11 Political Activists Sentenced at Insein Prison
Burmese Minister Tells Migrant Workers Not to Fear Harassment
Bangladesh Hires US Law Firm in Bay of Bengal Dispute
Burmese Migrants Beaten, Arrested in China
Burmese warships ‘intimidating’ oil companies
DKBA moves towards border guard change
American to stand trial in Myanmar for fraud
Insurgent bid to sway voters
US citizen on trial for “fraud and forgery” in Myanmar
Most people in Myanmar harp on traditional medicines
Japanese Deputy FM meets Burmese exile
Mystery surrounds ceasefire leader’s death
USDA and NUP in Falam at loggerheads
Two ethnic Kachin leaders hospitalized in Mandalay
Burmese Military Junta Constructs Tunnel in Arakan
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11 Political Activists Sentenced at Insein Prison
By KO HTWE       Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Eleven political activists, including one Buddhist monk, were sentenced to between five and 10 years on Tuesday at Rangoon Northern District Court in Insein Prison.

The court also passed down a sentence in absentia on two monks, Ashin Pyinnyarzawda and Ashin Sandardika, from the All Burma Monks’ Alliance, who have fled abroad.

Sources close to prison authorities in Insein told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that Ashin Sandimar (aka Tun Naung), Kyaw Zin Min (aka Zaw Moe), Wunna New and Zin Min Shein were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for violating the Explosives Law (Section 3) and the Unlawful Association Law (Section 6).

Meanwhile, Saw Maung, Aung Moe Lwin, Moe Htet Nay, Tun Lin Aung, Zaw Latt, Naing Win and Tun Lin Oo were sentenced to five years for violating Section 6.

In 2008, Ashin Sandimar, Wunna New and Saw Maung were sentenced to eight years imprisonment for violating the Immigration Act (13/1) and the Illegal Organization Act (17/1), while Zin Min Shein and Tun Lwin Aung are already serving 13-year sentences for other offences related to political activities.

Therefore, Ashin Sandimar, Wunna New and Tun Lwin Aung have now been convicted and sentenced to 18 years each, while Saw Maung has received 13 years, and Zin Min Shein a total of 23 years.

Bo Kyi, the secretary of the Thailand-based rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), said, “We can say with certainty there was no free and fair verdict. They [the activists] were tortured during interrogation and were forced to admit violating these acts.”

Sources have said that some of the activists—perhaps even some of those already behind bars—tried to organize demonstrations on the second anniversary of the Saffron Revolution in September, but the authorities caught them and accused them of belonging to illegal organizations, of being terrorists, and of planning to create unrest.

Meanwhile, Burmese-American activist Nyi Nyi Aung (aka Kyaw Zaw Lwin), who was arrested in early September at Rangoon Airport, appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday.

“He has been accused of violating the Cheating Offence – Section 420, and forgery,” said his lawyer, Nyan Win.

Shortly after the arrest of Nyi Nyi Aung, 16 ethnic Arakan youths were arrested—seven in Rangoon and the others in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State. They were accused of maintaining links with the Thailand-based All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress.

According to Assistance Association for Political Prisoner (Burma), 2,119 political prisoners are being held in prisons across the country.
http://www.irrawadd y.org/article. php?art_id= 16995
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Burmese Minister Tells Migrant Workers Not to Fear Harassment
By THE IRRAWADDY         Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Burmese deputy foreign minister Maung Myint has promised that Burmese migrant workers in Thailand who have to return temporarily to Burma to obtain temporary passports will not be subject to harassment or the threat of arrest.

Burmese migrants wanting to work legally in Thailand have to follow a complicated procedure involving personal appearances at one of three offices inside Burma to obtain identification papers and passports valid for two years.
Burmese workers sorting the catch at a fish market in Phuket, Thailand. (Photo: AFP)

The three offices are at Myawaddy, Tachilek and Kawthaung. Migrant workers have until February 2010 to apply.

Many fear harassment and even arrest if they visit the offices, but Maung Myint sought to dispel their concern at a meeting with Thai officials which ended on Tuesday.

“There is no reason to arrest or harass those who apply for passports nor their parents and relatives,” Maung Myint said. “I also repeatedly guaranteed that there is no taxation [on migrants’ applications]” .

Maung Myint said the aim of issuing temporary passports is to protect the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand and to grant them equal rights.

The Rangoon-based Weekly Eleven News Journal reported that about 1,000 migrant workers have applied for temporary passports since the offices opened in July.

Thai and Burmese authorities have agreed to issue 600 two-year-passports per day. Migrants who do not apply for the passport will be deported to Burma, according to Thai authorities.

Confusion about the new regulations and the costs involved are preventing many migrant workers from applying for passports. Apart from fees payable to the Burmese authorities, applicants must also pay 2,000 baht (US $60) for a Thai visa.

Some workers complain they are paying more than 7,000 baht ($250) to complete the formalities.

Despite Maung Myint’s assurances, migrant rights groups in Thailand say many Burmese migrant workers doubt the word of the Burmese government.

Moe Swe, a spokesman of the Mae Sot-based Young Chi Oo Burmese Workers Association said: “The problem is that the migrant workers don’t believe the Burmese government. So, they dare not give their real names, ID details or addresses in Burma.”

The Chiang Mai-based Migrant Assistance Program (MAP) says many migrants fear arrest if they apply within Burma for the temporary passports.

An estimated 4 million Burmese migrants live and work in Thailand, according to MAP.
http://www.irrawadd y.org/article. php?art_id= 16994
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Bangladesh Hires US Law Firm in Bay of Bengal Dispute
By WAI MOE       Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bangladesh has retained a United States law firm for arbitration talks against Burma and India over maritime boundaries in the energy-rich waters of the Bay of Bengal, as Burma and Bangladesh both increase their military forces along the border.

The Washington-based Foley Hoag law firm announced on Tuesday that Bangladesh has issued arbitration actions against its two neighbors over the disputed area in the Bay of Bengal.

The law firm said Bangladesh sent complaint letters to Burma and India on Oct. 8. Neither country has responded yet.

Bangladesh, through the law firm, has brought the actions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Burma, Bangladesh and India are signatories to the convention.

Bangladesh claims Burma has granted concessions to oil companies that have engaged in drilling and other exploratory activities in disputed areas of the sea without prior notice to or consent by Bangladesh, which claims the territory as its own.

The complaint against India states that it “denies Bangladesh any portion of its continental shelf whatsoever beyond 200 nautical miles, [and] is inconsistent with the principles and rules established by UNCLOS,” according to a press release by the law firm.

“It is in keeping with our obligations under the Charter of the United Nations to seek a solution to disputes by peaceful means,” said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes in a press release. “We wish to conclude by reassuring our neighbors India and Myanmar of our commitment to friendship and the pursuit of mutual prosperity.”

The US law firm claims that Burmese warships have intimidated foreign oil companies such as US-based ConocoPhillip and Tullow Oil of the United Kingdom, which were granted concessions in the disputed waters by Bangladesh.

“The exaggerated claims of Myanmar [Burma] and India, and aggressive actions by Myanmar in particular, have effectively prevented Bangladesh from exploiting potentially huge deposits of oil and natural gas located off its coast,” said Paul Reichler of the law firm.

Negotiations between the three countries have been deadlocked for years, leaving international arbitration as the only way for Bangladesh to achieve a peaceful and lawful resolution of the issues by determining the “definitive borders that will ultimately allow it to access natural resources that will benefit the Bangladeshi people,” according to the release.

Foley Hoag’s Web site says that the firm has represented numerous governments before international arbitration tribunals worldwide and at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

This week, India’s army chief, Deepak Kapoor, concluded a three-day visit to Burma. He met with Burmese junta head Snr-Gen Than Shwe, the No. 2 general, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, and other high-ranking generals.

On Wednesday, state-run-newspaper s published an article with pictures of Kapoor and Maung Aye at a dinner with other key generals including Lt-Gen Ko Ko, the chief of the Bureau of Special Operations (BSO) – 3 that oversees the regional military command near Bangladesh, Lt-Gen Tha Aye, chief of BSO-4 that manages the Coastal Regional Command of the Burmese army and Myint Hlaing, the chief of staff of the regime’s air defense forces.

Following tensions with Bangladesh, the junta has increased troops along the border with the South Asian Nation. According to Bangladesh military sources, heavy tanks, artillery, 12 warships and a frigate were position near the border with Bangladesh during the weekend.

Bangladesh has also reinforced its military and placed them on alert. A Bangladesh navy official told The Daily Star that 30 warships were stationed in Chittagong and Khulna.

Another issue between two countries is the construction of a fence along the border by Burmese troops, who say it is meant to deter illegal migration.

According to border sources, Burma and Bangladesh military officials met on the border on Monday to discuss the border fence. At the meeting, Burmese officials reportedly told their counterparts that the increase in troops was intended to provide security for the border fence construction sites.

Bangladesh Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku, speaking to reporters in Dhaka on Wednesday, said, “It is the government’s duty to protect the freedom and sovereignty of the country.”
http://www.irrawadd y.org/article. php?art_id= 16993
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Burmese Migrants Beaten, Arrested in China
By SAW YAN NAING         Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Chinese police have been cracking down recently on illegal Burmese migrant workers with beatings commonplace and about 50 migrants arrested every day, according to sources on the Sino-Burmese border.

The crackdown started around Sept. 25. Several detained migrants have alleged they were badly beaten and were charged 300 yuan (US $44) for their release. Immediately after their release, the Burmese migrants were forcibly repatriated, said the sources.

Ma Grang, a merchant in the Chinese border town of Ruili, said he met with a factory worker named Myo Win and his friend who claimed they were badly beaten by the Chinese police, and have since returned to Burma.

“They were beaten with batons on their back, legs and chest. I saw the bruises,” said Ma Grang.  “Myo Win was not able to work for a few days.”

He said that Chinese police did not systematically beat up illegal Burmese migrant workers in the past.

“However, this time, they are treating the migrants brutally,” he said.

He added that Burmese migrant workers in Ruili—a border town in southwestern Yunnan Province which lies opposite the Burmese town of Muse—are currently living in fear and dare not go outside their living quarters.

Awng Wa, a source on the Sino-Burmese border, confirmed that the Chinese authorities had increased restrictions on migrating or visiting Burmese people.

In the past, Burmese people could cross the border and stay in Ruili for more than a week at a time. With the current crackdown, Burmese are only allowed to stay on Chinese soil for seven days. Anyone violating the rule is fined 600 yuan ($88), he said.

Sources in Ruili speculated that the police crackdown had been initiated to prevent the flow of illegal Burmese migrant workers into China. Others, however, claimed the Chinese were responding to attacks by Burmese government troops against ethnic Kokang and Han Chinese migrants in Burma in August.

During the Burmese government attacks, about 37,000 ethnic Kokang—who are widely considered to be ethnic Han Chinese—and first-generation Chinese migrants had to flee from Laogai in Burma across the Chinese border. Many Chinese reported that they had lost their businesses as a consequence.
An estimated 90 percent of businesses in Laogai are—or were—owned by Chinese businesspeople.

Ma Grang said many businessmen in Ruili have suggested that the crackdown against Burmese migrants is a reciprocal gesture because of what happened to Chinese people in Burma recently.

Awng Wa told The Irrawaddy he believed both motives were in play—the Chinese police were cracking down on Burmese in revenge for the Laogai seizure, and to curtail the number of migrants crossing into Yunnan Province, he said.
http://www.irrawadd y.org/article. php?art_id= 16992
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Burmese warships ‘intimidating’ oil companies

Oct 14, 2009 (DVB)–Burmese warships stationed in the Bay of Bengal are intimidating two oil companies exploring in waters claimed by Bangladesh, a lawyer representing Dhaka has said.

The confrontational behaviour of Burmese ships in the area has “prevented Bangladesh from exploiting potentially huge deposits of oil and natural gas located off its coast”, said Paul Reichler, in a statement released by US-based law firm Foley Hoag.

Foley Hoag is representing Bangladesh in a United Nations arbitration over a maritime dispute between Burma and Bangladesh.

The Dhaka-based Daily Star reported on Monday that Burma had sent 12 warships and a frigate to the area, while Bangladesh was “preparing 30 warships in Chittagong and Khulna”.

The two companies, US-based ConocoPhillips and UK-based Tullow Oil, hold exploration licenses from Bangladesh.

A staff member at Tullow Oil who spoke to DVB today refused to comment on the situation.

According to Foley Hoag, Bangladesh accuses Burma of granting concessions to oil companies that “have engaged in drilling and other exploratory activities in disputed areas without prior notice to or consent by Bangladesh”.

Reichler said however that Burma’s claims to maritime territory near to the lucrative oil and gas blocks were “exaggerated”.

The Bangladeshi government official, Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, was quoted in the statement as saying that the UN arbitration “will allow us to once and for all settle this dispute with our neighbours, to ensure that our sovereign rights to the natural resources in the sea are fully respected.”

“It is in keeping with our obligations under the Charter of the United Nations to seek a solution to disputes by peaceful means,” she added.

The maritime dispute has further strained relations between Naypyidaw and Dhaka following rising tension over the construction of Burma’s controversial fence along its border with Bangladesh.

The border fence has reportedly aggrieved local resident who claim that the project has caused greater militarization of the region.

Bangladesh’s foreign minister, Dipu Moni, on Monday played down reports that Burmese troops were amassing on the border, and said it “routine practice, not a build up”.

It followed comments from Colonel Azam from the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR), a border paramilitary force, that a “massive build-up” and “abnormal movement” of troops and armour was occurring on the Burmese side.

The BDR had last week sent three troop battalions to the border following the resumption in construction of Burma’s controversial border fence.

Reporting by Joseph Allchin http://english. dvb.no/news. php?id=2953
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DKBA moves towards border guard change

Oct 14, 2009 (DVB)–The pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army is to present the Burmese government with a list of battalions that will be transformed into border guard forces, officials from the group said.

The list is due to be sent tomorrow to the government’s military affairs security chief, Lieutenant General Ye Myint.

The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has been urging ceasefire groups in Burma to transform into border guard forces prior to the 2010 elections, although many have so far refused.

A Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) official said that those appointed to the border guard group would be given military and administration training in December in Moulmein, the capital of Burma’s eastern Mon state.

“There would be 360 personnel, including 30 Burmese army members, in each new battalion,” said the DKBA official. “We don’t know how many battalions would be formed.”

He said that DKBA leaders are now holding a five-day conference, due to end tomorrow, in Karen state.

The government has reportedly told the DKBA that new border guard forces would be under the direct control of the commander-in- chief of the country’s Defence Services.

The highest position in the group would be major’s rank, while the age range for personnel in each battalion will be 18 to 50 years old.

Another DKBA official said Ye Myint came to the DKBA headquarters at the end of September and told the group to dismantle its Tactical Operation Command unit.

An official at the DKBA’s 999th Battalion said some members within the group were disappointed with the age and rank limits for the border militia group.

A number of battalions accommodate people who are over 50 years old, many of whom rank above major, who would face demotion once the transformation has taken place.

Resistance to the government’s border guard plan has come from the majority of Burma’s ceasefire groups, who claim that the move would erode their autonomy and significantly weaken their clout.

The government is attempting to bring more armed groups back into the “legal fold”, and thus permit them to create political parties, prior elections next. Ostensibly the move would bring more support for the government.

Reporting by Naw Noreen  http://english. dvb.no/news. php?id=2952
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Oct 14, 5:53 AM EDT
American to stand trial in Myanmar for fraud

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A Myanmar-born American jailed for allegedly plotting to incite unrest in the military-ruled country was brought before a court Wednesday on charges that carry a sentence of up to 14 years, his lawyer said.

Nyi Nyi Aung was charged with fraud and forgery but not with inciting unrest, of which he was earlier accused, said his lawyer, Nyan Win. The fraud and forgery charges each carry a prison term of seven years.

A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 23 with testimony by prosecution witnesses, including immigration officials, the lawyer said.

Authorities arrested the U.S. citizen, also known as Kyaw Zaw Lwin, on arrival at Yangon airport on Sept. 3.

“Nyi Nyi Aung is well and in good spirits,” said Nyan Win. A U.S. Embassy consular official was also present in the courtroom, which is inside Yangon’s notorious Insein prison.

Nyan Win said his client told him on Monday that he was physically tortured while being interrogated during the early part of his detention. He denied allegations that he was plotting incite unrest.

The U.S. Embassy said it has made a formal complaint to Myanmar’s military government over Nyi Nyi Aung’s claims that he was mistreated in prison.

Myanmar authorities accused Nyi Nyi Aung of entering Myanmar to stir up protests by Buddhist monks, who led pro-democracy demonstrations in 2007 that were brutally suppressed by the junta. Authorities said he confessed to plotting with dissident groups outside the country, and accused him of links to several activists inside Myanmar who planned to set off bombs.

Nyan Win said his client was charged with forgery for allegedly making a national identity card.

Lawyers Nyan Win and Kyi Win led the legal team that defended pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a recent high-profile trial that resulted in an extension of her house arrest. She is currently serving an 18-month sentence after spending 14 of the past 20 years in detention.

Nyi Nyi Aung’s mother is serving a five-year jail term for political activities and his sister was sentenced to 65 years in prison for her role in the 2007 pro-democracy protests, activist groups and family members said.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy. http://hosted. ap.org/dynamic/ stories/A/ AS_MYANMAR_ AMERICAN_ TRIED?SITE= AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-10- 14-04-13- 59
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Insurgent bid to sway voters
NISHIT DHOLABHAI

Namsai (Lohit), Oct. 13: A Myanmar insurgent outfit is alleged to have tried to influence voters in two Arunachal districts where Naga rebels have long been accused of attempting to dictate ballot choices.

Cadres of the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) were said to have crossed over into Tirap and Changlang, along the Myanmar border, and asked people to vote for particular candidates.

During today’s high-security voting, however, sources said the cadres couldn’t influence or intimidate the voters in the two districts, home to 12 Assembly seats.

The KIA is said to have close ties with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) faction, which has a strong presence in the area. The sources said the NSCN (K) chief S.S. Khaplang had roots in the Hemi Naga group of Myanmar.

Changlang police chief K. Aya acknowledged that the Naga rebels influenced voters, but not the KIA. “We have Naga and Manipuri (rebel) groups who perhaps have tie-ups with the KIA. Fortunately, the elections have passed off peacefully,” he said.

Ahead of the last polls, though, around 100 KIA cadres were said to have descended on Changlang villages and influenced the voters.

The Myanmar rebels are known to have local connections, the sources said. One KIA leader is said to be an Assamese married to a Kachin woman who is related to the influential Singphos in Changlang.

Kachins control huge swathes of opium-growing land and, with the ruling Myanmar military junta having little control on large parts of the Kachin and Shan states, the KIA has had a free run. Some of the opium is smuggled into Arunachal and Nagaland. Insurgent groups from all of Northeast are known to seek shelter in the Kachin rebel camps.

Today’s polling, though, was largely smooth, officials said. “There were no reports of disturbances from sensitive polling stations,” said an official in Changlang.

But it wasn’t peaceful until yesterday. Supporters of Newlai Tingkhatra, the Congress candidate from Tirap’s Kanubari seat, were “summoned” by activists of the NSCN’s Isak-Muivah (IM) faction.

“They had misbehaved with our boys so we called them over and they apologised. They have already left and it is wrong to call it abduction,” a senior NSCN (IM) leader said over phone from Dimapur. The NSCN (IM) claims Tirap and Changlang to be part of its concept of Nagalim, which includes contiguous Naga-inhabited areas in Assam, Manipur, Arunachal and even parts of Myanmar.
Tophttp://www. telegraphindia. com/1091014/ jsp/nation/ story_11612481. jsp
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US citizen on trial for “fraud and forgery” in Myanmar
Asia-Pacific News

Oct 14, 2009, 8:12 GMT

Yangon- US national Nyi Nyi Aung, a former Myanmar student activist, went on trial Wednesday to face charges of ‘fraud and forgery,’ his defence team said.

The Mingalardon Court at Insein Prison, where Nyi Nyi Aung is being kept, quickly adjourned this case until October 23.

He is charged with fraud and forgery, his lawyers said.

Myanmar authorities arrested Nyi Nyi Aung, a naturalized US citizen, on September 3 at Yangon International Airport on charges of entering the country ‘to create unrest.’

He is being defended by lawyers Kyi Win and Nyan Win, the same legal team that unsuccessfully defended Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last month, on charges of violating terms of her house arrest.

‘We met with Nyi Nyi Aung on Monday,’ Nyan Win said before the trial began. ‘He had been tortured but was in good health.’

Nyi Nyi Aung has denied at all accusations.

Last month, state media reports accused Nyi Nyi Aung of planning terrorist attacks.

‘Steps are being taken to be able to take action against Nyi Nyi Aung, a citizen of a foreign country who, out of disloyalty to his motherland and people, planned to instigate unrest and launch terrorist attacks, and his internal contacts,’ The New Light of Myanmar, a government mouthpiece, said in an article on September 24.

The former student activist who participated in the 1988 anti-military protests reportedly fled to Thailand that year to join other student dissidents massed on the Thai-Myanmar border.         In 1994, he was granted refugee status and immigrated to the United States, where he became a citizen in 2005.

He entered Myanmar nine times from 2005-09, meeting with various dissident groups, according to state media reports.

‘Putting them in contact with activists abroad to stage anti-government protests, he played an active part in exchanging information, providing financial assistance and breeding hardcores,’ state media claimed.

Nyi Nyi Aung also had links with dissident monks and members of the opposition National League for Democracy, The New Light of Myanmar claimed, citing government sources.
http://www.monsters andcritics. com/news/ asiapacific/ news/article_ 1506966.php/ US-citizen- on-trial- for-fraud- and-forgery- in-Myanmar
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Most people in Myanmar harp on traditional medicines
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14 October 2009

In Myanmar, an overwhelming majority of people use traditional medicines as these are affordable and widely available. With the government recently formalising its role in the healthcare system, these medicines that are in use since 600 BC have got a fresh lease of life.

Yangon: Four years after contracting rheumatic fever, Mee Naing, 28, finally beat the disease with the help of traditional medicine.

Rheumatic fever can recur if not treated with long-term antibiotics, but because Mee Naing could not afford the medicine, she suffered from a bad bout of the disease for many months.

She finally went to a traditional medicine clinic and underwent a course of pills and balms and her health gradually improved.

“Whatever ailments I have, nowadays I take traditional drugs, which I can afford,” said Mee Naing, whose monthly income as a marketing assistant is less than US$40.

More than 85% of country’s population of about 57.5 million uses traditional medicines, according to government figures, partly to supplement western medicine and partly as an alternative.

“Traditional medicine is quite affordable and accessible for people from all walks of life, which are the fundamental reasons why most people use it,” said Maung Nyan, president of the Myanmar Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Association.

Practitioners say people in rural areas – about 70% of Myanmar’s population – rely more on traditional medicine than in urban areas, since it is more widely available and affordable than western medicine.

Traditional medicine is also 10-20 times cheaper than western medicine – a huge factor when 32.7% of people live below the poverty line, according to specialists.

Government promotion

Traditional medicine, in the form of pills, powders and balms, has been used in Myanmar since 600 BC, but only recently has the government moved to formalise its role in the healthcare system.

A Traditional Medicine Drug Law introduced in 1996 controls the quality, production and sale of the drugs. The government has also introduced good manufacturing practices, while the production, packaging and storage of medicines have been modernised.

These standards mean that “public trust and confidence in indigenous drugs has greatly been enhanced”, notes the World Health Organisation in Myanmar in its 2009 health report for the country.

“There is a progressive increase in demand for traditional medicine not only in rural areas but also in urban areas,” it states.

There are 14 traditional medicine hospitals, and 237 district and township clinics and sub-centres across the country, while there are more than 10,000 practitioners, according to the Myanmar Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Association.

In 2007, the government established the first national herbal park on 81 hectares of land in the new capital, Naypyidaw, to grow plants to treat diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, diabetes, hypertension, malaria and tuberculosis.

A long tradition

“Traditional medicine has regained its golden age,” said Aung Naing, who practises both traditional and western medicine, choosing one or the other depending on a patient’s illness.

Most traditional practitioners combine traditional medicines with western equipment, such as blood pressure monitors.

“Traditional medicine is very effective in curing chronic diseases such as diabetes, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, stroke, paralysis, motor paralysis, malaria, and menstrual disorders,” said Mya Win, 66, who has practised traditional medicine for 49 years.

While it cannot cure diseases such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, it has fewer side-effects than western medicine, said Mya Win.

Knowledge of Burmese traditional medicine has been handed down from generation to generation for centuries, and is influenced by traditions from neighbouring countries such as India and China.

Most of the medicines are of plant origin, although animal, mineral or aquatic material is also used.

In 1976, the government established the Institute of Myanmar Traditional Medicine to train traditional medicine practitioners, while the University of Myanmar Traditional Medicine was established in Mandalay in 2001. The curriculum covers traditional medicine, science and basic concepts of western medicine.

“Today, more and more young people are interested in learning traditional medicine as the role of the medicine becomes larger and larger in the country,” said Aung Myint, the university’s rector.

Source : IRIN http://southasia. oneworld. net/todaysheadli nes/most- people-in- myanmar-harp- on-traditional- medicines
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Japanese Deputy FM meets Burmese exile
by Mizzima News
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 15:27

New Delhi (Mizzima) – In what seems to be a new shade of interest by the Japanese government on Burma, Deputy Foreign Minister Tesuro Fukuyama met Burmese activists on Wednesday and discussed Japanese policy on Burma.

Maung Maung, General Secretary of the National Council of Union of Burma, a coalition of Burmese pro-democracy groups in exile, on Wednesday was invited by the Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister.

Dr. Min Nyo, a representative of the NCUB in Tokyo, who also joined Maung Maung during the meeting said, “Fukuyama has been active in supporting the Burmese cause even when he was a member of the opposition.”

After defeating the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for over half a century, in the August elections, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) formed the government.

In the past, Japan has maintained a quiet diplomacy and often does not criticize the Burmese military junta for its appalling human rights violations.  But the new government, which had been rhetorical over events in Burma, is expected by and large, by pro-democracy groups to be more supportive of the Burmese democracy movement.

Reporting by Salai Han Thar San
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Mystery surrounds ceasefire leader’s death
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 10:33 S.H.A.N.

The death of Maj-Gen Sai Nawng of Shan State Army (SSA) North on Sunday, in Hsipaw, seemingly a suicide, was shrouded in mysterious circumstances, according to sources from Shan State, who insisted Sai Nawng, 64, a seasoned combat veteran, had no sound reasons to kill himself.
“Most disturbing was the position of his pistol,” said an officer. “It was lying in front instead of on his side, leading to suspicion that it could have been an assassination.”

Sai Nawng was found dead of a gunshot wound on the morning of Monday by the housemaid. “The gunshot was not heard by his neighbors,” a source close to the SSA told Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma. “They believed the assassin had used a silencer.”

Sai Nawng was born in Kutkhai on 22 March 1945, attended St Albert’s before joining the resistance on 19 October 1963, according to Who’s Who column in SHAN’s Independence monthly, February 2007 issue. As a company commander, he was responsible for the security of British TV crew who were in Shan State 1972-73, to shoot the much acclaimed “The Opium Warlords” documentary. He later commanded the famed Battalion 816. A member of the delegation led by Maj Gen Hso Ten that negotiated with the Burma Army for truce in 1989, he was elected as Deputy Commander of the SSA afterwards.

From 1993-1998, he served as its commander when Hso Ten retired. At the time of his death, he was one of the two honorary chairmen of the SSA. The other is Hso Ten who is serving a 106 year jail term at Khamti.

His funeral will be on 14 October in Hsipaw.
http://www.shanland .org/index. php?option= com_content&view=article&id=2770:mystery- surrounds- ceasefire- leaders-death&catid=93:general&Itemid=291
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USDA and NUP in Falam at loggerheads
News – Khonumthung News
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 10:57

The United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the National United Party (NUP) are at loggerheads over the forthcoming 2010 general election campaign since August in Falam town, Chin state western Burma.

“USDA has stopped their members who wanted to resign and join our National United Party. They are campaiging among people not to be a member of NUP,” a member of Falam township NUP said.

In fact, they are forcing youths of 16 years to join their party. All members have the right to resign from the party, he added.

He said “There is no way to resign for the members of the United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) as they prohibited it except for government employees who are transferred to other locations.”

Regarding this, Mr. Dothawng, who had won the 1990 general election in zone 1 of Kalemyo from the National League of Democracy said “The USDA wants to control state power and they will do the same thing in the forthcoming general election as they did in the referendum.”

The USDA was established in 1993 by the military government and it is being used as a useful tool by the regime for various purposes. Now the USDA is campaigning for the forthcoming 2010 general elections in other places.
http://www.bnionlin e.net/news/ khonumthung/ 7214-usda- and-nup-in- falam-at- loggerheads. html
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Two ethnic Kachin leaders hospitalized in Mandalay
News – Kachin News Group
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 15:25

Leaders of two ethnic Kachin armed groups from northern Burma have been hospitalized in Mandalay, said sources.

In early October, Lanyaw Zawng Hra, Chairman and President of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Mahtu Naw, leader of the Kachin Defense Army (KDA) were admitted to Mandalay hospital for diseases brought on by age, officials from the two groups said.

Mahtu Naw, who is over 60 and is the leader of the Kawnghka-based KDA in Northeast Shan State, is in a critical condition and in a coma. Yet his relatives and junior officials are prevented from visiting him by the Burmese junta, said KDA officials in Kawnghka.

The KDA leader was sent to Lashio hospital from Kawnghka (also spelled Konghka) early this month. He was shifted to Mandalay hospital because of his serious condition about five days ago, KDA officials said.

When he was being treated in Lashio hospital, Mahtu Naw went into a coma, following a paralytic stroke and hemorrhage of the brain, said KDA officials in Kawnghka.

KDA officials are anxious about the condition of their leader Mahtu Naw. They are also asking the junta as to why they and Mahtu Naw’s relatives are being prevented from visiting him in Mandalay hospital, a KDA official told KNG.

KDA is also worried that the junta may of a sudden take control of the group’s headquarters in Kawnghka and may disarm its force while their leader is critically ill in Mandalay, where KDA and his relatives are not being allowed to visit him, senior KDA officers in Kawnghka said.

The KDA, a Kachin peace group and the former 4th Brigade of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) accepted the junta’s proposal to transform the group to the Burmese Army controlled militia group in June, against the will of the Kachin people.

At the same time, KIO chairman Zawng Hra (over 70) is in hospital in Mandalay since early last week after he fell ill two weeks ago in the Laiza headquarters on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State, said KIO officials.

The KIO chairman is suffering from age related diseases like weak heart beats, stroke and cough.  Sumlut Gam, head of KIO’s Education Department went with the KIO chairman to Mandalay for a medical checkup, a KIO official told KNG.

The two ethnic leaders of the Kachin armed groups were hospitalized in Mandalay in the same month, at a time when negotiations are on between the KIO and the junta over the contentious Border Guard Force issue.
http://www.bnionlin e.net/news/ kng/7210- two-ethnic- kachin-leaders- hospitalized- in-mandalay. html
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Burmese Military Junta Constructs Tunnel in Arakan
News – Narinjara News
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 10:38

Ann: The Burmese military junta has been constructing a tunnel bunker in Ann Township in Arakan State since the beginning of this year for storing fighter jets, said a military source.

The tunnel is located in Mae Daung Mountain, located ten miles north of Ann where the Western Command is stationed.

According to a local source, a military air base has also been under construction Ann Town for the last few years but is now complete, and fighter jets are now landing at the base.

The tunnel is intended to be connected with the air base but no further information about the tunnel is known, one analyst said.

The Burmese military junta has been constructing many underground tunnels throughout Burma with the help of North Korea, but there is no detailed information on the tunnel in Arakan, or whether North Korea is assisting in the construction.

According to the military source, this is the latest military build-up in Arakan State. Prior to this, the regime built other military infrastructure, including Kyauk Pru Navy Base, Ann Air Base, and Kyaun Thaya Radar Station.

The Burmese military has been increasing its strength in Arakan State because it is in a strategic location on the Bay of Bengal, which is rich in natural resources.http: //www.bnionline. net/news/ narinjara/ 7207-burmese- military- junta-constructs -tunnel-in- arakan.html