Tradisional Sabah Borneo

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Saturday said he had invited his Russian, Ukrainian and French counterparts to talks in Berlin on May 11 intended to smooth differences between Moscow and Kiev.

"It is necessary to give new momentum (to efforts) to surmount obstacles between Kiev and Moscow," Steinmeier said in comments due to appear in Sunday's Die Welt and sevral other European newspapers.

"That is why I have sent out an invitation for a meeting of foreign ministers... on May 11 in Berlin," said Steinmeier, two days after Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Prystaiko had suggested such a meeting.

Around 9,300 people have died and more than 21,000 have been injured since the revolt against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership erupted two years ago in the predominantly Russian-speaking east.

Despite a series of truce agreements the two sides have been unable to reach a political reconciliation agreement.

Steinmeier said the Berlin talks would look to the preparation of local elections in eastern Ukraine with "concrete proposals now on the table" alongside "interesting restabilisation proposals" from the Organisation for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OECD).But Steinmeier also warned that with the truce still proving fragile there was no time to be lost in seeking a diplomatic solution.

Earlier Saturday, Kiev said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fresh fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels even as the latest truce took effect.

"As a result of hostilities, over the past 24 hours two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and four others wounded," Ukraine's military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists.

The latest killings came just hours after a new truce agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk came into effect. AFP

Thousands of angry protesters broke into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area on Saturday and stormed the Iraqi parliament building after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers.

Jubilant crowds, most of them supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, invaded the main session hall, shouting slogans glorifying their leader and claiming that they had rooted out corruption.

The capital was already on high alert for a major Shiite pilgrimage, participants in which were targeted in a bombing that killed 23 on Saturday, but extra security measures were taken after protesters stormed the Green Zone.

"You are not staying here! This is your last day in the Green Zone," shouted one protester as thousands broke in.

Besides the parliament compound, the restricted area in central Baghdad houses the presidential palace, the prime minister's office and several embassies, including those of the United States and Britain.Protesters pulled down several slabs of the heavy concrete blast walls that surround the Green Zone to create an opening and also climbed over the barrier.

They then headed to parliament, where some rampaged through the building and broke into offices, while others shouted "peacefully, peacefully" and tried to contain the destruction, an AFP journalist said.

Security forces were present but did not confront them.

Some six hours after the Green Zone was stormed and despite the chaos, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi issued a statement claiming the situation in Baghdad was "under the control of the security forces" and urging protesters to return to "designated protest areas".

- Chaos at parliament -

Parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi meanwhile issued a statement that referred to MPs as "representatives of the people, and their servants" -- descriptions with which many Iraqis would disagree.

Tear gas was used against protesters but violence did not escalate further, with both sides mostly seen fraternising.An AFP photographer said members of the Sadrist militia group Saraya al-Salam were in control of the parliament building and were not permitting protesters to enter.

Demonstrators left parliament and began a sit-in at Ihtifalat Square inside the Green Zone.

Protesters earlier pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the Green Zone exits, attempting to prevent some scared lawmakers from fleeing the chaos.

They also attacked and damaged several vehicles they believed belonged to MPs.

Inside the main hall where lawmakers failed to reach a quorum earlier in the day, protesters sat in the MPs' seats taking "selfies" and shouting slogans.

One protester called a friend on his mobile: "I am sitting in Salim al-Juburi's chair, I have a meeting, we'll talk later."

"We are the ones running this country now, the time of the corrupt is over," said another, as crowds filled rooms throughout the building.Parliament failed to reach a quorum on Saturday after approving some of Abadi's ministerial nominees earlier in the week.

The Green Zone unrest started as Sadr ended a news conference in the Shiite holy city of Najaf during which he condemned the political deadlock.

He had threatened to have his supporters storm the Green Zone last month, but did not order them to enter the area in his Saturday address.

- Baghdad on high alert -

The politicians "refused to end corruption and refused to end quotas", Sadr said, adding that he and his supporters would not participate in "any political process in which there are any type... of political party quotas".

Key government posts have for years been shared out based on political and sectarian quotas, a practice demonstrators want to end.

Abadi's efforts to change the system have been opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.

"The parliament and the government are simply not capable of reforming. They will always defend privilege over reform," said Zaid al-Ali, a fellow at Princeton University and the author of "The Struggle For Iraq's Future".Given that, "it was entirely predictable that this was going to happen", said Ali, referring to the storming of the Green Zone.

According to interior ministry officials, the main entrances to Baghdad were temporarily closed, and measures were taken to protect the central bank and the airport.

Security forces had already been on high alert as tens of thousands of Shiite faithful converged on the city for an annual commemoration.

Both Washington and the United Nations have warned that the political crisis could distract from the fight against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

IS claimed a bombing that targeted Shiite pilgrims in the Nahrawan area near Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 23 people and wounding at least 38, security and medical officials said.  AFP

Many Americans are taking to canvas and poster board this year to express their political thoughts through depictions -- sometimes unflattering -- of presidential hopefuls like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Trump, the controversial billionaire who is leading the Republican Party nomination race and is known for his sometimes incendiary comments, is perhaps the most popular subject among artists.

"It's gotten a lot of people together to create art against him," said Mitchel Dumlao, cofounder of the LA Street Art Gallery.

"It kind of speaks about the type of his political ideologies and backgrounds. The more controversial a candidate is, the more attention he gets."

New York artist Hansky unveiled in Manhattan one of the most blunt and critical depictions of the former reality TV star to date: Trump's face incorporated into a pile of feces buzzed by flies.

- 'No Trump Anytime' -Known for disparaging remarks about Mexicans, Trump pinatas have been selling well for months both in the United States and Mexico.

Other popular items in the Hispanic community are T-shirts and posters with the slogan "Donald eres un pendejo" (Donald you're an asshole") in large white letters on a black background along with a profile of Trump's face.

The people behind the "pendejo" art -- popular in places like New York, Los Angeles and Miami -- are the owners of the Mexican licor brand Ilegal Mezcal, who have been active in organizing anti-Trump rallies.

Lately residents in cities like Chicago, Washington, New York and Los Angeles have been seeing "No Parking Anytime" street signs modified to read "No Trump Anytime."

"Like so many people, I don't have a voice in politics," said the Los Angeles-based artist Plastic Jesus, who came up with that idea.

"The New York Times or The Times in London would never give me a column to write my opinion on politics, or the war on drugs or banking crisis," he told AFP.

"But for me, street art is a good way to get my opinion out there and hopefully start a dialogue across the nation," he said.

Politics has always been a source of inspiration for art around the world."But for me, street art is a good way to get my opinion out there and hopefully start a dialogue across the nation," he said.

Politics has always been a source of inspiration for art around the world.

One of the most iconic murals is the kiss between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker painted on the remains of the Berlin Wall. The mural is based on a 1979 photograph of the two leaders in an embrace and what appears to be a deeply passionate kiss.

In the United States, the blue, white and red "Hope" poster by artist Shepard Fairey based on a picture of Barack Obama came to symbolize the then-candidate's 2008 presidential campaign.

The poster went viral "and inspired and invited a generation of young voters to connect" with Obama, said Souris Hong, president of Creative Cabal artist agency.

"The poster's simple image and message resonated with the American public who were looking for a future to believe in" following the unpopular government of Republican George W. Bush.

"The difference is, now with social media, the messages can spread wider and faster," Hong told AFP.- 'Hillary Stinks' -

Hong is co-producer and co-curator of a touring art exhibit "The Art of a Political Revolution: Artists for Bernie Sanders 2016."

Flattering murals of Sanders have appeared in cities across the country including Philadelphia, Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado.

However Sanders's rival and Democratic Party front runner Hillary Clinton's depiction in popular art is not as positive.

In one example her face is printed on a cardboard pine freshener -- the kind that dangles from the rear view mirror in cars -- with the slogan "Hillary Stinks - Reeks of Scandal" can be found for sale in Los Angeles.

The former secretary of state also appears in a faux poster for the animated ogre movie "Shrek," and in a series of black and white "Don't Say" posters, that include her face matched with words like "Entitled," "Secretive," "Polarizing" and "Calculating."

"Street art in general has always been a tool against the establishment and the government, and Hillary is kind of seen as the establishment and the government: same old politicians that we've seen before," said Dumlao."People have a lack of trust on her and her campaign," he said.AFP

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he didn't understand how Volkswagen bosses could defend their bonuses after a huge emissions-rigging scandal plunged the carmaker into global turmoil, according to an interview with Die Welt published Sunday.

The criticism comes after Volkswagen revealed this week that its top executives would be paid a total of 63.2 million euros ($72 million) for 2015 despite a massive loss incurred from the cheating controversy.

"I can't understand how you can steer a major DAX (German stock exchange) company into a crisis that threatens its very existence, and then defend your own bonuses in a public debate," Schaeuble told the German daily.

"It shows that something is not right," he added.

After widespread outcry, VW's supervisory board announced that it would freeze 30 percent of the executive board members' annual bonuses for 2015 for possible payout three years later, depending on the performance of the group's shares.

Debate has been raging for weeks in Germany over whether VW's top execs are morally entitled to performance-related bonuses after warning of a bout of belt-tightening in the wake of the engine-manipulation scandal.Volkswagen was forced to recall vehicles around the world after it admitted it had installed so-called "defeat devices" aimed at cheating emissions tests into 11 million diesel engines.

The carmaker unveiled a loss of 1.58 billion euros for last year after setting aside 16.2 billion euros in provisions to cover the potential fines, lawsuits and recall costs it foresees from the scandal.

It was the auto giant's first loss since 1993.  AFP

The United States demanded that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's forces halt their bombardment of the city of Aleppo and help restore a nationwide ceasefire.

In calls to the UN peace envoy for Syria and to the lead opposition negotiator, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the priority was "a durable, nationwide cessation."

A truce was called in February between Assad's forces and a coalition of rebels but has since begun to break down, particularly in the divided and besieged city of Aleppo.

This week, Russia and the United States agreed to pressure the parties to hold their fire in the Latakia and Eastern Ghouta regions -- but Aleppo was left out of the deal.

Fierce bombing has continued in the city, with heavy civilian casualties, and Russia has made it clear it has no intention of reining in its ally Assad's forces.

With the peace process hanging by a thread, Kerry was to fly to Geneva on Sunday for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and the Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers.

But first, he used his calls to emphasize that Washington has not conceded the idea Aleppo can be excluded from the ceasefire nor that civilians can be targeted.In calls to De Mistura and the general coordinator of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee, Riad Hijab, Kerry expressed "deep concern" about Aleppo.

"The secretary made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority," spokesman John Kirby said.

In the calls, Kerry dismissed the Russian and regime claim that the Aleppo strikes are targeting the Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist force that is not party to the ceasefire.

"The secretary made clear that we urged Russia to take steps to stop regime violations, especially its indiscriminate aerial attacks in Aleppo," Kirby said.

"The Assad regime continues to escalate the conflict by predominantly targeting innocent civilians and parties to the cessation of hostilities -- not Nusra, as the regime falsely claims.

"Such attacks are direct violations of the cessation and must stop immediately," he declared.

"The secretary underscored that the initial efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta are not limited to these two areas and that efforts to renew the cessation must and do include Aleppo."Once Syria's economic hub, Aleppo has suffered some of the worst fighting in a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions. AFP

NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald's is testing bigger and smaller versions of its Big Mac as the world's biggest hamburger chain pushes to revive its business.

The company says it's testing a "Grand Mac" and "Mac Jr." in the central Ohio and the Dallas areas, and will see how they do before deciding on a national rollout.

The Grand Mac is made with two one-sixth-pound beef patties, which may be a way for the company to make its famous burger more substantial as burger competitors have made the regular Big Mac seem skimpy to some. It will sell for $4.89.

The Mac Jr. is basically a single-layer Big Mac, and McDonald's says it's "easier to eat on the go." That will sell for between $2.39 and $2.59.

McDonald's Corp. has been fighting to turn around its business after seeing customer visits decline in recent years. The Oak Brook, Illinois, company has said it needs to move faster to keep up with changing tastes.

Last week, the company held its biannual convention with franchisees in Florida to discuss plans to refresh the business. AP

The New York City billionaire's big victory in his home state gave him renewed momentum in the Republican race and pushed him closer to the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton also won in New York, which she once represented in the U.S. Senate, blunting the momentum of rival Bernie Sanders and taking a big step toward wrapping up the nomination.

The victories for Trump and Clinton in one of the biggest state nominating contests so far set up both front-runners for strong performances next Tuesday, when they are expected to do well in five other Northeastern state primaries.

Trump had more than 60 percent of the vote with about 40 percent counted, easily beating rivals Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, and Ohio Governor John Kasich and putting him in position to possibly win most or all of the state's 95 delegates.

Trump could win all of the delegates if his vote total is above 50 percent statewide and in each of the state's congressional districts."We don't have much of a race anymore based on what I'm seeing on television," Trump told cheering supporters at a victory party at his Trump Tower in Manhattan. "We are really, really rocking."

Trump entered the New York contest with 756 delegates, while Cruz had 559 and Kasich had 144, according to an Associated Press count. The count includes endorsements from several delegates who are free to support the candidate of their choice.

Trump said his New York win would make it almost mathematically impossible for Cruz to win the Republican nomination on the first ballot at the party's national convention in July. Cruz, Kasich and establishment forces in the party have been trying to keep Trump from winning on the initial ballot.

If Trump does not secure enough delegates needed to win the nomination on the first ballot at the July 18-21 conclave in Cleveland, delegates would be allowed to switch to other candidates.

Trump remains unpopular with the Republican leaders and activists who select and serve as delegates, while Cruz has invested time and money courting them.

Some establishment Republicans have been alienated by Trump's more incendiary proposals, such as building a wall along the border with Mexico and slapping a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.Clinton's win in New York followed some of the most heated personal exchanges of her campaign against Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who had won seven of the last eight state-by-state nominating contests.

The New York victory will expand Clinton's lead of 244 pledged delegates over Sanders, and make it nearly impossible for him to overcome the deficit and capture the 2,383 convention delegates needed for the nomination under Democratic rules that allocate delegates proportionally based on each state's result.

The voting in New York was marred by irregularities, including more than 125,000 people missing from New York City voter rolls. The city has roughly 4 million voters considered active for the primaries.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer ordered an audit of the city elections board after it confirmed the names had been removed from voter rolls. He told the board in a letter it was "consistently disorganized, chaotic and inefficient."

"It is absurd that in Brooklyn, New York, where I was born actually, tens of thousands of people as I understand it have been purged from the voting rolls," Sanders told supporters at a rally in State College, Pennsylvania.  REUTERS

TOKYO (AP) — Asian stocks meandered Wednesday, as investor attention turned to upcoming remarks from a European Central Bank official.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.5 percent in morning trading to 16,962.28. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3 percent to 5,271.80. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.3 percent to 2,016.81. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6 percent to 21,307.82, while the Shanghai Composite inched up nearly 0.1 percent to 3,044.98.

WALL STREET: The mostly higher finish for U.S. stocks helped boost sentiments in Asia. The Dow rose 49.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,053.60. The S&P 500 index gained 6.46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,100.80. The Nasdaq fell 19.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,940.33.

EUROPE FOCUS: The European Central Bank's governing council is meeting, and investors are closely watching for what President Mario Draghi might say at the news conference later this week. Doubts persist whether the stimulus measures the bank has taken are really working, such as cutting interest rates and expanding a government bond-buying.THE QUOTE: "Sentiments will be driven by the ECB President Draghi when he speaks," said Alex Wijaya, senior sales trader at CMC Markets in Singapore. "In his previous speech, Mr. Draghi hinted that the deposit rate won't be cut further into negative territory. However with persistent low inflation and the euro now trading at six-month highs, Mr. Draghi could possibly backtrack on his previous statement and consider a further rate cut to fight deflationary pressure."

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 68 cents to $41.79 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 84 cents on Tuesday. Brent crude, the international benchmark, slipped 60 cents to $43.43 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: In currency markets, the dollar remained relatively strong, slipping slightly to 109.05 yen from 109.43 yen. The euro rose slightly to $1.1367 from $1.1336.

___AP

US President Barack Obama lands in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to intensify the struggle against jihadists and efforts to end wars in Syria and Yemen, while trying to ease tensions with Riyadh.

After his early-afternoon arrival in the Saudi capital, Obama is to hold talks with King Salman, 80, who has presided over a more assertive foreign policy since acceding to the throne last year.

On Thursday, the president will attend a summit with the six Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies, joined by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry.

They will gather in an atmosphere of bitterness with regional leaders offended by Obama's tone and actions, particularly what they see as his reluctance to get involved in Syria and other regional problems, as well as his tilt towards Iran.

The Sunni Gulf monarchies are worried after the lifting this year of international sanctions against their regional rival, Shiite Iran.

Riyadh and its neighbours fear the US-supported international deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme will embolden the country, which they accuse of interference throughout the Middle East.

Mustafa Alani, a senior adviser to the Gulf Research Center, said Obama's presidency has been "100 percent negative" for the region, a legacy of "keeping his distance".

But the White House has emphasised the strength of an alliance that has endured more than 70 years, seeking to minimise the frictions.

"There have always been complexities in the US-Saudi relationship. There's been a core to that relationship in which we cooperate on shared interests like counterterrorism," said Ben Rhodes, a close adviser to Obama, who is in the final months of his mandate.

Saudi-US ties are founded on an exchange of oil for security.

"The Saudis are frustrated. They have the impression, probably rightly so, that the White House does not really understand their concern of the Iranian threat", said Lori Plotkin Boghardt, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

- An outspoken president -

Saudis reacted with outrage to comments by Obama published in the April edition of US magazine The Atlantic.He said the Saudis need to "share" the Middle East with their Iranian foes, saying that competition between Riyadh and Tehran has helped to feed proxy wars and chaos in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Obama spoke of "free riders", suggesting that certain states had not assumed their share of responsibility for regional security.

"I think the US has had long, longstanding concerns about the way the Saudis are behaving in the region. And this president has been more vocal than any about raising that", said Frederic Wehrey, of the Middle East Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

Also clouding this visit is congressional legislation that would potentially allow the Saudi government to be sued in American courts over the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens but no official Saudi complicity in the Al-Qaeda attacks has been proven.

The kingdom has never been formally implicated.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned it could sell off several hundred billion dollars' worth of American assets if the bipartisan bill passes."If Saudi Arabia participated in terrorism, of course they should be able to be sued," Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said.

On the eve of his departure from Washington, Obama stated his opposition to the bill.

He hopes the talks in Riyadh will concentrate on the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group of Sunni extremists, and how to end the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has assigned warplanes to a US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria.

Riyadh leads a separate Arab military coalition that for 13 months has supported Yemen's government in its battle against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels.

The rights group Amnesty International asked Obama to place human rights at the centre of his discussions. It said opposition voices in the Gulf are systematically "stifled" under the cover of national security.  AFP

Fidel Castro appeared alongside brother Raul at a Communist party congress that ended without sweeping leadership changes, leaving to another day the question of who will run Cuba when the old guard bows out.

Flanked by his younger sibling, the 89-year-old retired revolutionary was given a rock star welcome at the close of a congress that left Cuba's elderly Politburo at the helm for another five years -- despite Raul Castro's pledge to stand down in 2018.

As the crowd chanted "Fidel! Fidel!", the longtime leader hailed the accomplishments of the revolution he led decades earlier and that continues to serve as the nation's political blueprint.

"The ideas of Communist Cuba will live on as proof on this planet that if one works fervently and with dignity one can produce the material and cultural goods needed by man," Fidel proclaimed, seated on stage in his habitual tracksuit.

"We should fight without end to achieve them," the now-frail statesman, who led Cuba for 47 years, told the party meeting intended to set the island's economic and political path for the coming five years.

The 1,000 delegates present gave Fidel a standing ovation for his second public appearance in less than two weeks, and his third in about nine months.There was little evidence at the meeting of Cuba's recent political and economic upheaval, as Havana continues the process of ending its bitter enmity with the United States and takes steps to introduce free market elements to its formerly tightly-controlled economy.

Wrapping up four days of closed-door meetings -- held a month after a landmark visit by US President Barack Obama -- Raul Castro said he would continue to govern with a Politburo of elderly leaders, several of whom are in their 70s and 80s.

"This congress will be the last one led by the historic generation, which will hand over the banners of the revolution and socialism to the young generation," the 84-year-old leader said in a speech published by official Cuban media, who were alone in having access to the convention.

- No clear successor -

Raul Castro, who took over the reins of power a deacde ago, was affirmed first secretary by the party and reaffirmed his intention to leave office in 2018 with no clear successor.

Alongside members of the old guard -- some of them former comrades-in-arms who fought as revolutionaries alongside the Castro brothers -- several up-and-comers retained their posts in the Politburo.They included Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, 58, and Miguel Diaz-Canel, 55, Cuba's first vice president who is considered Raul Castro's heir apparent.

But for Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based think-tank InterAmerican Dialogue, "the party is postponing the inevitable -- getting new political leadership."

"At this point there seems to be little internal agreement," he told AFP, "just factions staking out their positions, and the old guard standing its ground."

The powerful figure of Jose Machado Ventura, 85, will retain the key post as second secretary of the party, which he has held since 2011.

Others held over from the old guard include armed forces chief General Leopoldo Cintra Frias, 72, and another general Ramon Espinosa, 77.

There were however some marginal tweaks to the buro, which expands from 14 members to 17, four of them women against just one at present, official media reported.

Two key figures are departing from the Communist party leadership. Abelardo Colome gave up his post as minister of the interior in October because of health problems. Cuba's transport minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez, is also leaving his post.

The party also put in place a maximum age limit of 70 for the nation's top leaders, but decreed that this change will not go into effect until after 2021.

The previous congress, in 2011, had introduced significant economic reforms, cracking open the door to small-scale private enterprise and foreign investment.

Raul Castro earlier in the convention defended the slow pace of change to the island's economy, which has only cautiously and gradually opened up to some private entrepreneurship and foreign investment. AFP

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — The 14-year-old boy in the black school jacket stared at his sneakers, his heart pounding, as the policeman accused him of stealing a piece of bread.

Even now, more than 30 years later, Choi Seung-woo weeps when he describes all that happened next. The policeman yanked down the boy's pants and sparked a cigarette lighter near Choi's genitals until he confessed to a crime he didn't commit. Then two men with clubs came and dragged Choi off to the Brothers Home, a mountainside institution where some of the worst human rights atrocities in modern South Korean history took place.

A guard in Choi's dormitory raped him that night in 1982 — and the next, and the next. So began five hellish years of slave labor and near-daily assaults, years in which Choi saw men and women beaten to death, their bodies carted away like garbage.

Choi was one of thousands — the homeless, the drunk, but mostly children and the disabled — rounded up off the streets ahead of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which the ruling dictators saw as international validation of South Korea's arrival as a modern country. An Associated Press investigation shows that the abuse of these so-called vagrants at Brothers, the largest of dozens of such facilities, was much more vicious and widespread than previously known, based on hundreds of exclusive documents and dozens of interviews with officials and former inmates.

Yet nobody has been held accountable to date for the rapes and killings at the Brothers compound because of a cover-up orchestrated at the highest levels of government, the AP found. Two early attempts to investigate were suppressed by senior officials who went on to thrive in high-profile jobs; one remains a senior adviser to the current ruling party. Products made using slave labor at Brothers were sent to Europe, Japan and possibly beyond, and the family that owned the institution continued to run welfare facilities and schools until just two years ago.

Even as South Korea prepares for its second Olympics, in 2018, thousands of traumatized former inmates have still received no compensation, let alone public recognition or an apology. The few who now speak out want a new investigation.

The current government, however, refuses to revisit the case, and is blocking a push by an opposition lawmaker to do so on the grounds that the evidence is too old.

Ahn Jeong-tae, an official from Seoul's Ministry of the Interior, said focusing on just one human rights incident would financially burden the government and set a bad precedent. The Brothers' victims, he said, should have submitted their case to a temporary truth-finding commission established in the mid-2000s to investigate past atrocities.

"We can't make separate laws for every incident and there have been so many incidents Former inmates, however, cannot forget. One spent months standing quietly in front of the National Assembly with a signboard demanding justice. Choi has attempted suicide several times and now attends weekly therapy sessions.

"The government has consistently tried to bury what happened. How do you fight that? If we spoke up, who would have heard us?" he asked. "I am wailing, desperate to tell our story. Please listen to us."

___

"HELL WITHIN A HELL"

Once an orphanage, Brothers Home at its peak had more than 20 factories churning out woodwork, metalwork, clothing, shoes and other goods made by mostly unpaid inmates. The sprawling compound of concrete buildings rose above the southern port city of Busan, its inmates hidden from view by tall walls and kept there by guards who carried bats and patrolled with dogs.

The horrors that happened behind those walls are inextricably linked to South Korea's modern history.The country at the time was still recovering from the near-total devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War, which followed nearly four decades of brutal Japanese colonization. From the 1960s until the '80s, before democracy, it was ruled by military dictators who focused overwhelmingly on improving the economy.

In 1975, dictator President Park Chung-hee, father of current President Park Geun-hye, issued a directive to police and local officials to "purify" city streets of vagrants. Police officers, assisted by shop owners, rounded up panhandlers, small-time street merchants selling gum and trinkets, the disabled, lost or unattended children, and dissidents, including a college student who'd been holding anti-government leaflets.  AP