AP – Myanmar deny lawyers access to Aung San Suu Kyi
AP – House approves sanctions against Myanmar
AFP – Clinton presses NKorea on denuclearisation, Myanmar links
AFP – Clinton urges Myanmar to free Suu Kyi
NASDAQ – Asean Should Consider Myanmar Expulsion – Clinton
Reuters – U.S. fears North Korea nuclear ties to Myanmar
Bloomberg – Clinton Warns Against North Korea-Myanmar Nuclear Tie
MCOT – Clinton urges ASEAN to review policy toward Myanmar
Bangkok Post – US seeks allies’ aid on Burma
Wall Street Journal – Clinton Says U.S. Is Ready to Apply Pressure in Southeast Asia
Bernama – MYANMAR MARKS 12TH ANNIVERSARY
Thaindian News – Indian lawmakers call for Suu Kyi’s release
Christian Post – ACT Continues To Appeal For Myanmar Cyclone Nargis Victims
The Christian Science Monitor – Opinion: Policy on Burma shouldn’t pivot on Aung San Suu Kyi
Xinhua – Myanmar tightens measures against A/H1N1
Reuters and AlertNet – Thailand: Registration Project to Improve Legal Status for Myanmar Refugees
The New Straits Times – Myanmar urged to solve Rohingya woes
Mizzima News – Burma’s nuclear nexus with Russia
Mizzima News – Report on child soldier released
The Irrawaddy – As Foreign Aid Workers Leave, Food Security Concerns Grow
The Irrawaddy – Crackdown on Passport Brokers Linked to Leaked Photos?
DVB News – Monks harassed by authorities
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Myanmar deny lawyers access to Aung San Suu Kyi
Wed Jul 22, 10:10 am ET

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – The legal team of Myanmar’s jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was denied access to the 64-year-old Nobel laureate on Wednesday, two days before her trial is to resume for final arguments, her lawyer said.

Authorities in the military-ruled country denied permission for Suu Kyi’s lawyers to meet her to finalize the draft of their 23-page closing argument, said Nyan Win, one of Suu Kyi’s defense lawyers as well as spokesman for her party.

“This (refusal by authorities) shows that the judicial system in the country is very weak,” said Nyan Win. “We need to see our clients to finalize the draft, and it was very bad that the right has been denied.”

Suu Kyi is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an uninvited American man who swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days. She is being detained at Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison.

The opposition leader, who has been under house arrest for about 14 of the last 20 years, faces a possible five-year prison term.

The refusal to allow legal access to Suu Kyi comes as Asian, U.S., and European ministers — including the top diplomat from Myanmar — meet in neighboring Thailand for security talks at which the military regime’s human rights record is in the spotlight.

The trial has drawn condemnation from the international community and from Suu Kyi’s local supporters, who worry the ruling junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through elections planned for next year.

Also on trial, and facing the same charges as Suu Kyi, are two female members of her party who were her sole companions under house arrest. The American, John Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Missouri, is charged with trespassing.

Yettaw has pleaded not guilty and explained in court that he had a dream that Suu Kyi would be assassinated and he had gone to warn her.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.

Suu Kyi’s opposition party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar’s generals refused to relinquish power.

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House approves sanctions against Myanmar
Tue Jul 21, 8:10 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has voted to renew sanctions meant to penalize the junta that runs the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, also called Burma.

The resolution approving the reauthorization of the sanctions now goes to the Senate for consideration.

The resolution renews sanctions targeting imports from the military government in Myanmar. It also maintains a ban on importing jade and other gems from Myanmar. The legislation was first enacted in 2003.

Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley of New York said in a speech Tuesday that Myanmar’s junta has destroyed 3,000 villages and forced 1 million people to flee as refugees.

U.S. lawmakers are pushing for the unconditional release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

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Clinton presses NKorea on denuclearisation, Myanmar links
by Danny Kemp – 1 hr 20 mins ago

PHUKET, Thailand (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday demanded “irreversible” denuclearisation by North Korea and warned that Pyongyang may be transferring atomic technology to Myanmar.

Clinton said on the eve of a major Asian security conference in the Thai resort of Phuket that the communist state, which has pulled out of multilateral talks, must abandon its nuclear programme if it wants to receive incentives.

“Complete and irreversible denuclearisation is the only viable path for North Korea,” she told reporters after meeting her counterparts from Russia, China, Japan and South Korea, the other parties in the negotiations.

North Korea left the talks after the UN Security Council censured it for a long-range rocket launch in April. Tensions rose after it restarted its weapons programme and carried out an underground nuclear test.

Clinton said the other four nations agreed on the need to enforce the UN sanctions if North Korea does not take steps including dismantling its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and giving up its plutonium stockpile.

“We have made it very clear to the North Koreans that if they will agree to irreversible denuclearisation, the United States as well as our partners will move forward on a package of incentives and opportunities including normalising relations,” she said.

North Korea would not be rewarded “just for returning to the table”, she said, warning that unless it gave up its weapons programme “they will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions.”

Clinton earlier Wednesday expressed concerns about possible nuclear cooperation between North Korea and Myanmar’s ruling military junta, saying that the rogue alliance could destabilise the region.

“We worry about the transfer of nuclear technology” from North Korea to Myanmar, she said in an interview with Thailand’s Nation TV.

In Phuket, Clinton again referred to the “concerns that are being expressed about cooperation between North Korea and Burma in the pursuit of offensive weapons, perhaps even including nuclear weapons at some point,” she said.

Suspicions about Myanmar and North Korea escalated after a US Navy destroyer last month began tracking a suspect North Korean ship reportedly heading for Myanmar under the UN sanctions.

Separately, a group of exiled Myanmar activists last month released pictures of what they said was a secret network of tunnels built by North Korea inside Myanmar.

North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-Chun declined to come to Phuket, instead sending a roving ambassador, and Southeast Asian officials say the Pyongyang delegation is concerned about coming under pressure.

The warnings from Clinton came before she signed a landmark friendship treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signalling Washington’s re-engagement with the region after years of neglect.

The United States has seen China increase its influence over the region of 600 million people in recent years, as Washington was unwilling to sign the pact amid fears that it would limit its flexibility.

China inked the same pact with the 10-member ASEAN six years ago.

“The United States is back in Southeast Asia,” Clinton said. “President (Barack) Obama and I believe this region is vital to global progress, peace and prosperity.”

Clinton meanwhile said that Myanmar could receive benefits including US investment if it frees jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but said that ASEAN should consider expelling the country if it does not.

Myanmar has sparked outrage by putting the Nobel Peace Prize winner on trial over an incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside house in May, putting a possible review of US policy on hold.

Outside the region, Clinton said that the United States was ready to help its Gulf allies establish a “defence umbrella” if Iran does not back down over its nuclear programme.

Clinton is due to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia’s largest security dialogue featuring 26 nations and the European Union, in Phuket on Thursday.

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Clinton urges Myanmar to free Suu Kyi
2 hrs 34 mins ago

PHUKET, Thailand (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged Myanmar to free democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying such a move could pave the way for investments from the United States.

“If she were released that would open up opportunities at least for my country to expand our relationship with Burma, including investments in Burma,” she said, referring to Myanmar by its former name.

Speaking after meetings in Phuket on the eve of Asia’s biggest annual security forum, she said such opportunities were “up to the Burmese leadership”.

Military-ruled Myanmar recently sparked outrage by putting Aung San Suu Kyi on trial in prison over an incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside house.

US President Barack Obama has described the court proceedings as a “show trial” and Myanmar has already been slapped with US sanctions for its detention of thousands of political prisoners.

Clinton said that while countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were moving “in a very positive direction”, Myanmar was “moving in the opposite direction”.

“We have been very clear in stating that the United States would like to see changes in the behaviour of the regime in Burma” she said, adding that the release of Aung San Suu Kyi was “critical”.

Earlier Wednesday she said ASEAN should consider expelling Myanmar — the bloc’s problem child since it joined in 1997 — if it does not release the imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate.

Referring to US man John Yettaw’s uninvited visit to Aung San Suu Kyi, Clinton said: “I regret deeply this unfortunate incident, which she had nothing to do with, and which served as an excuse for them to put her on trial.”

The pro-democracy leader has spent 13 of the last 19 years in detention since the junta refused to recognise her National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in elections in 1990.

Critics of Myanmar’s regime believe the trial is a ploy to keep her locked up for elections scheduled for next year.

Clinton reiterated concerns about possible cooperation over nuclear weaponry between Myanmar and fellow pariah state North Korea, one of the issues that is dominating the talks in Phuket.

On Tuesday Clinton also said she was “deeply concerned” by reports of human rights abuses in Myanmar, “particularly by actions that are attributed to the Burmese military concerning the mistreatment and abuse of young girls.”

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Jul 22, 2009 | 11:27AM
NASDAQ – Asean Should Consider Myanmar Expulsion – Clinton

PHUKET, Thailand (AFP)–The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should consider expelling Myanmar if it doesn’t release imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday.

Asked on Thai television whether Asean should kick out the military-ruled member state if it doesn’t free the pro-democracy leader, Clinton replied: “It would be an appropriate policy change to consider.”

Myanmar – Asean’s problem child since it joined the bloc in 1997 – recently sparked outrage by putting the Nobel peace laureate on trial over an incident in which an American man, John Yettaw, swam to her lakeside house.

“I regret deeply this unfortunate incident, which she had nothing to do with, and which served as an excuse for them to put her on trial,” Clinton said, referring to Yettaw’s uninvited intrusion.

The ruling junta snubbed U.N. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon by refusing to let him visit Suu Kyi in Yangon’s notorious Insein prison, deepening concerns in the international community.

U.S. President Barack Obama has described the court proceedings as a “show trial” and Myanmar has already been slapped with U.S. sanctions for its detention of political prisoners.

On Tuesday Clinton also said she was “deeply concerned” by reports of human rights in Myanmar, “particularly by actions that are attributed to the Burmese military concerning the mistreatment and abuse of young girls.”

Concerns over Myanmar’s possible military cooperation with North Korea are set to dominate discussions at Asia’s biggest security forum in the Thai resort island of Phuket, where Clinton arrived Wednesday from Bangkok.

Responding to Clinton, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said his country, an Asean member, opposed expelling Myanmar from the bloc.

“We are still in favor of discussing with Myanmar so that they will be serious in implementing the roadmap towards democratization,” Najib told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Myanmar foreign minister Nyan Win met his Japanese counterpart Hirofumi Nakasone in Phuket on Wednesday, and the issue of Suu Kyi came up, a spokesman for the Japanese minister said.

Nakasone urged Myanmar to release all political prisoners, resume dialogue with the opposition and prepare a “positive environment” for elections promised by the ruling generals in 2010, the spokesman said.

Nyan Win “listened very carefully” and explained that Myanmar “did its best to assist” Ban when he visited the country earlier this month, added the spokesman.

Nyan Win said Myanmar’s government “responded as they believed appropriate” to Ban’s request to visit her, the Japanese spokesman said.

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U.S. fears North Korea nuclear ties to Myanmar
By Arshad Mohammed – 1 hr 54 mins ago

PHUKET, Thailand (Reuters) – The United States is concerned about the possible transfer of nuclear technology from North Korea to military-ruled Myanmar, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

She also said “complete and irreversible” denuclearization was the only option for North Korea, saying after separate meetings with foreign ministers from China, Russia, Japan and South Korea that her counterparts supported this stance.

“We have made it very clear to the North Koreans that if they will agree to irreversible denuclearization, that the United States as well as our partners will move forward on a package of incentives and opportunities including normalizing relations,” Clinton told a news conference ahead of a regional security meeting in the Thai resort of Phuket.

“Unless and until they do, they will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions.”

In an earlier television interview in Bangkok, Clinton expressed concern about links between Myanmar and North Korea.

Talk of Myanmar-North Korea military ties was fueled after a North Korean ship, tracked by the United States in June and July on suspicion of carrying banned arms, appeared headed toward Myanmar before turning around.

“The threat that I have always worried about first and foremost is the proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction,” she said.

“So obviously we are very concerned about North Korea and recent reports about perhaps their dealings with what we call Burma,” she added. When asked specifically if she was worried about possible nuclear transfers to Myanmar, she said “Yes.”

The most contentious topics at the meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Thursday will likely be Pyongyang’s nuclear program and how to promote democracy in Myanmar.

North Korea has a long history of arms proliferation and U.S. officials believe it helped Syria to build a nuclear reactor that was destroyed by Israeli bombers in 2007.

On Tuesday Clinton said she was worried about the possibility of military links between the two countries, both regarded as pariahs in the West.

North Korea and Myanmar are represented at the Phuket talks, although Pyongyang has only sent a low-level delegation.

A 2008 report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on member states’ compliance with basic inspections agreements said Myanmar’s “declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities.”

But it noted Myanmar was among a handful states that had not adopted an additional protocol, which permits inspections beyond declared nuclear sites, enabling the U.N. watchdog to verify there are no secret proliferation activities going on.

SANCTIONS FIRST

U.S. officials earlier said Clinton would consult regional players in Phuket about giving North Korea a choice between tighter sanctions if it pursues its nuclear program and wider incentives if it abandons them.

In the last two months North Korea has conducted its second nuclear test, test-fired seven ballistic missiles and boycotted “six-party” talks on ending its nuclear programs in exchange for economic and diplomatic benefits.

U.S. officials said their main focus was to carry out U.N. Security Council resolution 1874, which bans all North Korean arms exports, authorizes U.N. member states to inspect North Korean sea, air and land cargo and requires them to seize and destroy any goods transported in violation of the sanctions.

However, they said they had discussed a wider package of incentives for the North from the other five parties if Pyongyang were to take credible steps on ending its nuclear program.

“We would like to paint a picture for North Korea of a very stark choice,” said one senior official who spoke to reporters on condition that he not be identified.

“If they continue on the current path, it’s a path that leads to greater tensions in northeast Asia, more isolation, more steps aimed at … the regime,” he added.

The official said the United States hoped to secure greater cooperation from its partners on sanctions if it showed that it was willing to be flexible about providing more incentives.

He declined to detail the incentives under consideration.

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Clinton Warns Against North Korea-Myanmar Nuclear Tie
Indira A.R. Lakshmanan  – 1 hr 3 mins ago

July 22 (Bloomberg) — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. is concerned by reports of Myanmar and North Korea cooperating on nuclear technology, and called on Asian countries to present a “united front against that ever happening.”

“We worry about the transfer of nuclear technology” and indications of clandestine military cooperation between two of Asia’s most secretive regimes, Clinton said during a televised town hall in Bangkok before heading to the resort island of Phuket for a regional security gathering. “I’m not saying it is happening, but we want to be prepared to stand against it.”

The U.S. and its Asian allies are on alert for suspected proliferation of conventional or nuclear materials by North Korea. The U.S. Navy recently followed the Kang Nam I, a North Korean freighter that was headed in the direction of Myanmar with unknown cargo. The ship turned around and returned home earlier this month.

Clinton also said during the town hall that the U.S. is prepared to take “crippling action” against Iran should it fail to curb its nuclear program, and is working with Middle East allies to boost their defenses.

Unanimous Resolution

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously in June to adopt a U.S.-backed resolution to punish North Korea for its May 25 nuclear test. The measure seeks to curb loans and money transfers to North Korea and step up inspection of cargoes suspected of containing material that might contribute to the development of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles.

Some proliferation experts and Myanmar dissidents say the country’s military regime is trying to develop nuclear weapons, allegations that have gained currency with the release last month of 800 photographs of purported tunnels in the country built with North Korean assistance.

Clinton held back-to-back meetings in Phuket with foreign ministers from China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, the four other nations involved in stalled North Korean nuclear disarmament talks. The diplomats, meeting as part of a joint gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asean Regional Forum, agreed on the need to enforce the UN sanctions, she said.

‘Full Implementation’

All four of the other ministers agreed that full implementation is important to demonstrate unanimity and resolve in the face of North Korea’s provocations,
Clinton called reports that the U.S. may be willing to offer North Korea a package of incentives to encourage its leaders to return to stalled talks about dismantling its own nuclear weapons program a “misinterpretation.”

“The United States stands ready to work with North Korea if and only if and when they are ready to resume” talks about complete denuclearization, she said during the forum.

“We do not intend to reward North Korea just for returning to the table,” she added later.

Before diplomacy with North Korea foundered last year, the impoverished country was receiving economic aid in return for dismantling a plutonium-producing facility. The U.S. also held out the prospect of improved political ties if North Korea continued to take steps to end its nuclear work. The U.S. and North Korea have no formal diplomatic relations.

Asean Condemnation

Asean foreign ministers have condemned North Korea’s nuclear test and urged the country to return to the six-party talks. The group has also said Myanmar should release Nobel Prize-winning opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, a call Clinton echoed.

Clinton said the U.S. expects ” fair treatment ”

Clinton suggested today that incentives could be made available to Myanmar if the regime were to release Suu Kyi.

‘Open Up Doors’

“There are a lot of opportunities that could be made available to the Burmese government and people if they did release her,” she said. “It would open up doors for investment and exchanges that would help the people of Burma.”

Any ability to influence the junta economically is likely to be limited given Myanmar’s trade in natural gas with Thailand and China, a senior U.S. administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Myanmar, with Asia’s seventh-largest natural gas reserves, has increased its foreign currency holdings four-fold since 2004 to $3.6 billion.

Clinton today also said Asean should consider expelling Myanmar if it doesn’t make progress on human rights abuses.

“That would be an appropriate policy change to consider,” she said.

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MCOT – Clinton urges ASEAN to review policy toward Myanmar

BANGKOK, July 22 (TNA) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should consider expelling Myanmar from the regional grouping if the ruling junta doesn’t release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Asked during an interview with Thailand’s Nation TV whether ASEAN should exclude the military-ruled member state if it does not free Aung San Suu Kyi, Clinton said it would be an appropriate policy change to consider.

Myanmar put imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi on trial over violating her house arrest term after an American man swam to her lakeside house in Yangon.

Clinton gave an interview before flying to Thailand’s Andaman resort island of Phuket on Wednesday to meet her counterpart from ASEAN and to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum on Thursday.

“We know that there are also growing concerns about military co-operation between North Korea and Burma, which we take very seriously. It would be destabilising for the region, it would pose a direct threat to Burma’s neighbours.

And it is something as a treaty ally of Thailand that we are taking very seriously,” the US top diplomat said, referring to the possible transfer of nuclear technology from North Korea to Myanmar.

Arriving in Thailand from India on Tuesday, Clinton will meet her counterparts from Russia, China, Japan and South Korea to discuss resumption of the stalled six-party talks on North Korean nuclear disarmament.

Myanmar and North Korea issues are expected during Clinton’s talks with ASEAN at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Phuket.

The US top diplomat will sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with ASEAN foreign ministers Wednesday at a meeting in Phuket.

Thailand is hosting the ASEAN ministerial meeting and ARF from July 16- 23 amid tightened military security to prevent any disruption.

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Bangkok Post – US seeks allies’ aid on Burma
Clinton’s assistant holds talks with Puea Thai Party
Writer: ANUCHA CHAROENPO and AEKARACH SATTABURUTH
Published: 22/07/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The US is pinning its hopes on close cooperation with Thailand and other Asian partners in pressing for change in Burma, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says.

Washington was also continuing to express its concern about the unfair trial of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Mrs Clinton said yesterday.

“We’re very much engaged with partners such as Thailand and others in assessing and determining what is going on inside Burma,” the secretary of state said after talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House.

“And we hope we can effectively change the direction and behaviour of the Burmese leadership. We have been closely working with our partners.”

Mrs Clinton is on an official visit to Thailand and will join her Southeast Asian counterparts in Phuket today for talks, followed by the Asean Regional Forum tomorrow.

The US was very concerned about the continued human rights abuses in Burma and was closely watching the trial of Mrs Suu Kyi, she said.

Mrs Clinton urged the Burmese regime to treat the National League for Democracy leader fairly, saying the junta’s handling of Mrs Suu Kyi’s case was “unacceptable”.

Mrs Suu Kyi has been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest after an American man swam across the lake in Rangoon to hide himself in her residence. She is currently being held at Insein prison in Rangoon following her arrest in May.

Mrs Clinton said the US wanted to have a productive partnership with Burma but the junta would need to take a step back in its treatment of its ethnic minorities and all political prisoners as well as the issue of Mrs Suu Kyi. She said Burma knew well that it needed to do this.

The US secretary of state also expressed concern about suspicions of military cooperation between North Korea and Burma.

“We take this matter seriously,” she said, adding it posed a threat to regional stability.

Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu yesterday said Thailand was ready to work closely with the US.

Asean ministers on Monday urged the release of Mrs Suu Kyi and called for fair elections in Burma next year. But they stressed there would be no interference in Burma, which is one of the 10 members of the grouping.

Human Rights Watch yesterday urged Prime Minister Abhisit, who currently chairs Asean, to force Burma to end human rights violations, release political prisoners and restore democracy.

“The role of Asean and Thailand to lead principled international engagement on political, security and humanitarian issues in Burma is urgently needed,” the group said in a letter to Mr Abhisit.

“As the current chair of Asean, Thailand should take Burma to task for breaching the Asean Charter on human rights and democratic values,” said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Bangkok Post.

There are 2,100 political prisoners in Burmese prisons, according to the New York-based group.

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell yesterday held separate talks with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and the Puea Thai Party hours before Mrs Clinton arrived in Bangkok.

Mr Suthep said Mr Campbell had asked Thailand to help support political reconciliation and a road map to democracy in Burma and the release of Mrs Suu Kyi.

Mr Campbell and the US delegation, including US Ambassador to Thailand Eric John, met with Puea Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit and several core members including Yingluck Shinawatra, a sister of convicted former prime minister Thaksin, and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama.

Later, Pittaya Pukkaman, who heads Puea Thai’s foreign affairs team, said the party explained the current problems with democracy in Thailand as well as human rights to Mr Campbell.

Mr Pittaya said the party also discussed its efforts in pushing for dialogue to solve the problems and the obstacles which hinder such efforts.

“The problem is that we are being treated unfairly which is undermining any negotiation attempts,” he said.

When asked if the issue of the ousted prime minister, Puea Thai’s de facto leader, was raised, Mr Pittaya said the talks did not focus on any individuals.

He said the US delegation expressed hopes the opposition and the government would work together to solve Thailand’s problems through legal and constitutional means.

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ASIA NEWS, JULY 22, 2009, 12:13 P.M. ET
Wall Street Journal – Clinton Says U.S. Is Ready to Apply Pressure in Southeast Asia
By JAMES HOOKWAY

PHUKET, Thailand — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a blunt message on multiple fronts Wednesday, saying that the United States is “back in Southeast Asia” and ready to engage the resource-rich region in ways it has rarely done before — especially by applying additional diplomatic pressure on the reclusive military regimes which run Myanmar and North Korea.

Mrs. Clinton offered a carrot to Myanmar’s leaders, saying that freeing jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi could open the way for the U.S. to allow investments in the country, which Washington currently targets with stiff economic sanctions. Any loosening of U.S. sanctions would represent a major change in U.S. policy, though analysts have long said they doubt that Myanmar’s military regime will free Ms. Suu Kyi anytime soon.

Mrs. Clinton started the day with an interview with Thai television in Bangkok where she suggested that members of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, might want to find ways in which to get tougher on Myanmar. The reclusive country, also known as Burma, has a long track-record of human rights abuses which has long plagued Asean’s efforts to obtain a higher global profile.

In Phuket, a resort island in southern Thailand which is hosting the annual Asean Regional Forum, Mrs. Clinton stressed again that Asean should “stay focused on trying to convince the Burmese leadership that they have a better future by moving away from isolation and… giving their people a true election next year that will help chart a new course for the people of Burma.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by Thai women in traditional dress as she arrives for the ASEAN regional forum in Phuket Wednesday.

Myanmar says it is planning free elections in 2010. But there is a great deal of international skepticism that authorities there will allow a free vote after Ms. Suu Kyi was recently put on trial for allowing an uninvited American to stay at the villa where she was being held under house-arrest. Ms. Suu Kyi faces a further five years detention if she is convicted.

Mrs. Clinton also canvassed the foreign ministers of China, South Korea, Japan and Russia for their support in convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. She said “irreversible denuclearization” is the only viable option for North Korea, and reiterated U.S. concerns that North Korea was passing on its military capabilities — and perhaps even its nuclear technology — to Myanmar.

North Korea has taken an increasingly hard-line stance since leader Kim Jong Il fell ill last August, testing a series of nuclear devices and missile systems. A North Korean ship was tracked by the U.S. Navy in June and July on suspicion of carrying arms to Myanmar, but in the end it never docked, possibly because the U.S. applied diplomatic pressure on its military leaders, a senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton was scheduled later Wednesday to sign a friendship and cooperation treaty with Asean — just as China did in 2003, and many other countries have since. “It’s a highly symbolic step” of renewed engagement with the region, says Rodolfo Severino, a former Asean secretary-general who now heads up the Asean Studies Center at the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Mrs. Clinton herself took the build-up to the signing as an opportunity to declare that President Barack Obama’s administration sees the region — rich with natural gas and other resources, and a global exporting power — as an important economic and political partner.

Signing the treaty is also a first step that could potentially enable the U.S. to join a rising economic cooperation bloc in a region which comprises the ten Asean nations plus countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, India and Australia.

International trade analysts say a number of countries have been driven by the continuing failure of the World Trade Organization to conclude the Doha round of trade liberalization talks to look at other trade deals as an alternative to the stalled WTO process.

“Countries are looking for the best trade deals they can get at the moment, and the U.S. is preparing the ground politically if they choose to get more involved at a later date,” said Steven Wong, assistant director general of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The European Union also hopes to sign the so-called Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with Asean for the same reasons as the U.S. “It’s a little more difficult for us, because we are a group of countries,” said the EU’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana. In addition, he still said there was reason to be hopeful that the long-stalled Doha round of negotiations at the WTO can still be passed after the next Group of 20 economies meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa. in late-September.

Still, Mr. Solana said, “there’s no doubt that the center of gravity of many things in the world is moving east, and we want to have a deeper relationship (with the region) both economically and politically.”

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MYANMAR MARKS 12TH ANNIVERSARY
Bernama – Thursday, July 23

Myanmar’s foreign minister U Nyan Win had told his counterparts that pressure from the outside and economic sanctions were hampering Myanmar’s democratisation and development efforts.

Asean’s proposed human rights body was also criticised as being “toothless” after it rejected Indonesia’s proposal to include provisions on protection, sanctions and country visits. This, said many, was a compromise on Asean’s part to accommodate some of its members, particularly Myanmar.

Japan’s foreign ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama told a press conference here that Asean should continue with its diplomacy approach towards Myanmar.

“I think we are in no way in position to simply becoming hopeless in regard to engaging with the Myanmar government. We have been sending positive messages to Myanmar and we hope to see positive response from them,” he said.

Kodama said that as Japan recognised the fact that the Myanmar government had been trying to address many complex challenges, it remained constructively engaged with Myanmar as part of the Asean Community building process.

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Thaindian News – Indian lawmakers call for Suu Kyi’s release
July 22nd, 2009 – 12:25 pm ICT by ANI  -

New Delhi, July 22 (ANI): A forum of Indian lawmakers has urged Myanmar’s military junta to release incarcerated pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Gathering under the banner of the Indian Parliamentarians’ Forum For Democracy In Burma (IPFDB), the lawmakers said Suu Kyi’s release is essential for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.

“Since she had swept the polls last year, her release from the jail would be the essential point in the process of restoration of democracy in Burma,” said Sharad Joshi, convener of the forum.

Others called for an independent foreign policy on Myanmar.

“India must have its own policy towards Burma and it will add to the moral authority of India not only in the Southeast Asia but also in the world. We need to have our own independent policy towards Burma and India must come out openly denouncing what the military junta is doing in Burma,” said D.Raja of the CPI.

India wants Myanmar to expedite political reform and national reconciliation but has also reaffirmed its desire to build on their strong relationship despite pressure from the West.

Suu Kyi faces three to five years in prison if found guilty for breaking the terms of her house arrest by letting an American intruder stay for two days after he swam to her home in May.

Suu Kyi has been detained for more than 13 of the last 19 years. (ANI)

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Christian Post – ACT Continues To Appeal For Myanmar Cyclone Nargis Victims
By Derick Ho – CP Asia Correspondent
Tue, Jul. 21 2009 04:43 PM EDT

Church-based emergency relief body has appealed more funds to its members for the victims of the devastating cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, who are still rebuilding their lives.

Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, an emergency relief group has appealed 9.2 million U.S. dollars on 13 July for phase II of its operation in the country, whose country name was changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989.

On 2 and 3 May 2008 a massive cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar initially affecting the lives of approximately 24 million people in 115 townships, according to United Nations (UN) estimates and collective assessments by the international communities.

Winds of 200km per hour swept through the Irrawaddy Delta and the former capital of Yangon leaving devastation in its wake. According to BBC, the cyclone was believed to have killed 130,000 people though the figure given by the Myanmar military official was about 78,000.

Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told a news conference in July 2008 that the three parties involved in the report – the UN, Asean and the Burmese government – needed at least $1bn to deal with “a tragedy of immense proportions”.

Since then many aid groups including Christian relief and development bodies like ACT International have stepped in to alleviate the suffering people fighting to reclaim their lives.

ACT International said its first appeal was issued for the crisis and early recovery phase of the ACT response. It was first issued for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) on 15 October 2008 to provide housing rehabilitation assistance for 850 households in 36 villages, strengthened disaster preparedness through the construction of 10 community cyclone shelters, and the promotion of knowledge exchange with partners in Bangladesh remains unchanged.

A first revision of the appeal was issued on 19 December 2008 to include Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS P/A) – proposing assistance in the area of agricultural livelihoods recovery and food security; and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), planning to provide improved access to potable water, assist communities in rebuilding schools and build multi purpose community hall/evaluation center facilities. These members are also focusing on reducing disaster risk and poverty related vulnerabilities through empowering the socially and economically marginalized people and developing an effective responsive capacity within the communities, it added.

The Church-based aid group said this second revision of the appeal is issued in order to include programmes by ACT members Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Danchurchaid (DCA), in continuation of their first appeal programmes with a focus now on agricultural livelihood recovery and rehabilitation.

Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The alliance members are defined by their membership with 550 million strong member of World Council of Churches (WCC) and 70.2 million member of Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

ACT International said all the projects are expected to be completed by 31 November.

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The Christian Science Monitor – Opinion: Policy on Burma shouldn’t pivot on Aung San Suu Kyi
Millions still need her. But her release should not be the focal point of US policy toward the junta.
By Ella Gudwin
from the July 22, 2009 edition

Stamford, Conn. – As Aung San Suu Kyi rounds out 5,000 days as a political prisoner, the Nobel Peace laureate and leader of what remains the opposition movement in Burma (Myanmar) continues to be an extraordinary champion of democracy.

Millions still need her. But her release should no longer be the primary focal point of US foreign policy toward Burma’s junta.

To be sure, if the military rulers were to fall from power, she would be the clear choice for president. She is an inspiration to millions and a rallying point for domestic and international human rights groups and advocates for political reform.

However, for years, Washington’s myopic emphasis on Ms. Suu Kyi’s release from house arrest – reiterated by Secretary of State Clinton just this week – has produced no results. So as the Obama administration extends its open hand to “clenched fists” around the world, it should add Burma to the list.

This does not mean abandoning the pursuit of Suu Kyi’s release, but rather shifting away from isolationist policies aimed at punishing and coercing the regime.

Rarely are foreign actors successful in advancing domestic struggles for democratization. For the most part, change through people power must come from within a nation.

But every so often, there is a unique opportunity for outsiders to assert pressure or try a new approach.

That critical point for Burma came in May 2008, when cyclone Nargis ripped through the Irrawaddy Delta in the west and killed more than 100,000 people. The ensuing flow of humanitarian assistance from the international community and extensive postdisaster reconstruction initiatives resulted in a year of unprecedented engagement between the government, foreign nationals, and community leaders.

The Bush administration failed to capitalize on this opportunity. Rather than engage the government on humanitarian objectives following the cyclone, last July Bush signed legislation renewing and sharpening sanctions. While reconstruction efforts are beginning to ebb, the world watches Burma once again as Suu Kyi faces trial once more. The Obama administration still has an opportunity to change US policy.

In the coming months, the White House and the State Department should focus on three things: supporting the development of civil society networks in Burma; building trust with reform-minded mid-level officers; and aligning the agendas of countries interested in Burma’s future, especially China, India, and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

To accomplish this, Congress should first direct the Treasury Department to issue multiyear licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to qualifying nongovernmental organizations working on long-term reconstruction and development projects in Burma.

This would enable US-based humanitarian organizations to continue their work and interaction with Burmese counterparts, ranging from village elders and monastery abbots to township administrators and military officers, without the disruptions caused by license renewal and lapse. This type of interaction serves to build working relations among civil society in a country where the regime has systematically dismantled social networks.

Second, lawmakers and opinion shapers must stop thinking of the junta as a monolith. Some of the greatest allies to humanitarian organizations have been mid-level bureaucrats and officers.

Change in Burma will come from within, and these are some of the individuals positioned to advance that change, even if slowly and under enormous pressure to conform to the ruling generals.

To build trust with potential change agents, the United States and ASEAN should invite select mid-level officers to participate in joint civilian-military exercises in disaster preparedness and response.

Finally, the US should reexamine its role as “bad cop.” By taking an aggressive and threatening stance, the US sets the stage for the “good cops” – China, India, and ASEAN – to act sympathetically and have their proposals received by the ruling generals as palatable compromises.

This was effective last May when United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and representatives from Thailand and Singapore successfully negotiated increased access for humanitarian assistance. The problem with the good cop, bad cop routine at the moment is that the actors do not share a common agenda.

Burma’s neighbors have chosen engagement. China has extensive trade relations with Burma and uses it as a back door to the Bay of Bengal. India sells arms to the junta as a counterpoint to China’s influence, and the members of ASEAN are sticking to their guiding principle of “noninterference” and in pursuit of trade and investment. This directly undermines the US policies of isolation and sanctions.

To align positions, the US needs to participate in regional summits and conversations at the UN. It must do so with the aim of developing a shared approach and agreed-upon incentives and punitive measures to be deployed by the nations interested in Burma’s future.

That also would lend credence to the UN’s efforts to persuade the regime to release Suu Kyi and other political prisoners and to commit to meaningful democratic reforms. On July 3, Secretary Ban arrived in Burma to meet with ruling Gen. Than Shwe and to assess Suu Kyi’s current trial, though he was unable to visit with her personally.

She is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited American swam across a lake to her home. The junta is using this incident as an excuse to extend her detention. Clearly, the US should not desert Suu Kyi.

But the Obama administration should consider a new policy toward Burma that does not pivot solely on her release. The time is ripe to pursue new ways to support the Burmese people who have peaceful aspirations for a democratic future. Without a new approach to Burma, the US risks more of the same.

Ella Gudwin is director of Eurasia and Asia Pacific Partnerships at the international relief organization AmeriCares. She was in Yangon, Burma, in May 2008 coordinating emergency health aid following cyclone Nargis and continues to manage AmeriCares assistance to the country. She’s a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Editor’s note: It’s the Monitor’s editorial policy to use the name Burma with a reference to Myanmar. This usage does not reflect the writer’s politics.

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Myanmar tightens measures against A/H1N1
www.chinaview.cn  2009-07-22 18:15:44

YANGON, July 22 (Xinhua) — Myanmar health authorities have tightened measure against further spread of influenza A/H1N1 in Yangon, to prevent from severe consequences, sources with the Yangon municipal authority said on Wednesday.

For the move, the authorities have formed medical groups in every townships of the municipal area and carrying out ten-day home monitoring program on the people who returned from abroad, the report said.

Such specific surveillance campaign for controlling the spread of human flu pandemic, has started this month.

There are so far four flu-infected cases reported in Myanmar, of them the first two infected patients have recovered and been discharged from the hospital after intensive care.

Myanmar reported its first confirmed case of A/H1N1 influenza on June 27 and reaching the case to four on July 17.

So far, the authorities have given medical check up to over two million people at airports, ports and border check points and examined those suspicious of the deadly disease since the outbreak in Mexico on April 28, according to the state-run newspaper.

Of the over 15,000 people with symptoms of fever and suspected flu, 6,184 has been free from surveillance after ten days’ period of monitoring and a total of 8,825 people remain under surveillance.

Of the 49 people who underwent laboratory test, four were found infected with A/H1N1 virus, it claimed, saying that the four human flu cases are all imported ones.

The authorities continue to take preventive measures against the human flu pandemic, advising all private clinics in the country to report or transfer all flu-suspected patients, who returned from abroad, to local state-run hospitals or health departments for increased surveillance.

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22 Jul 2009 14:40:00 GMT

Reuters and AlertNet – Thailand: Registration Project to Improve Legal Status for Myanmar Refugees
Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Nadia McGill
Website: http://www.adra.org

SILVER SPRING, Md.–In Thailand, hundreds of thousands of Myanmar refugees, many of them women, who live near the Thai-Burmese border lack access to government supplied healthcare and other basic services because they are unaware of their need to apply for government registration or do not understand how to access it. This often leads to marginalization, discrimination and even abuse of the most vulnerable, says the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

“Unregistered workers are viewed as less valuable, and are often more vulnerable to abuse by employers, who force them to work in poor conditions, resulting, at times, in bonded labor and reduced wages,” said Bert Smit, country director for ADRA United Kingdom.

To assist migrant women who have become vulnerable due to displacement, ADRA is launching a registration project that will help migrant women understand their legal rights so they may obtain registration documentation. This will in turn give them better access to basic health care, improved working conditions and fair compensation.

ADRA plans to also build the capacities of local grassroots civil society organizations (CSOs), who will advocate for and protect the rights of migrant women. ADRA expects to use existing migrant rights advocacy networks to influence change and reinforce existing migrant protection policies. Additionally, ADRA will work with employers, health care institutions, and the government to increase the recognition and enforcement of migrant women’s rights.

The project, valued at $905,871, will begin August 1 and is expected to continue for nearly five years. The Department for International Development (DFID), ADRA Norway, and ADRA United Kingdom are funding this project in partnership.

Recent reports indicate that there are more than 140,000 Myanmar refugees registered in camps inside Thailand along the Thai-Burmese border, however, according to Refugees International, up to 2 million other Myanmar migrants have also fled to Thailand, and continue to reside there, without legal status or with temporary migrant worker status. Few have been able to receive the assistance and protection they deserve and need.

Many of the migrant women are also confronted with language and cultural barriers, that often precludes them from adequate reproductive health information and services.
Due to its proximity to the Myanmar border, Thailand’s eastern Tak Province hosts thousands of refugees each year who are fleeing violence in their home country. According to ADRA United Kingdom, there are an estimated 60,000 registered refugees and some 150,000 unregistered Myanmar workers living in Thailand, of which half are women.

More information about this project is available at www.adrauk.org.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information, visit www.adra.org.

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The New Straits Times – Myanmar urged to solve Rohingya woes
2009/07/22

MYANMAR’S persecution of its ethnic minorities has riled Malaysia as its fleeing nationals, such as the Rohingyas, continue to flood the country and become a burden for the Malaysian government.

The Malaysian delegation to the Asean meetings here has strongly urged Myanmar’s military rulers to take responsibility for the problem and to deal with its root causes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Anifah Aman took pains to emphasise that Kuala Lumpur was not meddling in Myanmar’s internal affairs but that the instability in that country was causing problems for Malaysia.

A United Nations report said there were more than 43,000 “people of concern” from Myanmar in Malaysia, of which about 15,000 comprised the Rohingya. “People of concern” is a euphemism that refers to people who have fled their countries and taken refuge in Malaysia as Kuala Lumpur does not recognise refugees.

Human rights groups have documented extensive cases of abuse of the Rohingya population by the Myanmar military. The Rohingyas hail from Arakan state in western Myanmar that borders Bangladesh.

Anifah told Malaysian reporters that other Asean governments had also urged Myanmar to make progress on its road map towards democracy, during an informal working dinner on Sunday night.

Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingyas as its citizens. One of the military junta’s senior officials had said in the past that the Rohingyas did not originate from Myanmar as they were “ugly and dark” compared with other nationals who were “fair”.

“Malaysia wants human trafficking in the region stopped. Our concern is not only the Indian Ocean illegal migrants but also migrants in the South China Sea, such in southern Philippines,” Anifah said.

The term “Indian Ocean illegal migrant” was coined to refer to the hundreds of stranded and starving Rohingya boat people who were plucked from the Andaman Sea, southeast of Thailand, in February by the Indonesian navy.

It was reported that they were the latest wave of Rohingyas who had fled Myanmar before being intercepted by the Thai navy. Instead of allowing them to stay in Thailand, they were packed on rickety boats with little food or water, and cast adrift.

A senior Thai official claimed that Myanmar reacted positively to these concerns and that its delegation understood the importance of working together with Asean members to move towards democracy and to deal with its internal problems.

“The Myanmar delegation said it would convey what was discussed to their leaders in Naypyidaw (the capital of Myanmar),” said Thai director-general of Asean Vitavas Srivihok.

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Mizzima News – Burma’s nuclear nexus with Russia
by Ko Wild
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 21:14

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Burmese military junta’s overt nuclear ambitions are out in the open, in a leaked document from the junta’s military establishment, which reveals that Burma’s number two strongman second Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, during a visit to Russia in 2006, had sought assistance in constructing a 10 million megawatt nuclear reactor.

The document, which is a top-secret memo, details the overseas travels of Maung Aye and Thura Shwe Mann, third in the military hierarchy.

The leaked document, a copy of which is in Mizzima’s possession, says Maung Aye during his trip to Russia sought assistance to build a nuclear reactor. He also sought military cooperation from the Russians.

At the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Maung Aye led a 60-member delegation on a five-day visit, April 2 to 6 2006, to Russia. He met the Russian Prime Minister as well as the Russian Army’ Chief of Staff Yury Baluyevksy, and Chief of Staff of the Navy and Air Force.

Maung Aye received positive response from Russia during the meetings, regarding his “special request” for assistance in constructing a 10 million megawatt nuclear reactor and to allow Burmese students in Russia to learn nuclear technology and aeronautical engineering.

Besides, he also got a nod for increased purchase of Russian-made MIG 29 and MIG 27 jet fighters, providing technical assistance in producing Guided Missiles and for purchase of ships.

As Russia, a veto wielding country at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has blocked attempts by western countries to pass a resolution on Burma over its appalling human rights conditions, the delegation promised that Burma will back Russia’s effort to establish stronger ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The secret documents with Mizzima also reveal details of meetings between Russia’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army Lt-General Evnevich Valery G, who visited Burma in February 2008, with Maung Aye.

The meeting was also attended by General Thura Shwe Mann, the junta’s secretary (1), Commander-in-Chief (Navy), Commander-in-Chief (Air), Military Affairs Security Chief, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Kyaw Thu.

The Russian delegation led by Lt-General Evnevich Valery G, was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Dr Mikhail Mgeladze and Military Attache’ Colonel Alexander V Svinitsovskiy.

The document also reveals that the Deputy Minister of the Defence Ministry Maj-Gen Aye Myint led delegation and the Russian delegates formed a group for “cooperation in military technology.”

Similarly, documents with details of General Thura Shwe Mann led delegation’s visit to North Korea, following a visit to China in November 2008 was also leaked.

According to the leaked document, a copy of which is in Mizzima’s possession, North Korean and Burma agreed on military cooperation and military training. Besides, North Korea also agreed to build underground buildings including tunnels to hide warships and fighter planes.

Burma and North Korea severed diplomatic relationship in 1983, after North Korean agents attempted to assassinate the visiting South Korean President Chun Du-hwan. But both countries officially announced resumption of diplomatic relations in 2007.

Russia and Burma have maintained over 60 years of diplomatic relations.

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Mizzima News – Report on child soldier released
by Phanida
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 21:06

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The unabated recruitment of child soldiers into the Burmese Army has been exposed in a report released by the Thai-Burmese border based ‘Yoma 3’ Burmese News Agency today.

The agency said, it took about one and-a-half years to compile the 72-page ‘Child Soldiers: Burma’s Sons of Sorrow’, which was released on Wednesday at a press conference held along the Thai-Burmese border.

The report includes interviews with two child soldier deserters, a sergeant and four parents of child soldiers forcibly recruited by the army.

“The junta always claims to the international community and UN that it never recruits child soldiers into the army. They also always claim that organizations in exile are disseminating concocted stories to western countries. We wish to let people know clearly what the true facts are,” Nyein Lu, editor of the Yoma 3 told Mizzima.

The report also presented news and photographs of the No. 1 Recruit Centre at Danyinkone Township in Rangoon Division, No. 2 in Mandalay, No. 3 in Yemethin and No. 9 Basic Military Training School in Zay Chaung village of Thaton Township in Mon state.

The group said, the survey and the facts and figures in the report were provided by activists inside Burma, military personnel in the Burma Army and former soldiers.

Yoma 3 news agency was founded in 1998 by pro-democracy and human rights activists, who fled to the border after the 1988 uprising. The report is Yoma 3’s second report on child soldiers.

Despite persistent allegations made by the UN, ILO and Human Rights organizations on the use of child soldiers by the Burmese Army, the junta has always blatantly denied.

In the UN Secretary General’s report released in December 2007, Ban Ki-moon says besides the Burmese Army, there are nine more ethnic armed forces, which also use child soldiers in their respective armed units.

Following severe criticism, Burma’s military rulers in February 2007 allowed the International Labour Organization (ILO) to open a liaison in Rangoon to accept complaints of child soldiers and to help in eliminating the use of children in the army.

According to complaints received by Mizzima, the junta often recruits children mainly between the age of 14-16 from poor family backgrounds in Rangoon, Irrawaddy and Magwe Divisions by using pressure tactics including summoning by quota from each village, intimidation and incentives by way of money.

In 2005, the Yoma 3, published its first child soldier report in collaboration with the Thailand-based ‘Human Rights Education Institute of Burma’ (HREIB).

The group said, they will also present the report to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, Asia Human Right Council and Human Right Watch.

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The Irrawaddy – As Foreign Aid Workers Leave, Food Security Concerns Grow
By LAWI WENG – Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Survivors of last year’s deadly Cyclone Nargis are worried that the departure of foreign aid workers from the Irrawaddy delta will expose them to even greater food insecurity, according to local sources.

“Food insecurity is growing because all the foreign NGO workers are leaving,” said Aye Kyu, a member of the National League for Democracy’s disaster committee in Laputta, one of the areas worst hit by the cyclone that struck on May 2-3 of last year. He said that there were only a few foreign aid workers still in Laputta and no new ones were coming.

More than a year after the disaster, many people in the delta are still struggling to meet their basic needs. Some survive by catching fish and selling it, while many others depend on loans to keep their heads above water, according to Aye Kyu.

“They go from house to house in the morning to borrow money,” he said.

According to a survey conducted by the United Nations World Food Program in Laputta and Bogalay townships in February, 51 percent of households reported that they are still relying on food aid from humanitarian agencies, while only 25 percent said they could feed themselves. The report also said that about 83 percent of households have gone into debt to purchase rice.

Local aid workers in Rangoon said that many foreign aid workers were leaving because the Burmese regime wants international NGOs and UN agencies to hire more local staff. They added that the authorities are also worried about foreign workers bringing news out of the country.

According to a senior official of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), the main body in charge of coordinating the relief effort, about 200 foreign aid workers were facing delays in getting visas to enter the country.

Other sources close to the TCG said that the visa restriction was partly due to the Burmese junta’s anger over Thailand’s criticism of the trial against opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing five years in prison for allegedly violating the conditions of her house arrest.

Thailand told the regime it should release Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners in the country and beginning working towards national reconciliation.

The uncertainty over whether foreign aid workers will be allowed to return only adds to the anxieties of people whose livelihoods were devastated by Cyclone Nargis. The storm wiped out the small-scale farming and fishing sectors upon which most local people depend.

International and local NGOs have attempted to address the needs of the most vulnerable segment of the population by delivering food aid to needy households, especially the landless and female-headed households.

However, many farmers are still finding it hard to make ends meet due to bad harvests over the past year, forcing many to buy rice on credit.

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The Irrawaddy – Crackdown on Passport Brokers Linked to Leaked Photos?
By SAW YAN NAING – Wednesday, July 22, 2009

At least 10 passport brokers in Rangoon have been arrested by the Burmese authorities during a recent crackdown, according to sources in Rangoon.

Sources close to several passport brokers and the passport issuing office in Rangoon said Burmese intelligence officers had detained dozens of people suspected of dealing in Burmese passports.

The authorities also reportedly questioned staff at the passport issuing office in Rangoon.

One inside source, as well as a Rangoon-based journalist, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the authorities had cracked down on passport brokers because of the “massive corruption” involved in the trade.

Another Rangoon-based source said, “Many people are leaving country at the moment, and they don’t return. So, the authorities want to restrict it.”

Meanwhile, some reports said the crackdown was linked to the army officers who went into hiding over the “Shwe Mann scandal.” It is thought the wanted officers from Naypyidaw would try to leave the country with passports procured through brokers.

Recently, Burmese intelligence officials reportedly launched a crackdown against the army officers suspected of leaking information and photographs about Gen Shwe Mann’s secret trip to North Korea.

Ten high-ranking Burmese army officers were reportedly arrested for leaking confidential information, and will be court-martialed and could face the death penalty if convicted, said a Burmese intelligence official.

Sources said that four suspected Burmese officials had acquired passports through brokers and had already fled the country. Another two were reportedly arrested while in the process of acquiring passports.

The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm the report.

Some officials suspected of complicity had also gone into hiding, sources in Rangoon said.

The Bangkok-based English-language newspaper The Nation reported recently that several senior Burmese officials and some journalists were sacked some weeks ago after publication of photographs and video footage of secret tunnels in Burma surfaced in the international media. Photographs and video footage of a tunnel construction site in Burma were also published by Burmese media organizations.

During his seven-day visit to Pyongyang, Shwe Mann signed a memorandum of understanding at the defense ministry with North Korea’s Chief of General Staff, Gen Kim Kyok-sik, to formalize military cooperation between the two nations.

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DVB News – Monks harassed by authorities

July 22, 2009 (DVB)–Monks living in a Rangoon monastery were harassed by authorities last week after accepting food donations from opposition party members given to mark Martyrs’ Day in Burma.

Around 20 officials from Thingangyun township authority in Rangoon arrived at the monastery in Laydauntkan ward where monks had received meals from National League for Democracy (NLD) members, a traditional way to celebrate Martyrs’ Day each year on 19 June.

According to NLD member Naw Ohn Hla, the officials “said intimidating words” to the monks and told them to report future donations to township authorities.

“They issued warnings and interrogated them,” she said. “They asked the monks how the offerings were made, how they were blessed with water, what kind of clothes were worn.”

Authorities threatened to seal off the monastery as had been famously done to Maggin monastery during the September 2007 monk-led uprising.

Monastery abbot, U Kumara, reportedly replied that his monastery had no “complicated matters” like Maggin, but was told by authorities that he had been “tainted with a black spot”.

Ohn Hla was among the 21 NLD members arrested and briefly detained whilst returning from Martyrs’ Mausoleum on Sunday.

“They told us not to wear clothes with [the pictures of] General Aung San,” she said. “When we headed towards the museum, they arrested us on the way.”

A number of those detained were “beaten up severely” and thrown into a van, she said.

Reporting by Naw Noreen

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