US senator praise Myanmar reforms, calls for more
By AYE AYE WIN | Associated Press – 6 hrs ago

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A U.S. senator who is a leading supporter of Myanmar’s democracy movement said Monday he is impressed with the new government’s reforms but more needs to be done.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell met more than an hour with Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and will meet President Thein Sein on Tuesday.

McConnell is the latest prominent Westerner to visit Myanmar and encourage Thein Sein’s initiative. The top American and British diplomats visited earlier, and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is in the country now. More of McConnell’s Senate colleagues plan visits later.

As part of new U.S. engagement, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the U.S. will restore full diplomatic relations with Myanmar after last week’s release of hundreds of political prisoners.

Thein Sein’s elected, nominally civilian government has made limited democratic reforms since it took office last March and it wants Western political and economic sanctions lifted.

Every year since 2003, McConnell has introduced legislation sanctioning Myanmar and would be a prominent voice should the U.S. contemplate easing those restrictions. The Senate must also approve the appointment of an ambassador.

McConnell told reporters he was delighted to meet Suu Kyi in person, and that the recent dramatic changes were exciting.

“There is, however, as everyone knows, much left to be done,” he said. “I think the improved relations with the various ethnic minorities are the most important thing we want to focus on at this point.”

He called the recently announced cease-fire with the Karen an important step. “we’d like to see that kind of progress made with other ethnic groups,” McConnell said.

He said the U.S. also looked forward to free and fair by-elections on April 1.

He said such steps would clearly merit U.S. consideration of lifting sanctions. The myriad U.S. sanctions heavily restrict trade, investment and foreign aid to Myanmar. The restrictions also block financial transfers, especially by military-backed leaders and their cronies, and deny visas to the same VIPs.

Suu Kyi thanked McConnell for his long-running interest in Myanmar’s affairs.

“That is why I trust his judgment and I know that he will be watching the situation closely to find out what needs to be done, and as seasoned democratic politician, he’ll be able to judge how far we are progressing along the road to democratization,” she said.

McConnell told reporters that he looked forward to his talk with Thein Sein to get to know him and “get a chance to discuss the way forward with him.”

Juppe, making the first-ever visit by a French foreign minister to Myanmar and the first French ministerial visit since 1988 — also was to meet both Suu Kyi and Thein Sein.

Juppe on Sunday presented Suu Kyi with the Legion d’Honneur medal, one of his country’s highest honors.

He said that France and the European Union would respond “positively and in concrete terms to the significant gestures” that Thein Sein’s reforms represented, and announced an increase in bilateral aid.

“We will lift sanctions step by step at the pace of the progress of democratization and liberalization of the regime here in Burma,” he said, using the term for Myanmar preferred by the country’s pro-democracy movement.

French FM meets Myanmar leader to gauge reforms
By Didier Lauras | AFP – 2 hrs 36 mins ago

France’s foreign minister held talks with Myanmar’s rulers on Monday during a visit to assess the regime’s reformist credentials as Western powers weigh a possible relaxation of sanctions.

A nominally civilian government which took power last year has surprised even critics with a series of reformist moves, including dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest in late 2010.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said after his talks with President Thein Sein that he was confident the leader is a reformer.

“It’s a certainty. It’s enough to look at what he has done in the past few months,” he said, describing the president as a “wise man, completely determined.”

A day earlier Juppe said France and the European Union would respond “positively and in concrete terms” to what he described as “significant gestures” by the regime.

He later said initial changes could be discussed at the EU level in April, including an end to visa bans for regime figures and the granting of lower duties on certain exports to the European Union not subject to sanctions.

Juppe is the highest level French diplomat to ever visit the country also known as Burma, long criticised by the West for its human rights record and ruled outright by the military for almost five decades until last year.

His visit coincides with a fact-finding trip by Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the US Senate and a long time force behind sanctions on Myanmar.

The long-isolated country is now welcoming not just advocates of engagement but also critics whom it will need to win over for any lifting of sanctions.

In a move hailed by the West, Myanmar on Friday released about 300 political prisoners, including several prominent dissidents, a day after signing a ceasefire with a major armed ethnic minority group.

“We hope that these new developments will reinforce the process of democratisation and national reconciliation,” Suu Kyi said after her talks with Juppe.

But the acclaimed dissident said it was unclear whether the military was fully behind the changes.

“Certainly there is always a theoretical, and perhaps not so theoretical, danger of an army coup by those who do not approve of the process of democratisation,” she said. “We hope very much that we will not come to that.”

Friday’s prisoner release was the most significant yet by the new government, whose ranks are filled with former generals including Thein Sein.

Such an amnesty had been long demanded by the West and was hailed by the international community. France welcomed such an “important step” and the United States said it wanted to restore top-level diplomatic ties.

It is not clear how many more political prisoners are still behind bars but some activists estimate about 1,000 remain locked up.

Juppe is the first French foreign minister in history to visit the Southeast Asian country, which gained independence from Britain in 1948, and the first French minister to visit since a popular uprising was brutally crushed in 1988.

His trip follows landmark visits by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in recent months.

Myanmar says 302 political prisoners freed in amnesty
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON | Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:27am EST

(Reuters) – Myanmar’s government said on Saturday 302 of the 651 detainees it freed this week were political prisoners whose release had been sought by the National League for Democracy (NLD) party of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

They were freed so they can play a part in the political process, Home Minister Lieutenant-General Ko Ko told reporters, suggesting they might be allowed to run for parliament despite their prison records, one of the demands of rights groups such as Human Rights Watch.

The government had not previously spelt out how many of those released on Friday under its amnesty were political prisoners, although it was clear that many prominent dissidents were among them.

Western governments welcomed the move and the United States, which has made the freeing of political prisoners a condition for lifting economic sanctions, immediately said it would begin the process of exchanging full ambassadors for the first time in 20 years.

“Organisations and associations at home and abroad demanded the release of prisoners of conscience after sending in the list they had compiled,” Home Minister Ko Ko told reporters.

“A total of 302 were granted amnesty, after examining the list of 604 sent by the NLD,” he said.

Of those on the NLD list, 107 had already been freed, the credentials of 51 could not be checked, 13 had been counted twice, one had died and two had been transferred to the Ministry of Religion Affairs, he said, without elaborating.

That left 430 names but 128 were deemed to be common criminals and “kept under detention for the sake of the rule of law,” Ko Ko said, adding 13 of these had Taliban connections.

“A total of 302 out of the 430 were freed so that they can take part in the national reconciliation and political process,” he said.

The exact number of political prisoners who were detained under the junta that stepped aside last March is unclear.

Rights groups and the United Nations have put it at about 2,100. But Home Minister Ko Ko told U.N. Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana in August the number was 600, or about 400 after an October 12 amnesty.

Suu Kyi’s NLD put the total on Friday at about 500. The party was providing help to more than 460 people it considered prisoners of conscience, Naing Naing, the party official in charge of such assistance, told Reuters, and there were “a few dozen” more who had not sought its help.

APPLAUSE FROM OBAMA

U.S. President Barack Obama called the release a “substantial step forward” in the Asian country’s democratic reforms.

“Much more remains to be done to meet the aspirations of the Burmese people, but the United States is committed to continuing our engagement,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Those freed included Min Ko Naing and other members of the “88 Generation Students Group,” which led a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 in which thousands of protesters were killed.

Also freed was Shin Gambira, a Buddhist monk who led street protests in 2007 crushed by the army. He was 27 years old when sentenced to 68 years in prison that year.
Khin Nyunt, a once-powerful chief of military intelligence, was also released.

Appointed prime minister in 2003, he ushered in a then-derided seven-point “road map to democracy” but was purged a year later. He had been under house arrest since.

Leaders of ethnic groups were also let out. Sai Nyunt Lwin, 60, said he and all other leaders of his former Shan Nationalities’ League for Democracy (SNLD) had been freed.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner released in 2010 after years of house arrest, will run in a by-election in April.

Her party boycotted the general election in November 2010 because it felt the electoral process would not be fair. The vote resulted in a parliament dominated by serving soldiers and a party backed by the military.

UN News Centre – Myanmar: UN rights expert welcomes release of prisoners of conscience
16 January 2012

The United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in Myanmar today welcomed the recent decision by President Thein Sein to grant another amnesty and set free a significant number of prisoners of conscience.

“I welcome the release of many prisoners of conscience, individuals who have been imprisoned for exercising their fundamental human rights or whose fair trial or due process rights have been denied,” said Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana.

“This is an important and necessary development to advance national reconciliation and deepen Myanmar’s transition to democracy,” he added in a press release.

This is an important and necessary development to advance national reconciliation and deepen Myanmar’s transition to democracy.

While the exact number of prisoners of conscience released has yet to be confirmed, among those released last Friday were prominent figures whose cases have been previously addressed by Mr. Ojea Quintana, as well as individuals he visited in jail.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday also commended the authorities in Myanmar on the long-awaited release of the political prisoners, as well as other important efforts being made to advance democracy and national reconciliation. He described the release – reportedly of 651 prisoners – as “the most significant release to date.”

Mr. Ojea Quintana termed the developments in Myanmar, coming in the lead-up to by-elections slated for April, as “critical.”

“It is fundamental that all citizens, including those just released from prison, are allowed to play an active and constructive role in political and public life,” he said.

The Special Rapporteur also voiced concern that a number of prisoners of conscience remain in detention and urged the Government to immediately release all of them without conditions.

Separately, Mr. Ojea Quintana took note of preliminary agreements that have been reached between the Government and the Karen National Union, and with other ethnic groups. He expressed hope that there would be further progress in resolving conflicts with armed ethnic groups throughout Myanmar and called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for international human rights and humanitarian law.

“I renew my call on the Government to develop a comprehensive plan to officially engage ethnic minority groups in an inclusive dialogue to resolve long-standing grievances and deep-rooted concerns,” he added. “All parties to this dialogue must ensure that investigations and accountability for past gross and systematic human rights violations are on the agenda.

“Ending discrimination and ensuring fundamental rights for Myanmar’s ethnic minorities is essential for national reconciliation and will contribute to Myanmar’s long-term political and social stability,” he said.

Bloomberg
BusinessWeek – Clinton Moves to Upgrade Myanmar Ties After Prisoners Released
January 16, 2012, 8:07 AM EST
By Daniel Ten Kate

Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called her Myanmar counterpart after the Southeast Asian nation released hundreds of political prisoners, as the U.S. moved to upgrade relations strained for more than two decades.

Clinton spoke with Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to welcome the release of detainees and a cease-fire with the country’s largest armed ethnic group, Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said on Jan. 14. Both were conditions Clinton set for lifting sanctions during a visit to Myanmar last month.

Clinton “told Foreign Minister Lwin that the United States is prepared to meet action with action,” Nuland said in the statement, adding they discussed exchanging ambassadors.

She also said Myanmar should “unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners” in addition to ending violence in ethnic areas and cutting military ties to North Korea.

The U.S., Europe and Australia have reconsidered sanctions against Myanmar as it reaches out to political dissidents and lifts repressive measures imposed by the country’s former military junta, opening up opportunities for western companies in the country of 62 million people. China, Hong Kong and Thailand account for more than 70 percent of total investment in the nation formerly called Burma, compared with less than 1 percent for the U.S., according to government data.

By-Election

Prisoners pardoned by Myanmar President Thein Sein last week included Min Ko Naing, a student leader from a 1988 uprising, and Khun Tun Oo, a Shan ethnic leader, the Associated Press reported. Former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt was also freed after more than seven years under house arrest, according to the Democratic Voice of Burma, a news outlet run by exiles.

Suu Kyi told Clinton she supported U.S. engagement with the government, Nuland said. The Nobel laureate will run in a by- election on April 1 in a bid to take office for the first time after spending more than 15 years in house arrest.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd called the prisoner release a “very important” step toward democratic changes. He pledged further steps after Australia reduced the number of people to whom it applies sanctions in relation to Myanmar on Jan. 9, according to a statement.

European Union representative Catherine Ashton said the prisoner release and initial cease-fire with the KNU “takes us a further step toward a new relationship” with Myanmar.
Prisoner Numbers Disputed

EU sanctions on Myanmar include asset freezes on state- owned companies and travel restrictions on officials. U.S. measures ban imports, restrict money transfers, curb aid funding and target jewelry with gemstones originating in Myanmar.

The number of jailed dissidents in Myanmar is disputed. Suu Kyi had called for the government to free 525 political prisoners on Nov. 16. The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said that 272 of the 651 prisoners released two days ago were political detainees and more than 1,000 remained locked up.

“The number of political prisoners released is limited,” the group said in a statement. “The demands of the opposition, the Burmese people and the international community were not met.”

New York-based Human Rights Watch called for international monitors to account for all political prisoners. The release came immediately after an agreement signed Jan. 12 with the Karen National Union in a bid to end more than 60 years of fighting in one of the world’s oldest conflicts.

Chevron, Standard Chartered

The KNU will discuss “how the terms and conditions of the proposal will be materialized on the ground, in detail, before both sides can agree on the final cease-fire agreement,” the group said in a Jan. 14 statement.

Chevron Corp., based in San Ramon, California, is one of the few U.S. companies operating in Myanmar through its 2005 purchase of Unocal Corp., which invested in a gas field and pipeline prior to a 1997 ban on new investment. Standard Chartered Plc, the U.K. bank that earns more than two-thirds of its profit in Asia, said this month it’s seeking to return to Myanmar once the U.S. and Europe lift sanctions.

China National Petroleum Corp. is building oil and gas pipelines across Myanmar, a move that would allow it to access Middle Eastern crude without having to go through the Malacca Straits. China and India, which account for more than a third of the world population, share more than 3,600 kilometers (2,237 miles) of border with Myanmar, whose citizens earn an average of $2.20 per day.

Myanmar’s army is still fighting with ethnic groups, including the Kachin Independence Army. That conflict has displaced 50,000 ethnic Kachin since last June, Human Rights Watch said on Dec. 21. Kachin, bordering China and India, is the northernmost of Myanmar’s 14 provinces.

Amnesty International UK – County Down campaigners celebrate success after Burma prisoner release
Posted: 16 January 2012

Human rights campaigners in County Down are celebrating today as it has been confirmed that three prisoners of conscience for whose release the group have been campaigning are among the dissidents who have been released from jail in Burma.

The Amnesty International Mid-Down Group – whose members come from the Downpatrick, Castlewellan and Newcastle area – are delighted that prisoners of conscience Mie Mie and Htay Kywe are among the hundreds to have been released by the Burmese government. The local human rights campaigners have been working on the men’s cases for several years and this latest good news come just months after the release of Zaw Htet Ko Ko, another prisoner of conscience whom the group had campaigned for and who was released in a prisoner amnesty in October 2011.

Philip Nye, Chairman of the Amnesty International Mid-Down Group, said:

“The news from Burma is tremendous. After years of brutal repression, we are starting to see the winds of change and we are delighted if we have played some small part in contributing to the international pressure.

“We want to thank our MLAs, Down District Councillors, local press and especially the many hundreds of people in and around Downpatrick, Newcastle and Castlewellan who have supported this campaign.”

The latest prisoner amnesty is the second this year and the fourth under Burma’s post-elections government, bringing the total number of political prisoners released to at least 477.

But as more than a thousand political prisoners may remain behind bars, many of whom are prisoners of conscience, local campaigners insist that amnesty must continue until all are freed.

“These men should never have been in jail and we hope that their release is a signal that the Burmese people can look forward to a day soon when all their rights are respected.

“We hope we can now look forward to the release of all remaining prisoners of conscience.

“The authorities must finish the job now, once and for all.”

The Amnesty International Mid-Down Group has campaigned for years for the release of various prisoners of conscience in Burma. Their campaign has included letter-writing and
postcard campaigns, petitions, film screenings and winning the support of local political representatives.

AsianCorrespondent – Aung San Suu Kyi’s party brings out a journal for ‘Democracy Wave’
By Zin Linn Jan 16, 2012 11:51PM UTC

Burma’s most important opposition party has launched a political journal on Monday.  The name of the journal is “D.Wave” meaning ‘Democracy Wave’ and its cover story of the first issue draws attention to its leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s preparation to contest the 1st April by-election in Kawhmu Township of Rangoon Division.

Many democracy-supporters in the country and members of the National League for Democracy back up the NLD’s idea of running in the by-elections to play in the national politics.
In its 18-November statement, the party said the “NLD has unanimously decided to re-register as a political party… and will run in the elections”.

President Thein Sein has played a role of pacifying towards Burma’s Nobel laureate, initiating a conversation with her on 19 August, and paving the way for her party to re-enter parliamentary politics in the approaching by-elections for 48 vacant seats.

As becoming a legal registered party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) has been recently approved a permission of bringing out the fortnightly “D.Wave” journal by the authorities. The delivery of the D.Wave journal concurred with the first day of the candidates’ nomination phase that started from January 16 to 31.

The title of the 24-page journal has been originated by Win Tin, one of the NLD founding members, together with some of the NLD members while they were in Insein prison since 1994. In Burmese language, “D.Wave” plainly means “tidal wave,” whereas “D” is the acronym for ‘democracy’. Hence, it directly represents ‘Tidal Wave’ and symbolically represents ‘Democracy Wave’.

In her proper letter for the first issue of the journal, the NLD’s key leader Aung San Suu Kyi makes a note of her optimism that the periodical will make people and the NLD get closer, and also create a meaningful tie between the grassroots people and her party.

Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has already confirmed she will run for a parliamentary seat in Kawmhu constituency of Rangoon Division in upcoming April by-elections.

The journal also brings out a recounting about the NLD which set up in 1988 by nine leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Burma’s Independence Icon Tha-kin Aung San.

The journal also honored some prominent political prisoners released in a recent amnesty on Friday, by highlighting their concise stories.

One article in the journal, titling ‘who are living above the law?’ written by Yamin Hlaing criticizes the abuse of power and law by some local authorities upon members of the NLD in one township in the Irrawaddy Division. The article underlines the abuse of administrative power by local government’s officials while the president is endorsing to establish good governance.

In addition, there are many more articles by prominent authors such as Ludu Sein Win and Maung Wuntha.

The NLD party headquarters said the actual price of the ‘D-Wave’ journal is 200 kyat and warned not to distribute above 300 kyat. But, the vendors sold out the journal at a price of 400 kyat per copy since the customers agreeably paid it without complaint.

According to political analysts, immediately selling out of the ‘D-Wave’ journals proves that the majority of people still supports the NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi as their hope for free Burma

IBN Live – India-Myanmar Home Secy talks on January 19
PTI | 07:01 PM,Jan 16,2012

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) A joint strategy to deal with Northeast insurgent groups, checking of drug smuggling, arms and ammunition will be high on the agenda during the Home Secretary-level talks between India and Myanmar to be held on January 19 in Myanmarese capital of Naypyitaw. Home Secretary R K Singh will travel to Naypyitaw to hold annual bilateral talks with his counterpart where he will impress upon the neighbouring country to take action against the Northeast-based insurgent groups having bases across the border.

India and Myanmar are expected to discuss how to check cross-border crimes, especially smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition and may formulate a joint strategy to deal with the menace. New Delhi has long been pressing Naypyitaw for taking strong action against ULFA, NSCN, UNLF and other insurgent groups which have large bases in Kachin province of Myanmar. Though Myanmar had launched several offensives against these groups, they were yet to be completely wiped out from the territory of the neighbouring country, sources said. India shares a 1,640km long border with Myanmar which touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

The National – Myanmar’s lessons for political change
National Editorial
Jan 16, 2012

Friday marked a major milestone in a long-running battle against tyranny as hundreds of political prisoners were freed. These were not activists of the recent revolts in our region, in Tunisia, Egypt or Syria, but of Myanmar. After 50 years of military rule, the Southeast Asian country is finally seeing a real chance for political reform.

The prisoner release three days ago was the latest positive step since elections were held in 2010. True, those elections saw the generals simply give up their uniforms to take office or be replaced by other regime loyalists.

But since then, the country has seen restrictions on the media ease, limited economic reforms and growing political participation. The symbol of the country’s opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi, has announced that she will run in parliamentary by-elections.

Of equal importance, although reported much more quietly, was a ceasefire signed on Thursday between the government and ethnic Karen rebels. The Karen, concentrated in the east of the country, are one of the larger of many ethnic groups that have fielded rebel armies in the world’s longest-running civil conflict since independence in 1948.

The former military junta’s most prolific human-rights abuses were committed in the strife-torn ethnic states, from mass rape and enslavement to forced relocation and systematic murder. It was one of the most underreported atrocities of the 20th century. And while the Karen were considered the most implacable enemies of the regime, groups such as the Kachin are still in open armed rebellion, while the Chin, Shan and Wa still field militias, despite having also signed peace deals.

Prominent figures among the 650 political figures freed on Friday have expressed doubts about the intentions of the current government and the pace of reforms. Leaders of ethnic minorities remain sceptical. They have a right to be – the old guard in power may try to roll back reforms, or at the least carve out privileges for themselves in the new political order.

But once granted, political freedoms are difficult to rescind. After decades of repression and low-intensity war, negotiations, foreign pressure and snail-paced reforms seem to be gaining ground. As Syria slides towards further strife, Myanmar inches towards a healthy society.

For all of the evils of the junta, perhaps the best way to get rid of the generals was to engage them.

Dhaka, London hail Myanmar move
Sun, Jan 15th, 2012 5:46 pm BdST

Dhaka, Jan 15 (bdnews24.com)—Bangladesh and Britain on Sunday welcomed the release of a number of political prisoners in Myanmar.

“We discussed the issue of prisoners’ release in Myanmar and it is a good news for Britain and Bangladesh,” said British secretary of state for international development Andrew Mitchell after his meeting with foreign minister Dipu Moni.

Myanmar freed at least 200 political prisoners on Friday under a general amnesty as one of the world’s most reclusive states opened up after half a century of authoritarian rule.

Mitchell came to Dhaka on Saturday on a four-day trip to see the DFID activities in Bangladesh in his first visit here.

“We also have had detailed discussions about development issues as the British government is one of the biggest development partners of Bangladesh,” he said.

“Climate change issue was also discussed and I will visit a climate change-affected area tomorrow (Monday),” he added.

The British minister will brief the media on Monday.

A press release of the foreign ministry said the Mitchell assured foreign minister of expanding development cooperation in climate change issues from next year.

He said that that would make the DFID programme in Bangladesh one of the largest British assistance programmes globally.

Dipu Moni said in order to strengthen democracy and rule of law as also ensure human rights in Bangladesh, the present government has taken numerous steps, including making the National Human Rights Commission and the Right to Information Commission operational.

She apprised Mitchell that the trials under the War Crimes Tribunal are held with complete transparency, objectivity and international standard, and that due process of law is being followed.

Earlier, after his meeting with leader of the opposition Khaldea Zia on Saturday, Mitchell expressed concern over the investment situation in Bangladesh.

DFID said it will spend an average of £250 million per year in Bangladesh until 2015.

Earlier, British junior minister for international development Alan Duncan visited Dhaka in 2010 while current DFID permanent secretary Mark Lowcock came here in 2009. In 2009, Lowcock was director general of DFID.

The top priorities of DFID are encouraging private sector investment, ensuring that the government is capable of financing and delivering social services, getting more children into better schools, and improving family planning and reducing maternal deaths.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012Business
The Daily Star – Bangladesh may link up with another submarine cable via Myanmar
Abdullah Mamun

Bangladesh plans to connect with the world’s longest undersea cable through Myanmar to strengthen its back-up for internet operation, officials said.

To connect with the SEA-ME-WE 3 (South-East Asia – Middle East-Western Europe), Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL) will build about 50-kilometre fibre optic link from Cox’s Bazar up to the Myanmar border.

State-run BSCCL has started working with Myanmar authorities to get the connectivity, said Sunil Kanti Bose, the telecom secretary.

“We are exploring the possibility of getting connectivity with Myanmar through microwave or terrestrial cable link. Recently a group of experts from Myanmar came to Bangladesh to this effect,” he said.

Bangladesh has no direct scope to be connected with the SEA-ME-WE 3. But Bose said it is however possible to connect to the cable via Myanmar. It is Myanmar’s only one under sea connectivity.

Recently the government has approved BSCCL to be a consortium member of another new under sea cable system SEA-ME-WE 5, said the secretary.

The new connection will be used as a back-up of Bangladesh’s lone under sea cable SEA-ME-WE 4. It will also be used as a core bandwidth supplier.

BSCCL Managing Director Monwar Hossain said Bangladesh will build part of the cable on its own border side while the other part will be built by Myanmar.

BSCCL is the consortium member of the country’s lone submarine cable SEA-ME-WE 4.

The company will have to spend $2.75 million to complete the project, said a BSCCL official. The project would take 12 months to complete, he said.

Thirty-three countries are connected with SEA-ME-WE 3, a 39,000-kilometre cable.

Bangladesh was proposed to join the consortium but the then government chose not to connect with the cable fearing information leaks out of the country.

Monsters and Critics – Myanmar trade deficit with China hits 400 million dollars
Jan 15, 2012, 6:42 GMT

Yangon – Myanmar notched up a 400-million-dollar trade deficit with China last year on strong equipment imports, reports said Sunday.

Trade amounted to about 3.6 billion dollars, with Myanmar’s exports of minerals, rubber, fruit and fisheries products worth about 1.6 billion dollars.

Imports of construction materials, machinery and consumer goods totalled about 2 billion dollars, the Myanmar Times reported, citing Commerce Ministry figures.

‘Bilateral trade will continue to grow because China’s market is very big and the Myanmar government plans to open up new border trading zones in Kachin State in the future,’ said a ministry official who requested anonymity.

Officials attributed the growing deficit with China on a surge in imports for investments in infrastructure projects.

Chinese investments in the country amounted to 9.6 billion dollars last year, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission.

The Daily Yomiuri – Reaching Asia’s ‘final frontier’ / Japan steps up efforts to crack untapped Myanmar market
Fukutaro Yamashita / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer, Jan. 15, 2012

NAYPYIDAW–Myanmar has been billed as “Asia’s final frontier,” and its rich resources and cheap wage levels are increasingly catching the eye of Japanese companies and the government.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano on Friday met with President Thein Sein and other senior officials of Myanmar, and reached an agreement on Japan’s cooperation in the Southeast Asian country’s economic development.

Rivals from China and elsewhere in Asia have already made significant investments in Myanmar’s infrastructure and the procurement of natural resources. Although Myanmar’s development has lagged other Asian nations due to economic sanctions imposed by Western nations, some restrictions have been loosened in recent months as it has made steps toward democratization.

City Mart, a huge shopping center that opened in central Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, last March epitomizes the country’s rapid economic development.

The shopping center has stores stocked not only with daily necessities but also cosmetics from Japan, the United States and Europe, such as Kanebo and L’Oreal. The center has several thousand customers a day.

Myanmar’s per-capita gross domestic product is still the lowest level among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but this figure tripled from 235 dollars (about 18,000 yen) in 2007 to 702 dollars (about 53,000 yen) in 2010. The Myanmar government’s promotion of economic liberalization has been a major driver of this growth.

Myanmar’s military junta had restricted investment from overseas, but after the country’s general election in 2010, it changed tack and has rolled out the open mat to foreign investment. Foreign investment in Myanmar in fiscal 2010 totaled about 20 billion dollars–an about 70-fold jump from 300 million dollars the previous year.

Myanmar has huge quantities of undeveloped natural resources such as natural gas, oil and rare earths. Future investment is widely expected in social and economic infrastructure, such as power generation and financial systems.

Myanmar’s population of about 60 million is one of the largest among ASEAN members. Labor costs are less than one-fifth of those in China or Thailand, a tempting prospect for Japanese makers.

“We have high expectations that the country could be an alternative production base to replace the two countries that have political and flood risks,” an official of a Japanese electric machinery maker said.

China, Thailand and South Korea have invested far more in Myanmar than other countries have, including Japan.

Japan was once Myanmar’s largest aid donor. However, bilateral ties have cooled since 1988, when Western countries imposed economic sanctions on the country.

The Irrawaddy – Govt and KIO Set to Meet This Week
By WAI MOE Monday, January 16, 2012

Despite ongoing military offensives in Kachin State, delegations of the Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) are scheduled to meet again for peace talks in the Chinese border town of Ruili on Jan. 18.

“The KIO’s peace-building committee and the government peace-building committee agreed to meet in Ruili on Jan 18,” said La Nan, the joint secretary of the KIO, who also acts as a spokesman for the organization. “Both sides are waiting for the Chinese authorities to make security arrangements for the meeting.”

The government delegation will include Aung Thaung, who is the former minister for industry-1 and currently a secretary of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP); Thein Zaw, the former minister of telecommunications, posts and telegraphs and currently a USDP leader; Labor Minister Aung Kyi; and Minister of Cooperatives Ohn Myint, La Nan told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

At least least nine officials will join the KIO delegation, including central committee members, according to La Nan. He added, however, that the group’s chairman, Lanyaw Zawng Hra, who headed a delegation that took part in peace talks in Ruili on Nov. 29, will not be join the delegation this time.

The talks in Ruili will come less than week after the government signed a ceasefire agreement with the Karen National Union (KNU), which began fighting Burma’s central government shortly after the country achieved independence in 1948. It was the first time the KNU had ever agreed to a ceasefire.

The government and the KNU signed a five-point ceasefire agreement at the state level and agreed to discuss 11 other points at the union level, including guarantees of the human rights and safety of civilians, an end to forced labor and an end to arbitrary taxation and extortion, in the future.

However, the Burmese delegation that met with the KNU is different from one that will meet with the KIO. Railway Minister Aung Min, Industry Minister Soe Thein and Minister of
Immigration and Population Khin Yi were at the meeting with the KNU in Pa-an, the Karen State capital, last week.

Another difference between the two sets of talks is that the negotiations in Ruili will take place amid an ongoing Burmese army offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of the KIO.

“On Sunday alone, there were three skirmishes between the KIA and government troops, and two day ago there were five skirmishes,” said La Nan. “At the same time, the government army is sending more reinforcements from Myitkyina and Bahmaw to KIA-controlled areas.”

Military operations in Kachin State have now extended even to the well-known jade mining town of Hpakant, where Kachin media agencies and human rights groups have reported that civilians have been killed by government troops.

KIO officials said they will raise human rights violations and the targeting of civilians when they meet the government delegation in Ruili in two days time. They said they will also reiterate their demand for political negotiations leading to a lasting solution to Burma’s ethnic conflicts.

The group also raises human rights violations and the issue of refugees when it meets with foreign delegations. Some KIO officials recently met with Derek Mitchell, the US special envoy to Burma, in Thailand.

“The US envoy expressed his concern about conflicts in ethnic areas, saying this is an important issue in Burmese politics. It is also something that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has highlighted in her meetings with foreign delegations,” La Nan said.

The KIO official also said that the group welcomed expressions of concern about the Kachin situation by Min Ko Naing, another prominent pro-democracy leader who was released from prison on Friday.

“I am very concerned about achieving peace in ethnic areas because when I hear the news about the armed conflicts, particularly in Kachin State, it makes me very uncomfortable,” Min Ko Naing said, speaking to The Irrawaddy shortly after his release.“That’s why we need peace across the country immediately. Then we can work toward building national reconciliation.”

In early December, Rangoon journals quoted Kachin State Chief Minister La John Ngan Hsai as saying that President Thein Sein had ordered government troops to halt military offensives in the state.

However, there has been no cessation of the conflict since then, raising questions about relations between the government and the army.

The Irrawaddy – The Khin Nyunt Factor
By THE IRRAWADDY Monday, January 16, 2012

Amid the jubilant scenes of political dissidents walking free from prisons across Burma, the release of former premier Khin Nyunt is somewhat more controversial.

Behind closed doors in Naypyidaw, several discussions have taken place among government officials on how to handle this delicate matter. Many feel that dropping the condition of house arrest on the former prime minister is dangerous—like opening a Pandora’s box. After all, they say, the ex-spy chief still holds official dossiers and can recount the full extent of corruption and abuses of power among top ministers from during his time in office.

The ex-general was known to be highly ambitious and one of the architects of Burma’s political “Road Map.” He was the protégé of late dictator Gen Ne Win and named Secretary one at the ruling council soon after a bloody coup in September 1988. But controversy was never far behind him: he and his subordinates were accused of creating anarchy in order to pave the way for the army to take power in 1988. In October 2004, Khin Nyunt was purged in a power struggle between intelligence and infantry units.

Now in his 70s, Khin Nyunt is believed to have secured and hid official dossiers which detail gathered intelligence on other top officials and ministers. It was his intelligence units that were responsible for arresting and detaining dissidents, and it was through the offices of Khin Nyunt, Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye that orders were dispatched to crack down violently on the pro-democracy movement.

During his heyday Khin Nyunt was seen as close to China and was the main architect of the regime’s foreign policy. He also took a personal interest in creating public relations exercises to placate Western nations and Asean.

That’s why his release was received with mixed blessings among most Burmese people, and with a sense of trepidation among the government and the military. Khin Nyunt will have to prove quickly and publicly that he has no desire to rock the boat.

To appease President Thein Sein and his allies’ concerns about Khin Nyunt and his secret files, authorities pinned Article 401 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code to his release.

This article states that if a person released from prison does not fulfill his conditions in the opinion of the president, then “the President of the Union may cancel the suspension or remission” and the person in question can be re-arrested and “remanded to complete the un-expired portion of the sentence.”

This ensures that the former general—who had been serving a 44-year suspended sentence inside his own home—keeps quiet. He is forbidden from making any remarks other than to say that he supports the government and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Several of his former colleagues and retired senior leaders went to greet him as he walked out his elegant residence for the first time in seven years. Khin Nyunt looked fit, but when asked by reporters whether he harbored an interest in returning to politics, he indicated firmly that he had washed his hands of the whole business.

He received friends and allies who had once served in the ruling council and in the military. They were retired now. He also invited a famous monk from Sittwe into his house to offer a blessing.

Among the guests last week were several film producers and the comedian Zarganar, which quickly prompted a rumor that they were planning to shoot a film about the former premier.

To the amusement of many of the reporters present, Khin Nyunt stated that he wished that the press in Burma would enjoy more freedom—the irony being, of course, that under his rule, the official censorship board was one of the most repressive in history.

It can be assumed that Thein Sein pondered carefully before releasing Khin Nyunt as the amnesty did not include several of his key allies from the intelligence services. Maj-Gen Thein Swe and Maj-Gen Than Tun were two of those not freed.

Speaking to the media outside his house, Khin Nyunt expressed sadness that his subordinates remained behind bars. But then again, perhaps that was the price he was forced to pay.

The Irrawaddy – Ethnic Issue Key to Ending Sanctions: McConnell
By PATRICK BOEHLER Monday, January 16, 2012

An end to ethnic conflicts will be a key consideration in whether the US lifts sanctions on Burma, said visiting US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell at a joint press conference with Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence in Rangoon on Monday.

“I thought the ceasefire with the Karen recently was a very important step in the right direction. We would like to see that kind of progress made with other ethnic groups,” McConnell said.

“Those are the kinds of steps forward that I think would be clearly met on the United States side by consideration of lifting sanctions.”

McConnell added that he shared “the view that Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton expressed the other day that it’s now appropriate for the US to have an ambassador here.”

He referred to Clinton’s announcement on Friday that the US is preparing to send an ambassador to Burma for the first time since the violent suppression of the democracy movement in 1988.

While applauding the steps toward democratization undertaken so far, McConnell said that the US was also “looking forward to a free and fair by-election on April 1.” Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party plan to contest the election.

“In the wake of that, I think it would be appropriate for us to further consider in the United States the various sanctions that we have in place and the appropriateness of continuing those.”

Suu Kyi thanked McConnell for his long-time interest in Burma and stated that she trusted that he was watching the situation in Burma very closely.

Adding that she discussed the prisoner release in her conversation with McConnell, she noted that “the home minister said that the release of the political prisoners was based on the NLD lists. So we are going to check that list and see how we stand with regard to how many political prisoners are left.”

Suu Kyi was referring to a list of 604 prisoners the party had identified as political detainees. At a press conference on Saturday, Home Minister Lt-Gen Ko Ko said that the government was able to locate 430 of the people on the list, of whom 302 were reportedly released.

Suu Kyi was asked by a reporter about her reaction to being made a Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last weekend. Visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé conferred the award on her during his meeting with her on Sunday as part of the first ever visit by a French foreign minister to Burma.

In response to the question, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said that she hoped that one day she would be able to go to the United States to collect her congressional Gold Medal. This highest civilian award in the United States was presented to her in absentia in May 2008.

McConnell is scheduled to meet President Thein Sein in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. He is expected to bring up Burma’s relations with North Korea in his talks with the president.

“While the Thein Sein government will need to do more to explain the military relationship with North Korea and hold free and fair elections, it appears entirely appropriate that the United States would consider restoration of more formal diplomatic ties,” he had concluded in a press release prior to his departure for Burma.

McConnell has been a steady advocate for sanctions against Burma. Since 2003, he has been sponsoring legislation extending US sanctions against the then military regime.

The senator refused to say whether the pressure of the international sanctions were the reason for the democratic reforms.

“I am not the best one to assess all of the reasons for the rapid changes that are occurring here,” he said. “All I can say is that it is wonderful.”

This was his first personal meeting with Suu Kyi.

How many political prisoners remain in jail?
Monday, 16 January 2012 12:23 Mizzima News

(Mizzima) – Western nations welcomed Burma’s release of political prisoners over the weekend, even as it became clear that the release did not include all the prisoners of conscience held in Burmese jails.

The exact number of freed political prisoners remains elusive, because of Burma’s secretive government. Recently, the National League for Democracy gave the authorities a list of 604 prisoners considered to be political detainees.

Home Minister Lt. Gen. Ko Ko said at a press briefing on Saturday that the government was able to locate 430 people on that list. Of the 430, 302 were freed Friday, he said, while 128 remained detained for breaking laws considered strictly criminal or for links with the Taliban, according to The Associated Press.

However, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) in Thailand has said as many as 1,000 political detainees might still be behind bars, mainly because they were convicted under statutes not regarded by the government as political offenses.

Many of the most prominent political prisoners who were serving long sentences were released. U.S. President Barack Obama praised the release as “a substantial step forward for democratic reform,” according to the AP.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and Suu Kyi over the weekend to emphasize U.S. support for “the path of reform,” according to a State Department spokesperson. She also announced that the U.S. would name an ambassador to the embassy in Rangoon, after an absence of more than two decades.

The AP said Norway on Saturday rewarded Burma by no longer urging Norwegian companies “to refrain from trade and investment in Burma.” In Oslo, the foreign minister said the recommendation had only a narrow application for Norway, and that the country would continue to follow the E.U.’s sanction regime.

Some human rights activists urged caution in removing Western sanctions.

“Pressure for progress on the remaining prisoners and other human rights concerns in Myanmar must not abate,” said Suzanne Nossel, Amnesty International USA’s executive director. “The risk is that the restoration of ties between the two countries may be premature and could weaken the pressure to address critical areas of unfinished business in addressing serious human rights abuses in Myanmar.”

The release of prisoners came ahead of visits by two key U.S. senators influential in foreign affairs, Mitch McConnell and John McCain. McConnell arrives on Monday and will visit with Suu Kyi and government officials.

On Monday, French Minister for Foreign Affairs Alain Juppé ends a two-day visit. He met with Suu Kyi and ethnic opposition leaders on Sunday in Rangoon, and he will meet with President Thein Sein and the speakers of both houses of Parliament in Naypyitaw on Monday, according to Reuters.

“Like the rest of the international community, we have observed with a lot of attention the positive signs given by President Thein Sein,” Juppe said after meeting Suu Kyi at her home.

According to Agence France Presse, he said: “We will respond – France and the EU – positively and in concrete terms to these significant gestures.”

NLD senior leader Win Tin said, “The release of such a large number of political prisoners demonstrates the government’s will to solve political problems through political means. This amnesty will ease political tension before the upcoming April by-election.”

Asean human rights code process criticized
Monday, 16 January 2012 13:25 Mizzima News

(Mizzima) – The Asean panel charged with drafting a human rights code is working largely in secrecy and not consulting with human rights’ NGOs, raising concerns about its process, Amnesty International said in a statement last week.

“Not a single piece of substantive information on the process has been officially shared, and even the terms of reference of the drafting group have been kept confidential,” the right’s group said.

The statement said that when the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay traveled to the region in November, she was besieged by a similar concern from Asean civil society groups.

“That is a major concern to me as well,” she said, according to a statement by her office. “No discussion of human rights can be complete or credible without significant input from civil society and national human rights institutions. This is potentially a very important document that may set the tone for years to come.”

The Asean International Commission on Human Rights said in a statement last week that a drafting group has produced the “basic draft” of the Human Rights Declaration.

Officials say the Asean grouping hopes to finalize the draft of the rights charter in 2012, 19 years after foreign ministers agreed in Singapore in 1993 to “consider the establishment of an appropriate regional mechanism on human rights.”

The slow pace is a sign of the difficulty of reaching consensus in a grouping of governments that are plagued by human rights violations, particularly in Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

‘They ordered me to renounce my monkhood’
Monday, 16 January 2012 12:44 Ko Wild

(Interview) – Abbot Ashin Wayponela,  aka Win Tin of Shwebonetha monastery in Mandalay, was released from Yamethin Prison under the recent amnesty. He was arrested in connection with a communal riot case between Buddhists and Islamists in Taungoo and received a 22-year prison term; he served more than 10 ½  years in Taungoo, Mandalay and Yamethin prisons. Mizzima reporter Ko Wild interviewed him on his prison experience and his future plans.

Question: How many monks and laymen were released with you?

Answer: A total of six prisoners were released from our prison. They are Ashin Thawbita, aka Thein Htike Soe; Ashin Thuwunna, aka Han Soe; Ashin Gawthita, aka Han Myint; Kaung Kaung, aka Zaw Myint; and Pho Thaung, aka Hla Myint.

Q: What is your monastery and please tell us your age and monkhood?

A: I am the Abbot of Shwebonetha monastery of Ashoka Yama Tike, Chanmyathasi Township, Mandalay Region, at the southern entrance of Phayagyi. I am 48, and I have 17 years in the monkhood.

Q: In which prisons did you serve and how many years?

A: I served a total 10 years 7 months and 16 days in prisons. First, I served in Taungoo Prison for about five months and then I was shifted to Mandalay Prison where I stayed only two days. Then I was transferred to Yamethin Prison on October 25, 2001. I was given a total  of 22 years in prison.

Q: You were imprisoned in connection with a religious riot case. Please tell us about your case.

A: In this Taungoo riot incident, I was in Myo Hla, north of Taungoo. Then I was involved in a case in Myo Hla. This incident was a religious riot between Islamist Indians and Buddhists that took place in May 2001. The incident was triggered by a quarrel between novices and Islamist in the area and then it spread to other areas too. A disciple who supported me lived in Myo Hla, and I went there to meet them and to worship with them.

Q: Please tell us about the incident. How did you get involved?

A: There was no demonstration in this incident. They destroyed houses and threw stones at each other and it was just a riot. I just attended a meeting after this incident.

Q: How were you were arrested?

A: They didn’t arrest me at first. They arrested only my disciple from Myo Hla. Then I visited the intelligence office in Taungoo and surrendered myself on May 25, 2001. This was the No. 3 Intelligence Battalion in Taungoo.

Q: What happened next?

A: They interrogated me there, just questioning, nothing happened to me.

Q: How did they disrobe you?

A: They disrobed me in Taungoo military camp but not at the MI (3) office. There was a detachment interrogation center there at that time. They called this centre the old regional command HQ. They disrobed me on May 27, 2001, at the interrogation centre. They ordered me to renounce my monkhood too, but they couldn’t do this by order as per our Buddhist cannon law. They called in an Abbot, and he told me that and I was fully aware of our Buddhist cannon law.

Q: Where were you when were transferred after interrogation and where did you stand trial?

A: I spent only two days in the interrogation centre and then I was sent to Taungoo Prison. The trial was in Taungoo Prison. We were not taken outside. We stood trial in the prison because there were many groups in the prison ward where we were kept together. A judge came on the first day, and we were formally charged and on the second day he pronounced his sentence. This was a special tribunal, they said.

Q: Did the trial court sentence you alone?

A: No. There were more than 20 co-accused from the Myo Hla case alone, but I do not remember the exact number. There were over 10 accused in the Swa case and over 20 in the Kywe Bwe case and over 10 accused in the Taungoo case. I remember only the rough number.

Q: Did you get an opportunity to have a defence counsel, and on what charges and under which sections you were sentenced?

A: I couldn’t get access to a defence counsel, but they told me I could hire my lawyer if I wanted. How could I get a lawyer?  I was in prison and not allowed to go outside. They refused when I asked them to hire a lawyer for me. I was charged with 5(j) of the Emergency Provisions Act and sentenced to seven years imprisonment on this charge and 10 years under section 436 and five more years under section 440 of penal code. They told me that these were mischief charges.

Q: How long did you spend in Taungoo Prison?

A: I served my prison term in Taungoo Prison from May to October 22, 2001, and then I was transferred to Yamethin Prison in Mandalay Region until I was released.

Q: How did the prison staff treat you, as a monk or as a layman?

A: They treated me as a monk because I told them that I was still in monkhood. I stayed there as a monk in accordance with our Buddhist cannon law though I wore a prisoner uniform.

Q: Did they offer you alms food as a monk?

A: No, but not in a rude manner, not so rude.

Q: Do you remember the names of Yamethin Prison superintendents? Did the treatment to you change when the superintendent of the prison changed?

A: The first prison superintendent I met there was Kan Myint; then Myint Shwe, followed by Tin Maung Cho and Khin Shwe. Yes, the form of treatment to us varied from one person to another. Anyway, the prison regulation and discipline have been eased gradually during these years. At first, they were too tight.

Q: How about your health, your reverence?

A: My health is good; I meditated in prison. I did regular walking as physical exercise too and had Vipassana discourse and practice while I was in prison. And I had my meal regularly to keep my health fit.

Q: Did you stay alone in Yamethin Prison?

A: Yes, I stayed in a secluded area in the prison. First I stayed in a prison cell with two other inmates and the last time there was only one person in my cell as the number of prisoners decreased in our prison.

Q: What about the healthcare in prison? Could you read in the prison?

A: The healthcare in the prison is not so bad but medicine supplies are limited. Yes, we could read books in the prison.

Q: How many co-accused in your Myo Hla riot case have been released?

A: I am the last in this group. I heard that those who were given 12-year prison terms were released in 2005 and those given 17-20-year term were released in October 2011.

Q: Did you get a remission given by President Thein Sein in May last year?

A: We got one-year remission from our sentence and then I got another 2 years when all prison terms over 20 years were commuted to 20 only. So I got total 3 years in remission.

Q: Were the monks released with you from Yamethin Prison co-accused in your Myo Hla case?

A: No, Ashin Thawbita and Ashin Thuwunna were involved in the Kywe Bwe case. They returned to Kywe Bwe now. Ashin Gawthita is from the Rangoon Nga Htat Gyi pagoda. He was arrested and charged with having connections with unlawful associations and other charges under Associations Act.

Q: What will you do now after your release?

A: I’ll go back to my monastery. I’ll be reordained and serve in the monkhood again. I’ll do religious work and social.

DVB News – Monks’ boycott of govt remains: Gambira
By AYE NAI
Published: 16 January 2012

The recent political prisoner amnesty and ceasefire agreement with Karen rebels is not sufficient proof of the Burmese government’s democratic intentions, according to released monk leader Ashin Gambira, who said the religious boycott of government officials enacted during the September 2007 uprising remains in force.

Gambira has been quick to temper the hype that surrounded last Friday’s amnesty that included other prominent dissidents, including Min Ko Naing and Shan leader Khun Tun Oo. Following his sentencing in 2008, the 32-year-old was severely tortured.

“The government has transformed its external appearance into a civilian one but their efforts to implement democracy are still rather weak, while many cases of human rights violations continue,” he told DVB.

Asked whether he had any words for President Thein Sein, who was prime minister under the junta that jailed Gambira three years ago, he said the boycott had not been lifted.

“He [Thein Sein] is one of the members of the group our boycott was aimed at. [The government] will have to apologise to the monks three times in order for the Pattaneikkujanakan [boycott] to be revoked.”

He added that the demands that triggered the 2007 uprising, namely that the government drop fuel prices, were still in place. Days before the amnesty, it was announced that fuel and electricity prices would hike, in some cases two-fold in order to meet a budget deficit, although campaigners were quick to point out the large sums of money the government makes from selling off the country’s vast energy reserves.

In all nearly 300 political prisoners were released on Friday, as well as number of former intelligence and customs officials purged by Than Shwe, who ruled Burma until March last year. While the amnesty was met with celebrations, observers have been quick to point out its shortcomings, namely the conditions attached to releases, and the fact that around 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars.

Monk Ashin Wirathu, who was eight years into a 25-year jail term when he released from Mandalay’s Obo Prison last Friday, said the government’s decision to free leaders of various groups, such as the All Burma Monks’ Association and 88 Generation Students, whilst keeping lower-ranking members behind bars might sow discord.

He listed a number of monks that remain in prison. “This makes me think that there is intention [on behalf of the government] to cause dissension following the releases.”

The US followed the amnesty and ceasefire with an announcement that it would appoint an ambassador to Burma for the first time since Burmese troops gunned down around 3,000 pro-democracy protestors in 1988. Visiting US senator Mitch McConnell told reporters after meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi today that while the move was promising, more needed to be done.

DVB News – Burmese troops nab govt employee
By KO HTWE
Published: 16 January 2012

The wife of a government worker in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina says she has not heard from her husband since Burmese troops detained him earlier this month over alleged links to the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

Gum Sai was taken by soldiers on 5 January from Tar Law Gyi village, close to Myitkyina. His wife, Mar Kohn, claims he has been placed in greater danger since a fellow employee who was also detained to escape. She maintains he is innocent.

“Being a village administrator, he had to go whenever he was summoned, whether by the KIA or the Burmese army as we are afraid of them both,” she told DVB. “Now we don’t know why [the army] took him – they are not letting us see him or send him food.”

She added that the army had denied taking Gum Sai, and refused a visit by Tar Law Gyi village’s chief administrator, whom Gum Sai works for as an administrator.

Since December last year Mar Kohn had been sheltering in a refugee camp in Myitkyina along with their two children, one five and the other only seven months old. Like some 50,000 others in Kachin they had been forced from their home by fighting between the Burmese army and KIA.

Tar Law Gyi village was hit by artillery fire, she said, causing the majority of inhabitants to flee. She returned only upon hearing of her husband’s detention. “There’s no one left in my village now – just me and my younger child. I worry that he’s been killed or is being tortured. I am helpless,” she said.

Fighting continues in the northern state, which had been largely peaceful until Burmese troops launched attacks on the KIA in June last year, ending a 17-year ceasefire.

Gum Sai isn’t the only person to have disappeared after accusations of links to the KIA. Late last year a Kachin mother was taken by soldiers on similar grounds, prompting NGOs in the region to launch complaints.

Despite orders from President Thein Sein in December for the army not to launch attacks on the KIA, reports surfaced earlier this month that Burmese troops were amassing close to the group’s headquarters in Laiza. Heavy fighting had occurred in early January, and is believed to be continuing.

DVB News – As the dust settles, are we any clearer about tomorrow’s Burma?
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 16 January 2012

The dizzying events of last week will have wounded the cynicism of many observers that, since March last year, have poured doubt on the intentions of Burma’s government. What unfolded on Thursday and Friday was something few could prepare for – a possible end to the world’s longest-running civil war and the sight of hundreds of Burma’s most revered political icons returning home after years behind bars. They were two key demands set by the west, which has quickly revised its attitude towards the country: the US announced on Friday evening that it would appoint an ambassador to Burma, and the EU has mooted a policy shift that could soon see sanctions lifted.

The reactions have been quick, and the celebrations spirited. After decades when the regime appeared to take one step forwards, two steps back, a feeling that the reform programme is genuine is beginning to reshape attitudes towards Burma. We will continue to applaud what happened last week, and the potential impact these revitalised figures can have on Burma’s future, but we must urgently address what yet remains at a distance, and the fact that for all the pomp that surrounded the amnesty, it was a symbolic move that will mean little unless the government translates its rosy rhetoric into concrete policy.

Student leader Min Ko Naing wasted no time in addressing these concerns – upon his release from Thayet prison in Bago division, he boarded a local bus to Rangoon, 550 kilometres away. Over the next two days, the indefatigable activist stopped in various towns along the route to thank his supporters and urge that their applause for recent moves does not take the energy out of pressing for further, tangible reform. Ashin Gambira, the influential monk leader who was routinely tortured during his detention, was more vitriolic: “Don’t get all poetic with the nice vocabulary, ‘the change’. There has been this parroting of the word ‘change’ since [US President Barrack] Obama said it, but what has changed in reality? We’ve suffered so much abuse that even the tiniest rights awarded are being blown out of proportion.”

Tempering the excitement is wise, particularly in light of the fact that while the make-up of those released on Friday shows an apparent boldness to the government, less than 300 political prisoners were freed. That leaves more than 1,000 behind bars, a figure similar to that of five years ago when the former junta was in power. Moreover, ominous conditions are attached to the freedom of many ex-political prisoners. Sithu Zeya, who was handed an 18-year sentence as a 21-year-old for his work for DVB, will have to serve his full sentence if he breaks any of Burma’s highly arbitrary laws in the future: “It’s like we are being freed with leashes still attached to our necks,” he said upon leaving Henzada prison.
Caution also dogs the historic ceasefire between the government and the Karen National Union (KNU). Although it is the first time the two sides have agreed a truce in their six decade conflict, there is an acute distrust among the Karen of the government, in whichever form it presents itself. This war has seen everything, and no thrashed-out agreement will turn around decades of inhumane treatment and neglect by the country’s rulers. “A quick ceasefire now would be tantamount to surrender – that’s what the people are worried about,” the KNU’s vice president, David Thackabaw, told DVB just before the agreement was reached. “We will be very cautious and look at the problem from all angles.”

What will likely follow the ceasefire and political prisoner amnesty is a rush by the west to plant a stake in Burma. The government has, on the surface, moved towards meeting key benchmarks the US and EU demanded as proof of its democratic intentions, and with the EU’s sanctions up for review in April, a substantial policy change could be on the horizon. The IMF has also sent two teams to the country in the past four months to help “fix” its beleaguered economy. Writing in The Guardian last week, developmental economist Gabriele Köhler warned that such reforms may turn Burma into the new hunting ground for neoliberals bent on drawing the country into the clutches of the west. “History has shown time and again that popular movements for civil liberties, democracy and human rights are often hijacked by a drive to introduce neoliberal capitalism or prize open a country to foreign investors.”

That will certainly ring alarm bells in Karen state, where two days after the ceasefire was signed, a US satellite reported the discovery of the country’s largest gold deposit, which lies directly beneath ground that Karen troops may retreat over in the coming months and which can “produce a thousand tons of gold for hundreds of years”. The discovery illuminates a cynical but important way of reading both the ceasefire on Thursday and ongoing wars in the north – that the government is attempting to prepare these resource-rich areas for investment, which will arrive once the ‘political’ reforms, including prisoner amnesties, reach a point where the US and EU are convinced that sanctions can be dropped (note that Norway has already removed its blockade). If that theory turns out to be true, then you can consider these conflicts as intrinsic to the political reforms underway – a perverse precursor to the ‘free’ Burma being hailed in the wake of last week’s developments.

These factors, and many others – can Aung San Suu Kyi really make an impact in a parliament dominated by the military, or in a country governed by a constitution that effectively legalises a military coup? – serve to cast doubt on the country’s future, as does the unfolding ‘race for Burma’ and its inevitable by-products. As the world learned after the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings, moments of ‘change’ are often exploited by countries and institutions who proclaim the importance of human rights when it suits them, but quickly forget their supposed rationale and rush in to secure their loot. Days after British Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Burma with a pledge of support for Suu Kyi, his boss, David Cameron, left for Saudi Arabia with a similar message for the dictatorship there, exemplifying how the country’s new suitors, whom many see as sharing the credit for the events of last week, play this game of diplomacy.

The landscape in Burma has unequivocally changed, and within this we see hope, but the challenges now are more complex and multifaceted. Burma’s pro-democracy struggle will then need to evolve to tackle new concerns, and fight to expose what are sure to be ongoing state-sanctioned violations of the rights expected in a democracy, but which stronger ties to western governments help to obscure.