News & Articles on Burma-Sunday, 15 May, 2011

News & Articles on Burma
Sunday, 15 May, 2011
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Camp inmates suffer due to Thai policy
Myanmar tells UN envoy amnesty for prisoners "likely"
Chinese military leader concludes visit to Myanmar
Myanmar: UN Envoy Meets Government And Opposition Figures
'Political situation in Burma needs to improve'
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Camp inmates suffer due to Thai policy
By Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation on Sunday
Published on May 15, 2011

Thailand's policy of keeping refugees from Burma in nine camps along the border has caused untold suffering and shows that the government does not know how to handle refugees.

This was particularly the case for 60,000 refugees "not registered" by Thai officials, said Veerawit Tianchainan, executive director of Thai Committee for Refugees (TRC).

Most Thais were not aware that 140,000 refugees had been kept in camps along the border for 26 years, he said.

Veerawit, who spoke during the global launch of Amnesty International's annual Human Rights Report 2011, alleged that the Thai Army had "recently stop distributing food" to the unregistered refugees.

"The government has stopped screening them [for registration] since 2006," said Veerawit, and "had tried to force them back to their home country".

In Tak province, the governor wanted to conduct a head count of refugees in the camps, in order to evict unregistered refugees, Veerawit said. "This is not a good trend."

He urged Thais to be more sympathetic to refugees: "When the Thai media talks about refugees, they talk about 'problems' and not about ways to treat refugees better.

"The Thai media produces news based on information provided by the Thai government and they have their own agenda," he said, adding that refugee camps had become a sort of "Bermuda Triangle" where reporters could not enter. "What happens inside the camp, you don't know."

Veerawit admitted that Thai attitudes towards people from Burma were shaped by school education, which still treats Burma as "the national enemy". Many Thais also failed to make a distinction between migrant workers and refugees.

However, there was a glimmer of hope, he said, as the Thai government had been more receptive over the past six months and agreed to get high-level officials to meet with leaders of NGOs to discuss the issue.

Mohamad Nasim, chairman of Thailand's Rohingya Human Rights Association, was among the audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Friday and spoke about hardships faced by people detained at the Immigration Detention Centre at Bangkok's Soi Suan Plu.

He said 44 Rohingyas were now held there, and one had died in detention.

"I want to know how much longer they will be detained," said Mohamad, who himself is a stateless refugee living in Thailand for the past 23 years. He said two more Rohingyas have died elsewhere in Thailand while being detained.

"We have nowhere to go."

According to the just released AI annual global report, some refugees were "forced to return [to Burma] or prevented from crossing the border into Thailand" last November when clashes broke out.

"This was also true throughout the rest of the year in relation to smaller groups of refugees escaping sporadic fighting across the border," the report stated. "In Waw Lay village in Phop Phra district in Tak province, Thai authorities forcibly returned 166 Burmese refuges on 25 December, at least 360 on 8 December, roughly 650 on 17 November, and approximately 2,500 on 10 November."

The report also said that unregistered migrant workers are "forcibly removed" to Burma, and were "subject to trafficking and extortion by both Thai officials and a [Burma] government-backed ethnic minority militia", putting them "at risk of serious human rights abuses".
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/15/national/Camp-inmates-suffer-due-to-Thai-policy-30155437.html
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Myanmar tells UN envoy amnesty for prisoners "likely"

May 15, 2011, 4:56 GMT

Yangon - United Nations envoy Vijay Nambiar was told that a general amnesty for prisoners was 'likely' during his official visit to Myanmar last week, media reports said Sunday.

Nambiar visited from Wednesday to Friday, when he met with members of the newly elected government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Although he was not granted an audience with President Thein Sein, Nambiar was briefed by an 'advisory committee' that told him to have patience with the country's reform process, the Myanmar Times reported, citing an official transcript of the meeting.

Myanmar held its first election in two decades on November 7, bringing to power the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, headed by former general Thein Sein.

Human rights groups and pro-democracy activists have urged the international community to continue to shun the elected government until it demonstrates a real commitment to political reform.

Human Rights Watch has called on the regime to release 2,000 political prisoners.

Chief advisor Ko Ko Hlaing told Nambiar that Thein Sein was 'likely' to declare a general amnesty at a 'time he sees fit,' although he refused to acknowledge that Myanmar has political prisoners, Myanmar Times reported.

Other members of the advisory committee stressed that the reform process will take time, as the country had been under military rule for five decades.

'The president has used the words 'good governance' and 'clean government.' These are expressions we have not heard for nearly half a century in Myanmar,' Nay Zin Latt, a member of the political affairs committee, told the visiting UN special envoy to Myanmar.

After meeting with Suu Kyi on Thursday, Nambiar described his visit as 'encouraging,' but cautioned that its outcome 'depends on the government's reaction.'

It was Nambiar's first face-to-face encounter with Suu Kyi, the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was released from six years of house detention on November 13. She has spent about 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest.

The UN special envoy last visited Myanmar five months ago, after the November polls.

The election was generally criticized by Western democracies since it excluded Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD).

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The NLD won an election in 1990 but was blocked from assuming power by the junta.

The NLD boycotted the November polls after the military passed regulations that would have forced them to expel Suu Kyi from their party in order to contest the elections.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1639207.php/Myanmar-tells-UN-envoy-amnesty-for-prisoners-likely
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Chinese military leader concludes visit to Myanmar
11:09, May 15, 2011

Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Caihou wrapped up his four-day official goodwill to Myanmar and left Yangon Sunday.

During his trip in Nay Pyi Taw, Xu met with Myanmar President U Thein Sein and exchanged views with him on issues of common concern.

The two sides vowed to strengthen the friendly and cooperative ties between the two nations and make contribution to the development and stability of the regional countries.

Xu also met with speaker of the House of Parliament of Representative (Lower House) of Myanmar U Shwe Mann.

The two sides pledged to make joint efforts to consolidate the two countries' "paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship, further develop the cooperative and friendly ties and strengthen the multi-lateral cooperation in the international community.

In addition, Xu held talks with Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Defense Service General Min Aung Hlaing with both side underlining that the exchange and cooperation between the two countries in various sectors continuously deepened and made rich achievements and appreciating the development of the two countries ' friendly and cooperative ties under the new situation.

Xu raised a three-point proposal for cooperation and development of the two armed forces which was agreed by Min Aung Hlaing, who hoped that the existing close relations and exchange should be maintained to well safeguard the peace and stability of the two countries and the region.

Xu arrived Nay Pyi Taw Thursday on a goodwill visit to Myanmar at the invitation of General Min Aung Hlaing representing the first visit by a foreign military delegation to the country after a new government was formed.

Source: Xinhua http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7380074.html
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Myanmar: UN Envoy Meets Government And Opposition Figures
Saturday, 14 May 2011, 2:03 pm
Press Release: United Nations

A top United Nations official today wrapped up a visit to Myanmar, where he met with senior members of the country’s newly installed Government and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).

Vijay Nambiar, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar, said that during the three-day visit he underlined the importance of the Government implementing its stated commitments on such issues as governance, human rights, the rule of law and sustainable development.

In a press statement issued in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, Mr. Nambiar noted that expectations are high both domestically and internationally that the Government will soon take “concrete steps” to meet those commitments.

“In all my meetings I stressed that this must include the release of all political prisoners and inclusive dialogue with all segments of society, as well as greater outreach to the international community to ensure that the proposed reforms enjoyed broad buy-in,” he said.

“Only then can there be greater confidence that the efforts undertaken will indeed serve to meet the long-standing needs and aspirations of the people of Myanmar. There is no time to waste if Myanmar is to move forward.”

Mr. Nambiar welcomed the themes and reforms outlined by President Thein Sein in his inaugural speeches on “some of the most pressing political and economic challenges facing Myanmar.”

The Special Adviser cited sustainable development and equitable growth; good governance, through greater inclusiveness, accountability and transparency; respect for fundamental human rights, the media and the rule of law; and continued engagement with those who do not accept the recently adopted constitution and the Government’s roadmap agenda.

During the visit Mr. Nambiar met with the ministers of foreign affairs, home affairs, social welfare, national planning and development, as well as newly appointed presidential advisers for political, legal and economic affairs.

He also held discussions with the Deputy Speaker of the People’s Assembly and the Secretary-General of the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

In addition, Mr. Nambiar met with Ms. Suu Kyi and members of the NLD’s central executive committee, and also with representatives of parliamentary political parties and civil society organizations.

During the visit he also reiterated the UN’s commitment to engage more with the people and Government of Myanmar on issues ranging from health and education to human rights and capacity building.
May 13 2011 3:10PM http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1105/S00306/myanmar-un-envoy-meets-government-and-opposition-figures.htm
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'Political situation in Burma needs to improve'
By Jim Pollard
The Nation on Sunday
Published on May 15, 2011

Kasit and Rudd spoke to reporters after having lunch at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. The former Australian PM, now foreign minister, flew to Thailand early yesterday.

Kasit said Asean was obliged to consider the "totality" of Burma's bid to chair the regional body in 2014.

"The credibility and respectability of Asean has to be looked at," he said.

Other issues that had to be considered included the possible release of political prisoners, as well as the liberalisation of the political process, and dialogue with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Kasit said.

The request by Burma for the Asean chair was discussed at the Asean summit last weekend but no decision is expected till later in the year.

Rudd said: "Australia wants to see continued and sustained improvement in Burma. We have deep concerns about the 2,000-plus political prisoners in detention.

"We are very glad that our friend and colleague [Indonesian foreign minister] Marty Natalegawa will visit there soon [to assess developments since the election last November]."

The Australian foreign minister avoided comment on the recent clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, saying the situation was "a matter between the two countries".

But he said they discussed the situation on the Thai-Burma border in detail and noted that Australia had given close to US$10 million (Bt300 million) over recent years to support the 140,000 refugees in nine camps along the border.

But there were challenges, he said, to provide support to a large number of people, which he put at several hundred thousand, "existing in a virtual no-man's land" - displaced in eastern Burma.

Rudd said he had an "open mind" about whether to drop sanctions against Burma's controversial military regime, but warned "we won't make that decision unless things are going in the right direction".

The pair also discussed changes to the East Asia Summit, which will be bolstered shortly by the presence of Russia and the US.

Rudd said trade between Thailand and Australia now totalled more than $20 billion and had enjoyed double-digit growth every year since the signing of a free-trade agreement in 2005.

"Our relationship has grown stronger over 60 years of diplomatic ties," he said. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/15/national/Political-situation-in-Burma-needs-to-improve-30155436.html