Myanmar court to hear Suu Kyi appeal
Published: Dec. 4, 2009 at 2:13 PM
YANGON, Myanmar, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be back in court Dec. 21 for an appeal against her house detention, an expatriate news agency said.
Previous requests have been turned down. But Nyan Win, one of her defense lawyers, told the New Delhi-based Mizzima agency on Friday that the high court had fixed the date for hearing the appeal request against the Nobel Peace laureate's sentencing by a district court in August.
"We will submit our arguments on Dec. 21, and the judge will decide whether the appeal has been accepted for revision," Nyan Win told Mizzima.
Suu Kyi, 64, was sentenced to three years in a prison on charges of violating her previous detention in May when an American, John Yettaw, swam across the lake near her house and stayed for two nights in her residence, even though she had urged him to leave.
The trial was given much media coverage worldwide and many heads of government -- including the United States, Russia and China -- were vocal in their condemnation, urging the military junta to release her and other political prisoners.
Analysts said at the time that the coverage had an effect and the head of the military, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, halved the sentence and allowed her to continue serving her time at her lakeside home. She has spent 14 of the past 19 years there under some form of house arrest since she won a landslide general election victory in 1990.
Military rulers have never allowed her to take power and ignored the results. She remains leader of the League for Democracy Party. But it is highly unlikely she will be eligible for next year's elections if she is still under house arrest, as analysts believe is the strategy of the military.
The country's economy has struggled under economic embargoes over their treatment of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. But she has cooperated with the military in asking that sanctions be lifted against Myanmar, formerly called Burma.
The military has also allowed visiting dignitaries to have private audiences with her. These are believed to be in response to a strategy by Western leaders, including and especially U.S. President Barack Obama, to openly engage with Myanmar's leaders but not lifting sanctions.
One such engagement could come at this month's U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark from Dec. 7-18. Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein will head a delegation to the Danish capital. Included will be Kyaw Tint Swe, secretary of the National Commission for Environmental Affairs, and Kyi Tun, the commission's joint secretary.
A Swedish official has been quoted as saying some EU member states are planning to meet Thein Sein on the sidelines of the conference. "There is an ongoing debate on whether and which EU leaders should meet the Burmese Prime Minister," he said.
Published: Dec. 4, 2009 at 2:13 PM
YANGON, Myanmar, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be back in court Dec. 21 for an appeal against her house detention, an expatriate news agency said.
Previous requests have been turned down. But Nyan Win, one of her defense lawyers, told the New Delhi-based Mizzima agency on Friday that the high court had fixed the date for hearing the appeal request against the Nobel Peace laureate's sentencing by a district court in August.
"We will submit our arguments on Dec. 21, and the judge will decide whether the appeal has been accepted for revision," Nyan Win told Mizzima.
Suu Kyi, 64, was sentenced to three years in a prison on charges of violating her previous detention in May when an American, John Yettaw, swam across the lake near her house and stayed for two nights in her residence, even though she had urged him to leave.
The trial was given much media coverage worldwide and many heads of government -- including the United States, Russia and China -- were vocal in their condemnation, urging the military junta to release her and other political prisoners.
Analysts said at the time that the coverage had an effect and the head of the military, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, halved the sentence and allowed her to continue serving her time at her lakeside home. She has spent 14 of the past 19 years there under some form of house arrest since she won a landslide general election victory in 1990.
Military rulers have never allowed her to take power and ignored the results. She remains leader of the League for Democracy Party. But it is highly unlikely she will be eligible for next year's elections if she is still under house arrest, as analysts believe is the strategy of the military.
The country's economy has struggled under economic embargoes over their treatment of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. But she has cooperated with the military in asking that sanctions be lifted against Myanmar, formerly called Burma.
The military has also allowed visiting dignitaries to have private audiences with her. These are believed to be in response to a strategy by Western leaders, including and especially U.S. President Barack Obama, to openly engage with Myanmar's leaders but not lifting sanctions.
One such engagement could come at this month's U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark from Dec. 7-18. Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein will head a delegation to the Danish capital. Included will be Kyaw Tint Swe, secretary of the National Commission for Environmental Affairs, and Kyi Tun, the commission's joint secretary.
A Swedish official has been quoted as saying some EU member states are planning to meet Thein Sein on the sidelines of the conference. "There is an ongoing debate on whether and which EU leaders should meet the Burmese Prime Minister," he said.
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Myanmar's Suu Kyi appeal, EU negotiations to open
Fri Dec 4, 3:50 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Military-ruled Myanmar's supreme court has agreed to hear an appeal against the extended house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an official said Friday.
The Nobel laureate, 64, was ordered to spend another 18 months in detention in August after being convicted over an incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside house. A lower court rejected an initial appeal in October.
"The supreme court decided to hear Aung San Suu Kyi's request. Lawyers have to present arguments before the court on December 21," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Military-ruled Myanmar's supreme court has agreed to hear an appeal against the extended house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an official said Friday.
News of the junta's legal decision comes as the European Union announced it will begin "sustained political dialogue" with Myanmar following the thawing of relations between the south east Asian nation and the US, the regional bloc's ambassador said Thursday. Related article: EU, Myanmar political dialogue
Ambassador David Lipman spoke to reporters in Myanmar's main city Yangon after meeting with the country's leader Senior General Than Shwe to obtain diplomatic credentials in the remote capital Naypyidaw a day earlier.
"We had a good discussion about future relations between the European Union and Myanmar and we are looking forward," Lipman said of the 30-minute meeting.
"I think the government would like to engage with the European Union. They are already engaging with the United States," he said.
Fri Dec 4, 3:50 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Military-ruled Myanmar's supreme court has agreed to hear an appeal against the extended house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an official said Friday.
The Nobel laureate, 64, was ordered to spend another 18 months in detention in August after being convicted over an incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside house. A lower court rejected an initial appeal in October.
"The supreme court decided to hear Aung San Suu Kyi's request. Lawyers have to present arguments before the court on December 21," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Military-ruled Myanmar's supreme court has agreed to hear an appeal against the extended house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an official said Friday.
News of the junta's legal decision comes as the European Union announced it will begin "sustained political dialogue" with Myanmar following the thawing of relations between the south east Asian nation and the US, the regional bloc's ambassador said Thursday. Related article: EU, Myanmar political dialogue
Ambassador David Lipman spoke to reporters in Myanmar's main city Yangon after meeting with the country's leader Senior General Than Shwe to obtain diplomatic credentials in the remote capital Naypyidaw a day earlier.
"We had a good discussion about future relations between the European Union and Myanmar and we are looking forward," Lipman said of the 30-minute meeting.
"I think the government would like to engage with the European Union. They are already engaging with the United States," he said.
******************************************************************
UN chief names new head of Darfur peacekeeping force
Fri Dec 4, 12:31 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has named his special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, as new head of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Ban's office said Thursday on its website.
The veteran Nigerian diplomat will begin his new appointment as joint special representative of the UNAMID mission on January 1, 2010, the UN said.
He replaces Congolese diplomat Rodolphe Adada, who stepped down in August claiming he "achieved results" in stemming the deadly violence that long plagued the Sudanese region.
Diplomats and observers have slammed UNAMID as inefficient, knocking Adada for his conciliatory tone with the Sudanese authorities, which the West accuses of atrocities in Darfur.
Sudan's Arab-dominated government and rebels in the largely Christian and animist south signed a power-sharing deal in 2005 to end Africa's longest civil war, which claimed 1.5 million lives over 21 years.
But a separate conflict erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Sudan's rule in the western Darfur region.
The UN says up to 300,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and disease and more than 2.7 million fled their homes in a campaign the United States describes as genocide.
UNAMID is the UN's largest mission, with 26,000 troops and police officers expected when full deployment is complete. As of late October there were 19,000 deployed uniformed personnel.
It is presently seeking to locate and free two civilians -- a Zimbabwean woman and a Nigerian man -- working for UNAMID who were kidnapped in August and were still being held in captivity.
Fri Dec 4, 12:31 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has named his special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, as new head of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Ban's office said Thursday on its website.
The veteran Nigerian diplomat will begin his new appointment as joint special representative of the UNAMID mission on January 1, 2010, the UN said.
He replaces Congolese diplomat Rodolphe Adada, who stepped down in August claiming he "achieved results" in stemming the deadly violence that long plagued the Sudanese region.
Diplomats and observers have slammed UNAMID as inefficient, knocking Adada for his conciliatory tone with the Sudanese authorities, which the West accuses of atrocities in Darfur.
Sudan's Arab-dominated government and rebels in the largely Christian and animist south signed a power-sharing deal in 2005 to end Africa's longest civil war, which claimed 1.5 million lives over 21 years.
But a separate conflict erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Sudan's rule in the western Darfur region.
The UN says up to 300,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and disease and more than 2.7 million fled their homes in a campaign the United States describes as genocide.
UNAMID is the UN's largest mission, with 26,000 troops and police officers expected when full deployment is complete. As of late October there were 19,000 deployed uniformed personnel.
It is presently seeking to locate and free two civilians -- a Zimbabwean woman and a Nigerian man -- working for UNAMID who were kidnapped in August and were still being held in captivity.
******************************************************************
December 4, 2009
LIVE FROM BURMA
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles - Jewish Life in Pagoda Land
by Sammy Samuels
Jewish life in Burma today is quite different from what it was during colonial times, which lasted until World War II. Before the war, it still was the case that “the sun never set” on the British Empire, including in Southeast Asia. Jewish merchants, who migrated originally to Burma in the late 1800s, served as a natural conduit between the British colonial rulers and the export–import community abroad. The Jewish community of approximately 2,500 people was a respected presence in business and a valued part of local society. During this “Golden Age,” Jewish influence within the government and society as a whole grew rapidly.
Jews were incorporated into the life of the country and played a prominent part in various fields. In tropical Rangoon, Jews owned ice factories and bottling plants. Some dealt in textiles and timber, while others were customs officials and traders. Jews held a designated seat on the Rangoon Municipal Committee. The Jewish community in Burma was so influential, in fact, that in the first years of the century, Rangoon and the smaller city of Bassein had Jewish mayors, and Judah Ezekiel Street in downtown Rangoon was named to honor a Jew. The Sofaer family donated the iron gates to the Rangoon Zoo, and another Jew, Mordechai Isaac Cohen, donated the beautiful cast-iron bandstand in Bandoola Square. Both are still standing tall today.
In the center of downtown Rangoon (now Yangon) stood Musmeah Yeshua, the grand synagogue with its soaring ceiling and graceful columns. Musmeah Yeshua, one of 188 sites on the list of Yangon Heritage Buildings, was constructed in the 1890s. The Jewish cemetery, with more than 600 gravestones, and the synagogue with its 126 silver sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls) and Jewish school for over 200 students, proclaimed Jewish affluence and comfort in this lush land.
As Jewish wealth grew in those early days, Jewish philanthropy grew as well. The community donated large sums for local schools, libraries, hospitals, and helped local Burmese in many different ways. The Burmese were very appreciative of this aid and the country was a welcome and tolerant home for Jews for many years.
The golden days of Jewish life in Burma came to a close when the Japanese invaded in 1941. Japanese occupation forced most of the Jewish community, along with most of the British colonial population, to flee to other countries. Some Jews returned after the war, but they soon realized that the beautiful life they remembered was no more and their homes and wealth were gone.
Even so, there were promising relations between postwar Burma and the new State of Israel. Burma and Israel both achieved their independence in 1948 and Burma recognized the State of Israel in 1949; it was the first Asian country to do so. Burmese Prime Minister U Nu was the first foreign head of state to visit the newly independent State of Israel, in 1955. In 1961, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion spent two weeks in Burma. President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and Shimon Peres also visited Burma. Despite these cordial relations, Jews found it difficult to regain their lives and re-establish their businesses in Burma after World War II. The Jews of Burma scattered—to Israel, Australia, England, and the United States. Since then, the Burmese Jewish community has continued to decrease in population.
Today, only a handful of Jews live in Burma. For more than 35 years, my family has taken care of the synagogue, cemetery, and what remains of the community. Burma and the Jewish community is always our home and history since 1890s or even early when my great-grandparents left Baghdad to start a new life in the vibrant city of Rangoon.
During World War II, my grandfather, Isaac Samuels, risked his life for the synagogue; today, we still revere the same building and its history, which encompasses Jewish life in Burma.
Every day, my father sits in the quiet synagogue, waiting to greet Jewish visitors and to share with them this rich and unique history of the Jewish community of Burma.
Every Friday, my father and I would wait at the synagogue for Jewish visitors until we could gather the minyan (requisite ten people) to begin services. My father posted this sign on the front door of the synagogue: “A tree may be alone in the field; a man alone in the world, but a Jew is never alone on his Holy Days.” It is my father’s belief that no Jew should be alone during the holidays—and yet most of the time, only the two of us can be found in the synagogue. Even if only he and I present, I always feel the echoes of the many Shabbat services that took place in this beautiful synagogue and hear the melodies of the songs our ancestors sang when the community was at its peak.
We may not be able to return to the glorious days of Jewish life, but the community believes that, through tourism, we will be able to make a difference in keeping the Jewish spirit alive in Burma. In 2005, we started the travel agency Myanmar Shalom, with the goal of linking Jews around the world to our small community and enabling visitors to explore and experience this beautiful country about which Rudyard Kipling wrote “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know.”
Through years of isolation, the country has managed to retain many of its cultural traditions and preserve much of its historical heritage—making it one of the few remaining places on earth that truly can bring a visitor back in time to experience the Asia of old. Whatever the politics of visiting Burma, the tourist will find a nation of gentle folk and smiling people, rich archaeological sites, glittering pagodas, colorful bazaars, and joyous festivals.
Among many other programs, Myanmar Shalom hosted its unique “Southeast Asia through Jewish Eyes” with Lotus Travels brought more than 30 participants led by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, creator of “Journeys through Jewish Eyes,” and one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Asian Jewish experience.
For many years, the synagogue has not had a local minyan, so the group visit makes a difference to this small community—once again filling the Rangoon synagogue with joy and song.
I often think about the history of the Jewish community in Burma—from its “golden days” before World War II, when the synagogue was filled with more than 300 people for all congregational activities, the Jewish holy days, the weddings and bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies. No matter where the descendants of Jews from Burma now live, the synagogue Musmeah Yeshua always will remain an important landmark of Jewish history in Southeast Asia for all of us and a reminder of the very vibrant and lively community that once lived in Burma.
Today, only a few of us are left in Burma, but our Jewish spirit is still alive and our prayer services still continue. I hope that through tourism the Jewish community may begin to revive and that our beautiful synagogue once again will be filled with joy and song as we continue our historic role in the life and welfare of the country.
More information about Jewish Community of Burma: Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma by Dr. Ruth Fredman Cernea
More information about Myanmar Shalom: www.myanmarshalom.com
LIVE FROM BURMA
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles - Jewish Life in Pagoda Land
by Sammy Samuels
Jewish life in Burma today is quite different from what it was during colonial times, which lasted until World War II. Before the war, it still was the case that “the sun never set” on the British Empire, including in Southeast Asia. Jewish merchants, who migrated originally to Burma in the late 1800s, served as a natural conduit between the British colonial rulers and the export–import community abroad. The Jewish community of approximately 2,500 people was a respected presence in business and a valued part of local society. During this “Golden Age,” Jewish influence within the government and society as a whole grew rapidly.
Jews were incorporated into the life of the country and played a prominent part in various fields. In tropical Rangoon, Jews owned ice factories and bottling plants. Some dealt in textiles and timber, while others were customs officials and traders. Jews held a designated seat on the Rangoon Municipal Committee. The Jewish community in Burma was so influential, in fact, that in the first years of the century, Rangoon and the smaller city of Bassein had Jewish mayors, and Judah Ezekiel Street in downtown Rangoon was named to honor a Jew. The Sofaer family donated the iron gates to the Rangoon Zoo, and another Jew, Mordechai Isaac Cohen, donated the beautiful cast-iron bandstand in Bandoola Square. Both are still standing tall today.
In the center of downtown Rangoon (now Yangon) stood Musmeah Yeshua, the grand synagogue with its soaring ceiling and graceful columns. Musmeah Yeshua, one of 188 sites on the list of Yangon Heritage Buildings, was constructed in the 1890s. The Jewish cemetery, with more than 600 gravestones, and the synagogue with its 126 silver sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls) and Jewish school for over 200 students, proclaimed Jewish affluence and comfort in this lush land.
As Jewish wealth grew in those early days, Jewish philanthropy grew as well. The community donated large sums for local schools, libraries, hospitals, and helped local Burmese in many different ways. The Burmese were very appreciative of this aid and the country was a welcome and tolerant home for Jews for many years.
The golden days of Jewish life in Burma came to a close when the Japanese invaded in 1941. Japanese occupation forced most of the Jewish community, along with most of the British colonial population, to flee to other countries. Some Jews returned after the war, but they soon realized that the beautiful life they remembered was no more and their homes and wealth were gone.
Even so, there were promising relations between postwar Burma and the new State of Israel. Burma and Israel both achieved their independence in 1948 and Burma recognized the State of Israel in 1949; it was the first Asian country to do so. Burmese Prime Minister U Nu was the first foreign head of state to visit the newly independent State of Israel, in 1955. In 1961, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion spent two weeks in Burma. President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and Shimon Peres also visited Burma. Despite these cordial relations, Jews found it difficult to regain their lives and re-establish their businesses in Burma after World War II. The Jews of Burma scattered—to Israel, Australia, England, and the United States. Since then, the Burmese Jewish community has continued to decrease in population.
Today, only a handful of Jews live in Burma. For more than 35 years, my family has taken care of the synagogue, cemetery, and what remains of the community. Burma and the Jewish community is always our home and history since 1890s or even early when my great-grandparents left Baghdad to start a new life in the vibrant city of Rangoon.
During World War II, my grandfather, Isaac Samuels, risked his life for the synagogue; today, we still revere the same building and its history, which encompasses Jewish life in Burma.
Every day, my father sits in the quiet synagogue, waiting to greet Jewish visitors and to share with them this rich and unique history of the Jewish community of Burma.
Every Friday, my father and I would wait at the synagogue for Jewish visitors until we could gather the minyan (requisite ten people) to begin services. My father posted this sign on the front door of the synagogue: “A tree may be alone in the field; a man alone in the world, but a Jew is never alone on his Holy Days.” It is my father’s belief that no Jew should be alone during the holidays—and yet most of the time, only the two of us can be found in the synagogue. Even if only he and I present, I always feel the echoes of the many Shabbat services that took place in this beautiful synagogue and hear the melodies of the songs our ancestors sang when the community was at its peak.
We may not be able to return to the glorious days of Jewish life, but the community believes that, through tourism, we will be able to make a difference in keeping the Jewish spirit alive in Burma. In 2005, we started the travel agency Myanmar Shalom, with the goal of linking Jews around the world to our small community and enabling visitors to explore and experience this beautiful country about which Rudyard Kipling wrote “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know.”
Through years of isolation, the country has managed to retain many of its cultural traditions and preserve much of its historical heritage—making it one of the few remaining places on earth that truly can bring a visitor back in time to experience the Asia of old. Whatever the politics of visiting Burma, the tourist will find a nation of gentle folk and smiling people, rich archaeological sites, glittering pagodas, colorful bazaars, and joyous festivals.
Among many other programs, Myanmar Shalom hosted its unique “Southeast Asia through Jewish Eyes” with Lotus Travels brought more than 30 participants led by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, creator of “Journeys through Jewish Eyes,” and one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Asian Jewish experience.
For many years, the synagogue has not had a local minyan, so the group visit makes a difference to this small community—once again filling the Rangoon synagogue with joy and song.
I often think about the history of the Jewish community in Burma—from its “golden days” before World War II, when the synagogue was filled with more than 300 people for all congregational activities, the Jewish holy days, the weddings and bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies. No matter where the descendants of Jews from Burma now live, the synagogue Musmeah Yeshua always will remain an important landmark of Jewish history in Southeast Asia for all of us and a reminder of the very vibrant and lively community that once lived in Burma.
Today, only a few of us are left in Burma, but our Jewish spirit is still alive and our prayer services still continue. I hope that through tourism the Jewish community may begin to revive and that our beautiful synagogue once again will be filled with joy and song as we continue our historic role in the life and welfare of the country.
More information about Jewish Community of Burma: Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma by Dr. Ruth Fredman Cernea
More information about Myanmar Shalom: www.myanmarshalom.com
******************************************************************
Posted: 12:12 p.m. Dec. 3, 2009 | Updated: 6:06 p.m. Dec. 3, 2009
Detroit Free Press - Free political prisoner, Chrysler TV ad says
Commercial pushes for release of Burmese political captive
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
In a bold and risky move aimed at getting people talking, Chrysler has launched a new ad for its flagship 300 sedan that includes combines product placement with political activism not characteristic in automotive advertising.
It’s a stark contrast with earlier, more mainstream Chrysler 300 commercials, including one that featured rap star Snoop Dogg and former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca.
The new 30-second spot ties Chrysler’s namesake brand to a worldwide human rights campaign to free imprisoned Burmese democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Now 64, Ms. Suu Kyi was elected prime minister of Burma (now Myanmar) in 1990 with 59% of the vote. But a military junta prevented her from taking office, and has kept her under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. She won the 1991 Nobel Peach Prize.
Fiat’s Lancia brand has run a version of the ad in Europe.
“We produced the TV film in honor of all those who put their lives at stake in the hopes of making the world a better place,” Olivier Francois, president and CEO of the Chrysler brand said in a statement. He called the ad an effort to use the Chrysler brand in “the fight for peace.”
“This is a chance to use our brand image to join others in the fight for peace and to knock down the walls that divide us.”
Featuring images of Nelson Mandela, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former Poland President Lech Walesa, the spot also shows a Chrysler 300 driving through a replica of the Berlin Wall.
The ad closes with the car going up the steps of Berlin’s Town Hall, which hosted an annual gathering of past Nobel Prize winners last month. There’s also a close-up of an empty back seat. The audio notes that someone is missing, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still lingering in a Burmese prison.
The jury is out as to whether this very European approach will sell cars in the U.S.
“This is an unusual fish to throw out there,” said Mike Bernacchi, professor of marketing at the University of Detroit Mercy. “The objective is to get a attention, but you’re kind of left wondering ‘what was he (Francois) thinking?’”
Others were less charitable.
“If they’re so hell-bent on taking on social causes,” said Peter De Lorenzo, creator of AutoExtremist.com, “why don’t they take the money and make a contribution to the food banks in and around this region instead?”
Last month, Chrysler’s former advertising agency, BBDO announced it would close its Troy and Windsor offices early next year, leaving about 500 people out of work.
Detroit Free Press - Free political prisoner, Chrysler TV ad says
Commercial pushes for release of Burmese political captive
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
In a bold and risky move aimed at getting people talking, Chrysler has launched a new ad for its flagship 300 sedan that includes combines product placement with political activism not characteristic in automotive advertising.
It’s a stark contrast with earlier, more mainstream Chrysler 300 commercials, including one that featured rap star Snoop Dogg and former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca.
The new 30-second spot ties Chrysler’s namesake brand to a worldwide human rights campaign to free imprisoned Burmese democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Now 64, Ms. Suu Kyi was elected prime minister of Burma (now Myanmar) in 1990 with 59% of the vote. But a military junta prevented her from taking office, and has kept her under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. She won the 1991 Nobel Peach Prize.
Fiat’s Lancia brand has run a version of the ad in Europe.
“We produced the TV film in honor of all those who put their lives at stake in the hopes of making the world a better place,” Olivier Francois, president and CEO of the Chrysler brand said in a statement. He called the ad an effort to use the Chrysler brand in “the fight for peace.”
“This is a chance to use our brand image to join others in the fight for peace and to knock down the walls that divide us.”
Featuring images of Nelson Mandela, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former Poland President Lech Walesa, the spot also shows a Chrysler 300 driving through a replica of the Berlin Wall.
The ad closes with the car going up the steps of Berlin’s Town Hall, which hosted an annual gathering of past Nobel Prize winners last month. There’s also a close-up of an empty back seat. The audio notes that someone is missing, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still lingering in a Burmese prison.
The jury is out as to whether this very European approach will sell cars in the U.S.
“This is an unusual fish to throw out there,” said Mike Bernacchi, professor of marketing at the University of Detroit Mercy. “The objective is to get a attention, but you’re kind of left wondering ‘what was he (Francois) thinking?’”
Others were less charitable.
“If they’re so hell-bent on taking on social causes,” said Peter De Lorenzo, creator of AutoExtremist.com, “why don’t they take the money and make a contribution to the food banks in and around this region instead?”
Last month, Chrysler’s former advertising agency, BBDO announced it would close its Troy and Windsor offices early next year, leaving about 500 people out of work.
******************************************************************
EarthTimes - German tourists bike from China to Myanmar
Posted : Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:28:12 GMT
Yangon - A group of eight German tourists have biked from China to Myanmar as a part of a regional cycling tour that will end in land-locked Laos, industry sources said Friday. "The tourists are now in central Myanmar enjoying a 800-mile (1,280-kilometre) bike tour," said Min Min Kyaw, a tour guide at the Seven Days Travel and Tour Company.
Before entering Myanmar at Kuak Kaing town in the Shan State, the cyclists biked through Yunnan province in southern China, between November 8 and 25.
It is very rare for western tourists to receive visas to cross the China-Myanmar border.
The German bike tour comprises two women and six men, including 75-year-old Jost Neumann.
The cyclists will spend 11 days in Myanmar before travelling on to Bangkok, and from there to Laos for the last leg of their cycling expedition.
Posted : Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:28:12 GMT
Yangon - A group of eight German tourists have biked from China to Myanmar as a part of a regional cycling tour that will end in land-locked Laos, industry sources said Friday. "The tourists are now in central Myanmar enjoying a 800-mile (1,280-kilometre) bike tour," said Min Min Kyaw, a tour guide at the Seven Days Travel and Tour Company.
Before entering Myanmar at Kuak Kaing town in the Shan State, the cyclists biked through Yunnan province in southern China, between November 8 and 25.
It is very rare for western tourists to receive visas to cross the China-Myanmar border.
The German bike tour comprises two women and six men, including 75-year-old Jost Neumann.
The cyclists will spend 11 days in Myanmar before travelling on to Bangkok, and from there to Laos for the last leg of their cycling expedition.
******************************************************************
EarthTimes - Myanmar suspends doctor for fatal appendectomy
Posted : Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:10:10 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar's medical council on Thursday suspended the license of a surgeon who who mistakenly performed an appendectomy on a 15-year-old girl who was in fact suffering from dengue fever. In a rare show of ethics in a country notorious for its poor health services, the Myanmar Medical Council suspended the license of a surgeon for five years for the death of Khaing Shun Lei Yi.
The high school student died during an operation performed on October 27 at Shwegondaing Special Clinic in Yangon.
The girl's parents accused the surgeon of diagnosing their daughter as suffering from appendicitis when she actually had dengue fever, also known as haemorrhagic fever because it can induce severe bleeding.
"He made clinical mistakes, lacked pre-operative and post-operative assessment and lacked responsibility and accountability," the council said in a statement.
Although it refrained from naming the suspended surgeon, the family of the deceased identified him as doctor Kyi Soe.
Posted : Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:10:10 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar's medical council on Thursday suspended the license of a surgeon who who mistakenly performed an appendectomy on a 15-year-old girl who was in fact suffering from dengue fever. In a rare show of ethics in a country notorious for its poor health services, the Myanmar Medical Council suspended the license of a surgeon for five years for the death of Khaing Shun Lei Yi.
The high school student died during an operation performed on October 27 at Shwegondaing Special Clinic in Yangon.
The girl's parents accused the surgeon of diagnosing their daughter as suffering from appendicitis when she actually had dengue fever, also known as haemorrhagic fever because it can induce severe bleeding.
"He made clinical mistakes, lacked pre-operative and post-operative assessment and lacked responsibility and accountability," the council said in a statement.
Although it refrained from naming the suspended surgeon, the family of the deceased identified him as doctor Kyi Soe.
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eTaiwan News - Taiwan officials fly to Myanmar to help detained seamen
Central News Agency
2009-12-04 08:40 PM
Bangkok, Dec. 4 (CNA) Two Taiwan officials posted in Thailand flew to Myanmar Friday to visit four Taiwanese nationals working on fishing vessels seized by Myamar authorities more than two weeks ago.
The officials will try to determine what legal violations were committed by the men and provide them with the necessary assistance, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Thailand.
The crew members were working on four fishing boats that were seized by Myanmar authorities Nov. 18, probably because they intruded into that country's exclusive economic zone.
As soon as it was informed of the situation, Taiwan decided to send officials to Myanmar to help deal with the incident. The trip only became possible, however, after Myanmar authorities finally issued visas to the officials Thursday.
Before that, the TECO in Thailand had asked Taiwanese businessmen in Myanmar to help deliver daily necessities to the detained crew members.
Central News Agency
2009-12-04 08:40 PM
Bangkok, Dec. 4 (CNA) Two Taiwan officials posted in Thailand flew to Myanmar Friday to visit four Taiwanese nationals working on fishing vessels seized by Myamar authorities more than two weeks ago.
The officials will try to determine what legal violations were committed by the men and provide them with the necessary assistance, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Thailand.
The crew members were working on four fishing boats that were seized by Myanmar authorities Nov. 18, probably because they intruded into that country's exclusive economic zone.
As soon as it was informed of the situation, Taiwan decided to send officials to Myanmar to help deal with the incident. The trip only became possible, however, after Myanmar authorities finally issued visas to the officials Thursday.
Before that, the TECO in Thailand had asked Taiwanese businessmen in Myanmar to help deliver daily necessities to the detained crew members.
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Saudi Arabia to provide interest-free loan to Myanmar
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-04 19:28:47
YANGON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi Development Fund (SDF) will provide an interest-free loan of 8 million U.S. dollars to Myanmar to help develop Myanmar's irrigation sector, the local weekly Yangon Times reported Friday.
The loan, which is the first extended by Saudi Arabia to Myanmar, will be used in a dam construction project of Ka Nya in Ingapul township, Ayeyawaddy division scheduled to start early next year.
On completion of the dam project, over 10,000 hectares of farmland will be irrigated, the report said.
Myanmar and Saudi Arabia have no official business links despite forging of diplomatic ties more than four years ago. However, Myanmar exports seafood, gems, wood and agricultural products to Saudi Arabia, while the latter could potentially export to Myanmar goods such as pharmaceuticals, canned juice, urea and petroleum products, earlier report said.
In May last year, Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu visited Saudi Arabia and had discussions with his Saudi counterpart on the two countries' trade and Myanmar workers' job opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations with Myanmar in August 2004 and opened its embassy in Yangon in December 2005.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-04 19:28:47
YANGON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi Development Fund (SDF) will provide an interest-free loan of 8 million U.S. dollars to Myanmar to help develop Myanmar's irrigation sector, the local weekly Yangon Times reported Friday.
The loan, which is the first extended by Saudi Arabia to Myanmar, will be used in a dam construction project of Ka Nya in Ingapul township, Ayeyawaddy division scheduled to start early next year.
On completion of the dam project, over 10,000 hectares of farmland will be irrigated, the report said.
Myanmar and Saudi Arabia have no official business links despite forging of diplomatic ties more than four years ago. However, Myanmar exports seafood, gems, wood and agricultural products to Saudi Arabia, while the latter could potentially export to Myanmar goods such as pharmaceuticals, canned juice, urea and petroleum products, earlier report said.
In May last year, Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu visited Saudi Arabia and had discussions with his Saudi counterpart on the two countries' trade and Myanmar workers' job opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations with Myanmar in August 2004 and opened its embassy in Yangon in December 2005.
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Myanmar strives for completion of railroad projects before election
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-04 17:22:35
YANGON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is striving for the completion of over-400-kilometer-long railroad projects across the country during the present 2009-10 fiscal year, which started in April, sources with the Ministry of Railways Transportation said on Friday.
The projects including eight railroads will be handed over to the government after the 2010 general election, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is also implementing another special railroad project connecting two division and state of Magway and Rakhine to facilitate public transportation in the regions, an earlier report said.
The 413-kilometer long Sittwe-Ann-Padang-Minbu railroad project, which includes building of 51 railway stations, 1,285 bridges and tunnels is targeted to complete within this fiscal year.
According to official statistics, the length of railroads and rail tracks in Myanmar has extended up to 5,031.29 kilometers (km) and 6,549.26 km, increasing 59 percent and 46 percent respectively in the past 21 years.
There were 3,162.16 km of railroads and 4,470.17 km rail tracks nationwide before 1988 and the state-run Myanmar Railways has built 1,868 km of new railroads and 2,079 km of rail tracks in the whole country since 1988.
The passenger trains has increased to 379 from 229 and freight trains to 18 from 17, the figures indicate.
There are 805 railway stations in the whole country now, an increase of 318 from before 1988 when there were only 487.
According to official statistics, the number of passengers rail-transported in the country in a day stood over 100,000.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-04 17:22:35
YANGON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is striving for the completion of over-400-kilometer-long railroad projects across the country during the present 2009-10 fiscal year, which started in April, sources with the Ministry of Railways Transportation said on Friday.
The projects including eight railroads will be handed over to the government after the 2010 general election, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is also implementing another special railroad project connecting two division and state of Magway and Rakhine to facilitate public transportation in the regions, an earlier report said.
The 413-kilometer long Sittwe-Ann-Padang-Minbu railroad project, which includes building of 51 railway stations, 1,285 bridges and tunnels is targeted to complete within this fiscal year.
According to official statistics, the length of railroads and rail tracks in Myanmar has extended up to 5,031.29 kilometers (km) and 6,549.26 km, increasing 59 percent and 46 percent respectively in the past 21 years.
There were 3,162.16 km of railroads and 4,470.17 km rail tracks nationwide before 1988 and the state-run Myanmar Railways has built 1,868 km of new railroads and 2,079 km of rail tracks in the whole country since 1988.
The passenger trains has increased to 379 from 229 and freight trains to 18 from 17, the figures indicate.
There are 805 railway stations in the whole country now, an increase of 318 from before 1988 when there were only 487.
According to official statistics, the number of passengers rail-transported in the country in a day stood over 100,000.
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Myanmar to take part in Muay Thai tournament in ASEAN Games
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 12:24:07
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of five Myanmar traditional boxers will take part in the forthcoming 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games scheduled for this month in the Lao capital of Vientiane, according to the organisers Wednesday.
Win Tun, Thatti Aung, Soe Moe Hein, Satkyar Min, Sitt Min, who grabbed the golden belts, will compete in the tournament.
Of them, Win Tun and Soe Moe Hein had experiences with the ASEAN Games, while others being with domestic outings.
Myanmar grabbed three gold medals and four bronze medals in the last Muay Thai tournament in Thailand.
In playing Myanmar traditional boxing, also known as Letwei in the country, boxers bandage their hands without gloves, wearing only nylon anklets and boxing trunks and fighters bind their hands.
Although the sports is not kick-boxing, legs can be used under some conditions.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 12:24:07
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of five Myanmar traditional boxers will take part in the forthcoming 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games scheduled for this month in the Lao capital of Vientiane, according to the organisers Wednesday.
Win Tun, Thatti Aung, Soe Moe Hein, Satkyar Min, Sitt Min, who grabbed the golden belts, will compete in the tournament.
Of them, Win Tun and Soe Moe Hein had experiences with the ASEAN Games, while others being with domestic outings.
Myanmar grabbed three gold medals and four bronze medals in the last Muay Thai tournament in Thailand.
In playing Myanmar traditional boxing, also known as Letwei in the country, boxers bandage their hands without gloves, wearing only nylon anklets and boxing trunks and fighters bind their hands.
Although the sports is not kick-boxing, legs can be used under some conditions.
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Famous hotel in Myanmar to add gem show as attraction
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 12:13:26
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- One of Myanmar's famous hotel in Yangon -- the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, will add an all-year-round gem show to display Myanmar's quality gems to attract more visitors to the country as part of its bid to boost both the gem industry and he tourism industry, sources with the hotel said on Wednesday.
With 60 show rooms, the gem show, which is the first of its kind attached with a foreign-invested hotel, will open early next year, the sources said, adding that gem-related training will also be conducted.
Myanmar has been holding gem shows annually since 1964, introducing mid-year one in 1992 and special one in 2004.
These shows are traditionally launched at the Myanmar Gems Museum and the Myanmar Convention Center in Yangon.
On each occasion, the country's quality gems, jade, pearl and jewelry worth of millions of dollars were put on sale mainly through competitive bidding.
In the last 18th mid-year gems emporium held in Yangon for 13 days from Oct. 25 to Nov. 6, a total of 8,140 jade lots, 223 gems and jewelry lots and 270 pearl lots were displayed, attracting about 2,000 foreign gem merchants.
A total of 96.46 million euros (120.5 million U.S. dollars) were earned from the emporium.
Myanmar, a well-known producer of gems in the world, boasts ruby, diamond, cat's eye, emerald, topaz, pearl, sapphire, coral and a variety of garnet tinged with yellow.
The authorities designated the proceeds from the sale of gems at these emporiums as legal export earning to encourage the private sector in the development of the gem industry.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 12:13:26
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- One of Myanmar's famous hotel in Yangon -- the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, will add an all-year-round gem show to display Myanmar's quality gems to attract more visitors to the country as part of its bid to boost both the gem industry and he tourism industry, sources with the hotel said on Wednesday.
With 60 show rooms, the gem show, which is the first of its kind attached with a foreign-invested hotel, will open early next year, the sources said, adding that gem-related training will also be conducted.
Myanmar has been holding gem shows annually since 1964, introducing mid-year one in 1992 and special one in 2004.
These shows are traditionally launched at the Myanmar Gems Museum and the Myanmar Convention Center in Yangon.
On each occasion, the country's quality gems, jade, pearl and jewelry worth of millions of dollars were put on sale mainly through competitive bidding.
In the last 18th mid-year gems emporium held in Yangon for 13 days from Oct. 25 to Nov. 6, a total of 8,140 jade lots, 223 gems and jewelry lots and 270 pearl lots were displayed, attracting about 2,000 foreign gem merchants.
A total of 96.46 million euros (120.5 million U.S. dollars) were earned from the emporium.
Myanmar, a well-known producer of gems in the world, boasts ruby, diamond, cat's eye, emerald, topaz, pearl, sapphire, coral and a variety of garnet tinged with yellow.
The authorities designated the proceeds from the sale of gems at these emporiums as legal export earning to encourage the private sector in the development of the gem industry.
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4Hoteliers - Vietnam to invest in Myanmar's hotel industry.
Thursday, 3rd December 2009
Source : HVS International
According to the Myanmar Hoteliers Association, Vietnamese businessmen will invest in a hotel in Yangon for the first time.
The proposed hotel is likely to be located along Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, in close proximity to Sedona Hotel, Yangon.
It was also reported that a Vietnamese airline is planning to add Myanmar as a new flight route.
Currently, the city has five other foreign-invested hotels, out of which three are from Thailand and one each from China and Singapore.
Thursday, 3rd December 2009
Source : HVS International
According to the Myanmar Hoteliers Association, Vietnamese businessmen will invest in a hotel in Yangon for the first time.
The proposed hotel is likely to be located along Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, in close proximity to Sedona Hotel, Yangon.
It was also reported that a Vietnamese airline is planning to add Myanmar as a new flight route.
Currently, the city has five other foreign-invested hotels, out of which three are from Thailand and one each from China and Singapore.
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Japanese film festival to be launched in Yangon
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 18:07:18
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese film festival to strengthen the mutual friendship and boost cultural exchange between Japan and Myanmar will be launched in the two biggest cities of Yangon and Mandalay this month, according to the Japanese embassy here on Wednesday.
The four-day film festival will be held in Yangon's Thamada cinema from Dec. 10 to 13 and in Mandalay's Winlight cinema from Dec. 17 to 20 respectively, the sources said.
Four famous Japanese films, namely "Turn Over", "Blue", "Breathe in, Breath out" and "A Scene at the Sea" will be screened in the festival, it added.
Japanese film festival has been held annually in Myanmar since 2000, sponsored by the Japanese embassy in collaboration with the Japan Foundation.
Meanwhile, a ten-day 18th European film festival was held in Yangon last month in which European Commission join the event for the first time in addition to Britain, Italy, Germany and France.
With English subtitles, a number of famous films which include "One day in Europe", "Emma's Bliss", "Zo Zo", and "One Hundred", from Germany, "Jean De la Fontaine" and "Love is in the air" from France, "The Early Bird Catches The Worm", from Italy and "Becoming Jane" from Britain were introduced.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 18:07:18
YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese film festival to strengthen the mutual friendship and boost cultural exchange between Japan and Myanmar will be launched in the two biggest cities of Yangon and Mandalay this month, according to the Japanese embassy here on Wednesday.
The four-day film festival will be held in Yangon's Thamada cinema from Dec. 10 to 13 and in Mandalay's Winlight cinema from Dec. 17 to 20 respectively, the sources said.
Four famous Japanese films, namely "Turn Over", "Blue", "Breathe in, Breath out" and "A Scene at the Sea" will be screened in the festival, it added.
Japanese film festival has been held annually in Myanmar since 2000, sponsored by the Japanese embassy in collaboration with the Japan Foundation.
Meanwhile, a ten-day 18th European film festival was held in Yangon last month in which European Commission join the event for the first time in addition to Britain, Italy, Germany and France.
With English subtitles, a number of famous films which include "One day in Europe", "Emma's Bliss", "Zo Zo", and "One Hundred", from Germany, "Jean De la Fontaine" and "Love is in the air" from France, "The Early Bird Catches The Worm", from Italy and "Becoming Jane" from Britain were introduced.
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domain-B - India-Myanmar gas pipeline may materialise in 2-3 yrs news
02 December 2009
Kolkata: A tri-nation gas pipeline between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar may materialise in two to three years time, according to Myanmar ambassador U Kyi Thein.
"Something can happen in two to three years with Indian companies like GAIL, Essar Oil, ONGC, IOC exploring gas in Myanmar," Thein told reporters on the sidelines of an interactive session.
Thein also mentioned his country had signed an oil pipeline deal with China early this year which envisaged a 1,100 km pipeline from Myanmar's west coast port of Kyaukryu to Ruili in China and terminating at Kunming city, the capital of Yunnan province.
In the first stage, the Myanmar-China Crude Pipeline will extend for 771km from Kyaukryu port to Ruili with a designed annual deliverability of 12 million tons.
The ambassador also said that bilateral trade between India and Myanmar was expected to touch $1 billion in 2009-10 from the present $951 million.
''Major exports from Myanmar are pulses, teak and timber and we import steel, cement, fertilizer, pharmaceutical products from India,'' he said.
India is the fourth-largest trading country in Myanmar after Thailand, China and Singapore.
02 December 2009
Kolkata: A tri-nation gas pipeline between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar may materialise in two to three years time, according to Myanmar ambassador U Kyi Thein.
"Something can happen in two to three years with Indian companies like GAIL, Essar Oil, ONGC, IOC exploring gas in Myanmar," Thein told reporters on the sidelines of an interactive session.
Thein also mentioned his country had signed an oil pipeline deal with China early this year which envisaged a 1,100 km pipeline from Myanmar's west coast port of Kyaukryu to Ruili in China and terminating at Kunming city, the capital of Yunnan province.
In the first stage, the Myanmar-China Crude Pipeline will extend for 771km from Kyaukryu port to Ruili with a designed annual deliverability of 12 million tons.
The ambassador also said that bilateral trade between India and Myanmar was expected to touch $1 billion in 2009-10 from the present $951 million.
''Major exports from Myanmar are pulses, teak and timber and we import steel, cement, fertilizer, pharmaceutical products from India,'' he said.
India is the fourth-largest trading country in Myanmar after Thailand, China and Singapore.
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'Paresh Baruah in Kachin area of Myanmar'
STAFF WRITER 19:51 HRS IST
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The elusive 'commander-in-chief of ULFA Paresh Baruah is hiding in Myanmar's Kachin area, bordering China, and under the full grip of anti-India forces like Pakistan's ISI, a top government official said.
Baruah, who has been against holding any peace dialogue with the government, has fled from his hideout in Bangladesh some time ago.
"He is now in Kachin area of Myanmar," the official said.
Several militant outfits in the Northeast have training camps and bases in Kachin, which borders China's Yunnan province which Baruah visits regularly.
Asked about Baruah's opposition to talks with the government, the official said he was under full grip of forces inimical to India like ISI and some elements in China and works under their directions.
STAFF WRITER 19:51 HRS IST
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The elusive 'commander-in-chief of ULFA Paresh Baruah is hiding in Myanmar's Kachin area, bordering China, and under the full grip of anti-India forces like Pakistan's ISI, a top government official said.
Baruah, who has been against holding any peace dialogue with the government, has fled from his hideout in Bangladesh some time ago.
"He is now in Kachin area of Myanmar," the official said.
Several militant outfits in the Northeast have training camps and bases in Kachin, which borders China's Yunnan province which Baruah visits regularly.
Asked about Baruah's opposition to talks with the government, the official said he was under full grip of forces inimical to India like ISI and some elements in China and works under their directions.
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Eu Business - EU to begin political dialogue with Myanmar: ambassador
04 December 2009, 08:22 CET
(YANGON) - The European Union will begin "sustained political dialogue" with Myanmar following the thawing of relations between the junta-led nation and the US, the regional bloc's ambassador said Thursday.
Ambassador David Lipman spoke to reporters in Myanmar's main city Yangon after meeting with the country's leader Senior General Than Shwe to obtain diplomatic credentials in the remote capital Naypyidaw a day earlier.
"We had a good discussion about future relations between the European Union and Myanmar and we are looking forward," Lipman said of the 30-minute meeting.
"I think the government would like to engage with the European Union. They are already engaging with the United States," he said.
Last month US President Barack Obama signalled a new approach with Myanmar when he met Prime Minister Thein Sein along with other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore.
The US and EU have sanctions against Myanmar because of its human rights record and detention of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Lipman said future engagement would follow three tracks -- general humanitarian assistance, the giving of financial aid through non-government organisations, and now political discussion.
"At the moment, we are working on the third track which is for political dialogue. The third track is now very much in the process of moving forwards," he said.
Lipman said EU officials hope to begin talks with Myanmar's foreign minister Nyan Win on the sidelines of a climate change conference that begins on Monday in Copenhagen.
Myanmar officials said they could not immediately confirm Nyan Win's attendance.
"We hope to begin our dialogue by meeting with the foreign minister at the climate change conference. So that will be the next step where we will start a sustained political dialogue with the government," said Lipman.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962.
The 64-year-old pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi has spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest. Her National League for Democracy party won elections in 1990 but the junta never allowed them to take office.
Myanmar's leaders have promised to hold polls next year as part of their seven-step "Road to Democracy".
04 December 2009, 08:22 CET
(YANGON) - The European Union will begin "sustained political dialogue" with Myanmar following the thawing of relations between the junta-led nation and the US, the regional bloc's ambassador said Thursday.
Ambassador David Lipman spoke to reporters in Myanmar's main city Yangon after meeting with the country's leader Senior General Than Shwe to obtain diplomatic credentials in the remote capital Naypyidaw a day earlier.
"We had a good discussion about future relations between the European Union and Myanmar and we are looking forward," Lipman said of the 30-minute meeting.
"I think the government would like to engage with the European Union. They are already engaging with the United States," he said.
Last month US President Barack Obama signalled a new approach with Myanmar when he met Prime Minister Thein Sein along with other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore.
The US and EU have sanctions against Myanmar because of its human rights record and detention of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Lipman said future engagement would follow three tracks -- general humanitarian assistance, the giving of financial aid through non-government organisations, and now political discussion.
"At the moment, we are working on the third track which is for political dialogue. The third track is now very much in the process of moving forwards," he said.
Lipman said EU officials hope to begin talks with Myanmar's foreign minister Nyan Win on the sidelines of a climate change conference that begins on Monday in Copenhagen.
Myanmar officials said they could not immediately confirm Nyan Win's attendance.
"We hope to begin our dialogue by meeting with the foreign minister at the climate change conference. So that will be the next step where we will start a sustained political dialogue with the government," said Lipman.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962.
The 64-year-old pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi has spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest. Her National League for Democracy party won elections in 1990 but the junta never allowed them to take office.
Myanmar's leaders have promised to hold polls next year as part of their seven-step "Road to Democracy".
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People's Daily Online - Myanmar starts investigation into death case of mistakenly operated patient
20:55, December 03, 2009
The Myanmar medical authorities have begun an investigation into a recent case of a girl patient who died after mistakenly undergoing a surgical operation for wrong diagnosis, the local weekly Popular News reported Thursday.
An unidentified surgeon from a famous private special clinic, Shwegondaing, in Yangon mistakenly performed an appendectomy on the 15-year-old girl patient, Khaing Shun Lei Yi, who was found later actually suffering from dengue fever, the report quoted the Medical Council as saying.
The patient's parents charged the surgeon with diagnosing their daughter as suffering from appendicitis instead of dengue fever.
The medical council also accused the doctor in a statement of making clinical mistake, lacking pre-operative and post-operative assessment, and lacking responsibility and accountability.
According to the report, the council suspended the license of the surgeon on Thursday for five years for the mistaken death.
The patient's death case has brought about negative impact on the medical circle.
20:55, December 03, 2009
The Myanmar medical authorities have begun an investigation into a recent case of a girl patient who died after mistakenly undergoing a surgical operation for wrong diagnosis, the local weekly Popular News reported Thursday.
An unidentified surgeon from a famous private special clinic, Shwegondaing, in Yangon mistakenly performed an appendectomy on the 15-year-old girl patient, Khaing Shun Lei Yi, who was found later actually suffering from dengue fever, the report quoted the Medical Council as saying.
The patient's parents charged the surgeon with diagnosing their daughter as suffering from appendicitis instead of dengue fever.
The medical council also accused the doctor in a statement of making clinical mistake, lacking pre-operative and post-operative assessment, and lacking responsibility and accountability.
According to the report, the council suspended the license of the surgeon on Thursday for five years for the mistaken death.
The patient's death case has brought about negative impact on the medical circle.
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December 4, 2009 at 18:31:13
OpEdNews - Burma seeks global support for press freedom
By Zin Linn
Bangkok, Thailand — Burma today is at an intersection. The incumbent military regime wants to maintain the status quo while the mainstream population desires a new chapter of change. People are demanding freedom of expression and association while the junta is stubbornly disallowing citizens their basic rights.
As a result, a majority of the people support the proposal of the National League for Democracy, put forth in a declaration on April 29 and proposing two conditions for the opposition party's participation in the 2010 election. The first is to amend provisions in the 2008 Constitution that are not in harmony with democratic principles. The second is to hold an all-inclusive, free and fair poll under international supervision.
The international community has urged the junta to release all political prisoners prior to the 2010 election in order to gain international support. For instance, Burma must release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and allow her to participate in a nationwide election, otherwise the vote will not be honored and U.S. economic sanctions will not be lifted, U.S. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel warned after meeting her in Rangoon.
Marciel and U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell achieved no diplomatic breakthrough during their visit to Burma on Nov. 3-4. In addition to Suu Kyi, the two U.S. diplomats met Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein, opposition politicians, ethnic leaders and others. But they had no idea why they were not allowed to meet Burma's top dictator, Senior General Than Shwe, who has called all the shots so far.
According to some analysts, there has been no progress at all since the U.S. Special Mission's visits to Burma began. There have been more restrictions on media and civil society, more control on Internet users, more arrests, more political prisoners and more military attacks in the ethnic minority areas.
If the junta is sincere about democratic reforms, the media must be free at the outset. Access to information is crucial to a healthy democracy. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
But in Burma, the political opposition as well as journalists and media personnel are under the strictest rules of the stratocracy. In most countries, journalists or media workers can do their jobs and live well. But in military-ruled Burma, it is very thorny and hazardous work.
Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai was killed while covering the 2007 Saffron Revolution, and some citizen journalists are still in prison.
According to the Burma Media Association and Reporters Sans Frontieres, at least 12 journalists and dozens of media workers including poets and writers are still in custody since the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and the constitutional referendum in May 2008.
Some received long prison sentences, including the film director, writer and comic Zarganar and blogger Nay Phone Latt, while print journalists have been jailed for two to seven years. Saw Wai, a poet, was arrested in January 2008 for inserting a concealed message – power crazy Than Shwe - in a Valentine's Day poem. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
The New York-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists "strongly condemned" the arrest on Oct. 28 of freelance journalist and blogger Pai Soe Oo, alias Jay Paing, reportedly a member of a Cyclone Nargis disaster relief volunteer group named Lin Let Kye, or Shining Star. CPJ called for his immediate release, saying his arrest undermined the Burmese junta's assertion of moving toward democracy.
"Burma's military regime claims to be moving toward democracy, yet it continues to routinely arrest and detain journalists," said Shawn W. Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "Reducing international pressure should require demonstrable improvements in press freedom."
A freelance journalist, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that around 20 people, including entertainers, writers and press workers, have been arrested since the third week of October. According to an anonymous freelancer, there were arrests without warrants between Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, including staff members from the Voice, the Foreign News, the Favorite, the Pyi Myanmar and the Kandarawaddy journals.
He said he could confirm at least eight people, including four journalists, arrested by police and military intelligence officials at their homes. They included Khant Min Htet, a poet and the layout designer for the Ahlinkar Wutyi Journal; Thant Zin Soe, an editor of the Foreign Affair News weekly journal; freelancer Nyi Nyi Tun (alias) Mee Doke and Paing Soe Oo (alias) Jay Paing, a freelance reporter and blogger. The other four, Aung Myat Kyaw Thu, Thet Ko, Myint Thein and Min Min are students at Dagon University.
The detained youths are members of Linlet Kyei, a group that helped survivors of last year's Cyclone Nargis, which killed over 140,000 people. The Linlet Kyei volunteer group was formed in early May 2008 and has over 40 members. Most are Rangoon-based reporters and young social activists. They help orphaned schoolchildren by providing them with textbooks and paying their school expenses.
Burma was at the forefront of press freedom in Southeast Asia before the 1962 military coup. As many as three dozen newspapers, including English, Chinese and Hindi dailies, existed between 1948 and 1962 under a civilian government. Journalists had access even to the prime minister's office and were free to set up relations with international press agencies.
The situation changed in 1962 when the military seized power. All newspapers were nationalized by the military regime, which established a Press Scrutiny Board to enforce strict censorship on all forms of printed matter including advertisements and obituaries.
The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division is a major oppressive tool of the incumbent regime. Not surprisingly, Burma stands downgraded from a free state to a prison state. All news media – all daily newspapers, radio and television stations – are subject to the supervision and censorship of the junta. Privately owned journals and magazines are also under the PSRD scanner. No printed matter can be published without its permission.
Radio, television and other media outlets are monopolized for propaganda warfare by the military regime and opposition views are not allowed. The recent emergence of the junta's new FM stations is seen as part of an attempt to lure voters' support for pro-military candidates in the 2010 general election.
The regime knows well how to take advantage of the popularity of FM radio. It is now using the new stations to draw people away from the exiled media. The media is a tool for the military regime with no space for the opposition party.
Unless the junta guarantees human rights including the freedom of expression and freedom of association, its ongoing polling process will be meaningless at best.
The lifeblood of democracy is the free flow of information. Burma's media workers hope for assistance and support from international media groups so they can play a role in their country's transformation. Without press freedom, a nation cannot have social equality or democracy.
Zin Linn was born on February 9, 1947 in a small town in Mandalay Division. He began writing poems in1960 and received a B.A (Philosophy) in 1976. He became an activist
in the High School Union after the students' massacre on 7th July 1962.
OpEdNews - Burma seeks global support for press freedom
By Zin Linn
Bangkok, Thailand — Burma today is at an intersection. The incumbent military regime wants to maintain the status quo while the mainstream population desires a new chapter of change. People are demanding freedom of expression and association while the junta is stubbornly disallowing citizens their basic rights.
As a result, a majority of the people support the proposal of the National League for Democracy, put forth in a declaration on April 29 and proposing two conditions for the opposition party's participation in the 2010 election. The first is to amend provisions in the 2008 Constitution that are not in harmony with democratic principles. The second is to hold an all-inclusive, free and fair poll under international supervision.
The international community has urged the junta to release all political prisoners prior to the 2010 election in order to gain international support. For instance, Burma must release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and allow her to participate in a nationwide election, otherwise the vote will not be honored and U.S. economic sanctions will not be lifted, U.S. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel warned after meeting her in Rangoon.
Marciel and U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell achieved no diplomatic breakthrough during their visit to Burma on Nov. 3-4. In addition to Suu Kyi, the two U.S. diplomats met Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein, opposition politicians, ethnic leaders and others. But they had no idea why they were not allowed to meet Burma's top dictator, Senior General Than Shwe, who has called all the shots so far.
According to some analysts, there has been no progress at all since the U.S. Special Mission's visits to Burma began. There have been more restrictions on media and civil society, more control on Internet users, more arrests, more political prisoners and more military attacks in the ethnic minority areas.
If the junta is sincere about democratic reforms, the media must be free at the outset. Access to information is crucial to a healthy democracy. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
But in Burma, the political opposition as well as journalists and media personnel are under the strictest rules of the stratocracy. In most countries, journalists or media workers can do their jobs and live well. But in military-ruled Burma, it is very thorny and hazardous work.
Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai was killed while covering the 2007 Saffron Revolution, and some citizen journalists are still in prison.
According to the Burma Media Association and Reporters Sans Frontieres, at least 12 journalists and dozens of media workers including poets and writers are still in custody since the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and the constitutional referendum in May 2008.
Some received long prison sentences, including the film director, writer and comic Zarganar and blogger Nay Phone Latt, while print journalists have been jailed for two to seven years. Saw Wai, a poet, was arrested in January 2008 for inserting a concealed message – power crazy Than Shwe - in a Valentine's Day poem. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
The New York-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists "strongly condemned" the arrest on Oct. 28 of freelance journalist and blogger Pai Soe Oo, alias Jay Paing, reportedly a member of a Cyclone Nargis disaster relief volunteer group named Lin Let Kye, or Shining Star. CPJ called for his immediate release, saying his arrest undermined the Burmese junta's assertion of moving toward democracy.
"Burma's military regime claims to be moving toward democracy, yet it continues to routinely arrest and detain journalists," said Shawn W. Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "Reducing international pressure should require demonstrable improvements in press freedom."
A freelance journalist, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that around 20 people, including entertainers, writers and press workers, have been arrested since the third week of October. According to an anonymous freelancer, there were arrests without warrants between Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, including staff members from the Voice, the Foreign News, the Favorite, the Pyi Myanmar and the Kandarawaddy journals.
He said he could confirm at least eight people, including four journalists, arrested by police and military intelligence officials at their homes. They included Khant Min Htet, a poet and the layout designer for the Ahlinkar Wutyi Journal; Thant Zin Soe, an editor of the Foreign Affair News weekly journal; freelancer Nyi Nyi Tun (alias) Mee Doke and Paing Soe Oo (alias) Jay Paing, a freelance reporter and blogger. The other four, Aung Myat Kyaw Thu, Thet Ko, Myint Thein and Min Min are students at Dagon University.
The detained youths are members of Linlet Kyei, a group that helped survivors of last year's Cyclone Nargis, which killed over 140,000 people. The Linlet Kyei volunteer group was formed in early May 2008 and has over 40 members. Most are Rangoon-based reporters and young social activists. They help orphaned schoolchildren by providing them with textbooks and paying their school expenses.
Burma was at the forefront of press freedom in Southeast Asia before the 1962 military coup. As many as three dozen newspapers, including English, Chinese and Hindi dailies, existed between 1948 and 1962 under a civilian government. Journalists had access even to the prime minister's office and were free to set up relations with international press agencies.
The situation changed in 1962 when the military seized power. All newspapers were nationalized by the military regime, which established a Press Scrutiny Board to enforce strict censorship on all forms of printed matter including advertisements and obituaries.
The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division is a major oppressive tool of the incumbent regime. Not surprisingly, Burma stands downgraded from a free state to a prison state. All news media – all daily newspapers, radio and television stations – are subject to the supervision and censorship of the junta. Privately owned journals and magazines are also under the PSRD scanner. No printed matter can be published without its permission.
Radio, television and other media outlets are monopolized for propaganda warfare by the military regime and opposition views are not allowed. The recent emergence of the junta's new FM stations is seen as part of an attempt to lure voters' support for pro-military candidates in the 2010 general election.
The regime knows well how to take advantage of the popularity of FM radio. It is now using the new stations to draw people away from the exiled media. The media is a tool for the military regime with no space for the opposition party.
Unless the junta guarantees human rights including the freedom of expression and freedom of association, its ongoing polling process will be meaningless at best.
The lifeblood of democracy is the free flow of information. Burma's media workers hope for assistance and support from international media groups so they can play a role in their country's transformation. Without press freedom, a nation cannot have social equality or democracy.
Zin Linn was born on February 9, 1947 in a small town in Mandalay Division. He began writing poems in1960 and received a B.A (Philosophy) in 1976. He became an activist
in the High School Union after the students' massacre on 7th July 1962.
******************************************************************
The Toronto Star - Light sheds on Burma
Once you get away from the shadow of its government, you see how life flourishes
Ben Stubbs Special to the Star
Published On Fri Dec 04 2009
KALAW, BURMA–The power shuts down in Kalaw at 8 p.m. every evening. The locals rely on cooking fires or Chinese generators to reveal the muddy potholes and dead ends around town. The streets around the pine-studded hills of northern Burma are cloaked in utter darkness as I head toward the empty market. The darkness in Burma doesn't scare me though; it's the dogs.
I round a corner as the first one appears. Black and shaggy, it approaches slowly from the left. Another two dirty-white mountain dogs surround me from the right, barking at my intrusion into their territory. I skip into a half run, looking for sanctuary somewhere in this dead town.
The black dog opens its mouth in a snarl and saliva bubbles through the gaps in its fangs. All I can think of is rabies; and the injections I decided I didn't need before I arrived.
I'm running now, heading toward the burrrr of a generator that has kicked in down the road. The mangy dog to my left lunges. The generator pumps and a light bursts to life ahead. I sprint for the beacon.
The light is from a hotel. The owner welcomes me in and I greet him with shaking hands.
"What happened to the power?" I ask.
"Government switch it off at 8 p.m. You shouldn't be outside in the dark, it can be dangerous!"
You don't say.
"Why are you here?" he inquires.
"Trekking to Inle Lake," I reply as we close the door to the hotel and light candles for the evening.
It takes three sweaty days to walk from the hill station of Kalaw to Inle Lake, a 22-kilometre-long cobalt blue lake ringed by the surrounding Burmese peaks. My dog encounter makes me want to get out of Kalaw as soon as possible. With two Slovenian travellers I met in town, I enlist the help of a Burmese guide to help navigate the hills to Inle Lake.
We set off in the early morning mist. There isn't a sound except for the gusts of wind that flirt with the dust in front of us. There is something strange about the absence of noise as we wander along, no bird calls echo through the trees; no farmers yell at their disobedient yaks, not even my guide makes a sound as we push through the thick green curtains of forest.
Kyin, the guide, holds his hand up as he peers through the corridor of foliage. Military still prowl around the hills here, so it is with caution that we head into the unknown.
Burma is a peculiar smudge on the otherwise accessible and touristy countryside of Southeast Asia. The ruling military junta shrouds the estimated 60 million inhabitants in a fog of oppression. Much of this goes unspoken to the ears of the western world and as a result tourism is still a much-debated issue.
As we forge deeper into the forest Kyin gradually becomes more animated. He tells me he was a university student in 1988 when the ruling military junta of Burma refused to hand power over to Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy after their election victory. As a result of the protests every university in the country was abandoned for four years and the NLD was decimated. Kyin was forced to desert his studies and become a guide in the Burmese hills to support his family.
He leads us along the goat tracks that fan out through the dust; a 100-year-old banyan tree dwarfs us as we approach a small Pa-O tribal village populated by toothless farmers and kids humpbacked with piles of firewood. He points out a tube pump that is cemented along the side of the track giving clean water to the villagers, "The Japanese donated the pump as part of their humanitarian efforts."
It is new and functioning, providing fresh water for the people; a contrast to the tattered fences and dirt tracks around the town. Unfortunately we are told that many investors have abandoned Burma, leaving people stranded in a perpetual cycle of poverty.
The village is a dramatic change from the "authentic" tribes of other Asian countries that accept MasterCard and have convenient gift shops and Coca-Cola for sale. Seeing families drying chili crops on their front porches, wild-looking farmers riding their buffalo through the terracotta dust and little kids playing soccer is a refreshing sight, and I feel privileged to witness this untainted slice of Burma.
The people are welcoming. The next day, we tramp through swirls of dust and thorny terrain, 50 kilometres east of Kalaw. We follow Kyin past deserted farm shacks and immense fields of bamboo and yellow mustard seed. As we pause to puff on a cheroot, I hear a sound ahead in the scrub. There is rustling from behind a stand of bamboo. I stop and look urgently at Kyin. He holds my terrified gaze for a moment before breaking into a cheeky grin.
The group of chirpy teenage monks he was expecting appear from behind the bamboo and guide us up the hill to our accommodation. The majestic Shwe Inn Thein Buddhist monastery sits in a clearing before us. Smoke escapes from the rusted rooftop and monks flitter about completing errands. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Burma, housing more than 500,000 monks and 50,000 temples. Reflecting their selfless nature we are welcomed with sincerity and the young monks clear their bedrolls away to give us a space on the floor of the monastery for the evening.
The monks rise at 5 a.m. the next morning and wake us early. They offer their morning prayers in a cloud of incense as we get our first view of Inle Lake flattened out in front of us.
Tracking down through the hills we pass farmers going the other way hauling loads on their shoulders that seem more suited for one-tonne trucks. The breeze blows off the water as we descend to the congregation of shantytowns around the water's edge. Inle Lake looks as though it is a bathtub with the plug partially taken out. There are 17 villages on stilts around the lakeshore and the inhabitants have to jump in canoes to borrow a cup of sugar because there are no connecting roads.
We scramble over the ruins of the Phaung Daw Oo Paya temples on our way to the lakeshore. The temples are sprawled like an ancient game of dominoes along the top of the hill. More than 1,000 crumpling Buddhist stupas line the banks of the lake, where fishermen stand on their flat-bottomed boats, passenger ferries plough through the weeds and ladies who sell foot-long carp bustle across the mottled surface.
We are greeted by groups of women balancing washing on their heads as they waddle down to the water to gossip.
Kyin helps us with our bags as we head to the shore and the waiting boat. I notice a few skinny dogs hanging around the fish scraps that scoot off as we near. We have been guided by the sun for the last few days and I check my watch for the first time since Kalaw.
It's nearly 7 p.m., so I eagerly board the long boat and wave goodbye to Kyin, wanting to be safely indoors before they turn the lights out for the night.
Ben Stubbs is a Buenos Aires-based freelance writer.
Once you get away from the shadow of its government, you see how life flourishes
Ben Stubbs Special to the Star
Published On Fri Dec 04 2009
KALAW, BURMA–The power shuts down in Kalaw at 8 p.m. every evening. The locals rely on cooking fires or Chinese generators to reveal the muddy potholes and dead ends around town. The streets around the pine-studded hills of northern Burma are cloaked in utter darkness as I head toward the empty market. The darkness in Burma doesn't scare me though; it's the dogs.
I round a corner as the first one appears. Black and shaggy, it approaches slowly from the left. Another two dirty-white mountain dogs surround me from the right, barking at my intrusion into their territory. I skip into a half run, looking for sanctuary somewhere in this dead town.
The black dog opens its mouth in a snarl and saliva bubbles through the gaps in its fangs. All I can think of is rabies; and the injections I decided I didn't need before I arrived.
I'm running now, heading toward the burrrr of a generator that has kicked in down the road. The mangy dog to my left lunges. The generator pumps and a light bursts to life ahead. I sprint for the beacon.
The light is from a hotel. The owner welcomes me in and I greet him with shaking hands.
"What happened to the power?" I ask.
"Government switch it off at 8 p.m. You shouldn't be outside in the dark, it can be dangerous!"
You don't say.
"Why are you here?" he inquires.
"Trekking to Inle Lake," I reply as we close the door to the hotel and light candles for the evening.
It takes three sweaty days to walk from the hill station of Kalaw to Inle Lake, a 22-kilometre-long cobalt blue lake ringed by the surrounding Burmese peaks. My dog encounter makes me want to get out of Kalaw as soon as possible. With two Slovenian travellers I met in town, I enlist the help of a Burmese guide to help navigate the hills to Inle Lake.
We set off in the early morning mist. There isn't a sound except for the gusts of wind that flirt with the dust in front of us. There is something strange about the absence of noise as we wander along, no bird calls echo through the trees; no farmers yell at their disobedient yaks, not even my guide makes a sound as we push through the thick green curtains of forest.
Kyin, the guide, holds his hand up as he peers through the corridor of foliage. Military still prowl around the hills here, so it is with caution that we head into the unknown.
Burma is a peculiar smudge on the otherwise accessible and touristy countryside of Southeast Asia. The ruling military junta shrouds the estimated 60 million inhabitants in a fog of oppression. Much of this goes unspoken to the ears of the western world and as a result tourism is still a much-debated issue.
As we forge deeper into the forest Kyin gradually becomes more animated. He tells me he was a university student in 1988 when the ruling military junta of Burma refused to hand power over to Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy after their election victory. As a result of the protests every university in the country was abandoned for four years and the NLD was decimated. Kyin was forced to desert his studies and become a guide in the Burmese hills to support his family.
He leads us along the goat tracks that fan out through the dust; a 100-year-old banyan tree dwarfs us as we approach a small Pa-O tribal village populated by toothless farmers and kids humpbacked with piles of firewood. He points out a tube pump that is cemented along the side of the track giving clean water to the villagers, "The Japanese donated the pump as part of their humanitarian efforts."
It is new and functioning, providing fresh water for the people; a contrast to the tattered fences and dirt tracks around the town. Unfortunately we are told that many investors have abandoned Burma, leaving people stranded in a perpetual cycle of poverty.
The village is a dramatic change from the "authentic" tribes of other Asian countries that accept MasterCard and have convenient gift shops and Coca-Cola for sale. Seeing families drying chili crops on their front porches, wild-looking farmers riding their buffalo through the terracotta dust and little kids playing soccer is a refreshing sight, and I feel privileged to witness this untainted slice of Burma.
The people are welcoming. The next day, we tramp through swirls of dust and thorny terrain, 50 kilometres east of Kalaw. We follow Kyin past deserted farm shacks and immense fields of bamboo and yellow mustard seed. As we pause to puff on a cheroot, I hear a sound ahead in the scrub. There is rustling from behind a stand of bamboo. I stop and look urgently at Kyin. He holds my terrified gaze for a moment before breaking into a cheeky grin.
The group of chirpy teenage monks he was expecting appear from behind the bamboo and guide us up the hill to our accommodation. The majestic Shwe Inn Thein Buddhist monastery sits in a clearing before us. Smoke escapes from the rusted rooftop and monks flitter about completing errands. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Burma, housing more than 500,000 monks and 50,000 temples. Reflecting their selfless nature we are welcomed with sincerity and the young monks clear their bedrolls away to give us a space on the floor of the monastery for the evening.
The monks rise at 5 a.m. the next morning and wake us early. They offer their morning prayers in a cloud of incense as we get our first view of Inle Lake flattened out in front of us.
Tracking down through the hills we pass farmers going the other way hauling loads on their shoulders that seem more suited for one-tonne trucks. The breeze blows off the water as we descend to the congregation of shantytowns around the water's edge. Inle Lake looks as though it is a bathtub with the plug partially taken out. There are 17 villages on stilts around the lakeshore and the inhabitants have to jump in canoes to borrow a cup of sugar because there are no connecting roads.
We scramble over the ruins of the Phaung Daw Oo Paya temples on our way to the lakeshore. The temples are sprawled like an ancient game of dominoes along the top of the hill. More than 1,000 crumpling Buddhist stupas line the banks of the lake, where fishermen stand on their flat-bottomed boats, passenger ferries plough through the weeds and ladies who sell foot-long carp bustle across the mottled surface.
We are greeted by groups of women balancing washing on their heads as they waddle down to the water to gossip.
Kyin helps us with our bags as we head to the shore and the waiting boat. I notice a few skinny dogs hanging around the fish scraps that scoot off as we near. We have been guided by the sun for the last few days and I check my watch for the first time since Kalaw.
It's nearly 7 p.m., so I eagerly board the long boat and wave goodbye to Kyin, wanting to be safely indoors before they turn the lights out for the night.
Ben Stubbs is a Buenos Aires-based freelance writer.
******************************************************************
The Irrawaddy - Than Shwe Confounds His Peers
By WAI MOE - Friday, December 4, 2009
Burma's military despot Snr-Gen Than Shwe surprised and confused his fellow generals at a four-monthly military commanders' meeting in Naypyidaw by ignoring pressing political issues and instead devoting his speech to the development of the country's economy in the post-election era, according to military sources in the capital.
Than Shwe reportedly told his fellow generals at the meeting on Nov. 23-28 that Burma is ready for a new government in line with his vision of a “disciplined democracy,” and addressed numerous economic developments and projects for the future.
A source who provided The Irrawaddy with a document on Friday analyzing the proceedings at the closed-door meeting said regional commanders and top-ranking generals were caught off-guard by the dictator's lofty aspirations and apparent far-sightedness, because he normally dwells on petty internal matters, and methods of quelling political dissent and securing power.
Than Shwe instead spoke of establishing solid business foundations in the country in the post-election period, of developing Burma's human resources and of the state's responsibility to promote a solid middle-class in the country.
During the meeting, sources say Than Shwe spoke confidently about the development of the national economy and effused about the prospects of billions of dollars in investment from China, referring to the Sino-Burmese oil-gas pipeline projects and the development of the Kyaukpyu deep sea port off the Arakan coast and related railway systems.
At the meeting, he apparently advocated expanding industry, especially factories related to oil and gas exploration and production. He also alluded to the Dawei deep sea port project in southern Burma, spoke of expanding the shipping industry and services sector, and predicted the Burmese economy would soon be “booming,” the source said.
The military dictator reportedly went on to pledge that Burma will furthermore be immune from electricity shortages because the country's hydroelectric projects would soon produce some 16,000 MW of power per year.
According to the military sources, the fact that Than Shwe did not address the upcoming election and pending political concerns, such as Aung San Suu Kyi's request for a meeting, suggests he is confident that his current strategy is working and that events are playing out in his favor.
By WAI MOE - Friday, December 4, 2009
Burma's military despot Snr-Gen Than Shwe surprised and confused his fellow generals at a four-monthly military commanders' meeting in Naypyidaw by ignoring pressing political issues and instead devoting his speech to the development of the country's economy in the post-election era, according to military sources in the capital.
Than Shwe reportedly told his fellow generals at the meeting on Nov. 23-28 that Burma is ready for a new government in line with his vision of a “disciplined democracy,” and addressed numerous economic developments and projects for the future.
A source who provided The Irrawaddy with a document on Friday analyzing the proceedings at the closed-door meeting said regional commanders and top-ranking generals were caught off-guard by the dictator's lofty aspirations and apparent far-sightedness, because he normally dwells on petty internal matters, and methods of quelling political dissent and securing power.
Than Shwe instead spoke of establishing solid business foundations in the country in the post-election period, of developing Burma's human resources and of the state's responsibility to promote a solid middle-class in the country.
During the meeting, sources say Than Shwe spoke confidently about the development of the national economy and effused about the prospects of billions of dollars in investment from China, referring to the Sino-Burmese oil-gas pipeline projects and the development of the Kyaukpyu deep sea port off the Arakan coast and related railway systems.
At the meeting, he apparently advocated expanding industry, especially factories related to oil and gas exploration and production. He also alluded to the Dawei deep sea port project in southern Burma, spoke of expanding the shipping industry and services sector, and predicted the Burmese economy would soon be “booming,” the source said.
The military dictator reportedly went on to pledge that Burma will furthermore be immune from electricity shortages because the country's hydroelectric projects would soon produce some 16,000 MW of power per year.
According to the military sources, the fact that Than Shwe did not address the upcoming election and pending political concerns, such as Aung San Suu Kyi's request for a meeting, suggests he is confident that his current strategy is working and that events are playing out in his favor.
******************************************************************
The Irrawaddy - In Policy Change, EU Ministers May Meet Burma's PM
By LAWI WENG - Friday, December 4, 2009
Some leaders from European Union member states will probably meet with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein at a United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen on Monday.
A meeting between EU leaders and the Burmese prime minister could signal a shift in the EU “no contact” policy with Burma that coincides with the new US policy of direct engagement with the military regime, according to a Swedish official.
The official from Sweden, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, told The European Voice online, “There is an ongoing debate on whether and which EU leaders should meet the Burmese prime minister.”
Harn Yawnghwe, the executive director of the Euro-Burma Office in Brussels, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that a meeting between EU leaders and Thein Sein would be positive.
“If you want to solve a problem, you need to meet the person you have a problem with. This meeting will be good if they have in mind that they are willing to work to solve problems,” he said.
The European Commission might not change its sanctions policy on Burma, he said, but it might be willing to meet with Burmese officials, like the US. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Dec. 7-8 to discuss Burma.
The US sent a special delegation to Burma in October led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell.
Some EU member states have voiced support for engaging with the junta. One of the most vocal EU countries, France, has significant economic interests in Burma through multinational companies, most notably the energy firm Total. Other businesses are involved in the country in the areas of natural gas, timber and gems.
Burmese human rights activists have supported the new US policy, which keeps in place its economic sanctions.
The EU extended economic sanctions one more year on April 27 after EU foreign ministers reviewed recent political developments, including Burma’s lack of progress in meeting the international community’s calls for political change and to engage with the UN in its efforts to foster national reconciliation.
The EU's stated goals in Burma are a peaceful transition to a legitimate civilian system of government and improved social and economic conditions.
Meanwhile, the EU has called for the ruling junta to hold the 2010 election in “a credible, transparent and inclusive process, based on international standards.” It also called for the release of all political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Since 1996, the EU has held a common position on Burma. Following the junta’s crackdown on demonstrators in 2007, it put into place further sanctions that included a travel ban on top Burmese officials, an arms embargo and a freezing of the assets in Europe of selected Burmese officials and their business partners.
By LAWI WENG - Friday, December 4, 2009
Some leaders from European Union member states will probably meet with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein at a United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen on Monday.
A meeting between EU leaders and the Burmese prime minister could signal a shift in the EU “no contact” policy with Burma that coincides with the new US policy of direct engagement with the military regime, according to a Swedish official.
The official from Sweden, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, told The European Voice online, “There is an ongoing debate on whether and which EU leaders should meet the Burmese prime minister.”
Harn Yawnghwe, the executive director of the Euro-Burma Office in Brussels, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that a meeting between EU leaders and Thein Sein would be positive.
“If you want to solve a problem, you need to meet the person you have a problem with. This meeting will be good if they have in mind that they are willing to work to solve problems,” he said.
The European Commission might not change its sanctions policy on Burma, he said, but it might be willing to meet with Burmese officials, like the US. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Dec. 7-8 to discuss Burma.
The US sent a special delegation to Burma in October led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell.
Some EU member states have voiced support for engaging with the junta. One of the most vocal EU countries, France, has significant economic interests in Burma through multinational companies, most notably the energy firm Total. Other businesses are involved in the country in the areas of natural gas, timber and gems.
Burmese human rights activists have supported the new US policy, which keeps in place its economic sanctions.
The EU extended economic sanctions one more year on April 27 after EU foreign ministers reviewed recent political developments, including Burma’s lack of progress in meeting the international community’s calls for political change and to engage with the UN in its efforts to foster national reconciliation.
The EU's stated goals in Burma are a peaceful transition to a legitimate civilian system of government and improved social and economic conditions.
Meanwhile, the EU has called for the ruling junta to hold the 2010 election in “a credible, transparent and inclusive process, based on international standards.” It also called for the release of all political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Since 1996, the EU has held a common position on Burma. Following the junta’s crackdown on demonstrators in 2007, it put into place further sanctions that included a travel ban on top Burmese officials, an arms embargo and a freezing of the assets in Europe of selected Burmese officials and their business partners.
******************************************************************
Embassy silent on deportation of American teacher from Burma
by Salai Pi Pi
Friday, 04 December 2009 21:26
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The US Embassy in Rangoon on Friday remained tight lipped and refused to provide information on the alleged deportation of an American teacher last weekend by Burmese authorities.
The Thailand-based Burmese online magazine, The Irrawaddy, on Thursday reported that Christina Peterson, an English teacher at the American Centre in Burma’s second largest city Mandalay was briefly detained and was deported to Bangkok.
Peterson was returning from Mandalay to Rangoon, Burma’s former capital, when authorities picked her up at a highway bus station. She was taken directly to the international airport, without being allowed to go back to her room and was sent to Bangkok on Saturday, the report said.
But Drake Weisert, Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Rangoon, refused to either confirm or deny the report, citing embassy protocol of not disclosing personal information.
“Actually, I cannot comment because of the Privacy Act,” Weisert told Mizzima on Friday.
Similarly, the American Centre in Rangoon and the US Embassy in Bangkok on Friday refused to speak about the repatriation of the US teacher.
While the information is yet to be independently verified, the Irrawaddy reported Peterson was arrested on her way back to Rangoon after giving lectures on environmental issues in Mandalay.
According to the report, the environmental training in Mandalay was also attended by members of detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Weisert said, while he could not divulge any information on the issue, he explicitly denied having made comments to any media group.
The Assistant Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Rangoon confirmed the news but declined to give details, citing reasons of privacy.
In May, the Burmese military regime expelled two American journalists - Jerry Redfern and his wife Karen Coates - who were teaching feature writing and photography to students in Mandalay.
The two in their statement, issued later, said they were unaware of the possible reason for their deportation and rubbished rumours of them being agents of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
by Salai Pi Pi
Friday, 04 December 2009 21:26
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The US Embassy in Rangoon on Friday remained tight lipped and refused to provide information on the alleged deportation of an American teacher last weekend by Burmese authorities.
The Thailand-based Burmese online magazine, The Irrawaddy, on Thursday reported that Christina Peterson, an English teacher at the American Centre in Burma’s second largest city Mandalay was briefly detained and was deported to Bangkok.
Peterson was returning from Mandalay to Rangoon, Burma’s former capital, when authorities picked her up at a highway bus station. She was taken directly to the international airport, without being allowed to go back to her room and was sent to Bangkok on Saturday, the report said.
But Drake Weisert, Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Rangoon, refused to either confirm or deny the report, citing embassy protocol of not disclosing personal information.
“Actually, I cannot comment because of the Privacy Act,” Weisert told Mizzima on Friday.
Similarly, the American Centre in Rangoon and the US Embassy in Bangkok on Friday refused to speak about the repatriation of the US teacher.
While the information is yet to be independently verified, the Irrawaddy reported Peterson was arrested on her way back to Rangoon after giving lectures on environmental issues in Mandalay.
According to the report, the environmental training in Mandalay was also attended by members of detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Weisert said, while he could not divulge any information on the issue, he explicitly denied having made comments to any media group.
The Assistant Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Rangoon confirmed the news but declined to give details, citing reasons of privacy.
In May, the Burmese military regime expelled two American journalists - Jerry Redfern and his wife Karen Coates - who were teaching feature writing and photography to students in Mandalay.
The two in their statement, issued later, said they were unaware of the possible reason for their deportation and rubbished rumours of them being agents of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
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Imprisoned foreign fishermen lacking food
Dec 4, 2009 (DVB)–Nearly 130 men on board foreign fishing boats who were captured and detained in Rangoon’s Insein prison last month are lacking food and basic amenities, sources close to prison inmates said.
The ten boats, holding 128 fishermen from Indonesia, Taiwan and Philippines, had allegedly strayed into Burmese waters on 18 November, where the men were captured by the Burmese navy. Four of the boats were of Taiwanese origin.
According to the China Times, the four boats had left the Thai island of Phuket on the morning of 18 November. They reported being chased by the Burmese naval vessels, before radio contact was lost.
They have now been transferred to Insein prison's Ward 1, according to the families of prisoners in the ward.
One family member told DVB that some of the sailors were in poor health, and had been sent to the prison hospital shortly after their arrival. They have since however been met by respective embassy officials.
“They arrived with no extra clothing to put on and no blanket,” said one family member. “They had been suffering from extreme shifts in weather between daytime and nighttime. They didn’t get enough to eat either so they were asking for food from other inmates.”
Last month, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) quoted foreign ministry spokesperson, James Chang, who said that up to 17 fishing boats from various countries are currently detained by the Burmese junta for intruding on Burmese waters.
Under maritime law, 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.
Reporting by Yee May Aung
Dec 4, 2009 (DVB)–Nearly 130 men on board foreign fishing boats who were captured and detained in Rangoon’s Insein prison last month are lacking food and basic amenities, sources close to prison inmates said.
The ten boats, holding 128 fishermen from Indonesia, Taiwan and Philippines, had allegedly strayed into Burmese waters on 18 November, where the men were captured by the Burmese navy. Four of the boats were of Taiwanese origin.
According to the China Times, the four boats had left the Thai island of Phuket on the morning of 18 November. They reported being chased by the Burmese naval vessels, before radio contact was lost.
They have now been transferred to Insein prison's Ward 1, according to the families of prisoners in the ward.
One family member told DVB that some of the sailors were in poor health, and had been sent to the prison hospital shortly after their arrival. They have since however been met by respective embassy officials.
“They arrived with no extra clothing to put on and no blanket,” said one family member. “They had been suffering from extreme shifts in weather between daytime and nighttime. They didn’t get enough to eat either so they were asking for food from other inmates.”
Last month, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) quoted foreign ministry spokesperson, James Chang, who said that up to 17 fishing boats from various countries are currently detained by the Burmese junta for intruding on Burmese waters.
Under maritime law, 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.
Reporting by Yee May Aung
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