ASEAN hopeful on Myanmar, activists not so sure
Junta supremo to visit Sri Lanka
Junta Continues to Suppress Religious Freedom: US
Asean, the hypocrite
ASEAN’S Human rights body must flex its muscles
Activists Urge Halt of Shwe Pipeline Project
Myanmar, China to jointly shoot film featuring human trafficking
Over 3,000 students sit for IELTS exam in Myanmar this year
Thailand accounts 90 per cent of human trafficking from Laos
Rein, Turnbull rally for Suu Kyi
Drowning in debt
Photos released of murdered Japanese journalist
Constitution must be revised before election: opposition leaders
DKBA troops dig for gold in Karen territory
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Analysis
ASEAN hopeful on Myanmar, activists not so sure

Published Date: October 27, 2009
By Rachel O’Brien

Asian leaders at a weekend summit were hopeful about Myanmar’s improving US ties but activists criticised their failure to pressure the junta over detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. At the regional meet Sunday, Indian premier Manmohan Singh said there was an “atmosphere of hope” about improving relations between Myanmar and Washington, which recently began to re-engage the junta after years of hostility.

The summit leaders, from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and partners China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan, all welcomed the US engagement, Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva added. Myanmar premier Thein Sein even told his counterparts that the junta sees a role for Suu Kyi in fostering reconciliation ahead of elections in 2010, Abhisit said, but it was unclear if she could actually take part in the polls.

The Nobel peace laureate had her house arrest extended in August for 18 months after she was convicted over an incident in which an American man swam to her home, so she was widely expected to be off the scene next year. Thein Sein also said at the talks that the junta could relax the conditions of her detention, a Japanese official said – although this possibility had been raised earlier at her conviction. But despite this upbeat finish to the summit, the leaders of ASEAN, which includes Myanmar, devoted
just three lines to the military-ruled nation’s political situation in the nine pages of their final declaration.

While the statement called for the 2010 elections to be “fair, free, inclusive and transparent”, it made no mention of Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years. Critics said this lack of pressure on Myanmar took the shine off ASEAN’s first human rights body, which was inaugurated as the summit opened in the Thai resort of Hua Hin and hailed by members as “historic”. “The whole thing is a bit of a farce,” David Mathieson, a Myanmar expert at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. “There were pretty
low expectations for the human rights commission and ASEAN has probably fulfilled these expectations. There’s no way ASEAN can maintain any credibility while kowtowing to the Burmese leaders,” he added. Burma is Myanmar’s former name.

The rights commission’s launch was also marred by a row over the barring of rights activists from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Singapore, who were meant to meet ASEAN leaders at Hua Hin to discuss the new watchdog. The Myanmar representative, Khin Ohmar, said their exclusion was an “extreme disappointment”, but not a surprise. “Now the trial is done and Aung San Suu Kyi is back in house arrest, ASEAN is coming back to avoiding the whole Burma issue again,” she added.

Khin Ohmar said ASEAN was prevented from applying any real pressure on the military regime because of its long-standing policy of non-interference in members’ internal affairs. “As long as they have that they will not be able to solve the Burma problem”, she added. The military leaders did allow Suu Kyi two meetings with a minister this month after she wrote to junta chief Than Shwe offering suggestions for getting Western sanctions against Myanmar lifted, coinciding with the US policy shift. “These are po
sitive developments and I think Myanmar authorities have promised their commitment to the… roadmap (to democracy)”, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told reporters in Hua Hin.

The positions of ASEAN and the international community “remain firm”, he said, reiterating the call for free and fair elections and the release of all political prisoners. But ASEAN nations have been reluctant to admonish Myanmar when they face their own rights issues, especially in communist Vietnam and Laos but also in Thailand, which has been under fire for its treatment of ethnic minorities. “The change in the US approach reduces the pressure on ASEAN to push for reform in Myanmar,” said Bridget Welsh,
a Southeast Asia expert at the Singapore Management University. “ASEAN has usually had limited impact on reforms in Myanmar, and this pattern is likely to continue,” she added. – AFP
http://www.kuwaitti mes.net/read_ news.php? newsid=MTI2NTczM DM1
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Junta supremo to visit Sri Lanka
by Mizzima News
Tuesday, 27 October 2009 11:02

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Burmese junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe will visit Sri Lanka next month as part of an exercise to boost bilateral ties between the two countries, said official sources.

Than Shwe, with an entourage of several ministers is likely to leave Burma on November 11 in the newly bought Myanmar Airways International  A-320 aircraft and will return to Naypyitaw on November 16.

His visit is reciprocal in nature following that of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Burma last June.

During his visit to Burma, President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited General Than Shwe to visit Sri Lanka. During the ensuing visit, the junta chief is expected to visit the pilgrimage sites of the country.

Burma and Sri Lanka are Buddhist countries and their bilateral ties are getting warmer off late. Than Shwe’s family, which has an ostentatious life style, will be part of the official visit.

http://www.mizzima. com/news/ breaking- and-news- brief/2960- junta-supremo- to-visit- sri-lanka. html
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Junta Continues to Suppress Religious Freedom: US
By LALIT K JHA   Tuesday, October 27, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Burmese military junta continues to oppress people on religious grounds and actively promotes Theravada Buddhism, said a US report on religion released on Monday.

“It systematically restricted efforts by Buddhist clergy to promote human rights and political freedom,” the State Department said in its annual International Religious Freedom Report 2009.

“Adherence to Buddhism remains generally a prerequisite for promotion to senior government and military ranks. Anti-Muslim violence continued, as did the close monitoring of Muslims’ activities. Restrictions on Christians and other non-Buddhist minority groups also continued throughout the country,” the report said.

The report examined how governments in 198 countries and territories protect or fail to protect religious freedom, calling attention to abuse and positive steps taken by many countries to promote freedom and interreligious harmony.”

The Burma section of the report noted that many of the Buddhist monks arrested in the violent crackdown that followed the pro-democracy demonstrations of September 2007, including prominent activist monk U Gambira, remain in prison serving long sentences.

Noting that the Burmese military junta systematically restricted efforts by Buddhist clergy to promote human rights and political freedom, the report said the junta actively promoted Theravada Buddhism, particularly among minority ethnic groups.

“Although there were no new reports of forced conversions of non-Buddhists, the government applied pressure on students and poor youth to convert to Buddhism,” it said.

This is the first report of the Obama administration on international religious freedom, which becomes in factor in the United States designating countries into various categories. Earlier this year, days before the Bush administration left office, it put Burma along with China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan under the category of “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).”

Michael H. Posner, the assistant secretary of state for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, said a new CPC list is expected in the next few months.

“We are eager to at least get it done by January, and I’d like to say sooner. We have the ability throughout the year to make designations or remove countries,” he said.

Burma was first designated a CPC in 1999 and most recently was re-designated on Jan.  http://www.irrawadd y.org/article. php?art_id= 17072
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POST BAG
Asean, the hypocrite

* Published: 27/10/2009 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News

Agence France Presse (AFP) has issued a news report entitled ”Asean makes mockery of rights body” which criticised the hypocrisy and cowardice of the leaders of the region when it comes to substantive and procedural human rights issues involving its member states, especially Burma.

The other day the Asean leaders, in a summit meeting, bragged before the world mass media that Asean would someday be like the European Union in content, structure, vision, and aspirations.

That dream is a big joke and is more like a press-release beautification effort to sanitise the poor human rights image of the region and its top leaders.

I still have to wait and see how the Asean Human Rights Commission will turn out in terms of structure, composition, operations, transparency, accountability, moral courage and commitment to the enforcement of the universal precepts of human rights in the region.

I will need at least five years to do that. The commission must be strictly monitored by the world, especially the human rights advocates and lawyers in the Southeast Asian region.

At any rate, the AFP report stated Asean leaders barely mentioned Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi at its weekend summit, making a mockery of the region’s grand claims for its new rights body.

Leaders of the 10 states comprising Asean, including Burma, devoted just three lines to the military-ruled nation’s political situation in the nine pages of their final declaration.

While the statement called for elections promised by the junta in 2010 to be fair, free, inclusive and transparent, it made no mention of the opposition leader, who has been detained under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years.

The summit at Cha-am and Hua Hin opened with the inauguration of Asean’s first human rights body, hailed by members as historic but derided by activists, given the lack of action on Burma.

The problem with Asean is that it is prevented from applying any real pressure on the military regime in Burma because of the association’ s long-standing policy of non-interference in member’s internal affairs, which Burma’s ruling generals led by Gen Than Shwe have abused for a long time now.

The United States seems to have caved in, too, because it now wants to re-engage the isolated regime after decades of hostility, thus, reducing the pressure on Asean to push for reform in Burma.

We the people of Asean must be frank and stop fooling each other.

Asean states, especially the Philippines, have been reluctant to admonish Burma because they themselves face their own human rights issues.

These include extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture during custodial investigations, prolonged preventive detentions without judicial interventions, localised genocide and failure to prosecute abusive and corrupt military and police officers and the political, drug, and gambling lords who fund them.

That is the long and short of the story.

MANUEL J LASERNA JR

Las Pinas City, Philippines  http://www.bangkokp ost.com/opinion/ opinion/26333/ asean-the- hypocrite
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ASEAN’S Human rights body must flex its muscles
Tue, 2009-10-27 01:33 — editor

* Myanmar

By Zin Linn

The 15th Asean summit held at a Thai resort town, has given room for hope that the conditions governing the detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi would be relaxed. Her detention figured in the talks Prime Minister Thein Sein had with the Asean leaders on the sidelines of the summit. And the summit also came out with a categorical call to the Junta to hold a free, fair, inclusive and transparent election next year.

We don’t know the reaction of Thein Sein to the Asean demand but he must be realized that the regime cannot hope to push its envelop any further with impunity. This much becomes clear from his assurance on the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Going by the official media version, he also told his interlocutors that the Nobel Peace laureate had “softened” her attitude towards the military regime since her house arrest was extended in August for a further 18 months. Interestingly, the official media was quite silent on what the Prime Minister had said if any on whether Suu Kyi would be allowed to participate in the election.

Not too long ago, when Suu Kyi was still free and was able to move around the country, she led her party to a triumphant victory in the one and only fair general election the country has witnessed. She and her party were denied the fruits of popular verdict and in fact made to face the brutalities of a regime to which popular will remains an anathema.

If she continues to remain under house arrest and political parties are barred from reaching out to the people, the next election will remain a charade. Thein Sein is not oblivious to the repercussions of such an election to the credibility and standing of the government and the constitution the Junta has drafted in a bid to perpetuate its hold on the country. Otherwise he would not have volunteered to say that soon would be announced an electoral law for next year’s planned election. He offered no further details during his meeting with the host, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. So it will be interesting to see how Rangoon will address these twin issues.

True, the regime had made such promises in the past too but failed to honour them. Kraisak Choonhavan, the president of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar (Burma) Caucus (AIPMC), said the junta often assured that it would respect democratic values, but has constantly refused to let its opponents to participate freely in the political process.

Burma has been fallen under military boots since 1962. The regime has earned the distrustful reputation of being one of the world’s worst human rights violators. It brutally suppressed pro-democracy movements in 1988, May 30, 2003, Depayin conspiracy and Saffron Revolution in Sept 2007. There were many more sporadic crackdowns. The junta has arrested over two thousands political dissidents including Suu Kyi, who has been confined to her residence for 14 of the last 20 years.

The regime held a unilateral referendum at gun point on May 10 and 24. The 2008 Constitution, the junta said, was “approved” by more than 90 percent of eligible voters during a referendum in May 2008; just a few days after Cyclone Nargis devastated the country. The outcome of the referendum was widely dismissed as a sham, but the regime has ignored calls from the international community and Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, to review the Constitution which will cause trouble upon the Burmese people.

The 2010 elections will legalize military rule. Hence the fear that the poll procedure will not be free and fair just like the referendum held at gun-point. The socio-economic scene is worsening. The junta will not be able to manage the socio-economic indicators which are falling like ninepins. It will soon come face-to-face with a “desolate” future if it continues to refuse the national reconciliation process being urged by the opposition the National League for Democracy (NLD), the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) and the exile dissident groups.

For NLD and UNA the ratification of the constitution staged by the Junta is unacceptable. Both declare that the ratification was carried out against the will of the people and without observing internationally known norms for referendums. The junta also does not show respect to the successive resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) calling for return of democratic system in Burma through a tripartite dialogue between the Junta led by Senior General Than Shwe, democratic forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives of ethnic nationalities. From turn of events it is clear that the junta has no plan to heed the UN call and to release political prisoners, which is a pre-condition to facilitate the tripartite dialogue.

Looking at ground reality, there is more belligerence in these days, more military attacks on ethnic minorities, more arrests, more political prisoners, and more restrictions on media, more control on Internet and civil societies. So, there is an urgency to continue to put pressure on the regime till the bench marks are met.

Today’s question for ASEAN is whether Burma is an authoritarian or a democratic state? According to a Burmese saying, a tiger is a tiger and it never lives on grass. Then, if someone says a dictator would build a democratic country, it may be an object of ridicule.

For instance, ASEAN’s newly formed human rights watchdog, ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), according to critics, is toothless. It has no power to punish members such as Burma. Non-governmental rights organizations and London-based Amnesty International have expressed their concerns over the body, while the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said it has no clear mandate for victims of abuse.

Debbie Stothard of the ASEAN People’s Forum pointed out 5 of the 10 governments had rejected nominees from civil society groups for the watchdog and have replaced them with their own agents. According to Debbie, it was a big slap on the face of civil society while they were trying to engage with the ASEAN. “This situation and the gag order is an irresponsible move by ASEAN governments and it will damage the credibility of the grouping,” she said.

There are still arguments for ASEAN to abandon its long standing policy of non-interference in another country’s internal affairs if the affairs of a country spilled over and affected regional security. ASEAN’s policy-makers have to debate on the Burma Question in the future ASEAN meetings.

ASEAN should review its policy towards Burma under the military dictatorship for the sake of the association’ s opportunity in favor of the whole region. The UN has also urged Asean leaders to make trustworthy the long-awaited ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), which is meant to answer claims that the grouping has fallen short on rights during its 42-year history.

Burma is likely to come under the international limelight for its continued detention of democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi and over 2100 political prisoners. AICHR must flex its muscles as much as possible.

- Asian Tribune – http://www.asiantri bune.com/ news/2009/ 10/27/asean% E2%80%99s- human-rights- body-must- flex-its- muscles
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Activists Urge Halt of Shwe Pipeline Project
Tuesday, 27 October 2009, 9:51 am
Article: Nava Thakuria

The Shwe Gas Movement, an oil and gas watchdog, along with a number of well wisher and supporters are officially going to urge the Chinese government to suspend the Shwe Gas and Oil Pipeline Project in Burma (Myanmar).

The Burmese organization has already initiated for gathering endorsements for an open letter to the President of People’s Republic of China to be submitted on October 28 through their embassies in different countries. The proposed natural gas and oil pipeline project is understood to start in the western Burmese province Arakan and to run through the country for nearly thousand kms and finally to reach the Yunnan Province of China.
The exile Burmese have initiated for the Global Day of Action on the particular date and will send the letter to the President Hu Jintao through the Chinese embassies in different countries like India, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Korea, Japan etc. Mentionable that the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) holds a 50.9% stake in partnership with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) in dual oil and gas pipelines planned from the Arakan State to Yunnan Province. M. Kim of the Shwe Gas Movement, while speaking to this writer from New Delhi, argued that the project would invite serious threats to the people of Burma. It would also pose risks for the regional security, diplomacy and financial aspects to both Burma and China.

Therefore we demand to suspend the project to prevent a human and environmental disaster from taking place, he added. “We are gravely concerned for the thousands communities living along the planned 980 km pipeline corridor. Based on experiences in Burma, partnerships with the MOGE on infra-structure development projects invariably leads to forced displacement, forced labour and loss of livelihoods.

The escalation of abuses around a project when Burma army soldiers provide security is well documented by UN agencies and NGOs,” said in the letter addressing the Chinese president.

It may be mentioned that a number of international corporations are engaged in the petroleum production activities in Burma including Daewoo International (South Korea, 51% of shares in Shwe Gas Consortium), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC Videsh, India, 17% of shares in Shwe Gas Consortium), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL India, 8.5% of shares in Shwe Gas Consortium), The China National Petroleum Corporation (purchaser of the gas and builder of pipelines), PetroChina Company Ltd etc.

“In the 1990s, the Yadana gas project was developed by TOTAL of France and UNOCAL Corporation of the United States of America. The project directly resulted in forced labour, land confiscation, displacement, rape, and killings. TOTAL and UNOCAL were subsequently sued in French and US courts, respectively, for what amounted to their involvement in the human rights abuses, and each case was settled out of court.

These same questions of complicity, aiding and abetting, and otherwise exacerbating the human rights situation in Burma are raised again by the Trans-Burma pipeline project and directed at CNPC under your government’s policy and administration,” added in the letter. “Conflicts have already surfaced in Burma, in response to oil and gas exploration by a Chinese corporation in partnership with Burma’s MOGE.

The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Ltd conducted explorations in western Burma’s onshore block M between 2005-2007, which led to land confiscation, environmental degradation and loss of livelihoods. The local community were neither consulted nor informed of the project,” claimed in the letter. It has also cautioned that this oil and gas pipeline project would, if it goes ahead, create a conjuncture in which on one hand Chinese corporations and the partnering Burma army operating on the ground will be responsible for rights abuses and uprooting livelihoods and on the other hand exporting vast amounts of oil and gas to China while the electricity consumption per capita in Burma is less than 5% of the Chinese people. This is a dangerous combination which could further fuel serious conflicts and anti-Chinese sentiment in Burma. The letter of course admitted, “We understand and support the fact that China has increasing energy needs in order to support the development of your country and its people.

However, we believe that in order to nurture a relationship based on regional stability and development, that would benefit the people of both the countries, an urgent measure is definitely required.”

ENDS http://www.scoop. co.nz/stories/ WO0910/S00320. htm
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Myanmar, China to jointly shoot film featuring human trafficking
www.chinaview. cn 2009-10-27 10:44:53

YANGON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) — Film directors of Myanmar and China will cooperate in shooting an educative film featuring a story of human trafficking across border, sources with the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise (MMPE) said on Tuesday.

The film, “The Road to Hell”, is based on a story in which the mother rescued her son and daughter from human traffickers to whom they were sold by her second husband.

Their roles will be played by Myanmar and Chinese actors and actresses, the sources said, adding that the movie will be shot in the border areas of the two countries as well as Thailand.

Myanmar is making efforts to promote the standard of the country’s video features and movie production for penetrating foreign markets in cooperation with foreign countries and through attending foreign film festivals.

Earlier this month, a Myanmar film delegation comprising director, actors and actresses took part in the 18th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival held in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, in which two Myanmar movies — “Piece of String” and “Myaw Lint Chin Myar Swar” (Much Expectation) were screened.

In 2007, Myanmar also took part in another Chinese film festival in Suzhou with the film “Hexagon “.

For the development of TV and movie sector, Myanmar sent delegations in the past few years to international radio, movie and TV shows, Beijing Film Festival and 16th Chinese Golden Rooster Film Festival as well as to China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Singapore to learn the digital camera technology and to India to study the TV broadcasting.
Editor: Li Xianzhi http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/ 2009-10/27/ content_12337304 .htm
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Over 3,000 students sit for IELTS exam in Myanmar this year
www.chinaview. cn 2009-10-27 11:22:05

YANGON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) — Over 3,000 students sat for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination held in Myanmar for the 2009-10 exam year, sources with the Yangon-based British Council said on Tuesday.

As the IELTS exam marks are recognized by universities in the United States, the number of candidates increased year by year from 1,097 in 2005-06, 1,380 in 2006-07, 1,400 in 2007-08 and 2,600 in 2008-09, the sources said, adding that nowadays the number of candidates sitting for exam for pursuing further study in Australia with the majors of medical doctor and nurse stood the majority.

Among the candidates, over 1,200 were qualified for studying in Singapore, over 960 for Australia, 360 for England and 60 for America during this year, it said.

IELTS, sponsored by the Cambridge University, International Education and Development Program and British Council, charged 145U.S. dollars for the exam fees.

The IELTS exam is used to be held at the British Council in Yangon every year but now the new exam center went to the second largest city of Mandalay this month, it added.

Over the past decade, most Myanmar students sought further study abroad for advanced education and the move has become widespread among youths in the country.

Among the Myanmar students who study abroad, over 50 percent are from Yangon, 30 percent from Mandalay and 15 percent from other parts of the country, education officials said.

The students pursuing education in foreign countries range from20 to 30 years of age, taking up 50 percent of the youths in the country, followed by those between 16 and 20, under 16 and 30 above. Of them, ordinary graduates stand the majority.
Editor: Li Xianzhi http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/ 2009-10/27/ content_12337617 .htm
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Thailand accounts 90 per cent of human trafficking from Laos
By Deutsche Presse Agentur

Vientiane – Thailand accounts for about 90 per cent of the human trafficking from neighbouring Laos, with girls aged 12 to 18 making up a majority of the victims, state media reported Tuesday.

Leik Boonwaat, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to Laos, said it was estimated that some 35 per cent of the Lao nationals trafficked to Thailand end up in prostitution, the Vientiane Times reported.

Another 32 per cent end up in forced labour, 17 per cent work in factories and 4 per cent on fishing boats, the report said.

The UN official said an estimated 200,000 to 450,000 people are trafficked annually in the Greater Mekong sub-region, which includes southern China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the countries joined by the Mekong River.

The UN office estimates were made at a seminar held Monday in Vientiane with the Justice Ministry to assess the progress of a joint project to combat human trafficking in the impoverished, land-locked country.

“Since October 2006, the ministry has worked alongside UNODC to strengthen the capacity of criminal justice institutions, including the judiciary and government law enforcement bodies, to prevent and combat human trafficking and related forms of organised crime in Laos,” the state-run Vientiane Times reported. http://www.nationmu ltimedia. com/2009/ 10/20/regional/ regional_ 30114860. php
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Rein, Turnbull rally for Suu Kyi

* October 27, 2009 – 1:39PM

The wives of Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull have thrown their support behind Burma’s detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The women stood side by side on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday at a “freedom stand” organised by Labor MP for Page, Janelle Saffin.

The prime minister’s wife, Therese Rein, told the gathering of about 500 people that Ms Suu Kyi had demonstrated enormous strength in the face of extreme adversity.

“We have gathered here to show our support and admiration for a truly courageous woman,” Ms Rein said.

“And for the struggle of the people who deserve the right to determine their own future and choose their own leaders.”

Lucy Turnbull, former Lord Mayor of Sydney and wife of Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, said such a gathering would be impossible in Burma.

“The Sydney Opera House is a place that strongly reminds us and all Australians that we are a democracy and we are a free nation.

“In Burma, a gathering like this would be unimaginable.”

Ms Saffin, who met Ms Suu Kyi when she visited Burma in the late 1990s, said she organised the event in response to Ms Suu Kyi’s call to “use your liberty to promote ours”.

“Our message to Suu Kyi and the Burmese is simple,” she said.

“We stand behind you, beside you, in front of you and in times of trouble we will keep you in our hearts and minds.”

Australian Burmese woman Nyein Aye Kyi called on the Australian government to condemn the military dictatorship in Burma.

“We urge the Australian government to put pressure on the military government along with the international community to release our political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.”

Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, has been kept under house arrest by the military junta for most of the past two decades after her National League for Democracy swept elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power.
http://www.watoday. com.au/breaking- news-national/ rein-turnbull- rally-for- suu-kyi-20091027 -himf.html
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Drowning in debt

Source: The Irrawaddy

Date: 26 Oct 2009

By SOE LWIN

BOGALAY, Irrawaddy delta—Aye Kyu, 42, chokes when she talks about the burden of her debt.

“Every day the money lenders chase us, telling us to hurry up and pay them back. But, how can we pay off our debts when there is no work?” the mother of two said.

Aye Kye has been living with her family in a temporary shack since Cyclone Nargis destroyed her home in Setsan, a village in one of the hardest hit areas 150 minutes by boat from Bogalay Township near the mouth of the Irrawaddy delta.

Laborers extract salt from salt fields in Laputta Township of the Irrawaddy delta in April. Many laborers have had to borrow money to buy rice for their families’ daily survival.

Before the cyclone, Aye Kyu and her husband regularly found work as day laborers in the paddy fields belonging to farmers in the surrounding villages.

In the wake of the cyclone there has been little work, forcing Aye Kyu and her husband to take loans at rates of interest as high as 25 percent a month.

With monthly household monthly expenses amounting to nearly US $50, Aye Kyu’s family can only earn around $30 in present conditions.

“We have no choice but to go into debt. We have to buy rice for the children,” Aye Kye said, adding that she owed the equivalent of almost $400 dollars to the money lenders.

Thousands of cyclone-affected households in the delta are falling into a debt trap because job opportunities are still few even though 18 months has passed since the cyclone.

Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Rangoon and the Irrawaddy delta in the first week of May last year killed almost 140,000 people and affected more than 2 million, destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands.

Agriculture and fisheries, the two major industries in the storm-affected area, were severely hit.

Despite assistance from the international community and the government, neither industry has fully recovered.

Day laborers who relied on finding work on fishing boats or on the farms have had to borrow money. Most say they had to take out loans to buy rice.

According to the Rapid Food Security Assessment released by the United Nations’ World Food Programme in March, the vast majority—83 percent of sampled households—reported being in debt because they had to buy food.

Interest rates vary from place to place, with some money-lenders taking between 5 and 20 percent and others between 25 and 50 percent, depending on the situation of the borrowers.

Though interest rates are high, the cyclone-affected debtors find it difficult to borrow money unless they can find loan guarantors in their villages.

“We want to pay off our debts as quickly as we can,” a cyclone-widow from Setsan Village said, “but we have to struggle just to earn enough for one meal a day.”

Humanitarian agencies are calling for agriculture and fisheries to be put back on a more secure basis as quickly as possible.

“As long as these industries are not fully back to normal, you cannot expect day laborers to have enough job opportunities,” said an official from CARE, a UK-based charity working in Burma since 1995.

“Restoring these sectors is the best way to help day laborers in the long term,” the official said.
With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. The opinions expressed in the documents carried by this site are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by UN OCHA or ReliefWeb. http://www.reliefwe b.int/rw/ rwb.nsf/db900SID /SNAA-7X85BU? OpenDocument
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Photos released of murdered Japanese journalist

Warning: this article contains graphic images

Oct 27, 2009 (DVB)–Images of the post-mortem examination on the body of a Japanese journalist shot dead by Burmese police during the September 2007 protests have been released for the first time.

Accompanied by the images obtained by DVB of the body of Kenji Nagai, who worked for Tokyo’s APF news agency, are photographs of the possessions he carried when he died. Separate footage captured by DVB reporters filming the demonstrations appears to show Nagai carrying a camera that has not been included in the exhibit of his possessions.

A letter sent in November 2007 by Japanese activists to Burma’s ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) protesting the shooting had demanded that the camera and videotape be returned to Nagai’s family “without any modifications to the recorded material”. The family has since received all of his belongings apart from the camera and videotape.

Subsequent footage released on Japanese television showed a government soldier taking the camera. A wristwatch that Nagai was wearing when he died is also missing from the exhibit photograph.

Nagai was killed by a single bullet-wound to the chest as he filmed monks and civilians protesting on the streets of Rangoon, in what has now come to be known as the Saffron Revolution.

The Japanese prime minister at the time described the killing as “extremely unfortunate”, while the government’s chief cabinet secretary demanded an investigation into the incident.

Relations between the two countries temporarily soured after the shooting, with Japan halting aid to Burma. This was resumed however following cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

Nagai was the only foreigner to have been killed during protests which lasted for eight days before the government launched a brutal crackdown, killing scores of monks and students in the process.

Up to 50,000 people are thought to have been involved in the demonstrations which erupted after the government hiked up fuel prices overnight, in some cases to five times their original price.

Since his death, an award has been created in Nagai’s name to honour reporters documenting human rights abuses in Burma.

The first recipient of the award was Eint Khaing Oo, a female journalist who was imprisoned after reporting on cyclone Nargis. She has since been released.

The Times quoted an associate of Nagai’s who said the 50-year-old was “relentless” in his pursuit of stories. He had previously documented conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia and Palestine.

Reporting by Francis Wade

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Constitution must be revised before election: opposition leaders
Report by Salai Pi Pi
Monday, 26 October 2009 15:25

New Delhi (Mizzima) – Prominent Burmese opposition leaders say the junta’s planned 2010 elections cannot be inclusive and broad-based unless the 2008 Constitution is first revised.

Win Tin, a veteran politician and senior member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said in order to make the 2010 election inclusive the 2008 Constitution must be amended, as the document, which he asserts enshrines military-rule, will essentially bar all dissidents including Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in the poll.

“The constitution does not allow any political prisoners their electoral rights, and this will also include Aung San Suu Kyi,” Win Tin clarified. “Therefore, it is necessary that the constitution is revised before the election.”

Win Tin’s comments came in response to a statement from the Burmese Prime Minister at the 15th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, concluded on Sunday.

The Burmese Premier, Thein Sein, reportedly ensured leaders of the 10-member ASEAN bloc meeting in Thailand that the 2010 elections would be free, fair and inclusive of all stakeholders.

Thein Sein also commented that Aung San Suu Kyi could be allowed to play a role in national reconciliation, further hinting that the regime may relax restrictions on the detained opposition leader if she maintains a “good attitude.”

“He briefed us on some of the dialogue that is taking place and he feels optimistic that she can contribute to the process of national reconciliation,” Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters.

“We welcomed the affirmation by the Prime Minister of Myanmar [Burma] that the general elections to be held in 2010 would be conducted in a free, fair and inclusive manner,” Abhisit continued in his statement.

While cautiously welcoming Thein Sein’s comments, Win Tin noted the Nobel Peace Laureate has been maintaining a soft stance towards the regime and urging national reconciliation for the last twenty years.

Meanwhile, Aye Thar Aung, Secretary of the Committee Representing Peoples’ Parliament (CRPP), a coalition of political parties that won the 1990 election, on Monday echoed similar views to those of Win Tin, primarily that the junta’s planned election next year cannot be inclusive unless the constitution, which he called “forcibly endorsed in 2008”, is revised.

“Without revising the 2008 Constitution, the election will not be able to yield anything good for the people of Burma,” Aye Thar Aung told Mizzima.

Aye Thar Aung added that Burma’s generals only want Aung San Suu Kyi to contribute for their national reconciliation plan but are reluctant to change their overall stance in fear of losing power.

“Changes have to come from both sides. They [the junta] also must change their stance towards her,” he elaborated.

He said the only way to build a genuine national reconciliation is to hold a tripartite dialogue between the Burmese generals, Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of the ethnic groups.

Following the U.S. announcement of its new policy on Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi last month offered junta leader Senior General Than Shwe her willingness to cooperate in the easing of sanctions.

In response, Than Shwe allowed her and her party meetings with western diplomats.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 14 of the past 19 years in detention, was sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest in August after an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home, spending two nights on the premises.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 election, but the regime refused to honor the result and instead drew up a seven-step roadmap to democracy. According to the roadmap, the proposed 2010 election is the fifth step.

In a statement at the end of the ASEAN summit in Thailand, leaders of the 16 countries encouraged Burma to ensure the implementation of their seven-step roadmap and to restore democracy in the country.

However, Win Tin emphasized the “NLD will not contest the upcoming election if the regime does not revise the constitution.” The NLD has also consistently called on the junta to release all political prisoners, in addition to mandating free and fair elections, before they consider participating in any poll.
http://www.bnionlin e.net/news/ mizzima/7299- constitution- must-be-revised- before-election- opposition- leaders.html
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DKBA troops dig for gold in Karen territory

Oct 27, 2009 (DVB)–Around 700 troops from a pro-junta Karen militia have entered territory controlled by the opposition Karen National Union in eastern Burma, allegedly to mine for gold.

A senior official in the Karen National Union (KNU) said that 700 soldiers from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) were in the Thaton and Hpapun districts of Karen state.

“Our reports said that they were planning to dig for gold at the Mae Wai creek located in our district,” said Hpapun district chair, Saw Htan Dal, adding that there had no movement of DKBA troops in the area after their arrival.

A DKBA official confirmed that the troops were in the area but rejected allegations that the group was planning to launch an attack on the KNU.

“They are there to do business but not to fight a war,” he said, adding that troops from various battalions are digging for gold in Hpapun district.

He said that troops entered the area on 21 October following permission from the Burmese government, and were carrying equipments for gold digging.

The DKBA allied itself with the government after splitting from the KNU in 1994, allegedly citing religious persecution by the KNU’s majority Christian members.

Tension between the two groups has remained high since the Burmese army, supported by the DKBA, launched an offensive against the KNU in June this year and captured several strategically important bases.

Meanwhile, Burma’s mining minister, Ohn Myint, warned businessmen involved in the country’s gold industry last week to prevent fluctuations in gold prices, as soaring rates could lead to public unrest.

A Burmese businessman told DVB that the gold market in Burma had been quiet since the introduction of the 5,000 kyat ($US5) banknote at the beginning of October, which saw gold prices rise by nearly 20 percent. In last decade, gold prices have doubled.

“It’s partly true when [Ohn Myint] said we shouldn’t let the nation fall due to a public panic caused by soaring of gold prices,” said Burmese economist Khin Maung Nyo.

“But if you look from another side, you’ll see the gold price goes up because the nation is not in a stable state.”

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw and Khin Hnin Htet http://english. dvb.no/news. php?id=2991