May 20, 2010
The Straits Times - Veteran NLD politician dies
YANGON - A VETERAN colleague of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who joined Myanmar's fight for independence, died on Thursday, his family and colleagues said.
Soe Myint, 87, a central executive committee member of the recently dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) party, died of heart disease at his house in the country's main city Yangon.
'He had stopped breathing in his chair when we went to remind him of a medical checkup for his heart disease,' one of his granddaughters, told AFP.
Soe Myint joined the NLD when it was founded in 1988, after fighting for the Burma Independence Army and Burma Defence Army in the 1940s against Japanese invaders and British colonialists, until the country won independence in 1948.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. Soe Myint was also elected by voters as a member of the NLD when the party won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta never allowed the party to take office.
The NLD was founded in 1988 after a popular uprising against the military junta that left thousands of people dead. Years of persecution by the junta have left the NLD in poor shape, and the purist stance taken by leaders like Soe Myint, many in their 80s and 90s, has been questioned by a new generation favouring a more pragmatic approach.
The Straits Times - Veteran NLD politician dies
YANGON - A VETERAN colleague of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who joined Myanmar's fight for independence, died on Thursday, his family and colleagues said.
Soe Myint, 87, a central executive committee member of the recently dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) party, died of heart disease at his house in the country's main city Yangon.
'He had stopped breathing in his chair when we went to remind him of a medical checkup for his heart disease,' one of his granddaughters, told AFP.
Soe Myint joined the NLD when it was founded in 1988, after fighting for the Burma Independence Army and Burma Defence Army in the 1940s against Japanese invaders and British colonialists, until the country won independence in 1948.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. Soe Myint was also elected by voters as a member of the NLD when the party won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta never allowed the party to take office.
The NLD was founded in 1988 after a popular uprising against the military junta that left thousands of people dead. Years of persecution by the junta have left the NLD in poor shape, and the purist stance taken by leaders like Soe Myint, many in their 80s and 90s, has been questioned by a new generation favouring a more pragmatic approach.
***************************************************
Inmates on hunger strike in Japan immigration centre
by Harumi Ozawa – Wed May 19, 11:44 pm ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Scores of foreigners in a Japanese immigration detention centre have been on hunger strike for more than a week, demanding to be released and protesting the mysterious death of an African deportee.
Some 70 detainees -- many of them Sri Lankans and Pakistanis -- have refused food since May 10, also seeking to highlight suicides there by a Brazilian and a South Korean inmate, say their outside supporters.
The protest comes after UN rights envoy Jorge Bustamante in March raised concerns about Japan's often years-long detentions of illegal migrants, including parents with children as well as rejected asylum seekers.
"Those in the centre suffer such mental stress from being confined for so long," said Kimiko Tanaka, a member of a local rights group, about the East Japan Immigration Centre in Ushiku, northeast of Tokyo.
Japan keeps tight control on immigration and last year, despite generous overseas aid for refugees, granted political asylum to just 30 people.
Human rights activists, lawyers and foreign communities have complained for years about conditions at Ushiku and Japan's two other such facilities, in the western prefecture of Osaka and in southwestern Nagasaki prefecture.
At Ushiku, about 380 people are detained, with eight or nine inmates living in rooms that measure about 20 square metres (215 square feet), said Tanaka, a member of the Ushiku Detention Centre Problem Study Group.
"They are crammed into tiny segmented rooms that are not very clean, and many contract skin diseases," she told AFP.
The hunger strike protesters said in a statement that "foreigners are the same human beings as Japanese" and claimed that conditions are severe and their freedom to practise their religions is being curtailed.
"The Immigration Bureau has forced asylum seekers to leave voluntarily by confining them for a long time, making them give up on their religion, weakening their will and torturing their body and soul," they said.
"Japan, a democratic country, must not do such a thing, no matter what."
The protest erupted weeks after a Ghanaian man, Abubakar Awudu Suraj, died in unexplained circumstances in March as Japanese immigration officials escorted the restrained man onto an aircraft bound for Cairo.
"Police conducted an autopsy but could not find out the cause of his death," a Narita Airport police spokesman told AFP about the 45-year-old, whose Japanese widow has challenged authorities to explain.
Rights activists believe he was gagged with a towel, recalling a similar but non-fatal case in 2004 when a female Vietnamese deportee was handcuffed, had her mouth sealed with tape and was rolled up in blankets.
The protesters on hunger strike argue two recent suicides by hanging -- a 25-year-old Brazilian, and a 47-year-old South Korean -- also illustrate Japan's harsh treatment of inmates.
"Those were very unfortunate incidents," said an official at the Ushiku immigration centre who declined to be named.
"We recognise the largest problem is that an increasing number of foreigners here refuse to be deported, despite legal orders," he said.
The official also said the number of asylum seekers had doubled since 2008 mostly because of turmoil in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Last year 1,388 people, including 568 Myanmar and 234 Sri Lankan nationals, sought refuge in Japan.
Japan's immigration authorities have faced protests before. Two months ago, 73 foreigners at the Osaka centre staged a two-week hunger strike.
"We would have seen suicides like in Tokyo if they had waited longer," said Toru Sekimoto, who leads the local support group TRY, which successfully won the temporary release of most of the protesters.
Hiroka Shoji of Amnesty International Japan said: "The immigration facilities are supposed to be places where authorities keep foreigners for a short period before deportation.
"But some people have been confined for over two years as a result. The government must introduce a limit to detentions."
A Justice Ministry official who asked not to be named said: "The government will interview protesters at the centre and take appropriate measures."
by Harumi Ozawa – Wed May 19, 11:44 pm ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Scores of foreigners in a Japanese immigration detention centre have been on hunger strike for more than a week, demanding to be released and protesting the mysterious death of an African deportee.
Some 70 detainees -- many of them Sri Lankans and Pakistanis -- have refused food since May 10, also seeking to highlight suicides there by a Brazilian and a South Korean inmate, say their outside supporters.
The protest comes after UN rights envoy Jorge Bustamante in March raised concerns about Japan's often years-long detentions of illegal migrants, including parents with children as well as rejected asylum seekers.
"Those in the centre suffer such mental stress from being confined for so long," said Kimiko Tanaka, a member of a local rights group, about the East Japan Immigration Centre in Ushiku, northeast of Tokyo.
Japan keeps tight control on immigration and last year, despite generous overseas aid for refugees, granted political asylum to just 30 people.
Human rights activists, lawyers and foreign communities have complained for years about conditions at Ushiku and Japan's two other such facilities, in the western prefecture of Osaka and in southwestern Nagasaki prefecture.
At Ushiku, about 380 people are detained, with eight or nine inmates living in rooms that measure about 20 square metres (215 square feet), said Tanaka, a member of the Ushiku Detention Centre Problem Study Group.
"They are crammed into tiny segmented rooms that are not very clean, and many contract skin diseases," she told AFP.
The hunger strike protesters said in a statement that "foreigners are the same human beings as Japanese" and claimed that conditions are severe and their freedom to practise their religions is being curtailed.
"The Immigration Bureau has forced asylum seekers to leave voluntarily by confining them for a long time, making them give up on their religion, weakening their will and torturing their body and soul," they said.
"Japan, a democratic country, must not do such a thing, no matter what."
The protest erupted weeks after a Ghanaian man, Abubakar Awudu Suraj, died in unexplained circumstances in March as Japanese immigration officials escorted the restrained man onto an aircraft bound for Cairo.
"Police conducted an autopsy but could not find out the cause of his death," a Narita Airport police spokesman told AFP about the 45-year-old, whose Japanese widow has challenged authorities to explain.
Rights activists believe he was gagged with a towel, recalling a similar but non-fatal case in 2004 when a female Vietnamese deportee was handcuffed, had her mouth sealed with tape and was rolled up in blankets.
The protesters on hunger strike argue two recent suicides by hanging -- a 25-year-old Brazilian, and a 47-year-old South Korean -- also illustrate Japan's harsh treatment of inmates.
"Those were very unfortunate incidents," said an official at the Ushiku immigration centre who declined to be named.
"We recognise the largest problem is that an increasing number of foreigners here refuse to be deported, despite legal orders," he said.
The official also said the number of asylum seekers had doubled since 2008 mostly because of turmoil in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Last year 1,388 people, including 568 Myanmar and 234 Sri Lankan nationals, sought refuge in Japan.
Japan's immigration authorities have faced protests before. Two months ago, 73 foreigners at the Osaka centre staged a two-week hunger strike.
"We would have seen suicides like in Tokyo if they had waited longer," said Toru Sekimoto, who leads the local support group TRY, which successfully won the temporary release of most of the protesters.
Hiroka Shoji of Amnesty International Japan said: "The immigration facilities are supposed to be places where authorities keep foreigners for a short period before deportation.
"But some people have been confined for over two years as a result. The government must introduce a limit to detentions."
A Justice Ministry official who asked not to be named said: "The government will interview protesters at the centre and take appropriate measures."
***************************************************
European Parliament News Report - Human rights: Thailand, Burma and Pakistan
Human rights - 20-05-2010 - 16:36
Three resolutions on the situation in Thailand, the pre-election climate in Burma and religious freedom in Pakistan were adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday.
Thailand
MEPs voice deep concern and express their solidarity with the people of Thailand in the light of the violent conflict between demonstrators and security forces in the country. They are particularly worried at the introduction of a state of emergency, which has included censorship of the media. They urge all parties "to engage immediately in a constructive dialogue" in order to seek a quick, negotiated and peaceful settlement to the current crisis.
The government's decision to establish a committee comprising forensic experts and representatives of academic institutions to investigate the deaths that occurred during the incident on 10 April 2010 is welcomed, but MEPs believe the investigations should cover the most recent deaths as well.
Parliament calls on the Thai Government to ensure that the declaration of a state of emergency does not lead to any disproportionate restriction of fundamental rights and individual freedoms. A state of emergency has been declared in more than 20 provinces across the country.
The government is urged to end censorship and restrictions on the right to freedom of expression. Several radio and television stations as well as internet sites have been censored, says Parliament.
Burma
The wish of the Burmese authorities to hold elections "under completely undemocratic conditions" and excluding the main democratic opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi until its dissolution last week, is condemned in the European Parliament's resolution. The elections could take place in late October/early November 2010.
The electoral laws published in March 2010 make the holding of free elections impossible and should be repealed, say MEPs. The authorities of Burma/Myanmar are urged to heed the appeals of the international community to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and all other prisoners of conscience to participate in the political process. The government is also asked to lift restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, movement and expression, including for free and independent media.
The resolution deplores the fact that, under the new constitution, the military will be guaranteed at least 25% of the seats in parliament and will have the power to suspend civil liberties and legislative authority in the interests of national security.
MEPs welcome the Council's decision to extend the restrictive measures against Rangoon by a further year, and express strong support for the continued work of the EU Special Envoy.
The Commission's decision to cut funding for refugees on the Thailand-Burma border is criticised. MEPs call for cross-border aid, especially medical assistance, to be restored.
Religious freedom in Pakistan
Parliament is concerned about discrimination and the lack of basic freedoms suffered by minorities in the broad sense but especially religious minorities in Pakistan, a country whose majority and state religion is Sunni Islam. They call on the government to review the practice of including the religious identity of its citizens in all new passports and to carry out a thoroughgoing review of the blasphemy laws.
Measures taken by the government since November 2008, such as establishing a quota of five per cent for minorities in the federal jobs sector, recognising non-Muslim public holidays and declaring National Minorities Day, are welcomed by Parliament.
Among the minority religious and belief groups in Pakistan are Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Shiites, Ahmadis, Buddhists, Parsis and Bahá’ís.
Human rights - 20-05-2010 - 16:36
Three resolutions on the situation in Thailand, the pre-election climate in Burma and religious freedom in Pakistan were adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday.
Thailand
MEPs voice deep concern and express their solidarity with the people of Thailand in the light of the violent conflict between demonstrators and security forces in the country. They are particularly worried at the introduction of a state of emergency, which has included censorship of the media. They urge all parties "to engage immediately in a constructive dialogue" in order to seek a quick, negotiated and peaceful settlement to the current crisis.
The government's decision to establish a committee comprising forensic experts and representatives of academic institutions to investigate the deaths that occurred during the incident on 10 April 2010 is welcomed, but MEPs believe the investigations should cover the most recent deaths as well.
Parliament calls on the Thai Government to ensure that the declaration of a state of emergency does not lead to any disproportionate restriction of fundamental rights and individual freedoms. A state of emergency has been declared in more than 20 provinces across the country.
The government is urged to end censorship and restrictions on the right to freedom of expression. Several radio and television stations as well as internet sites have been censored, says Parliament.
Burma
The wish of the Burmese authorities to hold elections "under completely undemocratic conditions" and excluding the main democratic opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi until its dissolution last week, is condemned in the European Parliament's resolution. The elections could take place in late October/early November 2010.
The electoral laws published in March 2010 make the holding of free elections impossible and should be repealed, say MEPs. The authorities of Burma/Myanmar are urged to heed the appeals of the international community to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and all other prisoners of conscience to participate in the political process. The government is also asked to lift restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, movement and expression, including for free and independent media.
The resolution deplores the fact that, under the new constitution, the military will be guaranteed at least 25% of the seats in parliament and will have the power to suspend civil liberties and legislative authority in the interests of national security.
MEPs welcome the Council's decision to extend the restrictive measures against Rangoon by a further year, and express strong support for the continued work of the EU Special Envoy.
The Commission's decision to cut funding for refugees on the Thailand-Burma border is criticised. MEPs call for cross-border aid, especially medical assistance, to be restored.
Religious freedom in Pakistan
Parliament is concerned about discrimination and the lack of basic freedoms suffered by minorities in the broad sense but especially religious minorities in Pakistan, a country whose majority and state religion is Sunni Islam. They call on the government to review the practice of including the religious identity of its citizens in all new passports and to carry out a thoroughgoing review of the blasphemy laws.
Measures taken by the government since November 2008, such as establishing a quota of five per cent for minorities in the federal jobs sector, recognising non-Muslim public holidays and declaring National Minorities Day, are welcomed by Parliament.
Among the minority religious and belief groups in Pakistan are Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Shiites, Ahmadis, Buddhists, Parsis and Bahá’ís.
***************************************************
Rising Border Tension Threatens China-Burma Relations
By Mitch Moxley
BEIJING, May 20, 2010 (IPS) - When the military regime in Burma launched a campaign last August to disarm the ethnic rebels in the Kokang region, made up mostly of ethnic Chinese and where a two-decade-long ceasefire had been in place, the push triggered an exodus of more than 37,000 refugees into China’s Yunnan province.
The move, which frustrated the Chinese government in Beijing, sheds light on brewing troubles in China-Burma relations. China has a significant interest in a stable Burma and a greater influence over the xenophobic regime than perhaps any other power. But as an election approaches in Burma (officially known as Myanmar) that the ruling generals dubiously claim will be free and fair, China-Burma relations are growing increasingly strained.
Complicating matters is growing anxiety that another push against armed ethnics groups in eastern Burma will cause a second refugee crisis in southern China’s Yunnan province, which borders the military-ruled South- east Asian state along with Laos and Vietnam. Observers say the junta is preparing for a military campaign against the 30,000-strong United Wa State Army, which is ethnically Chinese and has been accused by the United States of being a drug cartel.
"What’s happening on the border brings into sharp relief the fault lines in [China-Burma relations] that have been apparent for some time but are now more clearly defined," said Dr Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore.
"This is not a relationship that is based on trust and mutual friendship. It’s very much a marriage of convenience."
In Burma, distrust of China runs deep, and the junta has for several years tried to reduce its dependence on the latter by courting other nations, namely, India and Russia. China, meanwhile, has grown frustrated with Burma’s lack of progress on political reform and addressing economic disparities, Dr Storey said.
Burma was one of the first countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China in 1949, but relations turned for the worse in the 1960s, culminating in anti-Chinese riots in the then-capital, Rangoon (now known as Yangon). But when Western countries imposed broad sanctions on Burma following a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1988, China upped aid and arms shipments and fostered trade relations.
Since then, China has provided broad diplomatic and economic support for the junta, considered one of the most corrupt in the world. According to state media, China is Burma’s fourth largest foreign investor and has invested more than 1 billion U.S. dollars in the country, mostly in the mining sector. In 2008, bilateral trade grew more than one-quarter to about 2.63 billion dollars.
In October 2009, state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation started building a crude oil port in Burma, part of a pipeline that will carry 12 million metric tons of crude oil a year from the Middle East and Africa through Burma into China, roughly 6 percent of China’s total imports last year. Another pipeline, slated to come online in 2012, will have a capacity to bring in 12 million cubic metres of gas from Burma into China.
Burma gives China access to the Indian Ocean through its ports, not just for oil and gas import and export to China’s landlocked southwest, but also for potential military bases.
The generals, meanwhile, depend on China for money and armaments. In 2006, during a visit to Yunnan, Burma’s Commerce Minister Tin Naing Thein thanked Beijing for being a "good neighbour" and offering "vigorous support" following the 1988 crackdown on pro-democracry prostestors. China also offers Burma some protection within the United Nations Security Council.
"Burma is isolated from the international community, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has put a lot of pressure on Burma to improve its human rights conditions," said Yu Changsen, an associate professor in the International Affairs Department of Sun Yat-Sen University, located in Guandong Province. "Burma depends on China in many aspects… [The relationship] is somewhat like that of China and North Korea."
Despite appearances, relations in recent years have been increasingly troubled. For many years, China backed Burmese communists in their armed struggle with the government, and many of Burma’s current leaders once fought against the communists. Today, many Burmese view China as a pillager of resources.
Huang Yunjing, an associate professor at Sun Yat-Sen University’s Asia- Pacific Research Institute, said that the schisms in China-Burma relations are overblown, noting that China’s investments in its military-ruled neighbour continue to grow. "China and Burma share many common interests in political, economic and security aspects," he said. "We have a good bilateral partnership, and in many ways we support each other in a mutually beneficial way."
But China is growing increasingly concerned about more unrest in the troubled border region. This concern was made apparent with the recent deployment of 5,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops along China’s southwestern border with Burma, according to reports by ‘The Irrawaddy’, a Thailand-based news magazine run by exiled Burmese.
The threat of border skirmishes grows greater as the elections, thought to be held sometime this summer, draw near. The generals have long sought to consolidate power in the restive and porous regions that border Yunnan, where ethnic minorities on both sides share blood ties.
Further violence could disrupt border trade, create a refugee crisis and lead to increased narcotics production and trafficking. It would also put at risk a large number of Chinese nationals in the region, according to Dr Storey.
"If that happens," Sun Yat-Sen’s Yu said, "it will definitely give the Chinese government a headache."
By Mitch Moxley
BEIJING, May 20, 2010 (IPS) - When the military regime in Burma launched a campaign last August to disarm the ethnic rebels in the Kokang region, made up mostly of ethnic Chinese and where a two-decade-long ceasefire had been in place, the push triggered an exodus of more than 37,000 refugees into China’s Yunnan province.
The move, which frustrated the Chinese government in Beijing, sheds light on brewing troubles in China-Burma relations. China has a significant interest in a stable Burma and a greater influence over the xenophobic regime than perhaps any other power. But as an election approaches in Burma (officially known as Myanmar) that the ruling generals dubiously claim will be free and fair, China-Burma relations are growing increasingly strained.
Complicating matters is growing anxiety that another push against armed ethnics groups in eastern Burma will cause a second refugee crisis in southern China’s Yunnan province, which borders the military-ruled South- east Asian state along with Laos and Vietnam. Observers say the junta is preparing for a military campaign against the 30,000-strong United Wa State Army, which is ethnically Chinese and has been accused by the United States of being a drug cartel.
"What’s happening on the border brings into sharp relief the fault lines in [China-Burma relations] that have been apparent for some time but are now more clearly defined," said Dr Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore.
"This is not a relationship that is based on trust and mutual friendship. It’s very much a marriage of convenience."
In Burma, distrust of China runs deep, and the junta has for several years tried to reduce its dependence on the latter by courting other nations, namely, India and Russia. China, meanwhile, has grown frustrated with Burma’s lack of progress on political reform and addressing economic disparities, Dr Storey said.
Burma was one of the first countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China in 1949, but relations turned for the worse in the 1960s, culminating in anti-Chinese riots in the then-capital, Rangoon (now known as Yangon). But when Western countries imposed broad sanctions on Burma following a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1988, China upped aid and arms shipments and fostered trade relations.
Since then, China has provided broad diplomatic and economic support for the junta, considered one of the most corrupt in the world. According to state media, China is Burma’s fourth largest foreign investor and has invested more than 1 billion U.S. dollars in the country, mostly in the mining sector. In 2008, bilateral trade grew more than one-quarter to about 2.63 billion dollars.
In October 2009, state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation started building a crude oil port in Burma, part of a pipeline that will carry 12 million metric tons of crude oil a year from the Middle East and Africa through Burma into China, roughly 6 percent of China’s total imports last year. Another pipeline, slated to come online in 2012, will have a capacity to bring in 12 million cubic metres of gas from Burma into China.
Burma gives China access to the Indian Ocean through its ports, not just for oil and gas import and export to China’s landlocked southwest, but also for potential military bases.
The generals, meanwhile, depend on China for money and armaments. In 2006, during a visit to Yunnan, Burma’s Commerce Minister Tin Naing Thein thanked Beijing for being a "good neighbour" and offering "vigorous support" following the 1988 crackdown on pro-democracry prostestors. China also offers Burma some protection within the United Nations Security Council.
"Burma is isolated from the international community, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has put a lot of pressure on Burma to improve its human rights conditions," said Yu Changsen, an associate professor in the International Affairs Department of Sun Yat-Sen University, located in Guandong Province. "Burma depends on China in many aspects… [The relationship] is somewhat like that of China and North Korea."
Despite appearances, relations in recent years have been increasingly troubled. For many years, China backed Burmese communists in their armed struggle with the government, and many of Burma’s current leaders once fought against the communists. Today, many Burmese view China as a pillager of resources.
Huang Yunjing, an associate professor at Sun Yat-Sen University’s Asia- Pacific Research Institute, said that the schisms in China-Burma relations are overblown, noting that China’s investments in its military-ruled neighbour continue to grow. "China and Burma share many common interests in political, economic and security aspects," he said. "We have a good bilateral partnership, and in many ways we support each other in a mutually beneficial way."
But China is growing increasingly concerned about more unrest in the troubled border region. This concern was made apparent with the recent deployment of 5,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops along China’s southwestern border with Burma, according to reports by ‘The Irrawaddy’, a Thailand-based news magazine run by exiled Burmese.
The threat of border skirmishes grows greater as the elections, thought to be held sometime this summer, draw near. The generals have long sought to consolidate power in the restive and porous regions that border Yunnan, where ethnic minorities on both sides share blood ties.
Further violence could disrupt border trade, create a refugee crisis and lead to increased narcotics production and trafficking. It would also put at risk a large number of Chinese nationals in the region, according to Dr Storey.
"If that happens," Sun Yat-Sen’s Yu said, "it will definitely give the Chinese government a headache."
***************************************************
San Francisco Chronicle - Critics' annual report blasts Chevron
David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The corporate annual report - that glossy, seldom-read staple of the business world - usually features upbeat words and images showcasing a company's stellar year.
The "True Cost of Chevron" alternative annual report, in contrast, features a cover photo of an oil spill.
Released Wednesday by a coalition of Chevron Corp.'s fiercest critics, the report pillories the San Ramon oil company for pollution and alleged human rights abuses around the globe, in places as disparate as Ecuador, Burma, Texas and Richmond.
The report represents an effort by separate groups that have fought Chevron in the past to form a united front against the nation's second largest oil company. It comes a week before Chevron holds its annual shareholders' meeting in Houston, a meeting that many of the people involved in the "True Cost" report plan to crash.
The report also arrives one month after explosions on an offshore drilling rig working for BP triggered a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That isn't the spill featured on the cover, which instead shows an 18,000-gallon spill from a Chevron-operated pipeline in Louisiana in early April. But the report's authors hope the disaster in the gulf will help draw public attention.
"Chevron's operations are mired in human rights, environmental, and social damages and harm," said lead author Antonia Juhasz, who also wrote the 2008 book "The Tyranny of Oil."
"These things happen every day, across the United States and around the world," she said. "But they almost always happen out of the public eye. It takes a big spill in the gulf for people to notice."
This is the alternative report's second year. During the 2009 shareholder meeting, Chevron's then-CEO David O'Reilly called the report's first edition an insult to his employees and said it should be thrown in the trash.
This year, the company merely issued a terse statement, saying, "The only report that accurately represents the true value of Chevron around the world is our Corporate Responsibility Report." The responsibility report, issued this month, discusses the human rights policy that Chevron adopted last year as well as the $144 million the company says it invested in communities around the world to promote education, business development and provision of basic human needs.
The "True Cost" report summarizes Chevron-related controversies in eight states and 16 foreign countries. Many of them were covered in the original report, while others were added this year. Most of the summaries were written or co-written by environmental or social justice groups fighting Chevron in the disputes being described.
Examples of the controversies include:
-- The high-profile, $27 billion lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador. The suit, originally filed against Texaco before Chevron bought Texaco in 2001, tries to hold the company accountable for oil-field pollution in a swath of the Ecuadoran Amazon, whose residents blame contaminated soil and water for a wave of illnesses. Chevron says that Texaco, which no long operates in Ecuador, already cleaned up all the wells and waste pits that were its responsibility under an agreement with the government.
-- Chevron's stalled effort to upgrade its refinery in Richmond. Local environmentalists say the upgrade would create more air pollution by allowing the refinery to process heavier grades of crude oil. The company says the refinery would still use the same grades as it does today, although it would be able to process larger amounts of the heavier grades it already uses.
-- Court cases in Texas that accuse the company of exposing refinery workers there to deadly levels of asbestos and benzene.
-- Investment in a natural gas project in Burma that provides the country's ruling junta a major source of cash.
David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The corporate annual report - that glossy, seldom-read staple of the business world - usually features upbeat words and images showcasing a company's stellar year.
The "True Cost of Chevron" alternative annual report, in contrast, features a cover photo of an oil spill.
Released Wednesday by a coalition of Chevron Corp.'s fiercest critics, the report pillories the San Ramon oil company for pollution and alleged human rights abuses around the globe, in places as disparate as Ecuador, Burma, Texas and Richmond.
The report represents an effort by separate groups that have fought Chevron in the past to form a united front against the nation's second largest oil company. It comes a week before Chevron holds its annual shareholders' meeting in Houston, a meeting that many of the people involved in the "True Cost" report plan to crash.
The report also arrives one month after explosions on an offshore drilling rig working for BP triggered a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That isn't the spill featured on the cover, which instead shows an 18,000-gallon spill from a Chevron-operated pipeline in Louisiana in early April. But the report's authors hope the disaster in the gulf will help draw public attention.
"Chevron's operations are mired in human rights, environmental, and social damages and harm," said lead author Antonia Juhasz, who also wrote the 2008 book "The Tyranny of Oil."
"These things happen every day, across the United States and around the world," she said. "But they almost always happen out of the public eye. It takes a big spill in the gulf for people to notice."
This is the alternative report's second year. During the 2009 shareholder meeting, Chevron's then-CEO David O'Reilly called the report's first edition an insult to his employees and said it should be thrown in the trash.
This year, the company merely issued a terse statement, saying, "The only report that accurately represents the true value of Chevron around the world is our Corporate Responsibility Report." The responsibility report, issued this month, discusses the human rights policy that Chevron adopted last year as well as the $144 million the company says it invested in communities around the world to promote education, business development and provision of basic human needs.
The "True Cost" report summarizes Chevron-related controversies in eight states and 16 foreign countries. Many of them were covered in the original report, while others were added this year. Most of the summaries were written or co-written by environmental or social justice groups fighting Chevron in the disputes being described.
Examples of the controversies include:
-- The high-profile, $27 billion lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador. The suit, originally filed against Texaco before Chevron bought Texaco in 2001, tries to hold the company accountable for oil-field pollution in a swath of the Ecuadoran Amazon, whose residents blame contaminated soil and water for a wave of illnesses. Chevron says that Texaco, which no long operates in Ecuador, already cleaned up all the wells and waste pits that were its responsibility under an agreement with the government.
-- Chevron's stalled effort to upgrade its refinery in Richmond. Local environmentalists say the upgrade would create more air pollution by allowing the refinery to process heavier grades of crude oil. The company says the refinery would still use the same grades as it does today, although it would be able to process larger amounts of the heavier grades it already uses.
-- Court cases in Texas that accuse the company of exposing refinery workers there to deadly levels of asbestos and benzene.
-- Investment in a natural gas project in Burma that provides the country's ruling junta a major source of cash.
***************************************************
Digital Ship - Vanuatu and Myanmar sign LRIT agreements
(May 20 2010)
An LRIT Services Agreement has been signed between IMSO (International Mobile Satellite Organisation) and the National LRIT Data Centres of the Republic of Vanuatu and Union of Myanmar.
Vanuatu has delegated authority for its LRIT Data Centre to Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), who signed the deal on its behalf, while Myanmar is represented by Fulcrum Maritime Systems Limited.
IMSO says that a total of 45 LRIT Services Agreements and contracts have been signed with LRIT Data Centres and the interim International LRIT Data Exchange (IDE).
Further LRIT Services Agreements are under negotiation, and are expected to be signed ahead of the scheduled audits.
53 LRIT Data Centres have now been integrated into the IMSO LRIT system and a further six centres are in the process of testing and integration, bringing the total to 59 overall, providing services to 98 SOLAS contracting governments and dependant territories, covering more than 94 per cent of the world’s SOLAS fleet.
IMSO’s reports on the completed annual audits of the Data Centres of the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada and the Marshall Islands have been submitted to the IMO Maritime Safety Committee.
A further 20 Data Centres and the IDE are currently in the various stages of their annual audits.
In other news, Spain has become the first IMSO Member State to accept new amendments to the IMSO Convention relating to the extension of oversight of the GMDSS to other potential satellite providers, and the duties and responsibilities of IMSO as LRIT Coordinator appointed by IMO.
The amendments to the IMSO Convention were adopted by the IMSO Assembly in October 2008. These amendments will enter formally into force 120 days after receipt of notice from two-thirds of the States which were IMSO parties at the time of adoption, at which time they will become binding for all IMSO parties.
“I am extremely pleased that Spain is the first IMSO party to accept the amendments to the IMSO Convention," said IMSO director general Capt Esteban Pacha.
"I understand that many other Member States are in the process of accepting the amendments and I urge those involved to expedite the process in order to ensure their formal entry into force.”
(May 20 2010)
An LRIT Services Agreement has been signed between IMSO (International Mobile Satellite Organisation) and the National LRIT Data Centres of the Republic of Vanuatu and Union of Myanmar.
Vanuatu has delegated authority for its LRIT Data Centre to Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), who signed the deal on its behalf, while Myanmar is represented by Fulcrum Maritime Systems Limited.
IMSO says that a total of 45 LRIT Services Agreements and contracts have been signed with LRIT Data Centres and the interim International LRIT Data Exchange (IDE).
Further LRIT Services Agreements are under negotiation, and are expected to be signed ahead of the scheduled audits.
53 LRIT Data Centres have now been integrated into the IMSO LRIT system and a further six centres are in the process of testing and integration, bringing the total to 59 overall, providing services to 98 SOLAS contracting governments and dependant territories, covering more than 94 per cent of the world’s SOLAS fleet.
IMSO’s reports on the completed annual audits of the Data Centres of the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada and the Marshall Islands have been submitted to the IMO Maritime Safety Committee.
A further 20 Data Centres and the IDE are currently in the various stages of their annual audits.
In other news, Spain has become the first IMSO Member State to accept new amendments to the IMSO Convention relating to the extension of oversight of the GMDSS to other potential satellite providers, and the duties and responsibilities of IMSO as LRIT Coordinator appointed by IMO.
The amendments to the IMSO Convention were adopted by the IMSO Assembly in October 2008. These amendments will enter formally into force 120 days after receipt of notice from two-thirds of the States which were IMSO parties at the time of adoption, at which time they will become binding for all IMSO parties.
“I am extremely pleased that Spain is the first IMSO party to accept the amendments to the IMSO Convention," said IMSO director general Capt Esteban Pacha.
"I understand that many other Member States are in the process of accepting the amendments and I urge those involved to expedite the process in order to ensure their formal entry into force.”
***************************************************
May 20, 2010 17:42 PM
Myanmar National Slashed For Cutting Branch
KUANTAN, May 20 (Bernama) -- A Myanmar, tasked with pruning a tree near his employer's restaurant, ended up slashed on the neck in a brawl with a fruit seller in Bukit Tinggi near Bentong.
Earlier, the 21-year-old victim was about to cut down a branch when the fruit seller shouted at the man in the incident about 11.30am yesterday.
In an argument that ensued, the assailant attacked the immigrant worker who sought treatment at a nearby clinic.
The police have arrested a 34-year-old suspect to facilitate investigations.
Pahang Criminal Investigation Department secretariat staff officer Assistant Superintendent Noor Asyikin Shamsuri said that initial investigations revealed the restaurant owner had wanted to cut down the branch which blocked the view of his premises.
However, she added, the fruit seller wanted the branch to provide shade for his stall.
Myanmar National Slashed For Cutting Branch
KUANTAN, May 20 (Bernama) -- A Myanmar, tasked with pruning a tree near his employer's restaurant, ended up slashed on the neck in a brawl with a fruit seller in Bukit Tinggi near Bentong.
Earlier, the 21-year-old victim was about to cut down a branch when the fruit seller shouted at the man in the incident about 11.30am yesterday.
In an argument that ensued, the assailant attacked the immigrant worker who sought treatment at a nearby clinic.
The police have arrested a 34-year-old suspect to facilitate investigations.
Pahang Criminal Investigation Department secretariat staff officer Assistant Superintendent Noor Asyikin Shamsuri said that initial investigations revealed the restaurant owner had wanted to cut down the branch which blocked the view of his premises.
However, she added, the fruit seller wanted the branch to provide shade for his stall.
***************************************************
03:17 PM ET
CNN (blog) - Christian band: We were spared death by Myanmar general
They had illegally sneaked into Myanmar knowing full well the danger, but it wasn't completely apparent to the members of the Irish Christian band Bluetree that the screaming general down below the balcony wanted them dead.
They could tell it was a very tense situation. High-ranking members of two different military units were pointing at them and yelling in a language they didn't understand, according to lead singer Aaron Boyd. Their interpreter clammed up and the president of the NGO that had brought the band into the country said, "This is bad. This is really, really bad."
It was only when they left the country and returned to Thailand that the band members were told it was their fates being debated by those troops down below.
"We were told later their general said we're not even going to waste our bullets with them, we're just going to slice their throats," Boyd said Tuesday by telephone from his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "Bottom line was our guy, whatever he did, whatever he said, managed to calm the whole thing down."
Bluetree's popularity soared in the United States last year when Chris Tomlin covered its praise song "God of This City" and videos of American Idol winner Kris Allen singing the tune were posted on YouTube.
Bluetree penned the song after the band went to Thailand and played in a bar that was the gateway to a brothel, with women making deals with customers in plain view. The night also inspired the band to start a charity that tries to save workers from the sex trade. But they can't be philanthropists from afar, Boyd said.
"You need to smell abuse, you need to smell injustice firsthand," he said. "You need to smell the smell of the villages and get it into your body."
So when Christian Freedom International offered the band a chance to minister to Karen Christians in Myanmar, they said yes even though they would be going to an area where Christians are targeted and killed, Boyd said. The conflict between the Myanmar government and the Karen and other ethnic groups such as the Karenni, Mon and Shan is considered by many analysts to be the longest-running civil war in the world.
Many Karen have fled to neighboring Thailand, Boyd said.
Bluetree and the president of Christian Freedom International, Jim Jacobson, whom Boyd said is a wanted man in Myanmar, chose a time when the riverbeds dry up to sneak into the country. They brought food, clothing, Bibles and whiskey–to bribe the militia that, according to Boyd, threaten to burn down Christian villages and kill the men.
They feted the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army with the booze and food to let them access a refugee camp where Blue Tree sang and listened to the children sing some songs, Boyd said.
They could only stay a few hours. Had they been detected by the Myanmar army, they likely would be labeled as spies and executed, according to Boyd.
When the band was on its way back to Thailand, the DKBA general who had allowed their safe passage asked them to come up to his office, Boyd said. While they were there, someone brought a guitar.
"It was definitely surreal, one by one these guys in army combat uniforms start showing up with rocket launchers and grenade launchers, they are totally tooled up to the max ... and they hand me a guitar," Boyd said. "It was like 'Now you sing.' They didn't ask politely, it was just 'Now you sing.'"
He wasn't able to get one word of "God of This City" out when, he said, members of the Myanmar army came by and saw five white men on the balcony.
Boyd believes the DKBA general offered the army troops part of the bribe to dissuade the military regime's general. The general wanted Jacobson alive, Boyd said. The general later showed the CFI president the school where his troops' children were being educated. And he asked the Christian missionary for a favor.
"He asked Jim for his help in bringing up his kids," Boyd said. "This from a guy whose mission in life is to kill Christians."
Jacobson and the band members left as quickly as possible, driving the five hours back to Thailand in silence, trying to process what had just happened.
While in Thailand, in a refugee camp in Mae La, the band played a concert for an estimated 20,000 Karen, many of who had heard the tale of the band's incursion into Myanmar.
Boyd said he was moved by a visit with the children, and by one small girl in particular. The 8-year-old pleaded with him, "Please don't ever forget about me. Don't forget me."
The trip was recorded and will be released in July as a DVD documentary, Boyd said. An audio recording of the Karen children is also an added track to a live album the band recorded in Belfast in March.
CNN (blog) - Christian band: We were spared death by Myanmar general
They had illegally sneaked into Myanmar knowing full well the danger, but it wasn't completely apparent to the members of the Irish Christian band Bluetree that the screaming general down below the balcony wanted them dead.
They could tell it was a very tense situation. High-ranking members of two different military units were pointing at them and yelling in a language they didn't understand, according to lead singer Aaron Boyd. Their interpreter clammed up and the president of the NGO that had brought the band into the country said, "This is bad. This is really, really bad."
It was only when they left the country and returned to Thailand that the band members were told it was their fates being debated by those troops down below.
"We were told later their general said we're not even going to waste our bullets with them, we're just going to slice their throats," Boyd said Tuesday by telephone from his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "Bottom line was our guy, whatever he did, whatever he said, managed to calm the whole thing down."
Bluetree's popularity soared in the United States last year when Chris Tomlin covered its praise song "God of This City" and videos of American Idol winner Kris Allen singing the tune were posted on YouTube.
Bluetree penned the song after the band went to Thailand and played in a bar that was the gateway to a brothel, with women making deals with customers in plain view. The night also inspired the band to start a charity that tries to save workers from the sex trade. But they can't be philanthropists from afar, Boyd said.
"You need to smell abuse, you need to smell injustice firsthand," he said. "You need to smell the smell of the villages and get it into your body."
So when Christian Freedom International offered the band a chance to minister to Karen Christians in Myanmar, they said yes even though they would be going to an area where Christians are targeted and killed, Boyd said. The conflict between the Myanmar government and the Karen and other ethnic groups such as the Karenni, Mon and Shan is considered by many analysts to be the longest-running civil war in the world.
Many Karen have fled to neighboring Thailand, Boyd said.
Bluetree and the president of Christian Freedom International, Jim Jacobson, whom Boyd said is a wanted man in Myanmar, chose a time when the riverbeds dry up to sneak into the country. They brought food, clothing, Bibles and whiskey–to bribe the militia that, according to Boyd, threaten to burn down Christian villages and kill the men.
They feted the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army with the booze and food to let them access a refugee camp where Blue Tree sang and listened to the children sing some songs, Boyd said.
They could only stay a few hours. Had they been detected by the Myanmar army, they likely would be labeled as spies and executed, according to Boyd.
When the band was on its way back to Thailand, the DKBA general who had allowed their safe passage asked them to come up to his office, Boyd said. While they were there, someone brought a guitar.
"It was definitely surreal, one by one these guys in army combat uniforms start showing up with rocket launchers and grenade launchers, they are totally tooled up to the max ... and they hand me a guitar," Boyd said. "It was like 'Now you sing.' They didn't ask politely, it was just 'Now you sing.'"
He wasn't able to get one word of "God of This City" out when, he said, members of the Myanmar army came by and saw five white men on the balcony.
Boyd believes the DKBA general offered the army troops part of the bribe to dissuade the military regime's general. The general wanted Jacobson alive, Boyd said. The general later showed the CFI president the school where his troops' children were being educated. And he asked the Christian missionary for a favor.
"He asked Jim for his help in bringing up his kids," Boyd said. "This from a guy whose mission in life is to kill Christians."
Jacobson and the band members left as quickly as possible, driving the five hours back to Thailand in silence, trying to process what had just happened.
While in Thailand, in a refugee camp in Mae La, the band played a concert for an estimated 20,000 Karen, many of who had heard the tale of the band's incursion into Myanmar.
Boyd said he was moved by a visit with the children, and by one small girl in particular. The 8-year-old pleaded with him, "Please don't ever forget about me. Don't forget me."
The trip was recorded and will be released in July as a DVD documentary, Boyd said. An audio recording of the Karen children is also an added track to a live album the band recorded in Belfast in March.
***************************************************
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN - Wen to visit Myanmar in June
2010/05/20
BEIJING--Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao plans to visit Myanmar (Burma) in early June to demonstrate Beijing's support for the military regime, sources said.
Wen is expected to meet Tan Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Prime Minister Thein Sein and other leaders, the sources said.
But it remains to be seen whether Wen will openly support Myanmar's general election scheduled later this year. Beijing does not want to invite criticism that it is interfering in the country's domestic affairs.
The international community has criticized the election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy movement leaders will not participate.
2010/05/20
BEIJING--Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao plans to visit Myanmar (Burma) in early June to demonstrate Beijing's support for the military regime, sources said.
Wen is expected to meet Tan Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Prime Minister Thein Sein and other leaders, the sources said.
But it remains to be seen whether Wen will openly support Myanmar's general election scheduled later this year. Beijing does not want to invite criticism that it is interfering in the country's domestic affairs.
The international community has criticized the election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy movement leaders will not participate.
***************************************************
The Irrawaddy - Bangladesh Increases Pressure on Rohingya Refugees
By KRISTY CRABTREE - Thursday, May 20, 2010
As the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh continues to worsen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni is insisting on their return to Burma “in the soonest possible time.”
But promoting the Rohingyas' repatriation as the only possible solution to their displacement overlooks an internationally recognized norm of protection for those seeking refuge. This is the principle of non-refoulement. Basically, this principle prohibits nations from expelling or returning a refugee to a place where their freedom will be threatened or there is a risk of persecution.
This principle is recognized in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and applies to refugees that are formally recognized as well as those who lack an official status.
Although Bangladesh is not a party to the convention, the principle still applies because non-refoulement is an international custom. This means that the principle is a “general practice accepted as law” because it has fulfilled the two elements necessary to become customary international law: consistent State practice and opinio juris. The latter means it is a practice recognized by states as obligatory.
Having satisfied these requirements, the principle of non-refoulement is considered customary international law, and therefore, binding on all states regardless of their adoption of the 1951 Convention. Furthermore, the principle is defended in other treaties which Bangladesh has signed, such as the Convention Against Torture and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This principle should protect the Rohingya from forced or coerced repatriation to Burma.
Foreign Minister Moni’s plan for Rohingya repatriation not only goes against customary international law but her request for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to pursue socio-economic development in Burma also falls short.
The reason for the flight of the Rohingya into neighboring countries is not the result of a socio-economic problem. The root cause of their displacement is the lack of recognition of their citizenship rights in Burma.
Without these national rights, their other basic rights, such as freedom to travel or marry or practice their faith, are routinely violated, and the Rohingya are subject to other gross human rights abuses such as forced labor and property confiscation.
Although they should be protected from compulsory return to Burma, many Rohingya would be prepared to return to a Burma that recognizes them as citizens and provides them with the full protection of the law like other citizens.
However, even recognized citizens in Burma are fleeing across nearly every border to avoid wrongful detention and the lack of freedom of speech, press or association, among other more violent human rights violations. Without significant changes in Burma, the Rohingya cannot return. Repatriation can only occur when it is voluntary on the part of the persecuted.
While the Bangladesh foreign minister’s remarks can certainly be viewed as disregarding the internationally-recognized principle of non-refoulement, they should also be regarded as a request for assistance. Perhaps she should be heard as a plea for international, political action in Burma. Clearly Bangladesh and other Burmese refugee-hosting countries like Thailand cannot go this path alone indefinitely.
Resettlement of Rohingya refugees must continue in countries like the US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Funding must also support local villagers living in the area surrounding the camps. This is necessary to change the local perception of the refugee camps from being a financial burden for the country to infusing the area with international aid and development.
While it is inappropriate for Foreign Minister Moni to suggest the repatriation of the Rohingya on any terms that are not voluntary, western states as well need to take political action in Burma for the sake of all Burmese people.
Kristy Crabtree qualified in international law from New York University, and has conducted field research with Rohingya refugees in the Kutupalong and Leda camps. Her research has been published in Forced Migration Review, Infinity Journal, the Journal for Muslim Mental Health and the Huffington Post. She worked as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Gazipur and Cox’s Bazar.
By KRISTY CRABTREE - Thursday, May 20, 2010
As the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh continues to worsen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni is insisting on their return to Burma “in the soonest possible time.”
But promoting the Rohingyas' repatriation as the only possible solution to their displacement overlooks an internationally recognized norm of protection for those seeking refuge. This is the principle of non-refoulement. Basically, this principle prohibits nations from expelling or returning a refugee to a place where their freedom will be threatened or there is a risk of persecution.
This principle is recognized in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and applies to refugees that are formally recognized as well as those who lack an official status.
Although Bangladesh is not a party to the convention, the principle still applies because non-refoulement is an international custom. This means that the principle is a “general practice accepted as law” because it has fulfilled the two elements necessary to become customary international law: consistent State practice and opinio juris. The latter means it is a practice recognized by states as obligatory.
Having satisfied these requirements, the principle of non-refoulement is considered customary international law, and therefore, binding on all states regardless of their adoption of the 1951 Convention. Furthermore, the principle is defended in other treaties which Bangladesh has signed, such as the Convention Against Torture and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This principle should protect the Rohingya from forced or coerced repatriation to Burma.
Foreign Minister Moni’s plan for Rohingya repatriation not only goes against customary international law but her request for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to pursue socio-economic development in Burma also falls short.
The reason for the flight of the Rohingya into neighboring countries is not the result of a socio-economic problem. The root cause of their displacement is the lack of recognition of their citizenship rights in Burma.
Without these national rights, their other basic rights, such as freedom to travel or marry or practice their faith, are routinely violated, and the Rohingya are subject to other gross human rights abuses such as forced labor and property confiscation.
Although they should be protected from compulsory return to Burma, many Rohingya would be prepared to return to a Burma that recognizes them as citizens and provides them with the full protection of the law like other citizens.
However, even recognized citizens in Burma are fleeing across nearly every border to avoid wrongful detention and the lack of freedom of speech, press or association, among other more violent human rights violations. Without significant changes in Burma, the Rohingya cannot return. Repatriation can only occur when it is voluntary on the part of the persecuted.
While the Bangladesh foreign minister’s remarks can certainly be viewed as disregarding the internationally-recognized principle of non-refoulement, they should also be regarded as a request for assistance. Perhaps she should be heard as a plea for international, political action in Burma. Clearly Bangladesh and other Burmese refugee-hosting countries like Thailand cannot go this path alone indefinitely.
Resettlement of Rohingya refugees must continue in countries like the US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Funding must also support local villagers living in the area surrounding the camps. This is necessary to change the local perception of the refugee camps from being a financial burden for the country to infusing the area with international aid and development.
While it is inappropriate for Foreign Minister Moni to suggest the repatriation of the Rohingya on any terms that are not voluntary, western states as well need to take political action in Burma for the sake of all Burmese people.
Kristy Crabtree qualified in international law from New York University, and has conducted field research with Rohingya refugees in the Kutupalong and Leda camps. Her research has been published in Forced Migration Review, Infinity Journal, the Journal for Muslim Mental Health and the Huffington Post. She worked as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Gazipur and Cox’s Bazar.
***************************************************
Falling logs crush three to death
Thursday, 20 May 2010 20:20 Min Thet
Rangoon (Mizzima) – Three people were crushed to death in a freak accident, when logs rolled off a moving truck after its brakes failed on Thursday morning in Dawbon Township, Rangoon Division.
The brakes of the truck, with license plate number (Ah/7994), carrying the logs failed at about 11 am at the junction of Dawbon Dockyard. It hit the road divider. The logs rolled off the back of the truck and smashed into two taxis and one passerby.
The logs about two feet in diameter crushed a woman pedestrian, while she was crossing the road, and killed another woman and a man in a nearby taxi on the spot.
A traffic policeman on the spot said two of the victims were identified as Kyaw Khaing and Nu Nu Wei, husband and wife around 48 years of age. The third victim could not be identified, he said.
The driver and two passengers in another taxi were critically injured and admitted to Rangoon General Hospital (RGH).
The truck was transporting about 30 logs, when six rolled off the truck. The truck driver took to his heels.
A Rangoon Division Traffic Disciplinary Supervision Committee official said that a similar accident occurred at the same place last year when a truck carrying logs hit a medicine shop after its brakes failed. A man was killed on the spot.
Thursday, 20 May 2010 20:20 Min Thet
Rangoon (Mizzima) – Three people were crushed to death in a freak accident, when logs rolled off a moving truck after its brakes failed on Thursday morning in Dawbon Township, Rangoon Division.
The brakes of the truck, with license plate number (Ah/7994), carrying the logs failed at about 11 am at the junction of Dawbon Dockyard. It hit the road divider. The logs rolled off the back of the truck and smashed into two taxis and one passerby.
The logs about two feet in diameter crushed a woman pedestrian, while she was crossing the road, and killed another woman and a man in a nearby taxi on the spot.
A traffic policeman on the spot said two of the victims were identified as Kyaw Khaing and Nu Nu Wei, husband and wife around 48 years of age. The third victim could not be identified, he said.
The driver and two passengers in another taxi were critically injured and admitted to Rangoon General Hospital (RGH).
The truck was transporting about 30 logs, when six rolled off the truck. The truck driver took to his heels.
A Rangoon Division Traffic Disciplinary Supervision Committee official said that a similar accident occurred at the same place last year when a truck carrying logs hit a medicine shop after its brakes failed. A man was killed on the spot.
***************************************************
Soe Myint’s death a great loss: NLD leaders
Thursday, 20 May 2010 21:52 Khai Suu
New Delhi (Mizzima) – NLD leader Soe Myint, a veteran freedom fighter, activist, politician and colleague of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died in his sleep at home in Rangoon at about 1:30 p.m. today, a relative said.
The National League for Democracy central executive committee member and Rangoon Division president died of a suspected heart attack at his home in South Okkalapa Township. He was 87.
“He died at 1:30 p.m. while he was sleeping at the home. We think he died because of a heart attack.” Khine Wint Yi, a granddaughter of Soe Myint told Mizzima. “A neighbour who is a doctor confirmed his death. He also suffered from asthma, had a weak heart, used to feel dizzy and fell down often, but he died peacefully.”
Fellow party leaders lamented the death of Thakin Soe Myint saying it would leave a big gap in the opposition party.
“The death of a well-experienced and reliable leader such as him is a great loss to our party”, NLD vice-chairman Tin Oo told Mizzima.
At a time of struggle for the party following its decision no to re-register with the Election Commission (EC), the death of a man who has fought for Burma’s freedom since the anti-colonial struggles will have a great impact on our party, another fellow party leader, Win Tin, said.
“We need leaders with his expertise to perform and face the current political challenges surrounding not being a party registered with the EC,” Thakin Soe Myint’s colleague Win Tin said. “This is a great loss for us, him dying in this situation.”
The NLD had 20 central executive committee members but now has only 15 as some top panel members have died or split from the party.
The party which won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election refused to re-register with the EC in protest at “unfair” electoral laws enacted by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the name the junta calls itself. After that, dissident NLD leaders who had rejected the decision established a breakaway party called the National Democratic Force (NDF).
Remaining NLD party top panel members are Aung Shwe (Chairman), Tin Oo (Vice-Chairman), Aung San Suu Kyi (General Secretary), U Lwin (Secretary) and members Win Tin, Nyan Win, Lun Tin, Ohn Kyaing, Dr. May Win Myint, Han Thar Myint, Win Myint, Nyunt Wei, Than Tun, Hla Pe and Tun Tun Hein.
Soe Myint, also known as Thakhin Soe Myint, was born on August 16, 1923 to U Shein and was educated to grade six at Myaungmya High School in Irrawaddy Division.
His entry into activism came as secretary of the Myaungmya Township branch of the Dobama Asiayone (We Burmans Association), a pro-independence and originally pro-Japanese, Burmese organisation led by Ba Sein. It was established in 1930 in Rangoon, after Indian dock workers and their families were murdered by locals who believed the Indians had taken their jobs.
He served as a commanding officer in the Burma Defence Army (BDA), created by the Japanese in 1942 as a successor to the Burma Independence Army. In August 1943, Burma was granted nominal independence by Japan but Soe Myint became one of the many swayed against the Japanese because of their torture and oppression to form a temporary alliance with the British.
Soe Myint was a member of the Delta military Committee in Pathein District for the Burma National Army, which openly declared war on the Japanese in March 1945, and, as the Patriotic Burmese Forces, co-operated with the British in driving the Japanese out of southern Burma.
His other affiliations included being a founding member of the People’s Revolutionary Party, the chairman of Myaungmya District Socialist Party, a central committee member of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League, a central executive committee member of the Burmese Farmer’s Association, a central committee member of the Socialist Party and a vice-chairman of the People’s Youth League.
In 1953, he was Burma’s delegate to the Vienna Youth Convention and was also awarded the Independence Struggle Medal (Grade 1) for his role as a Burmese independence fighter.
Later he became a leader of the Central Farmer’s League and a chairman of the campaign committee for the Rangoon Division of the NLD. He became a member of the NLD’s reformed central executive committee on March 26, 1991.
The editor and writer was arrested temporarily in 1993 because he included in a report a three-part action plan for what to do if the junta refused to convene the parliament of people elected in the 1990 polls in accordance with the NLD’s Gandhi Hall decision.
He became a member of the Committee Representing the People’s Parliament (CRPP), formed on September 16, 1998 after the SPDC had failed to respond to renewed calls to recognise the results of the 1990 elections.
After the “Depayin Massacre” on May 30, 2003, he was placed under house arrest, and was freed on November 23, 2003.
The NLD member of parliament for South Okkalapa Constituency 1 is survived by his wife Aye Kywe, his children Swe Swe Myint, Maung Maung Myint, Thit Thit Myint, Cho Cho Myint, Thin Thin Myint and 11 grandchildren.
Thursday, 20 May 2010 21:52 Khai Suu
New Delhi (Mizzima) – NLD leader Soe Myint, a veteran freedom fighter, activist, politician and colleague of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died in his sleep at home in Rangoon at about 1:30 p.m. today, a relative said.
The National League for Democracy central executive committee member and Rangoon Division president died of a suspected heart attack at his home in South Okkalapa Township. He was 87.
“He died at 1:30 p.m. while he was sleeping at the home. We think he died because of a heart attack.” Khine Wint Yi, a granddaughter of Soe Myint told Mizzima. “A neighbour who is a doctor confirmed his death. He also suffered from asthma, had a weak heart, used to feel dizzy and fell down often, but he died peacefully.”
Fellow party leaders lamented the death of Thakin Soe Myint saying it would leave a big gap in the opposition party.
“The death of a well-experienced and reliable leader such as him is a great loss to our party”, NLD vice-chairman Tin Oo told Mizzima.
At a time of struggle for the party following its decision no to re-register with the Election Commission (EC), the death of a man who has fought for Burma’s freedom since the anti-colonial struggles will have a great impact on our party, another fellow party leader, Win Tin, said.
“We need leaders with his expertise to perform and face the current political challenges surrounding not being a party registered with the EC,” Thakin Soe Myint’s colleague Win Tin said. “This is a great loss for us, him dying in this situation.”
The NLD had 20 central executive committee members but now has only 15 as some top panel members have died or split from the party.
The party which won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election refused to re-register with the EC in protest at “unfair” electoral laws enacted by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the name the junta calls itself. After that, dissident NLD leaders who had rejected the decision established a breakaway party called the National Democratic Force (NDF).
Remaining NLD party top panel members are Aung Shwe (Chairman), Tin Oo (Vice-Chairman), Aung San Suu Kyi (General Secretary), U Lwin (Secretary) and members Win Tin, Nyan Win, Lun Tin, Ohn Kyaing, Dr. May Win Myint, Han Thar Myint, Win Myint, Nyunt Wei, Than Tun, Hla Pe and Tun Tun Hein.
Soe Myint, also known as Thakhin Soe Myint, was born on August 16, 1923 to U Shein and was educated to grade six at Myaungmya High School in Irrawaddy Division.
His entry into activism came as secretary of the Myaungmya Township branch of the Dobama Asiayone (We Burmans Association), a pro-independence and originally pro-Japanese, Burmese organisation led by Ba Sein. It was established in 1930 in Rangoon, after Indian dock workers and their families were murdered by locals who believed the Indians had taken their jobs.
He served as a commanding officer in the Burma Defence Army (BDA), created by the Japanese in 1942 as a successor to the Burma Independence Army. In August 1943, Burma was granted nominal independence by Japan but Soe Myint became one of the many swayed against the Japanese because of their torture and oppression to form a temporary alliance with the British.
Soe Myint was a member of the Delta military Committee in Pathein District for the Burma National Army, which openly declared war on the Japanese in March 1945, and, as the Patriotic Burmese Forces, co-operated with the British in driving the Japanese out of southern Burma.
His other affiliations included being a founding member of the People’s Revolutionary Party, the chairman of Myaungmya District Socialist Party, a central committee member of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League, a central executive committee member of the Burmese Farmer’s Association, a central committee member of the Socialist Party and a vice-chairman of the People’s Youth League.
In 1953, he was Burma’s delegate to the Vienna Youth Convention and was also awarded the Independence Struggle Medal (Grade 1) for his role as a Burmese independence fighter.
Later he became a leader of the Central Farmer’s League and a chairman of the campaign committee for the Rangoon Division of the NLD. He became a member of the NLD’s reformed central executive committee on March 26, 1991.
The editor and writer was arrested temporarily in 1993 because he included in a report a three-part action plan for what to do if the junta refused to convene the parliament of people elected in the 1990 polls in accordance with the NLD’s Gandhi Hall decision.
He became a member of the Committee Representing the People’s Parliament (CRPP), formed on September 16, 1998 after the SPDC had failed to respond to renewed calls to recognise the results of the 1990 elections.
After the “Depayin Massacre” on May 30, 2003, he was placed under house arrest, and was freed on November 23, 2003.
The NLD member of parliament for South Okkalapa Constituency 1 is survived by his wife Aye Kywe, his children Swe Swe Myint, Maung Maung Myint, Thit Thit Myint, Cho Cho Myint, Thin Thin Myint and 11 grandchildren.
***************************************************
DVB News - Burma flag ‘erases ethnic armies’
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 20 May 2010
The new Burmese flag to be hoisted following elections this year is evidence of the ruling regime’s attempt to wipe out ethnic armies, Burma observers say.
An image of the new flag obtained by DVB shows a complete revamp of both colour, design and symbols: in place of a largely red flag with a blue square in the corner hosting a paddy ear, cog wheel and 14 stars comes a flag dominated by one single star in the middle, with three yellow, green and red stripes behind.
Analysts believe that the removal of the 14 stars, which signify the 14 divisions and states in Burma, or indeed their assimilation into one larger star, is further proof that citizens of a post-election Burma will live under the dominant control of the military government.
“It’s a sign of the original agenda [the junta] had after the British left; the Burmanisation of the country,” said Saw Taw Wa from the Karen National Union (KNU) Peace Council. He added that it was a “step-by-step process” which has already taken root in the formation of ethnic Border Guard Forces aimed at “causing division within the ethnic states”.
The Burmese government has been attempting, sometimes aggressively, to transform the country’s 18 ceasefire groups into border militias, which will bring them under direct control of the ruling generals. Saw Taw Wa said that the junta has been supporting pro-government ethnic groups, such as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), with money and arms “to eliminate ethnic armies”.
Many have however resisted and decades-old ceasefires are now on tenterhooks, leading to fears in Burma’s ethnic border regions that fighting will erupt.
Khin Ohmar, chairperson of the Network for Democracy and Development (NDD), said that the new flag was a sign that the junta was “solidifying their power into one star – the unity of the union; that every ethnic group is together as one”.
Further evidence is found in Article 338 of the 2008 constitution which will come into force following the elections this year. It states that “all the armed forces in the Union shall be under the command of the Defense Services”. Khin Ohmar said that it proves the junta is “consolidating…everything by force and by assimilation”.
“When I look at this attempted assimilation – all ethnic groups have to follow the traditional Burmese dances, for example – it’s unbelievable; really disgusting to me. That is a very clear sign that the one big star really is their power.”
The official name of Burma is also due to change, from the current Union of Myanmar to the Union Republic of Myanmar.
“With the name, they are being very clear that Burma is no longer a federal state, but will be a republic – they are totally denying indigenous rights,” said Saw Taw Wa.
Ethnic conflict in Burma has gradually eaten away at the roots of society, with millions now displaced and areas of the country littered with landmines. The 60-year long conflict between the Karen National Union and the ruling junta is thought to be one of the world’s longest running.
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 20 May 2010
The new Burmese flag to be hoisted following elections this year is evidence of the ruling regime’s attempt to wipe out ethnic armies, Burma observers say.
An image of the new flag obtained by DVB shows a complete revamp of both colour, design and symbols: in place of a largely red flag with a blue square in the corner hosting a paddy ear, cog wheel and 14 stars comes a flag dominated by one single star in the middle, with three yellow, green and red stripes behind.
Analysts believe that the removal of the 14 stars, which signify the 14 divisions and states in Burma, or indeed their assimilation into one larger star, is further proof that citizens of a post-election Burma will live under the dominant control of the military government.
“It’s a sign of the original agenda [the junta] had after the British left; the Burmanisation of the country,” said Saw Taw Wa from the Karen National Union (KNU) Peace Council. He added that it was a “step-by-step process” which has already taken root in the formation of ethnic Border Guard Forces aimed at “causing division within the ethnic states”.
The Burmese government has been attempting, sometimes aggressively, to transform the country’s 18 ceasefire groups into border militias, which will bring them under direct control of the ruling generals. Saw Taw Wa said that the junta has been supporting pro-government ethnic groups, such as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), with money and arms “to eliminate ethnic armies”.
Many have however resisted and decades-old ceasefires are now on tenterhooks, leading to fears in Burma’s ethnic border regions that fighting will erupt.
Khin Ohmar, chairperson of the Network for Democracy and Development (NDD), said that the new flag was a sign that the junta was “solidifying their power into one star – the unity of the union; that every ethnic group is together as one”.
Further evidence is found in Article 338 of the 2008 constitution which will come into force following the elections this year. It states that “all the armed forces in the Union shall be under the command of the Defense Services”. Khin Ohmar said that it proves the junta is “consolidating…everything by force and by assimilation”.
“When I look at this attempted assimilation – all ethnic groups have to follow the traditional Burmese dances, for example – it’s unbelievable; really disgusting to me. That is a very clear sign that the one big star really is their power.”
The official name of Burma is also due to change, from the current Union of Myanmar to the Union Republic of Myanmar.
“With the name, they are being very clear that Burma is no longer a federal state, but will be a republic – they are totally denying indigenous rights,” said Saw Taw Wa.
Ethnic conflict in Burma has gradually eaten away at the roots of society, with millions now displaced and areas of the country littered with landmines. The 60-year long conflict between the Karen National Union and the ruling junta is thought to be one of the world’s longest running.
***************************************************
DVB News - USDP begins election campaign
By NAW NOREEN
Published: 20 May 2010
The newly-formed political party led by Burmese prime minister Thein Sein has begun campaigning across Burma in lieu of elections this year.
A resident in Kaw Thaung town, in Burma’s southern Tenasserim division, said that local Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) members were going from door to door urging people to join the party.
“They were six women and one man going from door to door, looking at the residents’ ID cards and filling out [USDP] application forms for them,” said the resident. “The first paragraph on the application form said ‘Due to my belief and acceptance of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s policy, I hereby apply for the [group's] membership…’”
“After filling in the forms, they asked the residents to sign them. They did this without explaining anything and some people, afraid [of the government officials] and unaware [of the intention], gave their signatures.”
He said that mirrored campaigning done by the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) during the referendum for the basic constitutions in 2008. He added that local authorities called a meeting yesterday and today to discuss the building of ballot stations.
A local resident in Rangoon’s Thongwa town said the USDP was persuading farmers to support them. USDP campaigners reportedly said the party’s ‘social’ wing, Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), had been the only group to provide farmers with funding.
He added that campaigners had told them “to vote as much as they can for such a sustainable party for the people”.
The head of Burma’s Election Commission, Thein Soe, recently rebuffed claims that Thein Sein was breaching election laws by heading the party because he had quit his military post.
The USDP is widely tipped to win the controversial elections in what critics say is a ploy to cement military rule in the country under the guise of a civilian government.
By NAW NOREEN
Published: 20 May 2010
The newly-formed political party led by Burmese prime minister Thein Sein has begun campaigning across Burma in lieu of elections this year.
A resident in Kaw Thaung town, in Burma’s southern Tenasserim division, said that local Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) members were going from door to door urging people to join the party.
“They were six women and one man going from door to door, looking at the residents’ ID cards and filling out [USDP] application forms for them,” said the resident. “The first paragraph on the application form said ‘Due to my belief and acceptance of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s policy, I hereby apply for the [group's] membership…’”
“After filling in the forms, they asked the residents to sign them. They did this without explaining anything and some people, afraid [of the government officials] and unaware [of the intention], gave their signatures.”
He said that mirrored campaigning done by the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) during the referendum for the basic constitutions in 2008. He added that local authorities called a meeting yesterday and today to discuss the building of ballot stations.
A local resident in Rangoon’s Thongwa town said the USDP was persuading farmers to support them. USDP campaigners reportedly said the party’s ‘social’ wing, Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), had been the only group to provide farmers with funding.
He added that campaigners had told them “to vote as much as they can for such a sustainable party for the people”.
The head of Burma’s Election Commission, Thein Soe, recently rebuffed claims that Thein Sein was breaching election laws by heading the party because he had quit his military post.
The USDP is widely tipped to win the controversial elections in what critics say is a ploy to cement military rule in the country under the guise of a civilian government.
No comments:
Post a Comment