U.S. says troubled by Myanmar developments
19 May 2010 17:24:24 GMT
WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat for Asia said on Wednesday Washington is troubled that Myanmar has not moved on any of the issues standing in the way of better American ties with the military-ruled state.
Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, said his visit to Myanmar this month for talks with the military left him disappointed on a full range of bilateral disputes.
"The United States remains quite dissatisfied with what we've seen to date in terms of movement on the part of the government with the specific issues that we've laid out," he said.
Campbell had called on Myanmar to hold dialogue with opposition parties and ethnic groups ahead of elections this year and for the the immediate release of the country's estimated 2,100 political prisoners.
He had also expressed concern that Myanmar was seeking to acquire nuclear technology from North Korea in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions.
"On each of these issues were are troubled by developments," Campbell told a news briefing.
Campbell's visit followed up a trip in November last year -- the first to the former Burma in 14 years by a senior U.S. official -- under Washington's new policy of deeper engagement with a regime it has disparaged for years.
He met with government officials, leaders of opposition parties and ethnic groups and long-detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's charismatic pro-democracy icon.
19 May 2010 17:24:24 GMT
WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat for Asia said on Wednesday Washington is troubled that Myanmar has not moved on any of the issues standing in the way of better American ties with the military-ruled state.
Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, said his visit to Myanmar this month for talks with the military left him disappointed on a full range of bilateral disputes.
"The United States remains quite dissatisfied with what we've seen to date in terms of movement on the part of the government with the specific issues that we've laid out," he said.
Campbell had called on Myanmar to hold dialogue with opposition parties and ethnic groups ahead of elections this year and for the the immediate release of the country's estimated 2,100 political prisoners.
He had also expressed concern that Myanmar was seeking to acquire nuclear technology from North Korea in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions.
"On each of these issues were are troubled by developments," Campbell told a news briefing.
Campbell's visit followed up a trip in November last year -- the first to the former Burma in 14 years by a senior U.S. official -- under Washington's new policy of deeper engagement with a regime it has disparaged for years.
He met with government officials, leaders of opposition parties and ethnic groups and long-detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's charismatic pro-democracy icon.
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19 Mei, 2010 13:33 PM
Some 230 Die Of Heat Stress In Myanmar
YANGON, May 19 (Bernama) -- At least 230 people have died of heat stress in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay during the weekend, as temperature recorded at 45 degree Celsius, the local daily quoted Mandalay municipal authorities as reporting Wednesday.
The red-hot temperature has brought many patients of all ages to the Mandalay General Hospital and private clinics, reports China's Xinhua news agency citing the daily.
Among the dead, most were liquor drinkers, the report said, adding that following this, the Mandalay local authorities have banned selling of liquor in the city.
The excessively high weather temperature too dried up some drinking water ponds in suburban areas in Yangon.
It is reported that thousands of fishes, bred in ponds in the country's southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, died of heat stress daily, local fish breeders said.
There were even some cases that all 100,000 fishes died in a single day in Twantay township, Yangon division.
Excessively hot weather temperature in Myanmar over the past two months broke the highest in the history.
From late April through to the mid-May, the day temperatures in central Myanmar were reaching a record high in over four decades, peaking at between 43 and 47 degree Celsius in such regions as Minbu, Magway, Mandalay, Monywa, Nyaung Oo, Chauk and Mingyan as well as in Yangon and Bago over the past week, which are 5 to 8 degree Celsius above April average temperature.
Some 230 Die Of Heat Stress In Myanmar
YANGON, May 19 (Bernama) -- At least 230 people have died of heat stress in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay during the weekend, as temperature recorded at 45 degree Celsius, the local daily quoted Mandalay municipal authorities as reporting Wednesday.
The red-hot temperature has brought many patients of all ages to the Mandalay General Hospital and private clinics, reports China's Xinhua news agency citing the daily.
Among the dead, most were liquor drinkers, the report said, adding that following this, the Mandalay local authorities have banned selling of liquor in the city.
The excessively high weather temperature too dried up some drinking water ponds in suburban areas in Yangon.
It is reported that thousands of fishes, bred in ponds in the country's southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, died of heat stress daily, local fish breeders said.
There were even some cases that all 100,000 fishes died in a single day in Twantay township, Yangon division.
Excessively hot weather temperature in Myanmar over the past two months broke the highest in the history.
From late April through to the mid-May, the day temperatures in central Myanmar were reaching a record high in over four decades, peaking at between 43 and 47 degree Celsius in such regions as Minbu, Magway, Mandalay, Monywa, Nyaung Oo, Chauk and Mingyan as well as in Yangon and Bago over the past week, which are 5 to 8 degree Celsius above April average temperature.
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Global Post - Myanmar: Hip-hop's revolution
With elections at the end of the year, Generation Wave is producing politically subversive music.
By Alex Ellgee — Special to GlobalPost
Published: May 19, 2010 08:15 ET
MAE SOT, Thailand — Behind the rusty prison bars, two men lie on the floor in light blue fatigues. A stream of light pours in through a small window near the top of their cell. All is still.
Suddenly, loud music begins to blare. The men leap up and clang their iron shackles as smoke drifts into their cell. They start singing against a heavy beat: “Never turn back, never give up.”
Despite appearances, these men are not criminals and they are not in prison — at least not in a literal sense.
9KT and MK are famous Myanmar hip-hop artists on the set of their latest music video, "Never Give Up." Donning black masks and using pseudonyms, these musicians aim to keep their political tunes under the radar of a dictatorship as oppressive as Myanmar, formerly called Burma.
“We wanted to film in a prison cell in order to represent for all our members and friends who are now behind bars,” said 9KT, arranging his mask on the set of the music video. “We are trying to tell the government, even if they imprison us they cannot stop us fighting for freedom; we will always carry on.”
“We are telling the people that they shouldn’t give up,” he said. “Burmese youth can’t be afraid of the Burmese junta, they need to fight for freedom in our country.”
Already a prominent hip-hop artist in Myanmar, 9KT grew inspired to make more subversive songs when he heard the political hip-hop of refugees from his country in Australia. He wanted to similarly address the extreme suffering he saw around him.
He traveled to Mae Sot, Thailand, near the Myanmar border, more than a year ago. The area has for more tahn two decades played host to an array of organizations opposing the Myanmar junta.
There, he joined up with an underground political group called Generation Wave (GW). He later met MK through GW, and they immediately found common ground in their love for music and the desire to “wake up the youth.” In Mae Sot, they can produce their music with relative safety, away from the police presence in Yangon, Myanmar's capital.
GW itself was formed after the "Saffron Revolution" in September 2007 when rising fuel prices provoked thousands of monks to take to the streets in protest. Civilians joined the movement, but the military junta cracked down, leaving hundreds dead and thousands imprisoned.
Following the crackdown, a group of protesters, who had been friends since high school, started GW as a way to inspire new activists inside Myanmar. Having analyzed revolutions worldwide and the opposition movement in their country they decided to focus on non-violent resistance.
In two and half years, the group has carried out what they call “action campaigns” almost every week. Their main activities include anti-government graffiti in busy places, handing out pamphlets and writing and distributing political music.
“The youth of Burma have seen so many activists thrown behind bars, they have seen monks killed in the streets, so many are turning their back to the struggle for human rights,” said Min Yan Naing, founder of GW. “Our job and aim is to bring them back and make them feel the responsibility to change our country and better the lives for all Burmese people.”
Just association with GW risks a hefty prison sentence. Thirty GW members have been arrested. Nyie Chan was handed the longest sentence, 32 years, and is said to be suffering from severe stomach problems in Myanmar’s notorious Insein prison near Yangon.
Zayar Thaw, another famous hip-hop artist, was arrested and sentenced to six years. Minutes before Zayar Thaw was sentenced, he wrote a statement, which was leaked to GW members. “Tell the people to have the courage to reject the things they don’t like, and even if they don’t dare to openly support the right thing, tell them not to support the wrong thing,” he said in his statement.
The young musician pioneered the hip-hop industry in Myanmar, releasing the first-ever rap album in the country in 2003. The rock ‘n’ roll music fans of Myanmar’s crumbling cities found a new passion overnight.
Zayar Thaw's thirst for hip-hop was married to his desire to further democracy in Myanmar. The most prolific of GW campaigns, which saw the phrase “Change New Government” being applied to Change Nitric Gas stickers, was his brainchild. This motto is also spray-painted across the gate of GW’s safe house in Mae Sot.
All the walls of the GW safe house are covered in graffiti. One wall has “Freedom” splattered across it. Another has "Generation Wave" stenciled in red, with a large clenched fist giving a thumbs up — GW’s logo.
9KT’s latest album, “Never Give Up,” is a direct message to youth. Eleven tracks, to be released in October in time with Myanmar's elections, mix rock and hip-hop. One song called “If We All Unite,” talks about coming together to topple the government; while another, “Negative Thinking,” is a comic song that mocks the generals for their bad intentions.
“Music can change everything. Popular music can change a lot,” he said. “When I was young and heard celebrities singing happy songs, it made me happy, if they sang angrily, it made me angry — so I hope if the people hear political songs from familiar voices they will become interested in politics.”
The cameraman at the music video shoot takes an aerial position. 9KT shakes a can of spray paint and skillfully tags "2010," to represent the upcoming elections, on the concrete floor. Without delay he whips out his second can and aggressively paints a white cross over the digits.
Angrily, he stamps on it and walks off. With a bit of luck a dog walks over the graffiti. Since dogs are considered lowly creatures, cheers arise from the group which believes the upcoming election will be a sham — a belief furthered by new election laws that for the first time allow the junta to legally arrest opposition politicians who did not register.
As the camera and lights get packed up GW members sit around a table with guitars discussing their upcoming furtive campaigns.
“We have to do as many as possible during the elections,” Min Yan Naing told the group. “A revolution is evolving, it might not happen over night but at least the people will soon realize they have the right to be free.”
With elections at the end of the year, Generation Wave is producing politically subversive music.
By Alex Ellgee — Special to GlobalPost
Published: May 19, 2010 08:15 ET
MAE SOT, Thailand — Behind the rusty prison bars, two men lie on the floor in light blue fatigues. A stream of light pours in through a small window near the top of their cell. All is still.
Suddenly, loud music begins to blare. The men leap up and clang their iron shackles as smoke drifts into their cell. They start singing against a heavy beat: “Never turn back, never give up.”
Despite appearances, these men are not criminals and they are not in prison — at least not in a literal sense.
9KT and MK are famous Myanmar hip-hop artists on the set of their latest music video, "Never Give Up." Donning black masks and using pseudonyms, these musicians aim to keep their political tunes under the radar of a dictatorship as oppressive as Myanmar, formerly called Burma.
“We wanted to film in a prison cell in order to represent for all our members and friends who are now behind bars,” said 9KT, arranging his mask on the set of the music video. “We are trying to tell the government, even if they imprison us they cannot stop us fighting for freedom; we will always carry on.”
“We are telling the people that they shouldn’t give up,” he said. “Burmese youth can’t be afraid of the Burmese junta, they need to fight for freedom in our country.”
Already a prominent hip-hop artist in Myanmar, 9KT grew inspired to make more subversive songs when he heard the political hip-hop of refugees from his country in Australia. He wanted to similarly address the extreme suffering he saw around him.
He traveled to Mae Sot, Thailand, near the Myanmar border, more than a year ago. The area has for more tahn two decades played host to an array of organizations opposing the Myanmar junta.
There, he joined up with an underground political group called Generation Wave (GW). He later met MK through GW, and they immediately found common ground in their love for music and the desire to “wake up the youth.” In Mae Sot, they can produce their music with relative safety, away from the police presence in Yangon, Myanmar's capital.
GW itself was formed after the "Saffron Revolution" in September 2007 when rising fuel prices provoked thousands of monks to take to the streets in protest. Civilians joined the movement, but the military junta cracked down, leaving hundreds dead and thousands imprisoned.
Following the crackdown, a group of protesters, who had been friends since high school, started GW as a way to inspire new activists inside Myanmar. Having analyzed revolutions worldwide and the opposition movement in their country they decided to focus on non-violent resistance.
In two and half years, the group has carried out what they call “action campaigns” almost every week. Their main activities include anti-government graffiti in busy places, handing out pamphlets and writing and distributing political music.
“The youth of Burma have seen so many activists thrown behind bars, they have seen monks killed in the streets, so many are turning their back to the struggle for human rights,” said Min Yan Naing, founder of GW. “Our job and aim is to bring them back and make them feel the responsibility to change our country and better the lives for all Burmese people.”
Just association with GW risks a hefty prison sentence. Thirty GW members have been arrested. Nyie Chan was handed the longest sentence, 32 years, and is said to be suffering from severe stomach problems in Myanmar’s notorious Insein prison near Yangon.
Zayar Thaw, another famous hip-hop artist, was arrested and sentenced to six years. Minutes before Zayar Thaw was sentenced, he wrote a statement, which was leaked to GW members. “Tell the people to have the courage to reject the things they don’t like, and even if they don’t dare to openly support the right thing, tell them not to support the wrong thing,” he said in his statement.
The young musician pioneered the hip-hop industry in Myanmar, releasing the first-ever rap album in the country in 2003. The rock ‘n’ roll music fans of Myanmar’s crumbling cities found a new passion overnight.
Zayar Thaw's thirst for hip-hop was married to his desire to further democracy in Myanmar. The most prolific of GW campaigns, which saw the phrase “Change New Government” being applied to Change Nitric Gas stickers, was his brainchild. This motto is also spray-painted across the gate of GW’s safe house in Mae Sot.
All the walls of the GW safe house are covered in graffiti. One wall has “Freedom” splattered across it. Another has "Generation Wave" stenciled in red, with a large clenched fist giving a thumbs up — GW’s logo.
9KT’s latest album, “Never Give Up,” is a direct message to youth. Eleven tracks, to be released in October in time with Myanmar's elections, mix rock and hip-hop. One song called “If We All Unite,” talks about coming together to topple the government; while another, “Negative Thinking,” is a comic song that mocks the generals for their bad intentions.
“Music can change everything. Popular music can change a lot,” he said. “When I was young and heard celebrities singing happy songs, it made me happy, if they sang angrily, it made me angry — so I hope if the people hear political songs from familiar voices they will become interested in politics.”
The cameraman at the music video shoot takes an aerial position. 9KT shakes a can of spray paint and skillfully tags "2010," to represent the upcoming elections, on the concrete floor. Without delay he whips out his second can and aggressively paints a white cross over the digits.
Angrily, he stamps on it and walks off. With a bit of luck a dog walks over the graffiti. Since dogs are considered lowly creatures, cheers arise from the group which believes the upcoming election will be a sham — a belief furthered by new election laws that for the first time allow the junta to legally arrest opposition politicians who did not register.
As the camera and lights get packed up GW members sit around a table with guitars discussing their upcoming furtive campaigns.
“We have to do as many as possible during the elections,” Min Yan Naing told the group. “A revolution is evolving, it might not happen over night but at least the people will soon realize they have the right to be free.”
***************************************************
Cyclone Laila assumed not moving towards Myanmar
English.news.cn 2010-05-19 12:20:47
YANGON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Cyclone Laila at yellow level occurring over Southwest Bay of Bengal is assumed not moving towards Myanmar, an official daily reported Wednesday quoting a forecast of the Myanmar Meteorology and Hydrology Department.
However, due to the influence of the storm, squalls with rough seas are likely at times off and along Myanmar coast at a wind speed of between 56 and 64 km per hour, said the New Light of Myanmar.
According to observations recorded on Tuesday evening, cyclone Laila moved southwestwards with its center in the sea about 352 km east of Chinnai, India at a maximum wind speed of about 80 km per hour.
The storm is forecast to move northwestwards.
Meanwhile, the first heavy rainfall formally poured onto Myanmar's Yangon on Monday night after experiencing two month-long red-hot summer, initially bringing down the city's temperature from as high as over 42 degree Celsius.
The rainfall with lightning marked the beginning of the rainy season this year which Yangon residents are long expecting amid extreme hot summer.
English.news.cn 2010-05-19 12:20:47
YANGON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Cyclone Laila at yellow level occurring over Southwest Bay of Bengal is assumed not moving towards Myanmar, an official daily reported Wednesday quoting a forecast of the Myanmar Meteorology and Hydrology Department.
However, due to the influence of the storm, squalls with rough seas are likely at times off and along Myanmar coast at a wind speed of between 56 and 64 km per hour, said the New Light of Myanmar.
According to observations recorded on Tuesday evening, cyclone Laila moved southwestwards with its center in the sea about 352 km east of Chinnai, India at a maximum wind speed of about 80 km per hour.
The storm is forecast to move northwestwards.
Meanwhile, the first heavy rainfall formally poured onto Myanmar's Yangon on Monday night after experiencing two month-long red-hot summer, initially bringing down the city's temperature from as high as over 42 degree Celsius.
The rainfall with lightning marked the beginning of the rainy season this year which Yangon residents are long expecting amid extreme hot summer.
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The Irrawaddy - One More Political Prisoner Dies in Jail
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Political prisoner Kyaw Soe, 40, died at Myingyan Prison in central Burma on Wednesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP).
“We have learned he passed away at the prison hospital about 10 a.m. His wife and some of his family members are traveling to Myingyun,” said Bo Kyi, the joint-secretary of the AAPP. “His death means 114 political prisoners have died in Burma’s prison system.”
The AAPP said he had suffered from a respiratory disease and stomach problems. He is survived by his wife and a 7-year-old daughter.
Kyaw Soe was a member of the opposition National League for Democracy and the human rights group, Human Rights Defenders and Promoters.
He was arrested in September 2008 and charged with having contact with unlawful organizations and other charges.
Myingyan Prison is one of the most notorious prisons in the country. Several political prisoners have died at the prison in past years, some as a result of torture, said human rights group.
Saw Yin Tint, a Karen ethnic from the Irrawaddy delta, died in the prison in 1996 after he was tortured by prison wardens, said rights groups. Another Karen, Saw Ether, also died in 1998 due to ill-treatment and malnutrition in the prison.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Political prisoner Kyaw Soe, 40, died at Myingyan Prison in central Burma on Wednesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP).
“We have learned he passed away at the prison hospital about 10 a.m. His wife and some of his family members are traveling to Myingyun,” said Bo Kyi, the joint-secretary of the AAPP. “His death means 114 political prisoners have died in Burma’s prison system.”
The AAPP said he had suffered from a respiratory disease and stomach problems. He is survived by his wife and a 7-year-old daughter.
Kyaw Soe was a member of the opposition National League for Democracy and the human rights group, Human Rights Defenders and Promoters.
He was arrested in September 2008 and charged with having contact with unlawful organizations and other charges.
Myingyan Prison is one of the most notorious prisons in the country. Several political prisoners have died at the prison in past years, some as a result of torture, said human rights group.
Saw Yin Tint, a Karen ethnic from the Irrawaddy delta, died in the prison in 1996 after he was tortured by prison wardens, said rights groups. Another Karen, Saw Ether, also died in 1998 due to ill-treatment and malnutrition in the prison.
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The Irrawaddy - USDA Continues to Harass Water Volunteers
By KO HTWE - Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association(USDA) continue to try to co-opt local volunteer groups who try to distribute water in drought-stricken areas of Burma.
One group, on their way to a drought-stricken area in Waw Township in Pegu Division, was stopped by police, volunteers told The Irrawaddy. They said police took the leader's name, car license number and recorded the amount of water to be donated.
Myat Hla, the former party chairman of the defunct National League of Democracy (NLD) in Pegu Township, said, “Authorities are ordering volunteer donors to distribute water wherever they want, and they give them a USDA flag to put on the vehicles, but most volunteers throw the flags away.”
A fierce heat wave in Burma has combined with a drought to create serious water shortages in many parts of the country. Many local volunteers have raised money to finance emergency water distribution to areas in need.
Emergency supplies are being transported into the hardest-hit communities, some of which have been reduced to drinking river water. Local residents say the military remains largely inactive as ponds and rivers dry up in many areas due to high temperatures and the late monsoon rains.
Actor Kyaw Thu, who works with a leading Rangoon-based charity, the Free Funeral Services Society (FFSS), told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, “If they want us to display their flag, we cannot accept that. We will procede with the label of the FFSS.”
The FFSS provides free clinic and funeral services in the country's former capital and actively helped victims of cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Aye Myint, a leading labor activist in Pegu Division, told The Irrawaddy that on Monday USDA members hired 50 trishaws, placed purified water on them and took photographs to show that they are distributing water.
“After taking the photo, they paid money to the trishaw drivers and sent them back. They pretended that they were donating water,” Aye Myint said.
Donors who planned to take water to Dala Township, located on the southern bank of the Rangoon River just across from the city, said, “The USDA tried to put their flags and labels on our vehicles. Donors who don't like that chose not to go. But some donors who want to distribute water bear it and put it on anyway.”
By KO HTWE - Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association(USDA) continue to try to co-opt local volunteer groups who try to distribute water in drought-stricken areas of Burma.
One group, on their way to a drought-stricken area in Waw Township in Pegu Division, was stopped by police, volunteers told The Irrawaddy. They said police took the leader's name, car license number and recorded the amount of water to be donated.
Myat Hla, the former party chairman of the defunct National League of Democracy (NLD) in Pegu Township, said, “Authorities are ordering volunteer donors to distribute water wherever they want, and they give them a USDA flag to put on the vehicles, but most volunteers throw the flags away.”
A fierce heat wave in Burma has combined with a drought to create serious water shortages in many parts of the country. Many local volunteers have raised money to finance emergency water distribution to areas in need.
Emergency supplies are being transported into the hardest-hit communities, some of which have been reduced to drinking river water. Local residents say the military remains largely inactive as ponds and rivers dry up in many areas due to high temperatures and the late monsoon rains.
Actor Kyaw Thu, who works with a leading Rangoon-based charity, the Free Funeral Services Society (FFSS), told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, “If they want us to display their flag, we cannot accept that. We will procede with the label of the FFSS.”
The FFSS provides free clinic and funeral services in the country's former capital and actively helped victims of cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Aye Myint, a leading labor activist in Pegu Division, told The Irrawaddy that on Monday USDA members hired 50 trishaws, placed purified water on them and took photographs to show that they are distributing water.
“After taking the photo, they paid money to the trishaw drivers and sent them back. They pretended that they were donating water,” Aye Myint said.
Donors who planned to take water to Dala Township, located on the southern bank of the Rangoon River just across from the city, said, “The USDA tried to put their flags and labels on our vehicles. Donors who don't like that chose not to go. But some donors who want to distribute water bear it and put it on anyway.”
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Six junta soldiers defect to Arakan militia
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 23:35 Khai Suu
New Delhi (Mizzima) – Six Burmese Army soldiers including a corporal have defected to the Arakan Liberation Army from a battalion based in Sittwe in Arakan State, the separatist militia’s spokesman said yesterday.
After killing their commander, Captain Htet Aung Htun, the men from Infantry Battalion 232 based in Sittwe, Arakan (Rakhine) State defected on Sunday, carrying with them arms and ammunition, Arakan Liberation Army (ALA) said.
They were Corporal Than Aye, 36, (tag number Ta/75184), Lance Corporal Moe Aung, 26, (Ta/116574); Lance Corporal Maung Maung Naing, 26, (Ta/121743); Private Zaw Min Oo, 25, (Ta/401336); and, Private San Win, 27, (Ta/423148) joined the ALA.
“This area is dominated by both of us [junta troops and the ALA] and movements of our forces are criss-crossing this area,” ALA Joint Secretary Khai Thu Kha. “They know well where we are and vice versa. So they came and surrendered to us.”
The defectors were being kept at a secure location, he said.
“We welcome them and are glad to see them joining us,” he said. “Since they have not yet reached our headquarters, we have not arranged anything for them.”
“We will help them only after asking them about their intentions. We have given similar assistance to troop defectors before”, he added.
They brought with them five MA-11 and two MA-3 rifles, one MA-79 grenade launcher and 19 shells, one B-100 commando mortar with 12 shells, one 9mm pistol with two magazine boxes and 14 bullets, six hand grenades, six M-16 landmines, 10 equipment bags, six backpacks, one large radio set and about 1,300 other assorted ammunition pieces, the ALA said.
A mobile frontline column from Yechanpyin village, the battalion is led by acting commander Major Kyaw Moe Hein and is stationed near Ngweletwa village, in Paletwa. The reserve platoon under this column was led by Htet Aung Htun and is stationed at the Myeikwa India-Burma border outpost.
In 2007, two soldiers with arms and ammunition defected to the ALA operating along the border in Sittwe and Maungdaw districts in Arakan and Paletwa in Chin State.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 23:35 Khai Suu
New Delhi (Mizzima) – Six Burmese Army soldiers including a corporal have defected to the Arakan Liberation Army from a battalion based in Sittwe in Arakan State, the separatist militia’s spokesman said yesterday.
After killing their commander, Captain Htet Aung Htun, the men from Infantry Battalion 232 based in Sittwe, Arakan (Rakhine) State defected on Sunday, carrying with them arms and ammunition, Arakan Liberation Army (ALA) said.
They were Corporal Than Aye, 36, (tag number Ta/75184), Lance Corporal Moe Aung, 26, (Ta/116574); Lance Corporal Maung Maung Naing, 26, (Ta/121743); Private Zaw Min Oo, 25, (Ta/401336); and, Private San Win, 27, (Ta/423148) joined the ALA.
“This area is dominated by both of us [junta troops and the ALA] and movements of our forces are criss-crossing this area,” ALA Joint Secretary Khai Thu Kha. “They know well where we are and vice versa. So they came and surrendered to us.”
The defectors were being kept at a secure location, he said.
“We welcome them and are glad to see them joining us,” he said. “Since they have not yet reached our headquarters, we have not arranged anything for them.”
“We will help them only after asking them about their intentions. We have given similar assistance to troop defectors before”, he added.
They brought with them five MA-11 and two MA-3 rifles, one MA-79 grenade launcher and 19 shells, one B-100 commando mortar with 12 shells, one 9mm pistol with two magazine boxes and 14 bullets, six hand grenades, six M-16 landmines, 10 equipment bags, six backpacks, one large radio set and about 1,300 other assorted ammunition pieces, the ALA said.
A mobile frontline column from Yechanpyin village, the battalion is led by acting commander Major Kyaw Moe Hein and is stationed near Ngweletwa village, in Paletwa. The reserve platoon under this column was led by Htet Aung Htun and is stationed at the Myeikwa India-Burma border outpost.
In 2007, two soldiers with arms and ammunition defected to the ALA operating along the border in Sittwe and Maungdaw districts in Arakan and Paletwa in Chin State.
***************************************************
Essar Signs Contract For ‘Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project’
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 22:04 Mizzima News
New Dehli (Mizzima) – Indian infrastructure engineering contractor Essar Projects has signed a contract with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to carry out sea and river port segments in the Burmese leg of the huge Kaladan transit project, which is designed to improve trade links between the nations, a spokesman said.
The “Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project” financed by India aims to boost links between ports on India’s eastern seaboard and Sittwe in Arakan (Rakhine) State, Burma. From there goods will be shipped along the Kaladan River from its confluence near Sittwe to Paletwa in Chin State and by road to India’s Mizoram State, which will provide an alternate route for transport of goods to India’s landlocked northeast, according to the ministry’s website.
It will have 333 miles (539 kilometres) of waterways and 140 miles of roads. India and Burma signed the overall deal in April last year.
Essar Group spokesperson Manish Kedia confirmed the contract signing with Mizzima. “The zero date for the project has already started and our team is already in Burma … [they have] started [bringing in] equipment and other things will take off as soon as possible,” Kedia said, adding “it is a 36-month project.”
The execution contract was signed with the Indian ministry last Friday. It included dredging and construction of cargo barges to aid shipping along the Kaladan River. The construction of the port at Sittwe was a major component of the contract, Essar said in a statement.
“The project is to construct a port at Sittwe and a jetty at Paletwa, it will help in developing infrastructure in Burma, which would be beneficial to the country itself, and will promote employment opportunities, Kedia said. “It will also help the Burmese government earn revenue.”
The contract is worth 3.42 billion Rupees (US$75 million) to Essar.
But certainly not all Burmese will benefit. Aung Marm Oo, director of the Arakan Rivers Network said in Chiang Mai, Thailand last November that the proposed project, especially the dredging, would devastate the livelihoods of people in Sittwe, Pongnakyun and Kyaukthaw townships in Arakan while in Chin State, people of Paletwa Township would also pay a heavy price.
“The first group to be affected is people who earn a living from fishing in the Kaladan River,” Aung Marm Oo said.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs failed to offer any appropriate responses after repeated contacts by Mizzima.
Essar said its responsibilities also included 120 kilometres of road to be built in Burma from the river terminal in Paletwa to the India-Burma border in the northeast, but that road construction would be under a separate contract.
The contract was signed by the ministry’s joint secretary, T. S. Tirumurti, on behalf of the Government of India and Essar ports and jetties vice-president Vishwesha Bhat.
The Kaladan River, which forms a border between India and Burma, is navigable from its confluence point with the Bay of Bengal near Sittwe up to Paletwa (Setpyitpyin). Beyond this it is not navigable owing to shallow water and frequent rapids, so road transport is planned for this stretch.
India’s Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land above Bangladesh that connects India’s northeastern states to the rest of India, is under severe pressure. Dehli also accuses Dhaka of inflexibility over transit rights through Bangladeshi territory.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 22:04 Mizzima News
New Dehli (Mizzima) – Indian infrastructure engineering contractor Essar Projects has signed a contract with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to carry out sea and river port segments in the Burmese leg of the huge Kaladan transit project, which is designed to improve trade links between the nations, a spokesman said.
The “Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project” financed by India aims to boost links between ports on India’s eastern seaboard and Sittwe in Arakan (Rakhine) State, Burma. From there goods will be shipped along the Kaladan River from its confluence near Sittwe to Paletwa in Chin State and by road to India’s Mizoram State, which will provide an alternate route for transport of goods to India’s landlocked northeast, according to the ministry’s website.
It will have 333 miles (539 kilometres) of waterways and 140 miles of roads. India and Burma signed the overall deal in April last year.
Essar Group spokesperson Manish Kedia confirmed the contract signing with Mizzima. “The zero date for the project has already started and our team is already in Burma … [they have] started [bringing in] equipment and other things will take off as soon as possible,” Kedia said, adding “it is a 36-month project.”
The execution contract was signed with the Indian ministry last Friday. It included dredging and construction of cargo barges to aid shipping along the Kaladan River. The construction of the port at Sittwe was a major component of the contract, Essar said in a statement.
“The project is to construct a port at Sittwe and a jetty at Paletwa, it will help in developing infrastructure in Burma, which would be beneficial to the country itself, and will promote employment opportunities, Kedia said. “It will also help the Burmese government earn revenue.”
The contract is worth 3.42 billion Rupees (US$75 million) to Essar.
But certainly not all Burmese will benefit. Aung Marm Oo, director of the Arakan Rivers Network said in Chiang Mai, Thailand last November that the proposed project, especially the dredging, would devastate the livelihoods of people in Sittwe, Pongnakyun and Kyaukthaw townships in Arakan while in Chin State, people of Paletwa Township would also pay a heavy price.
“The first group to be affected is people who earn a living from fishing in the Kaladan River,” Aung Marm Oo said.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs failed to offer any appropriate responses after repeated contacts by Mizzima.
Essar said its responsibilities also included 120 kilometres of road to be built in Burma from the river terminal in Paletwa to the India-Burma border in the northeast, but that road construction would be under a separate contract.
The contract was signed by the ministry’s joint secretary, T. S. Tirumurti, on behalf of the Government of India and Essar ports and jetties vice-president Vishwesha Bhat.
The Kaladan River, which forms a border between India and Burma, is navigable from its confluence point with the Bay of Bengal near Sittwe up to Paletwa (Setpyitpyin). Beyond this it is not navigable owing to shallow water and frequent rapids, so road transport is planned for this stretch.
India’s Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land above Bangladesh that connects India’s northeastern states to the rest of India, is under severe pressure. Dehli also accuses Dhaka of inflexibility over transit rights through Bangladeshi territory.
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DVB News - HIV rates among Asian men ‘alarming’
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 19 May 2010
A serious shortage in use of contraception by gay and bisexual men in the Asia-Pacific region, coupled with criminalisation of the practice, is causing “alarming” rates of HIV.
The warning was issued in a joint report by the UN Development Programme, the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCPM) and the University of Hong Kong’s Center for Comparative and Public Law. It said that around 90 percent of gay and bisexual men in the region do not have access to contraception.
Statistics for HIV/AIDS rates among this demographic in Rangoon have sparked alarm; according to the report, 29.3 percent are infected versus 0.7 percent of the total adult population in Burma. In Bangkok it is 30.8 percent compared to 1.4 percent in Thailand, and in Mumbai it is 17 percent versus 0.36 percent in all of India. The UN also warned last year that 18 percent of female sex workers in Burma were infected with HIV.
The report points a finger at the criminalisation of homosexuality across the region. “Nineteen of 48 countries in the Asia Pacific region criminalize male-to-male sex, and these laws often take on the force of vigilantism, often leading to abuse and human rights violations,” it says.
Although an archaic law introduced during the British rule of Burma that outlaws homosexual activity is rarely used now, stigmatisation remains. The Burmese government last year marked World AIDS Day with an article in the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper linking the disease to “socially unacceptable behaviour”.
Deeply conservative social norms, combined with record low government healthcare expenditure and limited health-related education are driving the problem in Burma. The cocktail of problems raises fears that the global effectiveness in combating the disease may not be so prominent in the pariah Southeast Asian country.
When no punitive measures are used against male-to-male sex, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals are still “subject to police abuses and are targeted by police for other offences relating to public order, vagrancy, prostitution and obscenity,” the report says.
“If countries fail to address the legal context of the epidemic, this already critical situation is likely to become worse,” it said. The report was launched to coincide with World Day Against Homophobia.
Despite the ominous warnings, however, rates of HIV infection in Burma have levelled off in recent years, from one percent of the population in 2000 to 0.7 percent today, the UN said last year.
Furthermore, figures released by the UNAIDS programme for 2008 found that the number of new HIV infections in Asia had dropped by 15 percent since 2001. Globally, there has been a 30 percent drop since the disease peaked in 1996.
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 19 May 2010
A serious shortage in use of contraception by gay and bisexual men in the Asia-Pacific region, coupled with criminalisation of the practice, is causing “alarming” rates of HIV.
The warning was issued in a joint report by the UN Development Programme, the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCPM) and the University of Hong Kong’s Center for Comparative and Public Law. It said that around 90 percent of gay and bisexual men in the region do not have access to contraception.
Statistics for HIV/AIDS rates among this demographic in Rangoon have sparked alarm; according to the report, 29.3 percent are infected versus 0.7 percent of the total adult population in Burma. In Bangkok it is 30.8 percent compared to 1.4 percent in Thailand, and in Mumbai it is 17 percent versus 0.36 percent in all of India. The UN also warned last year that 18 percent of female sex workers in Burma were infected with HIV.
The report points a finger at the criminalisation of homosexuality across the region. “Nineteen of 48 countries in the Asia Pacific region criminalize male-to-male sex, and these laws often take on the force of vigilantism, often leading to abuse and human rights violations,” it says.
Although an archaic law introduced during the British rule of Burma that outlaws homosexual activity is rarely used now, stigmatisation remains. The Burmese government last year marked World AIDS Day with an article in the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper linking the disease to “socially unacceptable behaviour”.
Deeply conservative social norms, combined with record low government healthcare expenditure and limited health-related education are driving the problem in Burma. The cocktail of problems raises fears that the global effectiveness in combating the disease may not be so prominent in the pariah Southeast Asian country.
When no punitive measures are used against male-to-male sex, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals are still “subject to police abuses and are targeted by police for other offences relating to public order, vagrancy, prostitution and obscenity,” the report says.
“If countries fail to address the legal context of the epidemic, this already critical situation is likely to become worse,” it said. The report was launched to coincide with World Day Against Homophobia.
Despite the ominous warnings, however, rates of HIV infection in Burma have levelled off in recent years, from one percent of the population in 2000 to 0.7 percent today, the UN said last year.
Furthermore, figures released by the UNAIDS programme for 2008 found that the number of new HIV infections in Asia had dropped by 15 percent since 2001. Globally, there has been a 30 percent drop since the disease peaked in 1996.
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DVB News - US media law ‘won’t affect’ Burma
By AHUNT PHONE MYAT
Published: 19 May 2010
A new US law signed this week that will single out governments that restrict press freedom will have little impact on Burma, media workers inside the country have said.
President Obama on Monday ratified a bill that requires the state department to compile a public list of governments which violate journalistic freedoms. It was passed in honour of US journalist Daniel Pearl, who was killed in Pakistan in 2002 whilst on assignment with The Wall Street Journal.
But journalists in Burma, a country that consistently ranks at the tail-end of press freedom indexes, say that outside pressure on the country’s military rulers to lift draconian media restrictions rarely has an impact.
“[Press freedom] only depends on the politics that dominates the country; if [the junta’s] politics is likely to be affected in a big way, they will continue to hold onto the status quo… there is not much hope for that,” said an editor from a Burmese news journal, speaking to DVB on condition of anonymity.
The vice-chairman of the Thailand-based Burma Media Association (BMA), Zin Lin, added that the intransigence of the Burmese junta, which has ruled the country in various forms since 1962 and introduced some of the world’s harshest media laws, made the US bill merely symbolic.
“The international community can warn and denounce them [the generals], and can give journalists inside Burma awards as a way of encouraging them, but as long as you can’t change the military machinery [or] remove the press scrutiny board, the prospect of press freedom in Burma remains distant.”
Around 15 journalists are currently behind bars in Burma, including DVB reporters Hla Hla Win, Win Zaw and Ngwe Soe Lin. Hla Hla Win was handed a 35-year sentence last year after recording interviews with monks, while Ngwe Soe Lin had filmed footage for the award-winning Channel 4 documentary ‘Orphan’s of Burma’s Cyclone’, and was given 13 years.
Burma last year ranked 171 out of 175 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ annual Press Freedom Index, above Turkmenistan, Eritrea, North Korea and Iran.
Obama told AFP that the new law “sends a strong message from the US government and the state department that we’re paying attention on how foreign governments are operating when it comes to the press.”
But recent attempts by the US to nudge the ruling junta towards democratic transition appear to have been ignored by the generals, who are gearing up for elections this year that look set to entrench military rule.
Another newspaper editor told DVB that the lack of success by the US, including a recent visit by senior envoy Kurt Campbell, showed that “nothing has changed” in the country.
“What is happening now is that reporters can’t do anything here. When they go into the field where something serious has happened, they get arrested,” he said. “Nothing has changed. You will see that the situation only gets worse.”
By AHUNT PHONE MYAT
Published: 19 May 2010
A new US law signed this week that will single out governments that restrict press freedom will have little impact on Burma, media workers inside the country have said.
President Obama on Monday ratified a bill that requires the state department to compile a public list of governments which violate journalistic freedoms. It was passed in honour of US journalist Daniel Pearl, who was killed in Pakistan in 2002 whilst on assignment with The Wall Street Journal.
But journalists in Burma, a country that consistently ranks at the tail-end of press freedom indexes, say that outside pressure on the country’s military rulers to lift draconian media restrictions rarely has an impact.
“[Press freedom] only depends on the politics that dominates the country; if [the junta’s] politics is likely to be affected in a big way, they will continue to hold onto the status quo… there is not much hope for that,” said an editor from a Burmese news journal, speaking to DVB on condition of anonymity.
The vice-chairman of the Thailand-based Burma Media Association (BMA), Zin Lin, added that the intransigence of the Burmese junta, which has ruled the country in various forms since 1962 and introduced some of the world’s harshest media laws, made the US bill merely symbolic.
“The international community can warn and denounce them [the generals], and can give journalists inside Burma awards as a way of encouraging them, but as long as you can’t change the military machinery [or] remove the press scrutiny board, the prospect of press freedom in Burma remains distant.”
Around 15 journalists are currently behind bars in Burma, including DVB reporters Hla Hla Win, Win Zaw and Ngwe Soe Lin. Hla Hla Win was handed a 35-year sentence last year after recording interviews with monks, while Ngwe Soe Lin had filmed footage for the award-winning Channel 4 documentary ‘Orphan’s of Burma’s Cyclone’, and was given 13 years.
Burma last year ranked 171 out of 175 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ annual Press Freedom Index, above Turkmenistan, Eritrea, North Korea and Iran.
Obama told AFP that the new law “sends a strong message from the US government and the state department that we’re paying attention on how foreign governments are operating when it comes to the press.”
But recent attempts by the US to nudge the ruling junta towards democratic transition appear to have been ignored by the generals, who are gearing up for elections this year that look set to entrench military rule.
Another newspaper editor told DVB that the lack of success by the US, including a recent visit by senior envoy Kurt Campbell, showed that “nothing has changed” in the country.
“What is happening now is that reporters can’t do anything here. When they go into the field where something serious has happened, they get arrested,” he said. “Nothing has changed. You will see that the situation only gets worse.”
***************************************************
DVB News - ‘Soldiers’ kill 3 in armed robbery
By NAW NOREEN
Published: 19 May 2010
Three people were killed and 13 injured last week after a group of men, some dressed in army uniform, fired on villagers in southern Burma’s Rangoon division during an attempted armed robbery.
The five men burst into the house of Daw Kywet Ma at 10pm on 16 May and demanded money. When residents of Dayeloo village in Rangoon’s Kunchangon township surrounded the house, the men opened fire.
“Five soldiers came in; three in uniform with torches on their hats and the other two in civilian clothing,” said one of the residents. “They came into the house and one of them demanded 300,000 kyat [$US300]… one person’s hands were tied at the latrine near the house.”
The resident said that the woman who was tied up managed to escape and shout to other villagers, who then surrounded the house.
“There they opened fire indiscriminately and two villagers died straight away. [The others] all ran away through the backdoor. The men left a bomb…it exploded and one person lost his tongue and ear; another person lost his jaw and tongue.” He added the robbers left behind an assault rifle, an army cap and a bullet.
Six of the wounded were sent to Rangoon General Hospital; one of those, a man called Yin Aye, died the following day. The remaining seven were sent to Kunchangon hospital. The robbers made off with two million kyat ($US200,000) and some gold.
Kunchangon police station confirmed two deaths and said the matter is still being investigated. When asked if the robbers wore army uniform, the officer on duty said: “We don’t about that yet. We are still investigating.”
The Dayeloo resident who spoke to DVB said that there was no army base at the village although an infantry and a navy base were close by. Security has reportedly been tightened around the area after the incident.
Crime and corruption is rife within the Burmese army, largely as a result of poor wages and living conditions. Lower-ranking soldiers are often forced to survive on $US10 a month and dissent against seniors is met with physical punishment.
By NAW NOREEN
Published: 19 May 2010
Three people were killed and 13 injured last week after a group of men, some dressed in army uniform, fired on villagers in southern Burma’s Rangoon division during an attempted armed robbery.
The five men burst into the house of Daw Kywet Ma at 10pm on 16 May and demanded money. When residents of Dayeloo village in Rangoon’s Kunchangon township surrounded the house, the men opened fire.
“Five soldiers came in; three in uniform with torches on their hats and the other two in civilian clothing,” said one of the residents. “They came into the house and one of them demanded 300,000 kyat [$US300]… one person’s hands were tied at the latrine near the house.”
The resident said that the woman who was tied up managed to escape and shout to other villagers, who then surrounded the house.
“There they opened fire indiscriminately and two villagers died straight away. [The others] all ran away through the backdoor. The men left a bomb…it exploded and one person lost his tongue and ear; another person lost his jaw and tongue.” He added the robbers left behind an assault rifle, an army cap and a bullet.
Six of the wounded were sent to Rangoon General Hospital; one of those, a man called Yin Aye, died the following day. The remaining seven were sent to Kunchangon hospital. The robbers made off with two million kyat ($US200,000) and some gold.
Kunchangon police station confirmed two deaths and said the matter is still being investigated. When asked if the robbers wore army uniform, the officer on duty said: “We don’t about that yet. We are still investigating.”
The Dayeloo resident who spoke to DVB said that there was no army base at the village although an infantry and a navy base were close by. Security has reportedly been tightened around the area after the incident.
Crime and corruption is rife within the Burmese army, largely as a result of poor wages and living conditions. Lower-ranking soldiers are often forced to survive on $US10 a month and dissent against seniors is met with physical punishment.
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