraq, as you mention this has been focused mainly in northeastern Iraq and in the
Kurdistan region, their authorities are announcing that at least seven people were killed and more than 500 others were injured.
That includes cases of severe shock according to health authorities. A big concern right now, Kristie, for authorities in Iraq is the state of the
Darbandikhan Dam. That is the dam to the east of the city of Sulaymaniyah in a town of Darbandikhan.
And there according to authorities, they say there are some cracks to that multipurpose dam. They have not seen any leaks yet but they're continuing
to monitor and assess that dam, and they are asking people in that area to prepare to evacuate if necessary.
LU STOUT: And, Jomana, as we listen your reporting and looking at these heartbreaking photographs scenes of the aftermath. I mean just seeing so
much misery, so much rubble, just buildings that were not able to withstand an earthquake of the size.
And this quake happened in a part of the world that is very familiar with major earthquakes but apparently that has not translated into greater
earthquake preparedness or readiness on the ground?
KARADSHEH: Well, when you look at Iran, Kristie, as you mention, this is a country that sits on major fault lines. Earthquakes there are quite
frequent.
Some of them really devastating of course as you recalled that 2003 catastrophic earthquake that hit the South Eastern historic city of Bam,
destroying that, killing more than 30,000 people.
Now if you look at Sunday's earthquake this hit the Kermanshah province. They are -- these are rural areas, the remote towns and villages where the
houses are built of mud bricks and they're not really designed to withstand this kind of devastating earthquake.
But it would seem as we are seeing so far that search and rescue teams are, you know they have -- they know what to do in cases like this and they have
been working throughout the day. If you look on Iraq on the other hand, so many people we spoken to are really in shock.
You know, while the Kurdistan region parts of northern Iraq experience earthquakes from time to time nothing like this is what we are hearing from
so many people in Iraq cities like Baghdad for example where people were really stunned because they say they've never felt anything like this,
Kristie, passed.
LU STOUT: Widespread devastation the quake was felt throughout the region. Jomana Karadsheh reporting for us live, thank you. Now meteorologist Chad
Myers is modern developments from the CNN Weather Center. And, Chad, just remind us why is this area so prone to massive earthquakes like this one?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's the Arabia plate that crashes into the Eurasia plate and has been doing it for centuries if not millennia, not for
millions and millions of years. That's why we have the mountains there in the first place.
[08:25:00] Now the creep -- a very slow creep and only 24 millimeters per year of this Arabian plate moving the Arabia plate moving on up here to the
tectonics, now want to push the landmass up the crashing of the two almost like a cold front.
But the fronts are actually made of land -- made of crust full dirt, crust full soil and rock. Now we've had big earthquakes here before. The
biggest here in 1990 killed tens of thousands of people in Iraq.
We remember that vividly here covering that on CNN. I was working here already by then. This is a 73 almost the exact magnitude of that quake at
74 but this will tell you with hundreds dead and not tens of thousands dead where this actually occurred.
It occurred in the desert -- in the Highlands here, nice coastal plane up to the north missed by this. This is where the people live and more
populated areas are to the north of your obviously to the West as well.
But this is the area that we'll see earthquakes now, aftershocks for the next few days, maybe even the next few months, it's that aftershock that
can knock the building down again or even make it worse cause it's already weakened by the initial quake.
We'll keep watching it. Now, you have to understand we're still seeing aftershocks from the Fukushima earthquake years and years ago.
So the Earth just doesn't stop shaking, days in the terms of the world or the Earth how old it is really nothing compared to how long these
earthquakes can go.
And the plate continues to move, so this is an ongoing problem as plates move, earthquakes happen. At least the weather is good for the recovery no
significant weather in their forecast. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, at least the weather is good for the families who choose to sleep outdoors tonight, too. Chad Myers reporting as always, thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
LU STOUT: Now, you're watching News Stream. And President Trump and President Duterte, they are both known for being unpredictable. So how
does that affect the longtime view with coping alliance. We'll hear from the former Philippines foreign secretary, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now Iran has declared three days of mourning after a devastating earthquake struck along the border with Iraq. At least 336 people were
killed and almost 4,000 were injured. The 7.3 magnitude quake also claimed lived in northern Iraq, at least seven people were killed there.
U.S. President Donald Trump is in the Philippine capital Manila, the final stop on his visit to Asia. He met earlier with Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte.
The White House says human rights came up briefly during their conversation but Mr. Duterte spokesman said, it did not come up at all. The Philippine
leaders controversial war drugs has left thousands dead. A spokesman for the British prime minister says the U.K. is appalled by the inhumane
violence in Myanmar and that it looks like ethnic cleansing. More than half a million Rohingya Muslims escaped to Bangladesh, accusing the military of
atrocities. The U.S. secretary of state plans to visit Myanmar this week to discuss the crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump is in Manila for the ASEA Summit, the fifth and final stop of his tour of Asia. And it could have been a very difficult
stop since it required a meeting with the controversial Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, who has waged a bloody war on drugs and crime
and even admitted to murder.
But in the end, Mr. Trump boasted up a great relationship with the Philippine president. As for human rights, the White House said that it was
briefly raised, that issue, but Mr. Duterte's spokesman denies that it was.
For reaction to the meeting and what is next for the U.S.-Philippines relationship, I'm joined by Ambassador Albert Del Rosario, former foreign
secretary of the Philippines. Sir, welcome to CNN. Thank you for joining us.
ALBERT DEL ROSARIO, FORMER FOREIGN SECRETARY OF THE PHILIPPINES: Thank you.
LU STOUT: I must ask you for your thoughts about the summit that happened earlier today in your country. Were you surprised to see Donald Trump have
such a friendly encounter with Rodrigo Duterte?
DEL ROSARIO: Well, I think that both of them are unpredictable, and I think also what we expected was an anything goes scenario. I think that's what
we're getting.
LU STOUT: Now, they're both unpredictable, but we did see at the end of the day, Trump not openly scold or condemned Duterte in his war on drugs and
the human rights violations that have taken place. Do you think because of that, Mr. Duterte is now more emboldened? Will he feel more stronger to
carry on with his campaign?
DEL ROSARIO: Well, I think there is a divergence in terms of what is being reported because accordingly what I had heard was the subject was not taken
up at all, according to Philippine sources, whereas according to American sources, it was quite the opposite. So, we don't know. As I said, anything
goes.
LU STOUT: Right. There is a discrepancy on whether the issue was brought up, but the fact that Trump didn't scold Duterte in his war on drugs, do
you think Duterte feels emboldened as a result?
DEL ROSARIO: I don't know how he feels, but maybe that's -- the fact that he was not challenged by President Trump, I think that surely might have
pleased him.
LU STOUT: OK. Let's shift gears and talk about China. Sir, you were behind the Philippine government's bold move to challenge China's huge territorial
claims in areas of South China Sea. President Duterte has chosen to downplay the dispute for better ties and trade with China.
China is there and the Philippines for the ASEA Summit. China, according to reports, assured Mr. Duterte that they won't use military force in the
South China Sea. Do you see that as good news? Are you confident that China will play nicely in the South China Sea?
DEL ROSARIO: I think what news we received today was that the code of conduct would be moving forward. We have our misgivings about that. That
seems to be the most immediate initiative in terms of at least controlling the escalating tension.
We think that the code of conduct is -- might be used to deescalate any possible future tension, but we also are concerned about the fact that code
of conduct was delayed by China so that they could complete their expansionary activities.
On the other hand, we feel that China being on the ball now in terms of getting the code of conduct for moving it forward, we feel that China may
use this to protect the unlawful gains that they have made. So, it is questionable as to whether there is actual constructive movement of the
code of conduct and whether that is in fact good for us.
LU STOUT: Got you. A big question mark remains
[08:35:00] over China's code of conduct in the South China Sea. Also, how Duterte will move next especially in his war on drugs after his meeting
with Donald Trump. Sir, we'll leave at that. Thank you so much for joining us on the program. Take care.
Now, a U.S. army general overseeing relief efforts in Puerto Rico says that the crisis is largely over, even still parts of the island are still
without power and without water after Hurricane Maria. CNN has exclusive access to general's last aerial relief tour. Here is Leyla Santiago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This isn't the island he saw when he arrived. General Jeffrey Buchanan arrived a week after
Hurricane Maria to lead the military's relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
(on camera): Are you ready to leave?
JEFFREY BUCHANAN, LIEUTENANT GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY: Yes, think we are in the right place to transition.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): On his last day here, he visits the town of Maricao. Still no power here and one of the largest employers said it's struggling.
Conditions are forcing employees to leave.
ERIC SANTIAGO-JUSTINIANO, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE PRODUCTION UNIT IN PUERTO RICO: Last month, in October, we had 15
resignations.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): Buchanan still cannot deliver the news he would like to bring to troubled towns.
BUCHANAN: What is know is this area is going to be down for a little while for electricity.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): As he visits the town's distribution center, practicing his Spanish along the way --
BUCHANAN: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
SANTIAGO (voice-over): Many watching from a distance are grateful but concerned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
SANTIAGO (on camera): He wishes that he would stay a little bit longer so that he could see all the municipalities and, as he describes it, what
they're suffering still to this day.
(voice-over): They need more help, he tells me. It's not just Buchanan leaving, it's equipment also leaving. What was once 72 helicopters for
relief, now 38. By the end of the week, 14. All part of the military moving into recovery mode.
What do you tell the people including even family members of your own troops who don't have power, who don't have water? What do you tell them as
you say goodbye?
BUCHANAN: Yes. You know, I think that, you know, we've got to work through the system. In the meantime, you know, one concern that I have is
resiliency for the next emergency.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): He acknowledges the work here isn't over. Proof can be found in the very notes taken on his last day.
BUCHANAN: So we need three water pumps. We need three generators.
SANTIAGO (on camera): Many people, with your departure, fear that they will be left alone.
BUCHANAN: Absolutely not. So So we're -- you know, the military is not leaving Puerto Rico. We still have about 2,500 army reservists on active
duty here. We've got about 5,000 national guard troops from both Puerto Rico and other places, and FEMA, who has been in charge of the effort from
the federal perspective, is here for the long haul.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): Now, Buchanan believes that Puerto Rico must shift into a new phase without him on the island. Leyla Santiago, CNN, San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: You're watching "News Stream." We'll have more after this short break.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Nature has always been a central part of Japanese culture. But now with the rise of technology, some feel that special relationship is
starting to vanish. Will Ripley has more on how local artists are trying to turn that around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mifuneyama Rakuen Park has been here in Saga Prefecture for 172 years. The fall hues have started to
take over. But there's a greater transformation in store.
This is what the art collective teamLab calls digitized nature.
TOSHIYUKI INOKO, FOURNDER, TEAMLAB (through translator): We thought humans could create something by using nature as it is without physical
intervention. Digital art uses things like software, sensors, network, light and sound. These are non-material and has no physical impact.
RIPLEY (voice-over): This is Toshiyuki Inoko. He is the founder of teamLab, a group what he calls ultra technologists. Here, light is their paint.
Computers, their paint brush. And with that, these artists, programmers, and engineers are able to create immersive new worlds.
The idea for this exhibit was developed over four years and it took an entire month to set up. The result is a 500,000-square-meter living work of
art. Named "A Forest Where Gods Live," this exhibit ties back to Japanese belief of shintoism, where every single thing has a spirit.
So, maybe without teamLab, you would have never looked twice at this rock. The projected flowers transform through seasons and are being rendered in
real time, meaning you'll never see the same thing twice.
INOKO (through translator): I think people in the past were more conscious that we are part of nature. You can see this in the park where the boundary
between the natural forests and the areas humans of touch is ambiguous.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The way they're trying to break down these boundaries is to make art interactive. As people walk by different sensors around the
park, patterns of light are triggered, allowing visitors to actually become part of the art.
INOKO (through translator): I am making interactive digital art. (INAUDIBLE) people's presence become an element to transform an art work,
and it is creating a new relationship between people within the same space.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Enchanting. That is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. We got "World Sport" with Amanda Davies, next.
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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
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