Myanmar's Suu Kyi files new appeal against detention
Wed May 12, 2:39 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has lodged a new appeal with the Supreme Court against her house arrest in a last-chance attempt to win freedom, her lawyer said Wednesday.
The Nobel peace laureate, who has spent most of the last two decades locked up, had her detention lengthened by 18 months in August last year after being convicted over a bizarre incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside home.
She has already had her appeal rejected twice, most recently by the Supreme Court in the former capital Yangon in February.
The court is expected to take about two weeks to reach a decision on whether they will agree to a hearing for the new "special" appeal, which was submitted on Monday, her lawyer Nyan Win told AFP.
"If law and order prevails, Daw Suu will be freed as she is not guilty. There is nothing more we can do under the law if they reject it again," he said. "Daw" is a term of respect in Myanmar.
Suu Kyi has been in jail or under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) won 1990 elections by a landslide but was prevented by the junta from taking power.
The Supreme Court last week rejected a bid by the pro-democracy icon to prevent the disbanding of her party under widely criticised laws governing elections that are scheduled for sometime later this year.
Critics say the polls are aimed at simply entrenching the generals' power.
The NLD refused to meet a May 6 deadline to re-register as a party -- a move that would have forced it to expel its own leader -- and boycotted the vote, which critics say is a sham designed to legitimise the junta's grip on power.
Under election legislation unveiled in March, anyone serving a prison term is banned from being a member of a political party and parties that fail to obey the rule will be abolished.
The NLD, which was founded in 1988 after a popular uprising against the junta that left thousands dead, won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta never allowed it to take office.
A faction within the NLD said last week that it would form a new political party, to be called the National Democratic Force, that is expected to run in the election.
The United States on Monday demanded "immediate" action by Myanmar's junta to address fears the polls will lack legitimacy.
"What we have seen to date leads us to believe that these elections will lack international legitimacy," a top US diplomat, Kurt Campbell, said after talks with government ministers and Suu Kyi.
"We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections," he said.
US President Barack Obama's administration launched dialogue with Myanmar's military rulers last year after concluding that Western attempts to isolate the regime had produced little success.
Wed May 12, 2:39 am ET
YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has lodged a new appeal with the Supreme Court against her house arrest in a last-chance attempt to win freedom, her lawyer said Wednesday.
The Nobel peace laureate, who has spent most of the last two decades locked up, had her detention lengthened by 18 months in August last year after being convicted over a bizarre incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside home.
She has already had her appeal rejected twice, most recently by the Supreme Court in the former capital Yangon in February.
The court is expected to take about two weeks to reach a decision on whether they will agree to a hearing for the new "special" appeal, which was submitted on Monday, her lawyer Nyan Win told AFP.
"If law and order prevails, Daw Suu will be freed as she is not guilty. There is nothing more we can do under the law if they reject it again," he said. "Daw" is a term of respect in Myanmar.
Suu Kyi has been in jail or under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) won 1990 elections by a landslide but was prevented by the junta from taking power.
The Supreme Court last week rejected a bid by the pro-democracy icon to prevent the disbanding of her party under widely criticised laws governing elections that are scheduled for sometime later this year.
Critics say the polls are aimed at simply entrenching the generals' power.
The NLD refused to meet a May 6 deadline to re-register as a party -- a move that would have forced it to expel its own leader -- and boycotted the vote, which critics say is a sham designed to legitimise the junta's grip on power.
Under election legislation unveiled in March, anyone serving a prison term is banned from being a member of a political party and parties that fail to obey the rule will be abolished.
The NLD, which was founded in 1988 after a popular uprising against the junta that left thousands dead, won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta never allowed it to take office.
A faction within the NLD said last week that it would form a new political party, to be called the National Democratic Force, that is expected to run in the election.
The United States on Monday demanded "immediate" action by Myanmar's junta to address fears the polls will lack legitimacy.
"What we have seen to date leads us to believe that these elections will lack international legitimacy," a top US diplomat, Kurt Campbell, said after talks with government ministers and Suu Kyi.
"We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections," he said.
US President Barack Obama's administration launched dialogue with Myanmar's military rulers last year after concluding that Western attempts to isolate the regime had produced little success.
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Myanmar junta rejects international poll monitors
Wed May 12, 3:53 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's military leaders have rejected international poll monitors for the country's first elections in 20 years but asked for unspecified cooperation from the United States in supporting the vote, official media said Wednesday.
An official urged the U.S. to "show a positive attitude" about the military-organized vote, even though American envoy Kurt Campbell had already expressed deep concerns about the elections ahead of a recent visit.
The polls, to be held sometime this year, have been sharply criticized as a means for the military to maintain its grip on power under a civilian guise.
During his trip, Campbell said that the run-up to the election so far leads the U.S. to believe the polls will "lack international legitimacy."
"We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections," he said.
Campbell asked if election monitors, possibly from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, would be allowed and was rebuffed.
"The nation has a lot of experience with elections. We do not need election watchdogs to come here," the head of the Election Commission, Thein Soe, said.
"Arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair election," the election chief was quoted as telling Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia.
Campbell, who departed Myanmar on Monday after a two-day visit, met with several junta ministers as well as detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Details of his talks with junta officials were published in state-run newspapers Wednesday.
"We would like to receive your kind cooperation so that the election can be held peacefully and successfully," Information Minister Kyaw Hsan told Campbell without elaboration.
Kyaw Hsan said that he welcomed Washington's new policy of direct engagement with Myanmar and urged the United States to "show a positive attitude" toward the coming election.
Campbell's visit, his second in six months, came just days after the dissolution of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, or NLD, which won the 1990 election but was never allowed to take power.
The NLD considers newly enacted election laws unfair and undemocratic — since Suu Kyi and other political prisoners would be barred from taking part in the vote — and so declined to reregister as required, which meant it was automatically disbanded.
Critics say the elections will be engineered so that military officers, a number of whom have already shed their uniform to enter politics, will be assured of victory.
Wed May 12, 3:53 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's military leaders have rejected international poll monitors for the country's first elections in 20 years but asked for unspecified cooperation from the United States in supporting the vote, official media said Wednesday.
An official urged the U.S. to "show a positive attitude" about the military-organized vote, even though American envoy Kurt Campbell had already expressed deep concerns about the elections ahead of a recent visit.
The polls, to be held sometime this year, have been sharply criticized as a means for the military to maintain its grip on power under a civilian guise.
During his trip, Campbell said that the run-up to the election so far leads the U.S. to believe the polls will "lack international legitimacy."
"We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections," he said.
Campbell asked if election monitors, possibly from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, would be allowed and was rebuffed.
"The nation has a lot of experience with elections. We do not need election watchdogs to come here," the head of the Election Commission, Thein Soe, said.
"Arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair election," the election chief was quoted as telling Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia.
Campbell, who departed Myanmar on Monday after a two-day visit, met with several junta ministers as well as detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Details of his talks with junta officials were published in state-run newspapers Wednesday.
"We would like to receive your kind cooperation so that the election can be held peacefully and successfully," Information Minister Kyaw Hsan told Campbell without elaboration.
Kyaw Hsan said that he welcomed Washington's new policy of direct engagement with Myanmar and urged the United States to "show a positive attitude" toward the coming election.
Campbell's visit, his second in six months, came just days after the dissolution of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, or NLD, which won the 1990 election but was never allowed to take power.
The NLD considers newly enacted election laws unfair and undemocratic — since Suu Kyi and other political prisoners would be barred from taking part in the vote — and so declined to reregister as required, which meant it was automatically disbanded.
Critics say the elections will be engineered so that military officers, a number of whom have already shed their uniform to enter politics, will be assured of victory.
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MYANMAR: Concern over future Nargis cooperation
YANGON, 12 May 2010 (IRIN) - Aid workers have expressed concern that recovery work in cyclone-affected Myanmar may be hampered by the disbandment of a coordinating group set up to oversee aid efforts.
The Tripartite Core Group (TCG) - which includes the Myanmar government, UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - was established after Cyclone Nargis to facilitate access to the country's Ayeyarwady Delta, assess the needs, and develop a recovery plan.
After its mandate expires on 31 July, the Ministry of Social Welfare will take on those responsibilities, and agencies worry that international aid access will be restricted and recovery efforts affected.
"Ministries in Myanmar are typically steeped in bureaucracy, and often delay decisions at a lower level for fear of being held responsible for a mistake," Kyaw Myint, a local consultant for several NGOs working in the delta, told IRIN.
Burmese NGOs with local staff have had "excellent access", but the main concern is for international NGOs looking to work in severely affected areas, he said.
"It's frustrating because the local NGOs have the access, but the international NGOs have all the funding."
Permit worries
One international aid worker in the delta, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over travel permits. "All travel permission requests have to be re-launched and we can surely expect problems or delays there," the aid worker said.
However, other international organizations were pleased that the Ministry of Social Welfare - which works closely with international NGOs - was taking the reins.
"We work very well with the Ministry of Social Welfare," Grace Ommer, country director for Oxfam, said. With respect to visas, she said, "we haven't had a lot of problems with that".
After the category four storm struck, Myanmar's government initially denied visas to international aid workers.
The TCG - with ASEAN at the core - is credited with turning around that situation, establishing trust between the various parties working to help those in need.
"ASEAN was called upon as a broker," said Joern Kristensen, head of the TCG's Recovery Coordination Centre (RCC). "Now it is the position of the government that the TCG is no longer needed."
The continuing recovery coordination - including granting access and approving visas - will fall to Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, which has created a special task force, headed by Deputy Minister U Aung Tun Khine.
According to the European Union delegation in Thailand, although the TCG is transferring responsibilities to the ministry, ASEAN will still be part of the coordination.
"The stakeholders are currently discussing the setting-up of a coordination mechanism that will guarantee the continuation of activities without disruptions and we are confident that the handover will be smooth and that ASEAN will play an important role in facilitating it and providing support and technical assistance to the Ministry also beyond July 2010," it said.
Major role
The TCG has played an invaluable role by facilitating relief and recovery efforts, said Bishow Parajuli, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yangon.
"The continued cooperation and understanding of the Government of Myanmar in facilitating the support needed is important and key to attracting donor support."
The estimated total cost of the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan through 2011 is approximately US$691 million, but of that amount, only $180 million has been received, according to Parajuli.
Cyclone Nargis, which struck the Ayeyarwady Delta on 2 and 3 May 2008, claimed more than 138,000 lives. It affected 2.4 million people, leaving nearly half of them needing assistance.
YANGON, 12 May 2010 (IRIN) - Aid workers have expressed concern that recovery work in cyclone-affected Myanmar may be hampered by the disbandment of a coordinating group set up to oversee aid efforts.
The Tripartite Core Group (TCG) - which includes the Myanmar government, UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - was established after Cyclone Nargis to facilitate access to the country's Ayeyarwady Delta, assess the needs, and develop a recovery plan.
After its mandate expires on 31 July, the Ministry of Social Welfare will take on those responsibilities, and agencies worry that international aid access will be restricted and recovery efforts affected.
"Ministries in Myanmar are typically steeped in bureaucracy, and often delay decisions at a lower level for fear of being held responsible for a mistake," Kyaw Myint, a local consultant for several NGOs working in the delta, told IRIN.
Burmese NGOs with local staff have had "excellent access", but the main concern is for international NGOs looking to work in severely affected areas, he said.
"It's frustrating because the local NGOs have the access, but the international NGOs have all the funding."
Permit worries
One international aid worker in the delta, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over travel permits. "All travel permission requests have to be re-launched and we can surely expect problems or delays there," the aid worker said.
However, other international organizations were pleased that the Ministry of Social Welfare - which works closely with international NGOs - was taking the reins.
"We work very well with the Ministry of Social Welfare," Grace Ommer, country director for Oxfam, said. With respect to visas, she said, "we haven't had a lot of problems with that".
After the category four storm struck, Myanmar's government initially denied visas to international aid workers.
The TCG - with ASEAN at the core - is credited with turning around that situation, establishing trust between the various parties working to help those in need.
"ASEAN was called upon as a broker," said Joern Kristensen, head of the TCG's Recovery Coordination Centre (RCC). "Now it is the position of the government that the TCG is no longer needed."
The continuing recovery coordination - including granting access and approving visas - will fall to Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, which has created a special task force, headed by Deputy Minister U Aung Tun Khine.
According to the European Union delegation in Thailand, although the TCG is transferring responsibilities to the ministry, ASEAN will still be part of the coordination.
"The stakeholders are currently discussing the setting-up of a coordination mechanism that will guarantee the continuation of activities without disruptions and we are confident that the handover will be smooth and that ASEAN will play an important role in facilitating it and providing support and technical assistance to the Ministry also beyond July 2010," it said.
Major role
The TCG has played an invaluable role by facilitating relief and recovery efforts, said Bishow Parajuli, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yangon.
"The continued cooperation and understanding of the Government of Myanmar in facilitating the support needed is important and key to attracting donor support."
The estimated total cost of the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan through 2011 is approximately US$691 million, but of that amount, only $180 million has been received, according to Parajuli.
Cyclone Nargis, which struck the Ayeyarwady Delta on 2 and 3 May 2008, claimed more than 138,000 lives. It affected 2.4 million people, leaving nearly half of them needing assistance.
***************************************************
Myanmar ministers speak on direct engagement with U.S.
English.news.cn 2010-05-12 15:09:54
YANGON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win has expressed hope that the present direct engagement between Myanmar and the United States would promote bilateral relations, official media reported on Wednesday.
Meeting with Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia of the United States, in the latter's trip to Nay Pyi Taw recently, U Nyan Win said Myanmar wanted to cement relations with all the global countries, including the United States and the attitude of the U.S. played an important role in promoting Myanmar- U.S. relations, according to the details of talks between the pair released by official media.
He regretted that "imposing economic sanctions, restriction of visa and putting pressure of the U.S. has resulted in Myanmar-U.S. relations dwindling".
On direct engagement program which has been implemented for about eight months in New York and Nay Pyi Taw, U Nyan Win called for talks based on positive attitude for promoting bilateral cooperation, expecting topic-wise discussions with the U.S. on cooperation matters will go on.
Meeting with Campbell, Myanmar Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung stressed the need to jointly set up good relations between the two countries during the period of the seven months when relations were normalized again, but criticizing that U.S. Senate's decision to extend sanctions against Myanmar for another year was not constructive and pointing out that the move showed a different approach towards Myanmar.
In his response to Campbell for his opinion of international concern over Myanmar-Democratic People's Republic of Korea relations, U Thaung said that Myanmar had publicly announced that it agreed to follow the U.N. Security Council resolutions, while maintaining and protecting its national sovereignty.
English.news.cn 2010-05-12 15:09:54
YANGON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win has expressed hope that the present direct engagement between Myanmar and the United States would promote bilateral relations, official media reported on Wednesday.
Meeting with Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia of the United States, in the latter's trip to Nay Pyi Taw recently, U Nyan Win said Myanmar wanted to cement relations with all the global countries, including the United States and the attitude of the U.S. played an important role in promoting Myanmar- U.S. relations, according to the details of talks between the pair released by official media.
He regretted that "imposing economic sanctions, restriction of visa and putting pressure of the U.S. has resulted in Myanmar-U.S. relations dwindling".
On direct engagement program which has been implemented for about eight months in New York and Nay Pyi Taw, U Nyan Win called for talks based on positive attitude for promoting bilateral cooperation, expecting topic-wise discussions with the U.S. on cooperation matters will go on.
Meeting with Campbell, Myanmar Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung stressed the need to jointly set up good relations between the two countries during the period of the seven months when relations were normalized again, but criticizing that U.S. Senate's decision to extend sanctions against Myanmar for another year was not constructive and pointing out that the move showed a different approach towards Myanmar.
In his response to Campbell for his opinion of international concern over Myanmar-Democratic People's Republic of Korea relations, U Thaung said that Myanmar had publicly announced that it agreed to follow the U.N. Security Council resolutions, while maintaining and protecting its national sovereignty.
***************************************************
Myanmar says formation of political party by gov't ministers lawful
English.news.cn 2010-05-12 13:50:03
YANGON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar Union Election Commission has insisted that formation of political party by in- post government ministers to take part in the coming multi-party general election this year is "in conformity with the law".
In response to a question raised recently by Larry M, Dinger, Charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Yangon, Chairman of the commission U Thein Soe replied that "ministers are political posts, not state service personnel" referring a provision of Myanmar's party registration law which says state service personnel shall not be organized in political parties.
"The present ministers' formation of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is in conformity with the law," U Thein Soe insisted.
He cited a section of the 2008 constitution as saying that in- service state service personnel including the armed forces on the date on which the constitution came into force shall continue to discharge duties until the government promulgates others provisions.
Another section of the law was also cited as saying that "the government that is on existing on the date on which the constitution comes into force shall continue to discharge its duties until a new government is formed in accordance with the constitution".
Secretary-General of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) U Htay Oo, who is in-post Agriculture Minister, also added that "ministers and deputy ministers are merely the political posts, not government servants".
Dozens of government ministers, led by Prime Minister U Thein Sein, have quit their military posts but not government posts to form the USDA-transformed USDP with 27 leading ministerial members to take part in the planned election and the formation has been granted by the commission.
Meanwhile, the commission has granted formation of 28 new political parties out of 31 and four old political parties out of five seeking for registration for election purpose.
English.news.cn 2010-05-12 13:50:03
YANGON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar Union Election Commission has insisted that formation of political party by in- post government ministers to take part in the coming multi-party general election this year is "in conformity with the law".
In response to a question raised recently by Larry M, Dinger, Charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Yangon, Chairman of the commission U Thein Soe replied that "ministers are political posts, not state service personnel" referring a provision of Myanmar's party registration law which says state service personnel shall not be organized in political parties.
"The present ministers' formation of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is in conformity with the law," U Thein Soe insisted.
He cited a section of the 2008 constitution as saying that in- service state service personnel including the armed forces on the date on which the constitution came into force shall continue to discharge duties until the government promulgates others provisions.
Another section of the law was also cited as saying that "the government that is on existing on the date on which the constitution comes into force shall continue to discharge its duties until a new government is formed in accordance with the constitution".
Secretary-General of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) U Htay Oo, who is in-post Agriculture Minister, also added that "ministers and deputy ministers are merely the political posts, not government servants".
Dozens of government ministers, led by Prime Minister U Thein Sein, have quit their military posts but not government posts to form the USDA-transformed USDP with 27 leading ministerial members to take part in the planned election and the formation has been granted by the commission.
Meanwhile, the commission has granted formation of 28 new political parties out of 31 and four old political parties out of five seeking for registration for election purpose.
***************************************************
Thaindian.com - India to intensify vigil along border with Myanmar, Bangladesh
May 12th, 2010 - 6:21 pm ICT by IANS -
Aizawl, May 12 (IANS) India has decided to further tighten security along Mizoram’s international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh to check trans-border movement of terrorists and smugglers, officials said here Wednesday.
“There are reports that northeast terrorists hiding in Bangladesh and Myanmar sometimes use Mizoram’s international borders as their corridors,” an official of Mizoram’s home department told reporters.
“Although Mizoram is the only state in the northeast free from any activities of separatist outfits, terrorists of other states are occasionally using the state’s border as safe passage,” he said.
Sandwiched between Myanmar in the east and south and Bangladesh in the west, Mizoram has a 722-km international boundary of which it shares 404 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh. Most parts of the borders are in hilly terrain, remain unfenced and are porous.
Assam Rifles chief Lt Gen K.S. Yadava and Border Security Force (BSF) chief Raman Srivastava last week separately reviewed the India-Myanmar and India-Bangladesh borders in Mizoram.
“Both the paramilitary chiefs also met Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, Governor M.M. Lakhera and top security officials and discussed strategies about tightening (security) of the state’s border with Myanmar and Bangladesh,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“The General (Assam Rifles chief) is of the opinion that Mizoram is a model for peace and development in the northeast and would serve as a model for other disturbed states in the country. The history of Mizoram is intimately linked with the history of the Assam Rifles, who have been 'Friends of the Hill People’ for 175 years,” a Mizoram government statement said.
Meanwhile, a BSF official said that additional paramilitary troopers would be deployed along the India-Bangladesh border after intelligence reports alerted that armed infiltrators might prefer to sneak in through the Mizoram border as the barbed-wire fencing is almost complete in neighbouring Tripura and Assam.
BSF inspector-general (Assam-Meghalaya frontier) Prithvi Raj Singh said over telephone from Shillong that after Bangladesh launched an operation against northeast militants last year, the terrorists were shifting base from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Quoting surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants, the BSF officials said the northeast Indian guerrillas are now on the run.
“It is quite natural that the extremists look for new pastures to continue their future actions,” Singh added.
The four northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh together share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar while India has a 4,095-km-long border with Bangladesh.
A large portion of the border remains unfenced and porous.
May 12th, 2010 - 6:21 pm ICT by IANS -
Aizawl, May 12 (IANS) India has decided to further tighten security along Mizoram’s international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh to check trans-border movement of terrorists and smugglers, officials said here Wednesday.
“There are reports that northeast terrorists hiding in Bangladesh and Myanmar sometimes use Mizoram’s international borders as their corridors,” an official of Mizoram’s home department told reporters.
“Although Mizoram is the only state in the northeast free from any activities of separatist outfits, terrorists of other states are occasionally using the state’s border as safe passage,” he said.
Sandwiched between Myanmar in the east and south and Bangladesh in the west, Mizoram has a 722-km international boundary of which it shares 404 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh. Most parts of the borders are in hilly terrain, remain unfenced and are porous.
Assam Rifles chief Lt Gen K.S. Yadava and Border Security Force (BSF) chief Raman Srivastava last week separately reviewed the India-Myanmar and India-Bangladesh borders in Mizoram.
“Both the paramilitary chiefs also met Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, Governor M.M. Lakhera and top security officials and discussed strategies about tightening (security) of the state’s border with Myanmar and Bangladesh,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“The General (Assam Rifles chief) is of the opinion that Mizoram is a model for peace and development in the northeast and would serve as a model for other disturbed states in the country. The history of Mizoram is intimately linked with the history of the Assam Rifles, who have been 'Friends of the Hill People’ for 175 years,” a Mizoram government statement said.
Meanwhile, a BSF official said that additional paramilitary troopers would be deployed along the India-Bangladesh border after intelligence reports alerted that armed infiltrators might prefer to sneak in through the Mizoram border as the barbed-wire fencing is almost complete in neighbouring Tripura and Assam.
BSF inspector-general (Assam-Meghalaya frontier) Prithvi Raj Singh said over telephone from Shillong that after Bangladesh launched an operation against northeast militants last year, the terrorists were shifting base from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Quoting surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants, the BSF officials said the northeast Indian guerrillas are now on the run.
“It is quite natural that the extremists look for new pastures to continue their future actions,” Singh added.
The four northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh together share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar while India has a 4,095-km-long border with Bangladesh.
A large portion of the border remains unfenced and porous.
***************************************************
Updated : 9:20 AM, 05/12/2010
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar hold political consultation
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Myanmar held their sixth political consultation meeting in Hanoi on May 11.
At the meeting, co-chaired by Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung and his Myanmar counterpart Maung Myint, the two sides informed each other of the situation in their respective countries and exchanged views on cooperation in politics, economics, trade and investment.
The officials discussed a range of measures to realise bilateral cooperation agreements, especially the deals signed during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Myanmar last month.
The two sides noted with pleasure the time-honoured friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar have continued to expand well, particularly in the economic field.
They agreed to urge ministries, sectors and businesses of the two countries to effectively implement the signed agreements in a move to further tighten their economic, trade and investment ties.
The officials agreed on a number of activities to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Myanmar diplomatic relations, which falls on May 28.
Myanmar affirmed its support for Vietnam so that it can fulfill its role as ASEAN chairmanship in 2010.
The diplomats touched upon regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to step up their cooperation at regional and international forums for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as well.
They also agreed to organise the seventh political consultation meeting in Myanmar next year.
VOVNews - Vietnam, Myanmar hold political consultation
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Myanmar held their sixth political consultation meeting in Hanoi on May 11.
At the meeting, co-chaired by Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung and his Myanmar counterpart Maung Myint, the two sides informed each other of the situation in their respective countries and exchanged views on cooperation in politics, economics, trade and investment.
The officials discussed a range of measures to realise bilateral cooperation agreements, especially the deals signed during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Myanmar last month.
The two sides noted with pleasure the time-honoured friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar have continued to expand well, particularly in the economic field.
They agreed to urge ministries, sectors and businesses of the two countries to effectively implement the signed agreements in a move to further tighten their economic, trade and investment ties.
The officials agreed on a number of activities to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Myanmar diplomatic relations, which falls on May 28.
Myanmar affirmed its support for Vietnam so that it can fulfill its role as ASEAN chairmanship in 2010.
The diplomats touched upon regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to step up their cooperation at regional and international forums for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as well.
They also agreed to organise the seventh political consultation meeting in Myanmar next year.
***************************************************
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth - New Faces of Immigration in North Texas
By RANDY MCILWAIN
Updated 8:14 AM CDT, Wed, May 12, 2010
Many of the newest immigrants in North Texas aren't coming from south of the border. More than 1,200 refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, now call Lewisville home.
The Chin people, most of whom are Christian, face religious persecution in Myanmar, which is ruled by a military junta. Most of Myanmar is Buddhist.
"The army is mean," said Lydia Hiang, a grade-schooler who is just starting to learn English.
Her mother, Mang Hiang, puts it in more blunt terms.
"The army don't like Christians," she said.
"They began to kill the Baptist pastors and basically draped them over the church altars to intimidate people," said Becky Nelson, of the Chin Refugee Ministry with the First Baptist Church of Flower Mound.
Nelson has been working since 2007 to resettle as many of the Chin in Lewisville as she can.
"The word spread that this is a safe place," she said. "That's all it took."
Nelson likened the situation in Myanmar to what happened in Bosnia between the Serbs and Croats. She said there are some 30,000 Chin refugees scattered around the world.
Nelson said all of the refugees in Lewisville are on the path to citizenship. Ninety-five of the adults are employed and looking to start their own businesses. The children are enrolled in schools and progressing well learning in English.
She said Lewisville has embraced its new residents. Three churches have already been established, a first order of business for people grateful for the opportunity to worship in peace.
"They think America is heaven," Nelson said. "It is not heaven; it's very, very difficult to live here, but it's a second heaven because we go to church and nobody shoots us."
Other North Texas cities also have significant Asian populations. Richardson has a long-established Asian community, and Asians make up 16 percent of Plano's population.
By RANDY MCILWAIN
Updated 8:14 AM CDT, Wed, May 12, 2010
Many of the newest immigrants in North Texas aren't coming from south of the border. More than 1,200 refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, now call Lewisville home.
The Chin people, most of whom are Christian, face religious persecution in Myanmar, which is ruled by a military junta. Most of Myanmar is Buddhist.
"The army is mean," said Lydia Hiang, a grade-schooler who is just starting to learn English.
Her mother, Mang Hiang, puts it in more blunt terms.
"The army don't like Christians," she said.
"They began to kill the Baptist pastors and basically draped them over the church altars to intimidate people," said Becky Nelson, of the Chin Refugee Ministry with the First Baptist Church of Flower Mound.
Nelson has been working since 2007 to resettle as many of the Chin in Lewisville as she can.
"The word spread that this is a safe place," she said. "That's all it took."
Nelson likened the situation in Myanmar to what happened in Bosnia between the Serbs and Croats. She said there are some 30,000 Chin refugees scattered around the world.
Nelson said all of the refugees in Lewisville are on the path to citizenship. Ninety-five of the adults are employed and looking to start their own businesses. The children are enrolled in schools and progressing well learning in English.
She said Lewisville has embraced its new residents. Three churches have already been established, a first order of business for people grateful for the opportunity to worship in peace.
"They think America is heaven," Nelson said. "It is not heaven; it's very, very difficult to live here, but it's a second heaven because we go to church and nobody shoots us."
Other North Texas cities also have significant Asian populations. Richardson has a long-established Asian community, and Asians make up 16 percent of Plano's population.
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Examiner.com - North Korea expands nuclear relationships with outcast states
May 11, 2:08 PM - Korean Headlines Examiner Doug Newman
The nuclear relationship between North Korea and Iran has been well documented - with nuclear technology, materials and advisors moving West from North Korea, and oil and hard cash returning from Iran. And just as Israel has accused Iran of partaking in this relationship, today they accused Syria of more of the same.
At the same time, US officials warned Myanmar (aka Burma) of also joining in the trade for weapons of mass destruction. Reports from Thailand state that Myanmar is already receiving military aid from both North Korea and China.
And what has China's response been to all this? To urge the remaining parties to resume the six-party talks. After Kim Jong-Il's quick visit to the Middle Kingdom, China and North Korea have announced a willingness to return to the six-party talks. All of this is calling the bluff of South Korea and the US, which has determined that a torpedo had intentionally struck the Cheonan, a South Korean naval vessel sunk in disputed waters between China and the Korean peninsula in March.
Kim Jong-Il expects to hand over a powerful and prosperous country to his heir-apparent. And while the focus has been on China's support of its backwards cousin, Kim has been building a network, the "axis of evil", and supplying them with nuclear capabilities. As always, China's relationship in the whole axis remains inscrutable as they play a waiting game of global Risk.
So the answer now lies with the US and South Korea. Although nobody has yet (officially) charged North Korea with involvement in the Cheonan attack, investigators have concluded that the naval vessel was sunk intentionally, by a torpedo. And what will happen next?
Kim Jong-Il has positioned himself to play a waiting game. Even if the UN imposes more sanctions on North Korea, they've been covered by China's willingness to supply food and money. So what other options does the rest of the world have short of military action?
Kim keeps trying to goad the rest of the world into a fight, and as the rest of the schoolyard stands around shrugging its shoulders, Kim Jong-Il is handing rocks and bottles out to all the other misfit, ostracized kids. Calling the figurative teachers into the schoolyard just isn't helping - these kids aren't scared by detention, and knowing that nothing worse is forthcoming, they're planning to hurt some of the bigger kids they think have hurt them. Israel. Japan. The US.
May 11, 2:08 PM - Korean Headlines Examiner Doug Newman
The nuclear relationship between North Korea and Iran has been well documented - with nuclear technology, materials and advisors moving West from North Korea, and oil and hard cash returning from Iran. And just as Israel has accused Iran of partaking in this relationship, today they accused Syria of more of the same.
At the same time, US officials warned Myanmar (aka Burma) of also joining in the trade for weapons of mass destruction. Reports from Thailand state that Myanmar is already receiving military aid from both North Korea and China.
And what has China's response been to all this? To urge the remaining parties to resume the six-party talks. After Kim Jong-Il's quick visit to the Middle Kingdom, China and North Korea have announced a willingness to return to the six-party talks. All of this is calling the bluff of South Korea and the US, which has determined that a torpedo had intentionally struck the Cheonan, a South Korean naval vessel sunk in disputed waters between China and the Korean peninsula in March.
Kim Jong-Il expects to hand over a powerful and prosperous country to his heir-apparent. And while the focus has been on China's support of its backwards cousin, Kim has been building a network, the "axis of evil", and supplying them with nuclear capabilities. As always, China's relationship in the whole axis remains inscrutable as they play a waiting game of global Risk.
So the answer now lies with the US and South Korea. Although nobody has yet (officially) charged North Korea with involvement in the Cheonan attack, investigators have concluded that the naval vessel was sunk intentionally, by a torpedo. And what will happen next?
Kim Jong-Il has positioned himself to play a waiting game. Even if the UN imposes more sanctions on North Korea, they've been covered by China's willingness to supply food and money. So what other options does the rest of the world have short of military action?
Kim keeps trying to goad the rest of the world into a fight, and as the rest of the schoolyard stands around shrugging its shoulders, Kim Jong-Il is handing rocks and bottles out to all the other misfit, ostracized kids. Calling the figurative teachers into the schoolyard just isn't helping - these kids aren't scared by detention, and knowing that nothing worse is forthcoming, they're planning to hurt some of the bigger kids they think have hurt them. Israel. Japan. The US.
***************************************************
Asian Tribune - U.S. on road to pragmatic engagement with Burmese leadership
Wed, 2010-05-12 13:25 — editor
Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
Washington, D.C. 12 May (Asiantribune.com):
Obama administration’s understanding that neither sanctions nor engagements have succeeded to influence the Burmese military leadership it decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the United States policy toward Burma and has led, in these seven months of deliberations, toward the launch of pragmatic engagement with that country says U.S. Assistant Secretary of East Asian Affairs Kurt M. Campbell in a statement following his tour in Burma.
Here is the complete statement of Mr. Campbell outlining U.S. approach to Burma, officially known as Myanmar, issued on Monday.
(Begin Text) I have just completed my second trip to Burma. During my two-day trip, I met with a wide variety of stakeholders inside the country. In Nay Pyi Taw, I held consultations with the Minister of Science and Technology, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Information and the Spokes Authoritative Team, the Union Election Commission, the Labor Minister, and the head of the USDA.
In Rangoon, I met with a number of community leaders of ethnic minority groups, the National League for Democracy, key members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs, a variety of political players, and Aung San Suu Kyi.
This trip comes as part of a process the Obama Administration launched last year. In February 2009, Secretary Clinton announced that we would undertake a review of our Burma policy, stating clearly that neither sanctions nor engagement, when implemented alone, had succeeded in influencing Burma’s generals. Over the course of the seven months of the policy review, we consulted widely and deliberately in order to seek the best ideas from around the world and at home.
The result of that extensive review was to launch a policy of pragmatic engagement with Burma’s leadership. We have engaged in senior-level dialogue with the regime. Yet we have not lifted sanctions, nor have we abandoned our commitment to the people of Burma. Our strategic goal for Burma remains unchanged: we wish to see a more prosperous, democratic Burma that lives in peace with its people and with its neighbors.
The United States has approached this engagement with goodwill. We continue to consult and coordinate closely with key countries, including those within ASEAN, the European Union, with India, Japan, China and others, and a number of players outside governments seeking a more positive future in Burma.
The key objective of my trip to Burma was to underscore the purposes and principles of our engagement, and to lay out the reasons for our profound disappointment in what we have witnessed to date.
During various discussions with Burma’s senior leadership, we have outlined a proposal for a credible dialogue among all stakeholders in Burma that would allow all sides to enter into such a dialogue with dignity. Unfortunately, the regime has chosen to move ahead unilaterally – without consultation from key stakeholders – towards elections planned for this year. As a direct result, what we have seen to date leads us to believe that these elections will lack international legitimacy. We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections.
We have also asked for greater respect for human rights and the release of political prisoners. The regime has detained many of Burma’s brightest and most patriotic citizens, citizens that could contribute greatly to ensuring a more prosperous future for their country. Instead the regime has silenced them, dispersing them to remote locations throughout the country where the generals hope they will be forgotten. They are not.
We have raised our persistent concerns about the increasing tensions between Burma’s ethnic minorities and the central government that have resulted in violence along the country’s borders. The regime has ratcheted up the pressure on Burma’s ethnic groups in preparation for this year’s elections, forcing countless innocent civilians to flee.
Burma cannot move forward while the government itself persists in launching attacks against its own people to force compliance with a proposal its ethnic groups cannot accept. The very stability the regime seeks will continue to be elusive until a peaceable solution can be found through dialogue.
Finally, we have urged Burma’s senior leadership to abide by its own commitment to fully comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1874. Recent developments call into question that commitment. I have asked the Burmese leadership to work with the United States and others to put into place a transparent process to assure the international community that Burma is abiding by its international commitments. Without such a process, the United States maintains the right to take independent action within the relevant frameworks established by the international community.
Although we are profoundly disappointed by the response of the Burmese leadership, I remain inspired by those outside the government with whom I met. I admire the resolve of Burma’s ethnic groups that wish to live in peace and to have a representative stake in the future of their own country. I respect the difficult decision Burma’s political parties have taken regarding the upcoming elections.
Some have decided to participate, some will not. It is the right of a free people to make those decisions for themselves, and the United States respects their decisions.
I would like to take a moment to applaud the leaders of the National League for Democracy – a political party that has struggled for more than two decades to improve the lives of the Burmese people – with whom I held a lengthy meeting.
Although having been denied a legal framework in which to operate by the regime’s own flawed rules, its leadership remains committed to working on behalf of and for the Burmese people. The United States will continue to stand behind all those working to support Burma’s people, including the National League for Democracy, however it may constitute itself in the future.
Finally, I was again moved by the perseverance and the commitment Aung San Suu Kyi has shown to the cause of a more just and benevolent Burma and to the Burmese people themselves. She has demonstrated compassion and tolerance for her captors in the face of repeated indignities. It is simply tragic that Burma’s generals have rebuffed her countless appeals to work together to find a peaceable solution for a more prosperous future.
The strength and resilience of those who struggle continue to inspire us. The United States stands by the Burmese people in their desire for a more democratic, prosperous, and peaceful nation. (End Text)
Wed, 2010-05-12 13:25 — editor
Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
Washington, D.C. 12 May (Asiantribune.com):
Obama administration’s understanding that neither sanctions nor engagements have succeeded to influence the Burmese military leadership it decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the United States policy toward Burma and has led, in these seven months of deliberations, toward the launch of pragmatic engagement with that country says U.S. Assistant Secretary of East Asian Affairs Kurt M. Campbell in a statement following his tour in Burma.
Here is the complete statement of Mr. Campbell outlining U.S. approach to Burma, officially known as Myanmar, issued on Monday.
(Begin Text) I have just completed my second trip to Burma. During my two-day trip, I met with a wide variety of stakeholders inside the country. In Nay Pyi Taw, I held consultations with the Minister of Science and Technology, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Information and the Spokes Authoritative Team, the Union Election Commission, the Labor Minister, and the head of the USDA.
In Rangoon, I met with a number of community leaders of ethnic minority groups, the National League for Democracy, key members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs, a variety of political players, and Aung San Suu Kyi.
This trip comes as part of a process the Obama Administration launched last year. In February 2009, Secretary Clinton announced that we would undertake a review of our Burma policy, stating clearly that neither sanctions nor engagement, when implemented alone, had succeeded in influencing Burma’s generals. Over the course of the seven months of the policy review, we consulted widely and deliberately in order to seek the best ideas from around the world and at home.
The result of that extensive review was to launch a policy of pragmatic engagement with Burma’s leadership. We have engaged in senior-level dialogue with the regime. Yet we have not lifted sanctions, nor have we abandoned our commitment to the people of Burma. Our strategic goal for Burma remains unchanged: we wish to see a more prosperous, democratic Burma that lives in peace with its people and with its neighbors.
The United States has approached this engagement with goodwill. We continue to consult and coordinate closely with key countries, including those within ASEAN, the European Union, with India, Japan, China and others, and a number of players outside governments seeking a more positive future in Burma.
The key objective of my trip to Burma was to underscore the purposes and principles of our engagement, and to lay out the reasons for our profound disappointment in what we have witnessed to date.
During various discussions with Burma’s senior leadership, we have outlined a proposal for a credible dialogue among all stakeholders in Burma that would allow all sides to enter into such a dialogue with dignity. Unfortunately, the regime has chosen to move ahead unilaterally – without consultation from key stakeholders – towards elections planned for this year. As a direct result, what we have seen to date leads us to believe that these elections will lack international legitimacy. We urge the regime to take immediate steps to open the process in the time remaining before the elections.
We have also asked for greater respect for human rights and the release of political prisoners. The regime has detained many of Burma’s brightest and most patriotic citizens, citizens that could contribute greatly to ensuring a more prosperous future for their country. Instead the regime has silenced them, dispersing them to remote locations throughout the country where the generals hope they will be forgotten. They are not.
We have raised our persistent concerns about the increasing tensions between Burma’s ethnic minorities and the central government that have resulted in violence along the country’s borders. The regime has ratcheted up the pressure on Burma’s ethnic groups in preparation for this year’s elections, forcing countless innocent civilians to flee.
Burma cannot move forward while the government itself persists in launching attacks against its own people to force compliance with a proposal its ethnic groups cannot accept. The very stability the regime seeks will continue to be elusive until a peaceable solution can be found through dialogue.
Finally, we have urged Burma’s senior leadership to abide by its own commitment to fully comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1874. Recent developments call into question that commitment. I have asked the Burmese leadership to work with the United States and others to put into place a transparent process to assure the international community that Burma is abiding by its international commitments. Without such a process, the United States maintains the right to take independent action within the relevant frameworks established by the international community.
Although we are profoundly disappointed by the response of the Burmese leadership, I remain inspired by those outside the government with whom I met. I admire the resolve of Burma’s ethnic groups that wish to live in peace and to have a representative stake in the future of their own country. I respect the difficult decision Burma’s political parties have taken regarding the upcoming elections.
Some have decided to participate, some will not. It is the right of a free people to make those decisions for themselves, and the United States respects their decisions.
I would like to take a moment to applaud the leaders of the National League for Democracy – a political party that has struggled for more than two decades to improve the lives of the Burmese people – with whom I held a lengthy meeting.
Although having been denied a legal framework in which to operate by the regime’s own flawed rules, its leadership remains committed to working on behalf of and for the Burmese people. The United States will continue to stand behind all those working to support Burma’s people, including the National League for Democracy, however it may constitute itself in the future.
Finally, I was again moved by the perseverance and the commitment Aung San Suu Kyi has shown to the cause of a more just and benevolent Burma and to the Burmese people themselves. She has demonstrated compassion and tolerance for her captors in the face of repeated indignities. It is simply tragic that Burma’s generals have rebuffed her countless appeals to work together to find a peaceable solution for a more prosperous future.
The strength and resilience of those who struggle continue to inspire us. The United States stands by the Burmese people in their desire for a more democratic, prosperous, and peaceful nation. (End Text)
***************************************************
The Irrawaddy - Burma-North Korea Ties Resurface as Hot Issue
By WAI MOE - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Military ties between Burma and North Korea, and the related issue of Burma's suspected nuclear development program, have come front and center once again as a regional topic of debate following the visit to Burma by United States’ Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell on Monday.
Campbell's visit came on the heels of a report in April that a vessel linked to North Korea had arrived in Thilawar Port, near Rangoon, and one of Campbell's key meetings was with Burmese Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung, a former ambassador to the United States who is said to manage Burma’s nuclear development program.
According to a report in state-controlled The New Light of Myanmar on Wednesday, U Thaung's message to the US envoy was ambiguous. While acknowledging that the Burmese government had publicly announced its agreement to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, U Thaung also said the Burmese government has “the duty to maintain and protect national sovereignty.”
Following the meeting with U Thaung, the US envoy issued a strong warning concerning Burma's arms purchases from North Korea, which some analysts suspect includes nuclear technology.
And after leaving Burma, Campbell flew to Beijing, where his discussions with Chinese officials regarding North Korea are expected to include the relationship between Pyongyang and Naypyidaw.
US-based policy advisers have warned Washington that ties between Burma and North Korea threaten regional stability.
“Several factors could intensify the threat that Burma poses to regional stability and security, including its murky relationship with North Korea,” said Asia Society, an influential New York think-tank, in a report on Burma published in March.
Further talks regarding the ties between Burma and North Korea are likely to be scheduled for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ regional forum, to be held in Hanoi in July. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jim Webb, the chairman of the US Senate’s committee for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, are expected to attend the forum.
Security experts agree that North Korea has provided Burma with Scud-type missiles, missile parts, rocket launchers, other conventional weapons and underground warfare technology.
The debate now centers on Burma's nuclear development capabilities and the extent to which North Korea is supporting such capabilities.
An intelligence report suggested that at least 1,000 Burmese military personnel have graduated from nuclear technology programs in Russia and North Korea in past year.
According to observers, and data from Burma’s Ministry of Energy, there are nine uranium mines in Burma, and some security analysts believe that in exchange for North Korean nuclear technology and expertise, the Burmese regime has exported enriched uranium and primary products to North Korea.
Desmond Ball, an Australian expert on Burma, wrote a 2009 report that, quoting Burmese defectors, said the Burmese armed forces established a ‘nuclear battalion’ in 2000 whose operational base includes an underground complex in the mountains southwest of Naung Laing, near Pyin Oo Lwin, where the regime is reportedly constructing a nuclear reactor.
Ball's report said that with North Korea's aide the reactor in Naung Laing could be completed around 2012 and Burma could develop its first deliverable nuclear weapons by 2020.
Although it is presently unclear how North Korea manages to smuggle arms and technology into Burma, speculation over the North Korean vessel that arrived in Rangoon in April followed the controversy last June when the Kang Nam 1, a North Korean vessel believed to be heading to Burma, made a u-turn in the South China Sea after being tailed by a US Destroyer.
Some observers believe that North Korea may also ship arms to Burma by air through China. Sources in Meiktila, in central Burma, have reported seeing military cargoes, believed to be from China and North Korea, arriving at Meiktila Airport, which serves as a Burmese Air Force base.
By WAI MOE - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Military ties between Burma and North Korea, and the related issue of Burma's suspected nuclear development program, have come front and center once again as a regional topic of debate following the visit to Burma by United States’ Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell on Monday.
Campbell's visit came on the heels of a report in April that a vessel linked to North Korea had arrived in Thilawar Port, near Rangoon, and one of Campbell's key meetings was with Burmese Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung, a former ambassador to the United States who is said to manage Burma’s nuclear development program.
According to a report in state-controlled The New Light of Myanmar on Wednesday, U Thaung's message to the US envoy was ambiguous. While acknowledging that the Burmese government had publicly announced its agreement to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, U Thaung also said the Burmese government has “the duty to maintain and protect national sovereignty.”
Following the meeting with U Thaung, the US envoy issued a strong warning concerning Burma's arms purchases from North Korea, which some analysts suspect includes nuclear technology.
And after leaving Burma, Campbell flew to Beijing, where his discussions with Chinese officials regarding North Korea are expected to include the relationship between Pyongyang and Naypyidaw.
US-based policy advisers have warned Washington that ties between Burma and North Korea threaten regional stability.
“Several factors could intensify the threat that Burma poses to regional stability and security, including its murky relationship with North Korea,” said Asia Society, an influential New York think-tank, in a report on Burma published in March.
Further talks regarding the ties between Burma and North Korea are likely to be scheduled for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ regional forum, to be held in Hanoi in July. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jim Webb, the chairman of the US Senate’s committee for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, are expected to attend the forum.
Security experts agree that North Korea has provided Burma with Scud-type missiles, missile parts, rocket launchers, other conventional weapons and underground warfare technology.
The debate now centers on Burma's nuclear development capabilities and the extent to which North Korea is supporting such capabilities.
An intelligence report suggested that at least 1,000 Burmese military personnel have graduated from nuclear technology programs in Russia and North Korea in past year.
According to observers, and data from Burma’s Ministry of Energy, there are nine uranium mines in Burma, and some security analysts believe that in exchange for North Korean nuclear technology and expertise, the Burmese regime has exported enriched uranium and primary products to North Korea.
Desmond Ball, an Australian expert on Burma, wrote a 2009 report that, quoting Burmese defectors, said the Burmese armed forces established a ‘nuclear battalion’ in 2000 whose operational base includes an underground complex in the mountains southwest of Naung Laing, near Pyin Oo Lwin, where the regime is reportedly constructing a nuclear reactor.
Ball's report said that with North Korea's aide the reactor in Naung Laing could be completed around 2012 and Burma could develop its first deliverable nuclear weapons by 2020.
Although it is presently unclear how North Korea manages to smuggle arms and technology into Burma, speculation over the North Korean vessel that arrived in Rangoon in April followed the controversy last June when the Kang Nam 1, a North Korean vessel believed to be heading to Burma, made a u-turn in the South China Sea after being tailed by a US Destroyer.
Some observers believe that North Korea may also ship arms to Burma by air through China. Sources in Meiktila, in central Burma, have reported seeing military cargoes, believed to be from China and North Korea, arriving at Meiktila Airport, which serves as a Burmese Air Force base.
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The Irrawaddy - US Congress Moves to Renew Burma Sanctions
By LALIT K. JHA - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
WASHINGTON—A bipartisan congressional legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to renew the US economic sanctions on Burma. An identical bill was introduced in the US senate last week.
With the Burmese military junta unilaterally going ahead with its election plan, ignoring the wishes of the international community and the majority of its citizens, Congressman Joe Crowley, who introduced the bill in the House said it is abundantly clear that the US needs a tougher and a more robust application of sanctions on Burma.
“We need to start soon because the Burmese regime continues to commit crimes against humanity and war crimes against its people,” Crowley said in his remarks on the floor of the House, a day after Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told the Burmese military junta that the upcoming election will not be considered legitimate by the US and the international community.
Expressing concern that the military regime has completely rejected cooperation with the legitimate leaders of Burma—Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy—the six-term US lawmaker alleged the Burmese regime's laws makes a mockery of constitutionalism, and for that reason Suu Kyi's political party is simply not able to register to participate in the election.
“We must stand with Aung San Suu Kyi and the legitimate leaders of Burma and show our support through concrete actions, by implementing tougher sanctions and action on crimes against humanity—moves that have real teeth,” he said.
“When I led the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, which was signed into law in 2008, I believed the administration should use the measure to implement tough sanctions. Now is the time for that implementation to begin,” Crowley said.
In addition to the two identical legislations introduced in the House and US senate, another resolution passed by the senate last week urged the Obama administration to review its seven-month-old policy toward Burma.
The resolution noted that the new policy has not yielded any positive moves by the military junta. The State Department, however, insisted that it would continue with its policy if sanctions and engagement simultaneously.
“The combination of direct dialogue with pressure is the right approach, but expectations should be kept in check. After decades of pursuing policies to isolate Burma, it will take both time and effort before this shift bears any fruit,” said Suzanne DiMaggio, Asia Society’s director of policy studies.
“For now, the US needs to continue to engage with military leaders, as well as with a wide range of groups inside Burma, to position itself to respond effectively and flexibly to the twists and turns that a potential transition may take,” she said.
“At the same time, the US should ramp up coordination on its Burma policy with other key stakeholders, particularly Asean, the UN and Burma's neighbors, including China, India and Japan,” DiMaggio said.
By LALIT K. JHA - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
WASHINGTON—A bipartisan congressional legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to renew the US economic sanctions on Burma. An identical bill was introduced in the US senate last week.
With the Burmese military junta unilaterally going ahead with its election plan, ignoring the wishes of the international community and the majority of its citizens, Congressman Joe Crowley, who introduced the bill in the House said it is abundantly clear that the US needs a tougher and a more robust application of sanctions on Burma.
“We need to start soon because the Burmese regime continues to commit crimes against humanity and war crimes against its people,” Crowley said in his remarks on the floor of the House, a day after Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told the Burmese military junta that the upcoming election will not be considered legitimate by the US and the international community.
Expressing concern that the military regime has completely rejected cooperation with the legitimate leaders of Burma—Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy—the six-term US lawmaker alleged the Burmese regime's laws makes a mockery of constitutionalism, and for that reason Suu Kyi's political party is simply not able to register to participate in the election.
“We must stand with Aung San Suu Kyi and the legitimate leaders of Burma and show our support through concrete actions, by implementing tougher sanctions and action on crimes against humanity—moves that have real teeth,” he said.
“When I led the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, which was signed into law in 2008, I believed the administration should use the measure to implement tough sanctions. Now is the time for that implementation to begin,” Crowley said.
In addition to the two identical legislations introduced in the House and US senate, another resolution passed by the senate last week urged the Obama administration to review its seven-month-old policy toward Burma.
The resolution noted that the new policy has not yielded any positive moves by the military junta. The State Department, however, insisted that it would continue with its policy if sanctions and engagement simultaneously.
“The combination of direct dialogue with pressure is the right approach, but expectations should be kept in check. After decades of pursuing policies to isolate Burma, it will take both time and effort before this shift bears any fruit,” said Suzanne DiMaggio, Asia Society’s director of policy studies.
“For now, the US needs to continue to engage with military leaders, as well as with a wide range of groups inside Burma, to position itself to respond effectively and flexibly to the twists and turns that a potential transition may take,” she said.
“At the same time, the US should ramp up coordination on its Burma policy with other key stakeholders, particularly Asean, the UN and Burma's neighbors, including China, India and Japan,” DiMaggio said.
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DVB News - Fighting Peacock banned from elections
By AYE NAI
Published: 12 May 2010
The Burmese government’s Election Commission has warned leaders of two election parties against using on their flags the powerful peacock symbol previously employed by armed groups.
Aye Lwin, the head of Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP), and his brother Ye Htun, head of 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar), were summoned on 4 May to the Burmese capital Naypyidaw where government officials “told us to change our flags,” Aye Lwin said.
The symbol of the peacock, Burma’s national animal, carries a weighty history, having been used by anti-government groups from General Aung San’s Burma Independence Army to the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABSFU).
State-run newspapers last month announced that anyone who was against the groups using the peacock should make their feelings known. About 90 students and influential figures from Burma’s literary and entertainment world then signed a letter of objection which was handed to the Election Commission on 7 May, three days after the two were summoned.
“The commission didn’t follow the regulations in the government’s Political Party Registration Laws,” said Aye Lwin. “Its consideration on our flag proposals was not based on the official laws but based on opinions and procedures outside of the law.”
“We will request that [junta chief] Than Shwe provides us with guidance. At the same time we are considering amendments to our flags and will resubmit them to the commission so we can avoid any delay on election registration.”
The two parties were the first to be accepted onto the next stage of registration for elections this year. Aye Lwin, a former student activist whose anti-government stance has softened over the years, occupies the ‘third force’ in Burmese politics, outwardly allied to neither opposition nor incumbent.
Around 30 parties have now registered for the elections. Out of the ashes of the now-disbanded opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party has emerged the National Democratic Force, the most potent opposition party competing in the polls.
By AYE NAI
Published: 12 May 2010
The Burmese government’s Election Commission has warned leaders of two election parties against using on their flags the powerful peacock symbol previously employed by armed groups.
Aye Lwin, the head of Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP), and his brother Ye Htun, head of 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar), were summoned on 4 May to the Burmese capital Naypyidaw where government officials “told us to change our flags,” Aye Lwin said.
The symbol of the peacock, Burma’s national animal, carries a weighty history, having been used by anti-government groups from General Aung San’s Burma Independence Army to the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABSFU).
State-run newspapers last month announced that anyone who was against the groups using the peacock should make their feelings known. About 90 students and influential figures from Burma’s literary and entertainment world then signed a letter of objection which was handed to the Election Commission on 7 May, three days after the two were summoned.
“The commission didn’t follow the regulations in the government’s Political Party Registration Laws,” said Aye Lwin. “Its consideration on our flag proposals was not based on the official laws but based on opinions and procedures outside of the law.”
“We will request that [junta chief] Than Shwe provides us with guidance. At the same time we are considering amendments to our flags and will resubmit them to the commission so we can avoid any delay on election registration.”
The two parties were the first to be accepted onto the next stage of registration for elections this year. Aye Lwin, a former student activist whose anti-government stance has softened over the years, occupies the ‘third force’ in Burmese politics, outwardly allied to neither opposition nor incumbent.
Around 30 parties have now registered for the elections. Out of the ashes of the now-disbanded opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party has emerged the National Democratic Force, the most potent opposition party competing in the polls.
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