News & Articles on Burma-Saturday, 10 December 2011-uzl

News & Articles on Burma Saturday, 10 December 2011 ------------------------------------------- Myanmar onslaught on Kachin rebels behind exodus US uses carrot-and-stick policy for Myanmar Ethnic wars cast pall over Burma reforms Concern about welfare of Burma's displaced people No peace talks, No humanitarian aid in Kachin State of Burma Myanmar To Effectively Promote Human Rights The Burma Road 'Humanitarian crisis' in Burma Rape Used as Military Weapon Repression continues in Burma despite signs of change China tells Kachin refugees: go home Myanmar Seeks 'Win-Win-Win' in Balancing U.S.-China Competition ----------------------------------------- The Penninsula Myanmar onslaught on Kachin rebels behind exodus Saturday, 10 December BANGKOK: Myanmars continued military offensive against ethnic Kachin rebels in the north has sent tens of thousands fleeing their home and threatens a humanitarian crisis, a campaign group said yesterday. Recent ceasefire talks between the nominally civilian government that took office in March and at least two ethnic armed groups have had some success, but tension with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has increased to boiling point, Refugees International said. Fighting in the decades-old conflict flared up in June in pockets of the jungle in the northern state of Kachin controlled by the KIA and its political wing, the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), after a 17-year ceasefire broke down. Refugees International is extremely concerned for the safety of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that are living in various camps in KIO-controlled areas whose shelters and camps are right in between the Tatmadaw (the army) and the KIO bases, said Lynn Yoshikawa, Refugees Internationals southeast Asia advocate. The conflict in Kachin State requires both immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term assistance, she told a news conference in Bangkok, after a recent visit to Myitkyina, the state capital, and other ethnic areas. Aid agencies and sources in the area estimate between 30,000 and 40,000 people are living in makeshift jungle camps in KIO-controlled areas not accessible to many aid organisations, including the United Nations. Assistance is only possible through neighbouring China, which has publicly stated its unwillingness to host a huge number of IDPs, Yoshikawa said, urging donors to provide funds for local Kachin groups that are supporting the displaced. Fighting has intensified in the past week and refugee camps have swollen, sources from Kachin said. Its like an exodus, said an ethnic Kachin woman who works closely with aid workers and did not want to be identified. New camps are being created every day. Many are not recorded, she said in Yangon, showing detailed lists of numbers of IDPs that she and colleagues had collated. A Myitkyina resident who declined to be named because she feared for the safety of her family and herself said a gun battle had been heard in the town on the night of December 6. We hear bombs every night. We are used to it. But not gunfire, said the woman, who described herself as a freelance relief worker. She said checkpoints dotted the city of about 100,000 people and although there was no official curfew, nobody dares go out after 5.30 or 6pm. We keep hearing about arrests for no reason. Yoshikawa said it was not clear what was behind the fighting or who was ordering the army to go on the offensive. But it is not a promising sign for ethnic peace throughout the area, she said. Hillary Clinton, who last week became the first US secretary of state to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years, has urged the country to take further steps to release political prisoners and end ethnic conflicts. REUTERS http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/s.-asia/philippines/175194-myanmar-onslaught-on-kachin-rebels-behind-exodus.html --------------------------------------- US uses carrot-and-stick policy for Myanmar Updated: 2011-12-10 08:06 By Tao Wenzhao (China Daily) Hillary Clinton's recent visit to Myanmar, the first by a secretary of state of the United States since 1955, has drawn worldwide attention. The visit is believed to be a major step toward disseminating American values in the Asian country as part of the US President Barack Obama's "return-to-Asia" policy. The scheduled withdrawal of troops from Iraq and a similar move for Afghanistan signify Washington's intention of accelerating its "return-to-Asia" offensive on the military, political, economic and ideological fronts. The US and Myanmar have been at loggerheads for decades, reflected in US sanctions against Myanmar since 1988 when the military assumed power in the Southeast Asian country. Since then, ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between the US and Myanmar have been downgraded to the charge d'affaires level. But despite the low-level diplomatic link, the US didn't shut out Myanmar from its strategic vision. For example, the US organized more than 20 visits by its officials to Myanmar in the past two decades, including three visits by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, to maintain continuous pressure on the Myanmar government and promote US-style "democratic reforms" in the country. After the elections last November, Myanmar completed its transition from military to civilian rule and launched some reforms, including revision of the election law and release of some political prisoners - including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's release from years-long house arrest. Bans on some newspapers have been lifted, too. Washington sees all these as the result of its push for the US-style democracy and values. Through Clinton's visit, the US sent a clear message to the Myanmar government that it welcomes the changes and the country's transition to a democratic society. But the US still thinks, as Clinton told the Myanmar government, that the country is far from meeting the West-advocated democratic criteria and thus should continue walking on its nascent "democratic path". Besides, she also urged Myanmar to cut ties, especially military ties, with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Some commentators now fear that Clinton's visit could affect Myanmar's ties with China. Such worries are unwarranted, for the foundation of China-Myanmar ties is not that fragile. Myanmar was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, and the first country to embrace the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, an international relations norm agreed to by China and India in 1954. Despite having a 2,000-kilometer-long border between them, China and Myanmar agreed to settle their border issue way back in 1960, setting a good example for border disputes among other countries. As a result, the China-Myanmar border is now one of peace, friendship and cooperation, with people on both sides co-existing peacefully. As a sovereign nation, Myanmar has the right to establish and develop ties with any country it wants, including the US. But the decades-long sanctions imposed by the US and the United Nations have hurt Myanmar's economic development and compromised its people's livelihoods. Hence, it is normal and understandable for Myanmar to expect the sanctions to be lifted with the improvement of ties with the US. In return for the stringent demands that Clinton, during her meeting with Myanmar President Thein Sein, said Myanmar should fulfill, she didn't offer any substantial rewards. She only said that the US would become an observer for the Lower Mekong Initiative, a US-backed group discussing Southeast Asia's major waterway, and that Washington would support the World Bank and International Monetary Fund assessment missions to help Myanmar jumpstart its economy and make the new UN counter-narcotics and health cooperation programs a success. She also said that the dialogue with Myanmar is still in its initial phase because the US doesn't know whether the democratic process in Myanmar is irreversible and that her country would take some measures commensurate with those taken by the Myanmar government. To put them in perspective, Clinton's remarks indicate that the US will continue to wield the stick while placing a carrot in front of Myanmar. The author is a researcher at the Institute of American Studies, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (China Daily 12/10/2011 page5) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2011-12/10/content_14243680.htm ------------------------------------------- Ethnic wars cast pall over Burma reforms Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok December 10, 2011 www.esuperfund.com.au Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now! Burma. A mother and child receive medical aid in a jungle in the far north of Burma, where soldiers have been fighting rebels since a 17-year ceasefire ended in June. Photo: Reuters Fighting has intensified between the Burmese army and ethnic rebels nine months after Burma's President Thein Sein promised to end a ''hell of untold miseries'' that have been endured by ethnic minority Burmese groups for decades. In the latest clash this week Kachin rebels claim they killed 60 Burmese soldiers, forced 40 others to flee and had another 30 surrounded in Kachin State, northern Burma. The surge in fighting in the world's longest running civil war threatens to derail efforts by Mr Thein Sein and other reformers in his government to convince Western nations to lift economic sanctions. Advertisement: Story continues below US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Mr Thein Sein during her landmark visit to Burma last week that the army must end its brutal repression of ethnic minorities if the impoverished nation is to emerge from 50 years of international isolation. While the rebels' claims to have killed soldiers have not been independently verified, more than 34,000 people have been forced into refugee camps near the Chinese border as several thousand rebel fighters abandoned their bases and engaged in guerrilla tactics against Burmese soldiers, according to aid workers and human rights organisations. At least 7000 local civilians were displaced from 30 villages near the Chinese border in the first week of December alone, aid workers said. ''No international aid has arrived in those areas,'' said La Rip, an official with the Kachin Development Group. In a speech in March, Mr Thein Sein also promised to make ending conflict with ethnic groups the top priority of his government. By June, a 17-year ceasefire with Kachin rebels had collapsed after soldiers overran a rebel outpost, prompting frequent battles during which both sides have been accused of human rights abuses. During recent secret meetings in northern Thailand, government envoy Aung Min - the railways minister and a former intelligence officer - has reached out to the Kachin rebels and four other armed groups, promising to drop an earlier demand for them to become border forces under Burmese army command. Other incentives offered to the groups include economic development, freedom of travel for unarmed ethnic leaders and a national conference to seek political solutions to ethnic divisions. In a significant breakthrough, the government has reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement with the Shan State Army, one of the biggest groups, which includes the opening of liaison offices, co-operating in combating narcotics and promises of talks about an area of demarcation. The talks have further stirred excitement about Burma's future following a series of social, economic and political reforms by the government since August. Dave Mathieson, researcher on Burma for Human Rights Watch, said that while the government had the right to conduct counter-insurgency operations against rebels, years of war have produced a culture of impunity for serious crimes such as forced labour, use of child soldiers, sexual violence against women and young girls, extrajudicial executions and torture of civilians. Mr Thein Sein responded to Mrs Clinton by detailing his government's plan to end the conflicts that have raged almost since independence in 1948. Jim Della-Giacoma, South-east Asia director of the International Crisis Group, said a ''lasting solution to the problem requires going beyond just stopping the wars''. ''Multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious Myanmar [Burma] can only achieve genuine national unity and reconciliation by embracing its diversity,'' he said. Burma's veteran pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed strong concern over the fighting, sending a letter to Mr Thein Sein and ethnic leaders calling for ''immediate ceasefires''. Ms Suu Kyi has long advocated autonomy under a federal system for the main ethnic groups. She has called for the revival of an autonomy plan drafted in 1947 that was backed by her late father, independence hero Aung San. Grievances run deep among ethnic minorities who comprise about one-third of Burma's 55 million mostly impoverished people. The Kachin rebels led strong opposition to a $3.6 million Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam project which the government unexpectedly halted in September, removing one issue of contention. Ethnic minorities have never received direct benefits from Burma's most valuable resources found in ethnic areas, including timber, jade, gemstones, gold, silver and other minerals. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/ethnic-wars-cast-pall-over-burma-reforms-20111209-1onig.html#ixzz1g8rpUssO ---------------------------------------- Radio Australia News Concern about welfare of Burma's displaced people Last Updated: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:18:00 +1100 An international refugee rights group says it's gravely concerned for tens of thousands of displaced people in northern Burma. Refugees International says conflict in the area is intensifying between the government's army and ethnic rebels. It says the world community must address the escalating crisis in Kachin State, bordering China. Southeast Asia Advocate of Refugees International, Lynn Yoshikawa, says there is the potential for a serious humanitarian crisis with long-term implications. She says she is extremely concerned for at least 30-thousand displaced people estimated to be living in camps in rebel-controlled areas unable to be accessed by international aid agencies. http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201112/3388123.htm --------------------------------------- No peace talks, No humanitarian aid in Kachin State of Burma Sat, 2011-12-10 01:19 --- editor Myanmar By - Zin Linn 10, December (Asiantribune.com): Burma's namesake civilian government has been maneuvering war against the Kachin rebels incessantly, even though there are heavy casualties on its side. Starting from 9 June, the six-month long civil war claimed more than a thousand lives of government soldiers. The President Thein Sein government used to say that it has been trying to build a peaceful and developed country; in contrast the momentum of civil war is getting higher. So, the tongue of the government is not in harmony with the work of its armed forces. What is the government's goal launching the war against the Kachin rebels? Although, President Thein Sein has been speaking seriously about the national unity for several times, the wars against various ethnic groups carry on increasingly. If these wars go on in this way, the government's promises of building good governance as well as poverty alleviation seem to be in vain. Refugees International (RI), an independent humanitarian advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, recently completed an assessment of the impact of the Burma's political reform on various ethnic communities. The RI team traveled to Kachin, Karen and Mon states to meet primarily with local civil-society organizations, as well as with UN and INGO officials. The Refugees International's Lynn Yoshikawa said that during a two-week study tour in Myitkyina (Kachin state), Pa-an (Karen state) and Maw-la-myaing (Mon state) it has come across evidence of widespread human rights abuses especially in Kachin State, where the government armed forces has been fighting the Kachin Independence Organization for the last six months. The group's report appeared Friday at a press panel of Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok, while international optimism on Burma's promise to political reforms has been rising. "Refugees International is really worried over the security of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), thousands of those are living in insufficient camps in KIO-controlled areas where the sanctuaries are sandwiched between the Tatmadaw (the government armed forces) and the KIO positions," said Lynn Yoshikawa, Refugees International's southeast Asia advocate. "The conflict zones in Kachin State seriously need both urgent humanitarian assistance and long-standing aid," she informed at a press conference in Bangkok, after a recent visit to Burma including Kachin state capital Myitkyina. Local sources on the ground in the Kachin state say that during past week the Kachin resistance has inflicted a large number of casualties on poorly trained Burmese government conscript troops, as the central government's offensive against the Kachin Independence Organization enters its seventh month. Reports from the frontline indicate that the Burmese army suffered significant losses in the Wuhtau Bum area, home to the headquarters of the KIA's Battalion No. 3. Reached by phone KIA officers in Wuhtau Bum claim their forces have strongly resisted the government's advance in the area, which is located in the Kachin Independence Army's Brigade No. 5. Quoting a Kachin resident in Sadung village under the control of KIA Battalion No. 3, the Kachin News Group said on Thursday that over a hundred government soldiers from Kalaw-based Light Infantry Division (LID) No. 55 were killed in skirmishing and several dozens wounded in the last 24 hours. He said that earlier in the week many more soldiers from the Magway-based Light Infantry Division No. 88 were killed in the same area, he estimated that at least two hundred Burmese soldiers had been killed in the area during the past week. Several soldiers from Kachin militia groups loyal to Burmese government were also among the dead, the villager added. As KIA has made use of guerrilla tactics, it suffered a few losses thus far. Last month representatives of President Thein Sein government and the KIO met twice for talks which have yet failed to reach a truce. The Burmese army continues sending troops to the area that seems the government wants to bring about a solution by means of military might. Aid workers in Kachin State estimated at least 30,000 people have escaped the fighting and are living in shelters with little access to international humanitarian assistance. It's a tragic that China has been unwilling to allow refugees or to let cross-border relief items to the Kachin area. According to Yoshikawa, international donors are disinclined to supply aid for cross-border operations due to the absence of the UN agencies in the area. After US Secretary of State Hillary Canton's extraordinary trip to Burma (Myanmar), observers and analysts are eager to know about how the nation will reconcile its greatest challenge to make peace with the armed ethnic groups. Recently, one ceasefire deal has been signed with the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), commonly known as the SSA South which has never beforehand held a ceasefire treaty with the Burmese regime. But there are many things to be done so as to build a peaceful union of Burma and the way ahead is vague and blurred, especially in the Kachin state. -Asian Tribune-http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/12/09/no-peace-talks-no-humanitarian-aid-kachin-state-burma ------------------------------------------- December 10, 2011 14:29 PM Myanmar To Effectively Promote Human Rights YANGON, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) issued a statement on Saturday which falls on International Human Rights Day to effectively fulfill its mandate of promoting and protecting human rights, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement stressed that the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are an integral part of a democratic society, adding that the commission will contribute to democratisation process of the country to the best of its capacity. Myanmar, which became the 58th member of the United Nations in April in 1948, voted for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations General Assembly held in Paris in the same year, said the statement. The statement added that the constitution adopted in 2008 overwhelmingly by the people of the country also enshrines these fundamental human rights. Myanmar formed the 15-member MNHRC on Sept 5 this year, chaired by retired ambassador U Win Mra with other retired ambassadors and experts in different sectors as members, the statement said, adding that the commission is the first national level human rights body in Myanmar and the fifth of its kind in Asean, it added. Regarding protection of human rights, an announcement was made on Oct 4 for accepting complaints on violations of human rights. At present, the commission is planning to organise another workshop on awareness of child rights and human rights education in January in 2012 in cooperation with UNICEF in Myanmar, it added. -- BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=633240 --------------------------------------- Outlook India.com/ south asia: myanmar The Burma Road Myanmar's clever route to integration, and India's possible role in it Pranay Sharma The image may become iconic, a visual representation of a decisive moment in the modern history of Myanmar---United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton warmly hugging Aung Sang Suu Kyi, the lady who has spent much of her political life demanding democratic freedoms and being incarcerated in answer. Since the much-celebrated embrace had the approval of the Myanmar government---though elected, it consists of several former generals---it has sparked off a furious debate: does 2011 mark the beginning of the end of Myanmar's isolation? What does the West's rapprochement with Naypyidaw mean for the region and the world? No wonder, foreign policy wonks in Delhi too are trying to foretell the future from their interpretation of Hillary's visit. They believe it expands Myanmar's foreign policy options and allows India to work with the West to check China's awesome clout in Myanmar. But there's a flip side---Washington's engagement with Naypyidaw will enable the US and its allies to seek investment opportunities in Myanmar. In such an eventuality, India is likely to lose the advantage of being among the few who do have an enviable economic presence there. Hillary's visit to Myanmar has to be seen in the context of America reinserting itself as a key player in Asia-Pacific, becoming a counterweight to a rising and assertive China, and rallying Asian countries under the banner of the Stars and Stripes. Former Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran says, "US engagement with Myanmar will promote the diversification of that country's foreign relations. This offers the best opportunity of preventing Chinese domination of its polity and economy." Saran is candid enough to admit: "India's own capabilities are not sufficient to sustain a strong and credible countervailing presence." Perhaps views such as Saran's assume an inherent rivalry in Sino-Indian relations. But there are others who have serious doubts about the possibility of countering China's clout in Myanmar. Aloke Sen, who till recently served as India's ambassador to Myanmar, says, "It's very difficult for the US or any other country to replace China's influence in Myanmar brick-by-brick." Sen points out that former Myanmarese generals, including president Thein Sein, are both "fearlessly nationalists" and "extremely pragmatic". These generals had fought against China when Beijing was supporting the ethnic insurgents in the country. Yet, as soon as the US and its allies turned against Myanmar in 1988 following the brutal suppression of popular pro-democratic protests there, the generals had no qualms in embracing China, which was the only country willing to support them diplomatically, politically and economically. Result: an exponential rise in Chinese influence. This sense of pragmatism was evident in the positive response of Myanmarese leaders to India's overtures, willing to overlook New Delhi's aloofness in the years after 1988. The leaders were also wary of putting all eggs in the Chinese basket. Wouldn't they display the same pragmatism towards the West? The only problem, says Sen, is America's extensive wishlist on democracy. "The Americans often get caught in the eloquence of their own statements, making it so much more difficult for countries like Myanmar to match," Sen explains. Already, there are differences in perceptions about what compelled Myanmar to opt for its version of glasnost. The West believes the release of Suu Kyi, greater political freedom to people, and elections---Suu Kyi is expected to fight for one of the 50 seats still to be contested---are consequences of the sanctions the West imposed on the country and its ability to cut off investments from the imf and the World Bank. They, therefore, feel the more pressure applied on Myanmar, the greater the chances of it restoring a full-fledged democracy. Others rubbish this school of thought, saying sanctions only compounded the hardship of the people and perpetuated the status quo in the country. For instance, Myanmarese historian Thant Myint-U, author of Where China meets India, told Outlook, "The positive changes taking place now are taking place in spite of the western sanctions, not because of them, and because Myanmar is that much connected to the world, through the internet, satellite TV, and the regular travel of tens of thousands of ordinary people to places like Thailand and Singapore, making it plain that the status quo was simply indefensible." Thant says Myanmar has tried for over two decades to end its international isolation, and managed to improve its ties with many countries in the region. "In fact, the American policy of trying to isolate Myanmar has failed spectacularly and only reinforced the status quo," he says. In other words, the failure of sanctions and Chinese assertion prompted the US to rethink its Myanmar policy. The possibility of the West lifting the sanctions means many western countries will rush to invest in Myanmar. This possibility is unlikely to please India, which has several road projects and an oil exploration contract. With the Indian private sector reluctant to invest in Myanmar, New Delhi has had no choice but to depend on the public sector for executing these projects. Shoddy work and time overruns have been India's unmistakable signature. About the private sector's reluctance, Saran tells Outlook, "Currently, India's corporate sector is inhibited from investing in Myanmar because US sanctions may impact their more important US-related operations." At its recent meeting, FICCI discussed threadbare the issue of investing in Myanmar, and with the changing political climate there, exuded confidence about Indian firms entering various sectors. Others feel India might have missed the bus already. To begin with, Indian public sector companies haven't really been an advertisement for India's engineering skills. Sen provides another reason: "With the opening up of Myanmar, more countries are likely to move in; it will then become a level-playing field for all. Indian businessmen and companies may then be left with just a symbolic advantage of being Myanmar's neighbour." Symbolism provides ballast to rhetoric, but lends little weight to hard business. India needs to act with professionalism and urgency. http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?279274 ---------------------------------------- Bangkok Post 'Humanitarian crisis' in Burma Published: 10/12/2011 at 12:32 AM Online news: A global campaign group expressed grave concern Friday for tens of thousands of displaced people in northern Burma, where conflict is intensifying between the government's army and ethnic rebels. A young Myanmar boy holds up a child at a camp for displaced people in the Irrawaddy Delta town of Labutta in 2008. A global campaign group has expressed grave concern for tens of thousands of displaced people in northern Myanmar, where conflict is intensifying between the government's army and ethnic rebels. Despite growing optimism over the pace of political reform in the military-dominated country, Refugees International called on the world community to address the escalating crisis in Kachin State, bordering China. "Tensions... are at boiling point with the potential for a serious humanitarian crisis with long-term implications," Lynn Yoshikawa, Southeast Asia Advocate of Refugees International, told reporters in Bangkok. She said her group was "extremely concerned" for at least 30,000 displaced people estimated to be living in camps in rebel-controlled areas, which international aid agencies are unable to access. "We feel that the evolving situation warrants particular concern from the international community," said Yoshikawa, who recently returned from two weeks in the country formerly known as Burma, including in Kachin. Burma has been riven by decades of civil war with various ethnic groups, but recent attempts to shake off its pariah state image have included bids to reach out to such guerrillas, who are fighting for greater autonomy and rights. This month a ceasefire deal was inked with one of the biggest militias still battling the regime, the Shan State Army South, and there are cautious hopes of forthcoming deals with other groups. But, although talks have been held with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), "in the meantime the Tatmadaw (Burma military) is continuing to launch an offensive against the KIO", Yoshikawa said. She said rights abuses by both sides had been reported, with accusations against the Burma military including extrajudicial killings, use of child soldiers and rape. The KIO's army has allegedly used landmines and child soldiers, she added. On a landmark visit to the country last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for nationwide peace and welcomed what she said were efforts by the regime to resolve the ethnic conflicts. "People on the ground were not so hopeful that she would achieve anything from the military side," said Yoshikawa. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/270100/humanitarian-crisis-looms-in-burma-activists -------------------------------------------- Rape Used as Military Weapon By Preethi Nallu BANGKOK, Dec 10, 2011 (IPS) - The Burmese army has been following a policy of systematically raping women and girls to subjugate the country's rebellious ethnic minorities, according to a new report. The latest conflict between the militant Kachin Independence Army and the Burmese military reveals widespread use of rape by the military as a psychological weapon. The Kachin Women's Association of Thailand (KWAT) reports that at least 37 women were raped by state soldiers over June and July alone when the fighting erupted. Women's rights groups operating along the Thai-Burma border have documented 81 cases of rape of women and girls over the course of eight months of fighting between the Burmese army and ethnic armed forces. Of these, 36 women were killed by the soldiers. Over the last decade the Women's League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organisation for various ethnic women's groups, has documented hundreds of cases that suggest that rape is not a by-product of war but a deliberate strategy used by the military. "By looking at the nature of violations and the worsening situation during conflict, we can say with confidence that the military is precisely using rape as a weapon against women," Shirley Seng, founder of KWAT, told IPS. "Our aim is to collect information on sexual violence to understand the root causes and to publicise it to the international community," Seng explains. Seng is the widow of the founder of the militant Kachin Independence Organisation. "Whenever rape cases happen, we get information from our partners and we also go and interview the victims and conduct our own field investigations," she said. "How do we know that rape is being used as a weapon? Because the civilians who are attacked are told this by the soldiers attacking them," said Seng. Victims of rape may be in continuing danger not only from the perpetrators, who enjoy impunity, but also from their own communities due to the social stigma attached to rape, local reports reveal. Conflicts in northern and eastern Burma that erupted between the Burmese military and ethnic armed groups in the Shan and Kachin states in March and June are reported to have led to displacement of more than 30,000 civilians. Soldiers also regularly persecute the Rohingyas who are not recognised as citizens by the Burmese government, although they have lived in western Arakan state for generations with established roots, ties and property. Stories of displacement, violence and persecution involving ethnic minority communities such as the Karen, Shan and the Kachin have been commonplace since the formation of the Burmese state in 1948 when ethnic representatives demanded autonomy. When armed groups sprang up among these minorities the government responded by heavily militarising the homelands of these remote communities. Amongst the most vulnerable in this struggle are women. Sexual violence has been a constant theme among ethnic minority communities living along the borders of the country. There are continuing reports of deliberate displacement and intimidation, with women targeted as part of a campaign to weaken the social fabric of the different ethnic groups. "I was only four years old. My mother told me that we had to run away, otherwise they would kill us," says 21-year-old Rahima, describing her flight from her home in the western Arakan state. During her flight across the country to the Thai-Burma border Rahima, and others like her, sought refuge in railway stations that were often raided by the military. She describes soldiers taking away the "attractive" women who would be returned later with obvious physical injuries but hidden mental wounds as a result of sexual violence and torture. Rahima's sister was raped by Burmese soldiers. But due to the social stigma and ostracism that would follow in the local community, no one in her family spoke about the incident. "It is very shameful in my culture to talk about rape. In my whole time there, dozens of women were taken. Not one of them ever told of what had happened," said Rahima. Narratives resembling Rahima's are common in conflict zones where evidence suggests that the military uses rape as a psychological weapon to intimidate civilians, shame the men in the community, and to 'Burmanise' these populations by mixing bloodlines. It is difficult to verify how explicit 'orders to rape' from the state military could be. But what is verifiable is that renewed conflict situations have coincided with concurrent and drastic rise in sexual violence. Seng believes use of rape is not only encouraged but also ordered by Burmese military officials. Her peer at the WLB, Charm Tong, who leads the Shan Women's Action Network, co-authored the report 'License to Kill' in 2002, which documented 173 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, involving 625 girls and women, committed by Burmese army troops in Shan state. Tong continues to travel to Shan, where she and her colleagues have documented cases of pregnant women and their daughters being raped inside their homes by state soldiers raiding villages. The International Criminal Court recognises rape, sexual slavery "or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity" as war crimes when committed as part of a systematic practice. WLB's goal is to mobilise support for an investigation by an international body to examine the trends, patterns and extent of sexual violence perpetrated by soldiers in Burma. Tomas Ojea Quintana, United Nations Human Rights rapporteur for Burma, expressed concern over "continuing human rights abuses such as forced labour, land confiscation and rape in ethnic minority communities," and called for an independent investigation commission during a visit to the country in September. Following Quintana's visit, the Burmese government set up the Myanmar (as Burma is also known) National Human Rights Commission to "safeguard the rights of its citizens" as announced in the state run newspaper 'New Light of Myanmar'. Rights groups point out that any accountability mechanism for crimes must be followed by a remedy process and that any permanent remedy can happen only when militarisation ends in these areas. (END) http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106173 --------------------------------------- ABC News Repression continues in Burma despite signs of change Updated December 10, 2011 11:13:00 Humanitarian organisations in Burma say they're still fighting against restrictions that prevent them from freely helping people in need. The desperately poor country has few basic services. And while there's hope that change is coming, so far there's been little improvement in people's lives. Zoe Daniel ELIZABETH JACKSON: Despite signs of change in Burma, humanitarian organisations say they're still battling government restrictions that prevent them from freely helping those who need it. Here's our South East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel. ZOE DANIEL: It's perhaps the most basic symbol of human dignity, to be able to give and receive a proper send off from the world in the form of a funeral. But here in Burma, it's one of the many things that's been lost in repression and economic hardship - until now. "We cremate 45 to 50 bodies every single day" says Kyaw Thu, who was once Burma's most famous movie star and director. He's won two local academy awards. Now he's banned from acting by the government because of his humanitarian work. His group's delivered more than a million free funerals to the poor. "Our group's not an opposition party or political group but set up to help people" he says. "Even this kind of group like is not allowed, this is not democracy." ZOE DANIEL: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says access to the most basic rights and services for the country's people is a key motivation for bringing democracy to Burma. AUNG SAN SUU KYI: To help our country to develop its educational and health facilities, which are the basic needs of all our peoples. ZOE DANIEL: She discussed it with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who made an historic visit to the country earlier this month. HILLARY CLINTON: We want to see every child here given the chance for a good education, for the healthcare that he or she needs. ZOE DANIEL: Already nongovernment organisations have stepped in. Kyaw Thu's funeral service has now expanded to include adult education and a library. A free clinic serves hundreds each day; they line up from dawn to access healthcare. Yet in common with other NGOs here, the government still restricts the organisation's activities, refusing to grant official operating permits so staff risk arrest by defying the authorities. "Under the new government, people think there are many developments and changes," Kyaw Thu tells me. "But for social workers like us, there is no change at all." He says he won't act again, even if the ban is lifted. His role now is to give dignity to people - alive and dead. In Rangoon this is Zoe Daniel for Saturday AM. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-10/repression-continues-in-burma-despite-signs-of/3723942?section=world ------------------------------------------- Women in arms Sudha Menon (PERSON OF THE WEEK) 10 December 2011, 10:01 PMEven the most hardened cynic would not have remained unmoved by the biggest photo-op of the week just gone by, that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, possibly the worlds most powerful woman in terms of influence, gathering Myanmars pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a warm embrace. When the two met on the porch of the latters lakeside home where she has spent almost half of her life under house arrest by the military Junta, it was almost like two long-lost sisters or friends rediscovering each other. In reality, the two had only met once before the hug that grabbed worldwide media headlines at a one-to-one meeting over dinner in Kyis home, earlier that evening. Even if one grew up in the worlds largest democracy and the other in an oppressive regime where women have borne the brunt of the military rule for decades, both of them made their mark in this world with their single-minded determination. Hillary Clinton continued to have a career in law till a few days before she entered the White House as the First Lady, when husband Bill Clinton was elected President. And through her days in the White House, even when her marriage was rocked by a cringe-inducing sex scandal involving her husband, she worked consistently for the issues close to her, such as childrens rights and womens empowerment. That role continues today when she travels around the world as the 67th US Secretary of State and the first former First Lady to hold that office. Suu Kyis life has been one of struggle, largely confined to her lakeside residence where her political opponents have kept her prisoner for over 15 years. One can only imagine the trauma of a woman who was kept away from her husband and children who lived outside the country and were deprived of her care. The world waited and watched along with a silently strong Kyi when it was known in 1997 that her husband, Dr Michael Aris, was dying from cancer. The Burmese government refused to let him entry into the country and a defiant Kyi declined to travel abroad, fearing she would not be let back in. Dr Aris passed away in 1999 without meeting his wife to say his final saying good bye. Can one lifetime erase the pain of a lone woman who had to go through that torture? But Suu Kyi was made of sterner stuff, as she has shown in the years after that. Slowly but steadily and despite the fact that she has had little contact with her political supporters within Burma, her influence has been growing within and outside of her country and the ruling military dictatorship has now, finally, agreed to make changes that will set the country on the way to democracy. Hillary Clintons visit, the first ever by any US diplomat in almost 50 years, could well mark the beginning of a new era for the Burmese who are hoping things will change for the better. Will that happen soon? We dont know but going by the determined stance of the two women who stood addressing the world media, talking about their agenda for a new Myanmar, we think this could be the beginning of something bright. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/expressions/2011/December/expressions_December13.xml§ion=expressions ---------------------------------------------- China tells Kachin refugees: go home Friday, 09 December 2011 22:16 Phanida Chiang Mai (Mizzima) -- Chinese authorities on Friday told Kachin war refugees in La Ying in Yunnan Province to return to Burma. Four Chinese officials came to a camp located opposite Momauk Township in Kachin State where more than 2,000 Kachin refugees stay and told them to return home, according to Dwe P Sar, a civilian official with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) relief committee. A temporary camp for Kachin refugees who have fled from the renewed fighting by the government and Kachin Independence Army in Kachin State. Photo: Human Rights Watch A temporary camp for Kachin refugees who have fled from the renewed fighting by the government and Kachin Independence Army in Kachin State. Photo: Human Rights Watch "We replied that the villagers were just taking refuge at their relative's home for security reasons, and they would decide by themselves whether they returned home or not," said Dwe P Sar. Refugees in camps in Laiza, Mai Ja Yang and Manwin on the Sino-Burmese border now number about 45,000, he said. Friday marks six months since the fighting between the KIO and the government started. In the past six months, there were more than 800 battles between the KIO and government troops, according to the KIO. "Up until now, we've supported the refugees as much as we can. Now, the number of refugees is increasing. If we don't get international aid, we'll start to worry," Dwe P Sar said. Most of the relief aid has come from religious organizations, the Kachin in Burma and in foreign countries and businessmen. The Burmese government has not allowed help from local NGOs and international organizations, according to local aid workers. Many refugees are frustrated, said one aid worker. "They have run out of food because not enough organizations help. As time goes by, they feel upset. They don't want to stay here. So, they hope for peace. They thought that the fighting would be for a short time, but now we need to make plans for the long run," he told Mizzima. In November, the KIO and the government held peace talks, but they have failed to reach agreement. http://www.mizzima.com/special/kachin-battle-report/6267-china-tells-kachin-refugees-go-home.html ------------------------------------------- Bloomberg Myanmar Seeks 'Win-Win-Win' in Balancing U.S.-China Competition December 09, 2011, 2:26 PM EST By Daniel Ten Kate Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Myanmar aims to leverage friendly relations with both the U.S. and China to grow one of Asia's smallest economies and boost incomes in the region, according to an adviser to President Thein Sein. China welcomes greater U.S. engagement with Myanmar because a wealthier neighbor would lift the economic growth of Yunnan province and other inland areas, Nay Zin Latt, one of nine advisers who meet Thein Sein "frequently," said in a Dec. 3 interview a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton completed the highest-level U.S. visit to Myanmar in 56 years. "I'm going for a win-win-win situation," Nay Zinn Latt said in his Yangon office. "China wants us to be more developed. Our country is the gateway to the sea from Yunnan. If we are rich, Yunnan will be rich too. If we are poor, China can only get raw materials." China's landlocked southwest province of Yunnan adjoins Myanmar. During her visit, Clinton offered a path to ease sanctions that have been in place for more than 20 years and have left Myanmar dependent on neighbors China, India and Thailand, which have poured more than $25 billion into ports, power plants, and oil and gas pipelines. Myanmar's moves to roll back more than five decades of military rule have provided the U.S. an opening to rebuild political and economic ties as President Barack Obama shifts his foreign policy focus to Asia. "It's not that Myanmar veered toward China in recent decades," said Thant Myint-U, a former United Nations official who has written two books on Myanmar. "It's that Western governments, as part of a democratic regime-change strategy, have imposed sanctions that have left the country entirely open to economic influence from just one direction." Dam Opposition Thein Sein surprised China, the U.S. and his own citizens in September when he suspended a $3.6 billion dam being built with China Power Investment Corp. The "very popular" decision was based on domestic opposition and doesn't mean other Chinese investments are at risk, Nay Zinn Latt said. "The dam is big, but it's one project among hundreds with China and cannot damage relations," he said. "The key thing is assessment. With every project, we should disclose the advantages and disadvantages. If the advantages are more and it benefits our country, we should do it." China National Petroleum Corp. is building oil and gas pipelines across Myanmar, a move that would allow it to access Middle Eastern crude without having to go through the Malacca Straits. China, Hong Kong and Thailand account for more than 70 percent of total investment into Myanmar, compared with less than one percent for the U.S., according to government statistics. Sanctions U.S. sanctions ban imports, restrict money transfers, curb aid funding and target jewelry with gemstones originating in Myanmar. Chevron Corp., based in San Ramon, California, is one of the few U.S. companies operating in Myanmar through its 2005 purchase of Unocal Corp., which invested in a gas field and pipeline prior to a 1997 ban on new investment. Thein Sein has freed hundreds of political prisoners, eased censorship and sought a dialogue with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi since taking office in February. Clinton said the release of another 1,000 dissidents still locked up would serve as an "important test" of his commitment to reforms. Clinton's offer on Dec. 3 to assist groups providing microcredit, health care and English-language training in Myanmar "is an indication that sanctions will be lifted," Nay Zinn Latt said. "Imposing sanctions is not so difficult but lifting them takes time." China Positive Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Dec. 1 his country was developing relations with Myanmar "across the board." He also said the leadership in Beijing hopes Myanmar and western countries "enhance and improve relations," a statement Suu Kyi said made her "very pleased." China's comment "shows that we have the support of the whole world," Suu Kyi said during a joint appearance with Clinton on Dec. 2 at her lakeside Yangon home, where she spent most of the past two decades under house arrest. "I'm particularly pleased because we hope to maintain good, friendly relations with China, our very close neighbor." Yunnan province has an economy twice the size of Myanmar, whose 62 million people are among Asia's poorest. China and India, which account for more than a third of the world population, share more than 3,600 kilometers (2,237 miles) of border with Myanmar. "We cannot move away from China or India, and we shouldn't move away," Nay Zin Latt said. "Our duty is to find the best way of dealing with everyone to benefit the country." --Editors: Peter Hirschberg, Tony Jordan To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Yangon at dtenkate@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-09/myanmar-seeks-win-win-win-in-balancing-u-s-china-competition.html