News &Articles on Burma-Thursday, 16 February 2012-UZL

News &Articles on Burma Thursday, 16 February 2012 ----------------------------------------------- SSA: We don't trust the military, but it's time to enter the ring Ethnic MPs ignore order to don Burmese costume on Union Day Burma reforms 'not set in stone' 8 million 'ecstasy' tablets, weapons seized in Tachileik China notes increase in meth drug smuggling Nationwide peace is near: Aung Min Opposition Leader Bets On Myanmar Reforms Burma needs to end ethnic wars for genuine change Outcast no more Rule of law holds key to Myanmar reforms Daw Aung San Suu Kyi says Burma is just an ethnic nationality Myanmar to promote railway sector with loans from China, India -------------------------------------------- SSA: We don't trust the military, but it's time to enter the ring Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:55 S.H.A.N. In response to critics, bother former supporters and rivals alike, who say the movement's leadership has gone nai"ve by entering a ceasefire pact with Naypyitaw, the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) argues the matter of trust, though important, is secondary. "The world wants peace in Burma and our people want a respite from the endless conflict," said 73 year old Sao Pai Mong, the RCSS/SSA's principal adviser. "We know (by offering ceasefire talks and eventual political dialogue) the regime has challenged us to fight in the ring (and not outside it as it used to). By accepting the challenge, it doesn't mean we have placed our fate in the regime's hands." He cited several reasons why Naypyitaw especially the Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) could not be trusted: continued construction of fortifications, refusal to withdraw its troops to towns and cities, and continued harassment and attacks on the SSA, among others. It shows they have only changed clothes but they still remain the same people, he said. Nevertheless, he believes Lt-Gen Yawdserk, leader of the SSA South, as the RCSS/SSA is commonly known, is correct in concluding a ceasefire agreement with President Thein Seins government. You cannot win by staying outside the ring, he reasoned. And we believe in our leaders ability to handle the problems that come with it. At the same time, he will need a lot of second line leaders who are as farsighted and share the same breadth of vision. He said the second phase of the peace process, as announced by U Aung Min, Naypyitaws chief negotiator on 19 November 2011, should focus on education and healthcare for the people and capacity-building for members of the movement. Asked what he thought about President Thein Sein, he replied, The Burmese leaders have a poor track record of getting rid of those who had performed outstanding services for the nation. Just look at the examples: Aung San after he won over the non-Burmans, Kyaw Zaw after he defeated the Kuomintang and Khin Nyunt after he achieved ceasefire agreements with several armed opposition movements. President Thein Sein certainly cannot afford to be careless. The RCSS/SSA signed the ceasefire agreement on 2 December and became one of the 7 major armed movements that are at an uneasy truce with the regime. The second agreement, signed on 16 January, has designated some 2,000 square kilometer area stretching along the Thai Burma border, opposite Maehongson and Chiangmai for resettlement and development. But the Burma Army so far has refused to implement it. Loi Taileng, the SSA Souths main base, is still conferring with Naypyitaw on how to go about it, said Yawdserk yesterday. http://www.english.panglong.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4422:ssa-we-dont-trust-the-military-but-its-time-to-enter-the-ring&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266 ------------------------------------------- Ethnic MPs ignore order to don Burmese costume on Union Day Thursday, 16 February 2012 11:07 S.H.A.N. More than half of non-Burman ethnic MPs just ignored instruction to wear Burmese attire to attend the Union Day dinner party hosted by President Thein Sein on 12 February, according to Shan MPs. Sai Hak aka Thiha Kyaw (Photo: Kawli Media) "It could be a mistake by the organizers," said Sai Hak aka Thiha Kyaw, People's Assembly representative for Mongyai township, Shan State North. "Anyway, since it was a Union Day and not a Burman Day, most of us decided that the order was not meant for us non-Burmans." Among the Shans at the dinner party, there was only Sai Mawk Kham, Vice President #2, who had chosen to wear the traditional Burmar/Burman garb, according to government-owned MRTV news. The Union Day came into being when Burma, Federated Shan States, Chin Hills and Kachin Hills signed the Panglong Agreement in 1947 to form what was to become the Union of Burma. http://www.english.panglong.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4423%3Aethnic-mps-ignore-order-to-don-burmese-costume-on-union-day&catid=85%3Apolitics&Itemid=266 -------------------------------------------- RADIO AUSTRALIA NEWS Burma reforms 'not set in stone' Last Updated: 5 hours 10 minutes ago The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma has warned that reforms in the country are not yet set in stone. Burma has seen some astonishing change in the last year since opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest. Ms Suu Kyi is now a candidate in elections due to be held in April. But the UN Special Rapporteur, Tomas Ojean Quintana, has told Newsline that the military still hasn't entirely relinquished its hold on power. "There is an important process of reform that I see irreversible in some aspects at the same time I see that the military still holds an important piece of the power," he said. "It is too soon to say that everything is finished and now there is democracy in the country." Mr Quintana said he has been told by the Burmese Government that it is considering allowing international observers in to monitor the April elections. http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201202/3432808.htm?desktop -------------------------------------------- 8 million 'ecstasy' tablets, weapons seized in Tachileik Thursday, 16 February 2012 12:34 Kyaw Kha Chiang Mai (Mizzima) -- Police were tipped off to a huge drug shipment probably bound for Thailand stored in three homes in a village outside of Tachileik on the northern Thai-Burma border on Monday. Around 8.7 million amphetamine tablets and assorted weapons were confiscated, said Burmese authorities. Ecstasy pills are a staple of the drug trade around the Golden Triangle. Photo: wikipedia.orgAuthorities raided three houses in the Lwetawkham village tract in Tachileik Township and found amphetamine-type tablets, assault rifles and drug-making material, according to a source close to the police. "One of the members of this drug gang gave police a tip-off by phone. All of the owners of the houses are ethnic Akha and all of them managed to escape the raid. Only the drugs, weapons and equipment were found," a source told Mizzima. The raids took place on Monday morning. One AK-47 assault rifle, one M-16 rifle, a .38 pistol and one M-22 rifle were seized. Sixty kilograms of caffeine used in making the drugs was also seized. The Tachileik police said that the drugs were probably going to be sent to Thailand. In its 2011 report, the UN anti-narcotics agency sounded the alarm over soaring production and consumption of heroin and new "designer drugs" that are again making Southeast Asia a major drugs hub. The agency's World Drug Report 2011 warned that Burma has become a prime source of synthetic narcotic methamphetamine. A record 15.8 tons of methamphetamine pills were seized in 2009, the latest year for available figures, up by more than one third from 2008. Most of the drugs came from or were seized in Burma, which the UNODC called "one of the primary sources of methamphetamine pills in Southeast Asia." Burma has also seen a surge in opium poppy production to make heroin, according to the agency. The world opium market is now said to be valued at more than $US 68 billion a year. The Golden Triangle of Laos, Burma and Thailand are at the center of the drug trade. The UN said that governments and experts in Asia had reported a "significant" increase in use of amphetamine-type stimulants over the past year, particularly of methamphetamine. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6596-8-million-ecstasy-tablets-weapons-seized-in-tachileik.html --------------------------------------------- China notes increase in meth drug smuggling Thursday, 16 February 2012 17:12 Mizzima News (Mizzima) -- A Chinese official says "speed" drugs such as methamphetamine, or "ice," are significantly on the rise, and China will step up efforts to combat border smuggling. Opium poppies growing in a cultivated field in Tanai Township in southern Kachin State. Photo: Mizzima Opium poppies growing in a cultivated field in Tanai Township in southern Kachin State. Photo: Mizzima The increase is especially noticeable in some border areas owing to "domestic and overseas factors," he told China Daily on Tuesday. Ma Yan, a vice-president of a criminal tribunal under the Supreme People's Court, said illegal drug making in border areas, particularly southwest China, is causing serious concern. Yang Wu, a 32-year-old farmer, was among those arrested by poice. Yang was sentenced to death for smuggling with his accomplices up to 18 kilograms of the new-type "designer" drugs. They transported the drug from Southwest China's Yunnan Province, which borders Burma, and sold them in East China's Zhejiang Province. Capital punishment is considered in cases involving the production or smuggling of "a large amount of drugs" and for repeat offenders, Ma said, without specifying how many of those convicted have been sentenced to death. Sun Jungong, a spokesman of the Supreme People's Court, said last year more than one in four dealers among the total 19,000 drug criminals received severe sentences -- from five years in prison to the death sentence -- 11 percent more than those convicted of other types of crime. China Daily reported on Tuesday that drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle was on the rise and a crackdown was underway aimed at blocking smugglers from entering the country's western border region. The Mekong River threads along the Golden Triangle, the border area between Burma, Laos and Thailand, which in recent months has been the scene of clashes between drug runners and Burmese and Thai soldiers who work on the river to ensure the safety of cargo ships. Xinhua reported in December that Chinese cargo ships departing from Yunnan Province were escorted by five patrol vessels. When they entered a section of the Mekong River on the Laos-Thailand border, a fleet of 10 Thai patrol vessels loaded with armed officers and heavy machines guns waited to escort them to Chiang Saen port in Thailand. An armed helicopter hovered in the sky. Meanwhile, clashes between Burmese soldiers and a Burmese drug gang led by Sai Naung Hkam occurred on the Mekong River during a joint patrol by Burma and Laos forces. Two Burmese soldiers were killed. The drug gang was led by Sai Naung Hkam, a former officer in the now defunct Mong Tai Army, which was headed by the late Burmese drug lord Khun Sa, who had a close relationship with former Burmese junta military officers. Residents say Sai Naung Hkam extorts money from cargo ships running on the Mekong River. On October 31, a four-country meeting between China, Laos, Thailand and Burma was held in Beijing, in which it was agreed to conduct joint law enforcement along the Mekong River. http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/6599-china-notes-increase-in-meth-drug-smuggling.html -------------------------------------------- Nationwide peace is near: Aung Min Thursday, 16 February 2012 15:25 Mizzima News (Mizzima) -- Burma's peace negotiator says all remaining armed rebel groups should have cease-fire deals signed within three months. After that, he said, will come dialogues on-going dialogues intended to provide "everlasting peace." Government peace delegation leader Rail Transportation Minister Aung Min speaks at a press conference in this file photo. Photo: MizzimaIn his first interview with a foreign news organization, Aung Min, a retired general and the current minister for rail transportation appointed by President Thein Sein to solve the decades old hostilities, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday the government and ethnic armed groups were beginning to trust each other. "This is a chronic disease that has been happening for over 60 years. Successive governments couldn't cure the disease because the remedy didn't fit," Aung Min told the agency in his first interview with a foreign news group. Burma has changed, he said, allowing for a new approach to peace talks. After the cease-fires, the negotiations will cover broad areas, such as ethnic groups' longing for a true federal system, with broad powers granted to states or regions, similar to systems in the U.S. and the European Union. Nine of 16 rebel groups have signed cease-fire agreements with the government, he said, and he expected six more agreements to be reached within a few months. The Kayah Nationalities Progressive Party (KNPP) would sign a deal on March 1, he said, and five smaller parties were expected to sign soon. He declined to comment about the fighting still going on in Kachin State despite an order by President Thein Sein and the armed forces commander-in-chief for troops to end offensives. The era of former junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe, who ruled Myanmar during an era of brutal suppression of democratic groups, is over. He said Than Shwe had no influence in the current government, in which he played a large role in putting it in place. "Than Shwe has retired completely. We don't need to follow his orders or influence. There is now virtually no contact," he was quoted as saying. He said Than Shwe spends a lot of time reading now, and the country owned him thanks for putting in place a peaceful transition to democracy. Regarding rumours of tensions between more democratic and more conservation groups in the government and military, he said they were just rumours and "we are all" for President Thein Sein. He credited Thein Sein as putting in place a "three-step plan" for peace, first involving cease-fires, followed by political negotiations, followed by a special assembly of Parliament which would offer a formal peace agreement. Whether self-determination was involved in the process, he said he couldn't say, but he left the door open in terms of amending the 2008 Constitution, and "the groups would be encouraged to form political parties and join Parliament." Aung Min painted a colorful picture of previous cease-fire negotiations, reflecting scenes of deep distrust of the government. He said a few ethnic leaders were afraid to eat food offered to them for fear it was poisoned, and some refused to accept token gifts. "At first they didn't trust me, they carried out body searches on me for weapons," he told Reuters. "They weren't brave enough to eat food I had brought, in case I poisoned them. They didn't accept gifts and souvenirs in case there were bombs or booby-traps. I had to win their trust and confidence..." In the past, he said negotiators only sought cease-fires, but now Burma is seeking real peace, even though it will take time and will not be easy. "This is our plan for eternal peace," he said. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6597-nationwide-peace-is-near-aung-min.html ------------------------------------------ NPR Opposition Leader Bets On Myanmar Reforms by Anthony Kuhn February 15, 2012 Ethnic Karen women welcome opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to War Thein Kha village. The area is in Kawhmu Township, which Suu Kyi is campaigning to represent in Myanmar's parliament. February 15, 2012 The military-backed government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, has surprised many skeptics with the pace of its political reforms releasing political prisoners, easing censorship and making peace with ethnic insurgents. But none of these reforms have won it as much praise as its efforts to mend fences with opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. After nearly two decades under house arrest, Suu Kyi is now aiming to work for democracy within the system by running for a seat in parliament. Lately, she has been on the campaign trail, standing up through the sunroof of her SUV, gathering up bouquets of flowers and cheers from well-wishers. Her supporters pack the dusty roads leading to the township of Kawhmu, the rural constituency she hopes to represent. Campaigning For Parliament At the entrance to one village, Suu Kyi is greeted by ethnic Karen residents, chanting a traditional welcome. The farmers' mouths are stained a rusty red from chewing betel nut. Their cheeks are smeared with a white herbal sunblock. Kawhmu is deep in the countryside, a four-hour drive from Yangon, the country's largest city. Suu Kyi says she chose the area for its ethnic diversity. The area was hard-hit by Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and many residents were angry at the government's slow and feeble response to the emergency. Suu Kyi asks the villagers for their support as they sit in a sun-baked field. She says she's wary of making campaign pledges, warning that the road to a better Burma will not be an easy one. The recent political reforms haven't changed much in Kawhmu. There's not much industry and not many jobs here. "I and a lot of folks here want to vote for Suu Kyi," says 25-year-old farmer Sa Tun Lin. "I don't understand politics too well, but I want to choose someone who will work hard for the benefit of the people." Suu Kyi is the daughter of Gen. Aung San, the Burmese national hero who negotiated independence from Great Britain in 1947. She didn't get into politics until 1988, and she has spent much of the time since then under house arrest. Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, boycotted the 2010 elections as unfair. It was not until last December that she announced that she had changed her mind and decided to return to electoral politics. Skepticism Over Reforms Some of her colleagues, including the party's co-founder, 82-year-old Win Tin, think she is too optimistic. "I don't know whether you can trust, you see, this government or this president and so on," he says. "You cannot easily trust the army. The army can take power at any time according to that constitution." Win Tin, a journalist who spent nearly two decades in jail for his political activism, would prefer to build up the party before competing in elections. But he says he knows that Suu Kyi is "The Lady," and the only person with the charisma and credentials needed to lead the Burmese pro-democracy movement. "We have some different opinions on some issues," he concedes, "but anyhow, I stand with her, I follow her and I support her." If she's elected to parliament, Suu Kyi says she wants to revise the constitution, which mandates a leading role for the army and gives it the right to invoke emergency powers that can be exercised without any accountability. 'Joining Our Efforts' Even if Suu Kyi and her party sweep the April 1 by-elections, the military and the ruling party will still hold an overwhelming advantage in parliament. Pushing any major revisions through will be difficult. Speaking at party headquarters, Suu Kyi says diplomatically that she's not trying to get the military to give up any of its power. "I would like the military to cooperate with us in building democracy in Burma," she insists. "It's not a matter of relinquishing anything, but of joining in our efforts." Suu Kyi appears to be gambling that the new administration is serious about democratic reform. The government, meanwhile, is gambling that embracing Suu Kyi will persuade foreign powers to lift their sanctions on Myanmar. Officials have raised the possibility that that once in parliament, Suu Kyi could go from lawmaker to Cabinet minister. Her party won a landslide electoral victory in 1990, but the ruling junta refused to stand aside. Whether Suu Kyi and the party could some day have another chance at holding power will have to wait at least until the next general election in 2015. http://www.npr.org/2012/02/15/146892722/opposition-leader-bets-on-myanmar-reforms ------------------------------------------ Burma needs to end ethnic wars for genuine change By Zin Linn Feb 16, 2012 11:48AM UTC This February is the 65 Anniversary time of Burma's Panglong agreement which guarantee to form a democratic federal union. The agreement has been ignored by the military leaders as they did not support the 'Federalism' since 1962 military coup. The Panglong Agreement was signed on Feb. 12, 1947, between General Aung San and leaders of the Chin, Kachin and Shan ethnic groups guaranteeing to establish a genuine federal union of Burma. However, the civil war that made the country of inferior quality has been going on and on for over six decades. 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 plan for political settlement. The ethnic armed groups do not trust fully on government's peace talks. The fact is that while offering peace proposal, 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. Moreover, the difficulties of ending the war against the KNU and the KIO are intertwined with the natural resources benefit in the respective ethnic states. Myitsone dam venture and Shwe-gas twin pipeline development projects are connected with the Kachin warfare and Dawei deep sea-port multi-billion mega projects need security guarantee by the KNU. Additionally, the government wants to show the international community that their peace process is on the progress. By doing so, the regime could earn the trust from the Western democracies and sanctions may lift at the same time. According to yesterday Reuters News, Burmese government expects to reach ceasefire deals with all of the country's ethnic minority rebel armies within three months before starting a process of political dialogue towards "everlasting peace," its top peace negotiator Aung Min, a retired general and minister for rail transportation, said on Wednesday. It was difficult to gain the trust of the ethnic minority factions, Aung Min said, but most were sincere about peace and some leaders had stayed with him at his home in Naypyitaw, he said. However, the second week of February seemed more skirmishing between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and government armed forces, even though there were reports about ceasefire or peace talks next week, according to Kachin News Group (KNG). On 9 February Burmese soldiers and armed-units from the KIO's military wing the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) exchanged firing of guns in two different places near the road of 800km Shwe-gas and oil pipeline venture, referring local residents of Namtu in the northern Shan township the Kachin News Group reported. Namtu Township under control of the KIO's 8th Battalion was also the site of combating on 8 February in the Bang-Wa area. On 8 February, there was armed conflict in Manje (Mansi) township in southern Kachin State. The KIA's Battalion 12 defended against the government forces from Light Infantry Division No. 99 for nearly three hours. The battle took place in an area beyond Mong Hkawng. A strength of two hundred Burmese army columns attempted an advance on the Kachin positions, quoting KIA officers based on the front line KNG said. At the beginning of this week fighting broke out near the KIA's Battalion 9 base in Daklek Bum mountain, situated between Kutkai and Nampaka next to the Mandalay-Muse Chinese border trade route. At least five Burmese soldiers from the Nampaka-based Infantry Battalion No. 123 died in action and more than 7 appeared to have been seriously injured during clashes, witnesses reported to the Kachin News Group. In addition, more than 20,000 combat soldiers from nearly 200 battalions have been deployed in the Kahin frontline, the biggest military maneuver in Burma's long-lasting civil war, as reported by Kachin News Group. Several Kachin citizens think the reason of renewing the war after a 17-year cease-fire is the desire for natural resources in Kachin State by the Burmese military-backed government. Despite the fact that Burma's President Thein Sein has issued an instruction twice to Burma's Commander-in-Chief to halt the offensive against the KIO, the war continues and the inhabitants continue to run for their lives. According to Reuters, Aung Min declined to comment on the conflict in Kachin State. The Kachin offensives launched by Burma Army are still raging on despite orders to stop fighting by President Thein Sein. Government has reached temporary ceasefire agreements with 9 ethnic rebel groups. Some armed ethnic groups are still to be discussed, including the KIA. The KIA is the second strongest armed ethnic group in military-ruled Burma. It has five brigades. Four of them are based in Kachin State. There are about 30 battalions, with over 30,000 fighters- including regular and reserved forces. Most political analysts believe stopping the aggressive wars on ethnic people is the most important issue to be addressed by the new Thein Sein government if it wants to build the nation to become an economic tiger in the region. http://asiancorrespondent.com/76168/burma-needs-to-end-ethnic-wars-for-genuine-change/ -------------------------------------- Outcast no more Posted on 16 February 2012 - 05:13am YAP MUN CHING visits Myanmar's old and new capitals to find its people revelling in a fresh wave optimism. IF THERE is any doubt that the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw was built to impress, one only has to take the drive from its shiny new airport to the massive Parliament House. As the four-lane road widens to a 20-lane highway, there sits the massive complex made up of a series of large pagoda-roofed buildings set in a vast compound surrounded by a canal that reminded one vaguely of a moat. A sturdy black and gold iron grill gave the area a further line of defence. Barely six months ago, this building was symbolic of all that was wrong with Myanmar. To most outsiders, Myanmar was routinely viewed as a country of 60 million largely living in poverty under a super elite military class which had no compunction in locking up suspected dissidents regardless of whether they were women, children or monks. To fill the giant parliament, a controversial election was held in November 2010 to elect 330 lower house and 224 upper house representatives to complement the 25% of seats reserved for military appointees. Above all, the government was reviled for its treatment of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi whom it kept under house arrest for more than 15 years in total, while it secretly carved out a new capital in the sparsely populated central Burman plains. Myanmar, in short, was the "Golden Land" brought to its knees by decades of internal strife and mismanagement. Sometime in July last year, things began to change. All of a sudden, the country began liberalising at a pace dizzying even to those at the heart of the fight for greater political and civil rights. A year after releasing Suu Kyi after the expiry of her last detention order in November 2010, the new military-backed civilian government followed up on its reform drive by freeing most of its political prisoners. It went on to clear the way for Suu Kyi to contest in the April 2012 by-elections to replace cabinet ministers constitutionally required to vacate their parliamentary posts. Responding to these developments, Myanmar's biggest critics, the United States and United Kingdom, quickly deployed their envoys to re-engage with the government with promises of progressive sanctions relief upon further reform. From a position of isolation and neglect, Myanmar found itself transformed almost overnight into the top destination for diplomats and international business people. At a recent meeting with the latest delegation comprising top corporate leaders from the Asean Business Club, Vice-President of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) Maung Maung Lay admitted that the organisation was finding itself "overwhelmed" by the sudden changes and ensuing international attention. "The reforms are moving at a much faster pace than we expected," he said. "The private sector has no means and capacity to digest what the government has undertaken recently. This is what we have to admit." UMFCCI joint secretary U Moe Kyaw said the surge of interest occurred soon after US President Barack Obama acknowledged the "flickers of progress" in Myanmar in a speech last November. "After Obama's speech and (US Secretary of State Hillary) Clinton's visit, we received many groups. However, we will always remember that Asean has been our friend in need and we will never abandon our friends from the region," he said during the roundtable session at the UMFCCI's office in Yangon. Attracting considerable attention from the business community are three special economic zones (SEZs) that are being developed to attract foreign investment. According to Moe, the first SEZ expected to come online in 2014 is the Thilawa Zone east of the Yangon River. Already, sections of the zone have been reserved for exclusive development by Chinese, Japanese and Korean investors. "These countries have deep pockets and they are incredibly interested," Moe said, adding that a mixed zone may be designated for interested Asean countries. While infrastructure plans are being drawn up, Moe said a more pressing need is for the legal framework to be developed to cope with these changes. "We are opening up for business but not too quickly. We have to first update our foreign investment law. This is a big step for Myanmar. We have many workers abroad and we have to look at attracting them to come back and develop businesses here. "We are also worried about the Asean Economic Community to open our doors to parties interested in our market and resources. We do not want to be pushed back and segregated," Moe added, pointing out that Malaysia and Thailand are among countries which have been able to protect their national interests. Underscoring Myanmar's newfound voice in the international arena, Maung confidently described the recent developments in his country as "irreversible". "We are on the verge of taking off. We will face headwinds and there will be turbulences but we will take off. We have been ostracised in the past but we are now gaining trust among our friends overseas," Maung said. Spurring this new wave of optimism is the positive engagement that has taken place between the new government led by Prime Minister Thein Sein and the opposition helmed by Suu Kyi. In a move surprising even to many of her own supporters, Suu Kyi appears to have warmed up to Thein Sein unlike previous military leaders she had to deal with. The pair are reported to have met on several occasions and are said to have developed an understanding to work together in the interest of the country while keeping hardliners at bay. One of her supporters said this is because Thein Sein is known as one of the least corrupt generals. "We don't like the generals but at least this one is clean," he said. A more compelling reason, said other observers, is that geopolitical developments have made it worthwhile for both sides to put an end to the decades long standoff. "It is no longer necessary to talk about hardliners or softliners. The reforms will go according to the new world order. The government does not want to face an Arab spring in Myanmar or the mob justice that (former Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi received," said one Myanmar businessman. Similarly, the political opposition also finds it increasingly untenable to maintain its position in favour of western sanctions while global economic power shifts from a troubled Europe over to Asia. "(Suu Kyi) is a very intelligent woman. She knows that what we did in the past did not work so we have to try something else," said Kyaw Min Hlaing, an opposition supporter who contested in the 2011 elections under the flag of the National Democratic Force (NDF), an offshoot of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Hlaing, who lost his Yangon area constituency by a hair's breadth of 170 votes, said the new wave of openness ushered in by the elections has also resulted in more room for political expression in the once tightly controlled society. "People used to be afraid to express themselves. But they are now openly commenting and criticising the government," he said. Although unsuccessful in his bid for a parliamentary seat, Hlaing said that as the legitimate opposition candidate, he is permitted to shadow his political rival in the same constituency. "This is not because the government changed the laws. It is because they are finally following the law," he said. Characteristically, however, the Lady at the heart of the struggle is more circumspect about the developments. During a news conference held after an hour-long meeting with the Asean Business Club delegation, Suu Kyi cautioned that although the government's reform gestures are much welcomed, they are by no means irreversible and much effort remains necessary to ensure that Myanmar remains on its reform track. She said that foreign investors should "wait and see a little for their own good as well as that of the country", stressing that it is more important to first have sound investment laws and respect for the rule of law so that both investors and the people can benefit from economic development. While she maintained that she is not yet "satisfied" with the government's reform programme, she conceded that the opposition is nevertheless "pleased" with them. "I think they still need to be strengthened and they need to be put on the right path." Despite her careful approach, it is undeniable that Myanmar is experiencing a spring of sorts, very different from the one that took place in the Middle East a year ago. At no point since Suu Kyi entered the scene in 1988 has the military government been as accommodating to the civilian political opposition. Even more important to real peace in Myanmar is that the conciliatory gestures made by the military have not stopped with Suu Kyi. In tandem with their engagement with the democratic parties, the military is also negotiating crucial ceasefires and peace agreements with ethnic armed groups that have been waging a low intensity wars against the central government for decades. Late last year, the government signed a ceasefire with a Shan armed group, followed a month later by an agreement with its enemy for more than half a century, the Karen National Union. The Mon armed group is also reported to have reached an agreement with the government early this month. Talks are being held with the Kachin, Wa, Chin and other Shan groups. Whether the democratic opposition is playing any role in these developments is a matter for conjecture but in July, Suu Kyi wrote an open letter to the prime minister offering to act as mediator between the government and the armed insurgents. While it is true that there is nothing to stop the military from reversing its decisions, the unexpected breadth and pace of the reforms have shaken not a few sceptical minds. It may still be years before Myanmar will achieve a level of economic prosperity and political openness that will put it more at par with its better off Asean neighbours but at long last, it is finally taking the first tentative steps in the right direction. Yap Mun Ching's visit was made possible by the Asean Business Club. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com http://www.thesundaily.my/news/296367 --------------------------------------------- THE SUN DAILY Rule of law holds key to Myanmar reforms Posted on 16 February 2012 - 05:13am Last updated on 16 February 2012 - 05:40pm Yap Mun Ching Suu Kyi ... The rule of law will help us cope with the many ills of the country. Picture by Yap Mun Ching IT WAS some minutes after the doors to her verandah flew open that Aung San Suu Kyi emerged to meet waiting reporters. Unusually, she was held back on this occasion not by her supporters but by a group of star-struck CEOs. When she finally appeared, it was evident that the democracy advocate and until recently, one of the most famous prisoners of conscience, had no difficulty charming the corporate titans who run some of the largest companies in Southeast Asia. It is this ability to inspire that has made Aung San Suu Kyi such an iconic figure in her country and such a formidable foe to her detractors. Aside from her lineage as the daughter of slain independence hero Gen Aung San, the Lady (as she is widely known) has earned her stripes through personal sacrifice. In the two dozen years since she moved back to Yangon from her adopted home in Oxford, she has faced down death threats and prolonged imprisonment with the same quiet dignity and fortitude that she dealt with separation from her family. Now, as she prepares to run in the country's first by-election, she appeared happy and relaxed. Fielding questions from reporters, the Lady was in her element as she hinted at her campaign agenda and her views on issues as diverse as tourism in Myanmar, sanctions and Myanmar's prospective chairmanship of Asean. In her own words: It is said that the government may invite you to join the government if you win the by-election. What are your views on this? This is not a question I can answer at the moment. In the first place, I have not yet won and the government has not yet invited me. There are other considerations such as a clause requiring ministers to leave their parliamentary seats. I am not contesting (to join the government). Do you think Myanmar is ready for the Asean chairmanship in 2014? We are not yet in 2014. Politics is such that even one month can bring new developments. I think it is too soon to say whether Myanmar is ready but Asean has decided it is and political developments have to be served. I believe in the future of my country but I am cautious about predictions about the immediate future. What are your comments on the economic sanctions on Myanmar? The sanctions are a matter for the countries that imposed them. When they impose sanctions, these countries need to know why and under what conditions they can be dismantled. If they were dismantled, it would mean the conditions have been met and this would be a good thing for the country. You have spoken out against tourism in Myanmar. Have your views changed? Actually, we brought out a policy on tourism last year. We encourage tourism that benefits the public without hurting the environment. We believe in tourism that is ethical and environmentally conscious. There are over 100,000 Myanmar refugees in Malaysia. Do you think the time is right for them to consider returning? No, I think it is too early for them to return. They have got to have something to return to. I have been discussing the matter of migrant workers and refugees and how much more needs to be done for them, not just by the government of Burma but also by the governments of the host countries. What political reform are you most concerned about? I have been going on ad nauseum about the rule of law. I think it is very important to protect everyone's interests whether they are businessmen or citizens. The rule of law will help us cope with the many ills of the country. There is a view that political reforms are not progressing as fast as economic reforms. (Both) have to go in tandem. I don't think you can have genuine reforms without judicial reforms. It is no use having good investment laws if you don't have a good judicial system to make sure the laws are applied. Where would you like to see Myanmar in 10 years? I would like to see Myanmar ahead of all the Asean countries. Just a very simple ambition. http://www.thesundaily.my/news/296365 ------------------------------------ Narinjara News Date:2/16/2012 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi says Burma is just an ethnic nationality on 65th Union Day Rangoon: Myanmars democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has stated that Burman is just an ethnic nationality in the union of Burma. She said this in the ceremony of celebrating the 65th Union Day that was held by the six ethnic brotherhood parties in Rangoon, said U Hla Saw, the general secretary of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said she recognizes the role of ethnic nationalities, also saying she generally supports the genuine union that is demanded by the ethnic peoples for equal ethnic rights. The wonderful words she stated in the ceremony are that Burma is also an ethnic nationality in the union, said U Hla Saw. He said the union day celebration was held by the Nationality Brotherhood Forum that is founded by the six ethnic political parties for their political collaborations. What Daw Aung San Suu Kyi spoke about in the ceremony is the point that we must discuss among our ethnic forces as well. We have never heard Burma mentioned as an ethnic nationality though the other seven nationalities are being mentioned as ethnic nationalities in the political history of Burma, said U Hla Saw. He said Burma is never described as an ethnic nationality; while the other people living in different regions in the union of Burma are being called Karen ethnic, Rakhine ethnic, Kachin ethnic and so on. U Hla Saw also said their ethnic political parties have collaborated and observed the union day in order to show their desire for a union that guarantees democracy and equal ethnic rights. Ethnic conflicts are the most important problems in our country and without democracy it will be difficult to solve those problems. At present, ethnic democratic parties are officially allowed to stand and the government has also agreed to ceasefires with the ethnic armed groups that are fighting for the ethnic rights. These are the constructive signs with respect to our union if we compare this to the eras of BSPP, SLORC or SPDC governments. As we hope for a more meaningful union that guarantees democracy and equal ethnic rights, we the ethnic parties have observed the union day collaboratively, said U Hla Saw. He said that a statement on the day was also jointly issued by the parties of the forum, and he read the statement to the attendees in the ceremony. I did not deliver any formal speech in the ceremony, but I gave the introductory speech spotlighting the present situations facing the ethnic regions before reading our parties statement on the union day, he said. According to their statement, Burma gained independence after all ethnic nationalities in the country agreed to build a union that guarantees democracy and equality of rights on this day, but the union that coined the independence since then has never existed until today and the ethnic states at present have become the poorest, the most backward, the most suppressed and the most war-torn regions in the false union. The parties also urged the other forces of democracy in their statement to work together and strive for turning Burma into a genuine union in the present transitional period to democracy. U Sai Nyaunt Lwin of the Shan National League for Democracy, who was recently released from prison, and other prominent politicians were also said to have attended the ceremony of the union day that was held collaboratively by the ethnic political parties. http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=3258 ---------------------------------- Myanmar to promote railway sector with loans from China, India Updated: 2012-02-16 10:40 YANGON - The Myanmar railway authorities are making efforts to boost the railway sector of the country with loans from China and India, a local media reported Wednesday. For the coming fiscal year 2012-13 starting April, $155 million of loans obtained from the two neighbors will be used in purchasing new goods wagon, locomotives and passenger coaches from these countries to replace the outdated ones, said the Popular News. Better services will be offered along with the increase of train fare, a railway official was quoted as saying. Besides China and India, Myanmar has also been purchasing locomotives from France, Germany and Japan. According to an earlier report, the state-run Myanmar Railway was operating 27 locomotive repairing factories, 52 passenger coach maintaining factories, and the Myit Nge passenger coach and goods wagon factory. With about 130,000 passengers depending on rail transport in Yangon daily, the city circular trains are running about 200 rounds a day. Of the various types of trains running in Myanmar, there are 1, 252 passenger coaches, of which four-decade-old ones accounted for 32 percent. Of the 3,311 goods wagons, 40-year-old ones took 56 percent and out of 386 locomotives, 30-year-old ones represented 47 percent. According to statistics, the length of Myanmar's railroad has reached 5,726 kilometers (km) with 2,844 km more under construction. Meanwhile, 475 km more railways are set to be implemented in the future, aimed at narrowing the development gap between the urban and rural areas and promoting socio-economic development. Myanmar has steadily expanded its railway network in the last two decades, from 3,161 km in 1988 to 5,403 km in 2010. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/business/2012-02/16/content_14622753.htm __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (8)