Peaceful Burma (ျငိမ္းခ်မ္းျမန္မာ)平和なビルマ

Peaceful Burma (ျငိမ္းခ်မ္းျမန္မာ)平和なビルマ

TO PEOPLE OF JAPAN



JAPAN YOU ARE NOT ALONE



GANBARE JAPAN



WE ARE WITH YOU



ဗိုလ္ခ်ဳပ္ေျပာတဲ့ညီညြတ္ေရး


“ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတာ ဘာလဲ နားလည္ဖုိ႔လုိတယ္။ ဒီေတာ့ကာ ဒီအပုိဒ္ ဒီ၀ါက်မွာ ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတဲ့အေၾကာင္းကုိ သ႐ုပ္ေဖာ္ျပ ထားတယ္။ တူညီေသာအက်ဳိး၊ တူညီေသာအလုပ္၊ တူညီေသာ ရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္ရွိရမယ္။ က်ေနာ္တုိ႔ ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတာ ဘာအတြက္ ညီၫြတ္ရမွာလဲ။ ဘယ္လုိရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္နဲ႔ ညီၫြတ္ရမွာလဲ။ ရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္ဆုိတာ ရွိရမယ္။

“မတရားမႈတခုမွာ သင္ဟာ ၾကားေနတယ္ဆုိရင္… သင္ဟာ ဖိႏွိပ္သူဘက္က လုိက္ဖုိ႔ ေရြးခ်ယ္လုိက္တာနဲ႔ အတူတူဘဲ”

“If you are neutral in a situation of injustice, you have chosen to side with the oppressor.”
ေတာင္အာဖရိကက ႏိုဘယ္လ္ဆုရွင္ ဘုန္းေတာ္ၾကီး ဒက္စ္မြန္တူးတူး

THANK YOU MR. SECRETARY GENERAL

Ban’s visit may not have achieved any visible outcome, but the people of Burma will remember what he promised: "I have come to show the unequivocal shared commitment of the United Nations to the people of Myanmar. I am here today to say: Myanmar – you are not alone."

QUOTES BY UN SECRETARY GENERAL

Without participation of Aung San Suu Kyi, without her being able to campaign freely, and without her NLD party [being able] to establish party offices all throughout the provinces, this [2010] election may not be regarded as credible and legitimate. ­
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Where there's political will, there is a way

政治的な意思がある一方、方法がある
စစ္မွန္တဲ့ခိုင္မာတဲ့နိုင္ငံေရးခံယူခ်က္ရိွရင္ႀကိဳးစားမႈရိွရင္ နိုင္ငံေရးအေျဖ
ထြက္ရပ္လမ္းဟာေသခ်ာေပါက္ရိွတယ္
Burmese Translation-Phone Hlaing-fwubc

Saturday, May 28, 2011

News & Articles on Burma-Friday 27 May, 2011

News & Articles on Burma
Friday 27 May, 2011
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Government Disrespects the People's Will: Suu Kyi
KIO Doesn't Expect Chinese Pressure
US senator John McCain to visit Myanmar, sources say
Win Tin sends recorded message to 1990 election celebration
'The Character of the Army Has Deteriorated'
ILO conducts forced labour workshops with Burmese gov’t officials
China fetes new Myanmar president on state visit
China's top political advisor meets with Myanmar president
India losing patience with Burma dam
U.S. Engagement With Burma
Govt looks to stem gambling crisis
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Government Disrespects the People's Will: Suu Kyi
By SAW YAN NAING Friday, May 27, 2011

Ignoring the result of the general election in 1990 was disrespectful to the will of the Burmese people, said pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, calling it “a historically inappropriate policy that damaged the image of the country.”

Suu Kyi made the comment at headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in Rangoon’s Sanchaung Township where more than 200 people had gathered on the eve of the 21st anniversary of Burma’s 1990 election.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the election in 1990, winning 392 out of 485 parliamentary seats. However, the regime refused to hand over power to the party.

Suu Kyi was quoted by reporters in Rangoon as saying: “We have always opposed the rejection of the 1990 election result. It is not because we want power. It is an inappropriate policy because they [government] broke their promise to the people. They gave the people hope, and then broke that hope.”

She added: “To maintain good image of a country, the government has to respect the will of the people.”

On the anniversary of the 1990 election victory, Suu Kyi also told the recently free political prisoners not to be afraid, and urged them to stay involved in the political movement for the interest of the people of Burma, said sources in Rangoon.

“My father [Gen Aung San] said that those who dare to resist have courage,” she said. “If we are afraid to continue our work, then all the time we have spent in prison is meaningless.”

Suu Kyi spoke at the ceremony before more than 30 political prisoners who had been freed on May 17.

Burma released some 14,600 prisoners on May 17 after announcing an amnesty. However, only 47 political prisoners were among those released.

NLD members, Burmese opposition politicians, ethnic leaders and family members of political prisoners also attended the ceremony. Some police were nearby taking notes and photographs of the gathering, sources said.

Suu Kyi also said that the amnesty granted by the government can be only called “mercy,” according to Win Htein, an NLD member, and personal assistant and close aide to Suu Kyi.

Tin Oo, the deputy chairman of the NLD, also spoke at the ceremony, saying that the government did not offer an honest amnesty as it released very few political prisoners.

Suu Kyi said that a country where democracy prevails has practices such as free elections and the rule of law. Detaining political activists unlawfully is against the spirit of democracy, she added.

Meanwhile, Win Tin, a senior advisor to Suu Kyi who was scheduled to speak at the event, was unable to attend the ceremony as he was hospitalized on Thursday evening suffering from a liver problem and serious skin infection.

The Irrawaddy correspondents in Rangoon contributed to this article. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21376
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KIO Doesn't Expect Chinese Pressure
By SAI ZOM HSENG Friday, May 27, 2011
KIA soldier warms himself over a bonfire (Photo: Ryan Libre).

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) said that China will not pressure its organization despite continued tension between the KIO and the Burmese army near the China-Burma border, including small-scale armed flare-ups.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, the joint-secretary of the KIO, La Nan, said, “If China is going to pressure us, first of all they will lose what they invested in our area. They invested billions of dollars in the jade, mining and hydro-power sectors. I’m sure that before they pressure us they will take care of their investment.”

La Nan said that the KIO, which controls areas along the China-Burma border, have developed a normal relationship with the Chinese authorities. He also said that the KIO received information that China has urged the Burmese government to maintain stability in the border areas.

However, small-scale skirmishes between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the military wing of the KIO, and Burmese government’s troops broke out recently after the vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, Gen. Xu Caihou, visited Burma and met the country's new president, Thein Sein.

Some military observers said that the skirmishes were related to the visit by the Chinese general, but La Nan said that, “While the Chinese general visited Burma, I don't think they talked about defeating or attacking the armed groups on the China-Burma border. I heard that they talked about military cooperation between the two countries.”

“The intention of the government forces is to reduce our controlled area and to enforce the four-cuts mission in our controlled area. They want our troops to be weaker than now. So they cut the communication between our troops and the local people, the communication between our own battalions, the support and the food supplies for our troops,” La Nan said.

Although the media reported that the Burmese government had withdrawn their troops from the KIO-controlled area, it was just a strategic shift of the government troops, La Nan said.

As evidence, on Friday morning, KIA Battalion No. 27 fired warning shots after Burmese troops tried to sneak into the KIO controlled area, said La Nan. In addition, small-scale gunfire was exchanged near Laiza, the headquarters of KIA, and in the area in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State controlled by KIA Brigade 5.

Meanwhile, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which is an ethnic armed group also based on the China-Burma border, is seeking a political discussion with the new Burmese civilian government and their relationship with China is going well, according to a UWSA official.

“We want the new government to hold a political discussion with all of the ethnic armed groups, but there’s no sign from the government side yet,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Many military observers say that the UWSA, which has 20,000-30,000 troops, is the strongest ethnic armed group. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21375
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US senator John McCain to visit Myanmar, sources say

May 27, 2011, 12:03 GMT

Yangon - US senator John McCain, the Republican's unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2008, has been granted a visa to visit Myanmar next week, government sources said Friday.

'He will visit here in the first week of June,' said a government official who requested anonymity.

McCain is expected to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but it was unclear whether he would be granted an audience with President Thein Sein or senior government officials, the source said.

The senator, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has been one of the foremost critics of Myanmar's military junta that ruled the country from 1988 to 2010, before passing power to an elected government after a general election in November.

The election, labelled a sham by US President Barack Obama, was won by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party.

McCain's visit would follow on other high-profile visits since Myanmar's new government took office on March 30.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Yun visited Myanmar last week and met with Foreign Minister Wanna Maung Lwin.

Yun, who also met with Suu Kyi, told the Nobel laureate that he 'wanted to see significant development here,' before the US would consider lifting sanctions.

It was Yun's first official visit since the new government was formed, and followed a visit by United Nations special envoy to Myanmar Vijay Nambiar in early April.

Yun last visited in December, shortly after Suu Kyi was released from a seven-year house arrest.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1641893.php/US-senator-John-McCain-to-visit-Myanmar-sources-say
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Win Tin sends recorded message to 1990 election celebration
Friday, 27 May 2011 17:18 Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Win Tin, hospitalized on Thursday, sent a recorded message to the1990 election victory anniversary celebration on Friday at party headquarters.

The NLD co-founder was admitted to Asia Tawwin Hospital on Thursday to undergo tests on his liver and lungs. X-ray and blood test have been done and the results will be known soon.

Party General-Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi attended the election victory day celebration which included a welcome home party for political prisoners who were recently released when the government issued a 1-year commutation of all sentences.

A friend said Win Tin took a fall on Thursday evening at his home and doctors who examined him recommended he be hospitalized for a medical checkup.

After the senior NLD leader returned from visiting Aungban in southern Shan State last week by passenger bus to attend writer Dagon Tarya’s birthday party, he appeared to be tired, according to a close friend. Win Tin has a heart condition, has had problems with his lungs, and has undergone surgery for a hernia. A friend said he was in pain when he entered the hospital.

His physician, Dr. Myo Nyunt, was his prison mate in Insein Prison, where Win Tin served a 19-year sentence. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/5338-win-tin-sends-recorded-message-to-1990-election-celebration.html
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'The Character of the Army Has Deteriorated'
By KO HTWE Friday, May 27, 2011

In their hearts, most of the rank and file soldiers in the Burmese army want democracy, but the power-hungry generals lead the soldiers by the nose for their own selfish interests, said former Lt Col Kyaw San, who served in the army for more than 36 years.

Kyaw San, 79, joined the army in 1949 and attended the Defense Service Academy No 18, but he later was a political prisoner for more than 15 of the 21 years that Than Shwe's military regime held power.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, Kyaw San said that most of the soldiers voted for the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in the 1990 election. He said he doesn't want the army to be the enemy, rather the army should be the referee for the country.

Kyaw San at a ceremony commemorating the 21st anniversary of Burma's 1990 election on May 27, 2011. The election was won by the National League for Democracy, but the results were not honored by the military regime. (Photo: The Irrawaddy).
“The motivation of the soldiers should not to be to become the president. If they want power in their hands, they should abandon weapons and uniform and establish a political party,” said Kyaw San after his release from prison.

He retired from the army in 1986 and went on to participate in the 1988 uprising with Tin Oo, who is the current vice-president of the NLD. In 1990, Kyaw San was elected to be an MP in Parliament, but the election was not honored by the regime. In 1992, he was sentenced to a seven-year, seven-month prison term for praising Aung San Suu Kyi for winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

“The character of the current army has deteriorated as compared to the age of its founder, Gen Aung San,” Kyaw San said, adding that there are many child soldiers who should carry milk in their backpack rather than weapons, but these child soldiers are moved one mile away from the battalion when the head of the army visits.

“It seems that nobody wants to join the army. In my age, 500 soldiers were sent together for military operations, but nowadays only half that number are sent,” said Kyaw San, “Now there are soldiers whose priorities are their own interests.”

He said the origin of the army is the same, but the essence has changed compared with the former army because the essence depends on the commitment and spirit of the leader.

While Kyaw San was serving as battalion commander in the army, Lt-Gen Myint Swe served as his intelligence officer and ex Lt-Gen Tin Aye served as one of his company commanders.

“They are good persons, obedient and faithful while I was with them. I know well about them as parents know their children. But now I don't know whether they have become the victims of power and wealth,” said Kyaw San.

“Now I don't know whether our paths are totally different or not. They consider me an enemy and their regime has sentenced me to 15 years imprisonment,” said Kyaw San. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21374
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ILO conducts forced labour workshops with Burmese gov’t officials
Thursday, 26 May 2011 16:38 Mizzima News

(Interview) – Steve Marshall, the International Labour Organization liaison in Rangoon, recently visited Harka Township in Chin State. Reporter Ko Pauk talked with him about the ILO work in Burma and its campaign to educate government officials and the general public about international labour standards.

Question: How did you come to be in Chin State?

Steve Marshall, centre, at an ILO labour conference meeting. Photo: ILO

Steve Marshall, centre, at an ILO labour conference meeting. Photo: ILO
Answer: Essentially there were two reasons. The first reason is that the government of Myanmar [Burma] and the ILO have agreed that we should undertake joint awareness-raising seminars over all of the country, and Chin was one of the states where we had not undertaken that activity yet. The second was that we have over a period of time received a number of complaints about the use of forced labour from Chin state.

Q: How many complaint letters have you received from Chin State?

A: We’ve received about five formal complaints and a large number of informal complaints. But what we discussed with the government was that we should undertake this training and awareness activity, with a view to seeing whether in fact we were able to start effecting some change in the behavioural patterns in that region. It is no different in fact from any other region in the country. We receive complaints from all over the country, and the awareness raising activity has proven very positive in terms of getting peoples’ understanding and towards some behavioural change.

Q: The ILO will distribute brochures about forced labour in Chin state. How will you distribute this information?

A: We have a brochure which has been developed in agreement with the government, and you should be aware that it has already been distributed to all of the persons that were present at our seminar, and that the senior official at that seminar in fact requested more, so that he would be in a position to distribute them through to other government personnel who were not present at the seminar, which is extremely positive. However, of course it is also important for citizens to understand their rights under the law, which are also covered in the brochure, and so that is normally distributed through a range of different community based organizations and NGOs, people with an interest in their environment and who can brief others in terms of their rights and responsibilities.

Q: Apart from the brochures, are there other activities for the awareness campaign in Chin state?

A: Not specifically in Chin State, but frankly we use every opportunity we can to raise awareness. For example, my talking with you is important, because media is one of the important networks for getting people aware of the situation and more aware of their rights under the law and their responsibilities under the law. So I use the media as much as is possible. We also undertake a whole range of workshop activities for individuals who are concerned, or the staff of community-based organizations, to give them an understanding and a basis on which they can then pass the word to others in the locations where they live and work, and we have undertaken a lot of this kind of workshop activity over the last year.

Q: How many Chin State authorities did you get a chance to meet?

A: Well, it was a state-wide activity, so the state authorities invited in representatives from townships. There were 160-plus persons, they represented almost every government department, from township, district and state levels. It encompassed the military as well, representatives of the army, representatives of the police, the judicial authorities, legal officers and all of the government departments and ministries with operations in Chin state.

Q: Did you meet with any members of Parliament or local people?

A: At that particular meeting there were no members of Parliament, but we have in fact had separate discussions with a number of members of Parliament. They obviously are interested in terms of the issues, and want to see the law applied and development activities result from that application of the law.

Similarly in terms of ordinary citizens, we undertake our educational activity with them through workshops and through community-based operations. This was a specific seminar targeted for local authority personnel, both military and civilian from all levels of the state.

Q: So overall you are satisfied with the visit?

A: Frankly, I am always satisfied with the opportunity of actually meeting people and exchanging information and knowledge. The critical factor now is that we maintain a monitoring activity to measure whether in fact there is any change in approach, in terms of the use of forced labour in Chin state, and that will only be measured over a period of time. I am very hopeful that the outcome will be positive both for the country and for the people of Chin state.

Q: What is your comment on the Physicians for Human Rights report critical of forced labour in the state?

A: That was an important report. We obviously took serious note of the content of that report and elements of that report were discussed with the government towards getting understanding and agreement that we should hold this training activity. However, that report took place previously. It is important, however, what we are now loooking to determine whether a future report would say anything different in terms of changed behaviour and change approaches; it is my hope that it would.

Q: When will you return to Chin State?

A: To be honest, I have no idea; the ILO office in Myanmar is very small, we are not in the position to do regular follow-up missions, and so what we do is we operate through a network of individuals throughout the whole country, voluntary individuals, who keep us informed, who observe, record and report on developments, both positive developments and negative developments. So I am hopeful that through that mechanism we will be able to keep a good eye on how things are developing.

Q: Compared with other states in terms of human rights violations or forced labour, what can you say about Chin State?

A: You are aware that forced labour has been a problem in Myanmar for many years, and it is not an issue which is limited or restricted to particular states; it has been a general problem. There have been a number of areas in the country, because of their geographic location, or their economic situation or their political situation, which have had more serious histories in respect of forced labour. Chin, I would say, is an area that because of its geographic location, and possibly because of some of the political environment, has had serious issues in the past.

I do not see it as necessarily being worse than any other similar part of the country, but again I have to say that we are working towards the future, and we are not concentrating purely on what has happened in the past.
http://www.mizzima.com/edop/interview/5326-ilo-conducts-forced-labour-workshops-with-burmese-govt-officials.html
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May 27, 4:31 AM EDT
China fetes new Myanmar president on state visit

BEIJING (AP) -- China is bestowing a pomp-filled welcome on Myanmar's new president, conferring legitimacy on the country's newly elected but still military-backed civilian government and ensuring continued Chinese access to its gas and other resources.

Thein Sein was due to hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday, after a formal welcome ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People. Later the two are expected to preside at the signing of agreements on technical and economic cooperation.

The trip is Thein Sein's first state visit abroad since taking office in February, underscoring the importance of China ties to the Myanmar government.

Critics have dismissed Myanmar's November's general election as rigged in favor of Thein Sein's army-backed party. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_MYANMAR?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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China's top political advisor meets with Myanmar president
English.news.cn 2011-05-27 19:39:15

Jia Qinglin (1st R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Myanmar President U Thein Sein in Beijing, capital of China, May 27, 2011. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The country's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met with Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Friday to discuss bilateral relations.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said he appreciated Thein Sein's visit to China shortly after taking office in March.

He said the visit showed the great importance Myanmar attached to the relationship between the two countries.

China and Myanmar have always maintained mutual trust and support since the two countries forged diplomatic relations more than 60 years ago, he said.

China-Myanmar relations have enjoyed rapid development, featuring frequent high-level exchanges, increasing political mutual trust and expanded economic cooperation, he said.

The two countries also have maintained mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and kept close coordination in international and regional affairs, he said, adding that bilateral friendly cooperation was developing towards a strategic level.

To increase bilateral cooperation is in accordance with the fundamental interests of both nations and is conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity, said Jia.

He called on both sides to enhance strategic mutual trust, raise the level of economic and trade cooperation and expand people-to-people and culture exchanges.

China is ready to work Myanmar to deepen traditional friendship and enhance comprehensive cooperation and make the two countries good neighbors, good friends and good partners forever, said Jia.

Thein Sein said he appreciated Jia's visit to Myanmar in April shortly after the new Myanmar administration took office.

He also thanked Jia for his valuable advice on developing bilateral relations during his April visit.

Thein Sein said his visit aimed to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges between the two nations and show Myanmar's willingness to advance mutually-beneficial cooperation in various fields.

"I am glad to see the bilateral relations developing towards the strategic cooperative level on the basis of traditional brotherly friendship," he said.

Thein Sein arrived in Beijing Thursday afternoon for a three-day state visit to China.

This is the Myanmar president's first state visit to China since taking office.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/27/c_13897771.htm
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India losing patience with Burma dam
By JOSEPH ALLCHIN
Published: 27 May 2011

India should consider withdrawing from a stop-start hydropower project on Burma’s northwestern Chindwin river that despite years of diplomatic manoeuvring has struggled to take shape, Delhi’s ambassador to Burma has said.

The suggestion came in a letter sent recently to Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. Ambassador V.S. Sheshdari was quoted in the Times of India as saying that “we should, without further loss of time, exit the project in as smooth a manner as possible rather than expending further diplomatic capital on seeking clearances etc… the delay is affecting our image and is seen as confirming local (mis)perceptions about Indian companies.”

The project, designed in collaboration with India’s National Hydro Power Company (NHPC), was first mooted in a 2004 cooperation agreement. The Tamanthi dam, as it was known, had a projected capacity of 1,200 megawatts.

The Times of India further suggests that the Burmese government’s hydropower planning department was ponderous in communications and had not offered NHPC any high-level government access.

The striking aspect of the delay is the inevitable tussle with China, at a time when Burmese President Thein Sein is in Beijing for his first bilateral visit since taking office.

Whilst India has looked to gain greater connectivity to its restive northeast region through infrastructure projects such as this, the greater imperative that concerning Delhi is its enduring rivalry with China. Frustratingly for India, the Bu’ma’s new autocratic has favoured China over its western neighbour.

The rift in influence between the two nations was highlighted by Burma’s bilateral trade figures last year – around $US4 billion with China compared to $US1 billion with India.

The relationship between Burma and China was cemented with the Shwe gas pipeline, a highly lucrative deal that India lost out on. This has seen not only a huge Chinese investment in the country but also a massive strategic reliance on Burma as China looks to the pipeline to import oil through the country.

The Tamanthi project has struggled to get off the ground, despite concerted efforts by Delhi at strengthening bilateral relations. This even included a trip to India last year by former junta head Than Shwe, during which he controversially paid homage to Indian independence hero and peaceful protester, Mahatma Gandhi.

India’s imperative in its relationship with Burma’s hermetic rulers also hinges on China and its claim to its northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The border is an unclear colonial relic while Arunachal Pradesh is, according to the Chinese, part of Tibet, which was annexed by Beijing in the late 1940?s. The relations have not been helped by both countries’ harbouring of dissidents, with India long the home of Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, and China the alleged safe haven of Paresh Barua of the northeastern separatist outfit, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

This adds to Delhi’s concerns about China’s influence over bitter rival Pakistan, where Beijing’s impressive foreign policy continues apace. This comes at a time when that country’s populace and politicians grow increasingly frustrated with US patronage and the subsequent military actions that the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has created.

These concerns have been aired by the whistleblower website Wikileaks, with one leaked US cable from 2003 stating that “according to our Indian interlocutors, India intends to seize every opportunity to counter growing Chinese influence in BURMA, even if this requires cozying up to the SPDC,” referring to the former ruling State Peace and Development Council.
http://www.dvb.no/news/india-losing-patience-with-burma-dam/15853
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Voanews.com: Editorials
U.S. Engagement With Burma
05-26-2011
A top U.S. diplomat traveled to Burma recently to meet senior officials in the new government and consult with civil society on the political and human rights situation there.

To maintain pressure for reform, the United States has renewed for another year its targeted economic sanctions against Burma.

A top U.S. diplomat traveled to Burma recently to meet senior officials in the new government and consult with civil society on the political and human rights situation there. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Yun met Burma's foreign affairs minister and the deputy speaker of the People's parliament, as well as business leaders and representatives of nongovernmental organizations, ethnic minorities and political parties, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Syi. His visit reflects our nation's continued willingness to engage with the government of Burma, while still pressing its leaders for needed change.

Relations between the U.S. and Burma face serious challenges, but rather than isolate the regime, we aim to air our differences and seek possible common ground. Unfortunately, Burma has still shown little progress in improving human rights overall. We have long called for the release of all political prisoners there, estimated to number more than 2,000. The clemency program recently announced was disappointing, in that it reduced prison sentences by just one year and included only a few political prisoners.

To maintain pressure for reform, the United States has renewed for another year its targeted economic sanctions against Burma. These restrictions are aimed at senior officials of the regime and their key supporters who are responsible for preventing Burma’s transition to genuine democracy. We will continue to sustain pressure on the Burmese regime, while at the same time pursuing engagement, as we strive to promote positive change for the citizens of Burma. http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/US-Engagement-With-Burma-122678219.html
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Govt looks to stem gambling crisis
By SHWE AUNG
Published: 27 May 2011

Farmers in the Irrawaddy delta are increasingly turning to gambling as businesses struggle to recover from cyclone Nargis (Reuters)

Education workshops have been held in the Burmese capital aimed at tackling rising rates of gambling among farmers, an issue that threatens to send greater numbers into debt.

Gambling is technically illegal in Burma, although the government turns a blind eye to the burgeoning casino industry in the country’s border regions. Farmers however are taking part in more informal activities, says Htun Lwin a meteorologist who was present at one of the sessions.

“When I was travelling around for public lectures in rural areas, I got to talk with farmers and found out they are spending a lot of money on illegal two and three digit lotteries,” he said, adding that the phenomenon was “driving them deeper and deeper into poverty”.

Those present at the workshop, part of a three-day National Level Workshop on Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation in Naypyidaw, were initially coy, he said, likely a result of the status of the activity and the stigma attached to those involved.

A farmer in Bogalay township in the Irrawaddy delta said that problem was spreading among Burmese, and many low-income workers had lost their businesses. One man he spoke of had lost two-thirds of his farmland to pay off gambling debts.

The majority of buildings in Bogalay were destroyed by cyclone Nargis in May 2008, which killed upwards of 10,000 people in the small town. The slow pace of reconstruction, even three years on, has pushed inhabitants to look for an income in the two-digit lottery games based on Thai stock exchange figures.

The Rangoon-based Seven Day News said that 70 percent of village populations in Rangoon division’s Htantabin township are playing the two-digit lottery.
http://www.dvb.no/news/govt-looks-to-stem-gambling-crisis/15859


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