Myanmar says to amnesty prisoners before elections
16 mins ago
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Myanmar is planning to amnesty prisoners to enable them to take part in national elections next year, at the request of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the country's U.N. envoy said on Monday.
But, addressing the U.N. Security Council, Ambassador Than Swe did not say how many prisoners would be released, or when, or whether they would include key figures like opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
During a July 3-4 visit to Myanmar, Ban pressed the ruling Myanmar junta to free all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, who is currently on trial. Rights groups say there are more than 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar.
"At the request of the Secretary-General, the Myanmar government is processing to grant amnesty to prisoners on humanitarian ground and with a view to enabling them to participate in the 2010 general elections," Than Swe said, speaking in English.
He said the Myanmar government "intends to implement all appropriate recommendations that (the) Secretary-General had proposed." But during Ban's visit the junta refused to allow him to meet Suu Kyi, saying this could influence her trial.
The Myanmar government has amnestied prisoners before. It freed 19 political detainees in February as part of a release of 6,000 prisoners after a visit by a U.N. human rights rapporteur.
Critics say next year's elections, the final part of a seven-step "road map" to democracy, will be a sham designed to give legitimacy to the current authorities and entrench nearly half a century of army rule in the former Burma.
16 mins ago
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Myanmar is planning to amnesty prisoners to enable them to take part in national elections next year, at the request of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the country's U.N. envoy said on Monday.
But, addressing the U.N. Security Council, Ambassador Than Swe did not say how many prisoners would be released, or when, or whether they would include key figures like opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
During a July 3-4 visit to Myanmar, Ban pressed the ruling Myanmar junta to free all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, who is currently on trial. Rights groups say there are more than 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar.
"At the request of the Secretary-General, the Myanmar government is processing to grant amnesty to prisoners on humanitarian ground and with a view to enabling them to participate in the 2010 general elections," Than Swe said, speaking in English.
He said the Myanmar government "intends to implement all appropriate recommendations that (the) Secretary-General had proposed." But during Ban's visit the junta refused to allow him to meet Suu Kyi, saying this could influence her trial.
The Myanmar government has amnestied prisoners before. It freed 19 political detainees in February as part of a release of 6,000 prisoners after a visit by a U.N. human rights rapporteur.
Critics say next year's elections, the final part of a seven-step "road map" to democracy, will be a sham designed to give legitimacy to the current authorities and entrench nearly half a century of army rule in the former Burma.
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Myanmar rulers must deliver on free poll pledge: UN chief
24 mins ago
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday warned Myanmar's military rulers that they must deliver on their pledge to ensure "inclusive, free and fair" elections next year.
"The (Myanmar) government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 elections inclusive, free and fair and to take the necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future," he said as he briefed the UN Security Council on his visit to Myanmar early this month.
"The choice for Myanmar's leaders in the coming days and weeks will be between meeting that responsibility in the interest of all concerned, or failing their own people and each one of you," the UN secretary general said.
"The world is now watching closely whether they will choose to act in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns and expectations and the needs of their people," he added.
Ban also described as "not only a deep disappointment but also a major lost opportunity for Myanmar" the refusal by junta head Senior General Myanmar Than Shwe to allow him to see jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces an internationally condemned trial for violating her house arrest rules, has been either jailed or under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years since the junta refused to recognize her National League for Democracy (NLD)'S victory in Myanmar's last elections, in 1990.
She faces up to five years in jail if convicted of violating her house arrest rules, after an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home in May.
She has spent 13 of the past 19 years in detention since the regime refused to recognize the NLD's landslide victory in the country's last elections, in 1990.
During his visit, Ban pressed Than Shwe to free political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for elections scheduled for 2010 to be free and fair.
24 mins ago
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday warned Myanmar's military rulers that they must deliver on their pledge to ensure "inclusive, free and fair" elections next year.
"The (Myanmar) government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 elections inclusive, free and fair and to take the necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future," he said as he briefed the UN Security Council on his visit to Myanmar early this month.
"The choice for Myanmar's leaders in the coming days and weeks will be between meeting that responsibility in the interest of all concerned, or failing their own people and each one of you," the UN secretary general said.
"The world is now watching closely whether they will choose to act in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns and expectations and the needs of their people," he added.
Ban also described as "not only a deep disappointment but also a major lost opportunity for Myanmar" the refusal by junta head Senior General Myanmar Than Shwe to allow him to see jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces an internationally condemned trial for violating her house arrest rules, has been either jailed or under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years since the junta refused to recognize her National League for Democracy (NLD)'S victory in Myanmar's last elections, in 1990.
She faces up to five years in jail if convicted of violating her house arrest rules, after an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home in May.
She has spent 13 of the past 19 years in detention since the regime refused to recognize the NLD's landslide victory in the country's last elections, in 1990.
During his visit, Ban pressed Than Shwe to free political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for elections scheduled for 2010 to be free and fair.
*****************************************************
United Press International
Burmese activist waits to hear her fate
Published: July 13, 2009 at 2:12 AM
YANGON, Myanmar, July 13 (UPI) -- Aung San Suu Kyi waits near Yangon, Myanmar, to learn whether she will serve five years in prison for violating her house arrest, Myanmar officials said.
Testimony in Suu Kyi's trial ended July 10 and a verdict is expected soon, The New York Times reported.
An American swam to Suu Kyi's compound, claiming he was rescuing her from an assassination attempt, and authorities took them both to Insein Prison, which is also where the trial is being held.
The trial has energized dissident exiles and even inspired officials in other Southeast Asian countries to criticize Myanmar's military government, but many citizens of Myanmar -- formerly known as Burma --are only vaguely aware of Suu Kyi, the newspaper said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon attempted unsuccessfully to meet with Suu Kyi on a recent visit to Myanmar, but was kept from seeing her by authorities.
At 64, she is the only living Nobel Peace Prize laureate in detention. She led anti-government protests in 1988 and spent most of the next two decades under house arrest.
Burmese activist waits to hear her fate
Published: July 13, 2009 at 2:12 AM
YANGON, Myanmar, July 13 (UPI) -- Aung San Suu Kyi waits near Yangon, Myanmar, to learn whether she will serve five years in prison for violating her house arrest, Myanmar officials said.
Testimony in Suu Kyi's trial ended July 10 and a verdict is expected soon, The New York Times reported.
An American swam to Suu Kyi's compound, claiming he was rescuing her from an assassination attempt, and authorities took them both to Insein Prison, which is also where the trial is being held.
The trial has energized dissident exiles and even inspired officials in other Southeast Asian countries to criticize Myanmar's military government, but many citizens of Myanmar -- formerly known as Burma --are only vaguely aware of Suu Kyi, the newspaper said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon attempted unsuccessfully to meet with Suu Kyi on a recent visit to Myanmar, but was kept from seeing her by authorities.
At 64, she is the only living Nobel Peace Prize laureate in detention. She led anti-government protests in 1988 and spent most of the next two decades under house arrest.
*****************************************************
United Press International
End in sight of Suu Kyi trial
Published: July 13, 2009 at 9:36 AM
YANGON, Myanmar, July 13 (UPI) -- Final arguments in the trial of jailed Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi will be heard on July 24.
Suu Kyi won the country's general election in May 1990 by a landslide, taking 392 of the 492 seats, with the next largest party taking 23 seats. But the military refused to recognize the results, and she has been detained on various charges for 13 of the past 19 years.
Suu Kyi, 64, has been under house arrest since May 2003 and is held on charges of threatening the national security of Myanmar, formerly called Burma. The current trial is over her alleged breaking of her house arrest when John William Yettaw, a U.S. citizen, swam across a lake and gained access to her property in May.
If convicted she faces up to five more years in jail. No date has been set for sentencing if Suu Kyi is found guilty.
Analysts believe the military would like to have her officially in jail during the first multiparty elections since 1990 that they have scheduled for next year. Although the junta's constitution prevents Suu Kyi from taking part, having her out of the way would avoid any embarrassing demonstrations at rallies of officially allowed parties.
The military has given itself 25 percent of seats in any new government decided by the elections.
At a special court set up inside Insein Prison in Yangon on Friday her lawyer, a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party, argued her arrest was unlawful because it was based on the old 1974 constitution, which was replaced by another in 2008.
Her last witness gave his testimony when the trial was restarted only for the day, a week after the country's military head Than Shwe refused to let U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on an official visit to Myanmar, see her.
In his departure speech Ban said the regime should release Suu Kyi to show the international community that the military is serious about moving towards democracy.
Amnesty International Australia renewed its call for her release this past weekend. In a written statement the pressure group called on the U.N. Security Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to intervene to secure her release "without conditions."
Amnesty also said there are 2,100 political prisoners in Myanmar imprisoned in terrible conditions, including in the infamous Insein Prison where Suu Kyi is being held.
"Conditions in Burma's jails, including the notorious Insein Prison where Aung San Suu Kyi has been held for weeks, are appalling. The health of prisoners is put at risk by the circumstances in which they are forced to live and political prisoners are also at risk of torture and other ill-treatment," said Jenny Leong, spokeswoman for Amnesty International Australia.
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in March that the detention of Suu Kyi violates both international law and Burma's domestic legislation, Amnesty said.
Irish rock band U2 is dedicating their song "Walk On" to Suu Kyi every night on their current tour, which kicked off in Barcelona June 30.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee gave Suu Kyi the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. The European Parliament awarded Suu Kyi the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought earlier that year. The Sakharov Prize is awarded around Dec. 10 every year, the day on which the U.N. General Assembly ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
No date has been set for sentencing if Suu Kyi is found guilty.
End in sight of Suu Kyi trial
Published: July 13, 2009 at 9:36 AM
YANGON, Myanmar, July 13 (UPI) -- Final arguments in the trial of jailed Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi will be heard on July 24.
Suu Kyi won the country's general election in May 1990 by a landslide, taking 392 of the 492 seats, with the next largest party taking 23 seats. But the military refused to recognize the results, and she has been detained on various charges for 13 of the past 19 years.
Suu Kyi, 64, has been under house arrest since May 2003 and is held on charges of threatening the national security of Myanmar, formerly called Burma. The current trial is over her alleged breaking of her house arrest when John William Yettaw, a U.S. citizen, swam across a lake and gained access to her property in May.
If convicted she faces up to five more years in jail. No date has been set for sentencing if Suu Kyi is found guilty.
Analysts believe the military would like to have her officially in jail during the first multiparty elections since 1990 that they have scheduled for next year. Although the junta's constitution prevents Suu Kyi from taking part, having her out of the way would avoid any embarrassing demonstrations at rallies of officially allowed parties.
The military has given itself 25 percent of seats in any new government decided by the elections.
At a special court set up inside Insein Prison in Yangon on Friday her lawyer, a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party, argued her arrest was unlawful because it was based on the old 1974 constitution, which was replaced by another in 2008.
Her last witness gave his testimony when the trial was restarted only for the day, a week after the country's military head Than Shwe refused to let U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on an official visit to Myanmar, see her.
In his departure speech Ban said the regime should release Suu Kyi to show the international community that the military is serious about moving towards democracy.
Amnesty International Australia renewed its call for her release this past weekend. In a written statement the pressure group called on the U.N. Security Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to intervene to secure her release "without conditions."
Amnesty also said there are 2,100 political prisoners in Myanmar imprisoned in terrible conditions, including in the infamous Insein Prison where Suu Kyi is being held.
"Conditions in Burma's jails, including the notorious Insein Prison where Aung San Suu Kyi has been held for weeks, are appalling. The health of prisoners is put at risk by the circumstances in which they are forced to live and political prisoners are also at risk of torture and other ill-treatment," said Jenny Leong, spokeswoman for Amnesty International Australia.
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in March that the detention of Suu Kyi violates both international law and Burma's domestic legislation, Amnesty said.
Irish rock band U2 is dedicating their song "Walk On" to Suu Kyi every night on their current tour, which kicked off in Barcelona June 30.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee gave Suu Kyi the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. The European Parliament awarded Suu Kyi the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought earlier that year. The Sakharov Prize is awarded around Dec. 10 every year, the day on which the U.N. General Assembly ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
No date has been set for sentencing if Suu Kyi is found guilty.
*****************************************************
THE NEW YORK TIMES - Aid, and Perhaps More, Spreading in Myanmar Delta
Published: July 13, 2009
NAUK PYAN TOE, Myanmar — The paint is drying on a sturdy-looking health clinic here, a new primary school is already overflowing with students, and farmers say they are expecting a normal harvest after being given rice seed, plowing equipment and loans.
The physical damage of Cyclone Nargis has almost been erased in this village, which was devastated in the Irrawaddy Delta last year. And in a country where the military government controls nearly everything, there is not a soldier in sight here. Mingalar Myanmar, a private association run by a family with a history of opposing the government, led the reconstruction effort.
“The government always believes everything will be solved by giving orders,” said Daw Yuza Maw Htoon, who founded Mingalar Myanmar with her husband, U Phone Win. “It failed. They recognize the failure. It’s much beyond their capacity.”
When Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008, killing upwards of 130,000 people, a number of local organizations rallied to offer assistance. After initial resistance, the government agreed to let groups like Mingalar distribute aid independently in the delta. To date, Mingalar alone has reached 700 villages, spent $3 million in the delta and grown to 80 employees from 5. In Nauk Pyan Toe, the village was rebuilt using financing from the Swedish and British governments, a Malaysian charity and a Buddhist organization.
With a $300,000 donation from the Singapore Embassy and Singaporean businesses, Mingalar also built 1,500 boats for the victims of the cyclone.
Across the delta, aid groups say much reconstruction work remains to be done. But for the most part, they say, immediate needs are being met, and some villages, like Nauk Pyan Toe, are in very good shape.
Chris Kaye, the director of the United Nations World Food Program office in Myanmar, which has delivered thousands of tons of food aid in the delta, says the emergence of organizations like Mingalar has been a “very good thing” for the country.
“They’ve emerged as a visible force and very reliable partners,” Mr. Kaye said. “We are very supportive.”
That the private groups have been allowed such access in the delta is an insight into a political system that by most measures is a police state. Diplomats and aid workers here hope that small slivers of democratic sunshine are filtering into an otherwise dark, repressive corner of Southeast Asia.
The government has announced elections for next year, the first in two decades. Although it appears likely they will be rigged in favor of the military, some foreign observers believe they may also lead to a devolution of some responsibilities and power to civic groups like Mingalar Myanmar.
Mingalar’s work is not political, the organization tells the authorities. And yet in the top-down, yes-sir context of four-and-a-half decades of military rule in Myanmar, it is difficult to see the group’s work as anything but a challenge to the status quo.
Mingalar’s seminars in remote villages encourage collective decision- making and community-based activism, ideas that have been eclipsed by a government that instills fear in those who step out of line.
“The idea is that you have to give priority to people’s opinion,” said Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon.
Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon, 45, and Mr. Phone Win, 41, maintain friendships with some of the children of the generals and ministers who run the country, a point that also elicits suspicion on the part of some foreign aid workers.
But some members of the government also treat them with suspicion, the couple says. Mr. Phone Win is from a family that was among the largest landholders in the country during British times but had most of their property taken away in the nationalization programs after independence. Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon hails from a line of dissident politicians accustomed to being watched by military intelligence and having their house raided. Her father, U Ye Htoon, was imprisoned five times for a total of more than 12 years. Her grandfather, Dr. Ba Maw, was the country’s first prime minister but fell out with the military, who accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Early in their careers, Mr. Phone Win and Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon ran a small trading business and rented out some houses owned by the family.
Now their main focus is on Mingalar. When the couple contacted this reporter, they were asked whether writing about their organization would jeopardize its operations.
“They will always try to control,” Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon said of the government. “We will survive.”
She said her dissident background gives her a keen sensitivity to what rankles the government. One example: the couple avoid using hot-button words in their presentations and written materials. “We avoid political words, controversial words,” said Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon.
“Reconciliation” is out because it is the word that the United Nations uses when it demands that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy leader, be set free. They say “unity” instead. “Dialogue” is out because it is used by Western governments to urge the military to talk with the opposition. “We use ‘discussion’ or ‘talk,”‘ Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon said.
Mr. Phone Win said he tells villagers in remote parts of the delta that they must learn to think for themselves. “At the village level, no one will come and help you,” he says. “The police will not come.”
Mingalar has run 124 “disaster risk management” training courses for villagers, instructing them on the science behind cyclones and encouraging them to draw emergency evacuation routes to the most viable shelters in case a monster cyclone strikes again.
In Nauk Pyan Toe, which, like many places in the delta, is reachable only by boat, villagers said that the training courses helped them better understand the fury of wind and water that killed 117 residents in the village.
“We didn’t know anything about cyclones,” said Daw Kyin Htay, a 50-year- old survivor of the storm. On the eve of the cyclone, some villagers heard warnings on the radio, but it was “very scientific language,” Ms. Kyin Htay said.
Now, she says, villagers know how to react. “We will evacuate,” she said.
Published: July 13, 2009
NAUK PYAN TOE, Myanmar — The paint is drying on a sturdy-looking health clinic here, a new primary school is already overflowing with students, and farmers say they are expecting a normal harvest after being given rice seed, plowing equipment and loans.
The physical damage of Cyclone Nargis has almost been erased in this village, which was devastated in the Irrawaddy Delta last year. And in a country where the military government controls nearly everything, there is not a soldier in sight here. Mingalar Myanmar, a private association run by a family with a history of opposing the government, led the reconstruction effort.
“The government always believes everything will be solved by giving orders,” said Daw Yuza Maw Htoon, who founded Mingalar Myanmar with her husband, U Phone Win. “It failed. They recognize the failure. It’s much beyond their capacity.”
When Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008, killing upwards of 130,000 people, a number of local organizations rallied to offer assistance. After initial resistance, the government agreed to let groups like Mingalar distribute aid independently in the delta. To date, Mingalar alone has reached 700 villages, spent $3 million in the delta and grown to 80 employees from 5. In Nauk Pyan Toe, the village was rebuilt using financing from the Swedish and British governments, a Malaysian charity and a Buddhist organization.
With a $300,000 donation from the Singapore Embassy and Singaporean businesses, Mingalar also built 1,500 boats for the victims of the cyclone.
Across the delta, aid groups say much reconstruction work remains to be done. But for the most part, they say, immediate needs are being met, and some villages, like Nauk Pyan Toe, are in very good shape.
Chris Kaye, the director of the United Nations World Food Program office in Myanmar, which has delivered thousands of tons of food aid in the delta, says the emergence of organizations like Mingalar has been a “very good thing” for the country.
“They’ve emerged as a visible force and very reliable partners,” Mr. Kaye said. “We are very supportive.”
That the private groups have been allowed such access in the delta is an insight into a political system that by most measures is a police state. Diplomats and aid workers here hope that small slivers of democratic sunshine are filtering into an otherwise dark, repressive corner of Southeast Asia.
The government has announced elections for next year, the first in two decades. Although it appears likely they will be rigged in favor of the military, some foreign observers believe they may also lead to a devolution of some responsibilities and power to civic groups like Mingalar Myanmar.
Mingalar’s work is not political, the organization tells the authorities. And yet in the top-down, yes-sir context of four-and-a-half decades of military rule in Myanmar, it is difficult to see the group’s work as anything but a challenge to the status quo.
Mingalar’s seminars in remote villages encourage collective decision- making and community-based activism, ideas that have been eclipsed by a government that instills fear in those who step out of line.
“The idea is that you have to give priority to people’s opinion,” said Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon.
Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon, 45, and Mr. Phone Win, 41, maintain friendships with some of the children of the generals and ministers who run the country, a point that also elicits suspicion on the part of some foreign aid workers.
But some members of the government also treat them with suspicion, the couple says. Mr. Phone Win is from a family that was among the largest landholders in the country during British times but had most of their property taken away in the nationalization programs after independence. Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon hails from a line of dissident politicians accustomed to being watched by military intelligence and having their house raided. Her father, U Ye Htoon, was imprisoned five times for a total of more than 12 years. Her grandfather, Dr. Ba Maw, was the country’s first prime minister but fell out with the military, who accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Early in their careers, Mr. Phone Win and Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon ran a small trading business and rented out some houses owned by the family.
Now their main focus is on Mingalar. When the couple contacted this reporter, they were asked whether writing about their organization would jeopardize its operations.
“They will always try to control,” Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon said of the government. “We will survive.”
She said her dissident background gives her a keen sensitivity to what rankles the government. One example: the couple avoid using hot-button words in their presentations and written materials. “We avoid political words, controversial words,” said Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon.
“Reconciliation” is out because it is the word that the United Nations uses when it demands that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy leader, be set free. They say “unity” instead. “Dialogue” is out because it is used by Western governments to urge the military to talk with the opposition. “We use ‘discussion’ or ‘talk,”‘ Ms. Yuza Maw Htoon said.
Mr. Phone Win said he tells villagers in remote parts of the delta that they must learn to think for themselves. “At the village level, no one will come and help you,” he says. “The police will not come.”
Mingalar has run 124 “disaster risk management” training courses for villagers, instructing them on the science behind cyclones and encouraging them to draw emergency evacuation routes to the most viable shelters in case a monster cyclone strikes again.
In Nauk Pyan Toe, which, like many places in the delta, is reachable only by boat, villagers said that the training courses helped them better understand the fury of wind and water that killed 117 residents in the village.
“We didn’t know anything about cyclones,” said Daw Kyin Htay, a 50-year- old survivor of the storm. On the eve of the cyclone, some villagers heard warnings on the radio, but it was “very scientific language,” Ms. Kyin Htay said.
Now, she says, villagers know how to react. “We will evacuate,” she said.
*****************************************************
Business Standard - Daewoo-OVL consortium to invest $3.7 bn in Myanmar
Press Trust of India / New Delhi July 13, 2009, 18:57 IST
ONGC Videsh (OVL) and GAIL India along with their South Korean partners Daewoo Corp and Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS) may invest $3.73 billion in bringing to production natural gas they have found off Myanmar.
The four partners may invest $2.79 billion in the three gas fields in block A-1 and A-3 off the Myanmar coast and another $936.26 million in laying an under-sea pipeline to take the gas to the shore, industry sources said.
Sources said, operator Daewoo has prepared a preliminary Field Development Plan (FDP) to tie-up Shwe and Shwe Phyu in block A-1 and Mya in block A-3 together to produce a plateau of 500 million standard cubic feet per day of gas for 19 years. The field life is envisaged for 28 years.
First gas is anticipated in first quarter of 2013, they said adding that the final FDP is likely by August.
Gas will be sold to China for $7.72 per million British thermal unit at the landfall point in Myanmar. The price is indexed to the US inflation.
Daewoo holds 60 per cent stake each in block A-1 and A-3 while ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp, has 20 per cent interest.
Myanmar's state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) has right to take 15 per cent, subsequent to which Daewoo would have 51 per cent, OVL 17 per cent and GAIL and KOGAS 8.5 per cent each.
Myanmar has decided that the gas from A-1 and A-3 would go to China. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) will pay $6.71 per million British thermal unit for the gas plus a offshore pipeline tariff of $1.02 per mmBtu. The 30-year sale contract is indexed to the US inflation, sources said.
The preliminary FDP envisages development of gas fields in phased manner-- Shwe and Mya (North) fields in phase-1, addition of Mya (South) field in phase-2, addition of Shwe Phyu field in phase-3 and installation of future compressor once pressure declines at Central Process Platform (CPP).
Gas will be sold to CNPC, which would lay a pipeline from the landfall point to China. The A-1 and A-3 consortium could join the pipeline which will have a capacity of 1,000 million cubic fee per day.
If the consortium of Daewoo-OVL-GAIL-KOGAS were to join the pipeline, they would be given a minority stake of up to 49.9 per cent, sources said.
The 870-km 40-inch pipeline in Myanmar territory would cost $1.95 billion.
Sources said the gas in A-1 and A-3 is lean (99 per cent methane) and having very less impurities.
Gas reserves of 4.532 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in blocks A-1 and A-3 have been certified. In the preliminary FDP, 4.162 Tcf of reserves in Shwe, Shwe Phyu and Mya have been taken.
So far, the commercial viabilty of the natural gas discovery in both the blocks has not been declared.
Press Trust of India / New Delhi July 13, 2009, 18:57 IST
ONGC Videsh (OVL) and GAIL India along with their South Korean partners Daewoo Corp and Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS) may invest $3.73 billion in bringing to production natural gas they have found off Myanmar.
The four partners may invest $2.79 billion in the three gas fields in block A-1 and A-3 off the Myanmar coast and another $936.26 million in laying an under-sea pipeline to take the gas to the shore, industry sources said.
Sources said, operator Daewoo has prepared a preliminary Field Development Plan (FDP) to tie-up Shwe and Shwe Phyu in block A-1 and Mya in block A-3 together to produce a plateau of 500 million standard cubic feet per day of gas for 19 years. The field life is envisaged for 28 years.
First gas is anticipated in first quarter of 2013, they said adding that the final FDP is likely by August.
Gas will be sold to China for $7.72 per million British thermal unit at the landfall point in Myanmar. The price is indexed to the US inflation.
Daewoo holds 60 per cent stake each in block A-1 and A-3 while ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp, has 20 per cent interest.
Myanmar's state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) has right to take 15 per cent, subsequent to which Daewoo would have 51 per cent, OVL 17 per cent and GAIL and KOGAS 8.5 per cent each.
Myanmar has decided that the gas from A-1 and A-3 would go to China. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) will pay $6.71 per million British thermal unit for the gas plus a offshore pipeline tariff of $1.02 per mmBtu. The 30-year sale contract is indexed to the US inflation, sources said.
The preliminary FDP envisages development of gas fields in phased manner-- Shwe and Mya (North) fields in phase-1, addition of Mya (South) field in phase-2, addition of Shwe Phyu field in phase-3 and installation of future compressor once pressure declines at Central Process Platform (CPP).
Gas will be sold to CNPC, which would lay a pipeline from the landfall point to China. The A-1 and A-3 consortium could join the pipeline which will have a capacity of 1,000 million cubic fee per day.
If the consortium of Daewoo-OVL-GAIL-KOGAS were to join the pipeline, they would be given a minority stake of up to 49.9 per cent, sources said.
The 870-km 40-inch pipeline in Myanmar territory would cost $1.95 billion.
Sources said the gas in A-1 and A-3 is lean (99 per cent methane) and having very less impurities.
Gas reserves of 4.532 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in blocks A-1 and A-3 have been certified. In the preliminary FDP, 4.162 Tcf of reserves in Shwe, Shwe Phyu and Mya have been taken.
So far, the commercial viabilty of the natural gas discovery in both the blocks has not been declared.
*****************************************************
Shan Herald Agency for News - Young activist seeks voice for Myanmar minority
Monday, 13 July 2009 11:23
By Han Manman
Twenty-eight-year-old Charm Tong is regarded as an enemy by Myanmar’s junta but a “candle in the dark” by her fellow citizens. This vivacious woman does not fit the stereotype of a “strong political advocate” for ethnic minority rights and democracy in the military-run nation formerly called Burma. Yet, she is one of the few who can get
the international community to sit uand take notice of the Southeast Asian country.
Though her formal education ended in middle school, she has since received a slew of awards and recognitions: She was one of for international activists under 30 to be given the Reebok Human Rights Awards in 2005; the same year, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was named one of Asia’s Heroes by Time magazine. Charm Tong,
a member of Myanmar’s Shan minority, is now appealing to Chinese investors to stop the construction of several hydropower dams in the country’s minority areas, which will endanger indigenous culture and for residents from their homes.
Dams threaten minorities’ existence
“I come from an ancient land, Yin Ta Lai, where people co-exist with nature. Our life depends on the sacred Salween River. But my father tells me soon the Burmese government will dam our river and our way of life. If the dam were to be built, all our land will be submerged, and the Yin Ta Lai will be no more,” a little Myanmar girl says in a documentary produced by the Karenni Research Development Group.
The film, shown to Beijing Today by Charm Tong, gives a rare glimpse of the remote center of Karen state in the country’s east, and the life of the Yin Ta Lai minority, of whom only 1,000 people remain.
Footage depicts a distinct culture and a biodiverse rainforest that will disappear if the Salween hydropower dam is built.
“Burma is China’s backyard, and its abundant resources have attracted more a more Chinese companies to come and invest,” Charm Tong said, adding that some of the projects imperil minority culture.
She appealed to investors to make a careful study of local situations before implementing projects
In the past decade, at least 10 Chinese companies have been involved in an estimated 20 major hydropower projects in Myanmar – a big source of income for the Myanmar government. Aung Ngyeh, spokesperson of the Burma Rivers Network, said that while China has strict laws governing domestic dam-construction, these guidelines are not carried over abroad.
“We hope China will impose similar standards for its companies operating in Burma,” Charm Tong said.
Lecturing the enemy
Charm Tong’s path to activism began in an orphanage in Thailand.When she was six, her parents put her on a donkey and sent her from the war-torn eastern Shan state,home to the country’s biggest ethnic minority, to Thailand, where they hoped she could live in peace and get basic schooling, a privilege denied many Shan women.
She considers herself “very lucky” as she was taken to an orphanage in the Thai-Burma border in which she studied for nine years. Many of her peers were less fortunate; survival is top of the agenda for Myanmar refugees in Thailand and some became victims of human trafficking and the sex trade.
At 16, Charm Tong began volunteering with organizations that helped Myanmar refugees.
“I witnessed how refugees from Burma suffer – especially the Shan.
They have escaped from killings, torture and persecution. They have lost their land and belongings,” she said.
International accolades soon followed, including a visit to the White House upon the invitation of then-President George W. Bush.
A life-long career
Since her UN speech, Charm Tong has traveled the world to speak of the violence and oppression the Myanmar people continue to endure. She co-founded the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) together wih over 40 women, which attracted global attention in 2002 with its ground-breaking report “License to Rape," detailing rape cases against
Myanmar military personnel.
Charm Tong’s current work includes running a school in he Thailand-Burma border that is training a new generation of Myanmar people.
“The school trains them in English and computers, an also in human rights, democracy, the media, the environment and other skills that will help them work effectively with communities,” she said. Many of their graduates have become HIV/AIDS educators in migrant and refugee groups. Others work in women’s organizations, the media and youth groups. “This is a lfe-long career for me,” Charm Tong said, adding that their students represent the hope for a democratic Myanmar.
BT: What does the Chinese voice mean to you?
CT: People in Burma have no voice. But I believe your voice will help strengthen our voice and one day change the situation.
BT: Do you ever think about a peaceful life without any conflict, without the struggle for democracy?
CT: I’m also human and like other women, everyone wants a peaceful life in a peaceful society. But we have important things to do to change our people’s life and situation.
BT: Have you seen your parents since you were separated from them when you were six?
CT: I saw my parents when they came to the Thai-Burma border some years ago. Shortly after that, my father passed away in 2004. So I don’t have chance to get to know him anymore ... but many people who leave their land never see their parents anymore. Compared with them, I’m very lucky
BT: Do you plan on doing this kind of work for the rest of your life?
CT: This is a life-long career for me. My students represent hope for the future, hope for a democratic Myanmar. I know I’m taking a risk. I don’t know what will happen, but I know that we’re trying to do our best to speak the truth and change the situation. No matter how difficult it is, we have to continue to do it.
Monday, 13 July 2009 11:23
By Han Manman
Twenty-eight-year-old Charm Tong is regarded as an enemy by Myanmar’s junta but a “candle in the dark” by her fellow citizens. This vivacious woman does not fit the stereotype of a “strong political advocate” for ethnic minority rights and democracy in the military-run nation formerly called Burma. Yet, she is one of the few who can get
the international community to sit uand take notice of the Southeast Asian country.
Though her formal education ended in middle school, she has since received a slew of awards and recognitions: She was one of for international activists under 30 to be given the Reebok Human Rights Awards in 2005; the same year, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was named one of Asia’s Heroes by Time magazine. Charm Tong,
a member of Myanmar’s Shan minority, is now appealing to Chinese investors to stop the construction of several hydropower dams in the country’s minority areas, which will endanger indigenous culture and for residents from their homes.
Dams threaten minorities’ existence
“I come from an ancient land, Yin Ta Lai, where people co-exist with nature. Our life depends on the sacred Salween River. But my father tells me soon the Burmese government will dam our river and our way of life. If the dam were to be built, all our land will be submerged, and the Yin Ta Lai will be no more,” a little Myanmar girl says in a documentary produced by the Karenni Research Development Group.
The film, shown to Beijing Today by Charm Tong, gives a rare glimpse of the remote center of Karen state in the country’s east, and the life of the Yin Ta Lai minority, of whom only 1,000 people remain.
Footage depicts a distinct culture and a biodiverse rainforest that will disappear if the Salween hydropower dam is built.
“Burma is China’s backyard, and its abundant resources have attracted more a more Chinese companies to come and invest,” Charm Tong said, adding that some of the projects imperil minority culture.
She appealed to investors to make a careful study of local situations before implementing projects
In the past decade, at least 10 Chinese companies have been involved in an estimated 20 major hydropower projects in Myanmar – a big source of income for the Myanmar government. Aung Ngyeh, spokesperson of the Burma Rivers Network, said that while China has strict laws governing domestic dam-construction, these guidelines are not carried over abroad.
“We hope China will impose similar standards for its companies operating in Burma,” Charm Tong said.
Lecturing the enemy
Charm Tong’s path to activism began in an orphanage in Thailand.When she was six, her parents put her on a donkey and sent her from the war-torn eastern Shan state,home to the country’s biggest ethnic minority, to Thailand, where they hoped she could live in peace and get basic schooling, a privilege denied many Shan women.
She considers herself “very lucky” as she was taken to an orphanage in the Thai-Burma border in which she studied for nine years. Many of her peers were less fortunate; survival is top of the agenda for Myanmar refugees in Thailand and some became victims of human trafficking and the sex trade.
At 16, Charm Tong began volunteering with organizations that helped Myanmar refugees.
“I witnessed how refugees from Burma suffer – especially the Shan.
They have escaped from killings, torture and persecution. They have lost their land and belongings,” she said.
International accolades soon followed, including a visit to the White House upon the invitation of then-President George W. Bush.
A life-long career
Since her UN speech, Charm Tong has traveled the world to speak of the violence and oppression the Myanmar people continue to endure. She co-founded the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) together wih over 40 women, which attracted global attention in 2002 with its ground-breaking report “License to Rape," detailing rape cases against
Myanmar military personnel.
Charm Tong’s current work includes running a school in he Thailand-Burma border that is training a new generation of Myanmar people.
“The school trains them in English and computers, an also in human rights, democracy, the media, the environment and other skills that will help them work effectively with communities,” she said. Many of their graduates have become HIV/AIDS educators in migrant and refugee groups. Others work in women’s organizations, the media and youth groups. “This is a lfe-long career for me,” Charm Tong said, adding that their students represent the hope for a democratic Myanmar.
BT: What does the Chinese voice mean to you?
CT: People in Burma have no voice. But I believe your voice will help strengthen our voice and one day change the situation.
BT: Do you ever think about a peaceful life without any conflict, without the struggle for democracy?
CT: I’m also human and like other women, everyone wants a peaceful life in a peaceful society. But we have important things to do to change our people’s life and situation.
BT: Have you seen your parents since you were separated from them when you were six?
CT: I saw my parents when they came to the Thai-Burma border some years ago. Shortly after that, my father passed away in 2004. So I don’t have chance to get to know him anymore ... but many people who leave their land never see their parents anymore. Compared with them, I’m very lucky
BT: Do you plan on doing this kind of work for the rest of your life?
CT: This is a life-long career for me. My students represent hope for the future, hope for a democratic Myanmar. I know I’m taking a risk. I don’t know what will happen, but I know that we’re trying to do our best to speak the truth and change the situation. No matter how difficult it is, we have to continue to do it.
*****************************************************
Myanmar to participate in Shanghai furniture fair
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-13 18:49:27
YANGON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's handicraft companies will participate in a furniture fair to be held in China's Shanghai early September to penetrate new international markets, a local weekly reported Monday.
Five companies will mainly display furniture, rattan, plastic rattan and traditional handicraft at the fair scheduled from September 9 to 12, the Weekly Eleven said in this week issue.
In March last year, the Myanmar Furniture Fair 2008 was held in the city in a bid to introduce the country's value-added good-quality forest products to the world market and boost timber export.
A total of 44 private wood-based products industries and value-added manufacturing companies, displayed various pieces of furniture, finished wood-based products, rattan and bamboo wares as well as wood-made home decoration items.
Myanmar held its first furniture show in 2004 and the second in2006.
In its bid to develop the wood-based industry, Myanmar has been giving priority to manufacturing value-added finished wood products for export.
Accordingly, a number of wood-based industrial zones have been set up for the purpose since export of wood log is restricted and export of teak log by the private sector also banned since 1992 when the government enacted the Forest Law.
Myanmar mainly exports its timber products to India, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia.
Timber stands as the country's third largest export goods after mineral and agricultural products.
Myanmar is rich in forest resources with forest covering about 50 percent of its total land area.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-13 18:49:27
YANGON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's handicraft companies will participate in a furniture fair to be held in China's Shanghai early September to penetrate new international markets, a local weekly reported Monday.
Five companies will mainly display furniture, rattan, plastic rattan and traditional handicraft at the fair scheduled from September 9 to 12, the Weekly Eleven said in this week issue.
In March last year, the Myanmar Furniture Fair 2008 was held in the city in a bid to introduce the country's value-added good-quality forest products to the world market and boost timber export.
A total of 44 private wood-based products industries and value-added manufacturing companies, displayed various pieces of furniture, finished wood-based products, rattan and bamboo wares as well as wood-made home decoration items.
Myanmar held its first furniture show in 2004 and the second in2006.
In its bid to develop the wood-based industry, Myanmar has been giving priority to manufacturing value-added finished wood products for export.
Accordingly, a number of wood-based industrial zones have been set up for the purpose since export of wood log is restricted and export of teak log by the private sector also banned since 1992 when the government enacted the Forest Law.
Myanmar mainly exports its timber products to India, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia.
Timber stands as the country's third largest export goods after mineral and agricultural products.
Myanmar is rich in forest resources with forest covering about 50 percent of its total land area.
*****************************************************
Japanese singing contest to be held in Myanmar
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-13 15:24:14
YANGON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese singing contest will be held in Myanmar's former capital of Yangon in October this year under the Japan-Mekong exchange program, sources with the Japanese Embassy here Monday.
The contest will be launched at Park Royal Hotel in the city on October 17, the report said, adding that a total of 20 singers will take part in the contest.
Under the Japan-Mekong exchange program, music concert, film festival, get-together party, and Japanese speech contest have been introduced every month since January this year.
Other programs to be added include Karatedo contest, Ekabana flower decoration show, Japanese fashion show, Judo contest and film festivals respectively.
In March, a music concert by a 20-member Myanmar Gitamate Music Band, involving Myanmar and Japanese artists, had taken place in Yangon under the program to showcase the cooperation and friendship between Japan and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS)-Economic Cooperation has worked out a plan for development of tourism as part of its economic cooperation in the sub-region, designating the year 2009-2010 as GMS tourism year.
Moreover, the Mekong Tourism Coordination Office (MTCO) has invited Myanmar professional photographers to take part in a Mekong photo contest, aimed at exploring the beauty and culture of the GMS.
The contest, which is the first of its kind under the title of "Explore Mekong", is also aimed at boosting the region's tourism sector and enhancing the world's impression over the cultural heritage of the GMS member countries.
With closing date for intended contestants set for July 1 to Sept. 30, the winner will be awarded a special prize worth of 15,000 U.S. dollars, the MTCO said.
The Mekong River is shared by six countries -- China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-13 15:24:14
YANGON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese singing contest will be held in Myanmar's former capital of Yangon in October this year under the Japan-Mekong exchange program, sources with the Japanese Embassy here Monday.
The contest will be launched at Park Royal Hotel in the city on October 17, the report said, adding that a total of 20 singers will take part in the contest.
Under the Japan-Mekong exchange program, music concert, film festival, get-together party, and Japanese speech contest have been introduced every month since January this year.
Other programs to be added include Karatedo contest, Ekabana flower decoration show, Japanese fashion show, Judo contest and film festivals respectively.
In March, a music concert by a 20-member Myanmar Gitamate Music Band, involving Myanmar and Japanese artists, had taken place in Yangon under the program to showcase the cooperation and friendship between Japan and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS)-Economic Cooperation has worked out a plan for development of tourism as part of its economic cooperation in the sub-region, designating the year 2009-2010 as GMS tourism year.
Moreover, the Mekong Tourism Coordination Office (MTCO) has invited Myanmar professional photographers to take part in a Mekong photo contest, aimed at exploring the beauty and culture of the GMS.
The contest, which is the first of its kind under the title of "Explore Mekong", is also aimed at boosting the region's tourism sector and enhancing the world's impression over the cultural heritage of the GMS member countries.
With closing date for intended contestants set for July 1 to Sept. 30, the winner will be awarded a special prize worth of 15,000 U.S. dollars, the MTCO said.
The Mekong River is shared by six countries -- China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
*****************************************************
The Jakarta Post - Thailand, RI aim to tackle regional issues
Ary Hermawan , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 07/13/2009 11:27 AM | World
Thailand is looking to bolster its partnership with Indonesia to tackle regional issues such as the Rohingya boat people and the democratic process in Myanmar. It has also expressed hope Jakarta can help the predominantly Buddhist country end its decades-old conflict in the Muslim-majority south.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post in Jakarta during his three-day visit to Indonesia recently, Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said his government appreciated the strong relations it had with Indonesia.
His visit is a follow-up to that of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in February.
Thailand, Vikitsreth said, is still hoping to learn from the historic 2005 peace deal between Jakarta and then Aceh rebels, as violence escalates in the country's restive southern region where Muslim separatists thrive.
He stressed, however, that separatism was an internal matter that should be solved by Thai people, ruling out the possibility of third-party involvement in a peace negotiation.
Having discussed the Aceh peace process with his Indonesian counterpart, Triyono Wibowo, and the governor of Aceh province, Irwandi Yusuf, the Thai deputy minister said,
"One of the things I have learned ... *is that* we have to be clear about the people we are dealing with, and we have to understand that the situation that leads to violence
and the use of aggression or military action is not a solution."
He added Indonesia could help by providing intelligence information on the people involved in the separatist movement in his country.
"I'm not saying they are in Indonesia, Malaysia or anywhere; they could be somewhere else. But I think in terms of the intelligence, we need the support of the Indonesian government."
Triyono and Irwandi had been invited to Thailand to visit the troubled southern regions and gauge the situation there.
At the regional level, Vikitsreth said both countries were committed to settling the Rohingya issue, which he said was a regional problem that should be resolved through concerted cooperation and involve the related countries, such as Bangladesh and Australia.
The Rohingyas are the disenfranchised Muslim minority in Myanmar, who are fleeing persecution by the military regime in Yangon. Many have taken to the sea to seek asylum in Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
"We at the Thai Foreign Ministry have talked with our counterparts in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The identification of the Rohingyas has to be clear; to know what should and what should not be taken," Vikitsreth said.
"The most important thing I'd like to convey is that they are human beings, and must be treated as human beings. We do not have any policy or intention to hurt them. But we have to be careful of people that enter Thailand. If they enter *through* the wrong ways, we have to deport them."
Indonesia and Thailand have brought the Rohingya issue to the Bali Process forum, which was set up to find solutions to curb and cope with rising illegal immigration in the Asia Pacific. The forum will hold an ad hoc meeting in July.
As chair of ASEAN and sharing a border with Myanmar, Vikitsreth also discussed the case of Aung San Suu Kyi with Triyono, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue but at the same time ensuring the bloc "would do anything to bring back the peaceful democratic process in Myanmar".
"We would like to see the election next year go through the right manner. We would like to see the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. We have sent a strong message to the Myanmar government," he said.
Thailand will host the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting/ASEAN Regional Forum, during which the Myanmar issue will likely be a highlight, following the failure by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet Suu Kyi when he visited the country earlier this month.
With regard to bilateral relations, Thailand is keen to expanding trade relations with Indonesia, particularly in the fishery industry.
Vikitsreth also had discussions with Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi during his visit.
"We are looking into opportunities in other areas with value added, such as cold storage and food processing," he said, adding the Thai government supported Indonesia's tough stance against illegal fishing, including that carried out by Thai fishermen.
"Relations have to be protected from the wrongdoings of some fishing companies."
A few hours before returning to Bangkok, the Thai envoy visited the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to look into other investment areas such as energy, trade, healthcare and, the country's most important sector, tourism.
"It is very important for both Thai people to come to invest here and for Indonesians to come and invest in Thailand," he said.
Ary Hermawan , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 07/13/2009 11:27 AM | World
Thailand is looking to bolster its partnership with Indonesia to tackle regional issues such as the Rohingya boat people and the democratic process in Myanmar. It has also expressed hope Jakarta can help the predominantly Buddhist country end its decades-old conflict in the Muslim-majority south.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post in Jakarta during his three-day visit to Indonesia recently, Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said his government appreciated the strong relations it had with Indonesia.
His visit is a follow-up to that of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in February.
Thailand, Vikitsreth said, is still hoping to learn from the historic 2005 peace deal between Jakarta and then Aceh rebels, as violence escalates in the country's restive southern region where Muslim separatists thrive.
He stressed, however, that separatism was an internal matter that should be solved by Thai people, ruling out the possibility of third-party involvement in a peace negotiation.
Having discussed the Aceh peace process with his Indonesian counterpart, Triyono Wibowo, and the governor of Aceh province, Irwandi Yusuf, the Thai deputy minister said,
"One of the things I have learned ... *is that* we have to be clear about the people we are dealing with, and we have to understand that the situation that leads to violence
and the use of aggression or military action is not a solution."
He added Indonesia could help by providing intelligence information on the people involved in the separatist movement in his country.
"I'm not saying they are in Indonesia, Malaysia or anywhere; they could be somewhere else. But I think in terms of the intelligence, we need the support of the Indonesian government."
Triyono and Irwandi had been invited to Thailand to visit the troubled southern regions and gauge the situation there.
At the regional level, Vikitsreth said both countries were committed to settling the Rohingya issue, which he said was a regional problem that should be resolved through concerted cooperation and involve the related countries, such as Bangladesh and Australia.
The Rohingyas are the disenfranchised Muslim minority in Myanmar, who are fleeing persecution by the military regime in Yangon. Many have taken to the sea to seek asylum in Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
"We at the Thai Foreign Ministry have talked with our counterparts in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The identification of the Rohingyas has to be clear; to know what should and what should not be taken," Vikitsreth said.
"The most important thing I'd like to convey is that they are human beings, and must be treated as human beings. We do not have any policy or intention to hurt them. But we have to be careful of people that enter Thailand. If they enter *through* the wrong ways, we have to deport them."
Indonesia and Thailand have brought the Rohingya issue to the Bali Process forum, which was set up to find solutions to curb and cope with rising illegal immigration in the Asia Pacific. The forum will hold an ad hoc meeting in July.
As chair of ASEAN and sharing a border with Myanmar, Vikitsreth also discussed the case of Aung San Suu Kyi with Triyono, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue but at the same time ensuring the bloc "would do anything to bring back the peaceful democratic process in Myanmar".
"We would like to see the election next year go through the right manner. We would like to see the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. We have sent a strong message to the Myanmar government," he said.
Thailand will host the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting/ASEAN Regional Forum, during which the Myanmar issue will likely be a highlight, following the failure by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet Suu Kyi when he visited the country earlier this month.
With regard to bilateral relations, Thailand is keen to expanding trade relations with Indonesia, particularly in the fishery industry.
Vikitsreth also had discussions with Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi during his visit.
"We are looking into opportunities in other areas with value added, such as cold storage and food processing," he said, adding the Thai government supported Indonesia's tough stance against illegal fishing, including that carried out by Thai fishermen.
"Relations have to be protected from the wrongdoings of some fishing companies."
A few hours before returning to Bangkok, the Thai envoy visited the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to look into other investment areas such as energy, trade, healthcare and, the country's most important sector, tourism.
"It is very important for both Thai people to come to invest here and for Indonesians to come and invest in Thailand," he said.
*****************************************************
The Irrawaddy - China’s Autonomous Regions Eyed as Model for Burmese Ethnic Areas?
By WAI MOE, Monday, July 13, 2009
Leaders of the Guangxi Zhaung Autonomous Region in China have visited Burma to brief military government officials on the Chinese experience of creating autonomous regions for ethnic minority groups.
The state-backed newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, reported on Saturday that the Burmese Prime Minister met with Guo Shengkum, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress and secretary of the Communist Party of China in Guangxi Zhaung, in Naypyidaw on Friday.
Guangxi, in the southern region, is one of five autonomous regions in China for the Zhaung ethnic minority. An autonomous region is designated when a minority entity represents a majority in a particular area.
Analysts said that Chinese officials visited Burma to describe to government officials the structure of an autonomous region, with the view that a similar model could be used in Burma’s ethnic areas.
“I think the trip is more than just bilateral relations,” said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Burmese analyst based on the Sino-Burmese border. “The Burmese generals may want to learn about the Chinese experience as the junta is faced with fresh problems with ceasefire groups who don’t want to take part in the junta’s border guard force plan.”
The No 2 ranking general, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, also China in June. One of the agenda items on Maung Aye’s trip was believed to be ethnic issues along the Sino-Burmese border.
According to diplomatic sources, Chinese leaders presented their views on Burma’s national reconciliation process, including a peaceful resolution of ethnic minority group problems along the Sino-Burmese border.
In April, the junta ordered all ethnic ceasefire armed group to transform their armies into a Border Guard Force, to operate under the Burmese army. However, except for the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and some smaller groups, armed ceasefire groups, including the largest non-state armed group, the United Wa State Army, have refused to take part. The deadline was June 30.
Before the deadline, Lt-Gen Ye Myint, the secretary of the Transformation Committee for the Border Guard Force, visited the Wa, Kokang and Mongla regions to promote the plan.
Again last week, Burmese officials reportedly met with representative from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State.
Analysts said that the junta has not coerced or openly threatened the uncooperative armed groups possible because Beijing warned the generals it would not be an effective approach.
In December 2008, Wa and Kachin leaders sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Primer Wen Jiabao. The letter outlined the ethnic dilemma in Burma as it relates to the 2008 constitution.
In part, the letter said: “We solemnly ask the Chinese government to relay our request to the Myanmar [Burma] government: first, we support the constitutional reform. When the new government forms in 2010, the leadership based on national public election should promise to leaders of the autonomous states [that they] will be part of the high leadership of the new government… [and] build upon the method of management of China’s autonomous region. ”
Wen Jiao, a Chinese expert, wrote in the influential journal, Foreign Policy, on Friday that Chinese leaders fear unstable neighboring governments and the threat of an influx of refugees.
“So the calculus behind China's regional security strategy is straightforward: if peace and prosperity among China's neighbors are not secured, then peace, prosperity and unity at home will be put at risk,” Wen Jiao wrote.
Maung Aye, the commander-in-chief of the Burmese army, visited the Sino-Burmese border on Saturday. The state-media reported that he was there to inspect the Muse 105th border trade zone, but there has been rising tension in the area between ethnic groups and the Burmese army.
By WAI MOE, Monday, July 13, 2009
Leaders of the Guangxi Zhaung Autonomous Region in China have visited Burma to brief military government officials on the Chinese experience of creating autonomous regions for ethnic minority groups.
The state-backed newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, reported on Saturday that the Burmese Prime Minister met with Guo Shengkum, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress and secretary of the Communist Party of China in Guangxi Zhaung, in Naypyidaw on Friday.
Guangxi, in the southern region, is one of five autonomous regions in China for the Zhaung ethnic minority. An autonomous region is designated when a minority entity represents a majority in a particular area.
Analysts said that Chinese officials visited Burma to describe to government officials the structure of an autonomous region, with the view that a similar model could be used in Burma’s ethnic areas.
“I think the trip is more than just bilateral relations,” said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Burmese analyst based on the Sino-Burmese border. “The Burmese generals may want to learn about the Chinese experience as the junta is faced with fresh problems with ceasefire groups who don’t want to take part in the junta’s border guard force plan.”
The No 2 ranking general, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, also China in June. One of the agenda items on Maung Aye’s trip was believed to be ethnic issues along the Sino-Burmese border.
According to diplomatic sources, Chinese leaders presented their views on Burma’s national reconciliation process, including a peaceful resolution of ethnic minority group problems along the Sino-Burmese border.
In April, the junta ordered all ethnic ceasefire armed group to transform their armies into a Border Guard Force, to operate under the Burmese army. However, except for the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and some smaller groups, armed ceasefire groups, including the largest non-state armed group, the United Wa State Army, have refused to take part. The deadline was June 30.
Before the deadline, Lt-Gen Ye Myint, the secretary of the Transformation Committee for the Border Guard Force, visited the Wa, Kokang and Mongla regions to promote the plan.
Again last week, Burmese officials reportedly met with representative from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State.
Analysts said that the junta has not coerced or openly threatened the uncooperative armed groups possible because Beijing warned the generals it would not be an effective approach.
In December 2008, Wa and Kachin leaders sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Primer Wen Jiabao. The letter outlined the ethnic dilemma in Burma as it relates to the 2008 constitution.
In part, the letter said: “We solemnly ask the Chinese government to relay our request to the Myanmar [Burma] government: first, we support the constitutional reform. When the new government forms in 2010, the leadership based on national public election should promise to leaders of the autonomous states [that they] will be part of the high leadership of the new government… [and] build upon the method of management of China’s autonomous region. ”
Wen Jiao, a Chinese expert, wrote in the influential journal, Foreign Policy, on Friday that Chinese leaders fear unstable neighboring governments and the threat of an influx of refugees.
“So the calculus behind China's regional security strategy is straightforward: if peace and prosperity among China's neighbors are not secured, then peace, prosperity and unity at home will be put at risk,” Wen Jiao wrote.
Maung Aye, the commander-in-chief of the Burmese army, visited the Sino-Burmese border on Saturday. The state-media reported that he was there to inspect the Muse 105th border trade zone, but there has been rising tension in the area between ethnic groups and the Burmese army.
*****************************************************
The Irrawaddy - Huge Heroin Haul near Burmese-Thai Border
By LAWI WENG, Monday, July 13, 2009
Burmese authorities have seized about 1,000 kilograms of heroin and 340,000 methamphetamine tablets found in a truck on the outskirts of the Burmese-Thai border town of Tachilek, local police reported.
A police source in Tachilek told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the truck was stopped and searched at the Loi Taw Kham checkpoint outside the town on July 10.
The truck had been traveling from Mong Hsat in Kengtung Township, eastern Shan State, a center of Burma’s opium trade. The United Wa State Army (UWSA), regarded as the biggest player in Shan State’s illicit drugs business, is particularly active in the region.
The seized drugs were apparently destined for Thailand, the police source said.
Three people in the truck were arrested and are being held in prison in Tachilek.
The quantity of heroin and amphetamines seized was the largest known haul in Burma this year.
In January, police and customs officers in Rangoon reported seizing 89 kilograms of heroin at the city’s Asia World Port Terminal, found in a container on the Singaporean-flagged ship Kota Tegap.
A report issued by the US State Department in March said Burma "is a significant player in the manufacture and regional trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants." It said large amount of the drugs from Burma end up in Thailand.
The Thai government, meanwhile, is preparing to sign an agreement with the governments of the Mekong region, including Burma, intended to eliminate illegal drug trafficking.
The Burmese military regime has reported destroying 7,893 acres of opium poppy fields in the Shan and Kachin states during this year's growing season.
Burma remains the world's second largest producer of heroin after Afghanistan, according to US and UN experts.
By LAWI WENG, Monday, July 13, 2009
Burmese authorities have seized about 1,000 kilograms of heroin and 340,000 methamphetamine tablets found in a truck on the outskirts of the Burmese-Thai border town of Tachilek, local police reported.
A police source in Tachilek told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the truck was stopped and searched at the Loi Taw Kham checkpoint outside the town on July 10.
The truck had been traveling from Mong Hsat in Kengtung Township, eastern Shan State, a center of Burma’s opium trade. The United Wa State Army (UWSA), regarded as the biggest player in Shan State’s illicit drugs business, is particularly active in the region.
The seized drugs were apparently destined for Thailand, the police source said.
Three people in the truck were arrested and are being held in prison in Tachilek.
The quantity of heroin and amphetamines seized was the largest known haul in Burma this year.
In January, police and customs officers in Rangoon reported seizing 89 kilograms of heroin at the city’s Asia World Port Terminal, found in a container on the Singaporean-flagged ship Kota Tegap.
A report issued by the US State Department in March said Burma "is a significant player in the manufacture and regional trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants." It said large amount of the drugs from Burma end up in Thailand.
The Thai government, meanwhile, is preparing to sign an agreement with the governments of the Mekong region, including Burma, intended to eliminate illegal drug trafficking.
The Burmese military regime has reported destroying 7,893 acres of opium poppy fields in the Shan and Kachin states during this year's growing season.
Burma remains the world's second largest producer of heroin after Afghanistan, according to US and UN experts.
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The Irrawaddy - Opinion: Ban Must Show He’s a “Man of Results”
By YENI, Monday, July 13, 2009
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefs the Security Council on Monday on his recent visit to Burma and his failed attempt to meet detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Final submissions in Suu Kyi’s trial in Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison will be held on July 27. Burma's democracy icon should know her fate soon—if convicted, she could face up to five years’ imprisonment—though whether the UN Security Council will go so far as to approve a compulsory resolution directed against the Burmese regime remains doubtful.
For the past two decades, the Burmese generals have shown the international community that no matter how many resolutions the UN passes, even before the 15-nation UN Security Council, actions fail to follow words.
The latest evidence came last week when the military government led by Snr-Gen Than Shwe again failed to respect the objectives of the UN secretary-general’s visit—the release of all political prisoners including Suu Kyi; resumption of dialogue between the military government and its opposition; and the creation of conditions for credible elections.
Traditionally, the Burmese regime has counted on the support of its two UN allies, China and Russia, who can use their veto powers to block any Security Council action against Burma. Those countries view Burma as a resource-rich, strategically important client state and treat ongoing human rights violations as Burma’s "internal affair."
Burmese generals still hope to maintain the status quo in UNSC as long as their rule is not seen to threaten peace and security in the region and the world. For instance, the knowledge that allowing the North Korean ship Kang Nam 1 to dock at a Burmese port could only deepen global and regional tensions is believed to have persuaded Naypyidaw to ask the North Korean ambassador to tell his government to order the vessel home.
Russia’s position is clear. By expecting to increase trade and diplomatic ties with the regime, including an agreement to sell a nuclear research reactor, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced in mid-June that Moscow rejected the use of political and economic pressure to influence the Burmese regime. "We see no reasons why the UN Security Council should discuss Myanmar (Burma)," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
The Chinese position, however, could be slightly different, political observers suggest.
Wen Liao, chairwoman of Longford Advisors, a political, economic, and business consultancy, wrote an article in the influential US magazine Foreign Policy that China has of late been quietly reaching out to Burma's opposition. She pointed out that during the September 2007 demonstrations, China repeatedly called for restraint and backed the arrival of a UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, and two months ago China signed a joint EU-Asean petition calling for Suu Kyi's release.
China has now stood behind Ban's bid to end Suu Kyi's house arrest, Wen Liao wrote. "Ban would not have attempted his mission had China not signed off on it," she said.
Whether the UN can push effectively for political change in Burma depends on
how Ban now concentrates on his responsibility to solve Burma's political dilemma.
Last week, Ban explained in Rangoon why he returned to the military-ruled country. He said that as he's Asia’s second secretary-general, he admired Burma’s U Thant, the first Asian to hold this post.
He quoted U Thant’s words: "The worth of the individual human being is the most unique and precious of all our assets and must be the beginning and end of all our efforts. Governments, systems, ideologies and institutions come and go, but humanity remains."
Midway through his five-year term, Ban describes himself is "a man of results rather than fiery rhetoric."
With all due respect, we’d like to believe it.
By YENI, Monday, July 13, 2009
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefs the Security Council on Monday on his recent visit to Burma and his failed attempt to meet detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Final submissions in Suu Kyi’s trial in Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison will be held on July 27. Burma's democracy icon should know her fate soon—if convicted, she could face up to five years’ imprisonment—though whether the UN Security Council will go so far as to approve a compulsory resolution directed against the Burmese regime remains doubtful.
For the past two decades, the Burmese generals have shown the international community that no matter how many resolutions the UN passes, even before the 15-nation UN Security Council, actions fail to follow words.
The latest evidence came last week when the military government led by Snr-Gen Than Shwe again failed to respect the objectives of the UN secretary-general’s visit—the release of all political prisoners including Suu Kyi; resumption of dialogue between the military government and its opposition; and the creation of conditions for credible elections.
Traditionally, the Burmese regime has counted on the support of its two UN allies, China and Russia, who can use their veto powers to block any Security Council action against Burma. Those countries view Burma as a resource-rich, strategically important client state and treat ongoing human rights violations as Burma’s "internal affair."
Burmese generals still hope to maintain the status quo in UNSC as long as their rule is not seen to threaten peace and security in the region and the world. For instance, the knowledge that allowing the North Korean ship Kang Nam 1 to dock at a Burmese port could only deepen global and regional tensions is believed to have persuaded Naypyidaw to ask the North Korean ambassador to tell his government to order the vessel home.
Russia’s position is clear. By expecting to increase trade and diplomatic ties with the regime, including an agreement to sell a nuclear research reactor, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced in mid-June that Moscow rejected the use of political and economic pressure to influence the Burmese regime. "We see no reasons why the UN Security Council should discuss Myanmar (Burma)," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
The Chinese position, however, could be slightly different, political observers suggest.
Wen Liao, chairwoman of Longford Advisors, a political, economic, and business consultancy, wrote an article in the influential US magazine Foreign Policy that China has of late been quietly reaching out to Burma's opposition. She pointed out that during the September 2007 demonstrations, China repeatedly called for restraint and backed the arrival of a UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, and two months ago China signed a joint EU-Asean petition calling for Suu Kyi's release.
China has now stood behind Ban's bid to end Suu Kyi's house arrest, Wen Liao wrote. "Ban would not have attempted his mission had China not signed off on it," she said.
Whether the UN can push effectively for political change in Burma depends on
how Ban now concentrates on his responsibility to solve Burma's political dilemma.
Last week, Ban explained in Rangoon why he returned to the military-ruled country. He said that as he's Asia’s second secretary-general, he admired Burma’s U Thant, the first Asian to hold this post.
He quoted U Thant’s words: "The worth of the individual human being is the most unique and precious of all our assets and must be the beginning and end of all our efforts. Governments, systems, ideologies and institutions come and go, but humanity remains."
Midway through his five-year term, Ban describes himself is "a man of results rather than fiery rhetoric."
With all due respect, we’d like to believe it.
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DVB News - United Nations warned on Burma engagement
July 13, 2009 (DVB)–The United Nations should be prudent in its expectations for progress in Burma or otherwise risks “misleading” the international community, said a number of prominent politically active Burmese groups.
The UN Secretary General’s visit to Burma two weeks ago has received mixed reviews, with some claiming that his inability to gain concessions despite apparently praising the government merely handed legitimacy to the junta.
A joint statement released by The 88 Generation Students, the All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA) and the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) acknowledged the “limit” of the UN’s mandate in Burma in the face of China and Russia’s power of veto but warned against expectations of change in the country.
“Without unanimous support from the Security Council, your mandate is not strong enough to make the ruling generals in Burma agree to your request,” the statement said.
It also warned the UN to “stop expecting” a positive response from Burma’s ruling generals in the face of 20 years of failed UN diplomacy with the regime.
“If you continue to believe the empty assertions of Burma’s generals, you will be fulfilling the desire of [junta leader] Than Shwe and his generals, who want to buy time to finish their plan of legitimising military rule in Burma through a sham election,” it said.
The leader of 88 Generation Students, Htun Myint Aung, expressed his concern that such action would cause complacency within international policy to Burma.
“We worry that [Ban] will say things that can cause delay on the international community’s practical action on Burma,” he said, adding that the UN chief should “think deeply” about what he relays.
Ban Ki-moon is due to brief the Security Council today on his trip to Burma, and is expected to address the issue of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial and his denial of a meeting with her.
The UN has recently been criticized as being relatively powerless and lacking authority in Burma, particularly given China and Russia’s power of veto, and a track record of disinclination on behalf of the junta to abide by UN suggestions.
“The UN’s point of view on Burma is totally opposite from the reality and we want Mr Ban Ki-moon to put in more effort when dealing with Burma and get the [Security Council] involved, rather than making requests to the junta,” said a spokesperson for the ABSFU, Zarni.
So far it is unclear what steps will now be taken by the UN, although both the United States and European Union, particularly Britain, have tabled the possibility of tougher sanctions on the regime.
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw
July 13, 2009 (DVB)–The United Nations should be prudent in its expectations for progress in Burma or otherwise risks “misleading” the international community, said a number of prominent politically active Burmese groups.
The UN Secretary General’s visit to Burma two weeks ago has received mixed reviews, with some claiming that his inability to gain concessions despite apparently praising the government merely handed legitimacy to the junta.
A joint statement released by The 88 Generation Students, the All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA) and the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) acknowledged the “limit” of the UN’s mandate in Burma in the face of China and Russia’s power of veto but warned against expectations of change in the country.
“Without unanimous support from the Security Council, your mandate is not strong enough to make the ruling generals in Burma agree to your request,” the statement said.
It also warned the UN to “stop expecting” a positive response from Burma’s ruling generals in the face of 20 years of failed UN diplomacy with the regime.
“If you continue to believe the empty assertions of Burma’s generals, you will be fulfilling the desire of [junta leader] Than Shwe and his generals, who want to buy time to finish their plan of legitimising military rule in Burma through a sham election,” it said.
The leader of 88 Generation Students, Htun Myint Aung, expressed his concern that such action would cause complacency within international policy to Burma.
“We worry that [Ban] will say things that can cause delay on the international community’s practical action on Burma,” he said, adding that the UN chief should “think deeply” about what he relays.
Ban Ki-moon is due to brief the Security Council today on his trip to Burma, and is expected to address the issue of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial and his denial of a meeting with her.
The UN has recently been criticized as being relatively powerless and lacking authority in Burma, particularly given China and Russia’s power of veto, and a track record of disinclination on behalf of the junta to abide by UN suggestions.
“The UN’s point of view on Burma is totally opposite from the reality and we want Mr Ban Ki-moon to put in more effort when dealing with Burma and get the [Security Council] involved, rather than making requests to the junta,” said a spokesperson for the ABSFU, Zarni.
So far it is unclear what steps will now be taken by the UN, although both the United States and European Union, particularly Britain, have tabled the possibility of tougher sanctions on the regime.
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw
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