Myanmar charges detained fishermen: official
Sun Dec 6, 3:07 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar has charged 128 foreign fishermen with violating immigration laws after they were arrested last month for illegal fishing, an official said Sunday.
The group, currently held in Yangon's notorious Insein jail, was made up mostly of Indonesians and included 14 Filipinos, one Chinese and four Taiwanese nationals, a senior official of the prison told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Altogether 128 foreign fishermen, most of them Indonesians, were charged at Insein prison on Friday. They were charged under the immigration act," the official said.
He said seven Myanmar fisherman arrested with the group were also charged, but it was not immediately clear what charges they faced.
The foreigners were likely to be deported from the military-ruled country, he added, declining to give further details.
The fishermen were arrested last month from ten illegal fishing vessels and sent to Insein prison for poaching in Myanmar's waters -- the country's largest arrest for illegal fishing in decades, officials said.
A consular team from the Philippine embassy in Yangon has twice visited the detained Filipinos, the country's department of foreign affairs said on its website.
It said the fishermen may face prosecution for violation of immigration laws which carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to three months, or payment of a fine not exceeding 200 Kyat (30.72 dollars).
Under the law of the sea, a nation has the right to outline an exclusive economic zone stretching up to 200 nautical miles from its shores and claim the right to exploit the resources within that area.
Myanmar possesses a 2,229 kilometre-long (1,385 miles) coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
Sun Dec 6, 3:07 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar has charged 128 foreign fishermen with violating immigration laws after they were arrested last month for illegal fishing, an official said Sunday.
The group, currently held in Yangon's notorious Insein jail, was made up mostly of Indonesians and included 14 Filipinos, one Chinese and four Taiwanese nationals, a senior official of the prison told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Altogether 128 foreign fishermen, most of them Indonesians, were charged at Insein prison on Friday. They were charged under the immigration act," the official said.
He said seven Myanmar fisherman arrested with the group were also charged, but it was not immediately clear what charges they faced.
The foreigners were likely to be deported from the military-ruled country, he added, declining to give further details.
The fishermen were arrested last month from ten illegal fishing vessels and sent to Insein prison for poaching in Myanmar's waters -- the country's largest arrest for illegal fishing in decades, officials said.
A consular team from the Philippine embassy in Yangon has twice visited the detained Filipinos, the country's department of foreign affairs said on its website.
It said the fishermen may face prosecution for violation of immigration laws which carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to three months, or payment of a fine not exceeding 200 Kyat (30.72 dollars).
Under the law of the sea, a nation has the right to outline an exclusive economic zone stretching up to 200 nautical miles from its shores and claim the right to exploit the resources within that area.
Myanmar possesses a 2,229 kilometre-long (1,385 miles) coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
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MYANMAR: Chin State - a mountain of trouble
RONG LONG, 7 December 2009 (IRIN) - In the remote western Chin state, Ngite Pan, 46, ekes out an existence, feeding herself and her 15-year-old daughter by planting millet. Occasionally, she sells a traditional intoxicating brew called Khaung-Yay, also made from millet, which earns her about US$4 a month.
It is the widow’s only source of income, and most of this money is spent on buying rice to supplement the millet - but it is not enough.
“Our main problem is getting enough food. There are many days in a year when we have to skip a meal,” Ngite Pan said from her bamboo home in the isolated mountain village of Rong Long in the south. “We see no way out to escape these hardships.”
Mountainous Chin, bordering India and Bangladesh, is Myanmar’s poorest state. Some 70 percent of its population lives below the poverty line, rising to 81 percent in rural areas, according to UN agencies in Myanmar, compared with a third of the population in the country as a whole.
The Chin, numbering an estimated 500,000 in the state, with over half a million more in the rest of the country, make up about 1 percent of Myanmar’s population.
They comprise six main ethnic groups, including the Asho, Cho, Khumi, Laimi, Mizo and Zomi, with dozens of sub-groups.
Access for aid workers is restricted and agencies say there is not enough basic data about the population, but that its problems are numerous.
Challenges include “structural deficiencies, chronic food shortages [and] widespread food insecurity”, Christophe Reltien, Head of Office of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), told IRIN.
For those unable to make a living off the land, a marginal livelihood can be made scavenging for timber or bamboo, cane resin, honey and orchids in steep, mountainous areas.
Acute food insecurity
Most of the population relies on shifting cultivation for their livelihoods. However, there are limited viable farmlands and growing population pressures, in turn leading to shorter field rotation cycles, poor soil fertility and crop yields, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Chronic food insecurity has been made worse by a rat infestation, which started in 2007 and is still destroying crops.
“The population of Chin State is vulnerable due to the rat infestation and a general decline in agricultural productivity, shortage of employment opportunities, low levels of education, poor water, poor sanitation and lack of road infrastructure,” said a joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/WFP crop and food security assessment published this year.
Because of the rat infestation, more than 100,000 people are estimated to need food aid, according to the Canada-based Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).
In a September 2009 report, CHRO found that up to 82 percent of farmland had been destroyed in certain regions, while more than 50 people died from the effects of extreme malnourishment, mostly children.
“People are going to the jungle and picking up roots and leaves and yams to eat. They eat food which in normal situations they would not eat. There are lots of health problems because of this,” Salai Bawi Lian, CHRO’s executive director, told IRIN in Bangkok.
Beyond the immediate food crisis, Salai Bawi Lian said the Chin needed help in moving away from shifting cultivation to more sustainable agriculture.
Rights violations
Rights groups say the state’s population is vulnerable to rights abuses by the government’s military, known as the Tatmadaw. A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in January documented instances of torture, arbitrary arrests and detention, and forced labour, although the government has outlawed the practice.
“Those called for labour are assigned to work on government projects without compensation or daily provisions and under threat of punishment,” stated the report.
Myanmar is a majority Buddhist country but more than 80 percent of the people in Chin State are Christian, making them the target of discrimination, according to activists. Thousands of Chin have fled to Malaysia and to Mizoram state in India, where they share common ethnic ties, but still face insecurity and poverty.
Health and education lacking
A WFP survey of the food security situation in seven townships in May 2009 found that households were mainly concerned with food, health and education, but the majority were unable to afford these basic necessities and were forced to rely on loans.
According to the HRW report, there are only 12 hospitals, 56 doctors, and 128 nurses in the state. Some hard-to-reach villages complain that government health workers only visit twice a year.
Education is also lacking, with no universities in the state and 1,167 primary schools, 83 middle schools and 25 high schools.
“There is a dire lack of school facilities in many villages in Chin State, forcing Chin children to walk to distant towns and villages or pay expensive boarding fees to attend classes,” said the State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009 report by Minority Rights Group International.
RONG LONG, 7 December 2009 (IRIN) - In the remote western Chin state, Ngite Pan, 46, ekes out an existence, feeding herself and her 15-year-old daughter by planting millet. Occasionally, she sells a traditional intoxicating brew called Khaung-Yay, also made from millet, which earns her about US$4 a month.
It is the widow’s only source of income, and most of this money is spent on buying rice to supplement the millet - but it is not enough.
“Our main problem is getting enough food. There are many days in a year when we have to skip a meal,” Ngite Pan said from her bamboo home in the isolated mountain village of Rong Long in the south. “We see no way out to escape these hardships.”
Mountainous Chin, bordering India and Bangladesh, is Myanmar’s poorest state. Some 70 percent of its population lives below the poverty line, rising to 81 percent in rural areas, according to UN agencies in Myanmar, compared with a third of the population in the country as a whole.
The Chin, numbering an estimated 500,000 in the state, with over half a million more in the rest of the country, make up about 1 percent of Myanmar’s population.
They comprise six main ethnic groups, including the Asho, Cho, Khumi, Laimi, Mizo and Zomi, with dozens of sub-groups.
Access for aid workers is restricted and agencies say there is not enough basic data about the population, but that its problems are numerous.
Challenges include “structural deficiencies, chronic food shortages [and] widespread food insecurity”, Christophe Reltien, Head of Office of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), told IRIN.
For those unable to make a living off the land, a marginal livelihood can be made scavenging for timber or bamboo, cane resin, honey and orchids in steep, mountainous areas.
Acute food insecurity
Most of the population relies on shifting cultivation for their livelihoods. However, there are limited viable farmlands and growing population pressures, in turn leading to shorter field rotation cycles, poor soil fertility and crop yields, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Chronic food insecurity has been made worse by a rat infestation, which started in 2007 and is still destroying crops.
“The population of Chin State is vulnerable due to the rat infestation and a general decline in agricultural productivity, shortage of employment opportunities, low levels of education, poor water, poor sanitation and lack of road infrastructure,” said a joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/WFP crop and food security assessment published this year.
Because of the rat infestation, more than 100,000 people are estimated to need food aid, according to the Canada-based Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).
In a September 2009 report, CHRO found that up to 82 percent of farmland had been destroyed in certain regions, while more than 50 people died from the effects of extreme malnourishment, mostly children.
“People are going to the jungle and picking up roots and leaves and yams to eat. They eat food which in normal situations they would not eat. There are lots of health problems because of this,” Salai Bawi Lian, CHRO’s executive director, told IRIN in Bangkok.
Beyond the immediate food crisis, Salai Bawi Lian said the Chin needed help in moving away from shifting cultivation to more sustainable agriculture.
Rights violations
Rights groups say the state’s population is vulnerable to rights abuses by the government’s military, known as the Tatmadaw. A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in January documented instances of torture, arbitrary arrests and detention, and forced labour, although the government has outlawed the practice.
“Those called for labour are assigned to work on government projects without compensation or daily provisions and under threat of punishment,” stated the report.
Myanmar is a majority Buddhist country but more than 80 percent of the people in Chin State are Christian, making them the target of discrimination, according to activists. Thousands of Chin have fled to Malaysia and to Mizoram state in India, where they share common ethnic ties, but still face insecurity and poverty.
Health and education lacking
A WFP survey of the food security situation in seven townships in May 2009 found that households were mainly concerned with food, health and education, but the majority were unable to afford these basic necessities and were forced to rely on loans.
According to the HRW report, there are only 12 hospitals, 56 doctors, and 128 nurses in the state. Some hard-to-reach villages complain that government health workers only visit twice a year.
Education is also lacking, with no universities in the state and 1,167 primary schools, 83 middle schools and 25 high schools.
“There is a dire lack of school facilities in many villages in Chin State, forcing Chin children to walk to distant towns and villages or pay expensive boarding fees to attend classes,” said the State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009 report by Minority Rights Group International.
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New York Times - Economy: The Countries Most Known for Corruption
By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: December 5, 2009
When a business or individual can skirt the law by paying bribes to corrupt officials, the playing field becomes uneven, making the economy vulnerable. According to the newest Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International, perceived levels of corruption are highest in countries where government infrastructure is lacking.
Defining corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain,” Transparency International ranked 180 countries by interviewing experts and business people both inside and outside each country.
“Fragile, unstable states that are scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the index,” Transparency International says. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is seen as the least corrupt, Somalia comes in dead last with a score of 1.1. Afghanistan and Myanmar rank almost as low.
And the country perceived as being the least likely to foster corruption, at least according to the index, is New Zealand, followed by Denmark, Singapore and Sweden.
By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: December 5, 2009
When a business or individual can skirt the law by paying bribes to corrupt officials, the playing field becomes uneven, making the economy vulnerable. According to the newest Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International, perceived levels of corruption are highest in countries where government infrastructure is lacking.
Defining corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain,” Transparency International ranked 180 countries by interviewing experts and business people both inside and outside each country.
“Fragile, unstable states that are scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the index,” Transparency International says. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is seen as the least corrupt, Somalia comes in dead last with a score of 1.1. Afghanistan and Myanmar rank almost as low.
And the country perceived as being the least likely to foster corruption, at least according to the index, is New Zealand, followed by Denmark, Singapore and Sweden.
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Amnesty International plans Write-a-thon
Monday, December 07, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh chapter of Amnesty International will host its 23rd annual "Write-a-thon" Thursday, inviting local residents to gather in Shadyside and pen letters protesting detentions and imprisonments around the world.
The event will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church at Shady Avenue and Walnut Street. A candle-lit ceremony will be held at 8 p.m.
This year, the organization has chosen to write letters on behalf of 10 individuals and groups, including a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who is jailed in Myanmar and an Ethiopian opposition leader who has been sentenced to life in prison. The letters will be directed to foreign dignitaries and ambassadors.
Local Amnesty International member Dorothy Miller, of Oakland, said that the group's past efforts have led to the release of several prisoners.
"People feel they can't do anything about human rights," she said. "Countries do respond when they realize that people around the world know what's going on."
Ms. Miller said she has attended the letter-writing event for more than 20 years.
"It's very rewarding," she said. "At least you can do something."
Monday, December 07, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh chapter of Amnesty International will host its 23rd annual "Write-a-thon" Thursday, inviting local residents to gather in Shadyside and pen letters protesting detentions and imprisonments around the world.
The event will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church at Shady Avenue and Walnut Street. A candle-lit ceremony will be held at 8 p.m.
This year, the organization has chosen to write letters on behalf of 10 individuals and groups, including a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who is jailed in Myanmar and an Ethiopian opposition leader who has been sentenced to life in prison. The letters will be directed to foreign dignitaries and ambassadors.
Local Amnesty International member Dorothy Miller, of Oakland, said that the group's past efforts have led to the release of several prisoners.
"People feel they can't do anything about human rights," she said. "Countries do respond when they realize that people around the world know what's going on."
Ms. Miller said she has attended the letter-writing event for more than 20 years.
"It's very rewarding," she said. "At least you can do something."
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Nepalnews.com - DPM Koirala leaves for Myanmar
Monday, 07 December 2009 17:43
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala left for Myanmar Monday to participate in the meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BISTEC).
Before departure, Koirala said at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the Nepali delegation will hold discussions with representatives of member on trade and commerce.
Monday, 07 December 2009 17:43
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala left for Myanmar Monday to participate in the meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BISTEC).
Before departure, Koirala said at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the Nepali delegation will hold discussions with representatives of member on trade and commerce.
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Monday, 7 December 2009
TeleGeography - 150,000 new CDMA lines for Myanmar
State-run telco Myanma Posts and Telecommunications plans to deploy 150,000 additional CDMA-based limited mobility wireless phone connections in two major cities, Yangon and Mandalay, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. The existing CDMA networks in Yaragon and Mandalay will be expanded by 100,000 and 50,000 lines respectively, using 800MHz equipment, at a cost of around USD500 per new connection. Active CDMA lines in Myanmar numbered 205,000 at the beginning of the year, compared to 375,000 GSM mobile users. Meanwhile, the authorities also say they are aiming to introduce video calling and other 3G applications over a planned W-CDMA mobile network.
TeleGeography - 150,000 new CDMA lines for Myanmar
State-run telco Myanma Posts and Telecommunications plans to deploy 150,000 additional CDMA-based limited mobility wireless phone connections in two major cities, Yangon and Mandalay, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. The existing CDMA networks in Yaragon and Mandalay will be expanded by 100,000 and 50,000 lines respectively, using 800MHz equipment, at a cost of around USD500 per new connection. Active CDMA lines in Myanmar numbered 205,000 at the beginning of the year, compared to 375,000 GSM mobile users. Meanwhile, the authorities also say they are aiming to introduce video calling and other 3G applications over a planned W-CDMA mobile network.
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Myanmar adds more hydropower plants in western state
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-07 11:16:37
YANGON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has added three more hydropower plants in western Rakhine state to fulfill the electricity demand in the region, sources with the Ministry of Electric Power said on Monday.
The hydropower projects namely Saidin, Thahtay Chaung and Laymyomyit, cost over 800 million U.S. dollars in total, the sources said, adding that these plants can produce 687 megawatt (mw) after completion.
The electricity consumption of the whole Rakhine region takes up only 30 megawatt and the surplus electricity will be distributed to other divisions and states, business and industrial enterprises, it added.
In May this year, Myanmar added a 600-mw hydropower station, the Shweli-1, in the northern part of Shan state.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's biggest hydropower plant, Yeywa, in Mandalay division, which has a capacity of 790 mw, is nearing completion, an earlier report said.
Up to now, Myanmar has a total installed generating capacity of1,684 mw. In 2008-09, it generated 6.62 billion kwh of electricity, according to official statistics.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-07 11:16:37
YANGON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has added three more hydropower plants in western Rakhine state to fulfill the electricity demand in the region, sources with the Ministry of Electric Power said on Monday.
The hydropower projects namely Saidin, Thahtay Chaung and Laymyomyit, cost over 800 million U.S. dollars in total, the sources said, adding that these plants can produce 687 megawatt (mw) after completion.
The electricity consumption of the whole Rakhine region takes up only 30 megawatt and the surplus electricity will be distributed to other divisions and states, business and industrial enterprises, it added.
In May this year, Myanmar added a 600-mw hydropower station, the Shweli-1, in the northern part of Shan state.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's biggest hydropower plant, Yeywa, in Mandalay division, which has a capacity of 790 mw, is nearing completion, an earlier report said.
Up to now, Myanmar has a total installed generating capacity of1,684 mw. In 2008-09, it generated 6.62 billion kwh of electricity, according to official statistics.
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Japanese agency to help Myanmar repair Yangon port
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-06 11:06:20
YANGON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Myanmar port authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding for the JICA to help rebuild a bridge of Yangon's Botahtaung Port, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.
The reconstruction of the Pontoon bridge represents one of the remaining projects in the second phase for improvement of facilities of Yangon port and inland water transport after the deadly cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last year.
The first phase had been completed in the first nine months of the 26-month emergency reconstruction project of the Yangon Port and buildings of the Inland Water Transport Department destroyed in the cyclone Nargis.
In May this year, the JICA donated fishery equipment to Myanmar for cyclone survivors to use in fishery recovery work in storm-hit areas in the country.
The 120,463-U.S. dollar equipment included water pumps and engines, refrigerators, fishing nets, oxygen bottles and other fishery-related materials.
Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar's five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3 last year, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage.
The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-06 11:06:20
YANGON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Myanmar port authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding for the JICA to help rebuild a bridge of Yangon's Botahtaung Port, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.
The reconstruction of the Pontoon bridge represents one of the remaining projects in the second phase for improvement of facilities of Yangon port and inland water transport after the deadly cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last year.
The first phase had been completed in the first nine months of the 26-month emergency reconstruction project of the Yangon Port and buildings of the Inland Water Transport Department destroyed in the cyclone Nargis.
In May this year, the JICA donated fishery equipment to Myanmar for cyclone survivors to use in fishery recovery work in storm-hit areas in the country.
The 120,463-U.S. dollar equipment included water pumps and engines, refrigerators, fishing nets, oxygen bottles and other fishery-related materials.
Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar's five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3 last year, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage.
The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.
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Express Buzz - India ticks off China, Myanmar
Express News Service
Published :06 Dec 2009 10:09:08 AM IST
NEW DELHI: In a message apparently meant for China and Myanmar, India on Saturday said it wanted ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua in its custody and expected the country’s neighbours to ‘behave responsibly’ on the issue. With China, India has also taken up the issue of Chinese Army’s objections to construction of an Indian road in Demchok near the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
But while confirming this, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said there has always been a problem over differing perceptions of the LAC in that sector.
Rao made the Paresh Barua comment when asked if India planned to take up with China the issue of the ULFA leader’s presence in its territory. According to reports, the elusive ‘commander-in-chief ’ of the banned Assam insurgent group - who till recently was said to be China - has shifted base to Myanmar.
But in her reply, Rao didn’t ‘correct’ the questioner.
Neither did she name any specific country.
“Paresh Barua is wanted in India for crimes against the Indian state, against Indian people and we continue to seek his apprehension,’’ she said.
“We are in touch with our neighbouring countries and we expect all our neighbours to behave responsibly on these issues,’’ she added. Delhi is upbeat about more cooperation with Dhaka in tackling insurgency in north-eastern states after the return of the Government of Sheikh Hasina. The surrender-arrest of Rajkhowa is seen as an example of that cooperation. Hasina is visiting Delhi later this month when the issue is likely to be discussed further.
Express News Service
Published :06 Dec 2009 10:09:08 AM IST
NEW DELHI: In a message apparently meant for China and Myanmar, India on Saturday said it wanted ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua in its custody and expected the country’s neighbours to ‘behave responsibly’ on the issue. With China, India has also taken up the issue of Chinese Army’s objections to construction of an Indian road in Demchok near the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
But while confirming this, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said there has always been a problem over differing perceptions of the LAC in that sector.
Rao made the Paresh Barua comment when asked if India planned to take up with China the issue of the ULFA leader’s presence in its territory. According to reports, the elusive ‘commander-in-chief ’ of the banned Assam insurgent group - who till recently was said to be China - has shifted base to Myanmar.
But in her reply, Rao didn’t ‘correct’ the questioner.
Neither did she name any specific country.
“Paresh Barua is wanted in India for crimes against the Indian state, against Indian people and we continue to seek his apprehension,’’ she said.
“We are in touch with our neighbouring countries and we expect all our neighbours to behave responsibly on these issues,’’ she added. Delhi is upbeat about more cooperation with Dhaka in tackling insurgency in north-eastern states after the return of the Government of Sheikh Hasina. The surrender-arrest of Rajkhowa is seen as an example of that cooperation. Hasina is visiting Delhi later this month when the issue is likely to be discussed further.
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RADIO THE VOICE OF VIETNAM
Updated : 7:38 PM, 12/07/2009
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar boost cooperation in religious affairs
A Vietnam-Myanmar cooperative agreement on State management of religious affairs has been signed by the visiting Myanmar Minister for Religious Affairs Myint Maung and Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyen Xuan Thanh.
The signing took place in Hanoi on December 7. At the signing ceremony, both sides expressed their wish to share experience in implementing religious policies and hope that the cooperative agreement will further boost bilateral cooperation in State management of religious affairs.
The Vietnamese official said that Buddhism has been strongly developed in Vietnam, far 2,000 years. The country now has more than 10 million Buddhist followers and 45,000 monks and nuns practising religious activities at 15,500 pagodas. In addition, Vietnam also has 4 Buddhist Institutes and more than 30 Buddhology schools.
The Vietnamese State always persists in respecting people’s freedom of religion and belief and equality between religions and encouraging religious activities for the national benefit. But it is strongly determined to combat any acts of taking advantage of religion for political and individual purposes.
The Myanmar Minister said that Myanmar has different religions but a majority of people are Buddhists. The country has around 80,000 pagodas, including many world famous symbols of Buddhism. The Myanmar State ensures people’s rights of religious freedom by constitution and law.
Updated : 7:38 PM, 12/07/2009
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar boost cooperation in religious affairs
A Vietnam-Myanmar cooperative agreement on State management of religious affairs has been signed by the visiting Myanmar Minister for Religious Affairs Myint Maung and Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyen Xuan Thanh.
The signing took place in Hanoi on December 7. At the signing ceremony, both sides expressed their wish to share experience in implementing religious policies and hope that the cooperative agreement will further boost bilateral cooperation in State management of religious affairs.
The Vietnamese official said that Buddhism has been strongly developed in Vietnam, far 2,000 years. The country now has more than 10 million Buddhist followers and 45,000 monks and nuns practising religious activities at 15,500 pagodas. In addition, Vietnam also has 4 Buddhist Institutes and more than 30 Buddhology schools.
The Vietnamese State always persists in respecting people’s freedom of religion and belief and equality between religions and encouraging religious activities for the national benefit. But it is strongly determined to combat any acts of taking advantage of religion for political and individual purposes.
The Myanmar Minister said that Myanmar has different religions but a majority of people are Buddhists. The country has around 80,000 pagodas, including many world famous symbols of Buddhism. The Myanmar State ensures people’s rights of religious freedom by constitution and law.
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December 07, 2009.
Inspire Magazine - Burma: New evidence of humanitarian crisis
Fresh evidence of the need for humanitarian assistance and international action was presented during a recent fact-finding visit by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) to Chin and Kachin states in Burma.
In some areas international funds for emergency food relief channelled through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are allegedly being provided as loans, instead of aid, to malnourished villagers, repayable at 200% interest.
Over the past two years Chin State has been devastated by a chronic food shortage caused by the flowering of bamboo, a natural phenomenon which occurs every 50 years. The bamboo flowering attracts plagues of rats, which then destroy rice fields, rice supplies and almost all means of survival for the local population. The Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) estimates that at least 100,000 people in over 200 villages are severely affected.
The delegation led by Baroness Cox, Chief Executive of HART was told by representatives of the Chin Famine Emergency Relief Committee that in at least 17 villages in Paletwa Township, the worst affected part of Chin State, the local UNDP have distributed international funds in the form of loans, instead of providing food aid. Villagers claim they have been told they must repay twice the amount they are given, either in cash or in rice bags. CSW and HART have written to UNDP to request an urgent investigation.
The delegation, which also met with Kachin refugees, received evidence from Kachin and Chin states of religious persecution, forced labour and attempted ‘cultural genocide’
Benedict Rogers, CSW’s East Asia Team Leader, said: “The plight of the Chin people of Burma is desperate. They are facing severe poverty, drastically compounded by a chronic food shortage and lack of health care, as well as cultural genocide, religious persecution, rape and forced labour. It is time for the international community, including India, to act decisively to provide political and humanitarian support to the people of Burma, including the Chin.
“India, the world’s largest democracy, must stop siding with one of the world’s most oppressive regimes. The international community must intensify efforts to secure a transition to genuine federal democracy, in which equal rights for Burma’s ethnic nationalities are fully guaranteed.
“We renew our call for a universal arms embargo, a commission of inquiry into crimes against humanity, and international humanitarian assistance to the ethnic nationalities who so desperately and urgently need aid to prevent further loss of life and suffering.”
Baroness Cox said: “Burma’s military regime must be called to account for gross human rights violations, and required to immediately release democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all 2,000-plus political prisoners. The junta’s crimes include a campaign of cultural genocide against the Chin people. As part of that campaign, the junta is deliberately denying access to health care and education in many parts of Chin State.
“The humanitarian crisis facing the Chin people is dire and requires urgent action. Furthermore, it is vital that India be persuaded to stop uncritically supporting the regime in Burma and instead provide support to the people of Burma.”
Inspire Magazine - Burma: New evidence of humanitarian crisis
Fresh evidence of the need for humanitarian assistance and international action was presented during a recent fact-finding visit by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) to Chin and Kachin states in Burma.
In some areas international funds for emergency food relief channelled through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are allegedly being provided as loans, instead of aid, to malnourished villagers, repayable at 200% interest.
Over the past two years Chin State has been devastated by a chronic food shortage caused by the flowering of bamboo, a natural phenomenon which occurs every 50 years. The bamboo flowering attracts plagues of rats, which then destroy rice fields, rice supplies and almost all means of survival for the local population. The Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) estimates that at least 100,000 people in over 200 villages are severely affected.
The delegation led by Baroness Cox, Chief Executive of HART was told by representatives of the Chin Famine Emergency Relief Committee that in at least 17 villages in Paletwa Township, the worst affected part of Chin State, the local UNDP have distributed international funds in the form of loans, instead of providing food aid. Villagers claim they have been told they must repay twice the amount they are given, either in cash or in rice bags. CSW and HART have written to UNDP to request an urgent investigation.
The delegation, which also met with Kachin refugees, received evidence from Kachin and Chin states of religious persecution, forced labour and attempted ‘cultural genocide’
Benedict Rogers, CSW’s East Asia Team Leader, said: “The plight of the Chin people of Burma is desperate. They are facing severe poverty, drastically compounded by a chronic food shortage and lack of health care, as well as cultural genocide, religious persecution, rape and forced labour. It is time for the international community, including India, to act decisively to provide political and humanitarian support to the people of Burma, including the Chin.
“India, the world’s largest democracy, must stop siding with one of the world’s most oppressive regimes. The international community must intensify efforts to secure a transition to genuine federal democracy, in which equal rights for Burma’s ethnic nationalities are fully guaranteed.
“We renew our call for a universal arms embargo, a commission of inquiry into crimes against humanity, and international humanitarian assistance to the ethnic nationalities who so desperately and urgently need aid to prevent further loss of life and suffering.”
Baroness Cox said: “Burma’s military regime must be called to account for gross human rights violations, and required to immediately release democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all 2,000-plus political prisoners. The junta’s crimes include a campaign of cultural genocide against the Chin people. As part of that campaign, the junta is deliberately denying access to health care and education in many parts of Chin State.
“The humanitarian crisis facing the Chin people is dire and requires urgent action. Furthermore, it is vital that India be persuaded to stop uncritically supporting the regime in Burma and instead provide support to the people of Burma.”
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Radio Australia - Former Burmese officials on trial over espionage: report
Last Updated: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 12:16:00 +1100
Three men who allegedly leaked information on Burma's secret tunnel project have appeared in a Rangoon court, on charges of espionage.
The men, a former Army major and two Foreign Ministry officials, are also accused of leaking details of senior governmental visits to North Korea and Russia.
According to intelligence documents obtained by the Democratic Voice of Burma, the junta has been developing the tunnels since 1996 to accommodate battalions of troops in the event of an invasion.
The two Foreign Ministry officials reportedly leaked information about the visit by the junta's second in command, Maung Aye, to Russia in 2006 to discuss the procurement of a guided missile system.
They also exposed details of a trip by third in command Shwe Mann, to North Korea in 2008, where he visited tunnel complexes that can hold heavy armoury and chemical weapons.
If found guilty the men could face life in prison or execution.
Last Updated: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 12:16:00 +1100
Three men who allegedly leaked information on Burma's secret tunnel project have appeared in a Rangoon court, on charges of espionage.
The men, a former Army major and two Foreign Ministry officials, are also accused of leaking details of senior governmental visits to North Korea and Russia.
According to intelligence documents obtained by the Democratic Voice of Burma, the junta has been developing the tunnels since 1996 to accommodate battalions of troops in the event of an invasion.
The two Foreign Ministry officials reportedly leaked information about the visit by the junta's second in command, Maung Aye, to Russia in 2006 to discuss the procurement of a guided missile system.
They also exposed details of a trip by third in command Shwe Mann, to North Korea in 2008, where he visited tunnel complexes that can hold heavy armoury and chemical weapons.
If found guilty the men could face life in prison or execution.
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Scoop - Burma: Junta Denying Medical Treatment To Political Prisoners
Press Release: Terry Evans
6 December 2009
The military junta in Burma is systematically denying medical treatment to political prisoners.
The health of two icons of the democratic movement in Burma, Min Ko Naing and U Gambira, has steadily deteriorated over the past month. The plight of the leader of the 88 Generation Students' group and the prominent monk highlights the plight of at least 130 political prisoners who are in bad health, and are not receiving the treatment they desperately need.
There are a total of 2,173 political prisoners in Burma.
These include:
Monks 251
Members of Parliament 12
Students 284
Women 179
NLD members 433
Members of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters network 34
Ethnic nationalities 206
Cyclone Nargis volunteers 30
Teachers 26
Media activists 43
Lawyers 12
In poor health 130
Since the protests in August 2007 which lead to September's Saffron Revolution, a total of 1,176 activists have been arrested and are still in detention. Once in prison, democracy activists face horrific torture, including electric shocks, rape, iron rods rubbed on their shins until the flesh rubs off, severe beatings and solitary confinement. Many prisoners are kept in their cells 24 hours a day, given inadequate food and are in poor health.
Press Release: Terry Evans
6 December 2009
The military junta in Burma is systematically denying medical treatment to political prisoners.
The health of two icons of the democratic movement in Burma, Min Ko Naing and U Gambira, has steadily deteriorated over the past month. The plight of the leader of the 88 Generation Students' group and the prominent monk highlights the plight of at least 130 political prisoners who are in bad health, and are not receiving the treatment they desperately need.
There are a total of 2,173 political prisoners in Burma.
These include:
Monks 251
Members of Parliament 12
Students 284
Women 179
NLD members 433
Members of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters network 34
Ethnic nationalities 206
Cyclone Nargis volunteers 30
Teachers 26
Media activists 43
Lawyers 12
In poor health 130
Since the protests in August 2007 which lead to September's Saffron Revolution, a total of 1,176 activists have been arrested and are still in detention. Once in prison, democracy activists face horrific torture, including electric shocks, rape, iron rods rubbed on their shins until the flesh rubs off, severe beatings and solitary confinement. Many prisoners are kept in their cells 24 hours a day, given inadequate food and are in poor health.
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Narinjara News - Three University Students Hospitalized in Shuttle Accident
12/6/2009
Sittwe: At least three university students were hospitalized with critical injuries and 18 other students were wounded in a school shuttle bus accident that took place on Thursday in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State.
An eyewitness said the accident happened at 10 am near Visali Square located between downtown Sittwe and the technical college campus, when the shuttle bus tried to overtake another vehicle.
The vehicle was carrying 28 students, including seven female students.
A female student from Sittwe Technical College told Narinjara News over the phone that the accident happened because the shuttle bus was carrying more students that it had capacity for, which the driver did in order to get more profit out of one trip.
The authority in Sittwe can not meet the demand for busses for students going to their schools. Because of this, the university students typically travel in shuttle busses that are overloaded.
The university students have been facing this problem since the military authority shifted the university campus to 20 miles outside downtown Sittwe in an effort to avoid student protests.
Since the campus moved, students have been facing problems with inadequate transportation to the school.
12/6/2009
Sittwe: At least three university students were hospitalized with critical injuries and 18 other students were wounded in a school shuttle bus accident that took place on Thursday in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State.
An eyewitness said the accident happened at 10 am near Visali Square located between downtown Sittwe and the technical college campus, when the shuttle bus tried to overtake another vehicle.
The vehicle was carrying 28 students, including seven female students.
A female student from Sittwe Technical College told Narinjara News over the phone that the accident happened because the shuttle bus was carrying more students that it had capacity for, which the driver did in order to get more profit out of one trip.
The authority in Sittwe can not meet the demand for busses for students going to their schools. Because of this, the university students typically travel in shuttle busses that are overloaded.
The university students have been facing this problem since the military authority shifted the university campus to 20 miles outside downtown Sittwe in an effort to avoid student protests.
Since the campus moved, students have been facing problems with inadequate transportation to the school.
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Activists protest junta PM’s Copenhagen visit
by Mungpi
Monday, 07 December 2009 21:37
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burmese activists in Denmark and Norway urged the European Union to reinforce its common position on Burma’s military rulers, with no special exception of allowing the junta’s high-level officials visiting the Union’s member countries.
The activists said the call was made in response to the news of Burma’s Prime Minister General Thein Sein arriving in Copenhagen on Tuesday to take part in the United Nations conference on climate change.
“We are asking the EU to re-examine its common position, because if the Burmese Prime Minister can be exempted from attending UN conferences in Europe, the common position does not have its impact at all,” Myint Wei, a leading activist in Copenhagen told Mizzima.
The activists, numbering 50, will gather on Tuesday in front of the Copenhagen Bella Centre with placards displaying slogans and messages against the visiting Burmese Prime Minister.
“We will be joined by our fellow activists from Norway. We want to remind the world that the Burmese military regime is not the legitimate government of Burma and they have no place in a conference like this,” added Myint Wei, who is also a member of Forum of Burmese in Europe (FBE).
Last week, an official at the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Denmark told Mizzima that the Burmese Prime Minister would be attending the conference.
The Danish Foreign Ministry, however, on Monday refused to confirm the news of Thein Sein’s visit to Copenhagen.
The European Union has imposed sanctions against Burma’s military rulers including a visa ban on the junta officials and their family members.
Myint Wei said, Denmark being an EU member, should abide by its common position on Burma.
He also said the Burmese regime should first initiate a process of political reconciliation through dialogue, before it can talk of improving the climate, because it is the biggest destroyer of Burmese forests and natural resources that has a severe impact on the environment and the climate.
Unless there is political stability there can be no sustainable policy that will help improve the environment, Myint Wei along with other activists said.
“We are, therefore, calling for the release of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and urging the regime to start a process of dialogue with her,” added Myint Wei.
Burmese people, who have resettled to European countries including Denmark, Norway, Germany, Britain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria, have formed the Forum of Burmese in Europe (FBE) and are keeping their dreams of democratic change in Burma alive by organizing and conducting awareness campaigns.
by Mungpi
Monday, 07 December 2009 21:37
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burmese activists in Denmark and Norway urged the European Union to reinforce its common position on Burma’s military rulers, with no special exception of allowing the junta’s high-level officials visiting the Union’s member countries.
The activists said the call was made in response to the news of Burma’s Prime Minister General Thein Sein arriving in Copenhagen on Tuesday to take part in the United Nations conference on climate change.
“We are asking the EU to re-examine its common position, because if the Burmese Prime Minister can be exempted from attending UN conferences in Europe, the common position does not have its impact at all,” Myint Wei, a leading activist in Copenhagen told Mizzima.
The activists, numbering 50, will gather on Tuesday in front of the Copenhagen Bella Centre with placards displaying slogans and messages against the visiting Burmese Prime Minister.
“We will be joined by our fellow activists from Norway. We want to remind the world that the Burmese military regime is not the legitimate government of Burma and they have no place in a conference like this,” added Myint Wei, who is also a member of Forum of Burmese in Europe (FBE).
Last week, an official at the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Denmark told Mizzima that the Burmese Prime Minister would be attending the conference.
The Danish Foreign Ministry, however, on Monday refused to confirm the news of Thein Sein’s visit to Copenhagen.
The European Union has imposed sanctions against Burma’s military rulers including a visa ban on the junta officials and their family members.
Myint Wei said, Denmark being an EU member, should abide by its common position on Burma.
He also said the Burmese regime should first initiate a process of political reconciliation through dialogue, before it can talk of improving the climate, because it is the biggest destroyer of Burmese forests and natural resources that has a severe impact on the environment and the climate.
Unless there is political stability there can be no sustainable policy that will help improve the environment, Myint Wei along with other activists said.
“We are, therefore, calling for the release of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and urging the regime to start a process of dialogue with her,” added Myint Wei.
Burmese people, who have resettled to European countries including Denmark, Norway, Germany, Britain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria, have formed the Forum of Burmese in Europe (FBE) and are keeping their dreams of democratic change in Burma alive by organizing and conducting awareness campaigns.
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Indian FM to visit Burma for BIMSTEC meet
by Mungpi
Monday, 07 December 2009 18:42
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Indian Minister for External Affairs (MEA) S.M Krishna will commence a three-day visit to Burma, on Wednesday for a multilateral meeting to be held in capital Naypyitaw.
MEA officials told Mizzima on Monday that S.M Krishna would be attending the meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), to be held from December 9 to 11 in the Burmese capital.
“We don’t have details of the schedule but we are sure that the Minister will start his trip on December 9,” an official at the MEA told Mizzima.
The official said, the 12th BIMSTEC ministerial and 14th Senior Official Meeting, would include discussion on trade and connectivity, a review of counter-terrorism cooperation among BIMSTEC members and also with China, which shares borders with several BIMSTEC countries.
According to a senior Indian journalist, Ramesh Ramachandran, the Foreign Minister is likely to take the opportunity to have a meeting on the sidelines with Burmese officials, where he is expected to discuss issues related to Northeast rebel groups, many of whom are reportedly using Burmese soil as a safe haven.
Krishna, during the BIMSTEC meeting, is also expected to take the opportunity to express to his counterparts, New Delhi’s concerns about the safe havens of Indian insurgent groups in their countries and to seek cooperation in the fight against separatism.
“It is likely that the Indian Foreign Minister will have an informal pull aside meeting with Burmese officials on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting,” Ramachandran, who has been closely following the Indian Foreign Minister’s visit to Burma, said.
He said Krishna is likely to raise the issue of North-eastern rebels with the Burmese officials during the informal meeting.
In recent days, Indian media quoting security officials have reported that members of Indian rebels, fighting against the central government, are taking shelter in Burma, along its border with China.
Indian security officials have also reported that they have in their custody Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), an armed rebel group in India’s North-eastern state of Assam.
Reports also added that ULFA’s leader Paresh Barua is currently taking shelter in Kachin state of Burma, bordering China.
Responding to a question on Paresh Barua’s shelter, India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Saturday told reporters in New Delhi that Paresh Barua is wanted in India for crimes against the Indian state, against Indian people, and India continues to seek his apprehension.
“We are in touch with our neighbouring countries about these matters. We expect all our neighbours to behave responsibly on this issue,” Rao said.
Ramachandran said the Foreign Minister is also likely to raise the issue of strengthening information-sharing and cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the BIMSTEC members for combating transnational crime.
BIMSTEC comprises of India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
One of India’s proclaimed reasons for reversing its pro-democratic supportive policy to a junta-friendly policy was seeking the cooperation of the Burmese military junta in tackling its North-eastern rebels fighting against the central government.
by Mungpi
Monday, 07 December 2009 18:42
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Indian Minister for External Affairs (MEA) S.M Krishna will commence a three-day visit to Burma, on Wednesday for a multilateral meeting to be held in capital Naypyitaw.
MEA officials told Mizzima on Monday that S.M Krishna would be attending the meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), to be held from December 9 to 11 in the Burmese capital.
“We don’t have details of the schedule but we are sure that the Minister will start his trip on December 9,” an official at the MEA told Mizzima.
The official said, the 12th BIMSTEC ministerial and 14th Senior Official Meeting, would include discussion on trade and connectivity, a review of counter-terrorism cooperation among BIMSTEC members and also with China, which shares borders with several BIMSTEC countries.
According to a senior Indian journalist, Ramesh Ramachandran, the Foreign Minister is likely to take the opportunity to have a meeting on the sidelines with Burmese officials, where he is expected to discuss issues related to Northeast rebel groups, many of whom are reportedly using Burmese soil as a safe haven.
Krishna, during the BIMSTEC meeting, is also expected to take the opportunity to express to his counterparts, New Delhi’s concerns about the safe havens of Indian insurgent groups in their countries and to seek cooperation in the fight against separatism.
“It is likely that the Indian Foreign Minister will have an informal pull aside meeting with Burmese officials on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting,” Ramachandran, who has been closely following the Indian Foreign Minister’s visit to Burma, said.
He said Krishna is likely to raise the issue of North-eastern rebels with the Burmese officials during the informal meeting.
In recent days, Indian media quoting security officials have reported that members of Indian rebels, fighting against the central government, are taking shelter in Burma, along its border with China.
Indian security officials have also reported that they have in their custody Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), an armed rebel group in India’s North-eastern state of Assam.
Reports also added that ULFA’s leader Paresh Barua is currently taking shelter in Kachin state of Burma, bordering China.
Responding to a question on Paresh Barua’s shelter, India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Saturday told reporters in New Delhi that Paresh Barua is wanted in India for crimes against the Indian state, against Indian people, and India continues to seek his apprehension.
“We are in touch with our neighbouring countries about these matters. We expect all our neighbours to behave responsibly on this issue,” Rao said.
Ramachandran said the Foreign Minister is also likely to raise the issue of strengthening information-sharing and cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the BIMSTEC members for combating transnational crime.
BIMSTEC comprises of India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
One of India’s proclaimed reasons for reversing its pro-democratic supportive policy to a junta-friendly policy was seeking the cooperation of the Burmese military junta in tackling its North-eastern rebels fighting against the central government.
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The Irrawaddy - US Women's Issues Envoy Seeks Junta Accountability
By THE IRRAWADDY - Saturday, December 5, 2009
The US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer said on Saturday that Burma's military junta must be held accountable for human rights abuses against the country's women.
“We have said over and over that there must be accountability for these human rights violations,” she said, adding that those guilty of crimes against women should be prosecuted.
However, she did not say what action Washington would take to stop violence against women in Burma.
Verveer made her remarks after a meeting with Burmese women's rights activists in Thailand, held to discuss human rights violations against women in Burma.
“We have just had a meeting with five representatives of ethnic minority women from Burma,” Verveer told reporters at the US consulate in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on Saturday.
“I feel it is important to hear from them, to get their perception of what is happening [in Burma],” she said, adding that the US is committed to helping Burmese women activists working both inside the country and in border areas.
At the meeting, the activists talked about issues facing women in Burma, including sexual violence committed by Burmese soldiers during military offensives, and discussed ways of empowering women through civil society organizations operating across the country's borders.
Another issue affecting women in Burma is the regime's practice of imprisoning its critics and political opponents. According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the junta is currently holding 179 women, including nuns, in prison.
Tate Naing, the secretary of the AAPP, said many female prisoners in Burma are sexually humiliated and physically tortured by prison authorities during interrogation. Some have also died in prison after suffering physical or mental abuse.
Verveer also spoke about Burma's military-backed 2008 Constitution, calling it “flawed” because of its lack of guarantees for women's rights.
Her Thailand visit and meeting with Burmese women activists was part of her Asian tour to learn more about the state of women's rights in the region. She came to Thailand from Malaysia and is scheduled to head to South Korea and Japan.
In Malaysia, Verveer met with victims of human trafficking, including two Burmese women who were victims of sexual violence. “One had been gang-raped, and the other was suffering terribly from trauma,” she said, adding that human trafficking has become a “global scourge.”
Asked about efforts to address the issue of human trafficking through cooperation with regional governments, she said: “We should be doing more together. We have to find solutions together.” However, she provided no details about specific actions taken in conjunction with regional authorities.
Verveer’s trip is also part of the UN's 16-day Global Campaign to End Violence Against Women. Many organizations across the world have set up programs as part of the campaign.
As ambassador for women's issues, Verveer has called on governments to follow the “three P's”—protection, prevention and prosecution—to end violence against women.
By THE IRRAWADDY - Saturday, December 5, 2009
The US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer said on Saturday that Burma's military junta must be held accountable for human rights abuses against the country's women.
“We have said over and over that there must be accountability for these human rights violations,” she said, adding that those guilty of crimes against women should be prosecuted.
However, she did not say what action Washington would take to stop violence against women in Burma.
Verveer made her remarks after a meeting with Burmese women's rights activists in Thailand, held to discuss human rights violations against women in Burma.
“We have just had a meeting with five representatives of ethnic minority women from Burma,” Verveer told reporters at the US consulate in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on Saturday.
“I feel it is important to hear from them, to get their perception of what is happening [in Burma],” she said, adding that the US is committed to helping Burmese women activists working both inside the country and in border areas.
At the meeting, the activists talked about issues facing women in Burma, including sexual violence committed by Burmese soldiers during military offensives, and discussed ways of empowering women through civil society organizations operating across the country's borders.
Another issue affecting women in Burma is the regime's practice of imprisoning its critics and political opponents. According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the junta is currently holding 179 women, including nuns, in prison.
Tate Naing, the secretary of the AAPP, said many female prisoners in Burma are sexually humiliated and physically tortured by prison authorities during interrogation. Some have also died in prison after suffering physical or mental abuse.
Verveer also spoke about Burma's military-backed 2008 Constitution, calling it “flawed” because of its lack of guarantees for women's rights.
Her Thailand visit and meeting with Burmese women activists was part of her Asian tour to learn more about the state of women's rights in the region. She came to Thailand from Malaysia and is scheduled to head to South Korea and Japan.
In Malaysia, Verveer met with victims of human trafficking, including two Burmese women who were victims of sexual violence. “One had been gang-raped, and the other was suffering terribly from trauma,” she said, adding that human trafficking has become a “global scourge.”
Asked about efforts to address the issue of human trafficking through cooperation with regional governments, she said: “We should be doing more together. We have to find solutions together.” However, she provided no details about specific actions taken in conjunction with regional authorities.
Verveer’s trip is also part of the UN's 16-day Global Campaign to End Violence Against Women. Many organizations across the world have set up programs as part of the campaign.
As ambassador for women's issues, Verveer has called on governments to follow the “three P's”—protection, prevention and prosecution—to end violence against women.
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Monk given two-year sentence
Dec 7, 2009 (DVB)–A monk who appeared at the Rangoon courtroom on the day Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced in August has been imprisoned for two years, family sources said.
Nyi Nyi San, also a member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, who had entered temporary monkhood, was arrested whilst walking away from the Insein prison courtroom on the day the verdict was given.
He has been sentenced on charges of defaming the Buddhist religion at the end of a trial held in Bahan township, Rangoon, where the NLD headquarters are based.
Nyi Nyi San was in temporary monkhood under the name of Ashin Sandatika at Daysunpa monastery in Bago division when the opposition leader began her trial.
“He requested permission from the abbot at the monastery where he was ordained [to attend the trial],” said a source. “He was arrested and pulled into a truck while on his way to the NLD office from Insein prison.”
The source told DVB that Nyi Nyi San is suffering from a hernia. Prison doctors have reportedly told authorities that he needs medical attention.
The Burmese junta’s treatment of monks, widely revered across the majority Buddhist population of Burma, was thrown into the spotlight in September 2007 as police opened fire on crowds of monks protesting in the streets of Rangoon, in what come to be known as the Saffron Revolution.
Video footage later emerged that showed the bloated bodies of monks, still in their robes, who had been shot by police during the protests.
Suu Kyi was sentenced in August to a further 18 months under house arrest after US citizen John Yettaw intruded into her lakeside home-cum-prison. Judges alleged that her “sheltering” of Yettaw contravened the rules of her house arrest.
Scores gathered regularly at the heavily guarded gates of Insein prison throughout the trial. Eyewitnesses said that police had set up road blocks along the main arteries to the prison, and had regularly intimidated NLD supporters.
According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), more than 250 of Burma’s 2173 political prisoners are monks, while 433 are NLD members.
Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew
Dec 7, 2009 (DVB)–A monk who appeared at the Rangoon courtroom on the day Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced in August has been imprisoned for two years, family sources said.
Nyi Nyi San, also a member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, who had entered temporary monkhood, was arrested whilst walking away from the Insein prison courtroom on the day the verdict was given.
He has been sentenced on charges of defaming the Buddhist religion at the end of a trial held in Bahan township, Rangoon, where the NLD headquarters are based.
Nyi Nyi San was in temporary monkhood under the name of Ashin Sandatika at Daysunpa monastery in Bago division when the opposition leader began her trial.
“He requested permission from the abbot at the monastery where he was ordained [to attend the trial],” said a source. “He was arrested and pulled into a truck while on his way to the NLD office from Insein prison.”
The source told DVB that Nyi Nyi San is suffering from a hernia. Prison doctors have reportedly told authorities that he needs medical attention.
The Burmese junta’s treatment of monks, widely revered across the majority Buddhist population of Burma, was thrown into the spotlight in September 2007 as police opened fire on crowds of monks protesting in the streets of Rangoon, in what come to be known as the Saffron Revolution.
Video footage later emerged that showed the bloated bodies of monks, still in their robes, who had been shot by police during the protests.
Suu Kyi was sentenced in August to a further 18 months under house arrest after US citizen John Yettaw intruded into her lakeside home-cum-prison. Judges alleged that her “sheltering” of Yettaw contravened the rules of her house arrest.
Scores gathered regularly at the heavily guarded gates of Insein prison throughout the trial. Eyewitnesses said that police had set up road blocks along the main arteries to the prison, and had regularly intimidated NLD supporters.
According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), more than 250 of Burma’s 2173 political prisoners are monks, while 433 are NLD members.
Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew
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