U.S. to press Myanmar on reform: report
Tue Jan 19, 4:29 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to meet officials from Myanmar soon and will seek more evidence it is ready to enact political reforms in return for broader dialogue with Washington, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who in November led a U.S. team to Yangon for the highest level talks in 14 years, said Washington had seen a "mixed bag" of results from overtures to the military junta in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
"We have had some follow-on direct interactions with (the) Burmese authorities, and I think we're going to be looking at a subsequent set of discussions in the near future," Campbell told a news briefing.
Washington last year said it would pursue deeper engagement with Myanmar's military rulers to try to spur democratic reform but would not ease economic sanctions for now.
Campbell noted some progress, including higher level contacts between the government and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader who has been in various forms of detention for 14 of the last 20 years.
But he said there were also problems, including Myanmar's treatment of ethnic minority groups and other issues, and that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her team would be "looking for greater clarity in the coming weeks."
"We went into this ... with a very clear understanding of the challenges," Campbell told a news briefing. "But it is also the case that we're not unendingly patient. We will need some clear steps in due course."
The State Department has already voiced concern over Myanmar's plan to hold general elections this year -- the first since 1990, when the junta ignored the results and instead jailed more than 2,000 activists and political opponents, many for minor offenses.
Myanmar's leaders have as yet given no schedule for the vote, which activists say could simply entrench more than five decades of military rule by yielding a legislature dominated by the military and its civilian allies.
Tue Jan 19, 4:29 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to meet officials from Myanmar soon and will seek more evidence it is ready to enact political reforms in return for broader dialogue with Washington, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who in November led a U.S. team to Yangon for the highest level talks in 14 years, said Washington had seen a "mixed bag" of results from overtures to the military junta in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
"We have had some follow-on direct interactions with (the) Burmese authorities, and I think we're going to be looking at a subsequent set of discussions in the near future," Campbell told a news briefing.
Washington last year said it would pursue deeper engagement with Myanmar's military rulers to try to spur democratic reform but would not ease economic sanctions for now.
Campbell noted some progress, including higher level contacts between the government and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader who has been in various forms of detention for 14 of the last 20 years.
But he said there were also problems, including Myanmar's treatment of ethnic minority groups and other issues, and that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her team would be "looking for greater clarity in the coming weeks."
"We went into this ... with a very clear understanding of the challenges," Campbell told a news briefing. "But it is also the case that we're not unendingly patient. We will need some clear steps in due course."
The State Department has already voiced concern over Myanmar's plan to hold general elections this year -- the first since 1990, when the junta ignored the results and instead jailed more than 2,000 activists and political opponents, many for minor offenses.
Myanmar's leaders have as yet given no schedule for the vote, which activists say could simply entrench more than five decades of military rule by yielding a legislature dominated by the military and its civilian allies.
***************************************************************
As poll looms, Myanmar still building parliament
Aung Hla Tun - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar
Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:37pm EST
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - Military-ruled Myanmar's first parliamentary elections in 20 years are set for this year, yet construction on its parliament is not yet complete -- suggesting little chance of a poll in the next few months.
The military junta has yet to set a date for the election. Some speculate it could take place in October or earlier.
A rare glimpse of the planned parliament in Myanmar's remote new capital Naypyitaw shows much work to be done -- from unfinished roads to painting many of the parliamentary complex's 31 buildings, with pagoda-style roofs sheathed in scaffolding.
A Reuters correspondent who viewed the construction could not determine how much work if any was finished inside the buildings.
But the huge development underscores the rapid expansion of Naypyitaw, a sprawling city built from scratch just four years ago, where the reclusive military rulers of the former Burma have isolated themselves, some 320 km (200 miles) from the largest city and former capital, Yangon.
Naypyitaw -- the name translates as "Abode of Kings" -- is a maze of ministry buildings, government mansions, civil servants' quarters and unfinished presidential palaces complete with grand Roman-style pillars -- all rising from dusty, arid scrubland.
Bestowed with manicured, heavily watered lawns and forbidding stone walls, it bears no resemblance to the rest of Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest countries, or even to nearby villages, where many people live in thatched wooden huts.
Attractions include five golf courses, seven resort-style hotels, drinkable tap water, a Western-style shopping mall, a large zoo, a sprawling "water fountain garden," lavish mansions and 24-hour electricity in a nation beset by power outages.
A sleek new cinema is in the works along with dozens of buildings in a frenzy of construction carried out mostly by workers toiling in searing heat without modern equipment.
Women haul stacks of bricks balanced upon their head at one construction site, while men clear land with wooden-handled scythes at another. Ox-drawn carts transport wood on the new military-built highway from Yangon.
The government declines to disclose Naypyitaw's cost but analysts and diplomatic sources say it must have cost billions of dollars, drawing criticism from aid groups over the priorities of a country facing chronic poverty and crumbling infrastructure.
But its rise reflects the strengthening diplomatic and financial muscle of Myanmar's rulers as Southeast Asia and China tap its rich natural resources, from timber and natural gas to precious Burmese gems, despite Western sanctions imposed in response to rights abuses.
MISSING PULSE
A Western diplomat in Yangon expressed amazement at the scale of Naypyitaw, questioning how the government would occupy parliament's 31 buildings, which are in addition to ministerial offices and three presidential palaces spread around the city.
"It's astonishing how fast it is being built," he said.
But one critical element is missing -- a pulse. There's no lively city center thronged with people, even four years after the government moved nearly all its workers there.
Though officials put its population at about 1 million, this is ballooned by four surrounding townships. And while a ban on foreigners has lifted and tourists are welcome, Naypyitaw itself feels like a high-end ghost town.
Its roads are puzzlingly wide, including one 20-lane boulevard, but they are largely empty. Civilian cars are rare. Its city center, a roundabout where five roads meet, is populated only by palm trees and potted flowers.
Restaurants are busy at night, but the city's amenities -- from parks to a double-tiered, fully lit golf driving range -- are eerily empty. It's possible to drive hours on the new highway from Yangon and see just a half a dozen cars.
One person they're surely happy to leave in Yangon is opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate whose house arrest was extended in August.
Some experts say she may be released ahead of elections, but even then she is not expected to be allowed to play a significant role in politics after leading her National
League for Democracy to a landslide victory in the last election in 1990, a poll the junta never recognized.
Aung Hla Tun - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar
Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:37pm EST
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - Military-ruled Myanmar's first parliamentary elections in 20 years are set for this year, yet construction on its parliament is not yet complete -- suggesting little chance of a poll in the next few months.
The military junta has yet to set a date for the election. Some speculate it could take place in October or earlier.
A rare glimpse of the planned parliament in Myanmar's remote new capital Naypyitaw shows much work to be done -- from unfinished roads to painting many of the parliamentary complex's 31 buildings, with pagoda-style roofs sheathed in scaffolding.
A Reuters correspondent who viewed the construction could not determine how much work if any was finished inside the buildings.
But the huge development underscores the rapid expansion of Naypyitaw, a sprawling city built from scratch just four years ago, where the reclusive military rulers of the former Burma have isolated themselves, some 320 km (200 miles) from the largest city and former capital, Yangon.
Naypyitaw -- the name translates as "Abode of Kings" -- is a maze of ministry buildings, government mansions, civil servants' quarters and unfinished presidential palaces complete with grand Roman-style pillars -- all rising from dusty, arid scrubland.
Bestowed with manicured, heavily watered lawns and forbidding stone walls, it bears no resemblance to the rest of Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest countries, or even to nearby villages, where many people live in thatched wooden huts.
Attractions include five golf courses, seven resort-style hotels, drinkable tap water, a Western-style shopping mall, a large zoo, a sprawling "water fountain garden," lavish mansions and 24-hour electricity in a nation beset by power outages.
A sleek new cinema is in the works along with dozens of buildings in a frenzy of construction carried out mostly by workers toiling in searing heat without modern equipment.
Women haul stacks of bricks balanced upon their head at one construction site, while men clear land with wooden-handled scythes at another. Ox-drawn carts transport wood on the new military-built highway from Yangon.
The government declines to disclose Naypyitaw's cost but analysts and diplomatic sources say it must have cost billions of dollars, drawing criticism from aid groups over the priorities of a country facing chronic poverty and crumbling infrastructure.
But its rise reflects the strengthening diplomatic and financial muscle of Myanmar's rulers as Southeast Asia and China tap its rich natural resources, from timber and natural gas to precious Burmese gems, despite Western sanctions imposed in response to rights abuses.
MISSING PULSE
A Western diplomat in Yangon expressed amazement at the scale of Naypyitaw, questioning how the government would occupy parliament's 31 buildings, which are in addition to ministerial offices and three presidential palaces spread around the city.
"It's astonishing how fast it is being built," he said.
But one critical element is missing -- a pulse. There's no lively city center thronged with people, even four years after the government moved nearly all its workers there.
Though officials put its population at about 1 million, this is ballooned by four surrounding townships. And while a ban on foreigners has lifted and tourists are welcome, Naypyitaw itself feels like a high-end ghost town.
Its roads are puzzlingly wide, including one 20-lane boulevard, but they are largely empty. Civilian cars are rare. Its city center, a roundabout where five roads meet, is populated only by palm trees and potted flowers.
Restaurants are busy at night, but the city's amenities -- from parks to a double-tiered, fully lit golf driving range -- are eerily empty. It's possible to drive hours on the new highway from Yangon and see just a half a dozen cars.
One person they're surely happy to leave in Yangon is opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate whose house arrest was extended in August.
Some experts say she may be released ahead of elections, but even then she is not expected to be allowed to play a significant role in politics after leading her National
League for Democracy to a landslide victory in the last election in 1990, a poll the junta never recognized.
***************************************************************
Suu Kyi lawyers give final arguments in top Myanmar court
Mon Jan 18, 5:24 pm ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar's supreme court heard final arguments on Monday against the extended house arrest of detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, her lawyer said.
The 64-year-old opposition leader was ordered in August to spend another 18 months in detention after being convicted over an incident in which a US man swam to her house. A lower court rejected an initial appeal in October.
Monday's hearing at the top Yangon court, where both sides gave arguments, lasted more than three hours, according to Suu Kyi's main lawyer Kyi Win. He said a decision was expected within a month.
"We expect them to accept our arguments and after that release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he told AFP. Daw is a term of respect in Myanmar.
"The law is completely on our side," he said, adding that they argued her conviction was unlawful because it was based on regulations in the country's now-defunct 1974 constitution.
If the appeal is rejected, Suu Kyi and her legal team will write to the office of the chief justice at the supreme court, explained Nyan Win, another of her lawyers.
If this also fails, it is thought they would have to appeal directly to the military government to try to get the conviction overturned.
The Nobel peace laureate, who is detained at her lakeside mansion in Yangon, did not attend the court and journalists were barred, although the British ambassador and another embassy official were seen going into the hearing.
Myanmar's military rulers have kept Suu Kyi in detention for 14 of the past 20 years, having refused to recognise her party's landslide victory in the country's last democratic elections in 1990.
The extension of her detention after a prison trial sparked international outrage as it effectively keeps her off the stage for elections promised by the regime some time this year.
But in recent months the United States, followed by the European Union, has shifted towards a policy of greater engagement with Myanmar -- which has been under military rule since 1962 -- as sanctions have failed to bear fruit.
Suu Kyi has also changed tack after years of favouring harsh international measures against Myanmar, writing twice to junta chief Than Shwe since September offering her cooperation in trying to get Western sanctions lifted.
On Friday she met the ruling junta's liaison officer, in the latest sign of dialogue between the two sides. It was the fourth meeting between the pair since the beginning of October.
She was also granted a meeting in December with three elderly senior NLD members, at which she asked for their approval to reorganise the party leadership committee.
But the junta has not yet granted her requests to meet the rest of the committee and to hold talks with Than Shwe himself.
In November the regime allowed her to make a rare appearance in front of the media after meeting US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, the highest level official from Washington to visit Myanmar for 14 years.
A visit by US senator Jim Webb in August secured the release of John Yettaw, the American man who swam across a lake to Suu Kyi's home in May and sparked the case that led to her detention being prolonged.
Mon Jan 18, 5:24 pm ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar's supreme court heard final arguments on Monday against the extended house arrest of detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, her lawyer said.
The 64-year-old opposition leader was ordered in August to spend another 18 months in detention after being convicted over an incident in which a US man swam to her house. A lower court rejected an initial appeal in October.
Monday's hearing at the top Yangon court, where both sides gave arguments, lasted more than three hours, according to Suu Kyi's main lawyer Kyi Win. He said a decision was expected within a month.
"We expect them to accept our arguments and after that release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he told AFP. Daw is a term of respect in Myanmar.
"The law is completely on our side," he said, adding that they argued her conviction was unlawful because it was based on regulations in the country's now-defunct 1974 constitution.
If the appeal is rejected, Suu Kyi and her legal team will write to the office of the chief justice at the supreme court, explained Nyan Win, another of her lawyers.
If this also fails, it is thought they would have to appeal directly to the military government to try to get the conviction overturned.
The Nobel peace laureate, who is detained at her lakeside mansion in Yangon, did not attend the court and journalists were barred, although the British ambassador and another embassy official were seen going into the hearing.
Myanmar's military rulers have kept Suu Kyi in detention for 14 of the past 20 years, having refused to recognise her party's landslide victory in the country's last democratic elections in 1990.
The extension of her detention after a prison trial sparked international outrage as it effectively keeps her off the stage for elections promised by the regime some time this year.
But in recent months the United States, followed by the European Union, has shifted towards a policy of greater engagement with Myanmar -- which has been under military rule since 1962 -- as sanctions have failed to bear fruit.
Suu Kyi has also changed tack after years of favouring harsh international measures against Myanmar, writing twice to junta chief Than Shwe since September offering her cooperation in trying to get Western sanctions lifted.
On Friday she met the ruling junta's liaison officer, in the latest sign of dialogue between the two sides. It was the fourth meeting between the pair since the beginning of October.
She was also granted a meeting in December with three elderly senior NLD members, at which she asked for their approval to reorganise the party leadership committee.
But the junta has not yet granted her requests to meet the rest of the committee and to hold talks with Than Shwe himself.
In November the regime allowed her to make a rare appearance in front of the media after meeting US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, the highest level official from Washington to visit Myanmar for 14 years.
A visit by US senator Jim Webb in August secured the release of John Yettaw, the American man who swam across a lake to Suu Kyi's home in May and sparked the case that led to her detention being prolonged.
***************************************************************
Punk's not dead in military-ruled Myanmar
Wed Jan 20, 12:53 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – The singer smashes his guitar to pieces on the stage as thousands of spiky-haired punk fans cheer loudly -- a rare display of countercultural exuberance in military-ruled Myanmar.
At this concert in a land where all song lyrics must be submitted to the regime's censors, there are no openly anti-establishment messages from either the musicians or the crowd with their dyed blond, blue and red locks.
But as the band launches into the next number, a raw release entitled "I Want To Kill You!", fans moshing at the open-air park in the former capital Yangon say they want the freedom to express themselves.
"As a punk, I do whatever I want!" says 16-year-old Ko Pyae, dressed head-to-toe in black and sporting smeared black eye shadow -- the unofficial uniform of punks and goths all around the world.
"At home I don't care about anyone. I don't care about my neighbours."
Yangon's vibrant youth music scene is unexpected in a city where the streets ran with blood less than three years ago as the ruling junta crushed massive pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks.
But the regime's thought police still exert their control -- even when most bands would rather sing about vague themes of fun, teenage rebellion and relationships than anything political.
Heavy rock group Outsider are in a dingy studio on the outskirts of Yangon working on their first album -- and must submit all their song lyrics to the censors.
"If I want to write something about freedom, if I want to write about the things I want, I can't write it directly," says drummer and songwriter Thar Nge, stepping over the blankets next to his drum kit that serve as his bed.
"If I want to show something that represents the Myanmar people, not just me personally, there's no way I can do it. If I write that, it becomes political," he adds.
The censors do not stop at politics, he says. Any mention of alcohol, cigarettes or anything else deemed not to conform to the Buddhist nation's values is struck out.
Bands like Outsider learn to sing in analogies and become masters of euphemism -- even though they say they are no trailblazers for democracy and don't want their music to have any overtly political message.
"We do as much as we can," says Thar, "but we don't try to change politics. In our heads, we are musicians."
Debbie Stothard, a Bangkok-based pro-democracy campaigner and coordinator of the ALTSEAN-Burma network, said the reluctance of some of Myanmar's young musicians to play at politics was a legacy of the system.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been ruled by the military since 1962 and the regime has cracked down on protesters not only in 2007 but also in 1988, besides locking up hundreds of dissidents.
They include Nobel Peace Prize winner and author Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Young people have been brought up to believe that politics is dangerous and, by being political, they are asking to be locked up, they are asking to lose their job opportunities, they are asking to be tortured and killed," Stothard said.
"But, eventually, everyone gets to a point where they have to sing what they're thinking."
Music is not the only way of getting a point across in Myanmar.
Aung is a successful painter whose commercial works sell for hundreds of dollars each, a big sum in this impoverished nation, but he says his real interest lies in conceptual art.
"I live by selling paintings but there's less freedom with paintings. I make videos and do performance art to express myself. That gives me a sense of satisfaction afterwards," says Aung, not his real name.
One of his videos shows a goldfish swimming in a small glass of water. A hand drops in a tablet that fizzes and sends the fish into a frenzy -- when the froth clears it lies floating dead on the surface.
An apparent commentary on the junta's handling of the 2007 protests -- known as the Saffron Revolution after the colour of the monks' robes -- he says that he has drawn fire for cruelty to the fish.
"People have criticised this video because a fish is killed. What about all the people killed here in Myanmar? Why don't they speak up about that?" he says.
Meanwhile at the end of the punk concert in Yangon unrest brews, fuelled by cheap beer vendors, as fans throw bottles, try to tear apart the stage and stamp -- then urinate -- on concert posters.
But there is no sign of any security forces moving in and no chants of political activism -- the marauding punks are angry that the band didn't play an encore.
Wed Jan 20, 12:53 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – The singer smashes his guitar to pieces on the stage as thousands of spiky-haired punk fans cheer loudly -- a rare display of countercultural exuberance in military-ruled Myanmar.
At this concert in a land where all song lyrics must be submitted to the regime's censors, there are no openly anti-establishment messages from either the musicians or the crowd with their dyed blond, blue and red locks.
But as the band launches into the next number, a raw release entitled "I Want To Kill You!", fans moshing at the open-air park in the former capital Yangon say they want the freedom to express themselves.
"As a punk, I do whatever I want!" says 16-year-old Ko Pyae, dressed head-to-toe in black and sporting smeared black eye shadow -- the unofficial uniform of punks and goths all around the world.
"At home I don't care about anyone. I don't care about my neighbours."
Yangon's vibrant youth music scene is unexpected in a city where the streets ran with blood less than three years ago as the ruling junta crushed massive pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks.
But the regime's thought police still exert their control -- even when most bands would rather sing about vague themes of fun, teenage rebellion and relationships than anything political.
Heavy rock group Outsider are in a dingy studio on the outskirts of Yangon working on their first album -- and must submit all their song lyrics to the censors.
"If I want to write something about freedom, if I want to write about the things I want, I can't write it directly," says drummer and songwriter Thar Nge, stepping over the blankets next to his drum kit that serve as his bed.
"If I want to show something that represents the Myanmar people, not just me personally, there's no way I can do it. If I write that, it becomes political," he adds.
The censors do not stop at politics, he says. Any mention of alcohol, cigarettes or anything else deemed not to conform to the Buddhist nation's values is struck out.
Bands like Outsider learn to sing in analogies and become masters of euphemism -- even though they say they are no trailblazers for democracy and don't want their music to have any overtly political message.
"We do as much as we can," says Thar, "but we don't try to change politics. In our heads, we are musicians."
Debbie Stothard, a Bangkok-based pro-democracy campaigner and coordinator of the ALTSEAN-Burma network, said the reluctance of some of Myanmar's young musicians to play at politics was a legacy of the system.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been ruled by the military since 1962 and the regime has cracked down on protesters not only in 2007 but also in 1988, besides locking up hundreds of dissidents.
They include Nobel Peace Prize winner and author Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Young people have been brought up to believe that politics is dangerous and, by being political, they are asking to be locked up, they are asking to lose their job opportunities, they are asking to be tortured and killed," Stothard said.
"But, eventually, everyone gets to a point where they have to sing what they're thinking."
Music is not the only way of getting a point across in Myanmar.
Aung is a successful painter whose commercial works sell for hundreds of dollars each, a big sum in this impoverished nation, but he says his real interest lies in conceptual art.
"I live by selling paintings but there's less freedom with paintings. I make videos and do performance art to express myself. That gives me a sense of satisfaction afterwards," says Aung, not his real name.
One of his videos shows a goldfish swimming in a small glass of water. A hand drops in a tablet that fizzes and sends the fish into a frenzy -- when the froth clears it lies floating dead on the surface.
An apparent commentary on the junta's handling of the 2007 protests -- known as the Saffron Revolution after the colour of the monks' robes -- he says that he has drawn fire for cruelty to the fish.
"People have criticised this video because a fish is killed. What about all the people killed here in Myanmar? Why don't they speak up about that?" he says.
Meanwhile at the end of the punk concert in Yangon unrest brews, fuelled by cheap beer vendors, as fans throw bottles, try to tear apart the stage and stamp -- then urinate -- on concert posters.
But there is no sign of any security forces moving in and no chants of political activism -- the marauding punks are angry that the band didn't play an encore.
***************************************************************
Myanmar court hears Suu Kyi appeal of house arrest
Mon Jan 18, 8:52 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Lawyers for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Monday they were optimistic Myanmar's highest court would overturn an extension of her house arrest imposed after an American intruder swam uninvited to her home.
The court began hearing from both sides in the case Monday and was expected to issue a ruling within a month. Suu Kyi, who was barred from attending the session, has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years.
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate's sentence would ensure she cannot participate in Myanmar's first elections in two decades that will be held sometime this year. Her party swept the last elections in 1990, but the results were never honored by the military, which has ruled the country since 1962.
Suu Kyi's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in November last year after a lower court upheld a decision to sentence her to an additional 18 months of house arrest. She was convicted in August of violating the terms of her previous detention by briefly sheltering an American who swam to her lakeside home.
Suu Kyi's lawyer Nyan Win told judges the extension was unlawful because it was based on provisions from the 1974 Constitution that are no longer in effect.
The court also agreed to review the house arrest of Suu Kyi's two female companions, who are also ordered confined for 18 months at her compound in Yangon.
"We are very optimistic. The law is completely on our side," Suu Kyi's lawyer, Kyi Win, told reporters waiting outside the court. Kyi Win said the ruling would be announced in a month, correcting another lawyer's assertion it would be handed down this week.
But Aung Thein, a lawyer experienced in political cases, cautioned that he didn't think the Supreme Court would overturn the lower court rulings. "Executive power supersedes the Supreme Court," he said.
British Ambassador Andrew Heyn, who attended the Supreme Court hearing, said his government fully supported Suu Kyi's appeal.
"Our position remains that Suu Kyi's house arrest and the detention of all political prisoners is unjust and we call again on the government to release her and all political detainees without condition," Heyn said.
On Friday, Suu Kyi met with Cabinet minister Aung Kyi, part of her National League for Democracy party's efforts to prepare for the elections. Suu Kyi's party has not yet declared whether it will take part in the election.
Suu Kyi's last meeting with Aung Kyi was on Dec. 9, when he informed her that her request to be allowed to meet with the party elders was granted. She met them on Dec. 16.
Mon Jan 18, 8:52 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Lawyers for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Monday they were optimistic Myanmar's highest court would overturn an extension of her house arrest imposed after an American intruder swam uninvited to her home.
The court began hearing from both sides in the case Monday and was expected to issue a ruling within a month. Suu Kyi, who was barred from attending the session, has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years.
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate's sentence would ensure she cannot participate in Myanmar's first elections in two decades that will be held sometime this year. Her party swept the last elections in 1990, but the results were never honored by the military, which has ruled the country since 1962.
Suu Kyi's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in November last year after a lower court upheld a decision to sentence her to an additional 18 months of house arrest. She was convicted in August of violating the terms of her previous detention by briefly sheltering an American who swam to her lakeside home.
Suu Kyi's lawyer Nyan Win told judges the extension was unlawful because it was based on provisions from the 1974 Constitution that are no longer in effect.
The court also agreed to review the house arrest of Suu Kyi's two female companions, who are also ordered confined for 18 months at her compound in Yangon.
"We are very optimistic. The law is completely on our side," Suu Kyi's lawyer, Kyi Win, told reporters waiting outside the court. Kyi Win said the ruling would be announced in a month, correcting another lawyer's assertion it would be handed down this week.
But Aung Thein, a lawyer experienced in political cases, cautioned that he didn't think the Supreme Court would overturn the lower court rulings. "Executive power supersedes the Supreme Court," he said.
British Ambassador Andrew Heyn, who attended the Supreme Court hearing, said his government fully supported Suu Kyi's appeal.
"Our position remains that Suu Kyi's house arrest and the detention of all political prisoners is unjust and we call again on the government to release her and all political detainees without condition," Heyn said.
On Friday, Suu Kyi met with Cabinet minister Aung Kyi, part of her National League for Democracy party's efforts to prepare for the elections. Suu Kyi's party has not yet declared whether it will take part in the election.
Suu Kyi's last meeting with Aung Kyi was on Dec. 9, when he informed her that her request to be allowed to meet with the party elders was granted. She met them on Dec. 16.
***************************************************************
Report: ILO renews watchdog pact with Myanmar
AP - Thursday, January 21
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's military government has renewed for a year an agreement allowing the U.N. to monitor complaints of forced labor, the state-controlled press reported Wednesday.
The move comes despite the U.N. International Labor Organization adopting a resolution in November saying it was "deeply concerned" that Myanmar still uses forced labor in infrastructure projects such as oil and gas pipelines and imprisons people who claim to have been used as laborers.
The renewal was signed Tuesday during a visit by ILO Executive Director Kari Tapiola at the administrative capital of Naypyitaw, the Myanmar-language Myanma Ahlin newspaper reported. It was the third renewal since the agreement was established in 2007.
Besides meeting government officials, Tapiola is due to meet labor activists, said a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information.
The ILO office in Yangon was unable to confirm the signing because all responsible officials were out of town, said a receptionist who answered the phone.
The Geneva-based agency has been investigating Myanmar's use of forced labor since 1998. The allegations have deepened international criticism of the regime over its suppression of democracy and rights abuses.
Myanmar says it is trying to eliminate forced labor and recognizes the right of its citizens to make complaints on the subject without fear of punishment. The ILO resolution acknowledged that the country was cooperating regarding complaints.
AP - Thursday, January 21
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's military government has renewed for a year an agreement allowing the U.N. to monitor complaints of forced labor, the state-controlled press reported Wednesday.
The move comes despite the U.N. International Labor Organization adopting a resolution in November saying it was "deeply concerned" that Myanmar still uses forced labor in infrastructure projects such as oil and gas pipelines and imprisons people who claim to have been used as laborers.
The renewal was signed Tuesday during a visit by ILO Executive Director Kari Tapiola at the administrative capital of Naypyitaw, the Myanmar-language Myanma Ahlin newspaper reported. It was the third renewal since the agreement was established in 2007.
Besides meeting government officials, Tapiola is due to meet labor activists, said a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information.
The ILO office in Yangon was unable to confirm the signing because all responsible officials were out of town, said a receptionist who answered the phone.
The Geneva-based agency has been investigating Myanmar's use of forced labor since 1998. The allegations have deepened international criticism of the regime over its suppression of democracy and rights abuses.
Myanmar says it is trying to eliminate forced labor and recognizes the right of its citizens to make complaints on the subject without fear of punishment. The ILO resolution acknowledged that the country was cooperating regarding complaints.
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Gov'ts step up pressure on rights monitors
Published: Jan. 20, 2010 at 1:35 PM
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Human rights advocates were targeted more intensely for attacks by governments guilty of abuses last year, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.
The rights group said in its 20th annual human rights review released in Washington that because the power of advocates to bring attention to violations rose dramatically in 2009, so has the pressure they faced from abusive governments.
"Attacks on rights defenders might be seen as a perverse tribute to the human rights movement, but that doesn't mitigate the danger," group Executive Director Kenneth Roth said. "Under various pretexts, abusive governments are attacking the very foundations of the human rights movement."
Roth said attacks on human rights monitors weren't limited to authoritarian governments such as Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, and China, but also occur in countries with elected governments facing armed insurgencies, including a "devastating series of killings and threats against lawyers and activists fighting impunity in the North Caucasus" of Russia.
In addition to Russia and Sri Lanka, other countries where human rights monitors were slain in order to silence them included Kenya, Burundi and Afghanistan, the rights group said.
Published: Jan. 20, 2010 at 1:35 PM
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Human rights advocates were targeted more intensely for attacks by governments guilty of abuses last year, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.
The rights group said in its 20th annual human rights review released in Washington that because the power of advocates to bring attention to violations rose dramatically in 2009, so has the pressure they faced from abusive governments.
"Attacks on rights defenders might be seen as a perverse tribute to the human rights movement, but that doesn't mitigate the danger," group Executive Director Kenneth Roth said. "Under various pretexts, abusive governments are attacking the very foundations of the human rights movement."
Roth said attacks on human rights monitors weren't limited to authoritarian governments such as Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, and China, but also occur in countries with elected governments facing armed insurgencies, including a "devastating series of killings and threats against lawyers and activists fighting impunity in the North Caucasus" of Russia.
In addition to Russia and Sri Lanka, other countries where human rights monitors were slain in order to silence them included Kenya, Burundi and Afghanistan, the rights group said.
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UN News Centre - Curbing human trafficking in South-East Asia focus at UN-backed meeting
20 January 2010 – Officials from the six countries of South-East Asia’s Mekong region and observers from the United Nations and other stakeholders opened a two-day meeting in Myanmar today to step up the war on human trafficking, including sexual slavery and labour exploitation.
“It is only through this kind of coordinated approach and solidarity of the counter-trafficking community that we can make a real difference in the lives of people who are suffering the cruel consequences of human trafficking and exploitation,” UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) regional manager Matthew Friedman told the 7th Senior Officials Meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) in Bagan.
The meeting brings together ministers from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, along with observers from the UN, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking of Persons Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors.
“COMMIT is unique in that it has fostered unprecedented accountability between the Mekong countries over the past six years,” UN Resident Coordinator Bishow Parajuli said.
“I believe that this unity may be one of our greatest strengths in tackling some of our biggest challenges.”
According to UN International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, 9.49 million people were in forced labour in the Asia-Pacific region as of 2005, with a significant number believed to be in the Mekong region.
Since the signing of a memorandum of understanding six years ago, the six countries have put in place legal and cooperative frameworks to prevent human trafficking taking place, prosecute traffickers and exploitative employers and protect victims, helping them return home safely and with dignity.
The Bagan meeting will take a fresh look at regional approaches to counter trafficking, review plans and priorities, and discuss future joint actions, focusing in particular on law enforcement and the recovery and reintegration of victims.
20 January 2010 – Officials from the six countries of South-East Asia’s Mekong region and observers from the United Nations and other stakeholders opened a two-day meeting in Myanmar today to step up the war on human trafficking, including sexual slavery and labour exploitation.
“It is only through this kind of coordinated approach and solidarity of the counter-trafficking community that we can make a real difference in the lives of people who are suffering the cruel consequences of human trafficking and exploitation,” UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) regional manager Matthew Friedman told the 7th Senior Officials Meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) in Bagan.
The meeting brings together ministers from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, along with observers from the UN, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking of Persons Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors.
“COMMIT is unique in that it has fostered unprecedented accountability between the Mekong countries over the past six years,” UN Resident Coordinator Bishow Parajuli said.
“I believe that this unity may be one of our greatest strengths in tackling some of our biggest challenges.”
According to UN International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, 9.49 million people were in forced labour in the Asia-Pacific region as of 2005, with a significant number believed to be in the Mekong region.
Since the signing of a memorandum of understanding six years ago, the six countries have put in place legal and cooperative frameworks to prevent human trafficking taking place, prosecute traffickers and exploitative employers and protect victims, helping them return home safely and with dignity.
The Bagan meeting will take a fresh look at regional approaches to counter trafficking, review plans and priorities, and discuss future joint actions, focusing in particular on law enforcement and the recovery and reintegration of victims.
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Shanghai Daily - Sold in Shanghai: Myanmar bride rescued
By Jane Chen | 2010-1-20
A MYANMAR girl has been rescued in Shanghai after being smuggled to the city by a human trafficker and sold to marry a local man.
Police have sent the 17-year-old girl back home to Myanmar and caught the suspected trafficker surnamed Xie, reported today's Shanghai Oriental Morning Post.
Xie allegedly smuggled the girl to Shanghai last June after promising her a good job in China. When she arrived, he told her there were no jobs and forced her to marry a man surnamed Zhu, police told the newspaper.
Xie took 25,000 yuan (US$3,662) from Zhu, the report said.
The girl was since then locked in the man's home until the end of the year. When she managed to escape through a window, she contacted police.
By Jane Chen | 2010-1-20
A MYANMAR girl has been rescued in Shanghai after being smuggled to the city by a human trafficker and sold to marry a local man.
Police have sent the 17-year-old girl back home to Myanmar and caught the suspected trafficker surnamed Xie, reported today's Shanghai Oriental Morning Post.
Xie allegedly smuggled the girl to Shanghai last June after promising her a good job in China. When she arrived, he told her there were no jobs and forced her to marry a man surnamed Zhu, police told the newspaper.
Xie took 25,000 yuan (US$3,662) from Zhu, the report said.
The girl was since then locked in the man's home until the end of the year. When she managed to escape through a window, she contacted police.
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Boston Globe - Inspired, she captured Myanmar cuisine
By Omar Sacirbey
Globe Correspondent / January 20, 2010
CAMBRIDGE - The Shan region of Myanmar, the Southeast Asian country once known as Burma, is home to a unique culinary culture that boasts diverse dishes, from starters like mustard soup and mango salad, to entrees like grilled fish in banana leaf and steamed ginger chicken. But to truly enjoy these meals, the Shan advise, forget utensils and eat with your fingers.
That’s Page Bingham’s advice, too. “Food has the most taste when it comes from the fingertips,’’ says Bingham, a Cambridge resident who has documented this and other Shan culinary features in “A Taste of Shan,’’ her newly published recipe and photo collection from this vibrant and mystical region. Bingham is donating royalties to the Foundation for the People of Burma, a humanitarian aid organization.
“Each recipe has a history,’’ says Bingham. Myanmar is a closed society that evokes images of oppression, poverty, and residents afraid to speak openly, for fear of being heard by spies. Bingham says she was tailed by government officials, although she got used to it. “They’re always following you. But it was so obvious, it was kind of humorous,’’ she says. “I wasn’t worried because I wasn’t doing anything subversive, I was just getting recipes.’’
While the bleak images are real, she says, they should not obscure the fact that the Shan region is full of hospitable, resilient, and funny people. “I wanted to show the other side.’’
Bingham went to Myanmar to save her marriage, she writes. About seven years ago, she and her husband had hit a rough spot and separated. When she was invited to visit by a friend who was doing research work in Yangon, the capital, she decided she needed the time away - and stayed for a year. Bingham became fascinated by the region and began a fruitless search for a cookbook. There were none. “You should write one,’’ said one bookstore owner. “Then I can sell it here.’’ She ended up rescuing recipes that, she was told, have yet to be recorded and face declining use as Shan cuisine is overtaken by the cuisine of the region’s substantial ethnic Chinese population.
On a recent evening in her Cambridge home, Bingham prepares two favorites: stir-fried prawns with tamarind sauce and a typical tomato salad.
For the prawn dish, Bingham heats a cast iron wok ( a large skillet is a good substitute) and begins by frying a mixture of shallots, garlic, tamarind sauce, red chili peppers, fish sauce, and sugar. Although the book has a somewhat labor-intensive recipe for tamarind sauce, on this particular night, Bingham uses a canned Thai version. She brings the blend to a boil, adds large shrimp, and garnishes the finished dish with cilantro. The Shan tradition works well here: Fingertips bring out intense flavors that start sweet and tart, and finish hot.
“At first I was intimidated,’’ says Bingham, who was new to Asian foods. “But once you do it a lot, it gets easier.’’
The tomato salad requires many of the same ingredients as the prawn dish; it’s an easy and sensible side. A refreshing and light dressing of rice vinegar and fish sauce - no oil - offers an appealing complement to the tart and more concentrated tamarind sauce.
Bingham’s book has sections on street food, eating with the Shan, and a basic glossary. Each recipe is preceded by a brief and often interesting or humorous anecdote about how Bingham acquired the recipe. She received the formula for steamed ginger chicken, for example, from a member of a deposed Shan royal family whose “passion for all things Shan is as strong as his passion for talking,’’ Bingham writes. “ ‘Easy to make and delicious,’ were his parting words as I fled before he could launch into another soliloquy.’’
One of Bingham’s favorite features of Shan is the teahouse culture. Not unlike pubs, tea houses are ubiquitous, especially in the regional capital of Mandalay. They give people a place to gather and socialize, and also provide an unofficial social net, giving teenagers and young men a place to work during the day, and to sleep at night. While ubiquitous, each teahouse brews its own unique blends daily.
Because of the accidental way in which she began the book, Bingham ended up learning about the region in a way that a regular tourist never could. “Food is a great icebreaker,’’ she says. “That’s how I got to know the people.’’
An added bonus: The project helped her reconnect with her husband, Jim Anathan, who responded to her e-mails with encouragement and helpful comments. They are together and, among other things, sometimes cook together.
To order “A Taste of Shan’’ (Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, 2009), go to www.amazon.com.
By Omar Sacirbey
Globe Correspondent / January 20, 2010
CAMBRIDGE - The Shan region of Myanmar, the Southeast Asian country once known as Burma, is home to a unique culinary culture that boasts diverse dishes, from starters like mustard soup and mango salad, to entrees like grilled fish in banana leaf and steamed ginger chicken. But to truly enjoy these meals, the Shan advise, forget utensils and eat with your fingers.
That’s Page Bingham’s advice, too. “Food has the most taste when it comes from the fingertips,’’ says Bingham, a Cambridge resident who has documented this and other Shan culinary features in “A Taste of Shan,’’ her newly published recipe and photo collection from this vibrant and mystical region. Bingham is donating royalties to the Foundation for the People of Burma, a humanitarian aid organization.
“Each recipe has a history,’’ says Bingham. Myanmar is a closed society that evokes images of oppression, poverty, and residents afraid to speak openly, for fear of being heard by spies. Bingham says she was tailed by government officials, although she got used to it. “They’re always following you. But it was so obvious, it was kind of humorous,’’ she says. “I wasn’t worried because I wasn’t doing anything subversive, I was just getting recipes.’’
While the bleak images are real, she says, they should not obscure the fact that the Shan region is full of hospitable, resilient, and funny people. “I wanted to show the other side.’’
Bingham went to Myanmar to save her marriage, she writes. About seven years ago, she and her husband had hit a rough spot and separated. When she was invited to visit by a friend who was doing research work in Yangon, the capital, she decided she needed the time away - and stayed for a year. Bingham became fascinated by the region and began a fruitless search for a cookbook. There were none. “You should write one,’’ said one bookstore owner. “Then I can sell it here.’’ She ended up rescuing recipes that, she was told, have yet to be recorded and face declining use as Shan cuisine is overtaken by the cuisine of the region’s substantial ethnic Chinese population.
On a recent evening in her Cambridge home, Bingham prepares two favorites: stir-fried prawns with tamarind sauce and a typical tomato salad.
For the prawn dish, Bingham heats a cast iron wok ( a large skillet is a good substitute) and begins by frying a mixture of shallots, garlic, tamarind sauce, red chili peppers, fish sauce, and sugar. Although the book has a somewhat labor-intensive recipe for tamarind sauce, on this particular night, Bingham uses a canned Thai version. She brings the blend to a boil, adds large shrimp, and garnishes the finished dish with cilantro. The Shan tradition works well here: Fingertips bring out intense flavors that start sweet and tart, and finish hot.
“At first I was intimidated,’’ says Bingham, who was new to Asian foods. “But once you do it a lot, it gets easier.’’
The tomato salad requires many of the same ingredients as the prawn dish; it’s an easy and sensible side. A refreshing and light dressing of rice vinegar and fish sauce - no oil - offers an appealing complement to the tart and more concentrated tamarind sauce.
Bingham’s book has sections on street food, eating with the Shan, and a basic glossary. Each recipe is preceded by a brief and often interesting or humorous anecdote about how Bingham acquired the recipe. She received the formula for steamed ginger chicken, for example, from a member of a deposed Shan royal family whose “passion for all things Shan is as strong as his passion for talking,’’ Bingham writes. “ ‘Easy to make and delicious,’ were his parting words as I fled before he could launch into another soliloquy.’’
One of Bingham’s favorite features of Shan is the teahouse culture. Not unlike pubs, tea houses are ubiquitous, especially in the regional capital of Mandalay. They give people a place to gather and socialize, and also provide an unofficial social net, giving teenagers and young men a place to work during the day, and to sleep at night. While ubiquitous, each teahouse brews its own unique blends daily.
Because of the accidental way in which she began the book, Bingham ended up learning about the region in a way that a regular tourist never could. “Food is a great icebreaker,’’ she says. “That’s how I got to know the people.’’
An added bonus: The project helped her reconnect with her husband, Jim Anathan, who responded to her e-mails with encouragement and helpful comments. They are together and, among other things, sometimes cook together.
To order “A Taste of Shan’’ (Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, 2009), go to www.amazon.com.
***************************************************************
Viet Nam News - Work starts on massive jade Buddha
(19-01-2010)
HAI DUONG — The Than Chau Ngoc Viet gem company began sculpting what it said would be the world’s largest Buddha statue carved from jade yesterday.
The statue will be crafted from a 35-tonne chunk of jadeite bought from Myanmar.
President Nguyen Minh Triet and Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue, head of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, were present at a launching ceremony in Cam Dien Commune of Hai Duong Province.
Speaking at the ceremony, Triet said the sculpture of the Buddha statue was not only for religious purposes but also for mankind.
"This artistic work is of great, everlasting cultural value," the President said.
The 16-tonne and 3-metre-high statue is expected to be completed in 2011.
To largest jade Buddha statue to date, the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, weighs 3.9 tonnes and measures 2.5m tall.
(19-01-2010)
HAI DUONG — The Than Chau Ngoc Viet gem company began sculpting what it said would be the world’s largest Buddha statue carved from jade yesterday.
The statue will be crafted from a 35-tonne chunk of jadeite bought from Myanmar.
President Nguyen Minh Triet and Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue, head of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, were present at a launching ceremony in Cam Dien Commune of Hai Duong Province.
Speaking at the ceremony, Triet said the sculpture of the Buddha statue was not only for religious purposes but also for mankind.
"This artistic work is of great, everlasting cultural value," the President said.
The 16-tonne and 3-metre-high statue is expected to be completed in 2011.
To largest jade Buddha statue to date, the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, weighs 3.9 tonnes and measures 2.5m tall.
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Economic Times - Gail to buy 4% in Myanmar-China project
19 Jan 2010, 0311 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: State-run gas transportation company Gail India will pick up a 4% stake in the $2-billion Myanmar-China gas pipeline project, company
chairman and managing director BC Tripathi said on Monday. OVL, the overseas arm of oil and gas major ONGC, will pick up another 8-8.5% stake in the pipeline project that will link two gas producing blocks A1 and A3 in Myanmar with consuming centres in the mainland China.
“The Gail board has already approved the stake pick in the pipeline project. The investment would go through once approvals from the government come,” Mr Tripathi said. OVL, along with Gail, already has a 30% interest in two gas producing blocks in Myanmar. The companies, however, could not secure gas from the project as the neighbour preferred China over India for gas sales from A1 and A3 blocks. In 2004, Myanmar had committed that Gail would be the preferential buyer of the gas but opted for China later due to political considerations.
The total investment of Gail and OVL is expected to be around $250 million (over Rs 1,000 crore) in the 870-km pipeline China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is laying in Myanmar. Meanwhile, Gail’s net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, zoomed 240% to Rs 860 crore as against Rs 253 crore in the corresponding period last year.
During the quarter, the company’s turnover also rose 6% to Rs 6,187 crore, as against Rs 5,812 crore in the same period last year. Gail had reported over 30% dip in its net profit for the second quarter ended September 30, 2009, due to falling margins on petrochemicals and liquid hydrocarbons. Shares of Gail closed at Rs 438.70, up 3.1%, from Rs 425.50.
“The increase in profit has come mainly on account of a 25% rise in transportation of gas and better realisation from sale of petrochemicals, LPG and liquid hydrocarbons,” said Mr Tripathi adding that gas transportation has increased largely due to availability of KG basin gas on its network.
Asked about Ratnagiri Gas and Power Project in Maharashtra (formerly Dabhol power project), Mr Tripathi said that it would reach its full capacity of around 2,000 mw by March-April this year. He said that Gail would be interested in increasing the capacity together with its RGPPL partner NTPC by another 2,000 mw.
“We have taken up the matter (of expanding generation capacity) with power ministry as well as NTPC chairman. NTPC had earlier indicated that it would like to go solo on the expansion project.
Gail would make a capex of Rs 5,500 crore in 2010-11. About Rs 4,000 crore of this expenditure will be made on expanding gas transmission network. Mr Tripathi said that it was looking at expanding gas distribution network with Egas in Egypt.
19 Jan 2010, 0311 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: State-run gas transportation company Gail India will pick up a 4% stake in the $2-billion Myanmar-China gas pipeline project, company
chairman and managing director BC Tripathi said on Monday. OVL, the overseas arm of oil and gas major ONGC, will pick up another 8-8.5% stake in the pipeline project that will link two gas producing blocks A1 and A3 in Myanmar with consuming centres in the mainland China.
“The Gail board has already approved the stake pick in the pipeline project. The investment would go through once approvals from the government come,” Mr Tripathi said. OVL, along with Gail, already has a 30% interest in two gas producing blocks in Myanmar. The companies, however, could not secure gas from the project as the neighbour preferred China over India for gas sales from A1 and A3 blocks. In 2004, Myanmar had committed that Gail would be the preferential buyer of the gas but opted for China later due to political considerations.
The total investment of Gail and OVL is expected to be around $250 million (over Rs 1,000 crore) in the 870-km pipeline China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is laying in Myanmar. Meanwhile, Gail’s net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, zoomed 240% to Rs 860 crore as against Rs 253 crore in the corresponding period last year.
During the quarter, the company’s turnover also rose 6% to Rs 6,187 crore, as against Rs 5,812 crore in the same period last year. Gail had reported over 30% dip in its net profit for the second quarter ended September 30, 2009, due to falling margins on petrochemicals and liquid hydrocarbons. Shares of Gail closed at Rs 438.70, up 3.1%, from Rs 425.50.
“The increase in profit has come mainly on account of a 25% rise in transportation of gas and better realisation from sale of petrochemicals, LPG and liquid hydrocarbons,” said Mr Tripathi adding that gas transportation has increased largely due to availability of KG basin gas on its network.
Asked about Ratnagiri Gas and Power Project in Maharashtra (formerly Dabhol power project), Mr Tripathi said that it would reach its full capacity of around 2,000 mw by March-April this year. He said that Gail would be interested in increasing the capacity together with its RGPPL partner NTPC by another 2,000 mw.
“We have taken up the matter (of expanding generation capacity) with power ministry as well as NTPC chairman. NTPC had earlier indicated that it would like to go solo on the expansion project.
Gail would make a capex of Rs 5,500 crore in 2010-11. About Rs 4,000 crore of this expenditure will be made on expanding gas transmission network. Mr Tripathi said that it was looking at expanding gas distribution network with Egas in Egypt.
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Malay Mail - Myanmar security guard to answer for murder
Submitted by pekwan on Monday, January 18th, 2010
Monday, January 18th, 2010 13:38:00
SHAH ALAM: The High Court this morning fixed Feb 23 for a Myanmar security guard to defend himself for the murder of his wife’s lover.
Judge Datuk Mohtarudin Baki ordered Mohd Naki Mohd Yusuf, 41, to enter his defence on the murder of Pakistani, Nowshad in 2007.
Mohtarudin said the prosecution had made out a prima facie case against the accused.
He said he accepted the testimony of Mohd Naki’s daughter, who told the court that she had seen her father holding an iron rod on the night of the alleged incident.
Mohtarudin said the girl had said she was scared to admit earlier, because she was afraid her father would be hung for murder.
Mohtarudin also said he accepted the testimony of the accused’s wife, who told the court she had received a call from her husband saying: “Saya dah bunuh kekasih awak.
Saya dah campak dia dekat highway” (I have killed your lover. I have thrown his body on the highway), and a text message from him saying: “Kau tak peduli aku ke. Aku ajar kau ni. Kepala dia. Macam apa. Lebih dari itu awak boleh kena. Kau tak nak call sekarang. Perempuan sex gila” (Don't you care? I am teaching you a lesson. On top of that you may get into trouble. You sex maniac).
The judge said if the accused does not choose to defend himself, “I will not hesitate to convict him of the crime he is charged with”.
Mohd Naki was charged with causing Nowshad’s death at Kilang Sin Guan Huat, Jalan Perusahaan 3 in Beranang, Kajang, at about 9.30pm in April 2007.
His charge carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The body of Nowshad, in his 30s, who also worked as a security guard, was found floating in a water tank at the factory on May 22, 2007.
The cause of death was blunt trauma to the head.
Deputy public prosecutor Rosidah Abu Bakar appeared for the prosecution while Mohd Naki was represented by Ahmad Nizam Mohamed.
Ahmad Nizam said he previously submitted that the prosecution had no direct evidence to link his client to the murder.
“The prosecution did not even prove that the (mobile phone) number was his, other than the wife’s testimony,” he said, adding that there were also contradictions in the witnesses’ testimonies.
Previously, 22 witnesses were called by the prosecution.
Submitted by pekwan on Monday, January 18th, 2010
Monday, January 18th, 2010 13:38:00
SHAH ALAM: The High Court this morning fixed Feb 23 for a Myanmar security guard to defend himself for the murder of his wife’s lover.
Judge Datuk Mohtarudin Baki ordered Mohd Naki Mohd Yusuf, 41, to enter his defence on the murder of Pakistani, Nowshad in 2007.
Mohtarudin said the prosecution had made out a prima facie case against the accused.
He said he accepted the testimony of Mohd Naki’s daughter, who told the court that she had seen her father holding an iron rod on the night of the alleged incident.
Mohtarudin said the girl had said she was scared to admit earlier, because she was afraid her father would be hung for murder.
Mohtarudin also said he accepted the testimony of the accused’s wife, who told the court she had received a call from her husband saying: “Saya dah bunuh kekasih awak.
Saya dah campak dia dekat highway” (I have killed your lover. I have thrown his body on the highway), and a text message from him saying: “Kau tak peduli aku ke. Aku ajar kau ni. Kepala dia. Macam apa. Lebih dari itu awak boleh kena. Kau tak nak call sekarang. Perempuan sex gila” (Don't you care? I am teaching you a lesson. On top of that you may get into trouble. You sex maniac).
The judge said if the accused does not choose to defend himself, “I will not hesitate to convict him of the crime he is charged with”.
Mohd Naki was charged with causing Nowshad’s death at Kilang Sin Guan Huat, Jalan Perusahaan 3 in Beranang, Kajang, at about 9.30pm in April 2007.
His charge carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The body of Nowshad, in his 30s, who also worked as a security guard, was found floating in a water tank at the factory on May 22, 2007.
The cause of death was blunt trauma to the head.
Deputy public prosecutor Rosidah Abu Bakar appeared for the prosecution while Mohd Naki was represented by Ahmad Nizam Mohamed.
Ahmad Nizam said he previously submitted that the prosecution had no direct evidence to link his client to the murder.
“The prosecution did not even prove that the (mobile phone) number was his, other than the wife’s testimony,” he said, adding that there were also contradictions in the witnesses’ testimonies.
Previously, 22 witnesses were called by the prosecution.
***************************************************************
Monsters and Critics - Vietnamese firm to sculpt 15-ton Buddha statue out of jade
Jan 18, 2010, 4:40 GMT
Hanoi - A Vietnamese gem company Monday began sculpting what it said will be the world's largest jade Buddha statue, carved from a 35-ton chunk of jadeite from Myanmar.
Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet spoke at an event organized by the Than Chau Ngoc Viet company to celebrate the beginning of work on the statue.
Hundreds of monks belonging to the government-affiliated Vietnam Buddhist Sangha released 2,000 doves and chanted prayers for world peace at the ceremony.
Burmese jade is banned by the United States and the European Union, which say the gem trade supports human rights abuses by the ruling military junta.
Reports by Human Rights Watch and Burmese exile groups say mining in Kachin State, where most Myanmar jade originates, involves forced labor and the suppression of the local Kachin ethnic minority.
Than Chau Ngoc Viet chairman Dao Trong Cuong said the company purchased the jadeite at an official Myanmar state auction in 2006 for 1.45 million dollars.
The Vietnam News Agency reported in October that Cuong 'hopes the giant jade Buddha statue will help advertise the image of Vietnam to the world.'
The company expects the carving to take about two years to complete. The final statue will be three metres tall and weigh 15 tons.
Jan 18, 2010, 4:40 GMT
Hanoi - A Vietnamese gem company Monday began sculpting what it said will be the world's largest jade Buddha statue, carved from a 35-ton chunk of jadeite from Myanmar.
Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet spoke at an event organized by the Than Chau Ngoc Viet company to celebrate the beginning of work on the statue.
Hundreds of monks belonging to the government-affiliated Vietnam Buddhist Sangha released 2,000 doves and chanted prayers for world peace at the ceremony.
Burmese jade is banned by the United States and the European Union, which say the gem trade supports human rights abuses by the ruling military junta.
Reports by Human Rights Watch and Burmese exile groups say mining in Kachin State, where most Myanmar jade originates, involves forced labor and the suppression of the local Kachin ethnic minority.
Than Chau Ngoc Viet chairman Dao Trong Cuong said the company purchased the jadeite at an official Myanmar state auction in 2006 for 1.45 million dollars.
The Vietnam News Agency reported in October that Cuong 'hopes the giant jade Buddha statue will help advertise the image of Vietnam to the world.'
The company expects the carving to take about two years to complete. The final statue will be three metres tall and weigh 15 tons.
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Monsters and Critics - Myanmar forms national association to boost rice exports
Jan 17, 2010, 10:22 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar has created a new national rice industry association in an effort to boost the country's rice exports to rival those of Thailand and Vietnam, media reports said Sunday.
The Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) was created on January 12 as a national body uniting three existing separate associations - the Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders' Association, the Myanmar Rice Millers' Association and the Myanmar Paddy Producers' Association, the Myanmar Times reported.
'This is the first time that we've organised three existing associations with 29 recently founded rice companies to develop Myanmar's rice industry,' said Chit Khine, president of MRIA.
'Compared with Thailand and Vietnam, our rice industry is lagging behind in the region when it comes to producing quality rice for the international export market,' he said.
'We need to catch up with them to be a major rice-exporting country by organizing separate resources together, as we have in the founding of this national body,' he added.
Myanmar, once the world's leading rice exporter, shipped about 500,000 tons in the last fiscal year, ending on March 31, 2009.
In comparison, Vietnam and Thailand exported 5 million and 9 million tons, respectively in 2009.
Thailand surpassed Myanmar as the world's largest rice exporter shortly after 1962, when the country opted for its economically disastrous 'Burmese Way to Socialism' under military rule.
Jan 17, 2010, 10:22 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar has created a new national rice industry association in an effort to boost the country's rice exports to rival those of Thailand and Vietnam, media reports said Sunday.
The Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) was created on January 12 as a national body uniting three existing separate associations - the Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders' Association, the Myanmar Rice Millers' Association and the Myanmar Paddy Producers' Association, the Myanmar Times reported.
'This is the first time that we've organised three existing associations with 29 recently founded rice companies to develop Myanmar's rice industry,' said Chit Khine, president of MRIA.
'Compared with Thailand and Vietnam, our rice industry is lagging behind in the region when it comes to producing quality rice for the international export market,' he said.
'We need to catch up with them to be a major rice-exporting country by organizing separate resources together, as we have in the founding of this national body,' he added.
Myanmar, once the world's leading rice exporter, shipped about 500,000 tons in the last fiscal year, ending on March 31, 2009.
In comparison, Vietnam and Thailand exported 5 million and 9 million tons, respectively in 2009.
Thailand surpassed Myanmar as the world's largest rice exporter shortly after 1962, when the country opted for its economically disastrous 'Burmese Way to Socialism' under military rule.
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Updated : 3:21 PM, 01/17/2010
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar boost investment co-operation
A conference seeking solutions to boost Vietnam’s investment in Myanmar as well as bilateral trade cooperation was held in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on January 15, according to the “New Light of Myanmar” newspaper.
The January 16 newspaper said that during the conference, attended by U Soe Tha and Thurein Zaw, Minister and deputy Minister of the Myanmar Economic Development and State Planning and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung, the two sides discussed bilateral economic cooperation prospects.
Also, on January 15, Myanmar’s Prime Minister Thein Sein received Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung and Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh.
The Myanmar statistics showed that by the end of September 2009, Vietnam had invested US$23.4 million in Myanmar. Investment activities between the two countries started in late 1988.
Vietnam is Myanmar’s 16th largest export market. The country imports agro-forest, seafood products and electronic components from Myanmar and exports steel, electronic items, pharmaceuticals, industrial goods, chemicals, computers and computer spare parts.
In the first nine months of 2009, Vietnam-Myanmar bilateral trade value reached US$60 million. The two countries are planning the launch of a direct air route to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar boost investment co-operation
A conference seeking solutions to boost Vietnam’s investment in Myanmar as well as bilateral trade cooperation was held in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on January 15, according to the “New Light of Myanmar” newspaper.
The January 16 newspaper said that during the conference, attended by U Soe Tha and Thurein Zaw, Minister and deputy Minister of the Myanmar Economic Development and State Planning and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung, the two sides discussed bilateral economic cooperation prospects.
Also, on January 15, Myanmar’s Prime Minister Thein Sein received Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung and Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh.
The Myanmar statistics showed that by the end of September 2009, Vietnam had invested US$23.4 million in Myanmar. Investment activities between the two countries started in late 1988.
Vietnam is Myanmar’s 16th largest export market. The country imports agro-forest, seafood products and electronic components from Myanmar and exports steel, electronic items, pharmaceuticals, industrial goods, chemicals, computers and computer spare parts.
In the first nine months of 2009, Vietnam-Myanmar bilateral trade value reached US$60 million. The two countries are planning the launch of a direct air route to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
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New Straits Times - Police detain 26 Myanmar nationals near Pulau Ketam
2010/01/17
PORT KLANG, Sun: Marine Police in Selangor detained 26 illegal Myanmar nationals, believed to be seeking political asylum, off the Bagan Hailam waters near Pulau Ketam, Port Klang yesterday afternoon.
Port Klang Commanding officer DSP Norzaid Muhammad Said said all of them were found in a passenger ferry that was on its way from Sungai Lima, Pulau Ketam to Port Klang at about 6.30pm.
Norzaid said 21 of them were holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards issued by a neigbouring country, while the remaining five had no valid travel documents.
"Since the UNHCR card was issued by another country and not Malaysia, they cannot seek political asylum as provided for by the law. We have received information that the 26 had been earlier detained by the authorities in a neighbouring country but were siphoned out by a syndicate which used speed boats," he told reporters at his office here today.
Norzaid said upon arrival from their original destination, the Myanmar nationals, aged between 17 and 56, had stayed in Pulau Ketam for two days before continuing their journey.
2010/01/17
PORT KLANG, Sun: Marine Police in Selangor detained 26 illegal Myanmar nationals, believed to be seeking political asylum, off the Bagan Hailam waters near Pulau Ketam, Port Klang yesterday afternoon.
Port Klang Commanding officer DSP Norzaid Muhammad Said said all of them were found in a passenger ferry that was on its way from Sungai Lima, Pulau Ketam to Port Klang at about 6.30pm.
Norzaid said 21 of them were holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards issued by a neigbouring country, while the remaining five had no valid travel documents.
"Since the UNHCR card was issued by another country and not Malaysia, they cannot seek political asylum as provided for by the law. We have received information that the 26 had been earlier detained by the authorities in a neighbouring country but were siphoned out by a syndicate which used speed boats," he told reporters at his office here today.
Norzaid said upon arrival from their original destination, the Myanmar nationals, aged between 17 and 56, had stayed in Pulau Ketam for two days before continuing their journey.
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ILO Extends Agreement to Monitor Labor Rights in Burma
VOA News 20 January 2010
Burma's military government has renewed for a year an agreement allowing the United Nations to monitor complaints of forced labor.
Burmese state-controlled media report the agreement was reached Tuesday during a visit by a group of International Labor Organization officials.
A state-television report said the ILO delegation, led by the U.N. agency's executive director Kari Tapiola, met with Burma's Minister of Labor U Aung Kyi.
Norway-based rights group, the Democratic Voice of Burma, says the ILO delegation will also meet with labor advocacy groups during its week-long stay in the country.
The Geneva-based ILO first signed an agreement with Burma in 2007 with the goal of curbing forced labor, based on the country's existing laws.
Burma has agreed not to punish those who complain of forced labor.
In November, the U.N. agency reported that the military authorities still use forced labor in infrastructure projects, such as oil and gas pipelines. The report said the number of complaints of forced labor is increasing.
Burma's government insists authorities are making efforts to eliminate forced labor, and also recognize the right of people to protest the practice.
VOA News 20 January 2010
Burma's military government has renewed for a year an agreement allowing the United Nations to monitor complaints of forced labor.
Burmese state-controlled media report the agreement was reached Tuesday during a visit by a group of International Labor Organization officials.
A state-television report said the ILO delegation, led by the U.N. agency's executive director Kari Tapiola, met with Burma's Minister of Labor U Aung Kyi.
Norway-based rights group, the Democratic Voice of Burma, says the ILO delegation will also meet with labor advocacy groups during its week-long stay in the country.
The Geneva-based ILO first signed an agreement with Burma in 2007 with the goal of curbing forced labor, based on the country's existing laws.
Burma has agreed not to punish those who complain of forced labor.
In November, the U.N. agency reported that the military authorities still use forced labor in infrastructure projects, such as oil and gas pipelines. The report said the number of complaints of forced labor is increasing.
Burma's government insists authorities are making efforts to eliminate forced labor, and also recognize the right of people to protest the practice.
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Published: Wednesday January 20, 2010 MYT 9:24:00 AM
The Star - US signals impatience with Myanmar
WASHINGTON (AP): A senior U.S. diplomat warns that the United States will not be "unendingly patient" as it pushes Myanmar in direct talks to take stronger efforts to improve democracy.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters Tuesday that the United States needs to see clear steps toward democracy from the generals who run Myanmar.
He says the results of U.S. engagement with Myanmar are mixed. Myanmar has held high-level talks with detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. But he says persecution is still widespread.
Campbell says the U.S. will continue talks soon and is looking for greater clarity from the junta.
The U.S. has warned of tougher action if engagement breaks down with Myanmar.
The Star - US signals impatience with Myanmar
WASHINGTON (AP): A senior U.S. diplomat warns that the United States will not be "unendingly patient" as it pushes Myanmar in direct talks to take stronger efforts to improve democracy.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters Tuesday that the United States needs to see clear steps toward democracy from the generals who run Myanmar.
He says the results of U.S. engagement with Myanmar are mixed. Myanmar has held high-level talks with detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. But he says persecution is still widespread.
Campbell says the U.S. will continue talks soon and is looking for greater clarity from the junta.
The U.S. has warned of tougher action if engagement breaks down with Myanmar.
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Jan 20, 2010
The Straits Times - 'Mixed bag' from Myanmar
WASHINGTON - THE United States aims to have more talks soon with Myanmar as it tries to engage the military junta in a bid to guide it toward democracy, a senior US diplomat said on Tuesday.
But Kurt Campbell, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, noted that there has been a 'mixed bag' from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, on calls for political reform.
'We have had some follow-on direct interactions... with Burmese authorities, and I think we're going to be looking at a subsequent set of discussions in the near future,' Mr Campbell told reporters.
'I would say to date it's a mixed bag,' he said when asked about whether the regime has made progress since Mr Campbell visited the country in November.
'We have seen certain things that we've watched carefully. We've seen high-level engagement with Aung San Suu Kyi,' he said. Ms Suu Kyi, the country's leading pro-
democracy activist, has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest despite appeals for her release and her winning of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
'But at the same time, there are, of course, areas of real concern,' Mr Campbell said. He referred to 'problems... with persecution' of ethnic minorities. 'And I think it would be fair to say that the secretary and our team is looking for greater clarity in the coming weeks,' he said, referring to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Straits Times - 'Mixed bag' from Myanmar
WASHINGTON - THE United States aims to have more talks soon with Myanmar as it tries to engage the military junta in a bid to guide it toward democracy, a senior US diplomat said on Tuesday.
But Kurt Campbell, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, noted that there has been a 'mixed bag' from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, on calls for political reform.
'We have had some follow-on direct interactions... with Burmese authorities, and I think we're going to be looking at a subsequent set of discussions in the near future,' Mr Campbell told reporters.
'I would say to date it's a mixed bag,' he said when asked about whether the regime has made progress since Mr Campbell visited the country in November.
'We have seen certain things that we've watched carefully. We've seen high-level engagement with Aung San Suu Kyi,' he said. Ms Suu Kyi, the country's leading pro-
democracy activist, has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest despite appeals for her release and her winning of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
'But at the same time, there are, of course, areas of real concern,' Mr Campbell said. He referred to 'problems... with persecution' of ethnic minorities. 'And I think it would be fair to say that the secretary and our team is looking for greater clarity in the coming weeks,' he said, referring to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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Myanmar: Open Letter to the UN on Torture
Tuesday, 19 January 2010, 10:03 am
Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission
An Open Letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Professor Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
OHCHR, UNOG
CH-1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Dear Prof. Nowak
MYANMAR: Extensive use of torture by police in recent cases
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has followed with concern reports of the most recent criminal cases targeting persons deemed threats to the state in Myanmar, and in particular the alleged use of grave forms of torture to extract confessions from them.
Among these is the case of Dr. Wint Thu and eight others accused over their involvement in a prayer campaign for the release of political prisoners, and of having had contact with groups abroad that the state has designated unlawful, whom it is alleged that from September to their trials in December the Special Branch held incommunicado and tortured.
Officers including Sub-inspectors Aung Thwin, Hsan Lin and Win Myint Htun allegedly forced Than Htaik Aung to stand with toothpicks inserted into his heels, to drink putrid drain water, and allegedly also came into his cell and urinated. Officers including Police Captain Zaw Lwin and Sub-inspectors Thet Wei, Kyaw Myo Hlaing and Kyaw Htoo Naing allegedly forced U Nandawuntha, a monk, to stand throughout two days of interrogation and then forced him to kneel on sharp gravel while an officer jumped up and down on his calves. If he didn’t give him the answers that they wanted then they hit him on the head with a wooden rod. Dr. Wint Thu and Ko Myo Han were also both allegedly forced to stand throughout interrogations of two and four nights respectively.
Four officers at the Aungthapyay interrogation facility in Yangon Division, including Sub-inspectors Win Myint and Soe Aung allegedly dripped candle wax onto the genitalia of co-accused Wei Hypoe, splashed him with boiling water and tied him to metal bars then assaulted him with bamboo rods. They also applied a stinging substance to his open wounds.
In a related case Special Branch officers Sub-inspector Thet Wei and Kyaw Htoo Naing alleged injected a detainee from Nyaung-U by the name of Ko Zaw Zaw with an unknown substance during interrogation.
All of the victims of alleged torture were sentenced to long jail terms in December, at a closed court inside a prison. Their convictions were reportedly based upon the confessions that the police obtained through the use of torture.
Although the Evidence Act and other parts of law prohibit the use of confessions obtained during police interrogation, the current Supreme Court of Myanmar has enabled their use and has thereby encouraged the practice of torture by virtue of a number of orders, including two rulings from 1991. In the first of these, the U Ye Naung case, the court overturned all previous precedent and effectively also the Evidence Act itself by allowing for evidence obtained during a Military Intelligence interrogation to be admitted to trial where the accused could not prove that it had been obtained through duress. Similarly, in the second, the Maung Maung Kyi case, the court placed the burden of proof onto the accused to show that he had not been tortured and threatened into making a confession.
The systemic consequences of these and other similar rulings are twofold: first, courts at all levels in Myanmar routinely accept as evidence confessions that have been obtained through the use of torture; and second, anecdotally the use of torture is now more widespread than at any time in recent decades. The AHRC has over the last couple of years received many reports of the use of torture, including extreme forms of torture normally associated with politically driven inquiries, in ordinary criminal cases.
The making of payments to police officers to have them not torture detainees is also reportedly commonplace, although the making of such payments does not apply in cases like that of Dr. Wint Thu where the families of victims are not even able to locate the whereabouts of their loved ones, much less do anything to stop their suffering through the payment of money or by other means.
Once deeply embedded in a system of policing torture is, as you know, extremely difficult to remove. Whatever happens in Myanmar in coming years the use of torture will remain endemic. Clearly, it is not something that will be addressed through some modest international interventions or expressions of concern. Notwithstanding, the Asian Human Rights Commission takes this opportunity to urge you to take up the incidence of torture in Myanmar with the Special Rapporteur assigned to monitor the situation of human rights in that country and together with him to communicate your concerns with a view to impressing upon the members of the senior judiciary at the very least that until they reverse the earlier rulings that have enabled the sorts of practices described in this letter and instead issue orders to prohibit unequivocally the use of torture by police then they should be considered complicit in this abuse and should be subject to international scrutiny and censure in same measure a s the torturers themselve
Yours sincerely
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
Tuesday, 19 January 2010, 10:03 am
Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission
An Open Letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Professor Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
OHCHR, UNOG
CH-1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Dear Prof. Nowak
MYANMAR: Extensive use of torture by police in recent cases
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has followed with concern reports of the most recent criminal cases targeting persons deemed threats to the state in Myanmar, and in particular the alleged use of grave forms of torture to extract confessions from them.
Among these is the case of Dr. Wint Thu and eight others accused over their involvement in a prayer campaign for the release of political prisoners, and of having had contact with groups abroad that the state has designated unlawful, whom it is alleged that from September to their trials in December the Special Branch held incommunicado and tortured.
Officers including Sub-inspectors Aung Thwin, Hsan Lin and Win Myint Htun allegedly forced Than Htaik Aung to stand with toothpicks inserted into his heels, to drink putrid drain water, and allegedly also came into his cell and urinated. Officers including Police Captain Zaw Lwin and Sub-inspectors Thet Wei, Kyaw Myo Hlaing and Kyaw Htoo Naing allegedly forced U Nandawuntha, a monk, to stand throughout two days of interrogation and then forced him to kneel on sharp gravel while an officer jumped up and down on his calves. If he didn’t give him the answers that they wanted then they hit him on the head with a wooden rod. Dr. Wint Thu and Ko Myo Han were also both allegedly forced to stand throughout interrogations of two and four nights respectively.
Four officers at the Aungthapyay interrogation facility in Yangon Division, including Sub-inspectors Win Myint and Soe Aung allegedly dripped candle wax onto the genitalia of co-accused Wei Hypoe, splashed him with boiling water and tied him to metal bars then assaulted him with bamboo rods. They also applied a stinging substance to his open wounds.
In a related case Special Branch officers Sub-inspector Thet Wei and Kyaw Htoo Naing alleged injected a detainee from Nyaung-U by the name of Ko Zaw Zaw with an unknown substance during interrogation.
All of the victims of alleged torture were sentenced to long jail terms in December, at a closed court inside a prison. Their convictions were reportedly based upon the confessions that the police obtained through the use of torture.
Although the Evidence Act and other parts of law prohibit the use of confessions obtained during police interrogation, the current Supreme Court of Myanmar has enabled their use and has thereby encouraged the practice of torture by virtue of a number of orders, including two rulings from 1991. In the first of these, the U Ye Naung case, the court overturned all previous precedent and effectively also the Evidence Act itself by allowing for evidence obtained during a Military Intelligence interrogation to be admitted to trial where the accused could not prove that it had been obtained through duress. Similarly, in the second, the Maung Maung Kyi case, the court placed the burden of proof onto the accused to show that he had not been tortured and threatened into making a confession.
The systemic consequences of these and other similar rulings are twofold: first, courts at all levels in Myanmar routinely accept as evidence confessions that have been obtained through the use of torture; and second, anecdotally the use of torture is now more widespread than at any time in recent decades. The AHRC has over the last couple of years received many reports of the use of torture, including extreme forms of torture normally associated with politically driven inquiries, in ordinary criminal cases.
The making of payments to police officers to have them not torture detainees is also reportedly commonplace, although the making of such payments does not apply in cases like that of Dr. Wint Thu where the families of victims are not even able to locate the whereabouts of their loved ones, much less do anything to stop their suffering through the payment of money or by other means.
Once deeply embedded in a system of policing torture is, as you know, extremely difficult to remove. Whatever happens in Myanmar in coming years the use of torture will remain endemic. Clearly, it is not something that will be addressed through some modest international interventions or expressions of concern. Notwithstanding, the Asian Human Rights Commission takes this opportunity to urge you to take up the incidence of torture in Myanmar with the Special Rapporteur assigned to monitor the situation of human rights in that country and together with him to communicate your concerns with a view to impressing upon the members of the senior judiciary at the very least that until they reverse the earlier rulings that have enabled the sorts of practices described in this letter and instead issue orders to prohibit unequivocally the use of torture by police then they should be considered complicit in this abuse and should be subject to international scrutiny and censure in same measure a s the torturers themselve
Yours sincerely
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
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