News & Articles on Burma

Monday, 29 August, 2011
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SSA-DKBA met in strategic summit
By KHIN MIN ZAW
Published: 29 August 2011

Commanders from the Shan State Army (SSA) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) met earlier in August to discuss co-operation in fighting the Burmese.

Major Saw San Aung, the DKBA’s Klohtoobaw region military operation commander said officials from the two groups met in an undisclosed location to discuss plans to fight together.

“The DKBA’s tactical commander major Kyaw Thet met with SSA commanders and they discussed on plans to bring down and crush the dictatorship system in a very near future,” Major Saw San Aung told DVB.

Major Sai Lao Hseng, spokesperson for the SSA confirmed that the meeting had taken place and said that they exchanged ideas and analysis of the current situation.

“If the military dictators continue to use their brutal, wipe-out tactics against us the ethnic people, then we, together with the SSA will use various methods such as waging mountain and urban warfare to defend ourselves,” Saw San Aung said.

“Also they discussed on plans to not only take a fixed, defensive stance but also to take offensive against the Burmese Army,” he added.

He said the groups held the meeting as the fighting is still on-going in ethnic regions despite President Thein Sein’s recent proposal for peace talks with ethnic armies.

This renewed impetus was perhaps evident in a recent ambush carried out by the DKBA. The group attacked the convoy of the minister for Karen state, Major General Zaw Min near the key broder town of Myawaddy, whilst he was on his way back from an event celebrating the Border Guard Force (BGF) agreement.

The BGF deal was the government’s key pre-election effort to assimilate the restive ethnic armed groups into the Burmese army. Many failed to sign up seeing it as taking away their cherished autonomy, those groups have since come under sustained attack from the Burmese. http://www.dvb.no/news/ssa-dkba-met-in-strategic-summit/17314
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Burma-Bangladesh border dispute set for UN hearing
Monday, 29 August 2011 16:37 Thomas Maung Shwe

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The United Nations’ International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) will begin hearings September 5 to resolve a heated maritime border dispute between Burma and Bangladesh.

Burma’s long-running border dispute with Bangladesh has intensified in recent years as both countries sought to benefit from lucrative offshore oil and gas deposits.

The ITLOS hearings will take place in Hamburg, Germany where the organization is based. The process started in October 2009 when the Bangladeshi government submitted to the ITLOS a formal complaint against Burma regarding the "natural prolongation of the continental shelf and the baseline." Bangladesh has also submitted a similar complaint against India over the disputed maritime boundary both nations share.

Both parties are entitled to appoint a judge of their choice to be part of the panel of judges that will decide the case. According to a press release issued by ITLOS, Bangladesh has chosen the Ghanaian jurist Thomas Mensah to be its judge ad hoc at the hearing while Burma has chosen an American law professor, Bernard H. Oxman.

According to the Dhaka-based Daily Star newspaper, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni will lead her country’s delegation at the hearing. It is unclear if Burma’s newly installed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin will take part in the hearings. Declared a “key interlocutor” by the European Union, Wunna Maung Lwin is exempted from the EU travel ban imposed on most of the leading figures in the Burmese regime and is therefore free to travel to Germany for the hearings.

2008 Burmese-Bangladesh naval standoff over gas drilling

On November 2, 2008, the Bangladeshi government announced that the previous day its naval vessel the BNS Nirvoy detected the Burmese navy escorting four drilling ships and a tug pulling the 100-metre-long drill rig Transocean Legend in waters claimed by Dhaka. The rig, owned and operated by the Swiss American offshore drilling firm Transocean, was under contract to conduct exploratory drilling work for Korea’s Daewoo International.

Dhaka’s accusation that Burma had violated its sovereign maritime territory was the first sign of a serious diplomatic spat that followed with a costly and heated naval stand-off between two of the world’s poorest nations.

The next day November 3, Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka summoned the Burmese ambassador to issue a strong protest and Bangladeshi’s military-backed interim government, furious at the Burmese regime’s actions, responded by sending four of its own naval ships to the disputed area.

The Bangladesh Navy had caught Transocean’s rig and its Burmese naval escorts in an area the Burmese regime had designated as the AD-7 offshore gas block. Transocean’s SEC filing revealed that Daewoo had hired the rig to conduct drilling exploration at a cost of US$ 424,000 a day. Daewoo and its partner firms Kogas, had bought rights to drill in AD-7 despite the fact that Bangladesh claimed it was their territory.

The joint State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)/Transocean incursion into the disputed waters came three weeks after Burmese Energy Minister Brigadier General Lun Thi had assured his Bangladeshi counterpart that Burma “would not conduct gas exploratory work in the disputed maritime boundary area until the issue was settled” between the two nations, the Bangladeshi daily newspaper New Age quoted him as saying, Lun Thi reportedly made the promise during an October 8, 2008, Dhaka meeting with Dr. M. Tamim, then serving as special assistant to the chief adviser for Bangladesh’s Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Immediately after the Bangladeshi government went public with its complaints, forces from both sides mobilized along their shared land border. One Burmese naval official was quoted by Agence France-Presse on November 5 as saying: “We will try to solve this peacefully, but we are also ready to protect our country if needed … we will not tolerate being insulted, although we do want goodwill. We will continue with exploration.”

Burma’s regime officially responded to the Bangladeshi complaints in a defiant tone through the state-run newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, declaring it would continue to operate in the disputed territory because Bangladeshi concerns were “mistaken and unlawful.” In an article published November 7, 2008, the newspaper declared that “Myanmar [Burma] rejected the mistakenly made demand of Bangladesh,” and therefore “in order to protect the interests of the country in line with international laws, Myanmar [Burma] will continue to do the work in Block No. AD-7 until its completion.” International law dictates that territorial disputes should be resolved first through peaceful means before drilling takes place.

Two days later, Daewoo, Transocean and the Burmese regime withdrew their vessels. It was reported that the Korean and Chinese governments had intervened to de-escalate the situation. China is set to be the destination of most of the gas Daewoo and its partners extract from off Burma’s Arakan coast.

On December 15, about a month after the standoff, Reuters reported that a senior Burmese energy ministry official had revealed that test results from the disputed AD-7 block were “not very encouraging.” The anonymous official added, “We still need to dig four or five more test wells before we confirm the deposit is not commercially viable.” A Daewoo International report issued in March 2010 reveals, however, that the firm increased its stake in the contested block after its three partners pulled out. The report did not mention any exploration activity taking place in the disputed block since the standoff in November 2008. http://www.mizzima.com/news/world/5848-burma-bangladesh-border-dispute-set-for-un-hearing.html
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Military Factions Join Opposition to Demand Amnesty
By KO HTWE Monday, August 29, 2011

Opposition parties within Burma's Parliament hold out some hope that “general amnesty orders” proposed by minority members will be passed, although the matter has been sent to the National Defense and Security Council led by President Thein Sein for more discussion.

Thein Nyunt, Rangoon MP for the Lower House, submitted proposals on Thursday that “the Hluttaw (Parliament) requests the president to continue issuing general amnesty orders” and “provide necessary arrangements for submitting a bill for a Prisons Act which is agreeable to the 21st century and guarantees human dignity,” according to The Mirror (Kyemon) newspaper.

Two delegations from the Burmese Army also support the proposals and urged the new government to set their “comrades” who are serving prison sentences free. Some members from the regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) planned to propose a general amnesty for all prisoners, but the USDP remains reluctant to acknowledge the existence of “prisoners of conscience.”

“I also support the proposals but I do not hold out hope that the government will allow amnesties for political prisoners. In the recent trip of UN Special Envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana, they refused again to admit that there are any political prisoners,” said an MP from the Lower House who asked to remain anonymous.

During his trip to Burma, Quintana met with several top officials in the capital of Naypyidaw. Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint recently said that political prisoners would be released when it is certain doing so would not disrupt the nation's peace and stability.

However, “I don't want to urge the government to allow an amnesty or otherwise. I'm hoping patiently although it may take a long time,” said Thein Nyunt.

Burmese Army delegates encouraging general amnesty orders clearly shows that the power shift between the military and Parliament has become more intense since Thein Sein's adoption of his political role, claim observers.

Htay Aung, a Burmese military researcher, said that he is surprised that two army delegations support the amnesty, and that the self interest amongst government groups and within Parliament can now be clearly seen.

“The emergence of state and region ministers—some of them former military commander-in-chiefs—have blocked the authority of the current commander-in-chiefs of the regions. Recently, the duties of some commander-in-chiefs have been suspended in relation to the ministers for those particular states and regions. They see movements against each other in the measures taking place,” said Htay Aung.

The two delegations are expected to be referring to ex-spy chief Gen Khin Nyunt and his officers who were arrested in late 2004 and are currently serving prison sentences, he added.

The Constitution guarantees the army one quarter of parliamentary seats. Low-ranking officers fill 25 percent of seats reserved for the military in the country's national, state and regional legislatures.

Under Burma's 2008 Constitution, 110 seats in the Lower House of the Union Parliament, 56 in the Upper House and 222 in the State and Regional Parliaments are reserved for military appointees selected by the country's armed forces chief.

Burma's second parliamentary session convened in Naypyidaw last week. The second session of Burma's Union Parliament included representatives of both the Upper and Lower Houses. The first session of Burma’s Parliament convened for the first time in 22 years on Jan. 31. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21981
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Burma Govt Offers Peace Talks to KNU
By SAW YAN NAING Monday, August 29, 2011

A delegation of religious leaders last week approached the rebel Karen National Union (KNU) offering peace talks on behalf of the Burmese government, Karen sources told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

Though no further details of the proposal were disclosed, the sources said that the delegation comprised representatives from the Karen Christian community in Karen State capital Pa'an, and that they had been sent by Col. Zaw Min, the chief minister of Karen State.

A further religious delegation, including Karen physician Dr. Saw Simon Tha, is also due to meet with KNU leaders in September, said Htee Moo, a Karen social worker who is close to both the KNU and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

Burma's President Thein Sein recently announced via the country's state-run media that, in order to move the peace process forward, all ethnic armed groups are to meet first with their respective regional and state chief ministers.

On Aug. 18, government officials offered peace negotiations to the DKBA through a prominent Buddhist monk, U Pinya Thami, an abbot from Taungalay monastery in Pa-an.

“This is their strategy—to divide the Karen again,” said Htee Moo. “Zaw Min has no power to make decisions,” he added, alleging that the proposal had in fact been passed down by top military officials in Naypyidaw.

To date, the KNU has rejected all government demands, and has called for peace talks involving all members of the ethnic alliance, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).

KNU Vice-chairman David Takapaw said, “It would be a possibility if the government were to offer to hold peace talks with the UNFC, but the KNU will not talk unilaterally or directly with them. We have an agreement with the UNFC. That’s why we rejected their offer. The Burmese government has previously sought to divide the ethnic groups like this.”

Htee Moo echoed Takapaw's sentiment, saying that the KNU experienced the collapse of its headquarters at Manerplaw in 1995 when the DKBA defected.

“We will not let that happen again,” he said.

The DKBA released a statement last week saying that no genuine peace would result if the DKBA alone made peace with the government. It called for a withdrawal of all government troops from all ethnic regions and a nationwide ceasefire follow by peace talks.

Founded in 1947, the KNU has waged one of the longest insurgencies in the world. Despite many of its ethnic allies acceding to government demands over the years, it has never signed a ceasefire with the government. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21978
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Gunmen Fire on Police Station in Mon State
By LAWI WENG Monday, August 29, 2011

The main police station in Thanbyuzayat Township, Mon State, came under attack by two armed men this morning, according to residents of the town.

“They fired on the office with light and heavy weapons at around 10 am. It was raining at the time, and there were no reports of injuries or casualties,” a local resident told The Irrawaddy by phone.

The two men drove into town on a motorbike and opened fire on the police station, which is located near the town center, sources said.

This is the second time the police station has come under attack. On June 29, two men threw a bomb at the station and fled.

Township authorities have accused a Mon armed group led by Nai Than Lwin of carrying out that attack. The group is active in the Mudon and Thanbyuzayat area, which is under the control of the New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Burmese government troops have tried to arrest the group's leader and its members many times, but were warned by the NMSP not to enter their territory, where the armed group is based.

Meanwhile, a unit of Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops ambushed a convoy of 100 Burmese government military trucks last week, leaving one driver dead.

The vehicles, purchased from China, were attacked in northern Shan State en route from Muse, on the Sino-Burmese border, to Mandalay. The KIA's Battalion 9 launched the surprise assault on the final 10 vehicles in the convoy using RPGs, according to KIA sources. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21977
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The Nation
Construction of China-Burma railway could start in December
Published on August 29, 2011

Naypyitaw, Burma - Construction on a 20-billion-dollar rail link between the Burma's Chinese border and its western coast could begin as early as December, officials said Monday.
"We will start the construction of Muse-Kyauk Phyu railroad in the coming December if detailed discussions on the agreement are completed," Burmese Railway Transportation Minister Aung Min said.
The railroad would start at the Shan State's border town of Muse in the north-east and span 800 kilometres across the country to end up at the Rakhine state's port city of Kyauk Phyu on the Bay of Bengal.
"The whole project will take five years and cost about 20 billion US dollars. China will bear the cost and the agreement will be based on BOT (build, operate and transfer) for 50 years," Aung Min told the German Press Agency dpa.
The electric trains will be capable of travelling at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour and of carrying 4,000 tonnes of goods.
"China will use this railroad to transport goods from Kyauk Phyu port to its capital Beijing and other cities via Ruli and Kunming," Aung Min said. "Their ships will no longer need to sail through Malaca strait."
China also has made plans to build a pipeline along the same route as the railway to carry natural gas to Yunnan, southern China.
Burma's Rail Transportation Ministry and China's Railways Engineering Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding in April to jointly develop the China-Burma railway.//DPA
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Construction-of-China-Burma-railway-could-start-in-30163951.html
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Kyat Strength Hits Migrants, Money Changers
By LAWI WENG Monday, August 29, 2011

Burmese money changers, who usually do a thriving business helping their compatriots in Thailand send money back home, are struggling as the kyat continues to strengthen.

The higher value of the kyat against the Thai baht means that Burmese are sending less money home, which in turn makes remittance services a lot less lucrative than usual.

“Some of my friends have lost all of their money because of the instability of the exchange rate,” said Nai Ngwe, a money changer based in Three Pagodas Pass, in Mon State near the Thai border.

In Mae Sot, in Thailand's Tak Province opposite the Burmese border town of Myawaddy, the situation is similarly grim.

According to Ah Myo, a Burmese man who operates a money transfer service from the Thai town, some people in the business are losing a million kyat (US $1,390) a day.

“How much they're losing depends on the size of their investment,” he said, adding that he's heard some especially desperate individuals talk of hanging themselves.

The Thai baht, currently worth 23.5 kyat, has fallen dramatically since June, when the exchange rate was 32 kyat to the baht. That means that sending 100,000 kyat back to Burma now costs 4,255 baht ($142), compared to 3,125 baht ($104) less than three months ago.

“The exchange rate is getting closer to where it was in 2003, when 1 baht was equal to 19 kyat,” said Nai Lawi Mon, a border trader in Three Pagodas Pass.

The value of the Burmese currency has been increasing since the start of this year, in part because of the declining value of the dollar worldwide.

“In an environment like this, when exchange rates are so unstable, you should not keep money in your hands,” said Nai Ngwe.

Chit Tun, who works for a cash transfer business in Mudon Township, Mon State, said that there is no profit in this line of work anymore.

“Maybe I need to stop doing this job for a while and go back to work at my rubber plantation,” he said.

The reason for the precipitous drop in profits, he said, is that the volume of transactions has slowed to a trickle. Previously, he said, he handled about 30 million kyat ($41,780) within a ten-day period; now he does hardly any business at all.

For migrant workers, the higher exchange rate is taking a bigger bite out of their savings, and making some wonder whether it is worthwhile even to remain in Thailand.

“Last year, I could send 100,000 kyat home for about 3,200 baht,” said Nai Thut, a construction worker in Bangkok who saves about half of his 8,000 baht ($267) monthly salary. “Now it costs more than a thousand baht extra.”

In Three Pagodas Pass, where Thai-owned factories pay their workers in baht, the strengthening kyat is cutting even deeper.

“Many workers here earn about 3,000 baht ($100) a month. After they pay for rent, water, electricity and food, they have nothing left,” said Wai Phyo, a factory worker in the Burmese border town.

“The only way to save money is to live on nothing but fish paste,” he added.

Another strategy for survival is sharing tiny rooms with one or two other workers, but even this doesn't make much of a difference.

“Unless you have your own home here, it's very hard to get by,” said Nai Seik Lyit, said a resident in Three Pagodas. “If the kyat gets any stronger, some people may just give up and go back home.” http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21976
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Hmong shown the door by Wa
Monday, 29 August 2011 12:34 S.H.A.N.

In response to Naypyitaw’s demand to yield alien Hmongs living in Wa territory, the Wa authorities last week informed the Hmongs to return to their home countries, according to their home countries, according to border sources.
Some 100 households of Hmong, also known as Meo, have been residing at Takok, in Mong Yawn area, Monghsat township, opposite Chiangmai’s Mae Ai district, for as long as ten years, according to a local source. “Many of them speak Thai fluently,” she said.
The latest development took place following a visit by Pol Gen Wichian Potephosri, Commander of the Thai Police Force, to Naypyitaw, 13-15 August, followed by a reciprocal visit by his Burmese counterpart Kyaw Kyaw Tun, 22-23 August, according to DVB.
Thailand has made several arrests of Hmong drug traffickers since the new year began.
“We decided their voluntary departure was the best course for all of us,” said a Wa officer who asked his identity be protected.
An unconfirmed report says 4 Hmong leaders were detained by the Burmese military and their houses burned down.
A Thai security official confirmed some Hmong residents in the Wa territory of Mongyawn had returned to Thailand. “They carried valid IDs,” he said. “So there was no reason to keep them.”
According to Wa sources, the Hmongs in Takok had come from Thailand, Laos, China and other parts of Shan State. The Hmongs of Laos are known for their late leader Gen Vang Pao who died aged 81 of pneumonia with heart complications on January 6, 2011, during exile in the United States.
“Hmongs are loyal to each other,” said a Shan businessman in Shan State East. “If you catch them with drugs, most of them will say the drugs were theirs and will refuse to reveal their accomplices.” http://www.shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3989:hmong-shown-the-door-by-wa&catid=89:drugs&Itemid=286
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Burma’s war in Kachin State continues as bilateral talks unproductive
By Zin Linn Aug 29, 2011 4:33PM UTC

Kachin State Government briefed on peace and stability of the state at Town Hall of Myitkyina on Sunday (28 August), according to the government-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
Kachin State Chief Minister La John Ngan Hsai addressed the briefing which was attended by the State Chief Justice, the State Hluttaw Deputy Speaker, State ministers, the State Advocate- General, the State Auditor-General, members of social organizations, officials and locals.
Col Than Aung , Negotiation Team leader for Kachin State Peace and Stability and State Minister for Security and Border Affairs, explained works for peace and stability of the state, negotiation with KIO (Kachin Group) and current developments. But, the newspaper did not mention any progress with the negotiation talks.
State Social Affairs Minister Daw Bauk Jar explained on rural folks who fled to urban areas at refugee camps where they are provided with food, shelter, health care and education.
The chief minister, State ministers, the State advocate-general, the head of State Land Records Department and the secretary of State government then replied to questions of reporters. The chief minister called for collaborative efforts for all-round development of Kachin State, stability, eternal peace and ceasefire, the New Light of Myanmar said. But, he also could not tell about the policy and procedure of peacemaking process.
Ahead of Sunday briefing, a powerful TNT bomb planted by Burmese military agents in Myitkyina, in Kachin State, Northern Burma, was removed on Thursday (Aug. 25) before it exploded, referring local witnesses the Kachin News Group said.

A piece of wire and TNT mine was put on the main electrical transformer near the Kachin Baptist Church, Quarter Administrative Office and Quarter Market, which is usually crowded vicinity, local residents said.
The Quarter Administrative Office confirmed to the Kachin News Group the mine was removed by a bomb squad from the Burmese Army’s Northern Regional Command, based in Myitkyina on Thursday.
The Myitkyina Police Station No. 1 declined to answer questions from the Kachin News Group concerning the incident and suggested people can go and ask questions at the police station, not by phone.
The five-month old Burmese government keeps denying the KIO is a political armed group and officially labeled it as an insurgent, at its first press conference in Naypyidaw. During its first press conference on August 12th, the new government denounced the 10 ethnic armed groups and members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) – Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Chin, Mon, Shan, Wa, Laho, Palong and Pa-O – as “insurgents.”
The government’s ceasefire offer was rejected because it did not include country-wide political dialogue but only talks with each individual ethnic armed group, according to Salang Kaba Lar Nan, Joint General Secretary-2 of the KIO.
Lar Nan told the Kachin News Group, “The peace offer announcement lacks political dialogue. The government wants to have talks using the military-centered 2008 Constitution. We ethnic armed groups will not talk under the 2008 Constitution.”
Repeatedly, the new government has offered the bilateral talk guiding principle to ethnic armed groups, which failed to solve political problems in the past six decades. So far, peace talks have unsuccessful since the KIO desires to solve the country’s political problems based on the 1947 Panglong Agreement. However the government has decided to discuss along the lines of the 2008 constitution.
In such a situation, the ongoing war in the Kachin State in Burma seems to be uninterrupted because both government and the Kachin Independence Organization hold different political principles.
Most people inside and outside of Burma desire a nationwide ceasefire for the war produces not only several casualties on both sides but also more and more refugees and IDPs flows out along the Sino-Burma border.
Peace-loving people believe that both government and KIO should not be too inflexible if they really wanted to reconstruct a peaceful and prosperous country in the ASEAN Community. http://asiancorrespondent.com/63694/burma%E2%80%99s-war-in-kachin-state-continues-as-bilateral-talks-unproductive/
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Shocking jail term indicates ‘business as usual’ for Burmese political prisoners
Monday, 29 August 2011 12:54 Mizzima News

Just when people were lulled into thinking the new Burmese government was showing openness, a special court in the notorious Insein Prison sentenced a blood donation group volunteer—pushed into the court in a wheelchair—for breaking the Electronics Act.

Former Burmese army captain Nay Myo Zin sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing an e-mail critical of the military. Photo: Youth Network For People

In a closed hearing on August 26 that his family was barred from attending, Nay Myo Zin, a former army officer, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for possessing an e-mail critical of the military on his computer.

The verdict came just a day after UN envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana left Burma after a five-day visit in which he talked with the government about releasing political prisoners and was even allowed to visit Insein Prison, claiming conditions had improved. According to The New Light of Myanmar, the government indicated to Quintana a willingness to release some of the prisoners, though they were at pains to point out that Burma has “no political prisoners,” only prisoners who had committed crimes.

Quintana has long made a nuisance of himself with the Burmese authorities calling for the release of political prisoners. Right now there are said to be 1,995 people in prison in Burma whose only crime was to act out what the UN charter on human rights says should be universal––freedom of speech and conscience. But they were convicted by archaic laws that the authorities use to keep the people silent.

The case of Nay Myo Zin had been in process for four months and the judge was unlikely to be swayed by the recent real-politic of a government trying to show a clean face. Clearly, there is a disconnect between officials chasing down people who have broken Burma’s unjust laws and the leadership of President Thein Sein eager to burnish his country’s image on the world stage.

Superficially, change is in the air. The president recently met Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw and her recent meetings with government minister Aung Kyi held a glint of promise that the government was willing to turn over a new leaf and consider reconciliation. Suu Kyi claimed the discussions had been “constructive.” There has even been talk of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy being allowed to re-register as a political party after its dissolution by the authorities.

But is this all smoke and mirrors?

Quintana, in a statement as he exited Burma, said “the government has taken a number of steps that have the potential to bring about an improvement in the human rights situation” in Burma. Note that word “potential.” No action yet.

Nay Myo Zin’s case is a reminder that it is “business as usual” for Burma’s rulers. The blood donation volunteer is no big league activist. The story is that he fell over in prison and injured his back. But given the nasty tales of brutality in Insein Prison, the question is whether the fall was accidental. More to the point, there should be fears for his health, given he fractured his lower vertebrae, which could leave him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life if not handled properly.

Just what was Nay Myo Zin’s crime? Possessing an e-mail critical of the Tatmadaw, a criticism of his former military colleagues?

Burma’s newly-elected government is propped up by the 2008 Constitution—offering the army the right to step in when they wish—and by the generals living behind their high walls in Naypyitaw who have a manic fear of dissension in their ranks.

So Nay Myo Zin’s case may be used as an example of what happens to those who try to stir up dissent in the military.

All this gives pause to question whether the recent meetings and photo opportunities are all a game.

Just because the president deigns to meet with Suu Kyi does not mean there will be meaningful change in a system designed to keep the generals living in luxury.

Nay Myo Zin’s case is a chilling reminder to the people not to step out of line. http://www.mizzima.com/edop/editorial/5847-shocking-jail-term-indicates-business-as-usual-for-burmese-political-prisoners.html