News & Articles on Burma-Thursday 30 June, 2011

News & Articles on Burma
Thursday 30 June, 2011
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Bans on Suu Kyi threaten Rudd meeting
Myanmar's Suu Kyi plans first trip since release
Democracy hopes fading in Myanmar
Suu Kyi calls for talks with home minister
Chinese made military trucks arriving at border raises question
Burma's Ethnic Insurgencies Erupt in a Chain Reaction
Suu Kyi to Visit Pagan Next Week
KIA Meet Burma Army Officials
Nominee US Envoy Seeks 'Candid' Talks with Naypyidaw
Migrants saved from Thai ransom round-about
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Bans on Suu Kyi threaten Rudd meeting
Dan Oakes
July 1, 2011

KEVIN RUDD could be flying into a diplomatic storm in Burma, with the dictatorial regime banning the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from meeting with ''foreign organisations''.

Mr Rudd touched down in Burma last night and is due to meet Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, tomorrow.

He is also scheduled to meet Burma's President, Thein Sein, the foreign minister and speaker of the parliament.
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''A meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi remains part of the minister's schedule,'' a spokeswoman for Mr Rudd said last night from Burma's largest city, Rangoon.

However, reports this week in the regime's Burmese language newspaper suggest Ms Suu Kyi could be stopped from meeting any foreign officials.

Ms Suu Kyi, who has spent 15 of the past 21 years in detention, was released from house arrest in November and immediately called for a ''peaceful revolution'' in Burma, which is ruled by a nominally civilian government that is stacked with members of the former junta.

She recently announced plans to tour the country and meet with supporters of her National League for Democracy party, repressed by the junta since it won elections in 1990, but the regime is tightening the screws on the 66-year-old.

This week the regime told Ms Suu Kyi to halt all political activities and warned the proposed tour could spark riots, for which she would be held responsible. The last time she campaigned outside Rangoon, in 2003, her convoy was set upon by government-backed thugs.

Now the regime, possibly spooked by Ms Suu Kyi's recent meetings with foreign officials such as the Japanese vice-foreign minister and former US presidential candidate John McCain, has threatened to halt the procession of foreign dignitaries trying to meet the democracy icon.

An editorial in the regime's newspaper, translated for the Herald by Burmese activists in Australia, accused the NLD of violating the ban on its activities.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/bans-on-suu-kyi-threaten-rudd-meeting-20110630-1gt3p.html#ixzz1Qm3Vu09U
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Thursday June 30, 2011
Myanmar's Suu Kyi plans first trip since release

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will next week travel outside her home city for the first time since her release from a seven-year stint of house arrest last November, a spokesman for her former party said.

Suu Kyi plans to join her son, Kim, on a four-day pilgrimage from July 4 to Bagan, an ancient city about 700 km (435 miles) north of Yangon, where she has spent the past eight years.
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) holds her birthday gift as she makes her way through the crowd gathered at her National League for Democracy (NLD) head office in Yangon June 19, 2011. (REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)

"The purpose of the trip is purely religious," Han Tha Myint, a spokesmen for Suu Kyi's now defunct National League for Democracy Party (NLD), said on Thursday, adding she would travel by plane.

Suu Kyi, 66, was expected to go on a series of one-day trips outside Yangon next week, prompting concerns by her supporters about her personal safety. Several government-run newspapers carried commentaries on Wednesday warning of "chaos and riots" if Suu Kyi went ahead.

The Nobel laureate's last tour in 2003 was marred by an ambush on her motorcade by thugs believed to be hired by the then ruling military junta.

More than 70 of her supporters were killed in the incident, known as the Depayin Massacre. It was widely seen as an assassination attempt on Suu Kyi, who was put back under house arrest, or what the regime called "protective custody".

The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday the new Myanmar government was responsible for Suu Kyi's safety everywhere in the country.

The charismatic figurehead of Myanmar's fight against five decades of military dictatorships has been given unprecedented freedom by the generals who have long despised her and still control Myanmar behind a new civilian government.

Through its media mouthpieces, the government has warned Suu Kyi not to overstep the mark, saying she would meet a "tragic end" and accusing her of provocative acts.

Since her release on Nov. 13 last year, the daughter of slain independence hero Aung San has be conciliatory in her comments about the country's rulers and has urged dialogue.

She has met regularly with diplomats and envoys and analysts expect her to play a pivotal role in the debate over whether Western sanctions on the former British colony should be lifted.

The government has not responded to her offer but has instead invited the NLD, which was disbanded for boycotting last year's much-criticised election, to register as a social organisation, then run in the next polls in 2015.

"They still have opportunity to participate legally in the next election if they want to," said a commentary published in three newspapers on Thursday.

"We do not want to see street politics, public panic and anarchy again.

"If they want to serve public interests, I would like to request they be considerate towards the public and continue to do politics in the framework of the law," it said.

(Reporting by Aung Hla Tun; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Copyright © 2011 Reuters http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/30/worldupdates/2011-06-30T201533Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-580140-2&sec=Worldupdates
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Democracy hopes fading in Myanmar
Published: June 30, 2011 at 10:00 AM

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) -- The main opposition party in Myanmar vowed to play a role in political life, but one advocate said hopes for democracy in the country are waning.

State-run newspapers in Myanmar ran columns warning pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi that her travels outside of the commercial capital Naypyitaw could stoke chaos in the country.

Mark Farmaner, an advocate at Burma Campaign UK, told The Independent newspaper in London any hopes of democratic reform in the country were fading quickly.

"Myanmar's new dictator, Thein Sein, has revealed his true colors with these threats," he said. "He is emerging as even less tolerant of dissent than (former leader) Than Shwe."

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace prize laureate, led her National League for Democracy to a 1990 election victory that was never recognized. She spent much of the last decade in detention but was freed last year during the country's general elections.

Her NLD decided against taking part in the election. Win Tin, a senior NLD member, was quoted as saying his group's activities would carry on "according to the law."

Myanmar touted last year's elections, the first in nearly two decades, as a path toward civilian leadership, though the election was dubbed a sham by the international community.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/06/30/Democracy-hopes-fading-in-Myanmar/UPI-58321309442446/#ixzz1Qm2SMC69
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Suu Kyi calls for talks with home minister
By AHUNT PHONE MYAT
Published: 30 June 2011

The National League for Democracy’s (NLD) secretary Aung San Suu Kyi has called for a meeting with the government’s Home Affairs Minister in a response to a letter sent to her and the group’s chairman Aung Shwe on June 28 warning them to stop their political activities.

The exchange of letters came as warnings in the state press were published which seemed to take offence to the continuing activities of the group; “the NLD is found to have kept opening its party headquarters and branches in states and regions and other towns, erecting the signboards and hoisting flags at some offices, issuing statements, publishing periodicals and videos, meeting with other organisations and holding meetings and ceremonies. Such acts are not only against the law but also tantamount to opposing the hluttaws [parliaments] at various levels.”

The NLD, after a Central Executive Committee meeting yesterday afternoon, sent a letter signed by Suu Kyi to the Home Affairs minister and former army Brigadier-General Ko Ko, calling for a meeting with him to ‘negotiate for the rule of law.’

The letter contested the government’s claim; that the NLD is officially defunct, according to the Political Parties Registration Law announced last year, after failing to register for the 2010 elections, citing laws in the 2008 constitution.

“Article 409 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) provided that; the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament) shall enact necessary laws concerning political parties, so only the [Union Parliament] has the authority to enact the Political Parties Registration Law,” said the NLD letter.

“The NLD is defunct by the Political Parties Registration Law but that was not enacted by the Union Parliament,” read the letter.

The letter also claimed the NLD is still legally standing as a political party as it doesn’t violate articles 407, 409 and 466 of the constitution, adding that the group is abiding by legal procedures and the rule of law but didn’t intend to oppose the parliaments or the government.

“The NLD is not committing acts that can harm peace and stability and the rule of law as well as unity among the people – we are an organisation that genuinely wishes for the rule of law and are constantly striving to achieve national reconciliation.”

The NLD’s spokesperson Nyan Win told DVB that: “We see that our party still exists according to the law but the government sees that we are already dissolved – but this is not to argue.”

“We sent a letter [to Ko Ko] calling him to arrange a meeting to discuss on the rule of law.”

Suu Kyi has been planning to tour the country, the first such trip since 2003?s Depayin Massacre at which her convoy was attacked by thugs believed to have been connected to the Union Solidarity & Development Association, which morphed into the military’s favoured party the Union Soldiarity and Development Party (USDP) for the election. This event lead to her last spell under house arrest.

This plan, which by all accounts remains and Suu Kyi’s recent ‘Reith Lecture‘ which was aired by the BBC have caused the establishment concern. In her widely broadcasted lecture the Nobel Laureate expressed envy for Egypt and Tunisia who had over thrown autocratic leaders relatively quickly. She also refused to rule out violence as an effective means to enact political change.
http://www.dvb.no/news/suu-kyi-calls-for-talks-with-home-minister/16360
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Chinese made military trucks arriving at border raises question
Thursday, 30 June 2011 17:53 Hseng Khio Fah

More than a hundred Chinese made military trucks were reported to have arrived in Muse, a bustling border trade town between China and Burma since Sunday, raising question whether they will be used in the war against Kachin Independence Army (KIA), according to local sources.

“Some say they are heading to KIA’s areas while others say they are to be brought to Naypyitaw,” an eyewitness said.

The 6 wheel Sino trucks are produced by Japanese Howo Company in China and exported to Burma by way of Jiegao-Muse.

In addition, hundreds of Burma Army soldiers are also reported to have been sent to the town to receive the trucks, according to a source.

The arrival of both military trucks and troops has fueled fear among the populace whether the war with the KIA may spread to the area, according to sources.

A Sino truck seen Jiegao
Recently, around 50 people in civilian clothes believed to be Burma Army agents are seen crossing the border each day following a report of a recent meeting between the Burma Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers, where the former had asked the latter to permit its troops and those of its allies to cross the border to attack and capture Laiza, the headquarters of KIA.

Phoe Than Chaung, spokesman for the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) commented that soldiers crossing to China territory is not likely to be for the purpose to attack the KIA but could be their holiday visit.

“I don’t think China will let its territory to become destabilized. If it does, its investment along the border will be affected and thousands of people will come to take refuge in its soil which is what it fears the most. China therefore will do everything to prevent incidents which can destroy its border stability,” he said.

The move by the Burma Army can only be one of its tactics and psychology warfare to use China and ethnic armed groups against each other. A larger scale offensive against the ethnic armed groups would have been launched a long time ago if the Burma Army really wanted to destroy ethnic armed groups, Phoe Than Chaung said.

“But I don’t think they will destroy them [the ethnic armed groups] as their existence justifies their own stay in power. If there is no civil war, there would not have been any reason to stay in power,” he explained.

According to him, ethnic armed struggles in Burma, which have taken place for over six decades now, were created by the military junta in order to expand and preserve its rule over the people. http://www.shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3820:chinese-made-military-trucks-arriving-at-border-raises-question&catid=86:war&Itemid=284
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Burma's Ethnic Insurgencies Erupt in a Chain Reaction

By Russ Wellen, June 30, 2011

The respective rebellions of Burma's (or Myanmar, as its government prefers it be called) three largest ethnic minorities are, for once, all aflame at the same time. At Asia Times Online, Brian McCartan writes: "Myanmar moved closer to civil war in recent weeks after fighting broke out in Kachin State," thus breaking its ceasefire with Burma's ruling junta. "Myanmar's newly elected government now faces ethnic insurgencies on three separate fronts," thus putting at risk "Myanmar's development and international confidence in its supposed democratic transition."

"In the southeast," meanwhile, a revolt by "the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) on November 7, 2010, election day, resulted in the temporary seizure of two important border towns." What's significant about this is that, despite the noble sentiments suggested by its name, the DKBA had been allied with the government.

McCartan again: "Although the government was able to retake the towns, fighting continued in the area and the [DKBA] allied itself with the Karen [ethnic group] National Liberation Army." He adds: "The operations of [the] DKBA commander Major General Lah Pweh . . . have added new energy to the Karen insurgency through stepped up ambushes and attacks on army camps both in rural areas and in towns and villages."

Meanwhile, about Shan State, the third large minority, McCartan writes that "increasing government pressure against the 1st Brigade of the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N)," with which the government also had a ceasefire, "resulted in open conflict in early March." The government had been trying to "incorporate the military units of the ethnic ceasefire armies into the Myanmar armed forces ahead of the 2010 elections," but the 1st Brigade, as well as other SSA-N brigades, had refused to join. McCartan again.

Indications are that if the government chooses to continue pushing these conflicts fighting could continue for years. Myanmar army casualties, if insurgent and exile media reports are accurate, have been high while insurgent casualties remain low. . . . Many Myanmar Army units have not seen combat in many years. . . . Low morale is a major problem among government troops. . . . Units are hugely under resourced and desertion is rife.

But

To continue operating, the insurgent groups will require safe havens and access to supplies and ammunition either through the direct or tacit approval of neighboring governments and militaries in China and Thailand. Thailand has increasingly turned its back on the ethnic groups along its border as it has emerged as Myanmar's top trading partner. [Its] relationship [with China], too, may be changing as China's investments in Myanmar expand, including strategically important energy projects such as the Shwe gas project and a vital oil and gas pipeline scheduled to run from the Indian Ocean to China's southern Yunnan province across Myanmar.

Still

A new alliance of 15 insurgent and former ceasefire groups, including the KNU, KIA and the SSA, offers new hope. [But it] remains to be seen whether. . . . the so-called United Nationalities Federal. . . . can coordinate operations on the battlefield or maneuver politically with internal ethnic political parties or internationally.

McCartan concludes that, unless the junta, in its present form as an ostensibly elected government, "can come to a sincere agreement with ethnic insurgents, the country seems poised to spiral into the type of widespread civil war not seen in its ethnic territories for over two decades."
http://www.fpif.org/blog/burmas_ethnic_insurgencies_erupt_in_a_chain_reaction?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FPIF+%28Foreign+Policy+In+Focus+%28All+News%29%29
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Suu Kyi to Visit Pagan Next Week
By WAI MOE Thursday, June 30, 2011

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled to visit the ancient city of Pagan in Mandalay Region next week on her first trip outside of Rangoon since her release from house arrest in November, according to her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Win Htain, an NLD leader and Suu Kyi’s close aide, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that Suu Kyi will be traveling to Pagan for sightseeing rather than on party business, saying that her son, Htain Linn, also known as Kim Aris, will join her on the trip.

Although Win Htain did not provide any further details about the trip, an NLD source who spoke on condition of anonymity said it is scheduled to begin on July 4. The source added that Suu Kyi may be planning to fly to Pagan, as she attempted to buy an air ticket on Thursday.

He added that Suu Kyi got a green light for the trip from the authorities after she informed them of her plan earlier this month.

However, Burma's state-run media warned yesterday that Suu Kyi's travels could cause unrest in the country. “We are deeply concerned that if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi makes trips to countryside regions, there may be chaos and riots, as evidenced by previous incidents,” the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Wednesday.

Suu Kyi’s last trip outside of Rangoon was in May 2003, when she visited Mandalay and Sagaing regions. Her trip ended when she and her supporters were ambushed by government-backed thugs in Depayin, Sagaing Region. She narrowly escaped the attack, but was later placed in detention, where she remained until her release last November.

News of Suu Kyi’s trip to Pagan comes amid concerns about security in the country, after a series of bomb blasts hit Burma's second largest city of Mandalay, the capital Naypyidaw, and Pyin Oo Lwin, a town near Mandalay region closely associated with the armed forces, last Friday, injuring three people.

It also follows moves by the military-backed government of President Thein Sein to restrict the NLD's political activities, which it described as illegal because of the party's dissolution last year for refusing to take part in an election staged by the former military junta.

On Tuesday, Minister of Home Affairs Lt-Gen Ko Ko sent a letter to Suu Kyi and NLD Chairman Aung Shwe saying that the party should form a social organization if it wants to engage in social affairs.

In a letter of reply sent on Wednesday, Suu Kyi said that the NLD is not doing anything to harm rule of law, stability and unity among monks and government servants. She added that the party also wants rule of law and is always making efforts for national reconciliation.

However, on Thursday, prominent NLD leader Win Tin said that the party doesn’t have any plans at present to register as an nongovernmental organization or political party. He added that he is concerned the government could be gearing up for another crackdown on the party.

“There's a possibility that party leaders could be arrested again, and party offices seized,” he said. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21604
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KIA Meet Burma Army Officials
By BA KAUNG Thursday, June 30, 2011

LAIZA, Kachin State—The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Burmese army officials held formal talks in the town of Lagayan this morning—the first time the two sides have sat down together since hostilities in Kachin State restarted three weeks ago. The renewed fighting near the Chinese border effectively ended a 17-year-old ceasefire between the two sides.

KIA officials, led by second-in-command Gen Gun Maw, met with the Burmese military delegation, led by Col Than Aung, minister for border affairs in Kachin State.

During the meeting, representatives of the KIA called on the Burmese government to release any form of documentation, such as a letter from Naypyidaw, to confirm the government's intentions and commitment toward a formal ceasefire, according to Kachin officers.


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“This meeting is a prelude,” said Gun Maw after the meeting, adding that he does not know when the next meeting will be held.

Meanwhile, some war refugees fled areas near the recent fighting in Momauk Township and are currently living in relief camps in the KIA’s headquarters of Laiza in Kachin State. Other refugees have tried to enter Chinese territory upon hearing rumors that Burmese troops were entering China’s Yunnan Province to attack KIA troops from the rear.

Sources within the 10,000-member KIA confirmed that nearly 100 Burmese army troops have arrived on the Chinese border near Burma’s Muse Township in civilian dress. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21602
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Nominee US Envoy Seeks 'Candid' Talks with Naypyidaw
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON / AP WRITER Thursday, June 30, 2011

WASHINGTON — The United States is prepared to have a positive relationship with Burma and seeks better international coordination in encouraging democratic reform in the Asian country, the nominee to be US special envoy said Wednesday.

Derek Mitchell, who is currently a senior defense official for Asia-Pacific affairs, said that the inability of key members of the international community to coordinate their approach had undermined their efforts to press the government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, to free political prisoners and hold dialogue with its opponents.

While signaling willingness to improve US-Burma ties, Mitchell was critical of Burma's claims to have made a transition to civilian rule after elections last year, saying its political system falls far short of representative democracy.

"Burma remains a country at war with itself and distrustful of others," Mitchell said at a confirmation hearing before a Senate panel. "Burma is the poorest country in Southeast Asia and a source of great concern and potential instability in the region."

His comments came as Burmese government warned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi against engaging in political activities, and issued a thinly veiled threat ahead of her planned first tour outside the main city Rangoon since her release from house arrest seven months ago. A commentary in state newspapers Wednesday said the trip could trigger riots and chaos.

John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the appointment of the special envoy offers Burma's leaders an opportunity to redefine their relationship with the United States.

"I and others will be watching to see whether Burma's government is interested in a path towards peace and democracy or whether it remains anchored to the failed policies of the past. A critical upcoming test will be Aung San Suu Kyi's ability to speak freely and move about the country," Kerry said in a statement Wednesday.

The State Department expressed concern for Suu Kyi's safety. Spokesman Mark Toner called on Burma to let her travel freely and fully participate in political activities.

In the past year-and-a-half, the Obama administration has shifted from a policy of isolating Burmese generals to engaging them. That has not yielded the desired results: the release of the more than 2,000 political prisoners and a government dialogue with Suu Kyi, whose party has been de-registered after it boycotted the November elections.

Burma came under military rule in 1962 and has brutally suppressed political dissent since then. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept 1990 elections but was barred from taking power.

If confirmed, Mitchell said he would seek a "candid dialogue" with the government and would respond "flexibly" to evolving conditions there. But he said that the government had not yet taken steps to merit lifting sanctions—a step which Burma's neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been calling for since the flawed poll.

Mitchell said he would coordinate with international partners including Asean, India, China, Europe, South Korea and Japan, to see if they can "find ways to come together with a more coherent approach" in dealing with Burma.

Sen. Jim Webb, who met with Burma's then-leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe in 2009, said that given the strategic importance of Burma—located between regional powers India and China—and the critical humanitarian needs in the country, the US should seek a more sustained, direct engagement with the government and civil society.

Mitchell said it was "absolutely critical" that Burma abide by UN nonproliferation sanctions that bar military trade with North Korea. His comments reflected international concern that Pyongyang could have exported missile technology to Burma, and that Burmese rulers may have nuclear ambitions. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21600
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Migrants saved from Thai ransom round-about
By AYE NAI
Published: 30 June 2011

Three Burmese migrant workers who were held for ransom by human traffickers after being sold on to them by two Thai policemen were rescued by police from the same station in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok yesterday afternoon.

The three; Byauk Owe, 18, Ko Kyaw, 30 and Maung Owe, 19, who worked at a canned fish factory in Bang Bon district, were arrested by two policemen while having stroll on Sunday evening. They were taken to the police station where they were asked to show identification.

May Thazin Oo, elder sister of Byauk Owe said they were sold by the police to two human traffickers for 8000 Baht [US $260] each after they failed to show legal documents.

“The two policemen came on a bike – one of them was in uniform and the other in civilian clothing. They asked them to show their work permits but [the three] could only show them receipts for a medical check-up [part of the procedure in acquiring the legal migrant work permits] but the police tore them up and took them to Tha Kham police station,” May Thazin Oo told DVB.

“When they arrived at the station, the policemen told them to contact their relatives but the three didn’t have any phone numbers with them. The police then called two Burmese nationals they had connections with, who came and ‘bailed’ them out,”

The two Burmese who turned up were believed to have done police translating work before and have a broad local knowledge and had allegedly acted as middle men or informants for the police. As a result they were able to contact a family member.

Thazin Oo continues; “Then the two Burmese called us and told us to give ransom of 5000 Baht [US $162] for each of them. We went and waited at the place they indicated but they didn’t show up.”

Meanwhile the three detainees were sold again to a Burmese national from the Mon ethnic group, a human trafficker who again contacted the family and asked again for ransom, this time of 16,000 Baht [US $520] for each person. The traffickers threatened to sell them to sea fishing boats if the family failed to give the ransom.

The family then contacted the police who followed with them to the appointment with the Mon traffickers and then arrested them and rescued the three detainees.

It turned out that the policemen who initially handed the three Burmese migrants to the two Burmese nationals were from the same police station who rescued them. May Thazin Oo said the police are showing photos of officials in the station to the three to identify the two policemen.

Such cases are believed to be widespread with the New York based Human Rights Watch recently telling the UN that; “Thai government officials and police, and private employers, enjoy widespread impunity in abusing the rights of Burmese.”

Migrant workers are estimated to make up 5% of the Thai workforce whilst accounting for some 7% of GDP, taking as they do some of the toughest and least desirable jobs. Their subjugation is a boon for employers but the Thai government has been attempting to put in place legislation to regularise migrant labour. This resulted in a proposed plan to force employers to buy private health insurance for migrants whilst Thai nationals enjoy the far superior government care. Rights groups were keen to point out that such discrimination in the work place is illegal under Thailand’s treaty obligations.
http://www.dvb.no/news/migrants-saved-from-thai-ransom-round-about/16365

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