News & Articles on Burma Friday, 09 December 2011 -------------------------------------------- More Kachin Refugees Increase, Int'l NGOs Denied Access No humanitarian aid, no peaceful solution in Burma's Kachin state Open, stable Myanmar beneficial to China Humanitarian crisis brewing in Myanmar's Kachin - group Kachin Conflict Set to Intensify: Refugee Advocate Myanmar still 'true friend' of China: Top official Myanmar denies working with North Korea on atomic weapons Myanmar capital to get its first embassy Gas pipeline victims get pay-off Burma fourth top jailer of journalists Burma: How Real Is The Change? ---------------------------------------------- More Kachin Refugees Increase, Int'l NGOs Denied Access By BA KAUNG Thursday, December 8, 2011 The Burmese government continues to deny the UN and international aid organizations access to war refugees in conflict zones in Kachin State, northern Burma, where thousands of local villagers have been displaced by fierce fighting between government troops and Kachin rebels. Local relief workers estimate that there are more than 34,000 war refugees in the town of Laiza, which hosts the headquarters of the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the militia that has engaged the Burmese army for the past six months. At least 7,000 local civilians were displaced in the first week of December from 30 villages in the townships of Momauk, Waimaw and Bamaw, all of which are close to the Sino-Burmese border, as clashes intensify between the two sides, according to local aid groups. "No international aid has arrived in those areas," said La Rip, an official with the Kachin Development Group, speaking by phone from Laiza on Thursday. "I don't understand why the government is blocking aid for these refugees. As far as I know, the KIA has said it will guarantee the security of aid officials if they come here." His organization and other local Christian aid groups have been assisting the refugees in the region since hostilities broke out in June after the collapse of a 17-year ceasefire between the Burmese army and the KIA, a nationalist Kachin militia that has demanded autonomy for predominantly Christian Kachin State for decades. Nearly two months ago, Naypyidaw permitted the World Food Program (WFP) and Oxfam to distribute food to refugees in government-controlled areas of Kachin State. WFP has so far delivered food assistance to about 10,000 displaced people in Kachin State---250 tons of food making up three-month family rations, according to Marcus Prior, the organization's Asia spokesman in an interview with The Irrawaddy. "Should access improve for assessments and distributions, WFP is preparing for the possibility of an increased level of assistance," he said, but also revealed that without new funding WFP is facing a break in its food supplies for its Burma operation in February which would negatively impact its ability to respond to the situations in Kachin and southern Chin State. The Burmese government is yet to give broader access to these international organizations to attend to refugees in KIA-controlled areas. "We cook rice with bamboo shoots during the rainy season," a refugee was quoted as saying in Thursday's Eleven Weekly journal. "But now that the rains are gone and bamboo shoots are no longer available, we are living on the bark of young bamboo trees. But still, shelter and clothing are what we most need." The report also quoted a local aid volunteer in Bamaw Township as saying: "New refugee camps in the jungles were built just a few days ago. But there is still not enough space for all the refugees. Some camps have no roofs at all while some have their roofs made only with leaves." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who recently visited Burma, stressed to the Burmese government leadership the importance of giving aid groups access to the conflict zones. On the other hand, there are also accusations from locals that the international aid organizations are not doing enough in this crisis. "These groups are more concerned about their relations with the Burmese government than helping and advocating for the refugees," complained a local resident in Kachin State, highlighting the difficult position of international aid groups in the country which attempt to implement their projects in a non-confrontational mode and are mostly obliged to turn a blind eye to any sensitive issue, even though it may beg humanitarian urgency. "The most effective approach appears to be through exploring needs and issues together with officials, with no confrontation and no blame, just looking for ways to meet needs together," said an interviewee who explained the relation of NGOs with the Burmese government in a 2010 research conducted by Daekin University in Australia. The situation has remained much unchanged despite the country's recent tentative political and economic reforms. And the future of the refugees looks bleak because of the ongoing armed clashes in this strategic region near the China border, and the growing numbers of displaced persons affected by the conflict. Col. Zau Raw, a KIA official in Laiza, confirmed on Thursday that fierce fighting against government units continues to date in several areas of Kachin State and northeastern Shan State. "There have been 50 armed clashes in the past week alone, and heavy fighting is still going on in Momauk Township and Sadong area in Waingmaw Township," he said. Describing the latest conflict situation, a source close to the front-line battle area wrote in an email that "Three Burma army columns comprising over 600 soldiers that have been maneuvering in the Sadong and Hkambati areas [in Kachin State] have been engaged by the KIA. Two of the columns were decimated with hundreds of casualties, and they are now retreating in complete disarray." The clashes continued despite the fact that both sides had their fourth round of peace talks late last month. Zau Raw is one of the KIA's high-ranking officials who participated in those negotiations face-to-face in China's border town of Ruili with a delegation of Burmese government ministers led by Aung Min, the minister of railways and special representative of President Thein Sein. The Naypyidaw delegation laid out a list of promises in Riuli, including economic development in Kachin State, allowing the KIA to re-establish liaison offices in urban areas, and conducting further political talks. However, Zau Raw said the promise of political dialogue is nothing other than an attempt to bring the KIA's political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, into the fold of the military-dominated national parliament. They did not refer to the question of autonomy, Zau Raw said. However, he said that the ministers---who were all army generals before being elected for the nominally civilian government in November last year---appear to no longer enjoy substantial influence over the commanders waging the war on the ground in northern Burma. "The government army has suffered a lot of casualties in Kachin State, but does not wish to stop fighting yet, I think," Zau Raw said. "We do not know when the government ministers will talk with us again." http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22623&page=2 ------------------------------------------------------- Burmese Migrants Sent for Deportation Trafficked in Thailand By LAWI WENG Friday, December 9, 2011 Four Burmese migrant workers who were among 39 persons trafficked in Thailand while being sent for deportation were released from captivity this week when police and human rights activists raided a shrimp factory in southern Thailand. Sompong Sakaew, the director of the Labor Rights Protection Network, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the four women were rescued following a tip-off from the victims during a 3 pm raid of the shrimp factory by local police and human rights activists on December 7. "The four women will be deported soon. Now they are at the ITC (Immigration Detention Center) in Bangkok," he said. Poe Kwor, a member of the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma who was involved in the raid on the shrimp factory, said that 39 people were detained in Kamphaeng Phet province in October for illegally entering Thailand. They were detained in prison for 24 days, then for another 8 days in a Chonburi jail before being sent to the Thai-Burmese for deportation. The 39 Burmese migrants were allegedly trafficked by the Thai police and a prison car driver from Chonburi province while being transported to the border post in Mae Sot, Thailand for deportation to Myawaddy, Burma. The victims informed the human right activists that the prison car stopped at an unknown location in Chonburi Province, where four cars picked them up for trafficking. "They told us that they were divided into different groups and the police threatened them by pointing his gun, told them to get out of the prison car and forced them to get in the human trafficking agents cars," said Poe Kwor. The victims reported that the broker, an alleged trafficker who said her name was Ma Maw, is an ethnic Mon from Chonburi Province. The four women were from Rangoon and Moulmein and the broker trafficked each woman to the shrimp factory in Mahachai, Samut Sakhon Province for 11,000 baht. Of the 39 people in the prison car, 15 men were trafficked to Thai-run fishing boats in Chonburi Province, six women were trafficked to the shrimp factory in Mahachai and the fate of the other 18 persons is not yet known. The human rights activists reported that they knew where the 15 men were trafficked, but not the location of where they are currently working. They also said that two of the six women trafficked to the shrimp factory were released before the raid because their relatives paid money to the owner. The Thai anti-human trafficking group in Mahachai intends to take action against the Chonburi police officers and prison car driver who trafficked the migrants and will continue to investigate what happened to the 15 men who were sold to fishing boats and forced to work at the sea, as well as the other 18 people who have not yet been located. Human trafficking often occurs in Mahachai in southern Thailand, where there is a large fishing industry. Many Burmese migrants who have come to work in the area have been trafficked to fishing boats and forced to work at sea. According to a US report, the Thai government "reported 18 convictions in trafficking-related cases in 2010---an increase from eight known convictions during the previous year; as of May 2011, only five of the 18 convictions reported by the government could be confirmed to be for trafficking offenses." http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22631 -------------------------------------------- No humanitarian aid, no peaceful solution in Burma's Kachin state By Zin Linn Dec 09, 2011 11:24PM UTC 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. http://asiancorrespondent.com/71675/no-humanitarian-aid-no-peaceful-solution-in-burmas-kachin-state/ -------------------------------------------- Open, stable Myanmar beneficial to China By Maria Siow | Posted: 09 December 2011 1643 hrs BEIJING: The improvement in ties between the United States and Myanmar has raised concerns among many in China about a potential swing in regional power dynamics. The United States is cozying up to Myanmar like never before. And many in Beijing have described this as an attempt to limit and contain China's influence in Myanmar. Others said that improved ties between the US and Myanmar would come at the expense of China's traditional close ties with its Southeast Asian neighbour. But others disagree, arguing that Myanmar's attempt to end its isolation, and its gradual and stable transformation, are in China's interest. For instance, Myanmar's reconciliation with ethnic rebels would ensure stability along the Chinese borders. Dr. Guo Xiangang, vice-president, China Institute of International Studies, said: "We shouldn't have a cold war mentality where good relations between two countries would necessarily be bad for a third party. This is no longer that sort of era. "It isn't in line with China's new security posture. China hopes to see good relations among other countries. China's deepening relations with other countries should not affect these countries from developing good relations with others." Dr Guo is also confident that China will play an even bigger economic role in Myanmar. He said: "If Myanmar opens up its economy and develops comprehensively, it will require investments and technical expertise. "China has ample funds and is seeking to invest more in other countries. As neighbors with a long history of cooperation, it's only natural that Chinese investments in Myanmar would increase." China is one of the most important sources of consumer and capital goods, and development assistance for Myanmar. It is also Myanmar's second largest foreign investor, having put in more than US$6.4 billion in the country. The investments are mainly in hydropower, oil, gas and mining, or what are generally seen as strategic sectors. China also hopes to build oil and gas pipelines across Myanmar, a move which non-government organizations say would threaten Myanmar's economic security. The construction of the pipeline would also displace thousands of people and damage the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers. It's clear that relations between China and Myanmar haven't always been trouble-free. In September this year, Myanmar suddenly stopped the construction of a Chinese-invested dam, citing environmental concerns. While in October, 13 Chinese sailors were murdered along the upper reaches of the Mekong River, prompting China to step up patrols along the river. But these incidents, according to Chinese analysts, would not fundamentally alter the long pattern of cooperation between the two countries. - CNA/ck http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/1170392/1/.html --------------------------------------------- Humanitarian crisis brewing in Myanmar's Kachin - group ReutersReuters -- 1 hour 17 minutes ago BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar's 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 on Friday. 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 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, 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 International's 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 INTENSIFIED Fighting has intensified in the past week and refugee camps have swollen, sources from Kachin told Reuters. "It's 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 6 p.m. 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 U.S. 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. (Editing by Alan Raybould and Jonathan Thatcher) http://in.news.yahoo.com/humanitarian-crisis-brewing-myanmars-kachin-group-122354704.html ---------------------------------------- Kachin Conflict Set to Intensify: Refugee Advocate By SIMON ROUGHNEEN Friday, December 9, 2011 As armed clashes intensify, many more locals in Kachin State become refugees. BANGKOK --- The conflict in Kachin State is set to get worse after already displacing tens of thousands of civilians, many of whom rely on support from local aid groups desperately in need of international assistance, according to a leading advocacy group for refugees. "Tensions between the government and KIO [Kachin Independence Organization] have reached boiling point," said Lynn Yoshikawa of the US-based Refugees International (RI), who recently concluded a fact-finding trip to the war-torn state. Yoshigawa, who said that the Burmese Army appears likely to attack the KIO's headquarters in Laiza, near the Sino-Burmese border, estimated that around 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been caught in the crossfire. "Most of the IDPs do not want to flee, and generally wait until the last minute to leave their homes," she said. While the Burmese government has relaxed restrictions on aid agencies and NGOs operating inside the country as part of its recent reforms, the World Food Program has so far only been granted access to government-controlled areas. The KIO and local aid groups are the main source of assistance to Kachin refugees living outside government-held territory, and RI said that international aid should be provided via these Kachin organizations, given government restrictions on aid to conflict zones in the state. Yoshigawa noted that despite being "pleasantly surprised" when Burma's President Thein Sein suspended the controversial Chinese-backed Myitsone dam project in Kachin State in September, "the impact of the suspension has been diluted" by the ongoing Burmese Army offensive. Fighting in Kachin State started on June 9, ending a 17-year-old ceasefire between the Burmese military and the Kachin Independence Army, the armed wing of the KIO. "There is a real sense of grievance among ordinary Kachin," said Yoshikawa, "Many people are asking 'why now?'" RI recently conducted fact-finding visits to Kachin, Karen and Mon states to assess the impact of recent political reforms on relations between the Burmese government and ethnic minorities. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22630 --------------------------------------------- Myanmar still 'true friend' of China: Top official Published on Dec 9, 2011 YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's new army-backed government reassured China on Friday that its recent diplomatic overtures to the United States (US) would not affect relations with its traditional ally. 'Myanmar is a good neighbour of China. We are also a true friend,' lower house speaker Shwe Mann told Ambassador Li Junhua in Yangon after China donated computers for Myanmar's new parliament. 'The People's Republic of China gave much advice and assistance to Myanmar when we did not have a regular relationship with the US. China also truly stood by Myanmar's side in the international community,' added the former general, considered one of the most powerful members of the current regime. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Myanmar last week in the highest-level US visit in more than half a century - a trip seen as part of Washington's efforts to counter China's growing influence in the region. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_743133.html ------------------------------------ Myanmar denies working with North Korea on atomic weapons December 9, 2011 4:54pm YANGON - Myanmar denied it had been cooperating with North Korea on nuclear weapons technology, the first time it has commented on speculation that the two internationally ostracized states might be working together to build atomic weapons. The denial follows a landmark visit just over a week ago by Hillary Clinton in the first trip by a U.S. Secretary of State to the country in 55 years, setting the stage for rapprochement with Myanmar after decades of isolation from the West. The weekly Pyi Myanmar quoted parliament speaker Thura Shwe Mann as telling reporters after he met Clinton last week that Myanmar did not have any cooperation with North Korea on nuclear technology. It was the first time a top official has publicly commented on the issue. "During my visit to North Korea as a general, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperating between the two armed forces. It was not on nuclear cooperation as is being alleged," the weekly quoted the 64-year-old Shwe Mann as saying. "We studied their air defence system, weapons factories, aircrafts and ships. Their armed forces are quite strong so we just agreed to cooperate with them if necessary," said Shwe Mann, who had been number three in the former military government. He is thought to have led a high-level delegation to North Korea in late 2008. Exile media published documents and pictures relating to the visit in 2009. During her brief visit, Clinton urged Myanmar's new leaders to end illicit contacts with North Korea, which has long been trying to build a nuclear arsenal and for which it had been heavily sanctioned by the international community. --- Reuters http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/241222/news/world/myanmar-denies-working-with-north-korea-on-atomic-weapons --------------------------------------------- Myanmar capital to get its first embassy Published: Dec. 9, 2011 at 6:28 AM YANGON, Myanmar, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Bangladesh will be the first country to move its embassy from Yangon to the new city and capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar's official newspaper said. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on an official three-day visit to Myanmar, formerly called Burma, unveiled the foundation stone at the site chosen for the construction of the embassy, the New Light of Myanmar reported. The country's junta pronounced Naypyitaw, around 200 miles north of Yangon, as the capital in November 2005, although the site wasn't given an official name until March 2006. The planned inner city with its wide, and mostly empty boulevards, is still being constructed and is home to many of the former ruling military leaders. The surrounding countryside and its towns and villages that make up Naypyitaw have a population of around just less than 1 million, a 2009 report said. In August, Russian media announced that a Russian firm had won a contract to construct 30 mile of subway lines, the first for the Asian country. The expansive layout of the inner city has enabled military leaders to present large military parades. However, the diplomatic corps has been slow to move from Yangon, formerly called Rangoon and a historic port city. An official from Naypyitaw Municipality told The Irrawaddy news Web site this month that 120 sections of land have been reserved for foreign embassies. The official said China, India, Saudi Arabia and Russia will be moving their embassies from Yangon. Hasina's visit to Myanmar is the first by a Bangladeshi prime minister in eight years and she reportedly discussed increased trade, including the purchase of natural gas, with Myanmar officials. Trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh was $137 million this year. Bangladeshi and Myanmar ministers said they want to boost that to around $500 million annually within the next several years, the Irrawaddy report said. But the two countries also must resolve the issue of 220,000 Rohingya people, Muslims from Myanmar, sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh. They fled rebel fighting with Myanmar's army and also ethnic discrimination in their native Arakan state in Myanmar. A report in the Daily Star newspaper in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, said an agreement had been reached between Myanmar President Thein Sein and Hasina for Myanmar to repatriate the refugees. The agreement depends on verification of refugee status by third parties, including the U.N. High Commission for Refugees that has been monitoring the Rohingya situation. No date for repatriations to start was given in the Daily Star report. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/12/09/Myanmar-capital-to-get-its-first-embassy/UPI-51011323430080/#ixzz1fxnxG5Su ------------------------------------------ Gas pipeline victims get pay-off By FRANCIS WADE Published: 9 December 2011 Government authorities in Shan state have begun a compensation scheme for locals forced off their land to make way for the highly lucrative, albeit controversial, trans-Burma Shwe gas pipeline that will cut through the state before entering China. Up to 86 households in villages close to Namkham township near the China border have received the first batch of payments, according to the Shan Herald Agency for News, which reported that one acre of confiscated farmland near to the town could earn as much as $US18,500 in compensation. The figure appears an usually healthy one for Burma, but the cost for number of closed factories and a severance package for redundant workers may be included. The scheme is being mirrored over the border in China, locals claim, although Chinese authorities are offering substitute land as well as a four-figure sum. The pipeline is key to China's future energy needs, particularly its southwestern Yunnan province which has lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of development. Oil and gas uploaded in the town of Kyaukphyu on Burma's western coast, and which are set to account for six percent of China's total energy needs when the project comes online in 2013, are destined for a refinery in Kunming. Consistent with the majority of major energy projects in Burma, huge controversy has surrounding the pipeline. The Shwe Gas Movement, which has campaigned against the project, estimates that around 15,000 people in 20 townships along the route will be directly affected. On Maday Island, where a ceremony was held amid great pomp to mark the start of construction in 2009, around 2,900 people have or will be evicted from their homes. Resentment of the project is also high among civilians: a report in March by EarthRights International (ERI) found that from a pool of 100 men and women interviewed clandestinely in Shan state, not a single one was in favour of the development. South of Namkham lies the township of Hsipaw, also through which the pipeline will travel. Heavy fighting erupted in the region in March as Burmese troops attempted to drive out Shan rebels resistant to the pipeline. Shortly after fighting ceased, trucks laden with pipeline parts were seen leaving the Chinese border town of Jegao towards Hsipaw. China is desperate for the passage through Burma that the Shwe pipelines provide, given its traditional route for oil cargoes from Africa and the Middle East runs through the Straits of Malacca, a congested strip of water beneath Singapore that is heavily patrolled by US warships. Its energy demands are rising at nine percent each year and it will soon exhaust its own oil supplies, meaning speedy construction of the project is crucial. In April Beijing offered the Burmese government $US6 million to build hospitals in towns along the pipeline route in return for Burmese authorities upping the pace on finishing the venture. http://www.dvb.no/news/gas-pipeline-victims-get-pay-off/19121 ------------------------------------------ Burma fourth top jailer of journalists By NAY THWIN Published: 9 December 2011 Despite tentative signs that Burma's media environment is opening up, the criminalisation of independent media is ongoing, and the government remains one of the world's top jailers of journalists, a recent report warns. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists had warned prior to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit last week that heaping praise on the President Thein Sein administration was undeserved in light of the continued incarceration of journalists like Sithu Zeya, a young reporter for DVB who is serving an 18-year sentence. "Sithu's sentencing underscores the many contradictions between Thein Sein's recent reform rhetoric and the still harsh on-the-ground reality for Burma's independent reporters," its senior Southeast Asia representative, Shawn Crispin, wrote. "While his civilianized government has talked up the need for more openness and press freedom, his regime still oversees one of the most repressive media environments in the world." CPJ lists Burma is having 12 journalists behind bars, although that figure does not include the eight DVB reporters whose name has been withheld by the organisation. Iran leads the table with 42 in detention, followed by Eritrea with 28 and China with 27. The CPJ count places Burma in the fourth spot. "The message they are trying to give is that journalists can follow news but only up to a certain point, and once that line is crossed, they will be severely punished," says Toe Zaw Latt, Thailand Bureau Chief for DVB. He said that the government would have a hard time convincing its critics that it is reforming unless media workers are freed. With several amendments to media laws having been enacted in recent months, the time would ripe to release them, he added. Crispin warned however that the loosening of draconian restrictions on the media is "easily reversible", particularly the lifting of a blockade on independent news websites. He said "the concession is at best marginal considering less than 1% of the population has access to the Internet". Moreover, it comes at a time when surveillance of internet users has been expanded, "including the installation of closed-circuit cameras, screen-capture programs and keystroke logging software, in public Internet cafes across the country". The head of the Rangoon-based Yangon Media Group, Ko Ko, has similar feelings. He believes that although "the situation is much improved", a lot more needs to be done to ensure a free media. He said a promising sign was that no journalists had yet been arrested by the new government, although Sithu Zeya's sentence was extended by a decade in September, well into Thein Sein's tenure as president. http://www.dvb.no/news/burma-fourth-top-jailer-of-journalists/19117 ------------------------------------- Burma: How Real Is The Change? AnalysisWritten by: IPCS December 9, 2011 By Medha Chaturvedi A section within the international community believes there has been a series of positive changes in every plausible field in Myanmar. Is the government in Myanmar finally having a change of heart? What are these changes and how far will they succeed in repairing Myanmars reputation internationally? Will they bring any positive changes to the economy of the country? Are these changes just perception due to a freer media in Myanmar? Most importantly, will the people of Myanmar gain from these changes? President Thein Sein, with his efforts to make Myanmar more liberal and bring much needed political and social reforms to the country, is now being seen as a catalyst for a brighter future. The new liberal policies are aimed at not only drawing out the country politically and socially, but also improving its situation economically. What are the economic developments? An interesting development has been the acceptance of Myanmars candidature for the Chair of ASEAN in 2014 by all member countries. This brings the hope for a new surge of liberal reforms in rejuvenating Myanmars economy which is presently hanging on tenterhooks. A leadership role in a regional grouping which includes the two regional giants, India and China, can be a big plus for Myanmars foreign policy as well. Myanmars Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is almost US$ 43 billion, and is growing at the rate of 2.9 per cent. This is the lowest growth rate in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region and in sharp contrast to its post independence prospects when Myanmar was the largest rice exporter in the world and produced 75 per cent of the worlds total teak production. Myanmars economy started dwindling after the military takeover by Gen Ne Win in 1962 and his subsequent policy of Burmanization which led to a near-closed economy. However, in recent months, there has been an upward swing in Myanmars overall economic situation with its currency, the Kyat, becoming 25 per cent stronger due to capital inflows since the beginning of 2010. It is likely to become even stronger with the relaxation of economic restrictions on the country in the coming few months. Foreign investments to the country have also increased substantially since 2009, and with more trading partners and less trade restrictions to and from Myanmar, commerce is expected to improve. Moreover, President Seins government has been taking steps to reach a compromise on the decades-long ethnic conflict in the most mineral and natural resource-rich areas of the country. This signals the coming of a better security environment for protection of vital investment establishments. A sign of better economic conditions and banking reforms can also be judged by the installation of modern ATMs in the cities of the country at a rapid pace. Also, under the incumbent government, Myanmars factory workers can now form unions. This is the first time that such an allowance has been made to them since 1962 and has been widely welcomed. This would give them a chance to liaise with the senior management of the industries and put forward their demands, thereby assisting in the improvement of their wage structure and standard of living. Freedom of speech and expression? On the freedom of speech and expression, there are indications of a freer media. In fact, Ko Ko Hlaing, chief political adviser to President Thein Sein, was quoted in a Reuters article saying that a new media law is in the making which will replace the indiscriminate censoring of every song, book, cartoon and planned piece of art. He further added that the new law will reflect guaranteed freedom of expression, so, no censorship, but, there will be a more open monitoring system in place for censoring objectionable cultural and religious matter. Restrictions on some important news websites and channels have also been lifted, which were banned in 2007 at the time of the Buddhist monks protests in Yangon. Even parliamentary proceedings are now being recorded and some portions are being aired on the national network. Aung San Suu Kyi herself hosted a film festival in Yangon, titled Films of Freedom and was interviewed by a leading business magazine which was carried as a two-page special. It was not censored much and was widely circulated. The government has also set up a Human Rights Commission, and the parliament has approved a law giving people the right to protest in a controlled environment. The positive attitude of the civilian government in Myanmar appears to be the harbinger of political, social and economic upliftment, and there is sufficient optimism to see these developments as credible because they are being initiated from within the country. Myanmars media is opening up, giving way to more detailed reports emerging from even the frontier regions. As a result, the international community is able to see and analyze the developing situation in Myanmar more accurately. With the economy also looking up, the countrys prospects may be improving. The isolation that Myanmar has faced for decades may be on its way out, giving way to the hope for a stable, democratic system. Medha Chaturvedi Research Officer, IPCS email: medha@ipcs.org http://www.eurasiareview.com/09122011-burma-how-real-is-the-change-analysis/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eurasiareview%2FVsnE+%28Eurasia+Review%29
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
News and Articles on Burma-Sunday, 27 November 2011-uzl
News and Articles on Burma Sunday, 27 November 2011 ----------------------------------------- Genba lining up rare Myanmar visit More boat people to flee Burma Sex workers trafficked in front of police Myanmar wants 'regular relationship' with US Myanmar human rights commission welcomes Clinton visit Yangon: From stately city to crumbling symbol of isolation US engagement with Myanmar Burma: Suu Kyi starts registering her party while by-election is still undecided Bangladesh and Myanmar adopt action plan to curb drug pedalling ----------------------------------------- Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 Genba lining up rare Myanmar visit Kyodo Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba is considering visiting Myanmar late next month to speak with Myanmar President Thein Sein, government sources said Saturday. If the trip goes ahead, Genba is expected to urge Thein Sein to make greater efforts toward democratization, while conveying Japan's readiness to assist Myanmar's economic development Genba also intends to meet with Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during his trip, the sources said. If Genba visits Myanmar it would be the first time a Japanese foreign minister has traveled to the country since Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's trip to Yangon in August 2002. Japan welcomed Myanmar's inauguration of a civilian government in March and the recent release of political prisoners. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to make a rare trip to Myanmar on Wednesday. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Thein Sein met earlier this month in Indonesia, on the sidelines of summits involving the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its dialogue partners. Noda told Thein Sein that he welcomes Myanmar's positive steps toward national reconciliation and democratization, and that Japan will continue to support Myanmar's transition to democracy and its economic development. It was the first meeting of its kind in two years. Tokyo also has expressed readiness to launch consultations on new official development assistance programs for Myanmar. Japan has frozen all official aid to Myanmar, other than humanitarian aid, since 2003, when Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest. She was freed last November. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111127a2.html ----------------------------------------- More boat people to flee Burma Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok November 28, 2011 - 12:00AM REFUGEE advocates expect a new wave of "stateless" Rohingya asylum seekers to attempt perilous sea voyages in rickety boats from ports in Bangladesh, raising concerns about how they will be treated if they land in Thailand. A boatload of 92 Rohingya fleeing persecution in Burma's border regions has been handed over to the Thai army near a fishing port north of the resort island of Phuket. Three years ago the Thai army was behind a then secret policy of casting Rohingya adrift, causing hundreds of deaths. Advertisement: Story continues below One group of almost 100 was pushed back out to sea in an engineless boat with little food or water. The policy was exposed after photographs of asylum seekers in distressed conditions on boats and beaches were published worldwide. Following international condemnation of the policy, immigration officials began to handle groups of Rohingya who landed in Thailand earlier this year. But the handing over of the latest asylum seekers to the army indicates a reversal of the policy. The whereabouts of the boys and men who waded ashore last Thursday after apparently scuttling their boat is unknown. A photograph published on the Phuke-tWan website showed them crammed into the back of an army truck. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, usually attempt the voyages during the "sailing season" between November and April when conditions on the monsoon-prone Andaman Sea are tranquil. They are trying to reach Malaysia, where an estimated 50,000 Rohingya live. Some are also expected to chance their luck with people smugglers to try to reach Australia. Human Rights Watch says that for more than 30 years the Rohingya have faced extra-judicial killings, forced labour, religious persecution and restrictions of movement by Burmese authorities. As many as 300,000 have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they live in primitive and squalid conditions in makeshift refugee camps. Bangladesh does not give them official resident status or work papers. An estimated 800,000 Rohingya remain in Burma, primarily in western Arakan state and Rangoon where their citizenship is not formally recognised. The Rohingya are descended from a mix of Arakanese Buddhists, Chittagonian Bengalis and Arabic sea traders. Their leaders have not been included in preliminary peace talks with other ethnic groups in Burma's border areas, some of which have small armies that have been fighting the Burmese for decades. Hillary Clinton is due to travel to Burma later this week in the first visit to the isolated and impoverished country by a US secretary of state for 50 years. US envoys have told Burma's military-dominated government that economic sanctions would not be lifted until the Burmese army ended its repression of ethnic groups despite the government appearing to have embarked on a path of economic and political reform. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/more-boat-people-to-flee-burma-20111127-1o1bu.html#ixzz1ev6pfoJG ---------------------------------------------- The Bangkok Post Sex workers trafficked in front of police BURMESE WOMEN AND GIRLS LURED INTO PROSTITUTION IN CHANTHABURI MASSAGE PARLOURS Published: 27/11/2011 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: News Many of the Burmese women rescued from a prostitution ring in Chanthaburi earlier this month had been lured under the noses of local police. On Nov 9, Chanthaburi police and officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) raided Marina massage parlour on Tha Chalaeb Road in downtown Chanthaburi. Police rescued 67 ethnic Shan women from Burma, 37 of whom were under the age of 18. They have now been entrusted to the care of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. Pol Lt Col Komvich Pathanarat, director of the DSI's human trafficking prevention and suppression centre, said he was tipped off last month by a women's rights organisation that girls and women from Burma had been tricked into working as prostitutes at the massage parlour. The organisation said that even though it had alerted local police to the problem, little progress was made so it asked for help from the DSI. Pol Lt Pol Komvich said after the information had been verified, he and Chanthaburi police had worked out a plan to rescue the workers. He said on Nov 9 he posed as a visitor to the massage parlour and found the Burmese women as described. Police then raided the massage parlour and removed the workers, who were believed to have been trafficked. The officer said he was looking for a 16-year-old girl called Aey after her aunt asked police and the DSI through anti-human trafficking networks in Burma to find her. He said the girl, along with two friends from Burma, were lured into the sex trade by a human trafficker six months ago. The trafficker made arrangements for them to cross the border at Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, where they were picked up by a Thai man. Pol Lt Col Komvich said initial checks have found that four influential people are behind the human trafficking networks in the North. Women who have been lured go through a "trial" at massage parlours in Chanthaburi. If they pass this trial, they will then be sent to work in Bangkok. He said the DSI is tracking down those behind the network. After being rescued, Aey told police that she and her friends were taken to the massage parlour in Chanthaburi and stayed with other women who had also been lured into the job. They were prohibited from leaving the parlour's compound and those who could not work without good reason would have 3,000 baht deducted from their wages every day, she said. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/268062/sex-workers-trafficked-in-front-of-police ------------------------------------------- Myanmar wants 'regular relationship' with US Sunday, 27 November 2011 09:18 Naypyidaw: Myanmar wants a "regular relationship" with the United States, a senior official in the military-dominated country said on Friday, days before a historic visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The signal of a desire for warmer diplomatic ties came as democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party took its first step towards a return to mainstream politics in the latest indication of reform in the isolated nation. Shwe Mann, the speaker of the lower house of Myanmar's parliament, welcomed the first trip by a US secretary of state to the country in 50 years and said Suu Kyi would be embraced by the army-dominated legislature. Myanmar, ruled for decades by a repressive junta and shunned on the world stage, has seen promising changes since an election last year brought to power a nominally civilian government. US President Barack Obama said Clinton's visit, which will begin on Wednesday, is aimed at boosting what he called "flickers" of progress in the the country. Former general Shwe Mann, regarded as one of the most powerful men in the current regime, said better ties with Washington would not mean worse relations with China, Myanmar's largest foreign investor and key ally. "We have no regular relations between the United States and Myanmar. In reality, we want to have a regular relationship," he told reporters in the capital Naypyidaw, in his first-ever news conference. "The road is open for better relations between the two countries." Myanmar's new administration has surprised many observers with a series of reformist moves, including holding talks with Suu Kyi, passing a law giving workers the right to strike and releasing around 200 political prisoners. "I think there will be more changes and developments in politics in the future," Shwe Mann said. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) applied to officially re-register as a political party on Friday, paving the way for the Nobel laureate to stand for office for the first time. The NLD, which was officially disbanded after boycotting much-criticised parliamentary polls in November 2010, plans to contest upcoming by-elections, where 48 seats will be up for grabs. Party officials have said Suu Kyi is likely to stand, though she has yet to confirm this and no date has been set for a vote. Shwe Mann, also one of the leading figures in the junta that kept Suu Kyi under lock and key for most of the last two decades, said if the 66-year-old were elected to the lower house, he would "welcome her cheerfully". Jim Della-Giacoma, South East Asia Project Director at the International Crisis Group, said the NLD's return to the fray was a "significant landmark". "The NLD obviously has a particular and special place, historically in terms of the opposition and in particular in relation to the international community," he told AFP. Obama announced Clinton's November 30 to December 2 visit only after a call to Suu Kyi. Washington maintains economic sanctions against Myanmar and has long pressed for a range of reforms, including the release of political detainees. The US has pursued a policy of tentative engagement with Myanmar in recent years and is thought to be keen to boost its influence in Southeast Asia to counter China's rise. Shwe Mann insisted stronger ties with America would not affect its relationship with its giant northern neighbour. "There is no reason to have worse relations between Myanmar and China when Myanmar and US relations get better," he said. Myanmar's rulers froze work on an unpopular Chinese-backed dam project in September, earning a public rebuke from Beijing, but they have since been keen to stress their commitment to its second-largest trading partner. Beijing has helped shield Myanmar from the impact of Western sanctions with trade ties, arms sales, and through its position as a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council. AFP http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/s.-asia/philippines/173936-myanmar-wants-regular-relationship-with-us-.html ---------------------------------------- Myanmar human rights commission welcomes Clinton visit Nov 27, 2011, 3:47 GMT Yangon - Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission on Sunday welcomed an upcoming visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as a push to build democracy in the once pariah-state. 'The commission hopes that the first visit of the US secretary of state in 50 years will pave the way for promoting bilateral relations and provide positive impulses towards the building of a democratic society in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,' the commission said in the pro-government newspaper The New Light of Myanmar. The commission was established in September, after a visit by UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana who urged the government to do more to protect human rights. The 15-member panel includes government officials and academics. Its establishment was hailed as one of the positive steps taken by President Thein Sein, who was elected in November 2010. 'The country is at a critical juncture in its efforts to build a democratic society by enhancing national unity, economic prosperity, and the promotion of human rights for its people. The support and encouragement by the international community would certainly contribute to this process and must be welcomed,' it said. Myanmar was under military dictatorships during 1962-2010. It has one of the world's worst human rights records, especially for its treatment of ethnic minorities who have been waging decades-old insurgencies against central government rule. The ethnic minority issue is one of several on the agenda for Clinton, who will arrive in the capital Naypyitaw on Wednesday. She is scheduled to hold talks with Thein Sein and other officials on Thursday, before flying to Yangon for a dinner with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. On Friday, she will hold official talks with Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel laureate who has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest. Suu Kyi was released from detention on November 13, 2010, days after the election won by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Developemnt Party. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1677643.php/Myanmar-human-rights-commission-welcomes-Clinton-visit ------------------------------------------- The Korea Times: 27-Nov-2011 US engagement with Myanmar By Nehginpao Kipgen On Nov. 18, U.S. President Barack Obama said he will send Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Myanmar (Burma) next month. His announcement is a manifestation of improved diplomatic engagement between the two nations. When Clinton begins a two-day visit from Dec. 1, it will be the first visit by top U.S. diplomat in half a century. As it moves forward with a new level of diplomacy, some important questions need to be pondered. What has triggered this new level of U.S. engagement toward a country it once branded as an "outpost of tyranny?" Does it have the potential of ending over six decades of ethno-political conflicts in this Southeast Asian nation? While some observers, mostly activists, argue that it is too early to embark on such a bold initiative, others believe that it is important to seize a political opening in the reclusive country. The two most important priorities of the Myanmarese government in international relations, in recent years, have centered around legitimacy and recognition. In pursuing these objectives, the immediate goal of Nay Pyi Taw was to convince the collective leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of its sincerity, and to urge the U.S. government to ease sanctions, if not lift them. Nay Pyi Taw's diplomatic efforts have positively paid off, and therefore, 2011 can be considered the most successful year of diplomacy in recent Myanmarese history. Washington's new level of engagement is augmented by the 19th ASEAN Summit's unanimous agreement to award Myanmar the 2014 chairmanship of the regional bloc. In 2006, Myanmar had to forego its rotating ASEAN chair because of intense pressure from rights groups and the international community, particularly the U.S. government. Some ASEAN members were also concerned that giving chairmanship to Myanmar would tarnish the regional body's international image. There is a good reason to be cautiously optimistic on the recent developments in Myanmar and as Obama stated, there have been "flickers of progress" in the past few weeks. The greater question now is whether the Myanmarese government has a genuine intention for true democracy and national reconciliation. A number of tangible political developments have driven a shift in U.S. foreign policy. Among others, the advice and recommendations of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) have played an important role in this development. Besides visits by the U.S. special envoy Derek Mitchell, both Obama and Clinton personally spoke to Suu Kyi and consulted her on how America should move forward with its engagement policy. Suu Kyi and the NLD leadership support Washington's engagement approach. Since her meeting with President Thein Sein on Aug. 19, Suu Kyi has toned down her rhetoric against the Union Solidarity and Development Party-led (USDP) government, paving the way for political reconciliation. The NLD is now prepared to re-register its defunct political party and Suu Kyi and her party members are expected to contest in the upcoming by-election. Anyone who pursues an in-depth study of Myanmar's history should understand the root cause of its decades-old problems. U.S. strategists and policymakers must understand that all major ethnic minorities in Myanmar fight against the central government in one way or another. It must be noted that ethnic Karens began fighting against the government in 1949. What has compelled ethnic minorities to take up arms against the central government is a fundamental question that needs to be addressed for Myanmar to achieve peace and stability. During the diplomacy stages before the country's independence, General Aung San was fully aware that a unified Myanmar could not be established if equality was not guaranteed for all ethnic nationalities, who were ruled under different administrative units by the British colonial administration. In his attempt to clear the lingering doubts and suspicions of the British government and the frontier leaders, Aung San made a historic remark by stating that: "If Myanmar receives one kyat, you will also get one kyat." This assurance was the basis on which the Union of Myanmar was formed at the Panglong conference in February 1947. With the assassination of Aung San and his colleagues in July 1947, the dream of equality or autonomy disappeared in Myanmar's politics. Myanmar's first post-independence civilian government of Prime Minister U Nu failed to address the minorities' concern, and successive military governments have attempted to forcefully suppress it. While the reconciliation between NLD and USDP is an important step, emphasis must now be given to the fundamental political problem. Democracy for one majority group alone cannot solve Myanmar's political imbroglio. Several decades of military operations have been unable to solve Myanmar's minority problems, and nor should they be a means to an end. One most viable way to integrate ethnic minorities is to end military offensives against them, and begin a political dialogue based on mutual respect and a constitutional guarantee of equality for all citizens. The U.S. should continue to set the benchmark for normalizing relations with the Myanmarese government. Nay Pyi Taw's commitment to democratization needs to be irreversible and should be demonstrated by releasing all remaining political prisoners; the government must be able to tolerate political dissent and respect the rights of every citizen to express opinions without fear. When she travels to Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon for a fact finding and policy assessment, Clinton should underscore the need for addressing the problems of ethnic minorities. Because of her wide acceptance by minorities, Suu Kyi can play an important role in restoring mutual trust between the government and ethnic minorities. Only when the country's minority problems are resolved, can there be an end to over six decades of political conflict in Myanmar. The advantage the U.S. government has on Myanmar is crucial for national reconciliation. Nehginpao Kipgen is a researcher on the rise of political conflicts in modern Myanmar and general secretary of the U.S.-based Kuki International Forum (www.kukiforum.com). Contact him at nehginpao@gmail.com. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/11/137_99621.html --------------------------------------- Yangon: From stately city to crumbling symbol of isolation November 27, 2011 YANGON, Nov 27 There are no skyscrapers in Yangon. No gleaming shopping malls. Certainly no subway system. Its rutted sidewalks are laced with treacherous holes and broken slabs of concrete. Myanmars former capital and biggest city is a crumbling monument to almost half a century of isolation and mismanagement at the hands of generals who took power in a 1962 coup and ruled with an iron first until a nominally civilian parliament opened in March this year. The city that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit this week wasnt always that way. In the early 20th century, the country then known as Burma was one of Asias richest nations and a shining part of the British empire. Imposing Victorian buildings rose on the waterfront of the capital. Department stores sold goods imported from Europe. Crowds packed into majestic cinemas with grand names such as the Palladium and Excelsior. After seizing Yangon in 1852 and anglicising its name to Rangoon, Britain developed the area into its administration base, building law courts, parliament buildings, shady parks and botanical gardens. Rangoon University, founded in 1878, became one of Asias premier universities. The city was laid out by many of the same British urban planners who helped to design another strategic British colony, Singapore. Its public services and infrastructure rivaled Londons. Rangoon was ravaged during the Japanese occupation in World War Two, but still retained much of its imperial grandeur when it was granted independence by Britain in 1948. But independent Burma was plagued by insurgencies and the military took over in a 1962 coup. A disastrous Burmese Way to Socialism adopted by the then-leader, General Ne Win, led to sweeping nationalisation and global isolation. Today, chronic power outages and deteriorating buildings are constant reminders of decades of troubles. Yellow and orange diesel generators, some as big as buses, are ubiquitous, symbols of a failing power grid behind the city of about 5 million people that accounts for a quarter of Myanmars economic activity. Sometimes the power is cut and sometimes its regular. Were used to it, said 71-year-old Abdullah Mingala, an ethnic Indian Burmese who was born and raised in Yangon and who makes a living renting out a pickup truck and a sedan as a taxi. The best thing about the city is its weather and people. The weather is not too hot and everyone is simple and friendly and open. PARIAH Myanmar has not had a record of being simple or friendly. The United States and Europe imposed sanctions in the years after the junta refused to hand power to the winners of a 1990 election and threw hundreds of democracy activists in jail. Thousands of activists were killed. Continued human rights abuses over the years sealed the countrys pariah status. Aid from organisations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund ended. Investment from the West dried up. The government moved the capital to the interior, a new city called Naypyitaw, in 2006. Signs of Myanmars isolation include a dearth of major international brands, save a few Asian consumer goods and computer manufacturers such as Hitachi and Samsung. There are no Coca-Cola or Heineken signs in Yangon. Instead, billboards proudly advertise made-in-Myanmar goods such as Sunday Coffee Mix and Tea Mix, Wellman Vitabiotics Supplements, Fresh Up toothpaste and Denim mens care products. Beer stations, Yangons humble answer to the pub, sell cold Myanmar beer on tap for 600 kyat (RM2.43) a glass. On the streets, booksellers throw plastic tarpaulin over sidewalks stained with rust-red betel nut spittle and offer used titles such as Frederick T. Woods 1961 book Current English Usage. One even had the March 30, 1992, issue of Newsweek for sale, a youthful Bill Clinton on the cover with the headline Can He Beat Bush? At Cherry Mann, a restaurant in Yangons Chinatown thats been serving the community for 42 years, customers sit at fold-out tables in the street on a cool night and tuck into curried meat and fried pratha flat bread. Its hard to say if business conditions now are good or bad or improving. Theyre okay. They could be better, said Htat Kyo, a restaurant employee, as he prepares cheques. U Thu Myint, a 77-year-old former professor of Burmese history, said he was forced to retire from his job at a state university at the age of 64, a year before he would have been eligible to collect his pension. Life is a struggle, he says. He spends his days shuffling around Myanmars holiest of shrines, the dazzling, gold-domed Shwedagon Pagoda, where he offers visitors facts about the stupa, its history as the anchor of Yangon and the principles of Buddhism. He asks for cash donations. The cost of living is very high now. One kg of rice went from 1,000 kyat a few months ago to 1,500 kyat now, he said. I may move back to my place of birth and become a monk next year. WRECKING BALL But Myanmars economic stunting has one silver lining: it may have saved once-stunning landmark colonial-era buildings in Yangon from the wrecking ball. A riverside grid of streets that forms the downtown area, a colonial vestige in and of itself, is full of buildings constructed when the country was one of Britains most-prized colonial crown jewels from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. The US$300 (RM959.22)-a-night Strand Hotel, opened in 1901 and refurbished in 1995, is an example of what many buildings could be, with marble floors, lazy ceiling fans and dark wood paneling. Some locals fear the new governments recent eagerness to end its isolation could threaten stately but time-worn structures that are reminders of Yangons former glory. A sense of urgency to protect the architectural heritage appears to be growing. There has been outcry in recent weeks, for instance, in Myanmars flourishing private newspapers over comments by a well-heeled businessman and member of parliament that the derelict, red-brick former colonial government complex known as the Secretariat might be turned into a hotel. The complex that occupies an entire city block is abandoned, overgrown with weeds and surrounded by a fence to keep the public out. Some consider it beyond repair, yet it holds a place in history as the site where revered General Aung San, the father of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was assassinated in 1947. In recent weeks a feeling of cautious optimism has begun to infect the slow-moving city as the nominally civilian government that took office eight months ago shows signs of embracing reforms and engaging with the world, as illustrated by Clintons three-day visit from Wednesday, the most prominent by an American since before the 1962 coup. We are all talking about it, said Abdullah Mingala. We are all hopeful. Reuters --------------------------------------------------- Burma: Suu Kyi starts registering her party while by-election is still undecided Sat, 2011-11-26 03:28 --- editor Article; By - Zin Linn Burmese people are highly concerned about the issue of releasing political prisoners in Burma. President Thein Sein's remark in Bali giving serious cause for concern. Speaking to Burmese journalists in Bali, Thein Sein said that he did not agree with the assessment that Burma has been holding several political prisoners, repeating previous military junta's usual complaint, that Burma only lockups prisoners who violated relevant laws. In his remarks reported by Radio Free Asia Burmese service and Democratic Voice of Burma, Thein Sein said, "We punished the prisoners since they violated the law. In our prisons, there are lots of people due to breaking the law. So if we give favor some of them by using the term 'prisoner of conscience', then it will be unfair for the other inmates." The authorities transferred some important political prisoners in mid-November. Well-known student leader Min Ko Naing was transferred from a far-off prison in Shan State to notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon. But next day, he was transferred to Thayet Prison which is 350 km - north of his place of origin Rangoon. Moreover, Buddhist monk U Gambira was transferred from Kale Prison in northern Burma to Myaungmya Prison in the Irrawaddy Delta and a prominent female prisoner of conscience Nilar Thein was transferred from Thayet Prison to Thayarwaddy Prison in Pegu Division. Leader of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) Khun Htun Oo has been transferred from Putao prison in Kachin State to Taung-ngu's prison in middle Burma. The transfers carried out after the government-appointed Human Rights Commission appealed President Thein Sein to grant official pardon to Burma's lingering prisoners of conscience. The appeal was made public in an open letter published in a state-run newspapers on 12 November. However, the letter also urged the president that if he thought some prisoners were not appropriate to be released for reasons of keeping peace and stability, he should allow them transferring to prisons close to their families. Consequently, there are now assumptions that prisoners like Min Ko Naing and Khun Tun Ooo who have now been transferred from remote prisons to prisons closer to their hometown will not be released anytime soon. Most people think that after ASEAN agreed its chair to Burma in 2014, President Thein Sein seems breaking his promise to release all political prisoners right away. In addition, the momentum of civil war in Kachin State has been increasing hysterically. People throughout the country are against this war since numerous casualties from both sides were citizens of Burma. As a result, many people do not have trust in Thein Sein government as a sincere administration that guaranteed good governance. In such a moment, Burma's opposition party the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, submitted its application to Union Election Commission Friday to reregister to contest in forthcoming by-election. Twenty-one senior members as party founders, including Suu Kyi, Tin Oo and Win Tin made the submission in the capital, Naypyitaw, a spokesman for the NLD said. Although the international community has hailed the NLD's decision as an essential gesture of rapprochement between the government and the opposition party, some anti-military dissidents are reluctant to support the NLD's risking political stance. NLD's application to return to the political tussle came days before the arrival of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, scheduled to visit Burma next week. Clinton travels to Burma from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, during which she will be meeting top officials of the Burmese government and opposition leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy. Meanwhile, according to Democratic Voice of Burma, Lower House Speaker Thura Shwe Mann welcomed the NLD's return to parliament politics, after it was dissolved earlier this year for boycotting the 2010 elections. As said by a journalist, Shwe Mann said he welcomes her on behalf of the People's Parliament if she was planning to compete for it. Nevertheless, the lower house speaker said today in a press briefing in Naypyidaw that three months' notice needed to be given before the polls are held. Since no notice has yet been made, would-be candidates can guess there will be no by-elections for at least three months. The uncertainty of political prisoners' release and the inattention of ethnic war in Kachin State provide evidence that current government is still dragging its feet for genuine change. For that reason, some people are worrying for the future of the NLD led by charismatic leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has decided to enter parliament so as to work together with the military-dominated Thein Sein government. However, one good thing is that majority of people believe in Suu Kyi's honesty and sacrifice and they also have a clear choice of supporting the NLD as people's party. So, people consider the upcoming by-elections as the most important point for entering into a new era. - Asian Tribune - http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/11/25/burma-suu-kyi-starts-registering-her-party-while-election-still-undecided -------------------------------------------------- Latest Update: Sunday27/11/2011November, 2011, 12:32 AM Doha Time Bangladesh and Myanmar adopt action plan to curb drug pedalling By Mizan Rahman Dhaka Bangladesh and Myanmar have adopted a seven-point action plan to fight cross-border drug pedalling, putting emphasis on preventing smuggling of aphrodisiac drug Yaba and poppy cultivation, official sources said yesterday. A two-day meeting between officials of narcotics and law enforcement agencies of the two neighbouring countries in Myanmar's Yangon city yielded the seven-point action plan that suggested intensified cross-border surveillance on the south-eastern frontier. "We have adopted a seven-point action plan at the two-day meeting held in middle of this month with Myanmar to stop smuggling of sex-stimulating Yaba and poppy cultivation," said Khandker Mohammad Ali, director general of Department of Narcotic Control. Officials familiar with the development said the action plan includes regular exchange of information on drug related crimes and drug dealers, increased security surveillance on the Naaf river that separates the two countries and the common coastlines. They said the agencies concerned agreed in the meeting to intensify co-operation in spearheading the anti-drug campaign including prosecuting the suspects. "The two sides decided to demolish the poppy plantation on both the sides of the frontier and the Yaba producing factories in Myanmar," the narcotics department chief said. Ali led the Bangladesh delegation comprising police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, Coastguard, Customs, ministries of home and foreign affairs while Myanmar police chief Major General Kawa Kawa Thun led the Myanmar delegation. The meeting mainly discussed checking smuggling of drugs, especially Yaba and heroin in line with the agreement inked between the two countries in 1994. In the 1990s, Yaba was being smuggled into Bangladesh from Chiang Mai province in Thailand via Myanmar. Yaba is generally produced in a round pill form. It is brightly coloured in red, orange or lime green and carry logos such as "R" or "WY". It is small and round, roughly 6mm in diameter and packed inside a regular drinking straw for easy trafficking or in a reusable 'mint' container. http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=472327&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24
Friday, November 25, 2011
News & Articles on Burma-Thursday, 24 November 2011-UZL
News & Articles on Burma Thursday, 24 November 2011 ------------------------------------------------ Over 30 Burmese soldiers killed in clashes with KIA Jailing of DVB reporters ‘arbitrary’: UN Is China threatened by a more open Burma? Clinton to visit Burma, meet Suu Kyi Burma: Can you trust the army? Myanmar parliament passes law allowing protests Japan in talks to resume Myanmar aid Myanmar parliament passes law allowing protests Burma Finds Company as Layer of Landmines Child Beggars on the Mean Streets of Mae Sot Than Shwe Retires … From Front Pages Clinton Visit Set for Nov 30 Deported Burmese Await ‘January Solution’ to Return to Thailand ------------------------------------------------ Over 30 Burmese soldiers killed in clashes with KIA Category: News , Published Date 24 Nov. 2011, Written by KNG Despite its numerical superiority, over 30 Burmese Army soldiers were killed in this morning’s clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in three places on the Muse-Nam Hkam-Manmaw (Bhamo) route in the country’s northern Kachin State, said locals. At least 10 government soldiers were killed in a landmine explosion targeted at five military trucks by the KIA’s Battalion 1 soldiers. The Burmese Army convoy had started moving to Manwin from Nam Hkam, said residents of Nam Hkam. At about 1 a.m. the KIA’s Battalion 1 troops ambushed a Burmese military column near the Burmese Army’s Kai Htik post enroute after the column left the post, killing over 20 government soldiers, said KIA officers of Battalion 1. Skirmishes continue in areas between Shweli River Bridge and Nam Hkam, and downtown Nam Hkam and Manwin, said people in the two towns. Casualties figure on the Burmese Army side in the fighting downtown but the exact figure could not be ascertained. In the three places mentioned, clashes took place between hundreds of government troops from the Meiktila-based Light Infantry Division (LID) No. 99 and Bago-based LID No. 77 and dozens of KIA soldiers from Battalion 1 and 27. President Thein Sein’s government has sent in two army divisions from lower Burma to southern Kachin State to clear the Muse-Nam Hkam-Manmaw (Bhamo) route, which connects Kachin State and Shan State since early November. Till now, most sections of the route remains under control of the KIA, said local people. http://www.kachinnews.com/news/2164-over-30-burmese-soldiers-killed-in-clashes-with-kia.html Burmese Army despatches reinforcements to Kachin State The Burmese Army is sending in troop reinforcements from the Meiktila-based Light Infantry Division No. 99 to Kachin State, where it launched a massive military offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) as of June 9, said eyewitnesses. On Wednesday, about 50 military trucks carrying troops, rations, weapons and ammunition arrived in Manwin in Manmaw (Bhamo) district in southeastern Kachin State from Mandalay-Muse-Nam Hkam Road, locals in Manwin told the Kachin News Group. Till late this night, the reinforcements were stationed in Manwin. The division commander is based in Nam Hkam next to Manwin in Northern Shan State, said locals. Government troops ferried in two ships from unidentified battalions also arrived in Manmaw from Mandalay today, according to eyewitnesses. nov23-manwinSoon thereafter, over 300 troops disembarked from the ships and moved to the N’Mawk (Momauk) Town in northeastern Manmaw in seven large trucks and three small ones at about 3 p.m. local time, said locals. A part of the Manmaw-Kai Htik-Nam Hkam Road which connects Kachin State and Shan State is controlled by the KIA since the government launched the offensive on the KIA. Four days before the LID No. 99 was sent to Kachin State, Aung Min, Minister of Railways of the Burmese government, who is negotiating peace, met Lt-Gen N’ban La Awng, the Vice-President of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the KIA in Chiang Mai, Thailand on November 19 and offered the olive branch in terms of a new ceasefire to the KIO. The majority Burman-led government has already deployed troops from over 120 battalions in its military offensive against the KIA in Kachin State, La Nan, General Secretary of KIO told KNG recently. http://www.kachinnews.com/news/2163-burmese-army-despatches-reinforcements-to-kachin-state.html ----------------------------------------------- Jailing of DVB reporters ‘arbitrary’: UN By FRANCIS WADE Published: 24 November 2011 The UN says the sentencing of DVB reporters Sithu Zeya [right] and his father, U Zeya, is arbitrary (DVB) The Burmese government has been warned by a UN body comprised of legal experts in the human rights field that its sentencing of two journalists working for the Democratic Voice of Burma is arbitrary, and now faces high-level calls for their release. Twenty-one year old Sithu Zeya and his father, U Zeya, were handed lengthy sentences last year after Burmese intelligence discovered they had been working for DVB. Sithu Zeya was arrested after being caught filming the aftermath of the Rangoon grenade attacks in April 2010; under torture, he revealed that his father was also a DVB video journalist. A five-page opinion adopted by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that their sentencing was in violation of articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which cover freedom of expression and assembly. Wong Kai Shing, the director Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, which has made a number of calls for their release, said in a statement yesterday that the Burmese government “is under obligation to take this call from a UN human rights expert body very seriously”, particularly in light of its proclamations that Burma is transitioning to a democracy. In August Sithu Zeya had his sentence extended by a decade after he was found guilty of breaching the Electronics Act, which has been used by the government on numerous occasions to target journalists feeding footage to foreign and exiled media organisations. He is now due to serve 18 years behind bars. U Zeya was given a 13-year term on the same raft of charges his son was sentenced under, and is currently being held in Hsipaw prison in Shan state. The two are among around 1,700 political prisoners in Burma, including politicians, monks, doctors and lawyers. Some are serving sentences of more than 100 years for their activism, although Naypyidaw refuses to acknowledge that it has jailed anyone on ‘political’ charges. Yet according to the Working Group, the government, having initially arrested the two on suspicion of involvement in the Rangoon attacks, later admitted to the body that they had been sentenced for their links with DVB. Despite the two being charged under the Unlawful Association Act, as well as the Electronics and Immigration Act, DVB is not classified under Burmese law as an illegal organisation. The government however has not clarified the nature of this charge. Wong Kai Shing said the UN decision also raised an issue regarding political prisoners that has remained absent from the majority of appeals for their release, that of “the question of appropriate legally enforceable compensation for what has oftentimes been years of illegal imprisonment”. The mother of Sithu Zeya reported shortly after his arrest last year that he had been beaten and denied food for two days whilst being interrogated. In January 17 inmates in the same Insein prison ward that Sithu Zeya was being held in began protesting the 21-year-old’s ill treatment by authorities, which included being held in solitary confinement and acts of public humiliation. Fellow DVB reporter Win Maw, who is serving a 17-year sentence in Kyaukphyu prison in westernmost Burma, was recently awarded the prestigious Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artists Prize 2011. As well as his work in journalism, Win Maw is a recognised singer/songwriter whose compositions were used in the Oscar-nominated Burma VJ. At present 14 journalists who worked for DVB are behind bars in Burma, down from a total of 17 following a prisoner amnesty in October. Burma has a long history of criminalising independent journalism, and has consistently ranked at the tail end of press freedom indexes, although a government advisor said earlier this week that draconian censorship laws would soon be done away with. http://www.dvb.no/news/jailing-of-dvb-reporters-%E2%80%98arbitrary%E2%80%99-un/18889 ----------------------------------------------- Is China threatened by a more open Burma? Clinton’s visit to Rangoon may shift regional politics and dislodge China as Burma’s lone ally. Kathleen E. McLaughlinNovember 24, 2011 07:35 BEIJING, China — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Burma next week not only marks a milestone in American foreign policy, but also has the potential to shift regional politics and dislodge China as Burma’s lone ally. And while many in Beijing are concerned about the potential swing in power dynamics, there is growing acknowledgment that a more open Burma would benefit China as well. What China doesn’t want or need is another North Korea, a closed-off hermit state dependent almost entirely on this country and its commerce. Policy-watchers here are hoping for stable change in Burma (known by its military government as Myanmar), and a gradual transformation. “It’s in China’s interest for Myanmar to end its isolation,” said Zhao Daojiong, an international economist at Peking University. “An isolated Myanmar is an unstable Myanmar. It’s in China’s interest that Myanmar internationalize and stabilize.” Clinton has said her recently announced visit, the first for an American secretary of state in 50 years, does not mean the end of US sanctions on Burma. Instead, administration officials have described her planned trip as the latest step in diplomatic moves to encourage Burma’s transformation to a more open country with greater human rights. While China has repeatedly downplayed the symbolism and potential impact of reinvigorated American influence in Burma, there is debate over how to maintain China’s relationship with its resource-rich neighbor to the southwest. Chinese analysts and officials dismiss speculation that a more aggressive China is pushing Burma to open up and explore its options. For three decades, China has been Burma’s main ally and trade partner. In recent months, as Burma has begun to liberalize politically following democratic elections, it has also made strong, symbolic moves away from China. Notably, in late October, the Burmese government cancelled a massive and deeply controversial Chinese dam project. The $3.6 billion Myitsone Dam would have been one of the largest hydropower projects in the world, and it would have flooded thousands of square miles of forest in Burma’s Kachin state. The Chinese-backed project, only one of many major investments there, drew violent opposition and spurred deadly fighting. Opposition to the dam coalesced into action by the military government after democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her disapproval of the project in August. More from GlobalPost: Clinton won't lift Burma sanctions. Yet. China downplayed the cancelled dam project, saying its overall intentions were misunderstood. The nationalistic Global Times newspaper, in an editorial about the dam’s end, said there was “an underestimation of China's role in facilitating Myanmar's change and misreading of the situation.” “A long period of sanctions from the West has resulted in poverty and a closing up of the country,” the newspaper wrote. “However, competition and tension are often played up by Western media. Halting the construction of the Myitsone Dam, for instance, was interpreted as the clearest signal of Myanmar's willingness to embrace the West.” Zhu Feng, international relations scholar at Peking University, echoed that sentiment and said he believes international media often plays up power struggles between the United States and China that don’t really exist. “I don’t think Myanmar is of great significance strategically to China,” said Zhu. “It’s not bad in the eyes of China for Clinton to visit, for Myanmar to be more open, and it could be in the interests of China.” More from GlobalPost: Burma reformist government dares to push back against China As always, “stability” is the catchword for China. Zhu said there are fears that Burma will open too fast and violently, with something like a color revolution that fueled the Arab Spring. That kind of instability on China’s borders would inevitably create consternation here. But China has already dealt with instability within Burma caused by civil wars in recent years. At least twice since 2009, thousands of Burmese refugees have flooded across the border into China’s Yunnan province, seeking shelter from factional fighting. The trick now is how to balance China’s desire for investment, trade and resources from Burma with the need for more openness and as Beijing sees it, stability. Zhao said he’s watching to see how Clinton addresses the growing potential nuclear ambitions of Burma’s regime. “I feel that there is a window of opportunity here and it’s also customary for the United States to claim leadership on these issues,” said Zhao. “It’s certainly not in China’s interest to see a nuclearized Myanmar.” http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/111123/burma-myanmar-hillary-clinton-diplomacy ------------------------------------------------- Clinton to visit Burma, meet Suu Kyi Published: 24/11/2011 at 10:38 AM Online news: Bangkok Post The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make a three-day visit to Myanmar (Burma) from Nov 30 to Dec 2, the State Department’s acting spokesman Mark C. Toner said on Wednesday. Mrs Clinton's visit, the first by a US secretary of state since February 1955, will follow her brief stop in Busan, South Korea. During the visit, Mrs Clinton is expected to meet with President Thein Sein and National League for Democracy de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss further reforms in the country. Mrs Clinton will underscore Washington's commitment to a policy of principled engagement and direct dialogue as part of the its dual-track approach, the statement said. ''She will register support for reforms that we have witnessed in recent months and discuss further reforms in key areas, as well as steps the US can take to reinforce progress,'' said Mr Toner. Mrs Clinton would also consult with a broad and diverse group of civil society and ethnic minority leaders to gain their perspectives on developments in the country. Mrs Clinton's trip had been initially arranged for Dec 1-2. Prior to her travel to Naypidaw, the new administrative capital, Mrs Clinton will attend the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in the South Korean port city of Busan. The last visit by a US Secretary of State to Myanmar was during the time of president Dwight D. Eisenhower when the containment policy-initiator, John Foster Dulles, met with then Premier U Nu and senior Burmese officials in Rangoon. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/267697/clinton-to-meet-suu-kyi ----------------------------------------------- Burma: Can you trust the army? By Gwynne Dyer, Special to QMI Agency Last Updated: November 24, 2011 9:45am Burma is the second poorest country in Asia (after North Korea), although fifty years ago it was the second richest. It is the second most repressive dictatorship in Asia, outdone again only by North Korea. It is third from the bottom on Transparency International's list of the world's most corrupt countries. And the credit for all these distinctions goes to the Burmese army, which has ruled the country with an iron hand for the past half-century. So what should pro-democracy leaders in Burma do when the army shows signs of wanting to make a deal and withdraw from direct control over the country. Do you hold out for more, or do you co-operate with the generals in the hope that they can be persuaded to go further later on? That's the dilemma that faced Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning leader of the National League for Democracy, when the military staged the first elections Burma had seen for twenty years last November. Back then, she decided to boycott the elections, but last week she actually took the leap of faith and registered the NLD as a legal political party. She had good reason to be wary last year, because 23 generals resigned and founded the Union Solidarity and Development Party just before the elections. They wouldn't have done that unless the new party was going to "win," and in the end it got a highly implausible 80% of the votes. But then Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest a few days after the election, and the regime began to offer further concessions. Thein Sein, the former general who became the president of Burma last March, put out feelers to see if the NLD leader could be coaxed into participating in the new political arrangements. He wanted her help in giving his government more legitimacy, and she realised that she could probably win some major concessions in return. She saw Thein Sein in private in August, and it's likely that they made the deal there and then. Six weeks later a Human Rights Commission was created, and the media suddenly became much freer. In mid-October 200 political prisoners were freed (although 500 more remain in jail for the time being). These changes were probably part of the price that the regime had agreed to pay for Aung San Suu Kyi's agreement to participate in a political system still dominated by the army. Later in October it paid another instalment, passing a law that legalised trade unions. And then it was time for Suu Kyi to fulfill her side of the bargain. She did it last week, declaring that she would register the National League for Democracy as a political party under the new constitution. There is even talk of her running for parliament herself in the December by-elections. There is nothing illegitimate about making deals in politics. The question is whether this deal is wise -- or is Aung San Suu Kyi just being taken for a ride? Aung San Suu Kyi has probably been told a great deal more in private about the army's ultimate intentions, but even if they have promised to give up power eventually, she cannot know if they will keep their promises. Probably the generals themselves don't know yet. But she has decided to take the risk, and her supporters just have to trust her judgment. Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. http://www.lfpress.com/comment/2011/11/24/19013931.html ---------------------------------------------------- Myanmar parliament passes law allowing protests By Aung Hla Tun YANGON | Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:58pm IST (Reuters) - Myanmar's parliament has passed a bill allowing citizens to stage peaceful protests, a lawmaker said on Thursday, the latest in a string of reforms pulling the pariah state out of isolation. The "Peaceful Assembly and Procession Bill" requires advance permission for would-be demonstrators but represents a major step in a country where just four years ago the army opened fire on peaceful mass protests led by Buddhist monks. "This bill allows peaceful assembly and procession by holding flags with prior permission from the authorities five days in advance," said Aye Maung, an upper house delegate and chairman of Rakhine Nationalities' Development Party. "Monks are also citizens so I think they can also join," he told Reuters. The bill was passed on Tuesday and requires the ratification by President Thein Sein to become law, he said. In recent months, Myanmar's new army-dominated parliament and government have surprised critics by introducing the most sweeping reforms in the former British colony since a 1962 military coup. They have included freeing more than 200 political prisoners and letting the media cover heretofore taboo topics like politics and crime. In October, Thein Sein enacted a new Labour Law under which Myanmar's workers are entitled to stage protests and set up labour unions, both of which were banned under the junta that ruled the country with an iron fist until ceding power to parliament following elections last year. Japan said on Wednesday it would hold working-level talks with Myanmar next week to discuss aid projects, another step in growing international involvement as the country moves tentatively towards democracy. Last week, Myanmar won a powerful endorsement when U.S. President Barack Obama announced Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit Myanmar, citing "flickers of progress". (Editing by Jason Szep and Nick Macfie) http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/24/idINIndia-60712520111124 ------------------------------------------------ Japan in talks to resume Myanmar aid Posted: 24 November 2011 1430 hrs TOKYO: Japan and Myanmar will hold a meeting in Naypyidaw next week to discuss resuming Tokyo's official development aid, a foreign ministry official said Thursday. The move is the latest in a series of international overtures that appear to be designed to welcome the isolated nation in from the diplomatic cold. Tokyo has continued to provide humanitarian and emergency aid to the country, but halted regular economic assistance in 2003 following the arrest and subsequent detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi was freed in November last year after seven years of house arrest, and her party has said it would return to Myanmar's official political arena after years of marginalisation under military rule. "There has been some development in the political situation in Myanmar since Suu Kyi's release last year," said a Japanese foreign ministry official. At the meeting to be held on Monday, the first since 2003, officials from the two countries will discuss resuming Japan's aid to Myanmar to the level before the suspension, the official said. "One thing they are expected to discuss is the reasonability of resuming the construction work on a hydropower plant," the official said on the customary condition of anonymity. "Japan has told Myanmar that we are ready to restart the work, but on-the-ground research would be necessary because of the time that has elapsed since the work was stopped." Unlike major Western nations, Japan has maintained trade ties and dialogue with Myanmar, warning that a hard line approach could push it closer to neighbouring China, its main political supporter and commercial partner. The international community has begun in recent months to re-engage with the country. Last week Myanmar won approval from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to chair the 10-nation bloc in 2014 -- despite some concerns that such a diplomatic prize was premature. US President Barack Obama said Friday that Hillary Clinton would next month become the first US secretary of state to visit Myanmar for 50 years. He said the trip was designed to stoke "flickers" of democratic reform in a country that for decades has been blighted by military rule and international isolation. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he would also visit Myanmar as soon as possible to encourage reforms. - AFP/ck http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1167369/1/.html ----------------------------------------------- Myanmar parliament passes law allowing protests Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:20pm GMT By Aung Hla Tun YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's parliament has passed a bill allowing citizens to stage peaceful protests, a lawmaker said on Thursday, the latest in a string of reforms pulling the pariah state out of isolation. The "Peaceful Assembly and Procession Bill" requires advance permission for would-be demonstrators but represents a major step in a country where just four years ago the army opened fire on peaceful mass protests led by Buddhist monks. "This bill allows peaceful assembly and procession by holding flags with prior permission from the authorities five days in advance," said Aye Maung, an upper house delegate and chairman of Rakhine Nationalities' Development Party. "Monks are also citizens so I think they can also join," he told Reuters. The bill was passed on Tuesday and requires the ratification by President Thein Sein to become law, he said. In recent months, Myanmar's new army-dominated parliament and government have surprised critics by introducing the most sweeping reforms in the former British colony since a 1962 military coup. They have included freeing more than 200 political prisoners and letting the media cover heretofore taboo topics like politics and crime. In October, Thein Sein enacted a new Labour Law under which Myanmar's workers are entitled to stage protests and set up labour unions, both of which were banned under the junta that ruled the country with an iron fist until ceding power to parliament following elections last year. Japan said on Wednesday it would hold working-level talks with Myanmar next week to discuss aid projects, another step in growing international involvement as the country moves tentatively towards democracy. Last week, Myanmar won a powerful endorsement when U.S. President Barack Obama announced Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit Myanmar, citing "flickers of progress." (Editing by Jason Szep and Nick Macfie) http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE7AN0VA20111124 ---------------------------------------------- Burma Finds Company as Layer of Landmines By SAW YAN NAING Thursday, November 24, 2011 After being named the only country laying new landmines last year, Burma has been joined in 2011 by three other countries—Israel, Libya and Syria—as part of the exclusive club of nations still actively employing the deadly explosives, according to a new report by anti-landmine campaigners. The report, by the Geneva-based International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), cites civil unrest in the Arab world as a key reason for this year's spike in landmine use, which has reached a seven-year high. “Thousands, if not tens of thousands, were laid by the Gaddafi regime,” said Mary Wareham, the editor of the annual report, The Landmine Monitor 2011, speaking at its launch in Bangkok on Wednesday. Landmines, which have long been used in conflicts in many parts of the world, have become the target of a campaign to end their use because they continue to take a deadly toll for years after fighting has ended, and often claim casualties among civilians and other innocent victims. “Not only humans, but also animals like elephants, are affected by landmines,” said Suthikiet Sopanik, the secretary of the Thailand Campaign to Ban Landmines, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday. “There are a lot of ethnic minority conflicts in Myanmar [Burma]. They use many landmines to protect and defend their territories. Many civilians, including children, are injured by landmines,” said Sopanik. The ICBL report said that in Burma, both the government and non-state armed groups continue to use anti-personnel landmines, despite the country's move to civilian rule earlier this year. Ethnic armed groups mostly use homemade devices, while Burma mass-produces landmines for use in conflict zones. Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, a Landmine Monitor researcher who visited ethnic areas in Burma, said in a statement, “On the ground, there is not much change in how antipersonnel mines are used by the government or militias.” Noting that talks were held between several armed groups and Burmese government state authorities this week, Yeshua said the ICBL will lobby for a ban on landmines to be included in any ceasefire agreement. According to the report, only 12 manufacturers of anti-personnel mines were recorded—the same as in 2010—with just three countries believed to be actively producing: India, Burma and Pakistan. The ICBL report said that there were 4,191 new landmine casualties in 2010, although the actual number could be as high as 6,000, with many cases unreported. The ICBL's data is provided by a variety of sources, including researchers, governments, armed forces and charities. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22530 ----------------------------------------------- Child Beggars on the Mean Streets of Mae Sot By SAI ZOM HSENG Thursday, November 24, 2011 Small, determined bodies make their way through the hustle and bustle of the night market in the Thai border town of Mae Sot, looking for likely targets. When they find one—a kind-looking stranger, a foreigner who might not mind sparing a few coins—they lift their tiny hands, and, if that is not enough, tug on a sleeve or touch a bare arm. More often than not, they are ignored. These are the child beggars of Mae Sot—children who have become such a common sight in the thriving town on the Thai-Burmese border that they are almost invisible to residents who would rather not see them at all. Even in the glare of the night market's fluorescent lights, it's easy not to see these children, unless one becomes the unwilling object of their attention. Then the easiest thing to do is just to give them the coins they silently plead for and hope they go on their way. “Usually, they try to find one-baht coins. If they don't have any, they'll give us a five- or 10-baht coin,” said Nyo Nyo, a 10-year-old Burmese girl who has been in Thailand since she was an infant, describing those who grudgingly part with a little money just to be left in peace. White people are usually the most generous, she said, although they don't always give something. But when they do, it's usually more than she can get from any of the locals. Like Nyo Nyo, all of the children begging in the streets of Mae Sot are from Burma. They are controlled by Burmese gangs who force them to keep begging until they bring back 200 baht (US $6.40) a day—about the same as a day's wages for an unskilled laborer in Thailand. The local authorities used to crack down on beggars, saying they hurt the town's image. But these days, they seem more inclined to look the other way—because, say some residents, of bribes paid to officials to allow the lucrative “business” to continue. Wearing a dirty white blouse and with her hair in a ponytail, Nyo Nyo explains the deal that her own parents made with the gang that now serves as her family. “My parents told me to stay with these people, who would give them some money and also take care of me. They give me food and a place to stay, and they tell me what to do. They tell us to stay out until we get 200 baht, but sometimes it's okay if we come back with just 150 baht,” she said. She said that the people now taking care of her are friends of her parents, who work in the Mae Sot market. She added that her father sometimes worked as a coolie, carrying goods back and forth across the border. Nyo Nyo said that she has been punished several times—beaten and deprived of sleep—for failing to earn her keep. It was hard, she said, because she felt shy about asking people for money. “I wish I didn't come to stay with them,” she says of her new “guardians”. Nyo Nyo now lives in a house in Mae Sot with more than a dozen other children, all of whom spend their days and nights in crowded public places—in the night market, near the Friendship Bridge, in the park—hoping to meet kind strangers, but mostly being treated with disdain. Not everyone regards them as a nuisance, however. Some in the local Burmese community view them with a mix of shame and pity. “It's a disgrace that Burmese people are exploiting them that way,” said Naw Eh Wah, a Mae Sot resident. “I’m so worried about their future.” For most of these children, dreams of the future are a thing of the past. Pho Thar, a 12-year-old boy from Mon State, said that he used to study in Burma before his parents migrated to Thailand. “Whenever I see Thai children going to school in their uniforms, it reminds me of life in my village,” he said. Children are not just used as beggars. In fact, they are often targeted by human traffickers because they are easy to transport across borders and easy to exploit. “The traffickers put the children to work in many fields, such as general labor, sex work and begging,” said Mingkwan Weerachart, the head of the Chiang Mai Shelter for Children and Families. “The traffickers have no trouble controlling them, because they are easily intimidated.” She added that the number of Burmese children being transferred to her shelter has increased steadily in recent years. Last year, the shelter received 26 Burmese children, up from 14 the year before, and 11 the year before that. Almost all of them, she said, were trafficked. According to the website of World Vision, an international relief agency that operates in Thailand, Burmese people are trafficked to a number of Asian countries, including China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Korea and Macao, but the primary destination is Thailand. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22528 -------------------------------------------------- Than Shwe Retires … From Front Pages By THE IRRAWADDY Thursday, November 24, 2011 Burma's former dictator and military junta supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe has been referred to as “retired” by the state media for the first time since the official abolishment of the State Peace and Development Council, and the ascension of the new government on March 30. Both Myanma Alin and The Mirror reported on Thursday that “Snr-Gen Than Shwe (retired) and Daw Kyaing Kyaing's family donated US $1,300, 11 rubies, a pearl and a golden ring with 61 diamonds, which is valued at kyat 488,000, toward the Scared Buddha Tooth Relic from China, which is now being exhibited in Rangoon.” The fact that Than Shwe's name was preceded with the honorific mention, “retired,” raised many eyebrows in Rangoon. Burma watchers also noted that Myanma Alin ran the story on page eight, that Than Shwe was simply listed alongside several other donors and that his name did not appear in the headline. For years Burmese state-run media has reflected the hierarchy of the military junta in its front pages with lead stories invariably carrying all but the most mundane actions of the ruling generals. While head of the junta, Than Shwe and his family enjoyed privileged status on the front pages of almost every state-run journal and newspaper on a near-daily basis. On Friday, Than Shwe reportedly made a rare trip outside of his home to visit a Buddhist pagoda in Naypyidaw. According to several official sources and relatives, Than Shwe now mostly lives quietly in the remote capital of Naypyidaw, although sometimes he travels to Rangoon to visit his children. However, as Larry Jagan—a freelance journalist and former BBC news and current affairs editor for Asia and the Pacific—pointed out in an interview broadcast by Australia’s ABC Radio National, a regulation passed by Than Shwe’s junta just before the November 2010 election states that any senior military officer may return to his original military post within 5 years of retiring. “[President] Thein Sein is constantly being told by the hardliners in the ministry, ‘Don’t do things too far, too fast, otherwise the old man [Than Shwe] will come back and take power,’” said Jagan. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22532 -------------------------------------------- Clinton Visit Set for Nov 30 By LALIT K JHA / WASHINGTON Thursday, November 24, 2011 Leading a high-power delegation, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to make her historic visit to Burma on Nov. 30, during which time she will reiterate the Obama administration’s policy of principled engagement and direct dialogue, US officials say. “Secretary Clinton will travel to Naypyidaw and Rangoon, Burma, from November 30 to December 2. This historic trip will mark the first visit to Burma by a US Secretary of State in over a half a century,” the State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner, said. “Clinton will underscore the US commitment to a policy of principled engagement and direct dialogue as part of our dual-track approach. She will register support for reforms that we have witnessed in recent months and discuss further reforms in key areas, as well as steps the US can take to reinforce progress,” he said. During her trip, Clinton will consult with a broad and diverse group of civil society and ethnic minority leaders to gain their perspectives on developments in the country, he added. Counselor Cheryl Mills, Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary Michael Posner, Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma Derek Mitchell, and Policy Planning Director Jake Sullivan will accompany her. Last week, Obama announced in Bali, Indonesia—on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit—his decision to send Clinton to Burma. Obama’s announcement followed a telephone conversation with Aung San Suu Kyi—the first between a US president and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Toner said Obama’s decision to send Clinton to Burma is based on what he termed as “flickers of progress that we’ve seen” over the past month or so in Burma, and that he feels that it’s an appropriate time to send the Secretary of State there. “She will be the first Secretary of State to visit that country in over half a century, so that alone is very significant. But our goal remains a Burma that is both responsive to the will and needs of its people,” he said. “But again, this is an opportunity that we believe has presented itself to go there, obviously talk with the opposition, talk with Aung San Suu Kyi, and also discuss with the government ways that we can move this process forward,” he added. However, he said a lot more has to be done in Burma. “We’ve seen a dialogue between the government and Aung San Suu Kyi that’s begun. We also have seen the release of some political prisoners, and we’ve seen the relaxation of some of the media restrictions. And also, there’s legislation that’s been approved that we believe could open the political environment even more,” he said. “What we want to see is the release of all political prisoners, and we want to see amended electoral laws. We want to see an opening of the political system … that allows for free and fair elections, that’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for an opening up of the political space,” Toner said. None of these are particularly new items on US’s agenda with Burma, he asserted. “So they’re well aware of what we’re looking to see … We want to see a Burma that’s responsive to the needs of its people,” he said. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22529 --------------------------------------------- Deported Burmese Await ‘January Solution’ to Return to Thailand By SIMON ROUGHNEEN Thursday, November 24, 2011 BANGKOK—Tens of thousands of Burmese migrants who fled Thailand's floods are in danger of trafficking and extortion unless both Thailand and Burma's governments come up with a plan to facilitate a safe return, say activists. This comes after tens of thousands of Burmese migrant workers were deported from Thailand after homes and workplaces were flooded in the recent disaster, which left over 600 people dead in Thailand. From September to November 2011, almost 100,000 Burmese migrant workers returned to their homeland via Mae Sot, a town on the Thailand-Burma border that serves as the main land connection between the two countries. Of these, according to data from the Mae Sot immigration office, 39,841 of the returnees held temporary passports—meaning that they could legally cross back to Burma and can subsequently return to Thailand to resume work at their flooded employment locations. However, the majority of those fleeing Thailand for Burma during the floods—given as 58,369 at time of writing—did not have passports. Some of this cohort likely held work permits, which only allow the holder to remain in the province of his/her employment. By attempting to cross back to Burma via Mae Sot, the workers invalidated their permit and therefore could be expelled from Thailand. Migrant rights groups say that they lobbied the Thailand government to implement a temporary amnesty for undocumented migrant flood victims, or those lacking passports, who sought to return home. However, tens of thousands of Burmese flood victims were deported amid numerous allegations of extortion and trafficking along the Mae Sot border area. Various recent news reports feature Burmese migrants saying they were forced to pay additional fees to cross back to Burma, often to Burmese militias controlling checkpoints on the Burmese side. Burmese migrants make up an estimated 5-10 percent of Thailand's labor force and number between 2 and 3 million. Of these, around 1.5 million have registered to work in Thailand. However, for those migrants who were deported or invalidated their permits, trying to return to Thailand to resume employment will be challenging. According to Claudio Natali of the International Organization Migration (IOM), “There is a gap in the system now, effectively, until there is some process in place for those who went back to Burma but do not have passports to come back.” The alternative, says Andy Hall, a migrant rights analyst at Bangkok's Mahidol University, is “for people to try to smuggle themselves back into Thailand.” That in turn renders people trying to re-enter Thailand as vulnerable to extortion and trafficking, a long-running threat to migrant workers in Thailand. According to a leaked 2009 US diplomatic cable from the Bangkok embassy, the Thailand government “recognizes the seriousness of the (trafficking) problem.” Thailand is currently on the US State Department’s human trafficking watch list, still a notch better than Burma, which the same list deems to be among the countries “whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.” Hall recently visited the Burmese capital Naypyidaw, where he discussed the situation facing Burmese living in Thailand with Burmese officials. He said that, “The Myanmar authorities insisted to me during my visit that the protection of migrant workers is now a key policy for their government, both as a development strategy but also as a poverty reduction strategy.” With Burma's economy floundering, millions of Burmese live abroad, with remittances sent home a vital source of income for families living in Burma. The Burmese government is said to envisage a longer-term Philippines-style policy where emigration is supported as a means of compensating for a stagnant or underperforming domestic economy. A tenth of Filipinos live overseas, and money that “OFWs” (overseas Filipino workers) remit makes up approximately the same percentage of the country's economy. For now, the Thailand and Burmese authorities are discussing a joint plan—to come into effect on January 1 20102—to enable those Burmese who were deported to return to their jobs in Thailand, without having to run the notorious broker and trafficking gauntlet along the two countries' common border. Jackie Pollock, the Director of the MAP Foundation, an organization that assists Burmese workers in Thailand, said that there needs to be some temporary system implemented on the border to enable migrants who lack passports to cross back to Thailand, and to facilitate employers and business owners who want to “re-hire” Burmese migrants who fled the flooding. “This was done after the 2004 tsunami, so something similar should be possible this time around,” she said. But whether or not Burmese migrants will be made aware of any joint plan to facilitate their safe return to Thailand remains unclear, with officials seen as slow to disseminate information. According to Claudia Natali, “The majority of migrants do not hear about such policy developments, and if they do, it is long after implementation”. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22531
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