http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/015200812111031.htm
YANGON (Xinhua): Myanmar is planning to penetrate the Middle East market with its quality beans to boost the country 's agricultural exports, the Yangon Times, one of the leading local news journals reported on Thursday.
Exporting through Israel, Myanmar will make the move, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) was quoted as saying.
Myanmar exported 1.3 million tons of beans and pulses last year, of which 800,000 tons were sold to India, the report said.
Myanmar stands the second largest beans exporter in the world after Canada with 70 percent of the crop being shipped to India.
Meanwhile, Israel buys Myanmar's marine products every year.
In a latest official report, India's state Trading Corporation (STC) has recently agreed with the UMFCCI to import 1.8 million tons of Myanmar's quality beans and pulses at international current prices on a monthly basis .
The deal was made during a visit to Nay Pyi Taw by Indian Deputy Minister of Customer Affairs, Foods and Public Distribution NK Raghupathy.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Myanmar beans to penetrate Middle East market
Laura Bush honored with 2008 Freedom Award
http://arpwar.burmabloggers.net/?p=1854
admin | Daily News, Head Lines, Human Rights, Politics | December 9th, 2008
New Delhi (Mizzima) – United States first lady Laura Bush has been honored with the 2008 Freedom Award by Christian Freedom International (CFI) for her advocacy toward alleviating the protracted humanitarian crisis in eastern Burma.
The Michigan-based CFI on Friday announced Mrs. Bush as the winner in recognition of her role in raising the profile of the humanitarian crisis in Burma.
Mrs. Bush, who personally visited refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border in August, in a video message said, “I personally witnessed the devastating effect of these atrocities when I visited camps on the Burma border. That crisis needs our support and attention.”
The first lady said tens of thousands of people from ethnic areas of Burma have been forced to spend decades in refugee camps and are struggling for survival in the mountains and the jungle without adequate food, medicine and shelter.
According to the Thai-Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), over the past year at least 66,000 civilians have been forced to leave their homes in eastern Burma because of increasing military activity and systematic human rights abuses including forced relocation of villagers by the Burmese Army.
The TBBC, a consortium of 12 international non-governmental organizations, provides food and shelter to 140,000 Burmese refugees in nine camps along the Thai-Burma border.
Sally Thompson from the TBBC told Mizzima that the high level visit by Laura Bush had raised awareness of the situation of the people in Burma and displaced people on the Thai-Burma border.
“As a first lady, she was able to use her position to increase understanding of the situation of those people inside Burma and those who have been displaced beyond the border,” Sally said.
In her effort to push for United Nations action on Burma, Mrs. Bush, in September 2006, hosted a Dialogue on Burma during the General Assembly.
“Together we can fulfill Aung San Suu Kyi’s call to use our freedom to promote freedom and democracy for all Burmese,” Mrs. Bush said in her viddeo message.
CFI is a relief group that has provided humanitarian aid to refugees, particularly Karen and Karenni, on the Thai-Burma border since 1998. The group also works in facilitating the resettlement efforts of Burmese refugees seeking asylum in the United States.
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