humans must be free from-Ashin Gambira
livelihood menaces,
social perils and
tyrants' hazards
Friday, 1 February 2008
Quote on Freedom by U Gambira
Bomb kills KNU defector's son-in-law
Saw Kanyaw
Democratic Voice of Burma
January 31, 2008
The son-in-law of a Karen National Union commander who defected to the Burmese government side was killed by a bomb yesterday in what is thought to have been a targeted assassination.
General Saw Htay Maung was commander of KNU brigade 7 before his defection in early 2007, when he founded a splinter group called the KNU Peace Council.
His son-in-law, major Saw Leh Mu, was at the communications office of the KNU Peace Council headquarters in Kawko village, Kawkareit township, yesterday when the bomb exploded.
An unidentified Democratic Karen Buddhist Army officer said that Saw Leh Mu was killed instantly by the blast.
"The bomb exploded at around 12.40am near where he and his grandmother were sleeping," the officer said.
"We don't know how powerful the explosion was, but someone who saw the bomb scene said that his body was blown into small pieces."
The officer said the attack was thought to have been an assassination, but it was not yet clear who was responsible.
Security has been tightened within Saw Htay Maung's group since the incident.
A close relative of Saw Leh Mu confirmed his death.
"I can confirm that Saw Leh Mu has been killed, but we don't know yet how it happened," he said, adding that no other people were injured in the explosion.
Saw Htay Maung's group also said they assumed that Saw Leh Mu was deliberately assassinated, but they could not yet say who was behind the attack.
Some local people have suggested that the attack could have been carried out by business rivals.
Unknown groups have previously attempted to assassinate Saw Leh Mu on several occasions.
Democratic Voice of Burma
January 31, 2008
The son-in-law of a Karen National Union commander who defected to the Burmese government side was killed by a bomb yesterday in what is thought to have been a targeted assassination.
General Saw Htay Maung was commander of KNU brigade 7 before his defection in early 2007, when he founded a splinter group called the KNU Peace Council.
His son-in-law, major Saw Leh Mu, was at the communications office of the KNU Peace Council headquarters in Kawko village, Kawkareit township, yesterday when the bomb exploded.
An unidentified Democratic Karen Buddhist Army officer said that Saw Leh Mu was killed instantly by the blast.
"The bomb exploded at around 12.40am near where he and his grandmother were sleeping," the officer said.
"We don't know how powerful the explosion was, but someone who saw the bomb scene said that his body was blown into small pieces."
The officer said the attack was thought to have been an assassination, but it was not yet clear who was responsible.
Security has been tightened within Saw Htay Maung's group since the incident.
A close relative of Saw Leh Mu confirmed his death.
"I can confirm that Saw Leh Mu has been killed, but we don't know yet how it happened," he said, adding that no other people were injured in the explosion.
Saw Htay Maung's group also said they assumed that Saw Leh Mu was deliberately assassinated, but they could not yet say who was behind the attack.
Some local people have suggested that the attack could have been carried out by business rivals.
Unknown groups have previously attempted to assassinate Saw Leh Mu on several occasions.
NLD member beaten during interrogation
Aye Nai
Democratic Voice of Burma
January 31, 2008
A Magwe division National League for Democracy member who was arrested on 11 January said that he suffered beatings and ill-treatment during his four-day interrogation.
Ko Ow Wai said he was arrested on Rangoon's 46th street on 11 January, and was blindfolded and taken to Yay Kyi Ai interrogation centre in Insein township where he was questioned for four days.
"They hit me with chairs and made me do press-ups on my fists, and they hit me around the ears, on my buttocks, my arms and also on my head," Ow Wai said, adding that he had also been hit with tree branches.
"They yelled at me: 'Tell the truth!', and made me kneel down on pebbles with my hands on the back of my head while someone ran at me and kneed me in the chest," he continued.
"I am still in pain now."
After that, Ow Wai was sent to Insein prison for further interrogation before being released on 21 January.
But on 29 January, military intelligence officials came to the house he was renting near Yuzana plaza on 15th street and arrested Ow Wai again.
"[The military intelligence officials] took me to their office near Yauk Kaw bus stop and asked me all the same questions I had been asked before," Ow Wai said.
"I told them I had only just been released by the other officials on 21 January, but they told me to leave Rangoon within 24 hours or they would arrest me again."
They also told him that if he remained in Rangoon they would make things difficult for the owner of the house he was renting under the guest registration laws.
Ow Wai said his interrogators asked him about a letter he had circulated in November last year which said that the Burmese regime was planning to poison detained NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
"During interrogation, they asked if I really believed what the letter said," Ow Wai said.
"I told them that I didn't really care if it was true or not, but as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is such an important figure in our country's politics I don't want her to come to any harm," he said.
"That's why I demanded that she have a medical examination [to see if the accusations were true]."
Ow Wai was arrested along with labour rights activist Su Su Nway in August last year during protests against fuel price hikes, and suffered a broken leg during his arrest.
Democratic Voice of Burma
January 31, 2008
A Magwe division National League for Democracy member who was arrested on 11 January said that he suffered beatings and ill-treatment during his four-day interrogation.
Ko Ow Wai said he was arrested on Rangoon's 46th street on 11 January, and was blindfolded and taken to Yay Kyi Ai interrogation centre in Insein township where he was questioned for four days.
"They hit me with chairs and made me do press-ups on my fists, and they hit me around the ears, on my buttocks, my arms and also on my head," Ow Wai said, adding that he had also been hit with tree branches.
"They yelled at me: 'Tell the truth!', and made me kneel down on pebbles with my hands on the back of my head while someone ran at me and kneed me in the chest," he continued.
"I am still in pain now."
After that, Ow Wai was sent to Insein prison for further interrogation before being released on 21 January.
But on 29 January, military intelligence officials came to the house he was renting near Yuzana plaza on 15th street and arrested Ow Wai again.
"[The military intelligence officials] took me to their office near Yauk Kaw bus stop and asked me all the same questions I had been asked before," Ow Wai said.
"I told them I had only just been released by the other officials on 21 January, but they told me to leave Rangoon within 24 hours or they would arrest me again."
They also told him that if he remained in Rangoon they would make things difficult for the owner of the house he was renting under the guest registration laws.
Ow Wai said his interrogators asked him about a letter he had circulated in November last year which said that the Burmese regime was planning to poison detained NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
"During interrogation, they asked if I really believed what the letter said," Ow Wai said.
"I told them that I didn't really care if it was true or not, but as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is such an important figure in our country's politics I don't want her to come to any harm," he said.
"That's why I demanded that she have a medical examination [to see if the accusations were true]."
Ow Wai was arrested along with labour rights activist Su Su Nway in August last year during protests against fuel price hikes, and suffered a broken leg during his arrest.
Detained poet denied visits and parcels
Naw Say Phaw -
Democratic Voice of Burma
Jan 31, 2008
Prison authorities have received an order stating that a poet who was arrested on 22 January for writing a controversial poem can no longer receive visits or parcels from his family, the poet's wife said.
Saw Wai was arrested after a poem he wrote with a hidden message that read "megalomaniac Than Shwe" was published in a weekly journal.
His wife, Ma Nan San San Aye, said that she received a telephone call from an official at Insein prison at around 4pm on 29 January telling her she could not visit Saw Wai.
"The official said he had been banned from receiving family visits, but that the family could still send him things."
But when Ma Nan San San Aye went to the prison the next day to give him some items, officials showed her an order letter which said Saw Wai would not be allowed to receive family visits or packages after 29 January.
"I just wanted to give him some blankets and mosquito nets," Ma Nan San San Aye said.
Ma Nan San San Aye said that she had not had any contact with her husband since speaking to him on the telephone on the day of his arrest, and she has heard nothing about him from the authorities.
Democratic Voice of Burma
Jan 31, 2008
Prison authorities have received an order stating that a poet who was arrested on 22 January for writing a controversial poem can no longer receive visits or parcels from his family, the poet's wife said.
Saw Wai was arrested after a poem he wrote with a hidden message that read "megalomaniac Than Shwe" was published in a weekly journal.
His wife, Ma Nan San San Aye, said that she received a telephone call from an official at Insein prison at around 4pm on 29 January telling her she could not visit Saw Wai.
"The official said he had been banned from receiving family visits, but that the family could still send him things."
But when Ma Nan San San Aye went to the prison the next day to give him some items, officials showed her an order letter which said Saw Wai would not be allowed to receive family visits or packages after 29 January.
"I just wanted to give him some blankets and mosquito nets," Ma Nan San San Aye said.
Ma Nan San San Aye said that she had not had any contact with her husband since speaking to him on the telephone on the day of his arrest, and she has heard nothing about him from the authorities.
Mother Meets Son in Thandwe Prison
Narinjara News
January 30, 2008
Taungup: The mother of a political prisoner in Arakan State had the chance on Monday to meet with her son at Thandwe prison, four months after he was detained by the military authority, reports a relative of hers.
"Daw Saw Pru, who is the mother of detained political prisoner Ko Min Aung, was allowed by prison authorities on that day to meet with her son," he said.
Daw Saw Pru, a native of Taungup in Arakan State, went to Thandwe prison from her hometown after authorities gave her permission to see her son.
Daw Saw Pru confirmed her visit with Narinjara over the phone yesterday, saying, "I went to Thandwe prison to meet with my son. His health is better and revived. He seemed to be enthusiastic for his activities. He told me not to worry about him even though he is now in jail."
Ko Min Aung is a township secretary of the NLD in Taungup and was arrested by the military authority after the monk-led Saffron Revolution, on allegations he had created unrest among the people during the demonstrations in Taungup Township.
A few days after his arrest, the Taungup township court sentenced him to nine and a half years and sent him to Thandwe prison in southern Arakan.
The district court reduced his jail term to two years after he appealed to the district court and asserted his innocence.
The Burmese military authorities released many senior NLD members in Arakan State who had been arrested during the Saffron Revolution, after international organizations and the UN pressured the government to do so.
The authorities have still not released two NLD members currently being held in Arakan State - Ko Min Aung and senior leader U Khin Hla from Taungup Township. Both men are currently being detained in Thandwe prison in Arakan.
January 30, 2008
Taungup: The mother of a political prisoner in Arakan State had the chance on Monday to meet with her son at Thandwe prison, four months after he was detained by the military authority, reports a relative of hers.
"Daw Saw Pru, who is the mother of detained political prisoner Ko Min Aung, was allowed by prison authorities on that day to meet with her son," he said.
Daw Saw Pru, a native of Taungup in Arakan State, went to Thandwe prison from her hometown after authorities gave her permission to see her son.
Daw Saw Pru confirmed her visit with Narinjara over the phone yesterday, saying, "I went to Thandwe prison to meet with my son. His health is better and revived. He seemed to be enthusiastic for his activities. He told me not to worry about him even though he is now in jail."
Ko Min Aung is a township secretary of the NLD in Taungup and was arrested by the military authority after the monk-led Saffron Revolution, on allegations he had created unrest among the people during the demonstrations in Taungup Township.
A few days after his arrest, the Taungup township court sentenced him to nine and a half years and sent him to Thandwe prison in southern Arakan.
The district court reduced his jail term to two years after he appealed to the district court and asserted his innocence.
The Burmese military authorities released many senior NLD members in Arakan State who had been arrested during the Saffron Revolution, after international organizations and the UN pressured the government to do so.
The authorities have still not released two NLD members currently being held in Arakan State - Ko Min Aung and senior leader U Khin Hla from Taungup Township. Both men are currently being detained in Thandwe prison in Arakan.
Three Video Halls Shut Down in Sittwe
Narinjara News - February 1, 2008Sittwe: Three video movie halls in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, were closed by the military authority on accusations they had displayed images of the Saffron Revolution to monks, said one owner on condition of anonymity.
"The authority closed down my own video showrooms along with the another two without notice. They also seized all equipment related to the video showroom after accusing us of displaying anti-government pictures in our rooms," said the owner.
The three closed video halls are San Htoo, Thit Ten, and Pyi Pyo, all of which are located in downtown Sittwe.
The owner said, "The authority accused us not only of displaying Saffron Revolution pictures but also distributing Saffron Revolution CDs to the public after making copies in the rooms on the video players. They could not find any evidence from us, but they seized all the equipment in our show halls."
A town elder told Narinjara yesterday over the phone that the authority publicized among the public that they had to close the video halls for illegally showing foreign movies to the people.
The authorities in Arakan have not allowed any video halls to show foreign movies to the public anywhere in the state. The authorities have never explained why foreign movies have been prohibited in Arakan State, said the town elder.
People in Arakan State are very poor and most can not afford to buy TV sets for their homes. Many people depend on video halls for entertainment to see movies and international sports competitions such as football games.
Unimportant Topics Take Up All the Time, Says Suu Kyi
Wai Moe
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org
January 31, 2008
In the reconciliation talks between Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta’s liaison officer, Aung Kyi, most of the time is taken up on trivial subjects, according to sources in the National League of Democracy.
Senior members of the NLD who asked for anonymity told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that sometimes an hour- long meeting is filled up with explanations and questions, such as “What is cooperation?” and “What is collaboration?” by the junta liaison officer, Suu Kyi told a group of NLD members whom she met with on Wednesday just prior to her fifth meeting with Aung Kyi.
Suu Kyi said she has spoken to Aung Kyi about important issues, and he replies that he will report her remarks to top officials and then a month goes by with no discussions, NLD sources said.
Suu Kyi told her colleagues that Aung Kyi told her to endorse the regime’s “seven-step road map” to democracy because it’s the foundation of the junta’s plan for the country.
Instead, Suu Kyi suggested an inclusive reconciliation process that includes participation by ethnic group leaders in any talks about the country’s future.
“She [Suu Kyi] is not pleased with the talks,” said an NLD member. “She does not mean the process is hopeless, but it is being drawn out and prolonged.”
Suu Kyi’s request to meet with the head of the military junta, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, has received no response from the junta, and the talks are proceeding without a time frame.
Suu Kyi said she does not want to give false hope to the people of Burma, but in such conditions something positive could happen.
On Wednesday, she said she recalled her father Aung San’s famous remark before he held talks with the British government in London during the pre-independence period, “Let’s hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
A veteran journalist in Rangoon, Sein Hla Oo, commenting on the talks, said, “She [Suu Kyi] is not satisfied with the process. She thinks meaningful dialogue is very important for the country, but others think it is not important.”
Suu Kyi reportedly told her NLD colleagues to move forward without her, said the source. Sometimes she can lead the party; sometimes she will follow others’ leadership within the party, he said.
She suggested that sometimes the party needs to push and sometime it needs to pull, and if it is necessary, everyone needs to give up everything, he said.
He said she asked authorities to allow NLD deputy leader Tin Oo to participate in the meeting on Wednesday, but the authorities rejected the proposal.
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org
January 31, 2008
In the reconciliation talks between Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta’s liaison officer, Aung Kyi, most of the time is taken up on trivial subjects, according to sources in the National League of Democracy.
Senior members of the NLD who asked for anonymity told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that sometimes an hour- long meeting is filled up with explanations and questions, such as “What is cooperation?” and “What is collaboration?” by the junta liaison officer, Suu Kyi told a group of NLD members whom she met with on Wednesday just prior to her fifth meeting with Aung Kyi.
Suu Kyi said she has spoken to Aung Kyi about important issues, and he replies that he will report her remarks to top officials and then a month goes by with no discussions, NLD sources said.
Suu Kyi told her colleagues that Aung Kyi told her to endorse the regime’s “seven-step road map” to democracy because it’s the foundation of the junta’s plan for the country.
Instead, Suu Kyi suggested an inclusive reconciliation process that includes participation by ethnic group leaders in any talks about the country’s future.
“She [Suu Kyi] is not pleased with the talks,” said an NLD member. “She does not mean the process is hopeless, but it is being drawn out and prolonged.”
Suu Kyi’s request to meet with the head of the military junta, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, has received no response from the junta, and the talks are proceeding without a time frame.
Suu Kyi said she does not want to give false hope to the people of Burma, but in such conditions something positive could happen.
On Wednesday, she said she recalled her father Aung San’s famous remark before he held talks with the British government in London during the pre-independence period, “Let’s hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
A veteran journalist in Rangoon, Sein Hla Oo, commenting on the talks, said, “She [Suu Kyi] is not satisfied with the process. She thinks meaningful dialogue is very important for the country, but others think it is not important.”
Suu Kyi reportedly told her NLD colleagues to move forward without her, said the source. Sometimes she can lead the party; sometimes she will follow others’ leadership within the party, he said.
She suggested that sometimes the party needs to push and sometime it needs to pull, and if it is necessary, everyone needs to give up everything, he said.
He said she asked authorities to allow NLD deputy leader Tin Oo to participate in the meeting on Wednesday, but the authorities rejected the proposal.
Big Rise in Number of Burma’s Political Prisoners
Shah Paung
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org
January 31, 2008
The number of political prisoners behind bars in Burma increased last year to at least 1,864, according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).
A statement issued on Thursday said the figure—an increase of 706 over the 2006 total—did not include all those arrested during and after the September demonstrations.
The AAPP drew particular attention to the regime’s practice of arresting relative of wanted political activists as a way of forcing them to give themselves up.
Five such cases, involving eight relatives of wanted activists, were documented by the AAPP.
The arrested relatives were identified as: the mother and mother-in-law of Thet Thet Aung; the wife of Nyein Thit, a poet and former political prisoner; Thein Aye, a friend of Di Nyein Lin, leader of the All Burma Federation of Student’s Union; Peter and Nu Nu Swe, parents of Si Thu Maung; and the father and brother of U Gambira, a leader of the All Burma Monks Alliance.
Nyein Thit’s wife Khin Marlar and U Gambira’s father, Min Lwin, had subsequently been released.
The AAPP charged that the political prisoners were not getting enough food or fresh drinking water. They were not being provided with bedding and blankets and were being kept in overcrowded and poorly ventilated facilities.
“Detainees were tortured by being forced to lie face down on the ground while answering questions,” the AAPP said. “In one case, two detainees were made to slap each other’s face repeatedly both as a means of humiliation and torture.”
Medical care was also being denied, claimed the AAPP—saying it had documented the deaths of at least 30 prisoners in Taungoo prison alone. “Many died as a result of tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS acquired in the prison.”
AAPP said four political prisoners were currently in solitary confinement in Insein Prison. Their families reported that they had been condemned to solitary confinement after a request for proper medical care had been sent to junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe, the BBC Burmese Service reported.
Border opening a one-sided love affair
Shan Herald Agency for NewsJanuary 31, 2008
Hundreds of Thai entrepreneurs who turned up at the opening ceremony of the Kiu Phawok border pass between Chiangmai and Burma’s Mongton this morning amid the unexpected downpour were disappointed when the other side of the border remained empty of humanity.
“It (the opening) is good for the people on both sides of the border,” one distressed trader told S.H.A.N. “Why should the Burmese leaders want to keep us apart if they are working for the good of their people?”
People in Mongton have also expressed their wish to reopen the Kiu Phawok border, also known as BP-1 (Boundary Post #1), closed since 2002 following confrontations between the two countries’ armies over the issue of drug influx from Burma, according to SHAN sources on the border.
Thailand presented its proposal to reopen the border pass at the Township Border Committee (TBC) meeting in November. Burma so far has yet to respond to it.
Thai business sector had reportedly consulted Col Yawdserk, leader of the anti-junta Shan State Army (SSA) South, of the likelihood of increased drug flow due to the reopening. “I told them the drug trade doesn’t have to depend on official border passes for its mobility,” said the 50-year old SSA chief. “You don’t seem to be concerned about the existing border checkpoints. So why should you worry about an additional one. I say open as many as you like. It is good for the people.”
Thailand and Burma have 4 permanent border checkpoints:
* Maesai-Tachilek
* Maesod-Myawaddy
* Three Pagodas
* Ranong-Kawsawng (Kawthaung)
Pimsorn Thuamsri, Chairwoman of the Muangna Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO), Chiangdao district, Chaingmai Province, who presided over the opening ceremony, said, “When the border is closed, both the Thai and Burmese governments lose, because people and goods are still crossing the border through unofficial routes, but there is no revenue to help develop the border areas. We hope the Burmese government will act in the best interests of the people on both sides and reciprocate our goodwill soon.”
The Kiu Phawok border pass, before 2002, was opened three days a week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Main imports from Burma were beans, sesame, cattle and timber while Thailand exported fuel oil and processed foodstuffs, according to a TAO official.
Activists to celebrate ‘bad day’ of Junta leader
Kwarn Lake (Tel:++6683 9474191)
Shan Herald Agency for News
January 31, 2008
The 75th birthday of Burma Senior General Than Shwe will fall on the 2nd February 2008 and the celebration is being organized by Lanna Action for Burma (LAB) on the 1st of February, 2008 to wish him an ‘Un-happy Bad Day’, from 10:30 to 11:30 at Chiang Mai University’s Social Science Building 4.
“Today, thousands of Burma supporters all over the world are holding events against Than Shwe” and this event is “to make sure Than Shwe has an Unhappy Bad Day, rather than a Happy Birthday”, wrote the leaflet released by LAB.
LAB encourages supporters to sing “Unhappy Bad Day”, sign petition to ask Thai government to withdraw Thai support for Than Shwe, send Bad Day wishes to Than Shwe and support democracy in Burma.
A previous campaign event organized by LAB last year was in December named “Panty Power Campaign” where participants were urged to throw women panties or send them to their nearest Burmese embassies around the world. It is believed that Burma’s generals hold a superstitious belief that their power can be removed through contact with articles used by women below the navel.
Shan Herald Agency for News
January 31, 2008
The 75th birthday of Burma Senior General Than Shwe will fall on the 2nd February 2008 and the celebration is being organized by Lanna Action for Burma (LAB) on the 1st of February, 2008 to wish him an ‘Un-happy Bad Day’, from 10:30 to 11:30 at Chiang Mai University’s Social Science Building 4.
“Today, thousands of Burma supporters all over the world are holding events against Than Shwe” and this event is “to make sure Than Shwe has an Unhappy Bad Day, rather than a Happy Birthday”, wrote the leaflet released by LAB.
LAB encourages supporters to sing “Unhappy Bad Day”, sign petition to ask Thai government to withdraw Thai support for Than Shwe, send Bad Day wishes to Than Shwe and support democracy in Burma.
A previous campaign event organized by LAB last year was in December named “Panty Power Campaign” where participants were urged to throw women panties or send them to their nearest Burmese embassies around the world. It is believed that Burma’s generals hold a superstitious belief that their power can be removed through contact with articles used by women below the navel.
Thailand: Jakarta Could Play A Key Role In Burma Crisis
SUPALAK G KHUNDEE
The Nation/ ANN - Mysinchew
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK, THAILAND: The respected think-tank International Crisis Group (ICG) has suggested Indonesia would be ideal to host a multi-level approach to resolve the problem of Burma.
In a report, the group suggested a forum similar to that for Cambodia in the late 1980s.
It would employ a multi-level approach to end the political deadlock in the military-ruled country.
Entitled "Burma/Myanmar: After the Crackdown", the Brussels-based group's report examined the implications of mass protests in September last year, the brutal crackdown and proposals to resolve the crisis.
While the military remains in firm charge, last year's events emphasised the depth of the political and economic problems.
Even the regime's allies recognised the need to take a new course, the report said.
"Burma's neighbours, especially China and members of Asean, need to seize the moment", said John Virgoe, Crisis Group's South East Asia project director.
"Regional multi-party talks - coordinated with the UN Secretary-General's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community - hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform", he said.
"Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 and 1989," said Crisis Group president Gareth
Evans, who as Australian foreign minister was closely involved in that process.
All international players with some ability to influence the situation need to become actively involved in working for change, including the emergence of a broader, more inclusive, better organised political society, it said.
At the core, UN special envoy Gambari plays a vital role promoting dialogue and coordinating unprecedented international efforts, the ICG's report suggested.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should strengthen his office by becoming directly involved in key negotiations with the Burmese authorities, including through a personal visit to the capital of Naypyidaw in the near future, the report said.
Others also have important roles. A working group of China and key Asean members - possibly Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam - should draw on their close ties to engage Rangoon in talks about issues affecting regional stability and development.
However, role of countries in the region is very limited as Burma, at the Asean summit in Singapore last November, suggested the group should not to intervene in its domestic affairs, reserving its right to work only with the UN to solve the problem.
Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said after a meeting with the European Union's special envoy on Burma Piero Fassino on Tuesday (29 Jan) that Burma did not wish Asean to get involved in its problems.
On a tour of Asia, Fassino is seeking cooperation to help Gambari, who is in India, to achieve a "genuine" political dialogue among all conflicting parties in Burma.
The Nation/ ANN - Mysinchew
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK, THAILAND: The respected think-tank International Crisis Group (ICG) has suggested Indonesia would be ideal to host a multi-level approach to resolve the problem of Burma.
In a report, the group suggested a forum similar to that for Cambodia in the late 1980s.
It would employ a multi-level approach to end the political deadlock in the military-ruled country.
Entitled "Burma/Myanmar: After the Crackdown", the Brussels-based group's report examined the implications of mass protests in September last year, the brutal crackdown and proposals to resolve the crisis.
While the military remains in firm charge, last year's events emphasised the depth of the political and economic problems.
Even the regime's allies recognised the need to take a new course, the report said.
"Burma's neighbours, especially China and members of Asean, need to seize the moment", said John Virgoe, Crisis Group's South East Asia project director.
"Regional multi-party talks - coordinated with the UN Secretary-General's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community - hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform", he said.
"Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 and 1989," said Crisis Group president Gareth
Evans, who as Australian foreign minister was closely involved in that process.
All international players with some ability to influence the situation need to become actively involved in working for change, including the emergence of a broader, more inclusive, better organised political society, it said.
At the core, UN special envoy Gambari plays a vital role promoting dialogue and coordinating unprecedented international efforts, the ICG's report suggested.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should strengthen his office by becoming directly involved in key negotiations with the Burmese authorities, including through a personal visit to the capital of Naypyidaw in the near future, the report said.
Others also have important roles. A working group of China and key Asean members - possibly Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam - should draw on their close ties to engage Rangoon in talks about issues affecting regional stability and development.
However, role of countries in the region is very limited as Burma, at the Asean summit in Singapore last November, suggested the group should not to intervene in its domestic affairs, reserving its right to work only with the UN to solve the problem.
Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said after a meeting with the European Union's special envoy on Burma Piero Fassino on Tuesday (29 Jan) that Burma did not wish Asean to get involved in its problems.
On a tour of Asia, Fassino is seeking cooperation to help Gambari, who is in India, to achieve a "genuine" political dialogue among all conflicting parties in Burma.
Burma/Myanmar: After the Crackdown
International Crisis Group
January 31, 2008
Yangon/Jakarta/Brussels, 31 January 2008: A three-level approach, drawing on the respective strengths of the UN, the country’s neighbours and the wider international community, is needed to promote change in Burma/Myanmar.
Burma/Myanmar: After the Crackdown,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the implications of the mass protests in September 2007 and their violent crushing, and proposes an approach to resolve the crisis. While the military remains in firm charge, last year’s events emphasised the depth of the political and economic problems. Even regime allies recognise a new course is desperately needed.
“Myanmar’s neighbours, especially China and members of ASEAN, need to seize the moment”, says John Virgoe, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director. “Regional multi-party talks – coordinated with the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community – hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform”.
“Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings (JIM) which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 and 1989”, says Crisis Group President Gareth Evans (who as then Australian Foreign Minister was closely involved in that process).
While new opportunities for change exist, there are profound structural obstacles. The balance of power is still heavily weighted in favour of the army, whose top leaders insist that only a strongly centralised, military-led state can hold the country together. Myanmar faces immense challenges, too, in overcoming the debilitating legacy of decades of conflict, poverty and institutional failure, which fuelled the recent crisis and could well overwhelm any future government.
All international actors with some ability to influence the situation need to become actively involved in working for change, including the emergence of a broader, more inclusive, better organised political society. At the core, Special Envoy Gambari plays a vital role promoting dialogue and coordinating unprecedented international efforts. He deserves strong, consistent international backing, including from Ban Ki-moon personally, whose direct involvement in talks would be a powerful signal.
Others also have important roles. A working group of China and key ASEAN members – possibly Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – should draw on close ties to engage the government in talks about issues affecting regional stability and development.
In parallel, a support group from the wider international community, including the U.S., EU member states, Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and others, must keep human rights issues at the top of the agenda. More effective sanctions targeting regime leaders are needed, coupled with positive incentives for reform. So, too, is assistance for saving lives and strengthening the future basis for successful transition to peace, democracy and an effective economy.
Contacts:
Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1601
To contact Crisis Group media please click here
*Read the full Crisis Group report on our website: http://www.crisisgroup.org
January 31, 2008
Yangon/Jakarta/Brussels, 31 January 2008: A three-level approach, drawing on the respective strengths of the UN, the country’s neighbours and the wider international community, is needed to promote change in Burma/Myanmar.
Burma/Myanmar: After the Crackdown,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the implications of the mass protests in September 2007 and their violent crushing, and proposes an approach to resolve the crisis. While the military remains in firm charge, last year’s events emphasised the depth of the political and economic problems. Even regime allies recognise a new course is desperately needed.
“Myanmar’s neighbours, especially China and members of ASEAN, need to seize the moment”, says John Virgoe, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director. “Regional multi-party talks – coordinated with the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community – hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform”.
“Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings (JIM) which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 and 1989”, says Crisis Group President Gareth Evans (who as then Australian Foreign Minister was closely involved in that process).
While new opportunities for change exist, there are profound structural obstacles. The balance of power is still heavily weighted in favour of the army, whose top leaders insist that only a strongly centralised, military-led state can hold the country together. Myanmar faces immense challenges, too, in overcoming the debilitating legacy of decades of conflict, poverty and institutional failure, which fuelled the recent crisis and could well overwhelm any future government.
All international actors with some ability to influence the situation need to become actively involved in working for change, including the emergence of a broader, more inclusive, better organised political society. At the core, Special Envoy Gambari plays a vital role promoting dialogue and coordinating unprecedented international efforts. He deserves strong, consistent international backing, including from Ban Ki-moon personally, whose direct involvement in talks would be a powerful signal.
Others also have important roles. A working group of China and key ASEAN members – possibly Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – should draw on close ties to engage the government in talks about issues affecting regional stability and development.
In parallel, a support group from the wider international community, including the U.S., EU member states, Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and others, must keep human rights issues at the top of the agenda. More effective sanctions targeting regime leaders are needed, coupled with positive incentives for reform. So, too, is assistance for saving lives and strengthening the future basis for successful transition to peace, democracy and an effective economy.
Contacts:
Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1601
To contact Crisis Group media please click here
*Read the full Crisis Group report on our website: http://www.crisisgroup.org
B'desh imports 180,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar
Reuters
January 31, 2008
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Bangladesh rice traders said on Thursday they had started importing 180,000 tonnes of white rice from neighbouring Myanmar.
Some 30,000 tonnes of rice has already been shipped to Chittagong port and the rest will reach the country by early March, they said.
"The prices for the intended rice are between $360 and $390 a tonne, and we think it is cheaper compared to other spots for rice," Omar Azam, general secretary of the Chittagong-based Bangladesh Rice Traders and Importers Association told Reuters.
The Bangladeshi government and private traders started importing rice after crop losses caused by flooding last year.
Food ministry officials have said they would import one million tonnes of rice. They said a contract for about 500,000 tonnes had been awarded and rice had started to reach Bangladesh ports.
The food and disaster management ministry is also negotiating to import some 500,000 tonnes of rice from India under state to state deals.
Cyclone Sidr, which struck Bangladesh's coastline on Nov. 15 last year, and two spells of flooding in July-September destroyed nearly 2.0 million tonnes of rice in the fields, according to official estimates.
January 31, 2008
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Bangladesh rice traders said on Thursday they had started importing 180,000 tonnes of white rice from neighbouring Myanmar.
Some 30,000 tonnes of rice has already been shipped to Chittagong port and the rest will reach the country by early March, they said.
"The prices for the intended rice are between $360 and $390 a tonne, and we think it is cheaper compared to other spots for rice," Omar Azam, general secretary of the Chittagong-based Bangladesh Rice Traders and Importers Association told Reuters.
The Bangladeshi government and private traders started importing rice after crop losses caused by flooding last year.
Food ministry officials have said they would import one million tonnes of rice. They said a contract for about 500,000 tonnes had been awarded and rice had started to reach Bangladesh ports.
The food and disaster management ministry is also negotiating to import some 500,000 tonnes of rice from India under state to state deals.
Cyclone Sidr, which struck Bangladesh's coastline on Nov. 15 last year, and two spells of flooding in July-September destroyed nearly 2.0 million tonnes of rice in the fields, according to official estimates.
Myanmar resources offer few riches
Myanmar resources offer few riches By an Al Jazeera correspondent in Ramree
western Myanmar
January 31, 2008
The island of Ramree lies off the undeveloped west coast of Myanmar. It is a place rich in natural beauty, but an even more valuable resource lies just off shore.
The area is the site of South-East Asia's largest gas deposits, believed to be worth as much as $52bn.
Myanmar's military rulers have dubbed the deposit "Shwe gas", or the golden gas.
But for those who live in the area, the golden gas has quickly lost its lustre.
Locals living on the nearby island of Maday say they have seen the land sold from underneath them to a Chinese gas development project.
The government, looking to boost its foreign currency reserves, has told residents they will be relocated within two years without compensation.While the gas goes abroad and profit goes to the military, locals live without electricity for all but two hours a day.
"When the government tells us to relocate from our villages, we will have to do it," one local activist told Al Jazeera.
"Locals are passive and they don't take any interest in what's going on. Some educated people are interested but most of the people in our state are not educated, so they don't discuss it. Even when the people do discuss it, they are scared."
The gas will help power China's development.
A 1,400-km pipeline will connect the village of Kyaukphu to the booming city of Kunming in southwest China.
Next to the gas, a second pipeline will carry oil to China.
The oil – from the Middle East and Africa – will arrive in Myanmar at a new deep water port on the island.
Nobody from the town is allowed to visit the site of the new harbour, next to a nearby naval base.In addition to the rich gas deposits, the region also has its own source of oil at a site known as Yenang Taung, or the oil mountain.
Tight security stopped us from filming there, but local activists managed to smuggle out some pictures.
Locals pay $1,200 for the right to drill for oil, but that does not mean they will be able to profit from any discovery.
One local activist told Al Jazeera the government could move in at any moment and arrest those who are extracting oil.
With its rich natural resources the region around Ramree island will soon be providing power and energy for millions of Chinese.
The revenue generated will help prop up Myanmar’s repressive military government.
But the ordinary residents here will see little benefit.
In this oil and gas-rich area, once the sun goes down and the region's resources are piped across the border to China, the locals will once again be left in the dark.
Myanmar monks remain defiant
By an Al Jazeera correspondent in Sittwe
northwestern Myanmar
January 31, 2008
The crackdown by Myanmar's military rulers has left few monks in the monasteries of Sittwe
Last August it was in this coastal city in the northwest of Myanmar that the monks led the first protests against the military government.
The protests quickly spread to across the country and to Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, before the military turned its guns on the demonstrators.
Now those who took part in last year’s anti-government protests are scattered and on the run.
But despite the crackdown, the dissident monks are preparing for another showdown.
At a secret location Al Jazeera met the 24-year-old monk who organised the first protest.
"There will be another demonstration," he says. "Monks became men after the demonstration and they are angry and depressed after the arrests."
He says the monks hopes had been buoyed by the international attention last year's protests received and he is ready to spread the word again once the protests resume.
"I had a small generator in my village and I sold it to buy a second-hand camera," he told Al Jazeera. "If the chance comes again, I can record what happens."
"Eventually, our own people will have to decide our own future"
For now though, he is in hiding. When he went to his village after the protests were crushed by the military the local authorities already had his picture and an arrest warrant.
His friends who tried to escape across the border to Bangladesh were arrested on the way.
Footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows some of those arrested being paraded in front senior clergy who support the government.
Activists allege some prisoners were abused and where they are now remains unclear.
"Those who were arrested were tortured in prison," one activist told Al Jazeera.
"Political prisoners are beaten and killed, and we heard that even though they provided rice it was mixed with lead. It’s a kind of torture, isn’t it?"
Hundreds of protesters have been rounded up and tortured, activists say. Other dissident leaders believe that the monks' actions last year have already weakened the government.
As a result a loose alliance has developed between different groups opposed to the military regime - among them, members of the student-led uprising in 1988 when Myanmar was known by its former name, Burma.
Al Jazeera met the acting leader of the "88 Generation" group of activists, known by his code name Phoenix.
"The problem here is not that the government are strong but that we the opposition are not strong enough," he says.
"Eventually, our own people will have to decide our own future. There will be time when all people, all the citizens of Burma, will stand up and say something against the government. There will be time, I believe."
Informers
The challenges confronting Phoenix and his colleagues are enormous.
There are different types of surveillance – government informers in every street and people fear that the walls have ears.
Even inside their families, people cannot talk aloud because of the fear of informers, members of the government militia and other forms of surveillance.
On the surface life seems normal, but you can feel the constant fear everywhere.
Many people that Al Jazeera spoke to seemed deeply depressed by the brutal suppression of what has been called "the saffron revolution".
Now Myanmar's democrats must rebuild and start again.
northwestern Myanmar
January 31, 2008
The crackdown by Myanmar's military rulers has left few monks in the monasteries of Sittwe
Last August it was in this coastal city in the northwest of Myanmar that the monks led the first protests against the military government.
The protests quickly spread to across the country and to Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, before the military turned its guns on the demonstrators.
Now those who took part in last year’s anti-government protests are scattered and on the run.
But despite the crackdown, the dissident monks are preparing for another showdown.
At a secret location Al Jazeera met the 24-year-old monk who organised the first protest.
"There will be another demonstration," he says. "Monks became men after the demonstration and they are angry and depressed after the arrests."
He says the monks hopes had been buoyed by the international attention last year's protests received and he is ready to spread the word again once the protests resume.
"I had a small generator in my village and I sold it to buy a second-hand camera," he told Al Jazeera. "If the chance comes again, I can record what happens."
"Eventually, our own people will have to decide our own future"
For now though, he is in hiding. When he went to his village after the protests were crushed by the military the local authorities already had his picture and an arrest warrant.
His friends who tried to escape across the border to Bangladesh were arrested on the way.
Footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows some of those arrested being paraded in front senior clergy who support the government.
Activists allege some prisoners were abused and where they are now remains unclear.
"Those who were arrested were tortured in prison," one activist told Al Jazeera.
"Political prisoners are beaten and killed, and we heard that even though they provided rice it was mixed with lead. It’s a kind of torture, isn’t it?"
Hundreds of protesters have been rounded up and tortured, activists say. Other dissident leaders believe that the monks' actions last year have already weakened the government.
As a result a loose alliance has developed between different groups opposed to the military regime - among them, members of the student-led uprising in 1988 when Myanmar was known by its former name, Burma.
Al Jazeera met the acting leader of the "88 Generation" group of activists, known by his code name Phoenix.
"The problem here is not that the government are strong but that we the opposition are not strong enough," he says.
"Eventually, our own people will have to decide our own future. There will be time when all people, all the citizens of Burma, will stand up and say something against the government. There will be time, I believe."
Informers
The challenges confronting Phoenix and his colleagues are enormous.
There are different types of surveillance – government informers in every street and people fear that the walls have ears.
Even inside their families, people cannot talk aloud because of the fear of informers, members of the government militia and other forms of surveillance.
On the surface life seems normal, but you can feel the constant fear everywhere.
Many people that Al Jazeera spoke to seemed deeply depressed by the brutal suppression of what has been called "the saffron revolution".
Now Myanmar's democrats must rebuild and start again.
Think tank urges Indonesian initiative on Myanmar
Monsters & Critics
January 31, 2008
Bangkok - Indonesia should take a lead in hosting a regional meeting on Myanmar's political crisis, similar to the role in played in kick-starting the Cambodia peace-process in 1988, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group urged Thursday.
'Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings (JIM) which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 to 1989,' said ICG president Gareth Evans, in the think tank's latest report on Myanmar titled Burma/Myanmar: After the Crisis.
The report, a copy of which was made available in Bangkok, urges Asian governments to push for multi-party talks on how to solve Myanmar's political impasse in the wake of the ruling junta's brutal crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks in September 2007, that left at least 31 people dead and outraged the international community.
The proposal was immediately welcomed by longtime Myanmar watchers.
'I think it's a good idea, because Indonesia is one of the members of the United Nations Security Council at the moment and is also the most suitable in ASEAN to lead the process,' said Win Min, a lecturer on Myanmar affairs at Chiang Mai University.
Win Min noted that Indonesia is now led by President Susilo Bambang Yodoyono, a former army general who has a better chance of dealing with Myanmar's junta.
Myanmar's military supremo Senior General Than Shwe last year tentatively agreed to start a political dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but the process has proven typically slow and reflective of the junta's resistance to any threat to their stranglehold on power, which they have held in Myanmar, also called Burma, since 1962.
Suu Kyi in a rare meeting with her National League for Democracy (NLD) party leaders on Thursday expressed her pessimism with the dialogue process, advising her people 'to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.'
The international community, led by United Nations special envoy for Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari, backed by European Union special envoy Piero Fussino, have been stepping up pressure on Asian governments to hasten and broaden the dialogue process.
ICG has now also called on Asia to take the initiative.
'Myanmar's neighbours, especially China and members of ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations), need to seize the moment,' said John Virgoe, ICG's South East Asia Project Director.
'Regional multi-party talks, coordinated with the UN Secretary General's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community, hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform,' said Virgoe.
Of course, it would ultimately be up to Myanmar's ruling generals to agree to such a process, but observers opined that the time was ripe to pressure them.
'They won't like it, but if ASEAN takes an initiative then China and India may follow,' said Win Min.
Thailand pushed for similar regional talks on Myanmar, dubbed the Bangkok Process, in 2004 when the country was still under the premiership of Thaksin Shinawatra.
'Thaksin did not coordinate well with China, India and the other ASEAN members so it was a failure, but the region might be more open to such a process now,' said Win Min.
January 31, 2008
Bangkok - Indonesia should take a lead in hosting a regional meeting on Myanmar's political crisis, similar to the role in played in kick-starting the Cambodia peace-process in 1988, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group urged Thursday.
'Indonesia could play a particularly important role, perhaps by hosting a regional meeting along the lines of the Jakarta Informal Meetings (JIM) which kick-started the Cambodia peace process in 1988 to 1989,' said ICG president Gareth Evans, in the think tank's latest report on Myanmar titled Burma/Myanmar: After the Crisis.
The report, a copy of which was made available in Bangkok, urges Asian governments to push for multi-party talks on how to solve Myanmar's political impasse in the wake of the ruling junta's brutal crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks in September 2007, that left at least 31 people dead and outraged the international community.
The proposal was immediately welcomed by longtime Myanmar watchers.
'I think it's a good idea, because Indonesia is one of the members of the United Nations Security Council at the moment and is also the most suitable in ASEAN to lead the process,' said Win Min, a lecturer on Myanmar affairs at Chiang Mai University.
Win Min noted that Indonesia is now led by President Susilo Bambang Yodoyono, a former army general who has a better chance of dealing with Myanmar's junta.
Myanmar's military supremo Senior General Than Shwe last year tentatively agreed to start a political dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but the process has proven typically slow and reflective of the junta's resistance to any threat to their stranglehold on power, which they have held in Myanmar, also called Burma, since 1962.
Suu Kyi in a rare meeting with her National League for Democracy (NLD) party leaders on Thursday expressed her pessimism with the dialogue process, advising her people 'to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.'
The international community, led by United Nations special envoy for Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari, backed by European Union special envoy Piero Fussino, have been stepping up pressure on Asian governments to hasten and broaden the dialogue process.
ICG has now also called on Asia to take the initiative.
'Myanmar's neighbours, especially China and members of ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations), need to seize the moment,' said John Virgoe, ICG's South East Asia Project Director.
'Regional multi-party talks, coordinated with the UN Secretary General's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, and backed by the wider international community, hold out the best hope for launching a meaningful process of national reconciliation and broader reform,' said Virgoe.
Of course, it would ultimately be up to Myanmar's ruling generals to agree to such a process, but observers opined that the time was ripe to pressure them.
'They won't like it, but if ASEAN takes an initiative then China and India may follow,' said Win Min.
Thailand pushed for similar regional talks on Myanmar, dubbed the Bangkok Process, in 2004 when the country was still under the premiership of Thaksin Shinawatra.
'Thaksin did not coordinate well with China, India and the other ASEAN members so it was a failure, but the region might be more open to such a process now,' said Win Min.
Myanmar junta steps up policing of Internet, arrests blogger
The Star
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP): Myanmar's junta has stepped up surveillance of the Internet, arresting one blogger who wrote about the stifling of free expression in the military-ruled nation, a media advocacy group says.
The blogger, Nay Myo Latt, was taken into custody in Yangon on Wednesday after writing about the suppression of freedoms following last fall's crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations, Reporters Without Borders said.
Nay Myo Latt, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, owns three Internet cafes, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a release seen Thursday.
Myanmar authorities, the release said, have stepped up their surveillance of the Internet since the beginning of the month, pressuring Internet cafe owners to register personal details of all users and to program screen captures every five minutes on each computer.
This data is apparently sent to the Ministry of Communications, it said.
The only blog platform that had been accessible within Myanmar, the Google-owned Blogger, has been blocked by the regime since Jan. 23, preventing bloggers from posting entries unless they use proxies or other ways to get around censorship, the group said.
"This blockage is one of the ways used by the government to reduce Burmese citizens to silence. Burma is in danger of being cut off from the rest of the world again,'' the statement said.
Despite international condemnation and pressure following the demonstrations, there is little evidence that the junta is easing its repressive rule or moving closer to reconciliation with pro-democracy forces led by Suu Kyi.
The democracy icon, who remains under house arrest, Wednesday warned the public to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst'' in her country.
Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with executives of her National League for Democracy party, who afterward voiced her unhappiness that there is no deadline for talks to bring about democratic reform.
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP): Myanmar's junta has stepped up surveillance of the Internet, arresting one blogger who wrote about the stifling of free expression in the military-ruled nation, a media advocacy group says.
The blogger, Nay Myo Latt, was taken into custody in Yangon on Wednesday after writing about the suppression of freedoms following last fall's crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations, Reporters Without Borders said.
Nay Myo Latt, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, owns three Internet cafes, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a release seen Thursday.
Myanmar authorities, the release said, have stepped up their surveillance of the Internet since the beginning of the month, pressuring Internet cafe owners to register personal details of all users and to program screen captures every five minutes on each computer.
This data is apparently sent to the Ministry of Communications, it said.
The only blog platform that had been accessible within Myanmar, the Google-owned Blogger, has been blocked by the regime since Jan. 23, preventing bloggers from posting entries unless they use proxies or other ways to get around censorship, the group said.
"This blockage is one of the ways used by the government to reduce Burmese citizens to silence. Burma is in danger of being cut off from the rest of the world again,'' the statement said.
Despite international condemnation and pressure following the demonstrations, there is little evidence that the junta is easing its repressive rule or moving closer to reconciliation with pro-democracy forces led by Suu Kyi.
The democracy icon, who remains under house arrest, Wednesday warned the public to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst'' in her country.
Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with executives of her National League for Democracy party, who afterward voiced her unhappiness that there is no deadline for talks to bring about democratic reform.
UN chief should visit Myanmar to push for diplomacy: think tank
The Straits Times
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK - UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon should pay a personal visit to Myanmar to jumpstart a coordinated diplomatic effort to push the ruling junta to reform, a leading think tank said on Thursday.
That effort should include more sanctions targeted at junta leaders, including a universal arms embargo on Myanmar, but also economic incentives to encourage the military to loosen its controls, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report.
The military's deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September 'has shaken up the political status quo,' the report said.
'The international community has been mobilised to an unprecedented extent, and there are indications that divergences of view have grown within the military,' it added.
The report urged Mr Ban to become 'directly involved in key negotiations with the Myanmar authorities, including through a personal visit to (the capital) Naypyidaw in the near future.' Buddhist monks led mass protests against the regime in September in the biggest challenge to military rule in nearly two decades.
The military opened fire on the crowds to break up the demonstrations. The United Nations estimates that at least 31 were killed and 74 remain missing.
The UN chief has appointed a special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, to lead efforts at opening a dialogue between the military and the pro-democracy opposition led by detained Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Dr Gambari has paid two visits to the country, but when he asked to return this month, the military put him off until April.
The ICG said that Dr Gambari should continue to lead the international diplomatic effort, bolstered by a visit by Mr Ban to the remote capital of Naypyidaw.
Neighbouring countries, including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, should support his efforts by engaging directly with the generals on issues of regional stability and development, the report said.
Western countries should also help by keeping the spotlight on human rights issues, boosting humanitarian aid, and imposing sanctions on the regime leaders while offering incentives to reform.
Among the sanctions would be refusing access to overseas schools and hospitals for the junta and their family members, blocking access to banking services, and a universal arms embargo, it said.
The military has made some efforts at starting a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, naming a liaison officer to hold talks with her.
But during a rare meeting with her party's leadership on Wednesday, she said that she was not satisfied with the talks, which have produced few results after three months, according to a spokesman. -- AFP
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK - UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon should pay a personal visit to Myanmar to jumpstart a coordinated diplomatic effort to push the ruling junta to reform, a leading think tank said on Thursday.
That effort should include more sanctions targeted at junta leaders, including a universal arms embargo on Myanmar, but also economic incentives to encourage the military to loosen its controls, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report.
The military's deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September 'has shaken up the political status quo,' the report said.
'The international community has been mobilised to an unprecedented extent, and there are indications that divergences of view have grown within the military,' it added.
The report urged Mr Ban to become 'directly involved in key negotiations with the Myanmar authorities, including through a personal visit to (the capital) Naypyidaw in the near future.' Buddhist monks led mass protests against the regime in September in the biggest challenge to military rule in nearly two decades.
The military opened fire on the crowds to break up the demonstrations. The United Nations estimates that at least 31 were killed and 74 remain missing.
The UN chief has appointed a special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, to lead efforts at opening a dialogue between the military and the pro-democracy opposition led by detained Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Dr Gambari has paid two visits to the country, but when he asked to return this month, the military put him off until April.
The ICG said that Dr Gambari should continue to lead the international diplomatic effort, bolstered by a visit by Mr Ban to the remote capital of Naypyidaw.
Neighbouring countries, including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, should support his efforts by engaging directly with the generals on issues of regional stability and development, the report said.
Western countries should also help by keeping the spotlight on human rights issues, boosting humanitarian aid, and imposing sanctions on the regime leaders while offering incentives to reform.
Among the sanctions would be refusing access to overseas schools and hospitals for the junta and their family members, blocking access to banking services, and a universal arms embargo, it said.
The military has made some efforts at starting a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, naming a liaison officer to hold talks with her.
But during a rare meeting with her party's leadership on Wednesday, she said that she was not satisfied with the talks, which have produced few results after three months, according to a spokesman. -- AFP
Junta makes white colour ID cards for Sumprabum residents
Kachin News Group
January 31, 2008
The Burmese military junta has made white colour identity cards (ID) for the residents in Sumprabum town in Putao district in Kachin State, northern Burma in November last year. The move comes in the wake of negotiations with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a source said.
The idea behind making the ID cards was that residents in Sumprabum, which is in the KIO controlled area could not travel freely in the state as they used to earlier and the KIO told the military regime to make ID cards for them, said a resident.
The junta made the ID cards within 10 days from November 1 to 10 and promised to give them after two months. ID cards were made for residents of ages between 10 years and 80 and the cost of each ID card is 2,000 Kyat (about US $ 2), a resident added.
The regime first asked the residents to get the common national ID card (red color) done at a cost of 60,000 Kyat (US $ 48). The residents could not afford to pay that kind of money so the junta authorities finally agreed to make white colour ID cards for them, a resident said.
January 31, 2008
The Burmese military junta has made white colour identity cards (ID) for the residents in Sumprabum town in Putao district in Kachin State, northern Burma in November last year. The move comes in the wake of negotiations with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a source said.
The idea behind making the ID cards was that residents in Sumprabum, which is in the KIO controlled area could not travel freely in the state as they used to earlier and the KIO told the military regime to make ID cards for them, said a resident.
The junta made the ID cards within 10 days from November 1 to 10 and promised to give them after two months. ID cards were made for residents of ages between 10 years and 80 and the cost of each ID card is 2,000 Kyat (about US $ 2), a resident added.
The regime first asked the residents to get the common national ID card (red color) done at a cost of 60,000 Kyat (US $ 48). The residents could not afford to pay that kind of money so the junta authorities finally agreed to make white colour ID cards for them, a resident said.
Analysts dimiss Myanmar talks with Suu Kyi as a sham
ဲThe Straits Times
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK - MILITARY-RUN Myanmar's latest round of talks with detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi were a sham aimed only at easing global pressure on the regime, analysts said on Thursday.
The 62-year-old Nobel peace prize winner said on Wednesday that she was 'not satisfied' with the talks, following her fifth meeting with a junta official since October.
The military appointed Labour Minister Aung Kyi to be a liaison officer to coordinate contacts with Aung San Suu Kyi following the bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests in Yangon in September.
So far the talks have yielded no concrete results.
Analysts said Senior General Than Shwe, the junta's leader, never had any desire for serious dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, arguing that the talks were only set up to skirt global pressure after the September bloodshed.
'Than Shwe hates Aung San Suu Kyi and he hates what she represents,' said Mr Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based Myanmar analyst.
'The talks were meaningless and going nowhere, and this is exactly what the military wants. The government was talking to Aung San Suu Kyi only to show its gesture of goodwill to the international community.'
That was also the assessment of Sean Turnell, a Myanmar expert at Sydney's Macquarie University.
'The regime was only interested in talks with Aung San Suu Kyi only because of the events in September last year,' Mr Turnell said.
The protests, triggered by a sudden price in basic fuel prices, escalated into the biggest threat to the regime in nearly 20 years after Buddhist monks appeared at the head of the rallies, galvanising support.
But the security forces struck back in a crackdown which left at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, according to the United Nations.
'By holding talks, the regime was hoping to fend off criticism coming from overseas,' Mr Turnell said.
Even after the crackdown, the military has continued to tighten the screws on political dissidents, arresting a popular blogger, intensifying pressure on the media, and bringing charges against 10 prominent protest leaders.
Amnesty International said last week that at least 700 people arrested in connection with the September protests remain behind bars, adding that Myanmar was already holding 1,150 political prisoners before the demonstrations.
Mr Yoshihiro Nakanishi, a Myanmar specialist at Japan's Kyoto University, said the appointment of Mr Aung Kyi alone underlined lack of serious commitment by the junta.
'Aung Kyi has no power in the government. If the regime was really serious about dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, it could have appointed a much more senior official,' said Mr Nakanishi.
'The whole purpose of talks was to ease international criticism' after the September crackdown, the Japanese academic said.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years in Yangon.
Her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won general elections in 1990, but the junta has never recognised the result.
In protest at her continued detention, the party is boycotting the junta's self-proclaimed 'road map' to democracy.
The military claims it will lead to a new constitution and eventually to free elections, but there is no timeframe for the process.
The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have dismissed the road map as a sham because the NLD is not involved.
While voicing her frustration over talks with the junta, Aung San Suu Kyi urged the public to remain patient, adding she would tell 'more when the time comes'.
The White House also called for Myanmar's military rulers to 'immediately' open a 'meaningful' dialogue with the democracy icon. -- AFP
January 31, 2008
BANGKOK - MILITARY-RUN Myanmar's latest round of talks with detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi were a sham aimed only at easing global pressure on the regime, analysts said on Thursday.
The 62-year-old Nobel peace prize winner said on Wednesday that she was 'not satisfied' with the talks, following her fifth meeting with a junta official since October.
The military appointed Labour Minister Aung Kyi to be a liaison officer to coordinate contacts with Aung San Suu Kyi following the bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests in Yangon in September.
So far the talks have yielded no concrete results.
Analysts said Senior General Than Shwe, the junta's leader, never had any desire for serious dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, arguing that the talks were only set up to skirt global pressure after the September bloodshed.
'Than Shwe hates Aung San Suu Kyi and he hates what she represents,' said Mr Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based Myanmar analyst.
'The talks were meaningless and going nowhere, and this is exactly what the military wants. The government was talking to Aung San Suu Kyi only to show its gesture of goodwill to the international community.'
That was also the assessment of Sean Turnell, a Myanmar expert at Sydney's Macquarie University.
'The regime was only interested in talks with Aung San Suu Kyi only because of the events in September last year,' Mr Turnell said.
The protests, triggered by a sudden price in basic fuel prices, escalated into the biggest threat to the regime in nearly 20 years after Buddhist monks appeared at the head of the rallies, galvanising support.
But the security forces struck back in a crackdown which left at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, according to the United Nations.
'By holding talks, the regime was hoping to fend off criticism coming from overseas,' Mr Turnell said.
Even after the crackdown, the military has continued to tighten the screws on political dissidents, arresting a popular blogger, intensifying pressure on the media, and bringing charges against 10 prominent protest leaders.
Amnesty International said last week that at least 700 people arrested in connection with the September protests remain behind bars, adding that Myanmar was already holding 1,150 political prisoners before the demonstrations.
Mr Yoshihiro Nakanishi, a Myanmar specialist at Japan's Kyoto University, said the appointment of Mr Aung Kyi alone underlined lack of serious commitment by the junta.
'Aung Kyi has no power in the government. If the regime was really serious about dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, it could have appointed a much more senior official,' said Mr Nakanishi.
'The whole purpose of talks was to ease international criticism' after the September crackdown, the Japanese academic said.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years in Yangon.
Her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won general elections in 1990, but the junta has never recognised the result.
In protest at her continued detention, the party is boycotting the junta's self-proclaimed 'road map' to democracy.
The military claims it will lead to a new constitution and eventually to free elections, but there is no timeframe for the process.
The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have dismissed the road map as a sham because the NLD is not involved.
While voicing her frustration over talks with the junta, Aung San Suu Kyi urged the public to remain patient, adding she would tell 'more when the time comes'.
The White House also called for Myanmar's military rulers to 'immediately' open a 'meaningful' dialogue with the democracy icon. -- AFP