News Headlines – July 21, 2009
Jul 22nd, 2009
1. Indian Parliamentarians extend Support for Democratization in Burma
2. Clinton concerned by NKorea-Myanmar military links
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Statement
Indian Parliamentarians extend Support for Democratization in Burma
We, the parliamentarians from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha belonging to different political parties in India gathered today at the Constitution Club to promote awareness of the situation in Burma and to express our solidarity with Burmese democracy movement.
Particularly perturb at the fact that the Nobel Peace Laureate and democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi who is also the winner of 1993 Jawaharlal Nehru award for International understanding is unjustly detained in jail by the military government in Burma.
We express our deep concern on the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi by the military regime despite global call for her release. Her nonviolent struggle against military dictatorship has all our support. We firmly stand with her and the democracy loving people of Burma in their long standing nonviolent struggle.
More than 2000 political prisoners are kept in jails under ill health conditions across Burma. Thousands of refugees fleeing from home to neighbouring countries including India due to human rights violations.
If there is fire in our neighbour’s house, we also feel heat and get burns if it spreads. Burma is our next door neighbour and democratization there is our long term interest.
We are aware that Aung San Suu Kyi expected much support from India since we are the largest democracy and she lived and brought up here. We should not betray her and the inspiration of the Burmese people.
India government should join with the UN and international community to help change in Burma towards democracy. We urge our new government to use all possible diplomatic channels to convey our message to the Burmese generals that we want them to free Aung San Suu Kyi and start political dialogue for the sake of the peace and development in their country.
We resolve today to expand the IPFDB with more members and continue to promote awareness of Burma issues in the parliament and vigilance on Indo-Burma relations to raise our concerns. We will work with parliamentarians from other countries for this purpose.
Signed by-
Sharad Joshi
Convener, IPFDB
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BANGKOK (AFP)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seen here in Thailand, expressed concerns Tuesday about possible military cooperation between Myanmar and nuclear-armed North Korea, warning that it could destabilise the region
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seen here in Thailand, expressed concerns Tuesday about possible military cooperation between Myanmar and nuclear-armed North Korea, warning that it could destabilise the region
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed concerns Tuesday about possible military cooperation between Myanmar and nuclear-armed North Korea, warning that it could destabilise the region.
Clinton raised the issue of ties between the hardline communist state and Myanmar’s junta as she arrived in Thailand ahead of Asia’s biggest security forum, where the two pariah nations are set to dominate discussions.
“We know that there are growing concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Burma which we take very seriously,” Clinton said after talks with Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, calling Myanmar by its former name.
Fears about military cooperation between the two isolated states escalated after a US Navy destroyer last month began tracking a suspect North Korean ship that was reportedly heading for Myanmar.
Myanmar soldiers parading during Martyr’s Day in Yangon on July 19, 2009. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Washington is taking concerns about military cooperation between nuclear-armed North Korea and Myanmar “very seriously.”
Myanmar soldiers parading during Martyr’s Day in Yangon on July 19, 2009. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Washington is taking concerns about military cooperation between nuclear-armed North Korea and Myanmar “very seriously.”
The vessel came under scrutiny under new United Nations sanctions designed to punish Pyongyang over a recent underground nuclear test and a series of rocket launches including a long-range projectile.
Separately a group of exiled Myanmar activists last month released pictures of what they said was a secret network of tunnels built by North Korean experts inside Myanmar.
Such cooperation between the two countries — which restored diplomatic relations in 2007 after a 24-year rift and are both severely criticised for rights abuses — would be “destabilising” for southeast Asia, Clinton said.
Senior US officials with Clinton said the concerns she was describing had come from within the region and referred to the delivery of small arms.
North Korea and Myanmar are expected to be major topics when Clinton heads to the resort island of Phuket on Wednesday, a day ahead of the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum.
US officials said a key thrust of Clinton’s debut at the forum would be to crank up pressure on North Korea to return to multilateral nuclear disarmament talks after its recent missile and nuclear weapons tests.
This photo received by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean soldiers raising their fists in the air during an anti-UN rally in June 2009. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Washington is taking concerns about military cooperation between nuclear-armed North Korea and Myanmar “very seriously.”
This photo received by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean soldiers raising their fists in the air during an anti-UN rally in June 2009. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Washington is taking concerns about military cooperation between nuclear-armed North Korea and Myanmar “very seriously.”
They said Clinton would meet one-on-one with her counterparts from South Korea, China, Japan and Russia — which along with the United States were North Korea’s partners in six years of disarmament negotiations.
North Korea’s envoy to the forum met Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Tuesday and “expressed concerns that this forum will put pressure on them”, Kasit’s secretary, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, said.
The US State Department has been coy on whether Clinton would meet any North Korean delegates.
Clinton meanwhile expressed concerns about the rights record of Myanmar, which has been slapped with US sanctions for its detention of political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar recently sparked outrage by putting the Nobel Peace Prize winner on trial over an incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside house. Myanmar’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi seen here in 2002. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Thailand for a regional security conference expected to focus on the North Korean nuclear threat, Myanmar’s rights record and terrorism.
“We are deeply concerned by the reports of continuing human rights abuses within Burma and particularly by actions that are attributed to the Burmese military concerning the mistreatment and abuse of young girls,” Clinton said.
The US Secretary of State will also sign a non-aggression pact with ASEAN in a bid to counter the influence of China, while the the ARF will also tackle terrorism after suicide blasts Friday at two hotels in Jakarta.
Clinton came to Thailand from India, where she said she had reassured her hosts that Obama would not only maintain but deepen a “strategic partnership” launched under his predecessor George W. Bush.
Deals were struck paving the way for billions of dollars in exports of civilian nuclear reactors and military hardware to India, but differences remain between New Delhi and Washington over climate change.
© 2009 AFP
21/07/2009 16:22:23 UST