News & Articles on Burma-Thursday, 23 February 2010-uzl

News & Articles on Burma Thursday, 23 February 2010 ----------------------------------------------- Suu Kyi seeks ethnic minority support Suu Kyi takes campaign to Myanmar's restive north Not Time Yet to Lift International Sanctions on Burma Suu Kyi to campaign in Kachin State Karen religious leaders join hands for unity and peace While Tigers fielding two candidates in Shan State Is Burma ready for foreign investment? Burma must end civil war ahead of reforms Overwhelming Interest in Burma/Myanmar Fire Destroys 1000 Refugee Homes at Thai-Burma Border Good neighbourly ties at Yunnan-Myanmar border Japan 'to resume Myanmar loans' after 25 years ---------------------------------------- Suu Kyi seeks ethnic minority support AFP: 2012-02-23 13:03 Myitkyina - Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit the campaign trail in the country's conflict-riven far north on Thursday in a bid to bolster support among ethnic minorities. Hundreds of people greeted the Nobel Peace Prize laureate on her arrival in northernmost Kachin state, where she was to address a political rally as her National League for Democracy (NLD) party gears up for April 1 by-elections. "Aung San Suu Kyi is coming here not only for campaigning but also to bring unity," NLD senior member Win Mya Mya said at Myitkyina Airport where the opposition leader arrived for her two-day trip. Some supporters waved the party's fighting-peacock flag, while others wore T-shirts bearing Suu Kyi's image. "I'm very happy. I want to see her in person as I haven't seen her before. She is one of the women martyrs as well as a Nobel Peace laureate," said an ethnic Kachin NLD supporter, Khaug Nyoi. "We want to achieve peace through peaceful means," she added. Key test The crowds, however, initially appeared smaller than those that greeted Suu Kyi during previous campaign trips. The April polls, which will see Suu Kyi stand for a seat in parliament for the first time in a constituency near Yangon, are viewed as a key test of the military-backed government's commitment to nascent reforms. Bloody fighting has raged between government troops and ethnic minority guerrillas in parts of Kachin since June last year, displacing tens of thousands of people. Suu Kyi - sometimes distrusted by ethnic minorities - has called for an immediate end to the violence. "Suu Kyi is trying to shed her image as a 'Bamar' leader first and foremost, said Myanmar expert Renaud Egreteau, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, referring to the country's dominant ethnic group. "The rhetoric that she has always used is that of a national leader who portrays herself as a unifier of an entire people," he said. Western demands "But basically Aung San Suu Kyi's positions have difficulty going beyond the simple vague message calling for dialogue and national reconciliation." Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since independence in 1948. An end to the conflicts and alleged rights abuses involving government troops is a key demand of Western nations which impose sanctions on the regime. Myanmar's regime held tentative peace talks with representatives of the Kachin Independence Organisation last month in China, with the two sides agreeing to hold further negotiations in search of an end to the conflict. The olive branch to the Kachin and other rebels is one of a number of reformist steps by the new government which took power last year, although deep distrust about their sincerity lingers in ethnic conflict zones. There has been resentment of Chinese-backed hydropower projects in Kachin, where the government in September ordered a halt to construction of a controversial $3.6bn mega dam following rare public opposition. Suu Kyi's decision to stand for a seat in parliament is the latest sign of dramatic change taking place in the country formerly known as Burma after the end last year of nearly half a century of outright military rule. Unthreatened majority The regime has surprised observers with a series of reforms, welcoming Suu Kyi's party back into mainstream politics and releasing hundreds of political prisoners. Even so, the opposition cannot threaten the ruling party's majority even if it takes all 48 available seats in the April by-elections. Her NLD party won a landslide victory in an election in 1990, but the then-ruling junta never allowed the party to take power. A November 2010 election which swept the army's political allies to power was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and by the absence of Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time. The NLD complained on Monday that the fairness of the April vote was also threatened because it was being denied the use of suitable venues for its rallies, but just hours later it said the restrictions had been eased. - AFP http://www.news24.com/World/News/Suu-Kyi-seeks-ethnic-minorities-support-20120223 ---------------------------------------- Suu Kyi takes campaign to Myanmar's restive north By Hla Hla Htay (AFP) MYITKYINA, Myanmar Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi takes her party's election campaign to the country's conflict-riven far north Thursday in a bid to bolster support among ethnic minorities. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was due to fly to Myitkyina in Kachin state to deliver an afternoon speech at a political rally, as her National League for Democracy (NLD) party gears up for April 1 by-elections. "Aung San Suu Kyi is coming here not only for campaigning but also to bring unity," NLD senior member Win Mya Mya told AFP at Myitkyina airport, where a crowd of about 200 supporters were waiting to greet the opposition leader. Some held the NLD's fighting-peacock flag, while others wore T-shirts bearing Suu Kyi's image. "I'm very happy. I want to see her in person as I haven't seen her before. She is one of the women martyrs as well as a Nobel Peace laureate," said an ethnic Kachin supporter, Khaug Nyoi. "We want to achieve peace through peaceful means," she added. The polls, which will see Suu Kyi stand for a seat in parliament for the first time in a constituency near Yangon, are viewed as a key test of the military-backed government's commitment to nascent reforms. Bloody fighting has raged between government troops and ethnic minority guerrillas in parts of Kachin since June last year, displacing tens of thousands of people. Suu Kyi -- sometimes distrusted by ethnic minorities -- has called for an immediate end to the violence. There has been resentment of Chinese-backed hydropower projects in the area, where the government in September ordered a halt to construction of a controversial $3.6 billion mega dam following rare public opposition. Myanmar's regime held tentative peace talks with representatives of the Kachin Independence Organisation last month in China, with the two sides agreeing to hold further negotiations in search of an end to the conflict. The olive branch to the Kachin and other rebels is one of a number of reformist steps by the new government which took power last year, although deep distrust about their sincerity lingers in ethnic conflict zones. Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since independence in 1948. An end to the conflicts and alleged rights abuses involving government troops is a key demand of Western nations which impose sanctions on the regime. Suu Kyi's two-day visit to Kachin is seen as a gesture of support for the minority groups, although she is expected to steer clear of the actual conflict zones. Her decision to stand for a seat in parliament is the latest sign of dramatic change taking place in the country formerly known as Burma after the end last year of nearly half a century of outright military rule. The regime has surprised observers with a series of reforms, welcoming Suu Kyi's party back into mainstream politics and releasing hundreds of political prisoners. The opposition cannot threaten the ruling party's majority even if it takes all 48 available seats in the April by-elections, but a Suu Kyi win would lend legitimacy to the fledgling parliament. Her NLD party won a landslide victory in an election in 1990, but the then-ruling junta never allowed the party to take power. A November 2010 election which swept the army's political allies to power was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and by the absence of Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time. The NLD complained on Monday that the fairness of the April vote was also threatened because it was being denied the use of suitable venues for its rallies, but just hours later it said the restrictions had been eased. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iYOV2BZELv9LmDAeZORi2ioDjULQ?docId=CNG.46afe210f3a4daba53d5421f5e7c7364.581 ------------------------------------------ American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations Not Time Yet to Lift International Sanctions on Burma Elizabeth Boomer of the AFL-CIO International Affairs Department sends us this report. Burma needs to address chronic human rights abuses before sanctions are lifted says a new report from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Despite some positive signs of change in Burma, forced labor is still widely practiced, trade unions are illegal and hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail. The AFL-CIO agrees with the ITUC that the time is not ripe for a major revision of sanctions, and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton solidifying this position. + The report argues that sanctions should only be lifted if the government of Burma: + Eliminates forced labor. Widespread forced labor practices by civilian and military authorities in nearly all of the country's states and divisions continue. The government of Burma has failed to fulfill any of the steps required of it to eliminate forced labor in the country, as recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1998. + Allows independent and democratic trade unions. Despite recently passing a Labor Organization Law, the government has yet to implement it. The law also contains significant flaws, and is undermined by other legislation. Further, the Federation of Trade Unions -- Burma (FTUB), a member of the ITUC, is still a banned organization. The government of Burma, unions and employers and the ILO need to redraft the law and oversee its effective implementation. + Frees all political prisoners. The government has released hundreds of political prisoners, yet more than a 1,000 remain in jail, and many more remain in exile. Prisoners need to be released unconditionally, and provided with rehabilitation. The laws that put them in jail in the first place need to be scrapped. The report also calls on the Burmese authorities to end all other serious human rights abuses; enter into a nation-wide ceasefire and address the root causes of conflict; hold free and fair elections, including through amending the flawed 2008 constitution; and curtail the role of the military in government and the economy. Specifically, the report calls for "a gradual, measured lifting of sanctions as the government of Burma makes progress on this complete list." The report has been developed in close consultation with the FTUB, and is in response to growing calls for the EU, US, Canada and Australia to lift their sanctions against Burma. While the ITUC report mainly focuses on labor rights, it urges governments to be also guided by the recommendations of other civil society organizations that raise additional and compelling human rights concerns. Download the ITUC Burma sanctions benchmarks report. For more information see also Are workers now free in Burma? A note about Burma: Although the military junta decided to change Burma's name to Myanmar some years ago, the National League for Democracy, the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma, and all other exile and opposition groups continue to refuse to recognize this change and continue to use "Burma" as the name of the country. http://blog.aflcio.org/2012/02/22/not-time-yet-to-lift-international-sanctions-on-burma/ --------------------------------------- Suu Kyi to campaign in Kachin State Thursday, 23 February 2012 11:42 Phanida Chiang Mai (Mizzima) -- Aung San Suu Kyi travels to Kachin State on Thursday to meet with members of the Kachin National Consultative Assembly (KNCA) and campaign in several cities. Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in early morning fog at the Rangoon Airport to fly to Myitkyina on Thursday, February 23, 2012. Photo: Mizzima Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in early morning fog at the Rangoon Airport to fly to Myitkyina on Thursday, February 23, 2012. Photo: Mizzima The KNCA is made up of more than 50 members including the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), businessmen and religious leaders. KNCA leaders are also trying to mediate the on-going peace talks between the Burmese government and KIO. Suu Kyi has said that peace in ethnic regions is essential for Burma to advance economically and politically, and she has offered to mediate in the talks. Suu Kyi will fly from Rangoon to Myitkyina to deliver a speech in a stadium in Namti village in Mogaung Township, where NLD members have built a special pavilion and will provide security, said Win Bo, a Namti Township NLD member. On Friday, she will deliver a speech at Manau Stadium in Sitapu Quarter in Myitkyina. Suu Kyi will also speak in Bhamo, said campaign manager Nyan Win. She will also meet with the abbot of the Wuntho Monastery in Myitkyina, according to sources close to the abbot. Unlike other ethnic armed groups, the KIO said it would not agree on a cease-fire first, but would first discuss political issues. As a result, sporadic fighting still takes place, despite an order by the government to halt all offensives. "A cease-fire is only the political consequences," a KIO official told Mizzima. "We will focus on political talks which will be transparent, concrete and offer a clear path, and we will discuss how to resolve these political issues." The trip marks Suu Kyi's third visit to Kachin State. She visited in 1989 and 2003. During her visit in 1989, she met with Duwa Zau Rip, who was involved in drafting the Panglong Agrement with General Aung San, Suu Kyi's father. In recent weeks, Suu Kyi has campaigned in Dawei (Tavoy), Pakokku, Pathein, Kawhmu, Helgu and Pyapon. On Wednesday, seven members of the Mandalay Region NLD, including senior leader Win Mya Mya, traveled to Myitkyina via train carry clothes and 10 million kyat (about US$ 12,000) to donate to Kachin war refugees. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6636-suu-kyi-to-campaign-in-kachin-state.html ----------------------------------------- Karen religious leaders join hands for unity and peace February 23 | Author: By Nan Paw Gay (KIC)| In an effort to develop unity and peace, representatives from different religions within Karen society came together for a seminar held on the Thai-Burma border last week. The purpose for the seminar is for religious leaders to involve in the process of bringing peace and unity among Karen. Attending the three-day seminar were monks and reverends from different religious dominations and members of Karen community based organizations 95 people took part. The seminar was initially organized by Interior and Religion departments of the Karen National Union and was funded by a religious organization from Japan. During the seminar, KNU officials presented their ceasefire and peace talk process and explained the current situation to the participants who openly and freely discussed the raised issues. Saw Hla Ngwe, joint secretary of the KNU explained to Karen News. All Karen members of the community have their religious leaders. Our aim is to be inclusive to all in building peace and unity. Our purpose is to get all religious leaders to be involved in the process and we fulfilled our purpose. Saw Hla Ngwe said that it is important to have religious leaders involvement in building unity among Karen, building unity with Burma government and more importantly, to reunite all the Karen people who are divided by religion, territory, organization and groups. At the seminar, a decision was made to form a Karen Unity Building Group to reunite all Karen and help bring peace to Burma. The group is composed of 11 monks and 9 reverends, while its advisory board, will be led by Ashin Wizzana and Reverend Saw Robert Htwe. Naw Bu Poe, a woman religious leader of a Baptist Christian domination who attended the seminar told Karen News. If we cant bring unity among ourselves, it is impossible to build unity with others. Now, we are starting our step towards building unity. Unity in diversity is the best and it is long lasting. Ashin Wathawaka from Taung Yatetha temple from Naung Kine village in Kawkareik Township expressed his views to Karen News. It is important for our Karen to be reunited. Weve now founded this group and as soon as we have our mandate, we will start the implementation process and then we will try to build unity among ourselves. In a statement issued after the religious seminar, the newly formed Karen Unity Building Group called for all concern parties from the KNU and Thein Seins government to reassure their peace process and their agreement to civilians living in conflict zones and to resolve all the ongoing confrontation between KNU and Burma army effectively and to continue their peace process with credibility. Monks from the border region and from inside Karen State Myawaddy, Kawkareik, Hlaingbwe and Papun attended the seminar. In the past religious seminars about Karen unity were held but this is the first time a group has been formed to implement unity among Karen. http://karennews.org/2012/02/karen-religious-leaders-join-hands-for-unity-and-peace.html/ ----------------------------------------- While Tigers fielding two candidates in Shan State Thursday, 23 February 2012 10:20 S.H.A.N. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), the party that emerged third in the 2010 elections, is fielding 4 candidates, 2 in Shan State, in the April Fool's Day by-elections to fill up the seats vacated by MPs that had been appointed as union ministers. One of them is Sai Sam Min, 53, a native of Lashio, who is running for the National Assembly seat left by Dr Sai Mawk Kham, Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who was elected as Vice President #2. He holds a bachelor degree in law (1992) but his profession is business. A drugstore owned by him stands in the main market of Lashio, the capital of Shan State North. He says he is pretty much confident of winning the seat despite the fact that he is facing two formidable opponents: Dr Nang Keng Phawng Tip, USDP Sai Myint Maung, NLD The other is Sao Tha Oo, 51, who is running for the vacant People's Assembly seat in Kalaw, Shan State South. He comes from the former princely house of Loilong Panglawng. He had received B. Com (Eco) Q, D.A. from Rangoon in 1980. His profession: agriculture and tourism. A former leading member of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), that had won the most seats in Shan State in the 1990 elections, he was detained and sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2005, together with his bosses: and Khun Tun Oo, 93 years; Sai Nyunt Lwin, 85 years. A month after the court sentence, he was freed as a state witness, which has served as a blemish in his otherwise stainless life. However, he is claiming innocence. Friends also say his early release was a trick by the then military rulers to sow a seed of mistrust among SNLD members. "The upcoming by-elections will vindicate me," he said. SHAN is still waiting for data from Sai Myint Maung, 1990 elections winner. SHAN will also gratefully accept bio-data, leaflets and comments from other candidates from Lashio and Kalaw constituencies. http://www.english.panglong.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4438:while-tigers-fielding-two-candidates-in-shan-state&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266 ---------------------------------------- BBC ASIA NEWS Is Burma ready for foreign investment? Burma's reform process has prompted Western governments to lift some limited sanctions, and the EU has made clear that further progress, like clean by-elections in April, could lead to more movement. The change in mood has encouraged a wave of investor interest, reports the BBC's Rachel Harvey from Rangoon. It is tough to get a lunchtime table in Monsoon these days. The upmarket Rangoon restaurant, opened in 2005, has long been a favoured haunt of local expats, tourists and the Burmese elite. At Monsoon, Burmese cuisine is seasoned with old colonial splendour. The fans circulating on the impossibly high ceiling, the wooden window shutters and ochre walls recall a bygone era. The restaurant is owned by two sisters - Phyu Phyu and Su Su Tin. "Now we see more Japanese and European businessmen coming in," Phyu Phyu said. "And big groups of Americans which didn't exist before," Su Su chipped in. The family is thinking about trying to open more restaurants in other popular tourist destinations like Mandalay and Bagan. But they have other plans too. "We don't have enough serviced apartments (in Rangoon) or houses for rent," said Phyu Phyu. "So we are thinking about construction too." Her sister pointed to Rangoon's soaring rents as evidence that more accommodation was needed. "The rent for the office we have now has almost doubled this year, so we are looking for a new place to move to," said Su Su. Building boom Established local construction firms are already rushing to meet growing demand. Scaffolding and cranes now pepper a skyline still largely devoid of the gleaming tower blocks which characterise other Asian cities. Hotel lobbies are filled with foreign business executives scoping opportunities for future investment. Rooms in Rangoon need to be booked weeks in advance. Ram Nurani, the general manager of the Park Royal hotel, says occupancy rates have jumped from around 65% in November 2010 (when Burma held historic but widely criticised national elections) to more than 90% today. "We came up with plan to send people to Singapore to prepare them for the international clientele that's coming into this country, preparing them for the English language and for the business clientele expectations," he said. The Park Royal is part of the Pan Pacific hotels group headquartered in Singapore. Mr Nurani is acutely aware that a well-trained staff is a precious commodity. "Competition is coming not just from hotels but from private companies,'' he added. ''What they would target is associates (staff) from hotels who are well versed, confident and speak English well." The Park Royal has now linked staff salaries to performance in the hopes of retaining its best employees. Outdated infrastructure There is a palpable buzz about Rangoon these days - a feeling that things are about to take off. But is Burma really ready for a business boom? It is common on Rangoon's street corners to see a small table laden with telephone handsets, their wires draped precariously over the branch of the nearest tree or post. This is the way many Burmese still keep in touch with friends and relatives - by paying to use a phone at an outside stall. There are plenty of shops selling the latest mobile phone handsets, but not everyone can afford them and networks are patchy, particularly outside main towns. Internet speeds are slow; roads are poorly maintained; and power cuts are not at all unusual. In major cities things are improving. But the kind of connectivity that modern business needs is still largely lacking. For some, that is part of Burma's charm. Tourists are increasingly keen to see a country still largely untouched by the rapid development that has changed so much of the rest of Asia. Delia Bethal, originally from the UK, is now living across the border in neighbouring Thailand. But this is her first trip to Burma. When the old authoritarian military government held power, many foreigners were deterred from visiting. "It was always considered not politically correct to come. But now things seem to be changing and the feeling is it's good to go," Ms Bethal said. She was travelling with a friend and their two teenage daughters. "There's change in the air and we wanted to come before it becomes touristy,'' she said. ''We want to see what the unspoiled Burma is like." The trick then is for Burma's new semi-civilian government to encourage the wave of investor interest without swamping Burma's unique character. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17123396 ---------------------------------------- Burma must end civil war ahead of reforms By Zin Linn Feb 22, 2012 12:33AM UTC What really happened to people in Kachin State? Why don't thegovernment's armed forces stop fighting there? Who is taking advantage of this unreasonable war? There are lots of questions relating to this inhumane war launched by Burmese government against the Kachin ethnic people. If current government has genuine political reform plan, first of all it should call a unilateral ceasefire to show sympathy on the war victims and innocent civilians. It should think over the result of this war, a waste of many lives. In the hope of setting up political dialogue, the KIO signed a ceasefire agreement with the central government on February 24, 1994. However, no political dialogue happened in the 17-year ceasefire and the KIO was pressured to give up its weapons and transform into a Burmese Army-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF) ahead of the 2010 November 7 election. The KIO turned down the BGF plan, saying it cannot accept weakening its armed wing. KIA officials repeatedly said the civil war would spread across Kachin and Shan states if the government expanded its aggressive offensive against the KIO. The latest series of armed clashes in Kachin state have prompted observers to think that warfare in the border regions may not be avoidable. Last week, over 1,500kg of rice recently harvested by farmers in war-torn Kachin state were set ablaze by government soldiers in Waingmaw Township on the Myitkyina-Bhamo road, eyewitnesses told Kachin News Group. On February 16 and 17, soldiers from the Meiktila-based Light Infantry Division No. 88 ransacked a great quantity of rice paddies in Mali Yang village. The arson attack followed heavy fighting in the area between the Burmese army and fighters from Brigade 5 of the Kachin Independence Army. Looting or destroying farmers' crops is a common policy of Burma Army to carry out communal penalties in conflict zones. Although the government says it is on the democratic reform path, its armed forces continued destroying civilians' properties and killing unarmed civilians this month. Even though the battle between the KIO and government troops seemed to ease earlier this year, the intensity of the warfare has gradually increased over the past few weeks. Fighting has been particularly intense in northern Shan State along the proposed route of the Shwe gas pipeline project. Peace talks between the two sides which were expected to be held last week failed to take place after the Burmese government delegation objected to meeting again in China. Although the government has been attempting through two peacemaking teams, the key ethnic rebel groups, Karen National Union (KNU) and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) are still unconvinced of the move for political settlement. The ethnic armed groups do not trust the government's offer of peace talks. The fact is that while offering a peace plan, the government has been increasing its deployment of armed forces in the conflict zones. Besides, the Burma Army's soldiers are on the loose, committing lots of crimes and human rights abuses in the ethnic territories. The difficulties of ending the war against the KNU and the KIO are entwined with the natural resources profits in the respective ethnic states. The Myitsone Dam venture and Shwe-gas twin pipeline development projects are entangled with war against KIO and the Dawei deepsea port project needs a security guarantee from the KNU. Moreover, the government wants to show the international community that their peacemaking course is on track By doing so, the regime could earn the trust from the Western democracies and sanctions may lift at the same time. Since the end of a 17-year ceasefire between the Burmese government and the KIO in June 2010, more than 70,000 war refugees have abandoned their homes in native Kachin and northern Shan state. The majority of the refugees have fled to KIO areas where the UN and international NGOs have been unreachable. http://asiancorrespondent.com/76518/burma-must-end-civil-war-ahead-of-reforms/ ---------------------------------------- Overwhelming Interest in Burma/Myanmar 23 February 2012 | news Parinee Chantaharn | photos Gregers Moller The breakfast meeting on Wednesday 22 February 2012 of the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce about Burma with the guest speaker H.E. Mikael Hemniti Winther, Danish Ambassador to Burma/Myanmar, attracted a record number of participants from not only the Danish but also the Thai-Swedish, Thai-Norwegian and Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce. The meeting room at Grand Millennium Sukhumvit was packed with 85 attentively listening businessmen interested in possibly exploring business opportunities in the rapidly opening country. According to the Ambassador, Burma remains a very poor country although rich in natural resources. But since last year its economic growth has been measured at 5%. The country is interesting among others because of the cheap cost of labor although most of the workforce is uneducated. The universities have been shut down for a decade, resulting in the young generation speaking poorer English than the older generations. As a reward for the Burmese governments small step towards political reform, EU is planning to remove some of the restrictions on doing business with Burma/Myanmar while the US is less likely to lift their sanctions in the near future, the Ambassador said. A challenge that businessmen will face in Burma is that there is no clear legal framework for foreign investors. The law is vague, and sometimes difficult to interpret, the Ambassador warned. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of the question, whether the country would be able to solve the armed conflict that the army is fighting with several of the countrys many ethnic groups. This issue has largely been overlooked in the international media but is crucial as the country is opening up to the outside world because these groups are typically occupying the areas up to the borders to Burmas neighbors, Thailand, China and Bangladesh. The meeting was opened by Executive Director Savija Korslund of the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce. After the speech the Ambassador was bombarded with a lot of different and often very specific questions. Eventually, President Peter Romhild of the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce reluctantly called the meeting to an end and gave Mikael H. Winther a small gift for sharing his unique insight with the members. http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=dk&news_id=10210 ---------------------------------- Fire Destroys 1000 Refugee Homes at Thai-Burma Border By LAWI WENG Thursday, February 23, 2012 About 1000 buildings, including homes, schools and marketplaces were destroyed when a fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp at the Thai-Burma border. No deaths have been reported. Eye-witnesses at the camp said the fire broke out at around midday in a house while a family was cooking over a coal fire. The blaze spread quickly around the wooden and bamboo-constructed buildings nearby, affecting Quarters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and was not put out until 2:30 pm. Speaking to The Irrawaddy by phone, Lawi Mon Tamoi, an ethnic Mon refugee living in Quarter 10, said, "More than 1,500 people have been made homeless. "Many of the refugees were unable to grab their belongings," he said. "Now they have no clothes and food. They don't know what they will eat or where they will sleep tonight." Sin Thee Yar, a school teacher in Umpiem Mai refugee camp, said that every house in Quarters 8 and 9 was destroyed. She said that there were 150 houses in Quarter 8, and 187 houses in Quarter 9. She estimated that half the homes and buildings in Quarters 6, 7 and 10 were destroyed in the blaze. She said that one child was taken to hospital after being seriously injured with burns. As the fire broke out during school hours, many parents panicked and rushed to the schoolhouses to rescue their children. "It was a chaotic scene," said Lawi Mon Tamoi. Umpiem Mai refugee camp has more than 15,000 refugees. The camp is one of nine along the Thai-Burmese border, where about 140,000 Burmese refugees live, most of whom are ethnic Karens. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=23084 ----------------------------------- Good neighbourly ties at Yunnan-Myanmar border By Maria Siow | Posted: 23 February 2012 1714 hrs MYANMAR: Thousands of refugees fleeing fighting in northern Myanmar are said to have entered China in recent days, sparking a humanitarian crisis. It's also posing a diplomatic dilemma for Beijing. China has denied the influx of refugees, though Yunnan authorities said they have detailed plans for an emergency response, and are prepared to provide assistance. Aid groups said at least 10,000 refugees have fled into China's southwestern Yunnan province due to fighting between Myanmar's military and the Kachin Independence Army. Myanmar's government is eager to reach a ceasefire agreement with ethnic rebels as part of a deal to get the international community to lift economic sanctions. Even though such an agreement has been struck with other rebel groups, the battles have continued in the country's northern Kachin state. That's after a 17-year old ceasefire broke down in June last year. China which has close ties to Myanmar has denied the influx of refugees, said that the numbers have been overstated. Beijing has also described the people not as refugees, but as people who have entered China temporarily because of safety concerns. China has often urged concerned parties in Myanmar to resolve their differences through peaceful consultations. Yin Jing village straddles both China and Myanmar territory, and is known as "One Village Two Countries". Despite tensions elsewhere along the borders, Chinese and Burmese inhabitants get along well with each other. They are also free to come in and out of each other's territory. They attribute this to long years of drinking water from a well, and the strong bonds formed through inter-marriages. Yu Xiang, a villager, said: "We have a permit to come in and out of Myanmar. Many are like me who have families in Myanmar. I have an elder brother there, my father used to live in Myanmar, and my mother too has relatives there." Li Fugui, customs checkpoint officer, said: "There are frequent interactions between inhabitants. There are no tall mountains and huge rivers to separate our two countries." One of the priorities of China's Myanmar policy is to ensure stability in the region. There are fears that any instability will have an adverse impact on border trade, and derail Chinese infrastructure projects in Myanmar. Clearly, ensuring China's national interests while maintaining good neighbourly relations is expected to be an ongoing challenge for Beijing. - CNA/ck http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/1184788/1/.html ---------------------------------- Japan 'to resume Myanmar loans' after 25 years Foreign, 2012-02-23 17:49 TOKYO, February 23, 2012 (AFP) - Japan is moving to resume loans to Myanmar after a quarter of a century, a report said Thursday, the latest move by the world community to bring the country in from the cold. Tokyo hopes to reach an agreement with Myanmar on a conditional resumption of the loans -- to be used for infrastructure projects such as ports and railways -- at a summit in late April, the Nikkei newspaper said. Japan has made no new official yen loans to Myanmar since a military coup and fierce crackdown at the end of the 1980s, which came amid mounting fears in Tokyo over huge unpaid arrears the Southeast Asian nation had already built up. Unlike major Western nations, Japan has maintained trade ties and dialogue with Myanmar, warning that a hard line on the ruling junta could push it closer to neighbouring China, its main political supporter and commercial partner. Myanmar's Asian allies, among them Thailand as well as China, already have a foot in the door and their firms are involved in hydropower, port and gas pipeline projects. Japan has continued to provide humanitarian and emergency aid to the country, but halted regular economic assistance -- such as grants -- in 2003 following the arrest and detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has undergone dramatic changes since polls last year that saw the election of a nominally civilian government. Since then the regime has surprised observers with a series of reforms, welcoming Suu Kyi's party back into mainstream politics and releasing hundreds of political prisoners. The moves have seen Suu Kyi hit the campaign trail as her National league for Democracy party prepares for by-elections to be held on April 1. Tokyo will make the restart of the yen loans conditional on a resolution of Myanmar's outstanding debts and the by-elections being fair, the Nikkei said. http://www.mysinchew.com/node/70554?tid=37