News & Articles on Burma-Sunday, 17 July, 2011

News & Articles on Burma
Sunday, 17 July, 2011
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Aung San Suu Kyi to attend Myanmar memorial for hero father
Myanmar invites bids for 18 onshore oil blocks
Dozens of Children Infected with Diarrhoea and Sore Eyes in Chin State
Myanmar boats in Bangladesh water reported
Mon Children Are Early Recognized As Thai Citizens
NLD to present its legal status case to the UN human rights group
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STRAITS TIMES: Jul 17, 2011
Aung San Suu Kyi to attend Myanmar memorial for hero father

Myanmar has invited democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi to attend a ceremony to honour her father, the country's liberation hero General Aung San, a government official said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

YANGON - MYANMAR has invited democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi to attend a ceremony to honour her father, the country's liberation hero General Aung San, a government official said on Sunday.

The 66-year-old is expected to attend the annual Martyrs' Day events on July 19 for the first time in nine years following her release from house arrest soon after the nation's controversial election last November.

The Myanmar official said an invitation was sent to Dr Suu Kyi's Yangon home on Thursday, adding the Nobel Peace Prize winner was thought likely to agree to attend the ceremony held at the Yangon Martyrs' Mausoleum.

'Government officials, led by the Yangon mayor, will attend the ceremony in the morning,' he added.

A friend of Dr Suu Kyi confirmed she had received the invitation and told AFP she was planning to go to the event, which marks the assassination of her father and eight other independence leaders on July 19, 1947.

The official invitation comes in the same month that Dr Suu Kyi tested the boundaries of her freedom with her first trip outside Yangon. -- AFP http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_691649.html
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Myanmar invites bids for 18 onshore oil blocks
By REUTERS
Published: Jul 15, 2011 23:14 Updated: Jul 15, 2011 23:14

YANGON: Myanmar has invited bids for companies to operate 18 onshore oil blocks scattered across about half a dozen provinces on a production-sharing contract basis, the largest number in a single such offer in recent years.

Bidders are allowed to submit up to three proposals for three onshore blocks, the Ministry of Energy said in an announcement in the official English daily, New Light of Myanmar.

Proposals should be submitted by Aug. 3, 2011.

Myanmar has been exploring oil and gas at 49 onshore sites and 26 offshore blocks in Rakhine, Tanintharyi and Mon states after entering joint ventures with foreign companies since 1988.

Myanmar’s crude oil reserves are estimated at 3.2 billion barrels, the energy ministry has said. This compares with China’s proven oil reserves of 14.8 billion barrels, Malaysia’s 5.8 billion, Vietnam’s 4.4 billion and Indonesia’s 4.2 billion barrels, at the end of 2010, according to the BP Statistical Review.

The country’s proven gas reserves tripled in the past decade to around 800 billion cubic meters, equivalent to more than a quarter of Australia’s, BP Statistical Review figures show.

Myanmar’s ruling military junta handed power to a nominally civilian government in March after elections last November that were widely dismissed as a sham. The elections were intended to create the impression of a democratic transition after 49 years of direct army rule.

Neighboring Thailand and China are the biggest investors in Myanmar’s energy sector.

Last October, China’s state energy group CNPC started building a crude oil port in Myanmar, part of a pipeline project aimed at cutting out the long detour oil cargoes take through the congested Malacca Strait.

Companies from Australia, Britain, Canada, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam have also reached energy deals with the government.

Total foreign direct investment in the oil and gas sector has amounted to $13.5 billion since 1988, official data show.
http://arabnews.com/economy/article472578.ece
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Dozens of Children Infected with Diarrhoea and Sore Eyes in Chin State
Kanpetlet
A village in Kanpetlet Township, Chin State (Photo: CHRO)

17 July 2011: At least 60 children aged up to 3 years in Kanpetlet Township have been hit by an outbreak of diarrhoea and eye infections in the remote parts of Chin State since the end of last month.

Chin children as well as some elderly are said to have been seriously infected with the 'prevalent' diseases in Kharyaing village, aka Kham-Jäng, about 55 miles away from Kanpetlet town.

A Chin Christian pastor, whose one-year-old son has also been suffering from diarrhoea and sore eyes for nearly a week, told Chinland Guardian that the diseases are spreading very quickly and more children as well as the elderly get infected in the village.

"The biggest problem is we have no clinics or hospitals in our village. The nearest town with a hospital is Kanpetlet but it is not accessible by car. People have to travel on foot for at least two days in summer. Now that we are in the rainy season, it is even more difficult."

Two infected villagers are said to be in critical condition, according to the Chin pastor, who added: "The only possible way we can think of now is to buy and deliver some medicine from Kanpetlet town to our village."

The Dai Chin pastor said another village called Cintwe, about 23 miles away from Kharyaing, has got a clinic but there is no nurse or doctor.

Talking about the situation in the areas, the pastor said: "It is not easy to get details of figures and facts due to communication difficulties. But I strongly believe that other villages are also hit by the infections."

When asked about any NGOs (Non-governmental Organisation) working in the areas, the pastor said: "The UNDP arrived in our village, helped us build bridges and provided some money for cultivation. But I am not sure if they are aware of the current situation."

It is claimed that the diseases must have been related to the ramifications of mautam-caused food crisis triggered by a plague of rats ravaging the areas until late last year.

"We don't know exactly what has caused the infections. Some people said it's because of the unusual climate change. I believe the lack of medical facilities and sanitary knowledge among the people contributes a great deal to the problems," explained the pastor.

Chin State has been ranked the poorest state among the 14 States and Divisions in Burma, with 73 percent of the population being under the poverty line, according to the UNDP's report last month. http://www.chinlandguardian.com/news-2009/1418-dozens-of-children-infected-with-diarrhoea-and-sore-eyes-in-chin-state.html
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Saturday, July 16, 2011
Metropolitan
Myanmar boats in Bangladesh water reported
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Many fishing boats from neighbouring Myanmar were reported to have entered the territorial waters of Bangladesh, officials said yesterday, adding that coastguard and naval forces launched searches for the boats in probable spots along the maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.

Coastguard Operation Officer Lieutenant Commander Jasimuzzaman told The Daily Star that around 12:30pm, they were informed that some trawlers from Myanmar were fishing in the Bay in Bangladesh territory.

"The fisheries department informed it," he said, adding that the coastguard patrol boats rushed to possible spots and started searching, but were yet to locate the foreign boats.

He said coastguard members already started interrogation and gathering information from the locals and Bangladeshi fishermen who regularly go fishing in the Bay.

"Coastguards men from four outposts -- Saint Martin station, Teknaf station, Cox's Bazar station, and Shahpuri station -- have rushed to the reported maritime spots with the patrol boats", said Jasim.

"Our forces are alert and they started the search around 1:30pm."

The coastguard official said, "There are many canals flowing from Myanmar into the Bay through which the fishermen from that country probably entered our maritime territory. But we could not have traced them as yet."

"We have heard the news from our higher authority too and on direction, our force will continue its search."

As the two countries have many maritime spots overlapping one another, the Myanmar fishermen have scopes to enter Bangladesh territory, he said. "But if we can trace, of course, our force will confine them."

Naval patrol ships also started their search in the reported spots along with coastguard, said Jasim.

Contacted, Naval Operation Officer Lieutenant Commander Yusuf told The Daily Star that they were also informed of the news by their high authority.

On directives of the high command from the headquarters, a naval ship is patrolling the reported spots, he said. But he did not give any detail where the navy ship was at that moment. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=194410
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Mon Children Are Early Recognized As Thai Citizens
Friday, 15 July 2011 15:36 Rot Chai News - Independent Mon News Agency

Rot Chai – Many Mon and Karen children living in Kanchanaburi Province of Thailand expect to receive Thai citizenship early, as Thai parliament’s recent policy to issue Thai citizen status to all children with aged 7 years old and above.

According to a local Thai teacher in Sangkhlaburi in Kanchanaburi Province, she told to IMNA that the new law to issue Thai citizen cards to 7 years old children is already implemented in many parts of Thailand and it will gradually move to Kanchanaburi Province.

In Kanchanaburi Province, although many Mon and Karen parents have been migrated to Thailand due to war and poverty in Burma, their children are born in Thailand and are integrated into Thai communities. These children will be recognized as citizenship, accordingly to Thai Constitution and laws.

Thai teacher said, “it is a legal way to issue these identity cards for the kids. Recognizing them in early age. It is a way of preventing fake ID cards. But another concern is still exiting. Some may take this opportunity to sell their ID cards to illegal people”.

Since many hundreds of thousands of illegal migrant workers entered to Thailand in providing cheap labor for Thai industries, the authorities have been always concerned that those come foreign countries obtained this opportunity.

Thai immigration authorities have directly went to schools, and issue the students with 7 years old and above, and they try to make sure all kids in schools born in Thailand with full evidence will get ID card, said the local village leader.

Nai Wichian Sirihong, village head of Sangkhlaburi District section 2, Wangka Mon village confirmed, “the authorities will come to our village school in July. They will come directly to school and issue the ID cards for the kids”.

But the authorities will make sure the kids are born in Thailand and their parents or relatives are already recognized as Thai citizenship.

There are many thousands of Mon and Karen ethnic people living in Kanchanaburi Province. A well known Mon abbot, Luphaw Uttama, founded one Mon village, called Wengka (fish pool), and the Mon migrants resettled under his protection. After living for 5 decades peacefully, the Mon community is recognized to be Thai citizenship and integrated into Thai community. The village has about 1500 households.

Similarly to the Mon village, there are many Karen and Mon villages in Thomphaphoom and Sai Yok Districts of Kanchanaburi Province.

Thai authorities will issue the ID card to all kids from July 11 to September 30, described in Thai Immigration website. http://www.bnionline.net/news/imna/11165-mon-children-are-early-recognized-as-thai-citizens.html
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NLD to present its legal status case to the UN human rights group
Friday, 15 July 2011 15:02 Tun Tun News - Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Burmese National League for Democracy party–claiming freedom of association is a universal human right–plans to take its legal status case to the United Nations Council of Human Rights (UNCHR).

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi during her recent pilgrimage to Bagan in central Burma. Photo: Mizzima
According to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of association and organization is a universally recognized human right. However, the NLD has been threatened by the new government, which has called it an illegal organization. The NLD plans to submit its case within two weeks.

“According to these procedures, the case can be presented to the UNCHR when all the domestic legal remedies are exhausted in a certain country,” NLD spokesman and lawyer Nyan Win told Mizzima.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on September 14, 2010, that the NLD legal status as a political party had been nullified because it did not reregister with the UEC. The NLD lodged a complaint in court but it was dismissed. The NLD then filed a final appeal to the Supreme Court in Naypyitaw, but it was also dismissed.

The NLD argued that the government’s non-implementation of the results of the 1990 general election and the breaching of its promise and obligation to convene a parliament based on the result of that general election was a human rights violation. Last month, the Home Ministry sent a letter to the NLD warning it not to engage in political activities.

NLD General-Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi replied in a letter saying only the Parliament can enact laws pertaining to political parties, hence, the NLD has not been dissolved.

Some hardliners who are frustrated with the UN role of democratization in Burma criticized the NLD move to present its case to UNCHR, but the Thai-based Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) supported the move.

“If the council accepts the case, it can pass a resolution saying the government’s move is not in accordance with international laws. The Burmese Parliament cannot ignore such a resolution,” BLC Chairman Thein Oo told Mizzima. “The NLD is not an armed group working for an armed struggle. It only works to promote and propagate democracy and human rights in the country. It only works for development of ethnic rights. Such an organization should exist in our country. Under these circumstances, the UN has to accept this case and the argument.”

Nyan Win said that the UNCHR once took on similar cases in South Africa and other African countries. http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/11164-nld-to-present-its-legal-status-case-to-the-un-human-rights-group-.html