News & Articles on Burma-Monday, 24 October, 2011-uzl

News & Articles on Burma Monday, 24 October, 2011 ----------------------------------- Decision day looms for NLD Dalai Lama invites Suu Kyi to attend meeting in the Czech Republic U.S. Envoy To Myanmar, Derek Mitchell, Visits Yangon India, Myanmar open up borders Burmese Migrants Fend for Themselves as Flooding Continues Activists slam ‘skewed priorities’ in Japan Burma flooding deaths top 200 MYANMAR-THAILAND: Refugee camps cope with brain drain -------------------------------------- Decision day looms for NLD By Kyaw Hsu Mon , October 24 - 30, 2011 Minister for Labour U Aung Kyi (right) and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speak to the media in Yangon following their second meeting this year, in early August. Pic: Kaung HtetWILL the National League for Democracy re-register as political party? That’s the question on many people’s lips following several months of dialogue between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the government. Speaking to reporters last month, Labour Minister U Aung Kyi said the government would welcome and work with a legal NLD. For her part, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said she needs to consult the party’s senior members before making a decision. While this dialogue – and, in particular, the August 19 meeting between President U Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi – has captured most attention, the government has quietly made several concessions to the NLD that observers believe could tip the balance towards registration. Despite the Ministry of Home Affairs warning the NLD in June not to engage in political activities, the government has tolerated a number of party events and permitted the domestic media to report on them. Win Tin, journalist and NLD member ‘Many people are talking about the party registration but we haven’t decided anything yet.’ U Thu Wai Democratic Party (Myanmar) chairman ‘We don’t know whether the NLD will register – it should be the decision of the party’s members. However, we would welcome the NLD registering; we want them to do it.’ U Khin Maung Swe National Democratic Force co-founder ‘The NLD should register. If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi contests the by-election we will be very happy – we will welcome and support her. Myanmar politics needs Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.’ The Union Election Commission has submitted a bill designed to address NLD concerns with party registration laws, including an amendment that would allow a prisoner to be a member of a political party. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the 200-plus “prisoners of conscience” released in the October 12 amnesty were NLD members. Speaking to The Myanmar Times before the amnesty, U Ko Ko Hlaing, a presidential adviser for political affairs, said the release of a substantial number of NLD members from prison could prove decisive. “Relations between both sides are getting closer and closer. I think that if NLD members were released from prison, the situation might change significantly,” he said. U Ko Ko Hlaing said he expected U Aung Kyi and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to “solve some outstanding issues” at their next meeting but did not elaborate. He said during their most recent discussion, on September 30, U Aung Kyi urged the NLD general secretary to register the party. “At that time, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was thinking [about it] and would discuss [registering] with the party’s central executive committee members. From the government’s side, they are open to them working in accord with the law. However, I’m not sure how deeply they discussed the issue at that time,” he said. Observers have mixed views on how the NLD should move forward, but the consensus appeared to be that the benefits of registering outweigh any potential downside. Journalist Maung Wuntha, who won the seat of Waw as an NLD representative in 1990, said he believed the NLD should register and compete in by-elections to be held in 48 constituencies later this year. He said the party would need to explain clearly to supporters its reasons for registering if leaders did go down that route. “We need experienced politicians in this transition period. The NLD still has these kind of people and, in my view, there will be no drop [in support for the NLD] if the party registers,” he said. If the NLD contested the by-election it “might become a formidable opposition party”, he said. “In the hluttaw the Union Solidarity and Development Party is powerful but most [opposition] parties are not really strong … that is why the NLD should register,” Maung Wuntha said. U Thein Nyunt, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Thingangyun and a former NLD member, said he gave up on the party when it encouraged people not to vote in the May 2008 referendum. “We served the party for more than 20 years but when I said I planned to vote in the referendum I was attacked by the party, and told not to vote. Because of that I don’t want to talk about what the party should do in the future,” he said. “It is up to each person to decide what is best for them … like everyone else, I am also just waiting and seeing what will happen.” Comedian Zaganar agreed that the decision should only be made by the NLD members but he suggested one alternative to registering would be to create a “proxy” party. “At least they should form a proxy party led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that could attract young people. I told that idea to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as soon as I was released from prison. It is aimed at all young people in the country.” The issue has captured the attention of not only politicians and observers but also many people without a political affiliation. http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/598/news59815.html --------------------------------------- Dalai Lama invites Suu Kyi to attend meeting in the Czech Republic Monday, 24 October 2011 19:00 Ko Pauk New Delhi (Mizzima) – Burmese Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been invited by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan religious leader, to attend a conference in the Czech Republic. The National League for Democracy said the meeting in early December would include Nobel Peace laureates and other world leaders. Since 1988 when Suu Kyi returned Burma, she has never gone out of the country. She has received about 100 international awards, but has not attended any of the presentation ceremonies. There is public concern that if she leaves to visit a foreign country, she would not be granted re-entry into Burma. Normally, Suu Kyi sends a video message to international meetings and conferences or participates in live discussions. http://www.mizzima.com/news/breaking-and-news-brief/6099-dalai-lama-invites-suu-kyi-to-attend-meeting-in-the-czech-republic.html ---------------------------------------- U.S. Envoy To Myanmar, Derek Mitchell, Visits Yangon Myanmar; 10/24/11 06:05 AM ET AP YANGON, Myanmar — The United States' special envoy to Myanmar has arrived for his second visit in two months amid hope that Myanmar's government is serious about political reform. A Myanmar official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information, says Derek Mitchell arrived in Yangon on Monday and will travel to the capital, Naypyitaw, to meet with government leaders. Mitchell said last week after Myanmar released about 200 political prisoners that Washington sees encouraging signs of openness in the country, which was under military rule for decades until this past March. The U.S. Embassy, which declined to confirm Mitchell's arrival, says Mitchell will visit frequently to engage with the government while continuing to express concerns about repression. (This version corrects that Myanmar official, not U.S. Embassy, confirmed Mitchell's visit.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/24/myanmar-derek-mitchell-visit_n_1027798.html --------------------------------------- 24 Oct, 2011, 03.53PM IST, IANS India, Myanmar open up borders AIZAWL: In a reciprocal gesture, Myanmar has decided to allow Indians living in border areas of four northeastern states to travel upto 16 km inside its territory without a passport or visa, a Mizoram government official said Monday. "The reciprocal arrangements for the visit of both Indians and Mynmarese were discussed in detail at a deputy commissioner-level meeting held at Falam in Myanmar's Chin state last week," a Mizoram home department official here told IANS. India had already made a similar announcement earlier this year, allowing unrestricted entry of Myanmarese up to 16 km territory inside Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. "Besides residents of Mizoram, inhabitants of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh would be allowed to visit the other side of the Myanmar border," the official said. Citizens of both countries can stay on the other side of the border for a maximum period of one week. Mizoram's Champhai district Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Kumar Bidhuri led the Indian delegation at the meeting held Saturday. Official of both countries have also agreed to work together in curbing trafficking of rare orchids, animal organs and skins, drugs and sandalwood. The tribal-dominated population on both sides of the border share common lifestyles and traditions. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram share a 1,640 km-long border with Myanmar, manned by the Assam Rifles on the Indian side. The dense forests make the border porous and vulnerable. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/india-myanmar-open-up-borders/articleshow/10474931.cms ------------------------------------- Burmese Migrants Fend for Themselves as Flooding Continues By KO HTWE Friday, October 21, 2011 As floods continue to wreak havoc throughout much of central Thailand, Burmese migrants living in the country have been left largely to fend for themselves, according to volunteers working in some of the worst-hit areas. “In Pathum Thani, many migrant workers live in remote areas, so it's difficult for people to bring them food, and if they try to reach relief centers on their own, it can take up to five hours,” said Thet Thet Oo, a member of a volunteer group formed to help stranded Burmese workers. Many of Thailand's estimated two to four million Burmese migrant workers live in the country's industrial heartland, where flooding has been most most severe. Among the most affected areas are Ayutthaya, Thailand's ancient capital, and the provinces of Prathum Thani and Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok. According to labor rights groups, lack of relief assistance is not the only problem Burmese migrants are facing. In some cases, workers also have problems with employers and police due to their immigration status (only around 1.3 million Burmese migrants in Thailand are legally registered). “We have heard of cases where employers cannot provide work but are not allowing migrants to have their documents, employers telling workers to resign or go home, and also cases when police are arresting migrants who travel across provincial boundaries to escape flooding,” said Andy Hall, a foreign expert at Bangkok's Mahidol University and a consultant to the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), a migrant rights group. Hall advised migrants who cannot access emergency assistance or are denied it or discriminated against to urgently report their case to NGOs, labor unions or officials they can trust so these people can demand action from the government. But as thousands of Burmese attempt to make their way back to their home country to escape the disaster in Thailand, the most important advice, according to Thet Thet Oo, is to resist the temptation to make the difficult journey to the border. “Some migrants who are struggling to cope with the floods want to go back to Burma, but some have been arrested trying to make the trip,” she said. “That's why I would like to urge them not to go anywhere without documents and just stay at a relief center for a while.” Meanwhile, in Mahachai, an area on the southwestern outskirts of Bangkok with a high concentration of Burmese migrants working in the fish-processing industry, many workers are taking their own precautions as the Thai capital braces for a deluge of floodwaters from the north. “People here are worried, so some are stocking up on instant noodles and moving their belongings to the apartments of friends living in tall buildings,” said Aie Lawi Mon, a worker living in Mahachai. As Burmese migrants do whatever it takes to ride out the floods, however, they shouldn't forget that there is another potential source of assistance available to them: the Burmese embassy in Bangkok. According to Hall, the embassy has offered to help both those who need a place to stay in Thailand, and those who want to go back home to Burma. Although the embassy doesn't have much of a system in place for dealing with these situations, Burmese shouldn't hesitate to contact the embassy for help, he said. “The Myanmar [Burmese] embassy has been showing increased interest in migrant issues lately, and we hope this flooding will be another opportunity for the Myanmar government to show it is genuine about protecting migrant workers in Thailand,” said Hall. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22308 --------------------------------------- Activists slam ‘skewed priorities’ in Japan By AYE NAI, Published: 24 October 2011 Activists gathered outside the Japanese foreign ministry in Tokyo at the weekend to protest the visit of a top Burmese government official, echoing warnings from Human Rights Watch that Japan should prioritise dialogue on political prisoners in Burma over that of business. Wunna Maung Lwin rounded off a three-day visit to Japan on Saturday last week, becoming the first foreign minister to visit the country since 1995. Japan has mooted the idea of resuming Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Burma in the wake of the new government’s apparently reformist agenda and the release of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi last year. Myat Thu, a Burmese national and organiser of the protest in Tokyo, told DVB that Japan should only resume ODA “after studying [the situation] thoroughly”. “We are also calling [on Japan] to urge the Burmese government through Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin to release all political prisoners and immediately stop the fighting in ethnic regions,” he added. Protesters reportedly tried to hand a letter to foreign ministry staff who refused to accept it. Kanae Doi, Japan director at Human Rights Watch, urged Tokyo to resist taking the signs of change in Burma at face-value, and called for greater scrutiny from Japanese policymakers. “Japan should not be seduced into thinking thatBurma’s recent announcements and gestures are sufficient when abuses continue in ethnic areas and many hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars.” Ties between the two countries soured after Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention in 2003, before nose-diving following the shooting of Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai by a Burmese solider in September 2007, but appear to be warming. But any resumption of cordial relations at a time when human right violations are still ongoing in Burma would contradict Japan’s stated policy on Burma, which is to encourage “solid democratization and national reconciliation,” the group said. Following a visit to Burma by Vice Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta in June, Japanese press suggested the resumption of aid would focus on medical assistance in the field of malaria prevention and tuberculosis, agricultural assistance, and the potential training of Burmese in Japan. Japan is also pushing its relations with Burma in a bid stem China’s growing regional clout, particularly in light of China’s decision to block exports of rare earth metals to Japan, which are vital for its booming technologies sector. Both Japan and South Korea have bid to explore for rare earths in Burma. http://www.dvb.no/news/activists-slam-%e2%80%98skewed-priorities%e2%80%99-in-japan/18351 --------------------------------- Burma flooding deaths top 200 By THAN WIN HTUT Published: 24 October 2011 Officials in the flood-hit town of Pakokku in Burma say 215 people have been confirmed dead, but locals there warn the eventual figure could reach 300 once missing persons are accounted for. A DVB reporter in Pakokku said an additional 1,700 people from that town alone are sheltering in local monasteries. In Seikphyu township in Magwe division, nearly 3,700 houses were inundated with floodwaters, almost 1,200 of which were swept away. Schools and monasteries have also been closed. “The clearing of the town [Pakokku] is not finished, even after two or three days,” said our reporter. “The situation is still bad and some people are still salvaging corpses.” He said that on Saturday, eight corpses were recovered from the flood waters. Three rescue centres have been set up in monasteries in the town. The Rangoon-based Myanmar Times quoted township officials in Pakokku as saying that 215 people are confirmed dead. It added however that residents, “many of whom were still searching for the bodies of their missing relatives, told The Myanmar Times the death toll was likely to be almost 300”. Another DVB reporter in Pakokku said that rescue organisations put the figure for Pakokku, Myaing and Pauk closer to 500. “I can see collapsed places. What we saw up until yesterday were three children and one mother discovered while [rescue teams were] digging the sand. I also saw rescue workers taking out rotten corpses that died inside houses.” He added that officials were seen confiscating memory cards from cameras “but they returned cameras. They also asked you to delete photos”. A donation centre has opened at Thiwatha Rama monastery in Pakokku, but those who want to donate are required to notify officials one day prior, with information about the content and amount of material they will be handing over. Reports on 20 October claimed a flash flood wiped away thousands of homes in a 100-miles radius in Magwe division. The exact cause of the flooding has not been confirmed, although speculation centres on a storm that came in from the Bay of Bengal coast before unleashing destruction on Magwe division. Neighbouring Thailand is currently experiencing its worst floods in more than 50 years. More 350 have been confirmed dead and 110,000 displaced, while Bangkok braces itself for a potential costly month ahead. http://www.dvb.no/news/burma-flooding-deaths-top-200/18344 ----------------------------------------- MYANMAR-THAILAND: Refugee camps cope with brain drain Photo: David Longstreath/IRIN MAE SOT, 24 October 2011 (IRIN) - Since third-country resettlement for Burmese refugees living in Thailand started in 2005, all 50 teachers at the Tham Hin refugee camp’s school have had to be replaced. There are numerous other examples of refugees in the 10 camps along the Thai-Burmese border being trained up to serve in schools or medical facilities, only to leave for third countries without warning. Mae Tao Clinic, which serves refugees and internally displaced persons, has lost 200 staff members to resettlement, while the International Rescue Committee (IRC) lost 400 - 80 percent of its camp-based staff, many of them health workers; some with 10 years of work experience. Today, among the nearly 150,000 residents still living in the camps, the sentiment is bittersweet: On the one hand, 72,000 Burmese refugees who had suffered decades of stateless limbo finally have a home; on the other, resettlement has caused an enormous vacuum in the ethnic Karen refugee community, which has long taken pride in managing, teaching and providing care for its own. “Other refugee camps are administered by host governments, UNHCR [the UN Refugee Agency] or other NGOs. We have the opportunity to govern our own people,” said George (who goes by one name only), secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC), which oversees seven camps along the 1,800km border. “When resettlement started, because of the brain drain, we have had difficulties with the health sector, education sector and camp management sector. Most of the young people who have capacity or skills left their camps for resettlement. The rest are unskilled and old people. “We are now facing problems because in the KRC committee, we have a lot of elderly people, like me. I’m now 60. If I were born in your country, I would retire or resign. We need to balance the young and the old on our committee.” Adaptation strategies According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 9,000 refugees will be resettled this year, and another 10,000 in 2012. Most end up in the USA, Australia and Canada. Camp-based and international organizations, meanwhile, are learning to cope with the loss. “For the first two-three years, we were playing catch up, because people would be gone, and we were losing institutional knowledge,” said Sally Thompson, deputy executive director of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), an umbrella group of NGOs working along the border. “That has now slowed down. Gradually others have been trained to take their places, and so programmes have been able to adapt.” The KRC’s education arm - including 1,500 teachers for 36,000 kindergarten to grade 12 students - launched a one-month teacher training crash course and changed its policy to allow those who complete middle school to teach grades one to six. The Karen Student Network Group - young community organizers - flattened its hierarchy, allowing lower-ranking members to make decisions so that when its 30-year-old president, Poe Shan, left for Canada in September, others could more easily step into his shoes. IRC, whose mandate is to assist refugees, expected their health workers to be among the first to leave, and prepared well in advance by ramping up its 18-month medical training programme. However, many staff these days require more on-the-job mentoring and coaching. “One of the biggest challenges is having a brand new workforce made up primarily of well-meaning, well-intentioned, but very young and new health services staff,” said Christine Petrie, IRC’s deputy director of programmes. “It’s more labour intensive for us. They’re young and experienced, having gone through training, but they need lots of support.” Trainees commit to staying… temporarily Eh Thwa, the training manager and volunteer coordinator for Mae Tao Clinic, spent two years training a man who resettled in the UK, and a year with a woman who moved to the USA. Another man whom she trained for a few months failed to show up for work one day. “He resettled, but I don’t know to what country. He didn’t tell me. I only heard after he left already. A boy in his dormitory told me,” she said. “This is very frustrating.” Those who enrol in Mae Tao Clinic’s training programmes now have to work at the clinic for a minimum of two years. A guarantor who co-signs the enrolment forms has to pay a 5,000 baht (US$165) fee if the trainee leaves, though Eh Thwa acknowledges that losing staff to resettlement is ultimately good. “People who live here do not have ID cards. They are not recognized by Thailand or Burma. We cannot say, ‘work here at Mae Tao Clinic, do not leave’. Maybe one day their children will finish university and can come back and serve the community.” at/ds/cb http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94047