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#2866 December 16, 2005  DVB: What a gag: 20 years for criticising Burma junta’s convention SHAN: Two-sentence meeting in Kengtung  Irrawaddy: Deported Burmese workers return     
AP: Malaysia foreign minister says visit to Myanmar not an interference  Malaysiakini.com: M'sians should continue to invest in Burma Khonumthung News: Students' Union organizes musical concert in Delhi  Irrawaddy: Refugees International joins call for UNSC action on Burma Mizzima: All eyes on the UN as activists wait for Burma briefing  Irrawaddy: All change in Pyinmana  Briefing: Black Friday & The Crackdown on The NLD [MS Word] [PDF document]  Democratic Voice of Burma Irrawaddy Yangon Globe Mizzima Shan Burma Library Burma Daily Kao Wao News Myanmar News BBC Asia Pacific BBC Burmese Burma Internet Guide IFEX Alert (Burma) |
INSIDE
BURMA December 16, Democratic Voice of Burma What a gag: 20 years for criticising Burma junta’s convention Burma’s military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) authorities are continuing to threaten opposition leaders with jail terms up to 20 years if they criticise its ongoing constitution-drafting ‘National Convention’. Although it is not known how many people have been given the threatening warning, it is sure that the Committee Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP) Secretary Aye Tha Aung and member PU Cin Sian Thang were among them, according to sources from a political circle in Rangoon. The two were summoned separately by agents from No.2, Military Intelligence Corps and taken to Aungthabye army camp near 8-Mile Junction in Rangoon area. They were detained there from 11am to 5pm and warned not to criticise the convention and not to use critical tone when questions are asked by foreign media about it, and if the opposition leaders did not listen to their warning, they would be prosecuted with the so-called Act/Edict – 5/96* and sentenced to 20 years in jail. They were also taunted if they want to follow the path of nine prominent Shan leaders including Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) chairman Khun Htun Oo who were recently sentenced to up to 106 years jail terms for ‘criticising’ the convention. *The Law Protecting the Peaceful and Systematic Transfer of State Responsibility and the Successful Performance of the Functions of the National Convention against Disturbances and Oppositions ..................................................................................................................... December 16, Shan Herald Agency for News Two-sentence meeting in Kengtung Township and district authorities of eastern Shan State who were summoned to its capital Kengtung on Wednesday (14 December) returned on the same day after receiving a two-sentence instruction from the regional commander, according to sources in Tachilek, opposite Maesai. "The meeting started at 8 p.m. and lasted only two sentences made by Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing (Commander of Triangle Region Command who also doubles as Chairman, Eastern Shan State Peace and Development Council)," said a mystified official. "'See that everything's under control in your assigned areas,' he said, 'In the event that things run out of control, that'll be your own business.'" The bewildered officials were ordered to return to their assigned township and districts right off. "Us from Tachilek (163 km away) got back at midnight," said one. "All the way we were puzzling over what the regional commander said." There are some recent developments, they concluded, that might be relevant to what little they had heard from Min Aung Hlaing: The UN Security Council briefing on Burma due to take place today. Prime Minister Soe Win's invitation to Malaysia, Asean's current chair, to visit Burma and meet opposition leaders "Or maybe some drastic changes are in the offing," said another. "Some are saying Lt-Gen Myint Swe (Commander of Rangoon Region Command and head of the Office of Military Affairs Security) is next in line to Soe Win." Coincidently, an unconfirmed report from Rangoon says Lt-Gen Myint Swe has invited representatives from ceasefire groups to a meeting to be held on Saturday (17 December) when the ongoing session of the National Convention is taking a weekend break. "In a way, Burma is an orphaned child adopted by Asean particularly by Malaysia," one businessman close to the official circle reasons. "It must strike while the iron is hot and never allow Burma to treat it shabbily the way it had to the UN envoys and the ILO." Ruth Dreifuss of the world's labor body had put it another way, according to AP, 25 March 2005: "There is always a promise to do something, a few little steps, then a terrible backlash." ____________________________________ ON THE BORDER December 16, Irrawaddy Deported Burmese workers return Most of the 138 illegal migrant workers arrested during a Thai police raid on a Mae Sot garment factory last week returned to the Thai border town today, one day after having been sent back to Burma. Police raided the factory on December 8, arresting 138 Burmese employees for not having official work permits. Having been kept in jail for one week, the workers were all ordered back across the border to Myawaddy, except for nine women, who were kept in custody by the police, apparently to be used in a formal prosecution of the factory owners. One of the legal factory workers, Khin Khin, confirmed that the owners had been ordered to pay a fine for employing illegal workers and were now “negotiating” with the police. It is unclear whether the returning workers are intending to seek further employment. Mae Sot police declined to comment on the case. ____________________________________ ASEAN December 16, Associated Press Malaysia foreign minister says visit to Myanmar not an interference Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's foreign minister said Friday his planned visit to Myanmar to assess the progress of democracy does not amount to interference in the affairs of the military-ruled country. "Even when I do visit Myanmar it will be done quietly. The visit is not interference. It is just to have a good feel of what they are doing," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters. The secretive junta, which has not allowed even U.N. special envoy Razali Ismail into the country since March 2004, agreed to Syed Hamid's visit after intense pressure by the Association of Southeast East Asian Nations at its annual summit here this week. In a statement after the summit, ASEAN urged Myanmar to "expedite" the moves it has pledged to take for restoring democracy - a departure from the grouping's stand of not interfering in the internal affairs of members. ASEAN also called on the junta to free detainees. Although it did not name Aung San Suu Kyi, the reference to the pro-democracy leader was clear. Syed Hamid refused to discuss details of his plans, including whether he would try to meet Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since May 2003. He also refused to confirm a statement by the Thai foreign minister that the visit would take place in January. "I am not going to make any statement that can jeopardize the nature of my visit. There are high expectations but whatever I do is a mandate from ASEAN and an invitation from Myanmar," he said. Syed Hamid said details of the visit still need to be worked out. "We need to know the exact form and nature of the visit," he said. Myanmar has become a pariah state in the West and an embarrassment for ASEAN because of its poor record in human rights and democratization. Its failure to fulfill pledges of democracy has increasingly angered fellow ASEAN members, who are also feeling pressure from the U.S., which calls Myanmar "an outpost of tyranny." Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current group of generals came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy uprising. They called elections in 1990 but refused to hand over power after Suu Kyi's party won. ____________________________________ REGIONAL December 15, Malaysiakini.com M'sians should continue to invest in Burma - Beh Lih Yi Malaysians companies should continue with their investments in Burma so as not to hurt innocent people in the military-ruled nation, said United Nations special envoy to Burma Razali Ismail. Asked to comment on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz’s recent remark that “doing business in Burma is similar to doing business with the Devil”, he responded that he did not agree with the minister. “I don’t necessary support that. I think sanctions or things like that hurt people. Wrong and innocent people could get hurt,” Razali told malaysiakini when met at the Global Peace Forum 2005 in Kuala Lumpur today. Two weeks ago, Nazri had said that “as a member of Parliament, I don’t think I want to do business with the Devil. There is a limit to our conscience.” “Would you like to do business with a government of to Stalin or Hitler?” Nazri asked. The Brussels-based International Conference of Free Trade Unions has listed 468 companies that are allegedly doing business with the military junta in Burma, including 27 Malaysian firms. One of the 27 is state-owned Petronas and another is the Razali-linked Iris Technologies, which the envoy had clarified that it no longer conducts business in Burma. Happy with talks Meanwhile, Razali said he was “happy and delighted” with the outcome of discussions on Burma at the just-concluded Asean summit as Asean has acted on behalf of the region. On his expectations of the Asean delegation which will be visiting Burma next month, he said the delegation would shoulder the responsibility of clarifying the situation with Burma. “First, (they have to) point out that Asean countries are getting concerned, they have waited for Myanmar (Burma) to fulfill the commitments made,” he said. This included releasing pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, as well as for the military junta to involve other parties in the national convention, Razali added. “When they (the delegation) go there, they would have to ask all these questions and perhaps they might even want to see some of these people. “Obviously, there must be very clear objectives of what they want to do there, don’t just go there and listen to the same assurances that have been given,” the envoy stressed. Asked whether the delegation headed by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar should insist on meeting Suu Kyi, he said the meeting should be a “natural” thing to do. ..................................................................................................................... December 12, Khonumthung News Students' Union organizes musical concert in Delhi In a bid to forge a stronger relationship with Indian students, provide a deeper insight into the political turmoil in Burma and to seek the attention and support of the Government of India, a live musical concert was jointly organized in India’s capital New Delhi, by the Chin Student Union (CSU), exiled Chin students from Burma, and North East (India) and the Students Joint Action Committee (NESJAC) It was held at the at Shah Auditorium on December 8. The musical extravaganza by the CSU, was kicked off at 17:00 hours (IST). The two-hour musical concert was performed by MC Pie band and various bands representing Delhi Mizo Zirlai Pawl (DMZP) and CSU alternately. The CSU, dressed in different Chin traditional attire choired the song "Struggle for Democracy in Burma" and the MC Pie joined in by dedicating the song 'Freedom' to the people of Burma and pro-democracy activists, sources reported. The Delhi students from North East India cooperated with the Chin Students in organizing the musical night. Mr.K. Mughato Lucky, NESJAC's Convener told Khonumthung, “This concert is to show our (North East students) solidarity with Burma in the struggle for democracy in Burma. We also hope it will be ushered in soon.” Besides musical entertainment and political propaganda, short speeches were delivered by distinguished invitees. The peace and tranquility of India depends on the restoration of democracy in Burma also but the Government of India often ignores the issue; it was stated. The Editor in Chief of Mizzima News, Soe Myint, in his short speech said, “Despite the support of a few Indian politicians, Burma’s democracy movement is ignored by the biggest democracy in the world. The Indian government rolls out a red carpet when military officials visit.” The objectives of this Live Musical Concert was to build a better relationship with the students of India and provide better insight into the political turmoil in Burma and seek the attention and support of the Government of India for the early restoration of democracy in Burma, sources added. The CSU released a Press statement in this connection on that night of live musical concert. The Press statement said that the student body sought the attention and support of the Government of India for the immediate release of the Noble Peace Prize Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to reconvene the national reconciliation process and usher in a democratic government in the Union of Burma. The statement, further, demanded that the military junta end its gross human rights violation, discrimination and restore the right to form student unions in Burma. Mr. Lalremsanga, President of CSU said, “With the momentum of our activities, in future we plan to send a memorandum to Indian government to put an end to its relations with the military regime in Burma.” The CSU jointly organized a musical night in Delhi with NESJAC through the mediatory efforts of the DMZP. This is the first musical concert ever being organized by the Chin students in Delhi. The CSU is a union of exiled pro-democracy Chin students, which was formed in 1995 in New Delhi. The union works side by side with political parties, civil societies and other like-minded student organizations. ____________________________________ INTERNATIONAL December 16, Irrawaddy Refugees International joins call for UNSC action on Burma - Clive Parker Washington-based Refugees International has joined the chorus of increasing support for UN Security Council action on Burma, as the 15-member body prepares to hear a landmark briefing in New York later today. The advocacy group is the latest organization to call for firm action on Burma by the Council after months of pressure by exile groups, humanitarian organizations and politicians across the globe. “Refugees International urges the Security Council to make the most of this historic opportunity for the UN to play a greater leadership role in Burma and develop a common strategy to respond to one of the biggest humanitarian and human rights crises of our time,” RI said in a statement. The organization said that following its experiences in more than 30 countries, it considered Burma to be “a country which requires immediate Security Council debate and action.” The Burma Campaign UK—an organization that has lobbied hard for action on Burma at the UN— today also welcomed the forthcoming briefing, but warned there is still a long way to go before the possibility of UNSC action against Rangoon. “This must be a first step towards passing a binding resolution requiring the restoration of democracy to Burma,” said Yvette Mahon, Director of The Burma Campaign UK. “At long last the crisis in Burma is getting the attention it deserves,” she said. “But we need decisive action from the United Nations, not more waffle and hot air.” The US Campaign for Burma and Manila-based Initiatives for International Dialogue—among others—have also recently welcomed the briefing as part of what they hope will be the beginning of UNSC involvement on Burma. The Burma Campaign UK confirmed that such a move now enjoys the support of 10 Council members, one more than the nine required for an issue to become part of the body’s formal agenda. Commentators have recently said that permanent Council members China and Russia, along with Algeria, Brazil and Japan are still not convinced that Burma requires international involvement, leading to speculation that the only remaining member—Argentina—has switched sides in support of the US position. If true, Argentina’s support could prove significant for the prospect of further action on Burma when the UNSC is reconfigured on January 1. Argentina is one of five non-permanent members of the Council whose tenure runs until the end of 2006. If Argentina actually does support the US-led position on Burma, two more backers would be required from the five incoming members—Slovakia, Qatar, Peru, Congo and Ghana—in order to get Burma on the Council’s formal agenda next year. ..................................................................................................................... December 16, Mizzima News All eyes on the UN as activists wait for Burma briefing - Jessicah Curtis With just hours remaining before the United Nations Security Council is due to be briefed on Burma by deputy secretary general Ibrihim Gambari, Burma watchers and activists are anxiously hoping for a positive outcome. Some groups have expressed disappointment over Secretary General Kofi Annan's decision no to give the briefing personally. Several Canadian organisations, including the Canadian Friends of Burma and the Burma Forum Canada, sent a letter to Annan yesterday saying the delegation of the task to another official could lessen the briefing's impact. "Although you had been requested by several governments to personally brief the UNSC on the situation in Burma, we were disappointed to learn that this task has been delegated to other senior UN officials," the letter said. "We are concerned that this decision communicates to the international community that the situation in Burma as not being at a critical stage, and not threatening collective peace and security in the region." But other groups have said the decision over the deliverer of the briefing should not lessen the significance of the briefing itself. Jeremy Woodrum from the US Campaign for Burma told Mizzima, " It is not important who briefs the Council, but we feel it is very important that the Secretary General or a high-level envoy attend and contribute to the discussion. We would like to see high-level involvement from the United Nations continue." All eyes are on the Security Council as Burma groups wait to see if years of campaigning and lobbying the UN will be fruitful. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Refugees International have all released statements in the lead-up to the event calling for council members to make the most of the opportunity to discuss Burma for the first time. Burma Campaign UK's director Yvette Mahon described the briefing as a, "key milestone on the road to freedom in Burma", in a statement today saying, "The Security Council should have begun this process years ago . . . This must be a first step towards passing a binding resolution requiring the restoration of democracy to Burma". ____________________________________ OPINION / OTHER December 16, Irrawaddy All change in Pyinmana - Harry Priestley Rangoon: While the relocation of Burma’s ministries and military headquarters from Rangoon to Pyinmana might have brought peace of mind for the country’s notoriously insecure leader, the move has actually been far from plain sailing. Hundreds of civil servants—including the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if reports are to be believed—have been ordered to return to Rangoon, as there’s basically nothing for them to do in the isolated outpost. These are civil servants, remember, who only six weeks ago had been told to pack up and ship out of Rangoon at a moment’s notice. While the decision to relocate seems to have satisfied the generals and flummoxed the minions, the local residents of Pyinmana have also been given plenty to think about. The main highway leading to Pyinmana, which runs from Rangoon right up to Mandalay, is being expanded to a whopping eight lanes and the approach to the Pyinmana turn-off now resembles a dust storm as diggers and trucks work to widen the existing two-lane track. With a radical restructuring of the town itself in the works, the heavy Chinese machinery—currently carving great chunks out of the countryside—is ready to roll into Pyinmana any time now. All main roads in the town are being expanded to a standard 40 feet (just over 12 meters) and imposing red flags have been planted to mark the required dimensions—a common sight in Pyinmana these days is that of ministry workers out in the middle of the street clutching tape measures and flag poles. So what happens if your home or business is situated on a road slated for widening? Well, if you’re lucky you might only be required to scale back your garden a little. But if your actual house encroaches on the new boundaries, the whole thing could end up being demolished. Ironically, given this problem established residents in Pyinmana are facing, outsiders are fighting to get hold of land in town. To the delight of a local population—whose main previous source of income was the timber industry and a couple of sugar cane refineries—property is now going for three or four times its usual value, as businesses from Rangoon and Mandalay rush to get closer to the junta. In fact, many of the generals are doing well out of the property market themselves. Rumor has it top brass began buying up land in and around Pyinmana a couple of years ago and is already looking at a tidy profit. Insider trading in the Burmese government? Surely not. As well as those lucky enough to cash in on land deals, brick makers, laborers and restaurateurs are also finding work easier to come by, now the city’s population has effectively swollen by as many as ten thousand. Moving away from Pyinmana and closer to the shiny new ministry buildings themselves, Kyet Pyay is also seeing changes. The tiny village, whose name roughly translates as “purged of ghosts”, is doing a roaring trade as trishaw drivers ferry civil servants and their families between their barren housing compounds and Kyet Pyay’s tea shops—one popular cafe was roped into providing refreshments for the Ministry of Information’s opening ceremony, though what the Ministry actually got for its reputed 20,000 kyat (US $17) budget remains unclear. Even Kyet Pyay’s spit and sawdust market is heading for a refurb: tarpaulins and tea chests are to be replaced by a three-storey concrete affair. So, it’s all go in and around Pyinmana. The local economy’s been turned upside down, and construction companies that have been brought in from the capital—HTC Construction, Max Myanmar, A1 Construction, Asia World and Tet Lan Construction to name a few—are enjoying big, fat contracts. For many, Pyinmana is turning into something of a gold mine. Unless your house happens to be in the way, of course. ..................................................................................................................... 
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