News & Articles on Burma-Thursday, October 13, 2011-uzl

Burma needs releasing all political detainees for genuine change
By Zin Linn Oct 13, 2011 10:44PM UTC

The President Thein Sein government announced on Tuesday that it would release 6,359 prisoners under an amnesty based on a condition for old-aged, ailing and obedient. As of Wednesday, the first batch of prisoners was released. But, in the end of the day about two hundred political prisoners appeared to have been freed, according to friends and families of detainees through the media.

A well-known freed prisoner of conscience was Zarganar (alias) Ko Thura who was arrested in June 2008. He had been sentenced to 35 years in a remote prison after criticizing the then-ruling junta for its sluggish response to Cyclone Nargis, which killed more than 140,000 lives when it smashed the Irrawaddy delta in May 2008.

The well-known comedian Zarganar, who was released yesterday morning, commented on the current situation, “If we talk about change in Burma, what I dare say is no change at all and I still don’t accept as true that Burma is really on the reform path. According to my experience, the president is too stingy. What I mean is that only a few political prisoners released.”

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) based in Thai-Burma border, the regime freed only 206 political detainees, but kept most of its almost 2,000 political prisoners – including democracy campaigners, journalists, students, monks and lawyers – incarcerated.

Even though prominent political prisoners Gen. Hso Ten and Zarganar were released, many other prominent student leaders such as Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Min Zeya, Htay Kywe and ethnic leaders such as U Khun Tun Oo are still languishing in tarnished jails in Burma.

Another well-known female labor activist, Su Su Nway, was also released on Wednesday from remote Hkam-ti prison. She was arrested in 2007 and sentenced to 12 years in prison, later reduced to 8 years and six months for protesting with a poster not far away from a hotel where Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinhero, United Nations Special Raporteur for Human Rights in Burma, was then staying.

Bo Kyi, joint-secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, said that he was very disappointed with the Wednesday amnesty that allowed a small number of political detainees.

“What this Thein Sein government’s prisoner-release stance is the same as the previous military regime,” he said, referring to the releases of a few political prisoners on Wednesday as a sign of starting change to deceive or persuade Western democracies and international community.

Although Government said it released 6,359 prisoners, most of them were ordinary criminals. In addition, the government constantly refuses to recognize that there are nearly 2,000 political prisoners in its notorious prisons.

But human rights organization Amnesty International said authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all remaining prisoners of conscience.

Many political prisoners were sentenced to decades in jail and have endured “torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”, according to Amnesty International, which urged the new nominally civilian government to go further. AI Spokesman Benjamin Zawacki said he was disappointed more political prisoners have not been released.

Ojea Quintana, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar (Burma), said some of the most significant dissidents had not been released and more than 1,000 prisoners of conscience remained behind bars. The U.N. rights investigator for the isolated country wants many more freed before the end of the year.

Mr. Quintana said he expected country’s military rulers to hold by-elections by year’s end, and he would like to see the release of remaining political prisoners by then.

“It’s very important that the government finish with this process of release before the elections,” he told Reuters News Agency in an interview.

in fact, many more important politicians are still languishing in Burma’s remote prisons where daily food and medical care are so poor.

In handling the question of political prisoners, the new President Thein Sein government must get rid of the policy of previous junta headed by Senior General Than Shwe. If the present government has a policy of good governance, it should allow the participation of good oppositions in the nation’s political process as a sign of democratic change.

Keeping the political dissidents in prison and shouting democracy slogans will not win over political supports domestically or internationally. So, it is time for Burmese government to free all political detainees in an attempt to build true national reconciliation plus peaceful and prosperous country in the ASEAN society. http://asiancorrespondent.com/67183/burma-needs-releasing-all-political-detainees-for-genuine-change/
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After latest release, UN expert urges Myanmar to free all political prisoners
13 October 2011 –

An independent United Nations human rights expert today welcomed the decision by Myanmar’s President to grant amnesty and release a significant number of detainees and urged the Government to free the remaining political prisoners.

The exact number of political prisoners included in the release that began yesterday has yet to be confirmed, according to a news release issued in Geneva. However, it is believed to be more than 200, including a number of prominent figures. Human rights groups estimate that there are some 2,000 political prisoners still behind bars.

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, said the release is an “important further step” by the country’s authorities to respond to international concern and advance political reconciliation.

“I am pleased that these prisoners who have suffered so long can be reunited with their families and again play a part in national life,” said the expert.

Among those released are some prisoners whose cases have been previously addressed by the Special Rapporteur as well as some individuals he had visited in jail during his visits to the Asian nation.

Mr. Quintana also voiced concern at the ongoing detention of a large number of political prisoners, many of whom are suffering serious health problems from the harsh conditions of their detention.

“These are individuals who have been imprisoned for exercising their fundamental human rights or whose fair trial or due process rights have been denied,” he said.

“Their release would be an important step for the democratic transition, and would be welcomed by people both inside and outside the country. It is imperative that the Government completes the liberation of all such prisoners.”

Mr. Quintana called on the Government to immediately improve the conditions of detention and the treatment of prisoners in compliance with international standards.

“This is a key moment in Myanmar’s history and there are real opportunities for positive and meaningful developments to improve the human rights situation and deepen the transition to democracy,” said the expert, who reports to the UN Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity.

“The new Government should intensify its efforts to address the many long-standing human rights concerns and advance national reconciliation.”

A new Government was established in Myanmar seven months ago, and more recently the country has received a series of high-level bilateral visits. In addition, President Thein Sein has made a pledge for Myanmar to “catch up with the changing world.”

At a meeting last month in New York of the Group of Friends on Myanmar, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said recent developments bode well for progress in the country, while calling on the new Government to do more to ensure to bring about an inclusive transition.

“Real opportunities for progress exist, but the Government must step up its efforts for reform if it is to bring about an inclusive – and irreversible – transition,” Mr. Ban said in a press statement, adding that the authorities must, in particular, cultivate improved dialogue with all political actors and release all remaining political prisoners. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40037&Cr=myanmar&Cr1=
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Shan Leaders Question Prisoner Release
By KO HTWE Thursday, October 13, 2011

While the release of political prisoners by the Burmese government on Wednesday included Maj-Gen Sao Hso Ten, a leader of the Shan State Peace Council who was serving a 106-year sentence, it did not include other ethnic leaders such as Khun Tun Oo, the chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), causing some ethnic leaders to join other critics in saying that President Thein Sein’s prisoner release was insufficient.

“Shan State Army-South leader Sao Yawdserk said that the Thein Sein government is like the previous military regime—they give special consideration to members of armed groups. This is the reason that Hso Ten and Khun Tun Oo were not released together although they were arrested at the same time. The government takes those with arms more seriously than those without,” said Khuensai Jaiyen, the editor of the Thailand-based Shan Herald Agency for News.

Other observers have pointed out that Hso Ten’s release may be an attempt by the government to gain an advantage in negotiations with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-North), which is engaged in ongoing clashes with government troops, because Hso Ten and Maj Gen Pang Fa, the leader of the SSA-North, are relatives by marriage.

Hso Ten and Khun Htun Oo were among several Shan leaders arrested and accused of high treason after attending a meeting of opposition and ethnic groups in Shan State on Feb. 7, 2005.
Three leaders of the SNLD—which won a landslide victory across Shan State in the 1990 election that was subsequently overturned by the previous junta—were among those sentenced to long prison terms at the time: Khun Tun Oo was sentenced to 93 years and is currently in Putao Prison in Kachin State; Sai Nyunt Lwin was sentenced to 85 years and is being held in Kalay Prison; and Sai Hla Aung was sentenced to 75 years and is being held in Kyaukpyu Prison in Arakan State.

Saw Than Myint, a Central Executive Committee member of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), welcomed the release of Hso Ten and said that five ethnic politic parties will hold a meeting and urge the government to free Khun Tun Oo, the 88 Generation Students group leaders and other political prisoners.

“Khun Tun Oo must be free. We were hoping for his release as part of the amnesty. We feel that all political prisoners should be released. We are also reviewing why General Hso Ten was released but not other leaders,” said Saw Than Myint.

He added that if Hso Ten was released due to his age and deteriorating health, then Khun Tun Oo and other prisoners who are elderly and suffering deteriorating health should be set free as well.

Maj Sai Hla, the SSA-North spokesman, said there are many possible explanations for the release of Hso Ten, but they don’t know the exact reason the government released him and they don't wish to provide further comment.

Hso Ten was set free as part of an amnesty for over 6,000 prisoners granted by Burma’s President Thein Sein. The prisoners released on Wednesday including dissident and popular comedian Zarganar, but did not include prominent activists such as the leaders of the 88 Generation Students group.

There is still some speculation that prisoners will be released in three batches, and many family members of political prisoners remain hopeful that their loved-ones will be set free.

Arakanese leader Aye Thar Aung said he expects that all ethnic leaders and 88 Generation Students group leaders will be released, and that Khun Tun Oo will be set free in one of the next batches of prisoners released.

“We had hoped that Khun Tun Oo would be in the first batch because of his health and age. But I'm also hoping he will be set free in the next batch,” said Aye Thar Aung.

However, after being released from prison on Wednesday, Zarganar said the government does not have a true desire to release all political prisoners.

In addition, Mai Bhone Kyaw, the general secretary of the Palaung State Liberation Front, said, “They [the government] just want to draw international attention and get support by releasing some people. Nothing has changed from the former military leader's strategy. They still keep Khun Tun Oo, Min Ko Naing and other prominent leaders in jail.”

Mai Bhone Kyaw added that because ethnic leader Khun Tun Oo was not released, ethnic people have one more reason why they cannot work with or trust the Burmese government.

“How can we build a peaceful union by jailing ethnic leaders and creating heavy military operations against ethnic people?” he asked. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22252
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Burma’s Prisoner Release Concluded
By THE IRRAWADDY Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Burmese Ministry of Home Affairs said that all of the 6,359 prisoners subject to the amnesty program announced this week by President Thein Sein were released on Wednesday.

The prisoners released included 220 political prisoners, which activists say is a small number compared to the around 2,000 political prisoners being held in Burmese prisons at the time of the release.

An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the released political prisoners were not given any special instructions and the ministry can’t say when there will be another amnesty in the future.

Toe Kyaw Hlaing, one of the leaders of a Rangoon-based group that is organizing a signature campaign for the release of political prisoners, said that many of the political prisoners that were released on Wednesday were close to finishing their sentence.

He also said that many prominent pro-democracy activists and ethnic leaders are still behind bars, and his group will make a survey of the political prisoners who remain incarcerated and will submit their results to pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“The remaining political prisoners could be a barricade to the government reforming and bringing democracy to the country, so we will start the signature campaign and submit the petition to President Thein Sein,” said Toe Kyaw Hlaing.

Four members of the 88 Generation Students group were included in the release on Wednesday: Ko Ko Gyi (aka) Thein Than Tun, Zaw Htet Ko Ko, Lay Lay Mon and Myint Lwin Oo (aka) Thar Gyi.

The Thailand-based Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) released a statement on Thursday stating that the Thein Sein administration attempted to appease the international community by offering its second so-called amnesty. The statement said that although on the 11th of October the announcement was made that 6,359 prisoners would be released, no public information about the actual numbers released has been made accessible.

“AAPP has been monitoring the October 12 prisoner release and we have learned that 220 political prisoners have been freed so far. Many other prominent political prisoners such as Min Ko Naing, U Khun Tun Oo, U Gambira and so on were not included among those released,” the statement said.

The AAPP also said that the prisoner release was not satisfactory and that “we would like to urge the international community to persuade U Thein Sein’s government for the recognition of the existence of political prisoners, and for the unconditional release of all political prisoners under a dignified way.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special envoy on human rights in Burma, told Reuters that some of the most important dissidents had not been released, more than 1,000 prisoners of conscience remained behind bars and many more prisoners need to free before the end of the year.

“What I have seen in my last mission in August is that there are real opportunities for change and there are new institutions being built,” Quintana said, adding that he will submit a report to the UN General Assembly next Wednesday. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22254
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Myanmar assures not to use its territory for insurgent activities against India: MEA
By ANI | ANI –

New Delhi, Oct 13 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said New Delhi has received assurances from Myanmar that its territory will not be allowed to be used for insurgent activities against India.

"With respect to security we have ongoing cooperation with Myanmar. We have also received assurances that Myanmar territory will not be allowed to be used for insurgent activities against India. Both sides remained in close and regular contact in this regard," said MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash, while briefing media persons on the state visit to India of the President of Myanmar Thein Sein.

Myanmar President U Thein Sein arrived in Bodh Gaya on Wednesday on a State visit to India.

The visiting President assumed office on March 30 this year after general elections and this is the first high-level visit from Myanmar to India, of the new civilian government.

"The President is accompanied by his spouse and is leading a high-level delegation that includes a number of his Cabinet colleagues such as the Minister for Border Affairs and Myanmar's Industrial Development, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, the Minister for Religious Affairs, the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Electric Power, the Minister of National Planning and Economic Development as well as the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, the Union Minister for Transport, the Union Minister for Energy, the Minister of Science and Technology, the Union Minister of Commerce, the Chief of General Staff in the Ministry of Defence, the Deputy Minister of Health, a number of senior officials, and other members of the delegation," said Vishnu Prakash.

"He arrived yesterday at Gaya and is presently undertaking a pilgrimage of the holy Buddhist sites at Gaya, Khushinagar and Sarnath. He will be arriving later in the evening at New Delhi," he added.

There will be a ceremonial reception and welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow in honour of the visiting Myanmar President.

"Tomorrow there will be a ceremonial reception and welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. There will be a call on him by the External Affairs Minister followed by delegation-level talks at noon with the Prime Minister of India, signing of some agreements. He would be paying a visit to Akshardham Temple. In the evening he meets the President who also hosts a banquet in the honour of the visiting dignitary," said Vishnu Prakash.

He said the visiting President would also be visiting the Indian Agricultural Research Institute on Saturday before emplaning for Myanmar, as agriculture is an important area of cooperation between the two countries

Vishnu Prakash further said this is the third visit of Myanmar President U Thein Sein to India.

"This is his third visit to India. He first visited India in 2004 during the state visit of Sr. General Than Shwe as Secretary-1 as he was called then. He next visited in November 2008 as the Prime Minister of Myanmar to participate in the BIMSTEC Summit in New Delhi," he said.

Vishnu Prakash said India and Myanmar have enjoyed a longstanding relationship underpinned by ethnic, cultural and linguistic proximities, affinities.

"A large section of the Myanmar population is Buddhist and naturally sees India as their spiritual home. By various counts, something like a million people in Myanmar are of Indian origin," said Vishnu Prakash.

"Four of India's Northeastern States - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram - share a land border with Myanmar, which is more than 1600 kilometres. In fact, Myanmar is the only Southeast Asian State with which we have a land boundary, and as such it is a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and also a gateway to the ASEAN region. Naturally connectivity through Myanmar can play a valuable role in spurring economic development in our northeastern region," he added.

Stating that Myanmar is also an integral part in our Look East Policy, Vishnu Prakash said: "India and Myanmar are members of a number of regional fora including BIMSTEC, the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Plus Six, as well as other international fora. In 2008, Myanmar became an Observer at the SAARC."

" Our relations with Myanmar encompass a number of important areas like security, trade and investments, energy, capacity-building, health and education, science and technology, as well as infrastructure development," he added.

The MEA spokesperson further said India attaches the highest importance to the state visit of the President of Myanmar and is confident that this would place the relationship on an even stronger footing. (ANI) http://in.news.yahoo.com/myanmar-assures-not-territory-insurgent-activities-against-india-155937914.html
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Myanmar: UN assists in disaster mitigation plans

New York, Oct 13 : A senior United Nations official arrived in Myanmar today to help the Government devise measures to reduce the impact of natural disasters through early warning systems and other steps in a country where an estimated 140,000 people were killed and 2.4 million others affected by Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

“Myanmar is one of the most disaster-affected countries in Asia,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström said in a statement issued ahead of her visit.

“It has been hit by six major cyclones in the last 40 years and is also vulnerable to multiple hazards such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and forest fires.

“UNISDR is willing to assist in whatever way we can to help the country reduce its risk which is fundamental to inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation, which are part of the new government’s reform agenda,” she added, referring to UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, which she heads.

“UNISDR is supporting Myanmar in making disaster risk reduction a national and local priority for all citizens through engagement with the new National Disaster Preparedness Committee on developing law and regulations for disaster management and disaster risk reduction,” Ms. Wahlström added.

“I am looking forward to hearing how the responses to Cyclone Giri last year and the Shan State earthquake in March this year benefitted from the many lessons learned from Cyclone Nargis especially in early warning, preparedness and response.”

Giri, a category four cyclone, killed at least 45 people and affected 260,000 others when it struck Myanmar last October, and three months later UN humanitarian agencies reported that key challenges remained, including inadequate shelter, food insecurity and lack of livelihoods.

Ms. Wahlström is due to visit areas that were affected by Nargis.

--IBNS http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-86784.html
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OCTOBER 13, 2011, 12:16 P.M. ET
Myanmar Responds to Critics, Asks for Patience
By CELINE FERNANDEZ

Myanmar's government responded to activists who said its latest prison amnesty didn't include enough political dissidents, asking critics to be patient—and look for ways to encourage the government to do more.

Myanmar said it would release more than 6,000 inmates this week as part of a humanitarian amnesty watched closely by activists and Western diplomats amid signs the country's government may be turning the page on decades of harsh military rule.

By Thursday, though, human rights groups had counted about 200 political dissidents included in the release, leading many to express disappointment that more hadn't been set free. Myanmar held an estimated 600 to 2,100 political prisoners before the amnesty began, human rights groups have said.

In response to the complaints, a government official suggested in an emailed response to questions that critics shouldn't jump to conclusions, and that more changes could follow.

"We understand some people may not be satisfied with recent reforms and asked for more. But we are just starting the democratization process," wrote the official, Ye Htut, director general of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Information in Myanmar.

Myanmar's popular comedian and social activist Zarganar was serving a 35-year sentence in Myitkyina prison in northernmost Kachin State. Myanmar freed Zarganar as it began releasing 6,300 convicts in a liberalizing move Wednesday.

"Recent actions like releasing the prisoners and relaxing press censorship are not the end of the process, but part of the process," he said. "The pace for the process not only depends on the government but also on the cooperation from the other stakeholders and the international community. So they should appreciate, encourage and support all government actions which move to the right direction."

The release appeared insufficient to appease Western nations, which maintain tough economic sanctions on Myanmar, including restrictions on U.S. investment in the resource-rich country. Myanmar's government is accused of widespread human-rights abuses, though analysts have said they are hopeful the country is evolving since a nominally civilian government took power this year after the country's first election in 20 years in 2010.

The U.S. State Department welcomed the prisoner releases, but said its initial reports indicated a majority of political prisoners in the country remain in detention, including protest leader Min Ko Naing, the Associated Press reported. The U.S. reiterated its call for the immediate release of all remaining prisoners of conscience.

Myanmar's Political History

Myanmar, the Southeast-Asian country formerly known as Burma, has faced political turbulence since its oppressive military regime gained power in 1962. See some key events in the country's history.

One of the recently released detainees, the outspoken comedian Zarganar, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview the government needed to go further and "free all prisoners, including political prisoners and military intelligence officers." He said there were 18 political prisoners in the jail where he had been held—and that only three were released on Wednesday.

Western diplomats have repeatedly said they wouldn't judge the latest prisoner release by any specific number, and that it simply needed to be large enough to signal a serious move toward a more-open environment in Myanmar, which has also passed numerous economic overhauls and eased restrictions on the Internet in recent months.

But analysts have said it's unlikely the U.S. or other Western countries would contemplate easing sanctions on Myanmar without more evidence the country is solidly on the path to reform.

Other steps the U.S. and other nations could take include helping bring the World Bank and other multilateral institutions back into the country, or endorsing Myanmar's bid to serve as chairman of the regional Association of Southeast Asian nations grouping in 2014. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204774604576628782578195912.html
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Myanmar: India rejects China rivalry, Sittwe port by 2013
New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS)

A day before holding talks with Myanmar, India Thursday rejected competition with China and opposed sanctions targeting Yangon. New Delhi also set 2013 deadline for completing Sittwe port, a landmark project that will act as a trade gateway for India's northeastern states to southeast Asia.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold wide-ranging talks with Myanmar President U Thein Sein Friday that are expected to expand economic, energy and security cooperation between the two countries.

Thein Sein began his four-day visit to India from Bodh Gaya Wednesday and visited neighbouring Buddhist pilgrimage destinations, including Kushinagar, before touching down in Delhi in the evening.

Signalling Yangon's keenness to expand ties with India across the spectrum, 13 senior ministers handling key portfolios are accompanying Thein Sein to India. Several pacts in areas related to economy and infrastructure development are expected to be signed after the talks.

Ways to expand security cooperation, specially in the context of insurgents of India's northeastern states suspected to be sheltering in the Myanmarese territory, will figure in the discussions.

"We have received assurances that the Myanmarese territory will not be allowed for insurgent activities directed against India," Vishnu Prakash, the spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, told reporters here. Seeking to add greater economic heft to bilateral ties, India said it was confident of making the $120-million Sittwe deep water port functional by June 2013 and described Myanmar as "an important partner in India's quest for energy security."

The port will allow cargo vessels from India’s landlocked Mizoram state to navigate the Kaladan River and connect them to Myanmar and Southeast Asia. “We expect the highway to be completed by 2014,” Harshvardhan Shringla, joint secretary in charge of Myanmar in the external affairs ministry, told reporters while referring to the multi-modal Kaladan project.

The two countries have set a target of nearly doubling their bilateral trade to $3 billion by 2015. Leading energy companies like ONGC Videsh, GAIL and the Eassar group plan to up their stakes in the oil and gas sector in Myanmar.

Ahead of the talks, New Delhi rejected competition with Beijing amid Yangon's fraying ties with Beijing over a mammoth dam. "The relations between nations is not a zero sum game. There is room for everyone," Prakash said here when asked whether India was seeking to counter China's growing influence in the southeast Asian country.
"We have an important relationship with Myanmar. And we have an important relationship with China. There is no competition," said Prakash.

Prakash also underlined New Delhi's opposition to sanctions that have been slapped by some Western countries against Myanmar on account of its perceived human rights violations.

"We have a distaste for sanctions. They do not serve the desired purpose and affect the people who are vulnerable," said Prakash when asked whether New Delhi will use its leverage with Western countries to lift sanctions in the wake of reforms undertaken by the civilian government.

Taking note of significant economic and political reforms, including launching dialogue with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, initiated by the civilian regime, New Delhi also underlined the need for broadbased and inclusive political process in that country.

India has also offered to share parliamentary practices with Myanmar. Significantly, Myanmar's minister for border affairs is also part of the president's delegation. The upgradation of border trade infrastructure will also figure in the discussions.

The two sides will aslo explore greater cooperation in agriculture with India planning to set up an advanced agricultural research centre in Myanmar. Thein Sein will visit the Indian Agriculture Research Institute Saturday morning before heading back to Yangon. Thein Shein, a former general in Myanmar's Army, touched down on a day when the government in Yangon released several political prisoners as part of a general amnesty, bolstering the new regime's reformist credentials. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/197654/myanmar-india-rejects-china-rivalry.html
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Myanmar prisoner amnesty prompts call for all political detainees to be freed, not just 10 pct

Article by: Associated Press
Updated: October 13, 2011 - 8:39 AM

YANGON, Myanmar - A human rights group and prominent activist on Thursday called for Myanmar to free all of its political prisoners after only about 10 percent of an estimated 2,000 were released under a presidential amnesty.

The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said the amnesty for 6,359 convicts was insincere and primarily an effort to appease the international community. It estimated that at least 207 political prisoners had been freed.

"The use of amnesties by past regimes has come at times of mounting international pressure and been used as tokens of change, rather than substance of change," it said in a statement. "This week's prisoner release does not suggest anything different from earlier amnesties."

A major release of political detainees has been eagerly awaited by Myanmar's opposition, as well as foreign governments and the U.N., as a gesture toward liberalization by the elected government after decades of harsh military rule.

A failure to release a significant number could hamper the country's efforts to burnish its human rights record and win a lifting of Western economic and political sanctions.

Zarganar, the most prominent dissident freed Wednesday under the amnesty, issued a plea for all the country's political prisoners to be released.

"Free everyone, free them all, including the former military intelligence chief and his men," the popular comedian and social activist told The Associated Press. He said the former intelligence officers — who once were responsible for persecuting dissidents such as himself and ended up in jail for being on the losing side of a power struggle — should be freed because they were also convicted by the previous military government. http://www.startribune.com/world/131781323.html
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Politics | 13.10.2011
Commentary: Is Myanmar changing for the better?

Myanmar's decision this week to release more than 6,300 prisoners including more than 200 political detainees under the terms of an amnesty has raised hopes in the West. But what is behind the government's actions?

Myanmar's decision this week to release more than 6,300 prisoners including more than 200 political detainees under the terms of an amnesty has raised hopes in the West that the country's political elite may be serious about fostering a democratic system after years of repression. The move was hailed by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as a sign of the new government's pledge to reform. US Senator John Kerry, a senior Democrat who ran for presidency in 2004, hit a similar note when he spoke of "cautious hopes that maybe there's a transition taking place."

The West will get an opportunity to test the waters during Myanmar President Thein Sein's current visit to India, a country which has long argued that the West would be the big loser if it did nothing to counter Myanmar's significant dependence on China. India has the opportunity to encourage Sein to distance himself further from Beijing and to release more political prisoners in return for Indian expertise to help exploiting Myanmar's substantial raw material reserves and help alleviate poverty at home.

Biting the hand that feeds it

There are some signs that such efforts may fall on fertile ground. The prisoner amnesty is the latest in a series of developments which suggest that Myanmar's new president and former senior military junta member, Thein Sein, is willing to make concessions to long-standing demands from Western governments. Since he was sworn in as the country's leader in March 2011 Sein has eased restrictions on 1991 Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the opposition, allowing her to enter the political arena for the first time in 20 years. Indeed in August Sein met Suu Kyi for the first time and was photographed with a picture of her father and independence hero Aung San hanging on his office wall. A gesture like this would have been unthinkable just a year ago. Since that meeting bilateral relations between Myanmar and the US have been enjoying a low-key and modest revival.

Grahame Lucas, head of Deutsche Welle's South Asia DepartmentGrahame Lucas, head of Deutsche Welle's South Asia Department

When on September 30 the Myanmar government suspended a controversial dam building project backed by the country's Chinese neighbors, some observers were quick to point out that this was the first time the government had responded to public opinion in many, many years. And more significantly, it had bitten the Chinese hand that feeds it very hard. A week later an official revealed that the government was reviewing a relaxation of the stringent press freedom laws.

A 'Burmese spring' or tactical considerations?

Against the background of these developments it is possible to argue that a new trend towards democracy and away from political repression is emerging. This week's amnesty can be viewed as evidence of a new course.

But doubts remain. Has the ruling elite - a group of military men who ruled Myanmar with an iron fist for a generation and who demonstrated in the process scant regard for human rights and basic democratic principles - suddenly changed its convictions? This is highly improbable not least because the new constitution, written by the military to ensure their hold on power, is still in place. Neither are there any signs that it will be rewritten any time soon.

A more likely explanation for the new course is that Western sanctions have been taking their toll on the country. Myanmar urgently needs them to be lifted. The sanctions have also dramatically increased the country's dependence upon China – something that observers say is becoming increasing unpopular in Myanmar. For this reason, the signs of a political "spring" in the country are more likely to be a concerted effort by the ruling elite to see how the West will react to small steps toward political liberalization. The fact that the amnesty left most of the country's estimated 2,100 political prisoners behind bars suggests that Thein Sein and his allies are still willing to hold them hostage to see what concessions the West is prepared to make and when. If things do not go according to plan, the government could revert to its old habit of repressing the opposition.

Point of no return

For this reason, Europe, the United States, Germany and Australia are absolutely right to make the release of all political detainees a prerequisite to lifting economic sanctions. It is now up to India to press the issue. After all, the opposition in Myanmar has already expressed its disappointment about the amnesty. At the same time the West should encourage Myanmar to go further. Encouragement is needed because such processes nearly always have a "tipping point" after which they cannot be reversed, as the "Arab spring" shows. The West needs to get Myanmar to that point of no return.

Author: Grahame Lucas
Editor: Sarah Berning http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6637319,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-asia-5133-rdf
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Myanmar amnesty of some 200 political prisoners disappoints
Oct 13, 2011, 10:28 GMT

Yangon - Myanmar's release of an estimated 200 political prisoners this week left hundreds more still in detention, falling far short of the mass release observers were anticipating, sources said Thursday.

'The amnesty included at least 199 political prisoners,' said Nyan Win, spokesman for the National League for Democracy opposition party, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

'We expected they would run into problems with a general amnesty for political prisoners,' Nyan Win said. 'For instance, what about former military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt? He is a political prisoner along with about 40-50 military intelligence guys.'

Khin Nyunt and his military intelligence unit fell from grace in 2004, and most have been in detention since.

The only military intelligence officer to be released on Wednesday was Hla Min, a former spokesman for the junta that ruled Myanmar between 1988 and 2010, sources confirmed.

The government said it released 6,359 prisoners Wednesday on humanitarian grounds and 'for the sake of the nation' in a move watched closely by the international community for signs of an improvement in Myanmar's human rights record under its new government, which took office six months ago.

Although several well-known political activists were released Wednesday, including the comedian U Maung Thura, better known as Zargaran, many more remained in jail.

'Many other prominent political prisoners such as Min Ko Naing, U Khun Tun Oo, U Gambira and so on were not included among those released,' said the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma (AAPPB), which has estimated that there are 2,100 political prisoners.

The association said 207 political prisoners were released in Wednesday's amnesty.

Myanmar has never acknowledged there are political prisoners in its jails.

'Unless they are recognized as political prisoners and their records erased, they will continue to be persecuted in a form of ongoing repression,' AAPPB said in a statement. 'While AAPP welcomes the release of political prisoners, it is much too soon for euphoria.'

A comprehensive release of political prisoners is seen as crucial for the normalization of ties between Myanmar and Western democracies, which have imposed sanctions on the country since 1988 after the army cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators, leaving about 3,000 dead.

The United States welcomed this week's releases but called for further steps from the government, which took office from a military junta after the country's first elections in 20 years.

'I am glad a number of innocent civilians being held as political prisoners have been released, but I am disappointed that this step does not include the release of all individuals that are being wrongfully held,' US Congressman Joseph Crowley said.

'Bold and significant actions, not just words, are needed for true democratic reform in Burma,' he said of Myanmar's government, which is led by former military men. 'I hope Burma's military regime will do the right thing and release all remaining political prisoners, and I urge them to do so immediately and unconditionally.'
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1668582.php/Myanmar-amnesty-of-some-200-political-prisoners-disappoints
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