Myanmar opposition head unhappy with restrictions
AP - Friday, October 30
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is unhappy about restrictions on the visitors she is allowed under house arrest, including members of her legal team and an architect needed to help repair her dilapidated lakeside home.
Nyan Win, one of her lawyers, said after meeting with her Thursday that she complained that the ruling military junta is infringing upon her rights.
Her complaint comes as the regime prepares for elections next year and seeks more recognition from the international community. The United States had isolated the junta with political and economic sanctions, but the Obama administration decided recently to step up engagement as a way of promoting reforms.
Suu Kyi "has asked us to send a letter to the authorities to allow all four lawyers to meet her at once and to meet the architect," said Nyan Win, who along with fellow lawyer Kyi Win met with her to discuss an appeal of her most recent sentence of house arrest.
"She said this is her personal right and authorities had no right to limit them," he said.
Suu Kyi said she would prefer to listen to the views of more lawyers and that she needs an architect to help repair the two-story house where she is confined, Nyan Win said.
The terms of Suu Kyi's current detention are less strict than her previous term of house arrest, when the only outsiders she was allowed to see were her doctor and, occasionally, visiting U.N. envoys.
Under an eight-point set of rules, Suu Kyi can now receive visitors with prior permission from the junta, has the right to medical treatment by doctors and nurses, and is allowed to see state-controlled newspapers and magazines and state-run television. She recently met with several foreign ambassadors stationed in Myanmar.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention. In August, she was sentenced to an additional 18 months of house arrest for allowing an uninvited American to stay briefly at her home earlier this year.
The sentence, which ensured that she would not be able to participate in next year's elections, drew international condemnation.
Suu Kyi's legal team plans to appeal the sentence to the Supreme Court.
AP - Friday, October 30
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is unhappy about restrictions on the visitors she is allowed under house arrest, including members of her legal team and an architect needed to help repair her dilapidated lakeside home.
Nyan Win, one of her lawyers, said after meeting with her Thursday that she complained that the ruling military junta is infringing upon her rights.
Her complaint comes as the regime prepares for elections next year and seeks more recognition from the international community. The United States had isolated the junta with political and economic sanctions, but the Obama administration decided recently to step up engagement as a way of promoting reforms.
Suu Kyi "has asked us to send a letter to the authorities to allow all four lawyers to meet her at once and to meet the architect," said Nyan Win, who along with fellow lawyer Kyi Win met with her to discuss an appeal of her most recent sentence of house arrest.
"She said this is her personal right and authorities had no right to limit them," he said.
Suu Kyi said she would prefer to listen to the views of more lawyers and that she needs an architect to help repair the two-story house where she is confined, Nyan Win said.
The terms of Suu Kyi's current detention are less strict than her previous term of house arrest, when the only outsiders she was allowed to see were her doctor and, occasionally, visiting U.N. envoys.
Under an eight-point set of rules, Suu Kyi can now receive visitors with prior permission from the junta, has the right to medical treatment by doctors and nurses, and is allowed to see state-controlled newspapers and magazines and state-run television. She recently met with several foreign ambassadors stationed in Myanmar.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention. In August, she was sentenced to an additional 18 months of house arrest for allowing an uninvited American to stay briefly at her home earlier this year.
The sentence, which ensured that she would not be able to participate in next year's elections, drew international condemnation.
Suu Kyi's legal team plans to appeal the sentence to the Supreme Court.
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Myanmar arrests journalists, activists in crackdown
By Aung Hla Tun – 2 hrs 18 mins ago
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar authorities have arrested up to 50 people including journalists, political activists and students in a security crackdown this month in its biggest city, a Thailand-based human rights group said on Friday.
The arrests include 10 journalists along with a number of opponents to Myanmar's ruling military junta, said Bo Kyi, co-founder of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group of former detainees who track those behind bars.
"It's not clear why they were arrested. Their families were not given an explanation," said Bo Kyi.
Witnesses said the arrests coincide with a tightening of security across Yangon in recent days with a larger police presence on streets, more security check-points, police car-searches and tougher security at Buddhist monasteries.
Two years ago, the junta suspected monks of coordinating the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years, leading to a crackdown in which at least 31 people were killed.
At least seven people including two journalists were arrested by police and military intelligence officials at their homes around midnight on Tuesday, family and friends told Reuters.
They included Thant Zin Soe, an editor of local private weekly magazine, and Paing Soe Oo, a freelance reporter. The other five are university students in Yangon.
The seven are members of "Linlat Kyei," a group which helps survivors of last year's Cyclone Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000 people.
"We just don't know why they were arrested and their present whereabouts," said one source in Yangon, who asked not to be identified in fear of reprisals.
New York-based press watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Paing Soe Oo's arrest and called for his immediate release, saying his arrest undermined the former Burma's claims of moving toward democracy.
"Burma's military government claims to be moving toward democracy, yet it continues to routinely arrest and detain journalists," Shawn Crispin, the group's senior Southeast Asia representative, said in a statement.
The crackdown comes ahead of a U.S. fact-finding delegation expected soon in Myanmar as part of an exploratory dialogue with the junta following the Obama
administration's announcement in September it would pursue deeper engagement with Myanmar's military rulers to try to spur democratic reform.
New elections are scheduled for next year under the final stages of a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" drawn up by the junta. A new constitution guaranteeing the army control of the country was passed in a heavily criticized referendum last year.
By Aung Hla Tun – 2 hrs 18 mins ago
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar authorities have arrested up to 50 people including journalists, political activists and students in a security crackdown this month in its biggest city, a Thailand-based human rights group said on Friday.
The arrests include 10 journalists along with a number of opponents to Myanmar's ruling military junta, said Bo Kyi, co-founder of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group of former detainees who track those behind bars.
"It's not clear why they were arrested. Their families were not given an explanation," said Bo Kyi.
Witnesses said the arrests coincide with a tightening of security across Yangon in recent days with a larger police presence on streets, more security check-points, police car-searches and tougher security at Buddhist monasteries.
Two years ago, the junta suspected monks of coordinating the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years, leading to a crackdown in which at least 31 people were killed.
At least seven people including two journalists were arrested by police and military intelligence officials at their homes around midnight on Tuesday, family and friends told Reuters.
They included Thant Zin Soe, an editor of local private weekly magazine, and Paing Soe Oo, a freelance reporter. The other five are university students in Yangon.
The seven are members of "Linlat Kyei," a group which helps survivors of last year's Cyclone Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000 people.
"We just don't know why they were arrested and their present whereabouts," said one source in Yangon, who asked not to be identified in fear of reprisals.
New York-based press watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Paing Soe Oo's arrest and called for his immediate release, saying his arrest undermined the former Burma's claims of moving toward democracy.
"Burma's military government claims to be moving toward democracy, yet it continues to routinely arrest and detain journalists," Shawn Crispin, the group's senior Southeast Asia representative, said in a statement.
The crackdown comes ahead of a U.S. fact-finding delegation expected soon in Myanmar as part of an exploratory dialogue with the junta following the Obama
administration's announcement in September it would pursue deeper engagement with Myanmar's military rulers to try to spur democratic reform.
New elections are scheduled for next year under the final stages of a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" drawn up by the junta. A new constitution guaranteeing the army control of the country was passed in a heavily criticized referendum last year.
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U.S. to Send Highest-Level Official to Myanmar in 14 Years
By Janine Zacharia
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Kurt Campbell, a top State Department official for Asia, will travel to Myanmar next week to hold talks with the military government and Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the democratic opposition while under detention.
Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, will be in Mynamar Nov. 3-4, a State Department official said today. Campbell will be the most senior U.S. official to visit Myanmar in 14 years.
Madeleine Albright traveled there as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1995. President Bill Clinton sent two envoys a year later.
Campbell’s trip to the Southeast Asian nation is intended to build momentum behind a policy shift by the Obama administration to deal directly with the country’s military rulers in an attempt to push for democratic changes.
U.S. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, who has pushed for direct contacts with Myanmar’s leadership, made a groundbreaking trip there in August and won the release of John Yettaw, an American imprisoned after swimming uninvited in May to the home of Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was placed under house arrest at her home in Yangon in 2003. She has spent more than 13 years in custody since her National League for Democracy party won elections in 1990, a result rejected by the junta.
By Janine Zacharia
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Kurt Campbell, a top State Department official for Asia, will travel to Myanmar next week to hold talks with the military government and Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the democratic opposition while under detention.
Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, will be in Mynamar Nov. 3-4, a State Department official said today. Campbell will be the most senior U.S. official to visit Myanmar in 14 years.
Madeleine Albright traveled there as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1995. President Bill Clinton sent two envoys a year later.
Campbell’s trip to the Southeast Asian nation is intended to build momentum behind a policy shift by the Obama administration to deal directly with the country’s military rulers in an attempt to push for democratic changes.
U.S. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, who has pushed for direct contacts with Myanmar’s leadership, made a groundbreaking trip there in August and won the release of John Yettaw, an American imprisoned after swimming uninvited in May to the home of Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was placed under house arrest at her home in Yangon in 2003. She has spent more than 13 years in custody since her National League for Democracy party won elections in 1990, a result rejected by the junta.
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Groups petition against Myanmar pipeline
Published: Oct. 29, 2009 at 3:59 PM
YANGON, Myanmar, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Human-rights groups urged China to halt its investment in a Myanmar gas project over fears of abuses and unrest.
The 609-mile Shwe gas pipeline project runs from Myanmar's Arakan state to China's Yunnan province. State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. holds a 50.9 stake in the project in partnership with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.
The Shwe pipeline construction was scheduled to begin in September.
Voice of America reports that more than 100 groups and political parties across 20 countries participated in the Shwe Gas Movement petition Wednesday to China's President Hu Jintao, presented to Chinese embassies in Asia, Australia and Europe.
"There are already reports of human-rights violations in Arakan state connected to the project's exploration phase, including arrests and beatings of fishermen, and abuses will escalate as the project progresses," the petition states.
Based on previous experiences in Myanmar, the petition points out, partnerships with the MOGE on infrastructure development projects "invariably" lead to forced displacement, forced labor and loss of livelihoods.
Myanmar was formerly known as Burma.
"The escalation of abuses around a project when Burma army soldiers provide security is well documented" by the United Nations and other NGOs, the petition says.
Rights groups say they expect the Shwe gas project would provide Myanmar's military with at least $29 billion over 30 years.
The petition notes that the country's 2007 uprising was ignited by sudden massive increases in fuel prices.
While the United States and other countries have imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar's government because of widespread rights abuses, China, India and Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand continue to invest in the country.
According to the petition, the pipeline would create a situation in which Chinese corporations and the partnering Myanmar army operating on the ground "will be responsible for rights abuses and uprooting livelihoods" in exporting huge amounts of oil and gas to China, while Myanmar's per capita electricity consumption is less than 5 percent of China's.
"This is a dangerous combination which could further fuel serious conflicts and anti-Chinese sentiment in Burma," the petition says.
Economist Somphob Manarangsan of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University said Thai and Chinese investment has aided the country's military government, Voice of America reports.
"Frankly speaking the Burmese government has become stronger economically on the foreign exchange they obtain in selling the natural gas to Thailand," said Manarangsan. He added that it is obvious that China has been aggressive in moving to invest in Myanmar, particularly in energy.
Published: Oct. 29, 2009 at 3:59 PM
YANGON, Myanmar, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Human-rights groups urged China to halt its investment in a Myanmar gas project over fears of abuses and unrest.
The 609-mile Shwe gas pipeline project runs from Myanmar's Arakan state to China's Yunnan province. State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. holds a 50.9 stake in the project in partnership with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.
The Shwe pipeline construction was scheduled to begin in September.
Voice of America reports that more than 100 groups and political parties across 20 countries participated in the Shwe Gas Movement petition Wednesday to China's President Hu Jintao, presented to Chinese embassies in Asia, Australia and Europe.
"There are already reports of human-rights violations in Arakan state connected to the project's exploration phase, including arrests and beatings of fishermen, and abuses will escalate as the project progresses," the petition states.
Based on previous experiences in Myanmar, the petition points out, partnerships with the MOGE on infrastructure development projects "invariably" lead to forced displacement, forced labor and loss of livelihoods.
Myanmar was formerly known as Burma.
"The escalation of abuses around a project when Burma army soldiers provide security is well documented" by the United Nations and other NGOs, the petition says.
Rights groups say they expect the Shwe gas project would provide Myanmar's military with at least $29 billion over 30 years.
The petition notes that the country's 2007 uprising was ignited by sudden massive increases in fuel prices.
While the United States and other countries have imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar's government because of widespread rights abuses, China, India and Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand continue to invest in the country.
According to the petition, the pipeline would create a situation in which Chinese corporations and the partnering Myanmar army operating on the ground "will be responsible for rights abuses and uprooting livelihoods" in exporting huge amounts of oil and gas to China, while Myanmar's per capita electricity consumption is less than 5 percent of China's.
"This is a dangerous combination which could further fuel serious conflicts and anti-Chinese sentiment in Burma," the petition says.
Economist Somphob Manarangsan of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University said Thai and Chinese investment has aided the country's military government, Voice of America reports.
"Frankly speaking the Burmese government has become stronger economically on the foreign exchange they obtain in selling the natural gas to Thailand," said Manarangsan. He added that it is obvious that China has been aggressive in moving to invest in Myanmar, particularly in energy.
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The New Kerala - ONGC to invest $174 mn in Myanmar
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has been allowed to make an investment of up to $173.85 million in a hydrocarbon assets in Myanmar.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The investment has been approved for gas blocks blocks A-1 and A-3 in Myanmar Natural Gas Development Project by ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL).
The two companies that will benefit from the award of contract are OVL and GAIL India, both state-owned firms under the administrative control of India's petroleum and natural gas ministry.
The investment is expected to provide additional reserve accretion of hydrocarbons and facilitate production and marketing of natural gas.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has been allowed to make an investment of up to $173.85 million in a hydrocarbon assets in Myanmar.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The investment has been approved for gas blocks blocks A-1 and A-3 in Myanmar Natural Gas Development Project by ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL).
The two companies that will benefit from the award of contract are OVL and GAIL India, both state-owned firms under the administrative control of India's petroleum and natural gas ministry.
The investment is expected to provide additional reserve accretion of hydrocarbons and facilitate production and marketing of natural gas.
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Forbes - ASEAN Addresses Natural Disaster Risk
Oxford Analytica, 10.30.09, 06:00 AM EDT
Still, despite recent catastrophes, South-east Asian countries seem reluctant to commit resources.
The East Asia summit, held in the southern Thai town of Hua Hin on Oct. 25, pledged to integrate efforts to raise levels of preparedness and reduce the risks of natural disasters. It was attended by the 10 Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and their dialogue partners, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Natural disasters. ASEAN is responding to a spate of natural disasters along the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the tsunami that killed 220,000 people in December 2004 and a cyclone that killed more than 80,000 Burmese in May 2008. Thousands more died this year as tropical storms and earthquakes ravaged South-east Asia. Recent U.N. figures show that Asia is the global disaster hot spot, suffering an average of 250 weather-related catastrophes per year, up from 75 in 1980. South-east Asia alone accounts for some 60% of these disasters worldwide.
ASEAN efforts. ASEAN has set a target of 2015 for creating a "disaster-resilient" community under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response. Efforts to mount a cooperative response to the Burmese cyclone have yielded some success, with $103 million of relief aid mobilized. Yet this was a one-off effort and mandate of the tripartite group that organized it, comprising ASEAN, the U.N. and the government of Burma, will soon expire.
Cooperation agenda. A workshop conducted by governments and aid agencies after the 2004 tsunami found that none of the five countries affected--Indonesia, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives--was adequately prepared and that responses varied wildly. Five years later, its recommendations have only been partly implemented:
--Education. A "very low" level of awareness of the potential risks was cited as a key reason for the high death toll. In contrast, a 2007 tsunami in the Solomon Islands had a relatively small impact because coastal dwellers had a historic knowledge of tsunamis and evacuated without waiting for an official warning. Calling for more education in schools, it also cautioned against an over-reliance on technology, as it could take too long for early-warning satellites and seismographs to pinpoint the source of an earthquake or detect signs of a potential tsunami and issue alerts. Within the region, only Australia, Indonesia and India have operational warning centers for tsunamis.
--Coordination. Governments were urged to cooperate at local and regional levels to remove logistical and operational bottlenecks and ensure adequate resources. Australia announced in Hua Hin that it was establishing a permanent rapid-reaction force of 500 civilian emergency personnel to respond to incidents. The workshop noted the need for a new center to coordinate activities at the regional level, possibly modeled on the research-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center based in Bangkok. There is also provision for a unified approach through the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, but countries have been reluctant to cede operational authority.
--Regulation. Lax planning and poor construction standards were blamed for much of the loss of life in 2004, and these mistakes have since been repeated. In Manila, capital of the Philippines, 20 flood plains that previously drained storm water have been built over by housing in recent years. Shoddy work was blamed for the collapse of many houses in Indonesia's earthquakes. Authorities were urged to set up a network to share technical information, develop joint infrastructure and promote common standards. Yet at Hua Hin, Abhisit's statement suggested that only operations would be standardized. Governments have been loath in the past to share technical data, and it is likely this will continue.
Outlook. Despite the devastating series of recent disasters, most South-east Asian countries remain ill-prepared and seemingly reluctant to commit resources. Attempts at cooperation will be held back as long as governments are reluctant to cede management control to an independent authority.
To read an extended version of this article, log on to Oxford Analytica's Web site.
Oxford Analytica is an independent strategic-consulting firm drawing on a network of more than 1,000 scholar experts at Oxford and other leading universities and research institutions around the world.
Oxford Analytica, 10.30.09, 06:00 AM EDT
Still, despite recent catastrophes, South-east Asian countries seem reluctant to commit resources.
The East Asia summit, held in the southern Thai town of Hua Hin on Oct. 25, pledged to integrate efforts to raise levels of preparedness and reduce the risks of natural disasters. It was attended by the 10 Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and their dialogue partners, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Natural disasters. ASEAN is responding to a spate of natural disasters along the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the tsunami that killed 220,000 people in December 2004 and a cyclone that killed more than 80,000 Burmese in May 2008. Thousands more died this year as tropical storms and earthquakes ravaged South-east Asia. Recent U.N. figures show that Asia is the global disaster hot spot, suffering an average of 250 weather-related catastrophes per year, up from 75 in 1980. South-east Asia alone accounts for some 60% of these disasters worldwide.
ASEAN efforts. ASEAN has set a target of 2015 for creating a "disaster-resilient" community under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response. Efforts to mount a cooperative response to the Burmese cyclone have yielded some success, with $103 million of relief aid mobilized. Yet this was a one-off effort and mandate of the tripartite group that organized it, comprising ASEAN, the U.N. and the government of Burma, will soon expire.
Cooperation agenda. A workshop conducted by governments and aid agencies after the 2004 tsunami found that none of the five countries affected--Indonesia, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives--was adequately prepared and that responses varied wildly. Five years later, its recommendations have only been partly implemented:
--Education. A "very low" level of awareness of the potential risks was cited as a key reason for the high death toll. In contrast, a 2007 tsunami in the Solomon Islands had a relatively small impact because coastal dwellers had a historic knowledge of tsunamis and evacuated without waiting for an official warning. Calling for more education in schools, it also cautioned against an over-reliance on technology, as it could take too long for early-warning satellites and seismographs to pinpoint the source of an earthquake or detect signs of a potential tsunami and issue alerts. Within the region, only Australia, Indonesia and India have operational warning centers for tsunamis.
--Coordination. Governments were urged to cooperate at local and regional levels to remove logistical and operational bottlenecks and ensure adequate resources. Australia announced in Hua Hin that it was establishing a permanent rapid-reaction force of 500 civilian emergency personnel to respond to incidents. The workshop noted the need for a new center to coordinate activities at the regional level, possibly modeled on the research-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center based in Bangkok. There is also provision for a unified approach through the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, but countries have been reluctant to cede operational authority.
--Regulation. Lax planning and poor construction standards were blamed for much of the loss of life in 2004, and these mistakes have since been repeated. In Manila, capital of the Philippines, 20 flood plains that previously drained storm water have been built over by housing in recent years. Shoddy work was blamed for the collapse of many houses in Indonesia's earthquakes. Authorities were urged to set up a network to share technical information, develop joint infrastructure and promote common standards. Yet at Hua Hin, Abhisit's statement suggested that only operations would be standardized. Governments have been loath in the past to share technical data, and it is likely this will continue.
Outlook. Despite the devastating series of recent disasters, most South-east Asian countries remain ill-prepared and seemingly reluctant to commit resources. Attempts at cooperation will be held back as long as governments are reluctant to cede management control to an independent authority.
To read an extended version of this article, log on to Oxford Analytica's Web site.
Oxford Analytica is an independent strategic-consulting firm drawing on a network of more than 1,000 scholar experts at Oxford and other leading universities and research institutions around the world.
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Myanmar to create Yangon as plastic-free city
www.chinaview.cn 2009-10-30 20:08:30
YANGON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Small and thin plastic producers in Myanmar's commercial city of Yangon have been ordered to stop their production by the end of next month to pave way for creating a thin-plastic-bag-free city and bring about a clean environment, said sources with the Yangon City Development Committee Friday.
The ultimatum was set for Nov. 30 for the close-down of such business in the former capital.
There is a total of 146 plastic industries in Yangon and disposal of used plastic bags in the city amounted to 200 tons per day, the sources said.
Plastic bag production in Myanmar has dropped by half this year after the authorities banned using small and thin plastic bags in the first three cities of Mandalay, Bagan and Nay Pyi Taw starting four months ago due to environmental impact reason, according to a market survey.
The import of raw material for producing plastic bags has also decreased, merchants said.
The authorities have urged the public to re-use paper bag, cloth bag, banana leaf and tree leaf instead in packing things or food.
The program of creating plastic-free zones is also being extended to Myitgyina and Sagaing in northwestern part of the country, reports said.
Plastic production has been banned in Mandalay since 2004 and the prohibition on use of small and thin plastic bags in daily life followed in June this year.
As part of its measures, the Mandalay municipal authorities seized and destroyed a total of 321 kilogram of plastic bags from five townships in the city then.
Myanmar people have been widely and traditionally using small and thin plastic bags for packing things and even food in markets and restaurants as well as packing rubbish for throwing, building up a large amount of garbage daily for disposal.
Although the ban has not affected Yangon, the Yangon municipal authorities has launched a program of collecting disposed plastic bags in the city and re-using them in production of plastic pipes as part of its bid in environment conservation.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-10-30 20:08:30
YANGON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Small and thin plastic producers in Myanmar's commercial city of Yangon have been ordered to stop their production by the end of next month to pave way for creating a thin-plastic-bag-free city and bring about a clean environment, said sources with the Yangon City Development Committee Friday.
The ultimatum was set for Nov. 30 for the close-down of such business in the former capital.
There is a total of 146 plastic industries in Yangon and disposal of used plastic bags in the city amounted to 200 tons per day, the sources said.
Plastic bag production in Myanmar has dropped by half this year after the authorities banned using small and thin plastic bags in the first three cities of Mandalay, Bagan and Nay Pyi Taw starting four months ago due to environmental impact reason, according to a market survey.
The import of raw material for producing plastic bags has also decreased, merchants said.
The authorities have urged the public to re-use paper bag, cloth bag, banana leaf and tree leaf instead in packing things or food.
The program of creating plastic-free zones is also being extended to Myitgyina and Sagaing in northwestern part of the country, reports said.
Plastic production has been banned in Mandalay since 2004 and the prohibition on use of small and thin plastic bags in daily life followed in June this year.
As part of its measures, the Mandalay municipal authorities seized and destroyed a total of 321 kilogram of plastic bags from five townships in the city then.
Myanmar people have been widely and traditionally using small and thin plastic bags for packing things and even food in markets and restaurants as well as packing rubbish for throwing, building up a large amount of garbage daily for disposal.
Although the ban has not affected Yangon, the Yangon municipal authorities has launched a program of collecting disposed plastic bags in the city and re-using them in production of plastic pipes as part of its bid in environment conservation.
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Express Buzz - Review ties with Myanmar: Experts
Express News Service
Last Updated : 30 Oct 2009 07:09:48 AM IST
CHENNAI: India should review its ties with Myanmar and balance its idealism-driven support to the restoration of democracy and the realism-driven need to deal with junta to counter China’s influence in the region, say experts.
Speaking at the seminar on ‘Recent developments in Myanmar: Implication for India’ at the University of Madras here on Thursday, Dr Ninan Koshy, noted political thinker said “public position of India in Myanmar is less critical than that of China.”
“India is largely following China’s lead of engaging the junta and the pro-democracy groups in Myanmar but it lacks the confidence and surefootedness of China in engaging with policies of the junta,” said Koshy, a former varsity fellow, Harvard Law School, in his keynote address.
“The problem is India sees its ties with Myanmar as a competition with China but not in terms of specific policy and Myanmar is taking advantage of this competition,” said Koshy at the seminar organised by department of politics and public administration, University of Madras and Centre for Asia Studies.
Another concern for India is the maritime encirclement of India, with the Chinese base at Gwadar to the west of India and on Coco Island to the east. Experts expressed concern that China’s naval presence in Burma may allow it to interdict regional sea-lanes of communication.
While Koshy stressed the need for India to focus on people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations, R Swaminathan, former Director General (Security), differed and said idealism is not enough in engaging China.Swaminathan demanded a total revival in policy which includes engagement of the military regime.
Col Hariharan (retired), and D S Rajan, director, Chennai Centre for China Studies, also spoke.
Express News Service
Last Updated : 30 Oct 2009 07:09:48 AM IST
CHENNAI: India should review its ties with Myanmar and balance its idealism-driven support to the restoration of democracy and the realism-driven need to deal with junta to counter China’s influence in the region, say experts.
Speaking at the seminar on ‘Recent developments in Myanmar: Implication for India’ at the University of Madras here on Thursday, Dr Ninan Koshy, noted political thinker said “public position of India in Myanmar is less critical than that of China.”
“India is largely following China’s lead of engaging the junta and the pro-democracy groups in Myanmar but it lacks the confidence and surefootedness of China in engaging with policies of the junta,” said Koshy, a former varsity fellow, Harvard Law School, in his keynote address.
“The problem is India sees its ties with Myanmar as a competition with China but not in terms of specific policy and Myanmar is taking advantage of this competition,” said Koshy at the seminar organised by department of politics and public administration, University of Madras and Centre for Asia Studies.
Another concern for India is the maritime encirclement of India, with the Chinese base at Gwadar to the west of India and on Coco Island to the east. Experts expressed concern that China’s naval presence in Burma may allow it to interdict regional sea-lanes of communication.
While Koshy stressed the need for India to focus on people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations, R Swaminathan, former Director General (Security), differed and said idealism is not enough in engaging China.Swaminathan demanded a total revival in policy which includes engagement of the military regime.
Col Hariharan (retired), and D S Rajan, director, Chennai Centre for China Studies, also spoke.
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Friday, October 30, 2009
Daily Mirror - Tooth Relic exposition for Myanmar President
By L B Senaratne
A special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic is expected to be held for a few hours for the President of Myanmar (former Burma), when he visits Kandy on November 13. A meeting to make the arrangements is scheduled to be held under the chairmanship of the Governor of the Central province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and the Diyawadana Nilame, Pradeep Nilanga Dela, one of the custodians of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Over the years Myanmar had donated much material to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. The most testifying example is the exposition Karanduwa of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the intricate carving on two elephant tusks which are normally kept in front of the Karanduwa during the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Most of the stone pillars at the Hewisi Mandapaya (Drummers’ Hall) have also been donated by citizens of Myanmar–another example of Mayanmar’s connections with the Sri Dalada Maligawa.
Daily Mirror - Tooth Relic exposition for Myanmar President
By L B Senaratne
A special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic is expected to be held for a few hours for the President of Myanmar (former Burma), when he visits Kandy on November 13. A meeting to make the arrangements is scheduled to be held under the chairmanship of the Governor of the Central province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and the Diyawadana Nilame, Pradeep Nilanga Dela, one of the custodians of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Over the years Myanmar had donated much material to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. The most testifying example is the exposition Karanduwa of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the intricate carving on two elephant tusks which are normally kept in front of the Karanduwa during the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Most of the stone pillars at the Hewisi Mandapaya (Drummers’ Hall) have also been donated by citizens of Myanmar–another example of Mayanmar’s connections with the Sri Dalada Maligawa.
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Journalism.co.uk - Media in Burma still face repression and fear in election build-up, says BBC editor
Posted: 30/10/09 By: Arj Singh
Reporting in Burma is 'at the best of times very difficult, at the worst impossible', the BBC's Burma desk editor told a packed crowd at the launch of the 2010 Orwell Prize last night.
State repression of the media and the 'atmosphere of fear' surrounding the Burmese people makes balanced reporting almost unworkable, Soe Win Than said as part of a debate on the future of Burma.
Earlier in the evening, Andrew Mitchell MP, shadow secretary of state for international development, described the BBC World Service as 'massively important' to the Burmese people as the ruling military junta doesn't have the technology to block its transmission.
But Than, who worked for seven years as a journalist for Burma's Ministry of Information, stressed that just being able to transmit is not enough.
"They [the Burmese junta] discourage and threaten people not to listen to foreign radio stations," he said.
"This makes it very difficult to talk to people in Burma, not just government officials, but to normal people, even over non-controversial subjects."
The advancement of technology, the internet and blogging has helped, according to Than, as seen during the anti-government protests in 2007.
But those brave enough to use new media still face a government crackdown, he added.
"What was encouraging was the citizen journalists who risked everything to get information out of Burma, but many key sources are now in jail," he said.
The junta's 'propaganda machine' is another force working against journalists, as state newspapers 'accuse the foreign press of being biased' and 'slandering them', said Than.
"They set up radio stations with rock and pop music interspersed with anti-foreign news propaganda," he said.
Than said he believes there will be 'more control and propaganda' in the run up to next year's mooted general election.
Pascal Khoo Thwe, a Burmese activist and author also taking part in the discussion said: "The election is likely to be at the time around the [football] World Cup when the camera is pointing the other side, because the government has no confidence."
The panel discussion followed the announcement of the judges for the Orwell Prize for authors, journalists and bloggers, which will this year include the winner of last year's blog prize Richard Horton or 'Jack Night'.
Arj Singh (@singharj) is currently studying for an MA in Newspaper Journalism at City University and has a passionate interest in foreign correspondence.
Posted: 30/10/09 By: Arj Singh
Reporting in Burma is 'at the best of times very difficult, at the worst impossible', the BBC's Burma desk editor told a packed crowd at the launch of the 2010 Orwell Prize last night.
State repression of the media and the 'atmosphere of fear' surrounding the Burmese people makes balanced reporting almost unworkable, Soe Win Than said as part of a debate on the future of Burma.
Earlier in the evening, Andrew Mitchell MP, shadow secretary of state for international development, described the BBC World Service as 'massively important' to the Burmese people as the ruling military junta doesn't have the technology to block its transmission.
But Than, who worked for seven years as a journalist for Burma's Ministry of Information, stressed that just being able to transmit is not enough.
"They [the Burmese junta] discourage and threaten people not to listen to foreign radio stations," he said.
"This makes it very difficult to talk to people in Burma, not just government officials, but to normal people, even over non-controversial subjects."
The advancement of technology, the internet and blogging has helped, according to Than, as seen during the anti-government protests in 2007.
But those brave enough to use new media still face a government crackdown, he added.
"What was encouraging was the citizen journalists who risked everything to get information out of Burma, but many key sources are now in jail," he said.
The junta's 'propaganda machine' is another force working against journalists, as state newspapers 'accuse the foreign press of being biased' and 'slandering them', said Than.
"They set up radio stations with rock and pop music interspersed with anti-foreign news propaganda," he said.
Than said he believes there will be 'more control and propaganda' in the run up to next year's mooted general election.
Pascal Khoo Thwe, a Burmese activist and author also taking part in the discussion said: "The election is likely to be at the time around the [football] World Cup when the camera is pointing the other side, because the government has no confidence."
The panel discussion followed the announcement of the judges for the Orwell Prize for authors, journalists and bloggers, which will this year include the winner of last year's blog prize Richard Horton or 'Jack Night'.
Arj Singh (@singharj) is currently studying for an MA in Newspaper Journalism at City University and has a passionate interest in foreign correspondence.
***********************************************************
Japan Today - U.N. panel adopts Japanese resolution seeking total nuke elimination
Friday 30th October, 03:40 AM JST
NEW YORK — A committee of the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday that was put forward by Japan and calls for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Two countries—North Korea and India—voted against the resolution. There were eight abstentions—China, Cuba, France, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bhutan and Israel.
Voting taken at the First Committee, tasked with dealing with disarmament issues, found that a record 170 countries, including the United States—the first in nine years—supported the resolution, which called for all U.N. members to ‘‘take further practical steps and effective measures toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons, with a view to achieving a peaceful and safe world without nuclear weapons.’‘
Friday 30th October, 03:40 AM JST
NEW YORK — A committee of the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday that was put forward by Japan and calls for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Two countries—North Korea and India—voted against the resolution. There were eight abstentions—China, Cuba, France, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bhutan and Israel.
Voting taken at the First Committee, tasked with dealing with disarmament issues, found that a record 170 countries, including the United States—the first in nine years—supported the resolution, which called for all U.N. members to ‘‘take further practical steps and effective measures toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons, with a view to achieving a peaceful and safe world without nuclear weapons.’‘
***********************************************************
The Nation - Nationality Verification of Burmese Migrants: A Meaningful Debate
By Andy Hall
Published on October 30, 2009
The Thai Government recently reiterated its policy to formalise the status of around 2 million migrants from Burma working here. Nationality verification (NV) is apparently required because these migrants left Burma without permission and entered Thailand "illegally".
What with an abundance of brokers assisting them, and the fact that wide swathes of the Thai economy remain reliant on them, it's easy to get in at a cost. Once registered to work "legally" in the most dangerous jobs Thailand has to offer, migrants' status remains "illegal, pending deportation". Refused work accident compensation, the right to ride motorbikes and travel outside a province of registration, migrants live in a grey hole where insecurity and exploitation thrives.
So something apparently needed to be done to solve this unjust situation. NV means that migrants become both "Burmese" and "legal" at the same time. They also receive a "temporary" passport, which entitles them to benefits in Thailand they were previously denied.
Since NV involves working with the junta, difficulties were always going to arise. While Cambodia and Laos sent diplomats to complete NV for their workers in Thailand, Burma insisted its workers return home to complete the process. NV for Burmese workers ground to a halt - only to reawaken last year when Thailand allowed the process to be completed on Burmese soil.
Many observers, including political groups engaged in a sixty-year political struggle against the junta, sensed NV was not a magic solution to Thailand's irregular migration challenges. Instead, it seemed a tad fishy. So is NV a win-win process? If not, the lives of millions of migrants are potentially at stake.
Migrants currently send their biographical information to the Burmese authorities and then travel to Burma to complete NV. Since August, six NV centres have become operational on both sides of three main Burma-Thailand border crossings. Two more centres are planned. Once the process is complete, migrants return with "temporary" passports and two-year visas.
However, for many, NV remains a migrant's worst nightmare and should not be attempted.
Firstly, NV is potentially dangerous, especially for migrants from the plethora of ethnic groups in Burma who are still at war with the Burmese. They are being asked to deal directly with the junta, which for many is a scary prospect that brings fear of persecution and imprisonment for themselves and their families.
Secondly, NV is complex and non-transparent. Thailand has mounted no public awareness campaign. Officials simply tell migrants to complete NV before February 28, 2010 or be deported. A Burmese government leaflet is the only official information released - claiming the process is "risk free, cheap and friendly". The reality is that few migrants believe the junta.
Thirdly, NV is costly. The current price is Bt3,000 to 10,000. Brokers remain unregulated and are fleecing migrants, given that someone needs to guide them through the 13-step process. The costs are inappropriate, given that a previous migrant registration process just ended, and migrant incomes are so low.
With such a secretive process, there has been much talk: Land confiscation for families of migrants attempting NV; migrants from Bangkok arrested on arrival in Myawaddy and sent to Insein Prison; widespread extortion by junta officials; migrants committing suicide to avoid the process. Few can ascertain whether these rumours are true, but Thai and Burmese officials denied them outright when they met the media in Bangkok recently.
Migrants have many serious questions about NV, but receive few answers. How is nationality verified? How long does it take? Why are Muslims excluded? What are the actual benefits? Why does Burma refuse to allow NV to take place in Thailand? Is NV related to the 2010 Burmese election? No official answers. So migrants simply dismiss statements that deny the risks.
The number of migrants completing NV is still low - only around 2,000 of an eligible 1 million have been issued temporary passports. But for advocates of migrant rights, should we accept NV as a beneficial reality and move to discuss how it can be undertaken most effectively and safely? What are the alternatives?
Since the early 1990s, Thailand has implemented a piecemeal migrant registration policy that has neither protected rights nor effectively managed flows. The standard procedure has been yearly Cabinet resolutions to allow registration of migrants for 30 days, or occasionally granting an amnesty to all aliens in the country. Costs are Bt3,800 for a work permit and health insurance. Often no change of employer is allowed. Due to lack of awareness, it's not rare for officials to learn about registration policies after they have been implemented, while employers seem to miss the processes altogether before they end for another year.
So on balance, NV appears a more viable system for managing irregular migration in Thailand than anything. It can at least potentially formalise entry and exit from the country in a way that could reduce exploitation, smuggling and even perhaps trafficking. But if a migrant's home country is Burma, does something change?
Of course, the root cause of Burmese migrants' problems is Burma itself. But until that problem can be solved, Thailand cannot deny its responsibility to regulate Burmese migrants and support their access to rights and welfare in the most effective way it can. Activists too should share this heavy burden.
The Thai government's new NV policy, whatever its ulterior motive may be, should be welcomed. For it has started a meaningful debate. When one of the most vulnerable workforces in the world is faced with systematic exploitation - characterised by one country that refuses to acknowledge its benefits and another that refuses to respond to it - the debate will eventually expose the serious predicament faced by Burmese migrants currently toiling in Thailand.
These migrants are usually passive victims of a situation they were not involved in creating. To be the subjects of intense discussion - which may eventually find a lasting solution to their sad predicament - is surely the least they deserve.
Andy Hall is director of the Human Rights and Development Foundation's Migrant Justice Programme.
By Andy Hall
Published on October 30, 2009
The Thai Government recently reiterated its policy to formalise the status of around 2 million migrants from Burma working here. Nationality verification (NV) is apparently required because these migrants left Burma without permission and entered Thailand "illegally".
What with an abundance of brokers assisting them, and the fact that wide swathes of the Thai economy remain reliant on them, it's easy to get in at a cost. Once registered to work "legally" in the most dangerous jobs Thailand has to offer, migrants' status remains "illegal, pending deportation". Refused work accident compensation, the right to ride motorbikes and travel outside a province of registration, migrants live in a grey hole where insecurity and exploitation thrives.
So something apparently needed to be done to solve this unjust situation. NV means that migrants become both "Burmese" and "legal" at the same time. They also receive a "temporary" passport, which entitles them to benefits in Thailand they were previously denied.
Since NV involves working with the junta, difficulties were always going to arise. While Cambodia and Laos sent diplomats to complete NV for their workers in Thailand, Burma insisted its workers return home to complete the process. NV for Burmese workers ground to a halt - only to reawaken last year when Thailand allowed the process to be completed on Burmese soil.
Many observers, including political groups engaged in a sixty-year political struggle against the junta, sensed NV was not a magic solution to Thailand's irregular migration challenges. Instead, it seemed a tad fishy. So is NV a win-win process? If not, the lives of millions of migrants are potentially at stake.
Migrants currently send their biographical information to the Burmese authorities and then travel to Burma to complete NV. Since August, six NV centres have become operational on both sides of three main Burma-Thailand border crossings. Two more centres are planned. Once the process is complete, migrants return with "temporary" passports and two-year visas.
However, for many, NV remains a migrant's worst nightmare and should not be attempted.
Firstly, NV is potentially dangerous, especially for migrants from the plethora of ethnic groups in Burma who are still at war with the Burmese. They are being asked to deal directly with the junta, which for many is a scary prospect that brings fear of persecution and imprisonment for themselves and their families.
Secondly, NV is complex and non-transparent. Thailand has mounted no public awareness campaign. Officials simply tell migrants to complete NV before February 28, 2010 or be deported. A Burmese government leaflet is the only official information released - claiming the process is "risk free, cheap and friendly". The reality is that few migrants believe the junta.
Thirdly, NV is costly. The current price is Bt3,000 to 10,000. Brokers remain unregulated and are fleecing migrants, given that someone needs to guide them through the 13-step process. The costs are inappropriate, given that a previous migrant registration process just ended, and migrant incomes are so low.
With such a secretive process, there has been much talk: Land confiscation for families of migrants attempting NV; migrants from Bangkok arrested on arrival in Myawaddy and sent to Insein Prison; widespread extortion by junta officials; migrants committing suicide to avoid the process. Few can ascertain whether these rumours are true, but Thai and Burmese officials denied them outright when they met the media in Bangkok recently.
Migrants have many serious questions about NV, but receive few answers. How is nationality verified? How long does it take? Why are Muslims excluded? What are the actual benefits? Why does Burma refuse to allow NV to take place in Thailand? Is NV related to the 2010 Burmese election? No official answers. So migrants simply dismiss statements that deny the risks.
The number of migrants completing NV is still low - only around 2,000 of an eligible 1 million have been issued temporary passports. But for advocates of migrant rights, should we accept NV as a beneficial reality and move to discuss how it can be undertaken most effectively and safely? What are the alternatives?
Since the early 1990s, Thailand has implemented a piecemeal migrant registration policy that has neither protected rights nor effectively managed flows. The standard procedure has been yearly Cabinet resolutions to allow registration of migrants for 30 days, or occasionally granting an amnesty to all aliens in the country. Costs are Bt3,800 for a work permit and health insurance. Often no change of employer is allowed. Due to lack of awareness, it's not rare for officials to learn about registration policies after they have been implemented, while employers seem to miss the processes altogether before they end for another year.
So on balance, NV appears a more viable system for managing irregular migration in Thailand than anything. It can at least potentially formalise entry and exit from the country in a way that could reduce exploitation, smuggling and even perhaps trafficking. But if a migrant's home country is Burma, does something change?
Of course, the root cause of Burmese migrants' problems is Burma itself. But until that problem can be solved, Thailand cannot deny its responsibility to regulate Burmese migrants and support their access to rights and welfare in the most effective way it can. Activists too should share this heavy burden.
The Thai government's new NV policy, whatever its ulterior motive may be, should be welcomed. For it has started a meaningful debate. When one of the most vulnerable workforces in the world is faced with systematic exploitation - characterised by one country that refuses to acknowledge its benefits and another that refuses to respond to it - the debate will eventually expose the serious predicament faced by Burmese migrants currently toiling in Thailand.
These migrants are usually passive victims of a situation they were not involved in creating. To be the subjects of intense discussion - which may eventually find a lasting solution to their sad predicament - is surely the least they deserve.
Andy Hall is director of the Human Rights and Development Foundation's Migrant Justice Programme.
***********************************************************
Chinese energy delegation in town
by Moe Thu
Friday, 30 October 2009 11:56
Rangoon (Mizzima) - A Chinese delegation arrived in Rangoon yesterday to discuss the gas pipeline project, which is to link western Burma’s coastal area to China’s Yunnan province and the recent spate of protests against it, said a source in the energy sector.
The China National Petroleum Corporation’s delegation arrived former capital to talk about technical issues with Burmese authorities over the controversial project, which began in mid-September amid criticism by right groups, the source said.
The 980-kilometre pipeline is part of a 30-year natural gas purchase and sale deal CNPC sealed last December with a consortium of the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, South Korea’s Daewoo International, ONGC Videsh Limited and Gail (India) Limited.
The strategically important pipeline, which will transmit oil and natural gas from Africa and the Middle East, will shorten the transportation distance, and will pass through Arakan (Rakhine) State, Magwe division, Mandalay division and Yunnan in China. Currently it is transported by tankers through the Malacca strait to China.
The consortium found commercially viable gas deposits in A-1 and A-3 offshore blocks in Burma, which is also known as the Shwe gas project.
In response to the pipeline project, which is having a negative impact on the people – such as forced relocation – along the areas the pipeline is to be built, there have been vehement protests in India, Thailand, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
Shwe Gas campaigners said the project will generate about $ 29 billion over three decades for the Burmese junta.
by Moe Thu
Friday, 30 October 2009 11:56
Rangoon (Mizzima) - A Chinese delegation arrived in Rangoon yesterday to discuss the gas pipeline project, which is to link western Burma’s coastal area to China’s Yunnan province and the recent spate of protests against it, said a source in the energy sector.
The China National Petroleum Corporation’s delegation arrived former capital to talk about technical issues with Burmese authorities over the controversial project, which began in mid-September amid criticism by right groups, the source said.
The 980-kilometre pipeline is part of a 30-year natural gas purchase and sale deal CNPC sealed last December with a consortium of the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, South Korea’s Daewoo International, ONGC Videsh Limited and Gail (India) Limited.
The strategically important pipeline, which will transmit oil and natural gas from Africa and the Middle East, will shorten the transportation distance, and will pass through Arakan (Rakhine) State, Magwe division, Mandalay division and Yunnan in China. Currently it is transported by tankers through the Malacca strait to China.
The consortium found commercially viable gas deposits in A-1 and A-3 offshore blocks in Burma, which is also known as the Shwe gas project.
In response to the pipeline project, which is having a negative impact on the people – such as forced relocation – along the areas the pipeline is to be built, there have been vehement protests in India, Thailand, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
Shwe Gas campaigners said the project will generate about $ 29 billion over three decades for the Burmese junta.
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Burmese artists shortlisted for international art prize
by Mungpi
Friday, 30 October 2009 21:55
New Delhi (Mizzima) - A Burmese refugee women’s group, Kumjing Storytellers, and a renowned detained poet, Saw Wei, have been named among the shortlisted finalists for the 2009 Freedom to Create Prize, organizers said.
The London-based Freedom to Create, an initiative that seeks to improve lives by addressing society’s ability to support and sustain creativity, since last year has begun awarding artists around the world with three categories of Prizes – Main, Youth and Imprisoned Artistes Prizes.
Alice Parson of the Freedom to Create on Friday told Mizzima, “The award is mainly to promote justice around the world and to encourage artistic freedom.”
Parson said the organisation has shortlisted the Kumjing Storytellers, a group of Burmese refugee women, who use performing arts to tell their stories of ethnic persecution in Burma, as one of the finalists for the ‘Main’ Prize.
The Kumjing Storytellers are a group of Burmese refugee women, who fled to Thailand from Burma’s Shan state. "Kumjing" - a Thai women's name meaning ‘precious jewel’ is used to represent the women, who have migrated to live and work in Thai-Burma border areas.
Known as the ‘Journey of Kumjing,’ the group tells stories of persecuted women, challenge discrimination and assert their human rights through performing arts. Using some 250 paper machédolls, the group travels across Thailand and the world to raise awareness of their plight.
Saw Wei, a detained Burmese poet, who was sentenced to two years in November 2008 for writing a Valentine’s Day poem that contains a code criticising the Burmese military junta supremo Snr Gen Than Shwe, was shortlisted for the ‘Imprisoned Artiste’ Prize.
The award, which will be announced on November 25 at a ceremony in London, will also include a cash prize for each category. There are three prize winners in the Main Prize category, who will share a prize pool of US$75,000.
The first prize of US$50,000 will be split equally between the winner of the award, and an organisation nominated by them to further the cause that their work has highlighted. The second place prize of US$15,000 will be similarly divided equally between the winner and their nominated organisation. The US$10,000 third place prize will be shared the same way.
The Youth Prize will include a cash prize of US$25,000. It will be divided into two - the winner will receive US$10,000, while the remaining US$15,000 will be given to an organisation nominated by them to further the cause their artwork has highlighted.
The third category, the ‘Imprisoned Artist’ Prize, focuses on artists who are imprisoned because of their art and the role of their work in highlighting injustice. This prize puts less emphasis on the artist’s work and more on the personal risks incurred, the message conveyed through their work and its impact.
It includes a cash prize of US$25,000 that will be directed towards securing the artist’s release, advocating on their behalf and their cause and offering support to their family.
In 2008, detained artist – comedian and actor – Zarganar, also known as Thura, was named winner of the Freedom to Create’s “Imprisoned Artiste” Prize.
by Mungpi
Friday, 30 October 2009 21:55
New Delhi (Mizzima) - A Burmese refugee women’s group, Kumjing Storytellers, and a renowned detained poet, Saw Wei, have been named among the shortlisted finalists for the 2009 Freedom to Create Prize, organizers said.
The London-based Freedom to Create, an initiative that seeks to improve lives by addressing society’s ability to support and sustain creativity, since last year has begun awarding artists around the world with three categories of Prizes – Main, Youth and Imprisoned Artistes Prizes.
Alice Parson of the Freedom to Create on Friday told Mizzima, “The award is mainly to promote justice around the world and to encourage artistic freedom.”
Parson said the organisation has shortlisted the Kumjing Storytellers, a group of Burmese refugee women, who use performing arts to tell their stories of ethnic persecution in Burma, as one of the finalists for the ‘Main’ Prize.
The Kumjing Storytellers are a group of Burmese refugee women, who fled to Thailand from Burma’s Shan state. "Kumjing" - a Thai women's name meaning ‘precious jewel’ is used to represent the women, who have migrated to live and work in Thai-Burma border areas.
Known as the ‘Journey of Kumjing,’ the group tells stories of persecuted women, challenge discrimination and assert their human rights through performing arts. Using some 250 paper machédolls, the group travels across Thailand and the world to raise awareness of their plight.
Saw Wei, a detained Burmese poet, who was sentenced to two years in November 2008 for writing a Valentine’s Day poem that contains a code criticising the Burmese military junta supremo Snr Gen Than Shwe, was shortlisted for the ‘Imprisoned Artiste’ Prize.
The award, which will be announced on November 25 at a ceremony in London, will also include a cash prize for each category. There are three prize winners in the Main Prize category, who will share a prize pool of US$75,000.
The first prize of US$50,000 will be split equally between the winner of the award, and an organisation nominated by them to further the cause that their work has highlighted. The second place prize of US$15,000 will be similarly divided equally between the winner and their nominated organisation. The US$10,000 third place prize will be shared the same way.
The Youth Prize will include a cash prize of US$25,000. It will be divided into two - the winner will receive US$10,000, while the remaining US$15,000 will be given to an organisation nominated by them to further the cause their artwork has highlighted.
The third category, the ‘Imprisoned Artist’ Prize, focuses on artists who are imprisoned because of their art and the role of their work in highlighting injustice. This prize puts less emphasis on the artist’s work and more on the personal risks incurred, the message conveyed through their work and its impact.
It includes a cash prize of US$25,000 that will be directed towards securing the artist’s release, advocating on their behalf and their cause and offering support to their family.
In 2008, detained artist – comedian and actor – Zarganar, also known as Thura, was named winner of the Freedom to Create’s “Imprisoned Artiste” Prize.
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Mizzima News - Municipality files case against free funeral service association
Friday, 30 October 2009 13:02
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Rangoon Division, North Dagon Township City Development Committee (Municipal) has filed a case against the Free Funeral Service Association yesterday for using a building not yet authorized by the civic body.
The municipality indicted the Association for using the unauthorized building after it did not abide by the instruction to arrange for drainage in front of the building.
“They did not give permission to use the building for our refusal to dig a 5’x5’ drain in front of our office’s brick fence. Now they have filed a case against us for using an unauthorized building,” Association Chairman actor Kyaw Thu told Mizzima.
The township civic body sent a letter to the Association informing that it would file a case against them. After Kyaw Thu replied telling them that they should file case against the organization, the civic body filed a case against the Association yesterday.
Kyaw Thu did not appear before the South Dagon Township court yesterday but sent the Association Manager instead.
An official from the North Dagon Township municipal office confirmed filing a case against the Association but he declined to give further details.
Explaining why they didn’t abide by the civic body’s instruction, Chairman Kyaw Thu, said “They directed us to dig the drain but not our adjacent plots. If the adjacent plots do not have the drainage, it will be like a reservoir and will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This will be hazardous for our patients”. Currently the waste water is drained to the rear of the Nga Mo Yeik creek.
Rangoon Free Funeral Service Association office and ‘Thu Kha’ free medical care service are being run at this Kyat 200 million building and providing free medical care to about 150 to 200 patients daily.
The free clinic is providing free treatment to all patients seven days a week with Eye, Orthopaedic, Obstetrician and Gynaecology, Paediatric volunteer specialists and volunteer nurses. The X-ray laboratory also provides free service for patients. The association has 16 hearses and provides free funeral service for 50 bodies daily.
The township civic body offered further permission for construction of the X-ray laboratory and other buildings if they agreed to arrange for drainage, Kyaw Thu said.
The civic body tried to indict them while the association was awaiting permission to use the newly constructed building after the municipality photographed it. If the court accepts the case, the free funeral service and free clinic are likely to be suspended.
“I have no idea about the case. If the court directs us to close, we have to close all our free services including the clinic. I may have to go to prison. We have done everything we could but the latest directive is a load of nonsense,” Kyaw Thu said.
The Free Funeral Service Association was established in January 2001 by Kyaw Thu and like-minded well-wishers. Later they expanded their service to a free clinic. They provide free funeral service irrespective of people’s social status.
Initially, they operated the service at the Brahma Vihara monastery in Thingangyun Township. It was shifted to the new location in North Dagon Township on 19 July (Martyr’s Day) this year.
The Kyauktada Township city development committee instructed them to move all their hearses to the ‘Yeway’ cemetery in North Okkalapa from Thingangyun Township in February this year. So they had to open their branch office at this cemetery and shift all hearses.
Friday, 30 October 2009 13:02
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Rangoon Division, North Dagon Township City Development Committee (Municipal) has filed a case against the Free Funeral Service Association yesterday for using a building not yet authorized by the civic body.
The municipality indicted the Association for using the unauthorized building after it did not abide by the instruction to arrange for drainage in front of the building.
“They did not give permission to use the building for our refusal to dig a 5’x5’ drain in front of our office’s brick fence. Now they have filed a case against us for using an unauthorized building,” Association Chairman actor Kyaw Thu told Mizzima.
The township civic body sent a letter to the Association informing that it would file a case against them. After Kyaw Thu replied telling them that they should file case against the organization, the civic body filed a case against the Association yesterday.
Kyaw Thu did not appear before the South Dagon Township court yesterday but sent the Association Manager instead.
An official from the North Dagon Township municipal office confirmed filing a case against the Association but he declined to give further details.
Explaining why they didn’t abide by the civic body’s instruction, Chairman Kyaw Thu, said “They directed us to dig the drain but not our adjacent plots. If the adjacent plots do not have the drainage, it will be like a reservoir and will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This will be hazardous for our patients”. Currently the waste water is drained to the rear of the Nga Mo Yeik creek.
Rangoon Free Funeral Service Association office and ‘Thu Kha’ free medical care service are being run at this Kyat 200 million building and providing free medical care to about 150 to 200 patients daily.
The free clinic is providing free treatment to all patients seven days a week with Eye, Orthopaedic, Obstetrician and Gynaecology, Paediatric volunteer specialists and volunteer nurses. The X-ray laboratory also provides free service for patients. The association has 16 hearses and provides free funeral service for 50 bodies daily.
The township civic body offered further permission for construction of the X-ray laboratory and other buildings if they agreed to arrange for drainage, Kyaw Thu said.
The civic body tried to indict them while the association was awaiting permission to use the newly constructed building after the municipality photographed it. If the court accepts the case, the free funeral service and free clinic are likely to be suspended.
“I have no idea about the case. If the court directs us to close, we have to close all our free services including the clinic. I may have to go to prison. We have done everything we could but the latest directive is a load of nonsense,” Kyaw Thu said.
The Free Funeral Service Association was established in January 2001 by Kyaw Thu and like-minded well-wishers. Later they expanded their service to a free clinic. They provide free funeral service irrespective of people’s social status.
Initially, they operated the service at the Brahma Vihara monastery in Thingangyun Township. It was shifted to the new location in North Dagon Township on 19 July (Martyr’s Day) this year.
The Kyauktada Township city development committee instructed them to move all their hearses to the ‘Yeway’ cemetery in North Okkalapa from Thingangyun Township in February this year. So they had to open their branch office at this cemetery and shift all hearses.
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The Irrawaddy - Include NLD, Ethnic Minorities in Dialogue: US Sen
By LALIT K JHA - Friday, October 30, 2009
WASHINGTON — A key US senator has called for the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic minority groups to be included in the US-Burma talks.
"I believe that this interaction should not be limited to talks merely with the SPDC but should also include discussions with the National League for Democracy and representatives from Burma's ethnic minorities," Sen. Mitch McConnell said on the floor of the Senate.
He said he is "not sanguine" about the prospects for engagement with the Burmese regime, because the military junta has not shown any ability to compromise on any issues that might jeopardize its hold on power.
"According to news reports, in July of this year, just weeks before the unveiling of the new Burma policy, the state department at the highest levels offered to drop the US investment ban against Burma if the regime released Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.
"This was a major test of how the regime would respond to diplomatic engagement, providing a golden opportunity for the SPDC to demonstrate that it had indeed changed its spots. Instead of accepting this offer and freeing Suu Kyi, the regime promptly sentenced her to an additional 18 months of imprisonment. That does not augur well for diplomatic engagement," he said.
He said there are three significant tests of whether or not the junta's relationship with the US has improved to the degree that it should consider moving away from a sanction policy: first, the release of all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi; second, a free and fair 2010 elections; and third, Burma's compliance with its international obligations to end any prohibited relationships with North Korea.
"Short of tangible and concrete progress in these areas, the removal of sanctions seems to make little sense,” said Sen. McConnell. “It is after all the most significant leverage our government has over the SPDC. Sanctions make clear that the military junta has not achieved legitimacy in the eyes of the West."
He said the 2010 Burmese elections are fraught with problems. As a preliminary matter, for the elections to be meaningful, the new Constitution should be amended to provide for a truly open electoral competition and democratic governance, he said.
"As it stands now under the junta's charter, if Suu Kyi's party, the NLD, won 100 percent of the contestable parliamentary seats in next year's election, it would still not control the key government ministries: defense and home affairs. No matter what, they will remain firmly under military control. Moreover, the NLD cannot amend the Constitution to improve the charter because the military is guaranteed a quarter of the parliament's seats," he said.
"That means the junta can block any Constitutional change. Finally, Suu Kyi may not even hold a position in the government. She is excluded from office by the charter. I would say to my Senate colleagues, this is hardly a prescription for democratic governance," McConnell said.
He said there would need to be a profound change in the political environment in Burma for the 2010 election to be meaningful.
"With respect to next year's balloting, the NLD, the clear winner of the 1990 elections which the regime abrogated, faces a Hobson's choice,” he said. “It can either participate in the elections which are almost certain to be unfair and thereby legitimize the flawed Constitution or boycott the elections and be treated as a member of an unlawful organization," he said.
"Participation means casting aside its 1990 victory. Nonparticipation means becoming outlaws. I am likely to support the NLD in whatever decision the party makes in this regard though I am not blind to the profound dilemma it faces," McConnell said.
By LALIT K JHA - Friday, October 30, 2009
WASHINGTON — A key US senator has called for the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic minority groups to be included in the US-Burma talks.
"I believe that this interaction should not be limited to talks merely with the SPDC but should also include discussions with the National League for Democracy and representatives from Burma's ethnic minorities," Sen. Mitch McConnell said on the floor of the Senate.
He said he is "not sanguine" about the prospects for engagement with the Burmese regime, because the military junta has not shown any ability to compromise on any issues that might jeopardize its hold on power.
"According to news reports, in July of this year, just weeks before the unveiling of the new Burma policy, the state department at the highest levels offered to drop the US investment ban against Burma if the regime released Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.
"This was a major test of how the regime would respond to diplomatic engagement, providing a golden opportunity for the SPDC to demonstrate that it had indeed changed its spots. Instead of accepting this offer and freeing Suu Kyi, the regime promptly sentenced her to an additional 18 months of imprisonment. That does not augur well for diplomatic engagement," he said.
He said there are three significant tests of whether or not the junta's relationship with the US has improved to the degree that it should consider moving away from a sanction policy: first, the release of all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi; second, a free and fair 2010 elections; and third, Burma's compliance with its international obligations to end any prohibited relationships with North Korea.
"Short of tangible and concrete progress in these areas, the removal of sanctions seems to make little sense,” said Sen. McConnell. “It is after all the most significant leverage our government has over the SPDC. Sanctions make clear that the military junta has not achieved legitimacy in the eyes of the West."
He said the 2010 Burmese elections are fraught with problems. As a preliminary matter, for the elections to be meaningful, the new Constitution should be amended to provide for a truly open electoral competition and democratic governance, he said.
"As it stands now under the junta's charter, if Suu Kyi's party, the NLD, won 100 percent of the contestable parliamentary seats in next year's election, it would still not control the key government ministries: defense and home affairs. No matter what, they will remain firmly under military control. Moreover, the NLD cannot amend the Constitution to improve the charter because the military is guaranteed a quarter of the parliament's seats," he said.
"That means the junta can block any Constitutional change. Finally, Suu Kyi may not even hold a position in the government. She is excluded from office by the charter. I would say to my Senate colleagues, this is hardly a prescription for democratic governance," McConnell said.
He said there would need to be a profound change in the political environment in Burma for the 2010 election to be meaningful.
"With respect to next year's balloting, the NLD, the clear winner of the 1990 elections which the regime abrogated, faces a Hobson's choice,” he said. “It can either participate in the elections which are almost certain to be unfair and thereby legitimize the flawed Constitution or boycott the elections and be treated as a member of an unlawful organization," he said.
"Participation means casting aside its 1990 victory. Nonparticipation means becoming outlaws. I am likely to support the NLD in whatever decision the party makes in this regard though I am not blind to the profound dilemma it faces," McConnell said.
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The Irrawaddy - KNU, DKBA Hold Armistice Talks
By SAW YAN NAING - Friday, October 30, 2009
Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) held cease-fire talks on Oct 19 at an undisclosed location on the Thai-Burmese border, according to Karen sources from both sides.
It was the first time delegations from the armed groups have met since the DKBA split from the KNU in 1994 and then signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese military government.
Renowned fighter Maw Tho and leading Buddhist monk U Thuzana led the DKBA delegation, while the KNU was represented by its head of Pa-an District, Aung Maung Aye, and two high-ranking officers from its military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA): Commander in Chief Gen Mutu Say Poe and Commander of KNLA Brigade 7 Brig-Gen Johnny, according to Karen news organization Kwekalu.
Aung Maung Aye was quoted by Kwekalu as saying: “U Thuzana met with us briefly. He brought with him a document and an inkpad to mark thumbprints to confirm a cease-fire agreement between the KNU and DKBA. However, we didn’t sign it as we thought the monk did not represent the entire DKBA.
“He suddenly stood up and left, so we did not get a chance to discuss what we had come to talk about,” Aung Maung Aye reportedly said.
The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm whether there was a misunderstanding or a dispute between the KNU delegation and U Thuzana.
The meeting between the delegations reportedly lasted 30 minutes and talks mainly focused on a statement previously released by U Thuzana urging the DKBA and KNU to cease fighting, according to a source close to the DKBA.
“The DKBA and the KNU agreed to further talks,” he said.
However, he noted, the most powerful man in the DKBA administration, Col Chit Thu, did not participate in the meeting.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, the DKBA source said he believed that further negotiations between the two Karen groups is uncertain, because all battalions belonging to the DKBA are obliged to confirm their participation in the junta’s border guard force plan by Oct. 31.
Some sources said rumors had spread that U Thuzana was warned by Burmese officials following the talks. Other sources, however, doubted the rumor and said it was more likely that the Burmese military authorities were, in fact, behind the talks.
Despite the proximity of the deadline for agreeing to the border guard plan, several DKBA units are allegedly in dispute with the leadership and do not want to join a force that will be dominated by Burmese military commanders.
More than 100 members of the DKBA and another splinter group, the Karen Peace Force, have defected to the KNLA since June, according to Karen sources.
Meanwhile, another Karen breakaway group, the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, released a statement on Oct. 20 saying they had rejected the junta’s border guard force order.
“We believe that accepting military programs [border guard force role] will only continue the confusion, fear and never-ending conflict resulting in disruption to the democratic process for the year 2010,” the statement said.
By SAW YAN NAING - Friday, October 30, 2009
Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) held cease-fire talks on Oct 19 at an undisclosed location on the Thai-Burmese border, according to Karen sources from both sides.
It was the first time delegations from the armed groups have met since the DKBA split from the KNU in 1994 and then signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese military government.
Renowned fighter Maw Tho and leading Buddhist monk U Thuzana led the DKBA delegation, while the KNU was represented by its head of Pa-an District, Aung Maung Aye, and two high-ranking officers from its military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA): Commander in Chief Gen Mutu Say Poe and Commander of KNLA Brigade 7 Brig-Gen Johnny, according to Karen news organization Kwekalu.
Aung Maung Aye was quoted by Kwekalu as saying: “U Thuzana met with us briefly. He brought with him a document and an inkpad to mark thumbprints to confirm a cease-fire agreement between the KNU and DKBA. However, we didn’t sign it as we thought the monk did not represent the entire DKBA.
“He suddenly stood up and left, so we did not get a chance to discuss what we had come to talk about,” Aung Maung Aye reportedly said.
The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm whether there was a misunderstanding or a dispute between the KNU delegation and U Thuzana.
The meeting between the delegations reportedly lasted 30 minutes and talks mainly focused on a statement previously released by U Thuzana urging the DKBA and KNU to cease fighting, according to a source close to the DKBA.
“The DKBA and the KNU agreed to further talks,” he said.
However, he noted, the most powerful man in the DKBA administration, Col Chit Thu, did not participate in the meeting.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, the DKBA source said he believed that further negotiations between the two Karen groups is uncertain, because all battalions belonging to the DKBA are obliged to confirm their participation in the junta’s border guard force plan by Oct. 31.
Some sources said rumors had spread that U Thuzana was warned by Burmese officials following the talks. Other sources, however, doubted the rumor and said it was more likely that the Burmese military authorities were, in fact, behind the talks.
Despite the proximity of the deadline for agreeing to the border guard plan, several DKBA units are allegedly in dispute with the leadership and do not want to join a force that will be dominated by Burmese military commanders.
More than 100 members of the DKBA and another splinter group, the Karen Peace Force, have defected to the KNLA since June, according to Karen sources.
Meanwhile, another Karen breakaway group, the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, released a statement on Oct. 20 saying they had rejected the junta’s border guard force order.
“We believe that accepting military programs [border guard force role] will only continue the confusion, fear and never-ending conflict resulting in disruption to the democratic process for the year 2010,” the statement said.
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Burmese satirists could face death sentence
Oct 30, 2009 (DVB)–Comedians and performers who poke fun at Burma’s ruling junta could face the death sentence, an article written by Burmese police has warned.
Performances which could sow “public hatred against the government” are prohibited under Burmese law, said the article, published recently in the Crime News Journal. The journal is the mouthpiece of the state’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Equipment used in such an act will be seized while those who violate the law can face arrest and be sentenced from three years to lifetime imprisonment or execution,” the article said.
According to Burmese central court lawyer Khin Maung Shein, the threat relates to Act 124(A) of the penal code, which deals with defamation of the government.
“Public performers have made remarks about the rulers since the times of monarchy in Burma, and none of them were punished under the Act,” he said. [The government] is changing the law the way they want it.”
The renowned Burmese comedian, Zarganar, is currently serving a 35-year sentence after being convicted in 2008 of ‘public order offences’. The sentencing came after he had given interviews to foreign media critical of the government’s slow reaction to cyclone Nargis last year.
Zarganar was recently awarded the prestigious PEN/Pinter award, which honours international ‘imprisoned writers of courage’.
He is currently detained in Myintkyina prison in Burma’s eastern Kachin state, and was earlier this year reported to have been denied adequate healthcare despite suffering from hypertension and jaundice.
Political satire is popular in Burma, where outright criticism of the government carries heavy penalties.
“We comedians only make jokes to bring certain issues to the attention of the senior government leaders so they can fix them for the sake of the people,” said Lu Maw, from the Mandalay-based comedy group, Moustache Bros.
“That is neither national treason nor an armed-revolution. The only tool we have is our mouths.”
The government is expected to crack down on dissent in the run-up to elections next year, with arrests of activists already said to be on the rise.
Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat
Oct 30, 2009 (DVB)–Comedians and performers who poke fun at Burma’s ruling junta could face the death sentence, an article written by Burmese police has warned.
Performances which could sow “public hatred against the government” are prohibited under Burmese law, said the article, published recently in the Crime News Journal. The journal is the mouthpiece of the state’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Equipment used in such an act will be seized while those who violate the law can face arrest and be sentenced from three years to lifetime imprisonment or execution,” the article said.
According to Burmese central court lawyer Khin Maung Shein, the threat relates to Act 124(A) of the penal code, which deals with defamation of the government.
“Public performers have made remarks about the rulers since the times of monarchy in Burma, and none of them were punished under the Act,” he said. [The government] is changing the law the way they want it.”
The renowned Burmese comedian, Zarganar, is currently serving a 35-year sentence after being convicted in 2008 of ‘public order offences’. The sentencing came after he had given interviews to foreign media critical of the government’s slow reaction to cyclone Nargis last year.
Zarganar was recently awarded the prestigious PEN/Pinter award, which honours international ‘imprisoned writers of courage’.
He is currently detained in Myintkyina prison in Burma’s eastern Kachin state, and was earlier this year reported to have been denied adequate healthcare despite suffering from hypertension and jaundice.
Political satire is popular in Burma, where outright criticism of the government carries heavy penalties.
“We comedians only make jokes to bring certain issues to the attention of the senior government leaders so they can fix them for the sake of the people,” said Lu Maw, from the Mandalay-based comedy group, Moustache Bros.
“That is neither national treason nor an armed-revolution. The only tool we have is our mouths.”
The government is expected to crack down on dissent in the run-up to elections next year, with arrests of activists already said to be on the rise.
Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat
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Security threats in eastern Burma ‘increasing’
Oct 30, 2009 (DVB)–The fallout from conflict in eastern Burma is likely to deteriorate in the coming year as greater militarization causes further unrest in the region, an aid agency said.
The Thai government has expressed concern about an exodus of Burmese across the border in the run-up to elections next year, while a humanitarian organization warned last month that Thailand faces a “wave of refugees”.
The prediction was reinforced yesterday with the release of a statement by the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) that said that conflict in eastern Burma was not being given due attention.
“After 25 years of responding to the consequences of conflict in eastern Burma, it is tragic to see the causes remain unaddressed and the situation is likely to further deteriorate during the next twelve months,” said TBBC executive director, Jack Dunford.
“A recent influx of refugees into Thailand and monitoring reports from internally displaced communities indicate that violence and abuse in eastern Burma are increasing.”
Government pressure on ceasefire groups to transform into border guards prior to the elections is a key reason for the unrest and further uprooting of internally displaced persons (IDPs), said Duncan McArthur, emergency relief coordinator at TBBC.
“Of the numbers of IDPs in eastern Burma, around half of them are in ceasefire areas,” he said. “If the tension with the ceasefire groups escalates…it’s going to make those IDPs in ceasefire areas a lot more vulnerable than they have been previously.”
More than 3,500 villages and “hiding sites” have been forcibly relocated or destroyed since 1996, according to TBBC. Around 120 communities were affected between August 2008 and July 2009 alone.
It warns that the situation regarding village relocation is “comparable to the situation in Darfur and has been recognised as the strongest single indicator of crimes against humanity in eastern Burma”.
A report released in July by a panel of leading international jurists also alleged that human rights atrocities in Burma that are comparable to both Darfur and the former Yugoslavia were being underreported.
“[The situation] hasn’t had the same political support from the UN security council in regards to Burma, and eastern Burma in particular,” said McArthur.
In June around 5000 Karen civilians fled into Thialand to escape fighting between the government and opposition Karen National Union (KNU), while an offensive against an ethnic Kokang army in northeastern Shan state forced some 37,000 into China.
“The breakdown of 20 year old ceasefire agreements reflects how the Burmese junta’s ‘road map to democracy’ offers no political settlement for the ethnic minority groups,” said the statement, adding that there is an “urgent need to address ethnic grievances”.
Oct 30, 2009 (DVB)–The fallout from conflict in eastern Burma is likely to deteriorate in the coming year as greater militarization causes further unrest in the region, an aid agency said.
The Thai government has expressed concern about an exodus of Burmese across the border in the run-up to elections next year, while a humanitarian organization warned last month that Thailand faces a “wave of refugees”.
The prediction was reinforced yesterday with the release of a statement by the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) that said that conflict in eastern Burma was not being given due attention.
“After 25 years of responding to the consequences of conflict in eastern Burma, it is tragic to see the causes remain unaddressed and the situation is likely to further deteriorate during the next twelve months,” said TBBC executive director, Jack Dunford.
“A recent influx of refugees into Thailand and monitoring reports from internally displaced communities indicate that violence and abuse in eastern Burma are increasing.”
Government pressure on ceasefire groups to transform into border guards prior to the elections is a key reason for the unrest and further uprooting of internally displaced persons (IDPs), said Duncan McArthur, emergency relief coordinator at TBBC.
“Of the numbers of IDPs in eastern Burma, around half of them are in ceasefire areas,” he said. “If the tension with the ceasefire groups escalates…it’s going to make those IDPs in ceasefire areas a lot more vulnerable than they have been previously.”
More than 3,500 villages and “hiding sites” have been forcibly relocated or destroyed since 1996, according to TBBC. Around 120 communities were affected between August 2008 and July 2009 alone.
It warns that the situation regarding village relocation is “comparable to the situation in Darfur and has been recognised as the strongest single indicator of crimes against humanity in eastern Burma”.
A report released in July by a panel of leading international jurists also alleged that human rights atrocities in Burma that are comparable to both Darfur and the former Yugoslavia were being underreported.
“[The situation] hasn’t had the same political support from the UN security council in regards to Burma, and eastern Burma in particular,” said McArthur.
In June around 5000 Karen civilians fled into Thialand to escape fighting between the government and opposition Karen National Union (KNU), while an offensive against an ethnic Kokang army in northeastern Shan state forced some 37,000 into China.
“The breakdown of 20 year old ceasefire agreements reflects how the Burmese junta’s ‘road map to democracy’ offers no political settlement for the ethnic minority groups,” said the statement, adding that there is an “urgent need to address ethnic grievances”.
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