News & Articles on Burma-Friday, 30 September, 2011

News & Articles on Burma
Friday, 30 September, 2011
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WikiLeaks cables: Americans funded groups that stalled Burma dam project
The Myitsone Dam Project and Burma-China Relations
After Meeting in Mae Sot, KNU Calls for Talks with Naypyidaw
Myanmar shelves $3.6 billion mega dam, officials say
Suu Kyi Welcomes Suspension of Myitsone Dam
Burma’s President postpones the Irrawaddy dam project cleverly
FIFA bans Myanmar from 2018 World Cup qualifiers
NLD considers registering as official political party
Victory for Burma reformers over dam project
Myanmar suspends dam project after rare outcry
Suu Kyi and gov’t minister discuss amnesty and establishing peace
Verdict on Burma-Bangladesh Dispute Due in March
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WikiLeaks cables: Americans funded groups that stalled Burma dam project

Newly leaked document reveals support for opponents of proposed Myitsone dam, widely seen as a Chinese project
Foreign staff
guardian.co.uk, Friday 30 September 2011 13.27 BST

Burma protest against Myitsone dam project
Burmese activists shout anti-China slogans during a protest against the Myitsone dam this month. Locals said the dam, planned for the Irrawaddy river, would destroy their way of life. Photograph: Ahmad Yusni/EPA

The US embassy in Rangoon funded some of the civil society groups in the Burmese region that forced the government to suspend a controversial Chinese dam on the Irrawaddy river, according to a US diplomatic cable.

The January 2010 cable on the $3.6bn (£2.3bn) Myitsone dam project noted that local groups had "voiced strong opposition to the project on economic, environmental and cultural grounds and have organised grassroots campaigns to rally others to their cause".

The cable, signed by then US charge d'affaires, Larry Dinger, went on to say: "An unusual aspect of this case is the role grassroots organisations have played in opposing the dam, which speaks to the growing strength of civil society groups in Kachin state, including recipients of embassy small grants."

Dinger said that although Burma had launched a number of hydropower projects to address its acute electricity shortages, the Myitsone dam was widely seen as a Chinese project, with China the principal beneficiary.

"Given past evidence from foreign investments in Burma's energy sector, it is very likely, as many locals believe, that both construction of the dam and the energy it produces will primarily benefit Chinese companies and consumers, rather than Burmese," he said.

Presciently, he added: "Dam-related social unrest is a possibility in light of the already-tense political situation in Kachin state and the dislocations the project is expected to cause." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/30/us-embassy-cables-burma-myitsone-dam
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The Myitsone Dam Project and Burma-China Relations
By AUNG LYNN HTUT Friday, September 30, 2011

The Irrawaddy Myitsone dam project originated during a meeting between Burmese junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Chinese President Hu Jintao in April 2005, when both were attending the Asian-African Summit 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Others present from the Burmese side were the current President Thein Sein (then Secretary 1 of the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC), Nyan Win (then foreign minister and now chief minister of Pegu Division) and Soe Thar (then minister for national planning and economic development, now chairman of a parliamentary sub-committee). In the meeting, Than Shwe agreed that electricity produced by the Myitsone hydro-power plant would be sold to China.

With the agreement between the two leaders, initial observation over the dam construction and electricity production began at the confluence of the Maykha and Malikha rivers in northern Kachin State in December 2006. The survey findings—as the Burmese military top brass knew then, and as citizens have learned recently—indicated that the negative impact of the planned Myitsone dam project would be greater than its advantages.

According to military sources, many top generals were unhappy with the dam construction but only criticized it quietly, as they dared not speak out against the junta chief. They said that even Than Shwe, who knew the real situation of the project and its impact, was hesitant about continuing with the project. On the other hand, the Chinese government reportedly pushed the previous military regime to implement it as soon as possible whenever its officials met with the latter's.

Than Shwe, however, had to allow a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the dam project in 2009 to be signed following the regime's military offensive against the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Kokang group led by Peng Jiasheng.

Chinese authorities frequently requested the regime not to use violent means in dealing with the ethnic armed groups based on the Sino-Burmese border, but it attacked the MNDAA for not agreeing to its proposed Border Guard Force plan.

The attack resulted in the exodus of tens of thousands of refugees from Burma to China and caused serious tension between the two countries, as Beijing was reportedly furious with the regime for not respecting its request and informally suggested that it would reconsider its support for Naypyidaw in the international arena.

To ease the situation, Than Shwe sent former Gen Shwe Mann, the then third-in-command and the current speaker of the Lower House, to Beijing, but Chinese leaders were reportedly not satisfied with Shwe Mann's explanation and instead asked the regime to assign someone higher than him to handle the matter. They also asked the coming Burmese leader to sign MoUs on three projects, including the Myitsone dam.

Consequently, in June 2009, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye (the then vice-chairman of the SPDC) had to visit China at the invitation of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping. He was accompanied by former Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo (the current vice-president 1), Gen Min Aung Hlaing (the current commander-in-chief of defense services), former Lt-Gen Tin Aye (a former SPDC member who is currently the chairman of the Election Commission), Zaw Min (the current minister of electric power 1), Nyan Win, Soe Thar, Lun Thi (then minister of energy and currently the chairman of a parliamentary sub-committee) and Tin Naing Thein (then minister of commerce and now the minister of national planning and economic development).

During the trip, a MoU on selling electricity to Beijing was signed by Thein Lwin, the Burmese ambassador to China, and Lu Qizhou, the president of the China Power Investment Corporation, on June 21. Also, on the same day, an MoU on economic and technical cooperation between the two countries was signed by Soe Thar and Chen Jian, the Chinese vice-minister of commerce, and another MoU on oil and gas pipelines was signed by Thein Lwin and Liao Yongyuan, the vice-president of China National Petroleum Corporation.

No one can deny that in terms of development, Burma is now far behind its neighbors, including Laos and Bangladesh, which it used to provide assistance to in the past. The military leaders who took office after 1988 are responsible for Burma's backwardness. Their false ideology and selfishness, their ignorance and superstition, their refusal to listen to scholars and experts and their failure to recognize changes in the international arena have all contributed to the country's decline.

Due to political and economic crises, Burma has become, unwillingly, a semi-colony of China, a country that was always regarded with deep distrust by Burma's rulers before 1988. The Irrawaddy Myitsone dam project can be considered as evidence of Beijing's undeniable influence on Naypyidaw. The country's rulers may have changed their minds about China, but the people of Burma are still inclined to think of their giant neighbor to the north as their enemy. I was young when a dispute broke out between Chinese and Burmese in 1967. What I understood was that the dispute was a result of Burmese resentment of the rude and insulting behavior of Chinese people living in their country. After 1967, Chinese troops were present in Burma under the cover of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). Furthermore, Chinese people living along the Sino-Burmese border, such as the Wa and Kokang, had seized Burmese territory in the border areas. Many of the current military leaders and members of the new government, and I myself, fought against the CPB troops, which were supported by China, until late 1988.

Tin Aung Myint Oo , the current vice president 1, received the Thiha Thura medal in 1989, when Burma's army was fighting back against a heavy offensive launched by the CPB along the Sino-Burmese border. At the time, he was a major and the deputy commander of Light Infantry Battalion 11. Many of his officers and soldiers, including his commander, died on the battlefield.

When Snr-Gen Than Shwe was the commander of the army's Division 88, Mong Yong, a town under his control, was captured by the CPB. Many officers, soldiers and civilians died. Furthermore, when Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye was the commander of Division 77, many of his officers and soldiers in Maw Pha area were killed by the CPB. The current Burmese leaders should be faithful to those who sacrificed their lives.

By taking advantage of fragile relations between the Burmese government and Western countries following the 1988 nationwide pro-democracy uprising, China changed its approach towards Burma. First, it controlled movements of Burman leaders within the CPB while allowing ethnic armed groups under its influence to enter ceasefire agreements with the regime. When the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory in the 1990 election, Beijing was the first country to recognize the election result and sent its ambassador to Burma to the NLD headquarters to congratulate the party. However, it later withdrew its support for the NLD when it realized that the regime would not transfer power to the election-winning party. Back then, economic interests were the focus of China's Burma policy, so Beijing said Burma needed political stability. China was happy as long as Burma's internal affairs remained complex and the regime faced more and more pressure from the West.

Since 2000, China has paid serious attention to Burma's natural resources and Chinese companies have been involved in huge investments in the country. Beijing has also tried to control the country's economy by pledging to support its rulers in the international arena. These days, Chinese in the country seem to be trying to systematically take over Burma economically and racially. Whenever Chinese leaders visit Burma, they reportedly ask Burmese government officials to protect their fellow Chinese living in the country.

It is time for the current government to decide whether to continue the Myitsone dam project, which plays a key role in Sino-Burmese relations. I believe President Thein Sein is well aware of the danger of this project that was unilaterally decided on by Than Shwe.

Chinese who want to continue to do business in Burma have to do their best not to increase anti-Chinese sentiment among Burmese people. If Beijing wants to maintain good relations with Burma, it needs to comply with the desires of the Burmese people. As for Thein Sein's administration, it must explain to the Chinese government about the inevitable consequences of the Myitsone dam project and stop it.

Anything that affects the future of the Irrawaddy River must be considered a national cause. Its fate cannot be decided by any individual or political party. The Irrawaddy will be saved only if Burmese people within and outside the country join hands and convince whoever is responsible in their government to consider doing the same.

Ex-Maj Aung Lynn Htut is a former counter intelligence officer and deputy chief of mission to the US. He sought political asylum in Washington, DC, in 2005. The opinions expressed in this guest commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Irrawaddy.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=22170
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After Meeting in Mae Sot, KNU Calls for Talks with Naypyidaw
By THE IRRAWADDY Friday, September 30, 2011

Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) ended a meeting with a government delegation led by Col Aung Lwin, the minister for security and border affairs, in the Thai border town of Mae Sot on Sept 28 with calls for direct talks with Naypyidaw government officials.

The KNU leaders told the government delegation, which included Christian community leaders, Buddhist monks and an MP named Saw Boe Ni, that they didn’t want to hold peace talks with state-level officials because they lacked the authority to reach an agreement.

“Karen State officials have no power to make decisions,” said Maung Kyaw Mahn, a Karen social worker who is close to the KNU. “This is just a tactic to divide the Karen again.”

The KNU is one of Burma’s main ethnic armed groups. It has been fighting for autonomy for more than six decades, but suffered a major setback in 1995 when a splinter group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), broke away and signed ceasefire agreement with the government.

Last month, another delegation, consisting of Karen Christian community leaders from the state capital of Pa-an, also approached the KNU with an offer to hold peace talks on behalf of the Burmese government. The group said that it had been sent by Col Zaw Min, the chief minister of Karen State.

On Aug 18, government officials made a similar overture to a breakaway faction of the DKBA that resumed fighting with the Burmese army late last year. The officials offered peace negotiations through a prominent Buddhist monk, U Pinya Thami, the abbot of Taungalay Monastery in Pa-an.

The DKBA rejected the offer, calling instead for a withdrawal of all government troops from ethnic regions and a nationwide ceasefire, followed by inclusive peace talks involving all ethnic armed groups.

Despite the government's recent offers of peace talks, fighting between government forces and the DKBA is still occurring in southern Karen State. The government has also launched major offensives against the ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Burma and recently seized some of its bases in northern Shan State.

Meanwhile, the government is also approaching another strong ethnic armed group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), for talks via its local representatives.

Led by the secretaries of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, Aung Thaung and Thein Zaw, a group of government representatives will hold talks with the UWSA on Saturday in Lashio, in northern Shan State.

There have also been reports that the Burmese authorities have approached the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an ethnic Mon ceasefire group, for talks aimed at averting a return to hostilities. The NMSP has already established a group of representatives for peace talks, but hasn’t decided whether to meet the government representatives.

Burmese President Thein Sein recently announced via the country's state-run media that, in order to move the peace process forward, all ethnic armed groups are to meet first with their respective regional and state chief ministers. http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22174
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Myanmar shelves $3.6 billion mega dam, officials say
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON | Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:30am EDT

(Reuters) - Myanmar's government suspended on Friday a controversial $3.6 billion, Chinese-led dam project, a victory for supporters of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and another sign of apparent reform in one of Asia's most repressive states.

After weeks of rare public outrage against the Myitsone dam, Myanmar's largest hydropower project, President Thein Sein told parliament his government had to act "according to the desire of the people," officials in parliament told Reuters.

Its construction has been "shelved" during the president's five-year term, one official said.

The dam was backed by hardliners with ties to China and opposed by an increasingly vocal band of reformers. Some politicians appeared to fear they may not be re-elected if they defied public opinion and threw their support behind it, a sign democracy may be taking root after rare elections last year.

Suu Kyi had said the dam threatened the flow of the powerful Irrawaddy River and warned that 12,000 people from 63 villages would have to be moved to make way for it. Many other sectors of society had also voiced opposition.

"This is President Thein Sein showing he can exercise his executive power and that he can stand up against China," said Aung Zaw, editor of the Irrawaddy magazine.

In his message to parliament, the president said "that his government, being born out of people's desire, has to act according to the desire of the people," said an official in parliament who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The will of the people was seldom considered under the military regimes that made Myanmar one of Asia's most reclusive and repressive countries for almost 50 years.

The statement is one of many signs of change since the army nominally handed over power in March to civilians after elections in November, a process ridiculed at the time as a sham to cement authoritarian rule under a democratic facade.

Recent overtures by the government hint at possibly deeper changes at work -- from calls for peace with ethnic minority guerrilla groups to some tolerance of criticism and more communication with Nobel peace prize laureate Suu Kyi.

NATIONAL SYMBOL

The dam would have flooded an area about the size of Singapore, creating a 766 sq km (296 sq mile) reservoir, mainly to serve growing energy needs in northern neighbor China, which would have imported about 90 percent of its power.

In recent years, Myanmar's leaders have embraced investment from China as a deep and lucrative market for the former British colony's vast energy-related resources and to counterbalance the impact of Western sanctions imposed in response to human rights abuses.

But in recent weeks, the dam had become a symbol of resentment over China's growing influence and revealed a stark divide between cabinet ministers and parliamentary leaders, making it the first real public test over whether reformers or hardliners had more sway over the country's direction.

"It is a bold decision with the underlying message that we cannot kowtow to whatever China wants," said Aung Zaw of Irrawaddy magazine. "This could be another turning point for which direction Burma goes in the next decade."

The military junta proposed the dam in 2006 and signed a contract in 2009 with Myanmar's military-backed Asia World Company and China Power Investment Corp to build it.

Critics called that deal un-democratic, arguing it was agreed without considering the views of the people. Those criticism flared into the open recently, unthinkable for a government project just months ago, reflecting an easing of some controls on public expression in domestic media.

The dam, several years from completion, would have been built where the Mali and Nmai rivers form to become the Irrawaddy, which flows from northern Kachin state through half of the length of the country to the Andaman Sea, a national symbol and lifeline for millions of people.

Myanmar's ethnic Kachin, bordering China, have opposed the dam since 2007. Emotions over the project have spilled into violent skirmishes between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since June.

An official at China Power Investment Corp declined comment. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official said he needed to look into the matter.

Danny Richards, senior Asia Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the suspension showed the new government is placing more value on the fallout from big infrastructure projects.

"However, it is only a suspension of the project, and it remains to be seen what pressure China may apply to ensure that the construction of the dam is completed," he said.

According to Richards, of $20 billion in foreign investment projects approved by Myanmar's government in the 2010/11 fiscal year, Chinese and Hong Kong firms accounted for a hefty 70 percent.

"With few other sources of foreign investment -- the only other major investors are from Thailand and South Korea -- the new government will clearly not want to undermine its commercial ties with its northern neighbor," he said.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Alan Raybould and Jonathan Thatcher) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/30/us-myanmar-dam-idUSTRE78T10H20110930
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Suu Kyi Welcomes Suspension of Myitsone Dam
By SAI ZOM HSENG Friday, September 30, 2011

Emerging from a meeting with a senior government minister on Friday afternoon, Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed today's surprise announcement by President Thein Sein that he had suspended the controversial Myitsone dam project in Kachin State.

Suu Kyi met with Aung Kyi, the minister of labor and minister of social welfare, relief and resettlement, for about one hour today at the Sane Lae Kan Thar state guesthouse in Rangoon. Among the issues discussed were an amnesty for political prisoners, cooperation on efforts to conserve the Irrawaddy River, and ways to achieve peace with Burma's ethnic armed groups.

“I've heard that the president sent a message about the suspension of the Myitsone project on the Irrawaddy River in response to the public’s concerns. It’s very good that the government listens to the voice of the people, as that is what they should do,” Suu Kyi said to reporters after the meeting.

Aung Kyi, a retired major general, told the reporters that both sides agreed to meet again to hold further discussions on the major issues raised in today's meeting. He also said that cooperation would increase after Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, registered as a legal political organization.

When reporters asked Suu Kyi about Burma's next elections, to be held in 2015, she said, “We accept that elections are a part of democracy, but we will have to wait and see what form they take.”

Suu Kyi and Aung Kyi previously met twice this year, once in July and again in August. Suu Kyi also met with Thein Sein for the first time in August. In statements issued after each meeting, both sides said they were satisfied with the discussions that took place.

While observers have generally welcomed the recent contact between the government and the iconic opposition leader, many still suspect that Naypyidaw's main aim is to ease international pressure and win approval of its bid to become chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014, rather than to achieve national reconciliation.

On Tuesday, Burma’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin addressed the issue of political prisoners at the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, saying that an early amnesty program is being considered. He also called for the lifting of Western sanctions on Burma. http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22176
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Burma’s President postpones the Irrawaddy dam project cleverly
By Zin Linn Sep 30, 2011 6:05PM UTC

Burma’s nominal civilian government has suspended a controversial $3.6 billion hydroelectric power project which has faced objections from various social strata nationwide, according to the Eleven News Media Group.

The 500-foot dam has been under construction at the confluence of the Mali Hka River and N’Mai Hka River, 27 miles north of the Kachin capital of Myitkyina. Construction at Myitsone began December 21, 2009, led by China’s state owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) in cooperation with Burma’s Asia World Company (AWC) and the Burmese government’s No. 1 Ministry of Electric Power.

Remarkably, AWC owner is former drug lord, Lo Hsing Han. It will cost 3.6 billion dollars and most of the 6000 MW of electricity produced will be sold out to China.

On 10 September, Union Minister for Electric Power No (1) Zaw Min said in a meeting with media, the government will carry on construction of the Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River despite severe criticism and environmental and communal risks, some Rangoon-based journals spotlighted.

Zaw Min also challenged the people that the government will not withdraw the project due to any objection.

Antagonism to the hydro-power dam on the Irrawaddy has been increasing because pro-democracy and environmental activists test the limits of their right under the new outwardly civilian government, which is under control by military officers from previous junta. If the government stubbornly stuck up for the dam project, there might be another mass protest similar to the 1988 people’s uprising.

In such a critical moment, President Thein Sein sent a letter of presidential office dated 29 September to the current parliament regular session. There are 10 points in the President’s letter. Suspension of the Myitsone dam project is one in the 10-point letter saying that the Chinese-backed Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy River in Kachin state would be put off during the term of the existing government.

According to the president’s letter No. 151 (2) 8/3, the Irrawaddy dam project must be postponed since the government has been elected by the people and it has an obligation to respect the determination of the people, the Eleven Media Group’s Online journal said.

In 2009, Thailand-based Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) published a report – “Resisting the Flood” – highlighting the implementation of the Myitsone dam project on the Irrawaddy River. The report demanded a halt to the project that is sponsored by the China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), its main investor and contractor.

The dam project creates unwelcome impacts like social, environmental, livelihood, cultural and security problems for tens of thousands of people in the Kachin State. The report states that more than 15,000 people in 60 villages around the dam sites are being forcibly relocated without proper relocation. These individuals have lost their means of livelihood such as farming, fishing and collection of non-timber forest products.

In the past, Kachin people had made an official plea to the former junta’s boss Senior-General Than Shwe to stop the project due to environmental damage. But he always turned a deaf ear to the call. The junta boss regularly obeys the Chinese government over the dam projects.

In a statement issued on 11 August, Burma’s Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said the dam endangers the flow of the Irrawaddy River, which she described as “the most significant geographical feature of our country.

“We believe that, taking into account the interests of both countries, both governments would hope to avoid consequences which might jeopardize lives and homes,” Suu Kyi emphasized.

“To safeguard the Irrawaddy is to save from harm our economy and our environment, as well as to protect our cultural heritage,” she added.

On 20 September, Burmese security Police detained a 46-year-old man who staged a rare solo protest against the project outside a Chinese embassy building in Yangon. He raised a banner demanding a halt to the Myitsone hydropower dam project in Kachin state, electricity from which will sell out to neighboring China.

As a great number of Burmese citizens inside and outside the country opposed the massive dam project, the president decided to suspend it. The president’s decision seems to be wiser this time avoiding nationwide protest in time. http://asiancorrespondent.com/66241/burma%E2%80%99s-president-postpones-the-irrawaddy-dam-project-cleverly/
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FIFA bans Myanmar from 2018 World Cup qualifiers
The Associated Press
Last Updated: Sep 30, 2011 9:07 AM ET

FIFA has kicked Myanmar out of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup as punishment for crowd violence at a 2014 qualifier in July.

Fans threw stones and water bottles onto the field during Myanamar's game against Oman on July 28, forcing the referee to abandon the match.

Oman was leading 2-0 at the time and was awarded the victory by that score. Oman, which also won the first leg 2-0, advanced to the next round of Asian qualifying on 4-0 aggregate.

FIFA's disciplinary committee says the Myanmar football federation failed to prevent "improper conduct of supporters" and "is excluded from taking part in the matches of the preliminary competition" for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The federation was also fined 25,000 Swiss Francs ($28,000).

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2011/09/30/sp-fifa-myanmar.html?cmp=rss#ixzz1ZRSLfv51
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NLD considers registering as official political party
Thursday, 29 September 2011 21:35 Tun Tun

New Delhi (Mizzima) – If the government continues to make progressive political changes, the National League for Democracy (NLD) will consider registering as an official political party, according to NLD lawyer Nyan Win.

NLD attorney Nyan Win. Photo: Mizzima

NLD attorney Nyan Win. Photo: Mizzima
“We are awaiting the government’s changes,” he said. “We will not decide in advance whether we will register or not. As the conditions change, we will make the decision,” Nyan Win said.

Since Burma created a parliamentary government after the election in November 2010, NLD leaders have discussed the issue of re-registering the organization, he said. Currently, he said the NLD thinks that recent governmental changes–although important–have not risen to the level to justify re-registering as a political party.

“It’s unusual. But, we cannot specify what the differences really are,” Nyan Win said.

In the nationwide general election in 1990, the NLD won 82 per cent of the parliamentary seats, but the former military junta did not convene the parliament and began a campaign to arrest and oppress NLD members.

The NLD did not re-register itself as a political party and did not contest in the 2010 general election, alleging that the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and electoral laws for the 2010 general elections were unjust. However, it still claims that it is a legal political party.

On September 14, 2010, the Union Election Commission (UEC) officially declared that the NLD was dissolved because it had failed to re-register. After the announcement, the NLD filed legal appeals, but various courts rejected them.

“In politics, we need to consider the time and the real circumstances. We have not decided. We will consider everything and make a decision,” Nyan Win said.

He said there could be divergent opinions among party supporters, but the NLD will serve the people and if it re-registers, it will cooperate with other parties.

Meanwhile, NLD General-Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi will meet with the government laison representative Union Minister Aung Kyi on Friday.

It will be Suu Kyi’s third meeting with Aung Kyi under the new government. The meeting will be held at the Sane Lae Kan Thar state guesthouse at 1 p.m.

“This will be a follow-up to previous meetings. We hope that we can take a step forward to seek national reconciliation,” Nyan Win said.

Their last meeting was held on August 12. After the meeting, both sides issued a joint four-point statement of their intent: to cooperate for stability and development in the country; to cooperate for the flourishing of democracy in the country and better development in economic and social areas; to avoid conflicting views; to focus on mutual cooperation and to continue the meetings.

Union Minister Aung Kyi was appointed as liaison minister in October 2007 to meet with Suu Kyi. They have met 11 times. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6002-nld-considers-registering-as-official-political-party.html
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Victory for Burma reformers over dam project
Work on £2.3bn Myitsone dam halted after Burma's president says he has to 'act according to the desire of the people'
Jonathan Watts
guardian.co.uk, Friday 30 September 2011 10.26 BST
Aung San Suu Kyi at Sketch of a River
Aung San Suu Kyi at an exhibition to celebrate the Irrawaddy river - the move is seen as a victory for her campaign to protect the river. Photograph: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA

Burma will suspend a massive Chinese hydropower project on the Irrawaddy river after the country's president joined a chorus of concerns raised by environmentalists, democracy activists and tribal militias.

The proposed halting of the $3.6bn (£2.3bn) Myitsone dam is a remarkable step for a government that has long ruled by military fiat, but appears this time to have put public and ecological concerns ahead of economic priorities and the interests of its powerful neighbour.

In a rare concession to opposition groups, President Thein Sein informed parliament on Friday that construction of the 3,600MW project on Burma's most important river should be in halted because it was against the will of the people.

The decision will be seen as a victory for Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's pro-democracy opposition. In August, the Nobel laureate called for the plan to be reassessed and greater efforts be made to protect the Irrawaddy and the interests of people who would be affected.

Chief among them are the residents of the Kachin region, which would have been flooded by a reservoir the size of New York City, forcing the displacement of 10,000 people and submerging important cultural sites.

Earlier this year, the Kachin Independence Organisation broke a 17-year-ceasefire after warning that it would fight to block the project.

Environmental groups warned that the dam, which was to be built by the China Gezhouba Group on the confluence of the Mali and N'Mai, would inundate one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and pose a major risk in the event of an earthquake.

The Burma Rivers Network, an NGO which represents communities along the river, released what it says is a leaked environmental assessment jointly commissioned by the Burmese and Chinese authorities that recommends scrapping the project.

There has clearly been a tussle inside the government over the issue. Earlier this month, the minister for electric power, U Zaw Min, insisted the plan would go ahead. Senior environmental officials, however, have urged caution.

Thein Sein may be taking a risk with the announcement. His government took over this year from the junta that ruled Burma for decades and is still thought to be under the influence of the military. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/30/victory-burma-reformers-dam-project
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Myanmar suspends dam project after rare outcry
(AFP) 30 September 2011

Myanmar’s new army-backed government has suspended a controversial $3.6 billion hydroelectric power project following rare public opposition, a govt official.

Opposition to the dam has been building as pro-democracy and environmental activists test the limits of their freedom under the new nominally civilian regime, which is dominated by former military officers.

President Thein Sein told lawmakers in the capital Naypyidaw that work on the Chinese-backed Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy River in northern Kachin state would be halted during the term of the current government.

“The president decided to stop the dam project because the government is elected by the people and the government has to respect the will of the people,” said the official, who did not want to be named.

Environmentalists have warned the dam project would inundate dozens of villages, displace at least 10,000 people and irreversibly damage one of the world’s most biodiverse areas.

For the people of Kachin, the Myitsone dam has come to symbolise the struggles they have faced for decades as a marginalised ethnic group in the repressed nation under almost half a century of military rule.

Police last week arrested a man who staged a rare solo protest against the project outside a Chinese embassy building in Yangon.

They also blocked a rally this week by people seeking the release of political prisoners and an end to the Myitsone project, electricity from which is destined for neighbouring China. No arrests were made on that occasion.

“For the contract with the Chinese company, both sides will discuss it based on goodwill,” the official said.

Protests are rare in authoritarian Myanmar, where pro-democracy rallies in 1988 and 2007 were brutally crushed by the junta. Demonstrators must have permission from the authorities. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/September/international_September1188.xml§ion=international&col=
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Suu Kyi and gov’t minister discuss amnesty and establishing peace
Friday, 30 September 2011 18:20 Mizzima News

Rangoon (Mizzima) – Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and government Labour Minister Aung Kyi discussed granting amnesty and establishing peace with ethnic armed groups on Friday.

At a joint press conference after their 77-minute meeting in Rangoon, they also said they discussed cooperating in conservation efforts to protect the Irrawaddy River and to cooperate for the stability of the country and the prevalence of law and order. They also also said the meetings will continue.
Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the media in Rangoon after her third meeting with Burmese government Minister of Labour Aung Kyi on Friday, September 30, 2011. They discussed amnesty, the halt of the Myitsone Dam project and peace with ethnic armed groups. Photo: Mizzima

Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the media in Rangoon after her third meeting with Burmese government Minister of Labour Aung Kyi on Friday, September 30, 2011. They discussed amnesty, the halt of the Myitsone Dam project and peace with ethnic armed groups. Photo: Mizzima

It was Suu Kyi’s third meeting with Union Minister Aung Kyi under the new government led by President Thein Sein.

Suu Kyi also told reporters that she welcomed President Thein Sein’s decision to halt the Myitsone Dam project at some point during his government’s tenure.

Suu Kyi said, “It’s very good that [the government] listens to the people’s voice. That is a task every government must do. Governments need to work to solve the problems that make people worry.”

On Friday, President Thein Sein informed both houses of the Burmese Parliament by letter that the Myitsone Dam project on the Irrawaddy River would be halted at some point during his government’s tenure, citing people’s concern about the dam’s impact on the environment.

The letter also said that without spoiling the friendship between China and Burma, the government would discuss the contract agreed to with China, which is funding the dam project that will generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity

Meanwhile, many people have welcomed the president’s decision on the Internet.

In reply to a question whether the National League for Democracy (NLD) and its leader Suu Kyi would contest in the coming by-election or not, the labour minister answered that if the NLD registers as a political party, the government is ready to cooperate with the NLD. Presently, the NLD is the main opposition group outside of the Burmese Parliament.

Regarding registering as a political party, Suu Kyi, who spent 14 years under house arrest, said that she must first consult with the NLD leadership. The NLD did not re-register to become a political party prior to the 2010 elections.

“We don’t oppose elections according to any policy. We have already accepted that elections are a part of a democratic system,” Suu Kyi said. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6005-suu-kyi-and-govt-minister-discuss-amnesty-and-establishing-peace.html
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Verdict on Burma-Bangladesh Dispute Due in March
By SIMON ROUGHNEEN Friday, September 30, 2011

BANGKOK—Burma and Bangladesh will have to wait until March 2012 for a verdict on their disputed maritime boundary, in a case that could facilitate both sides in acquiring new gas and oil supplies in the energy-rich Bay of Bengal.

Amid a background of stalled bilateral negotiations and sometimes acrimonious relations, hearings ran from Sept 8 -24 at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany.

International legal experts and academics lent weight to the proceedings—which unlike the simmering multi-state dispute over the gas and oil-laden South China Sea and various islands in the area—looks set to be resolved without acrimony. The outcome could establish some international maritime legal precedent, which in turn could have a bearing on any international law-based resolution to the South China Sea conundrum.

Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni addressed the opening of the hearings, expressing confidence that the proceedings and the resolution would lead to better bilateral ties.

"Our two states have long enjoyed strong ties born out of the familiarity that comes with being neighbors," she said.

However, relations between the two sides are often touchy, and the case came to the ITLOS after became Bangladeshi angered at Burmese-backed exploration work in the disputed waters, carried out by Korean company Daewoo in 2008. Prior to that, decades of on-off bilateral talks over the maritime boundary went nowhere, leading to dangerous November 2008 and October 2009 stand-offs, after it became apparent that the seabed contained gas and oil deposits.

A leaked diplomatic cable from the US Embassy in Dhaka shows that the Bangladeshi authorities feared possible Burmese military action after the 2008 dispute. According to the document, dated Aug 3 2009, “Prime Minister's Security Advisor Major General (ret) Tarique Ahmed Siddique expressed concern about the possibility of hostilities with Burma related to the ongoing maritime boundary dispute. Tarique confided that he had recently been briefed by Bangladesh's Defense Advisor in Burma, who assessed that the Burmese were planning military action.”

The cable recounted a separate Aug 1 2009 meeting with Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff Gen Abdul Mubin, who, according to the cable, opined that “the Burmese had been humiliated by the need to back down and withdraw an exploration rig from the disputed waters in the Bay. He feared that the Burmese would seek revenge to coincide with the anniversary of the confrontation.” Weeks later, in October 2009, both countries sent warships to the disputed waters.

The Bangladesh military representatives said that they feared the military edge lay with the Chinese-backed Burmese, and were in turn seeking US assistance. However, in a later cable dated Nov 21 2009, “on November 5 the (US) Ambassador advised the (Bangladesh) PM that the US did not see any indications that Burma was preparing for aggressive action against Bangladesh, despite alarmist reports in the Bangladeshi media.”

Other companies—such as India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), China National Petroleum Corp., and ConocoPhilipps—have shown an interest in exploration in the disputed zone, raising the prospect of a new site of competition between China and India for commercial and strategic influence in the region.

ONGC operations off the Vietnam coast prompted an angry Chinese reaction earlier this month, with Beijing saying the exploration work was taking place in disputed waters in the South China Sea. Vietnam calls the sea the East Sea and says the work was within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the area extending to 200 nautical miles from the country’s coast. Within this area, the coastal nation has sole exploitation rights over all natural resources, and the region includes the 12-mile territorial sea zone directly off the coast.

India lost out to China over Burma's Shwe Gas fields, located south of the disputed Burma-Bangladesh maritime border, with the Burmese Government hoping to start piping the gas to China by 2013, which will earn Naypyidaw almost US $30 billion in revenue over the life-span of the field, according to the Shwe Gas Movement.

India has a separate, but related, dispute with Bangladesh over territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal, which some analysts say could overlap with the Burma-Bangladesh issue, meaning that a trilateral agreement or arbitration could be necessary to resolve the seemingly-interlocking claims.

While Burma exports most of its gas and oil, Bangladesh needs energy supplies for its domestic economy, and according to a Nov 11, 2009 cable from the US embassy in Dhaka, “is taking steps to encourage foreign investment in natural gas exploration and other energy projects,” including offshore.

Julia Ritter, the press officer at the ITLOS, told The Irrawaddy that “the judges will now deliberate on the case and a tentative date for the judgment has been set for March 14, 2012.” After listening to a series of highly-technical arguments and counter-proposals, pouring over the finer points of international maritime law, the judges will likely need the six months to assess the case and finalize a ruling. http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22175
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