BURMA RELATED NEWS - SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Myanmar sentences journalist to 10 more years
Myanmar court sentences independent journalist to 10 more years in jail
Todd Pitman, Associated Press, On Thursday September 15, 2011, 10:10 am EDT

BANGKOK (AP) -- International press watchdog Reporters Without Borders criticized authorities in Myanmar for sentencing an independent journalist to an additional 10-year prison term, saying the move showed the new government was not sincere about reform.

Sithu Zeya, who had worked for the Norway-based news broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma, had already been sentenced in 2010 to eight years in jail after he was caught photographing the aftermath of a grenade attack in the country's main city of Yangon.

On Wednesday, a Yangon court sentenced the 21-year-old to 10 more years behind bars on a new charge of circulating material online that could "damage tranquillity and unity in the government" under the country's Electronic Act, Reporters Without Borders said.

The new charge brings Sethu Zeya's total sentence to 18 years.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been ruled by the military since 1962. But in March the junta ceded power to a civilian government. The handover was the culmination of what the junta had called its "roadmap to democracy," but the change saw a clique of retired generals assume top civilian posts and critics say it is only a proxy for continued military rule.

International observers condemned last November's elections, which made the handover possible, as neither free nor fair. But they welcomed the release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi shortly afterward and several visiting diplomats have recently expressed hope the country could be on the verge of substantive change.

"How can the Burmese government claim to be on the road to democracy when its judicial system flouts fundamental human rights?" Reporters Without Borders said in a statement late Wednesday, criticizing the latest sentence against Sithu Zeya. "Recent events show that the conciliatory gestures so far taken by this government are just part of a PR strategy and are not indicative of a real intention to give Burmese citizens more media freedom."

The Democratic Voice of Burma says around 25 journalists are currently detained in Myanmar, 17 of them its own.

Rights groups says the government is also still holding more than 2,000 political prisoners.
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Myanmar lifts bans on foreign news websites
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON | Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:34am EDT

(Reuters) - Myanmar lifted bans on prominent news websites on Thursday, including some run by critics of the army-dominated government, and unblocked online video portal YouTube, the latest signs of possible reforms in one of Asia's most reclusive states.

Bans were lifted on websites for several news organizations including Reuters, along with The Bangkok Post, Singapore Straits Times and other regional newspapers, and the Burmese language services of the Voice of America, British Broadcasting Corp and the exiled-run Democratic Voice of Burma.

Reuters and several other news websites were blocked at the peak of an army crackdown on monk-led protests in 2007. Since then, those sites displayed a common message from state telecoms group Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT).

"This website is blocked by the MPT," it said.

That disappeared on Thursday, a day after a U.S. special envoy ended his first trip to the country. It also coincided with the United Nations' "International Day of Democracy," an event celebrated by Nobel laureate and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the commercial capital Yangon.

"Changes are on the horizon in Myanmar," she told supporters outside her party's headquarters.

However, television remains strictly controlled by the government and foreign journalists are still mostly barred from legally reporting in the country. Most expect Western sanctions to remain in place until an estimated 2,100 political prisoners are released.

Every song, book, cartoon and planned piece of art still requires approval by censors rooting out political messages and criticisms of Myanmar's authoritarian system.

One editor of a weekly newspaper described the reopening of the websites as "a big improvement in the media policy of the new government.

"We can have access to these websites, but the connection is still rather slow most of the time," he said, declining to be identified by name. "Let's wait to see how long it will last."

Rare overtures by Myanmar's rulers toward liberalization have stirred speculation of possible reforms in the resource-rich country, blighted by 49 years of military rule and starved of capital.

Myanmar last year held its first elections in two decades after which the military nominally handed power to civilians -- a process widely criticized as a sham by the West.

Other overtures include calls for peace with armed ethnic separatists, presidential meetings with foreign delegations, some tolerance of criticism and more communication with Suu Kyi, who was freed last year from 15 years of house arrest.

In one gesture, Myanmar's state-run newspapers last month dropped back-page banners attacking Western media.
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The Nation - US warns Thailand of influx of illicit drug from Burma
Published on September 15, 2011

United States Thursday warned Thailand of the increasing of production and export of illicit drug from neighboring Burma after the success of narcotic control and combating in Afghanistan.

"Burma is likely to be a greater producer and a greater exporter of illicit drug in years ahead because of the success of the international community in controlling and reducing the flow of illicit drug in Afghanistan," said William Brownfield US Assistant Secretary for Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Brownfield was in Thailand Thursday for a visit which brought him to meet with many narcotic concern officials including the foreign minister, police chief, supreme judges and attorney general to discuss cooperation on narcotic suppression.
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By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 9/15/2011
MSN Malaysia News - Myanmar on 'checklist' of drug traffickers: US

Myanmar is expected to grow as a global source of heroin and methamphetamines in the years ahead amid efforts to stem the flow of drugs from Afghanistan, a US narcotics official said Thursday.

Myanmar, already the world's second biggest opium producer, looks likely to become increasingly attractive to drugs smugglers, said William Brownfield, assistant secretary of the US Bureau of International Narcotics.

He said international efforts to stop drugs from Afghanistan, currently the biggest supplier of heroin and opium, will "eventually succeed".

"It is inevitable that the trafficking organisations will seek out other countries from which to produce and market their products. The most logical country that will be next on their checklist is... Myanmar," he added.

He said the army-dominated nation "is likely to be a greater producer and a greater exporter of the illicit drugs in the years ahead".

Brownfield was speaking in neighbouring Thailand about Bangkok's efforts to combat drug trafficking across its border with Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"It's therefore extremely likely that Thailand... will have to address the reality of increasing production and transit of heroin, opium and crystal methamphetamines and other artificial drugs in the years ahead," he said.

He said drug traffickers were "far more sophisticated" than in the past.

"They are often better equipped, better prepared, better armed than are the law enforcement organisations that take them on," he added.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has expressed strong concern about a drug surge in Myanmar, which has re-emerged as a major producer of heroin and amphetamine-style synthetic drugs.

In June it said a "blight" on opium crops in Afghanistan, which accounts for about two-thirds of the global area under poppy cultivation, meant that world production declined by 38 percent to an estimated 4,860 tons.

Cultivation in Myanmar rose by 20 percent in 2010 and with Afghanistan's decline, its share of global opium production has risen from five percent in 2007 to 12 percent last year, the UN agency said.

It added that Myanmar was a prime source of amphetamine pills seizures in Southeast Asia -- with the amount caught in raids rising by a third in 2009, to 15.8 tons.

Drug production is particularly prevalent in Myanmar's border areas, where conflict between armed ethnic groups and the military has intensified since the country's controversial elections in November 2010.

In June 2010, UNODC representative Gary Lewis said both poppy cultivation and the huge hauls of methamphetamine were concentrated in Myanmar's northeastern Shan State and represented "a nexus of money, weapons and drugs".
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Sep 16, 2011
Asia Times Online - Pro-reform president shakes up Myanmar
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK - With Myanmar's quasi-civilian government relaxing the iron grip on power maintained for half-a century by military juntas, the big question is: How real is the change?

Aung San Suu Kyi, the Southeast Asian nation's most prominent political dissident, appears convinced. "The past situation is the past. The current situation is the current one and there has been some progress," the 66-year-old told reporters on Monday.

Suu Kyi wants a line drawn in the sand between the nearly 50 years of military oppression and the current government of President Thein Sein, a former general and junta leader.

Following a meeting on Monday with Derek Mitchell, the US government's special envoy for Myanmar, the Nobel Peace laureate added: "Due to the situation, [the US delegation] is also interested and so we exchanged our perspectives."

Suu Kyi, who was only freed from over seven years under house arrest in November last year, had an equally significant meeting on Sunday with the family of Min Ko Naing, Myanmar's best-known political prisoner, in Yangon.

"It was a visit to offer moral courage to Min Ko Naing's family and for him also," Bo Kyi, joint secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma (AAPP), told Inter Press Service (IPS) in a telephone interview from the Thailand-Myanmar border.

The plight of 48-year-old Min Ko Naing, condemned to a 65-year jail term, has come to symbolize the country's political prisoners who have paid a heavy price for dissidence. Currently, there are 1,996 political prisoners in 44 prisons and labor camps, according to AAPP.

The few but noticeable political concessions, in a country frequently condemned for human-rights violations since a military coup in 1962, started in July when the Thein Sein administration permitted the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit three prisons.

The ICRC's visit, to improve water and sanitation conditions, came six years after being denied access to political prisoners.

In August, Suu Kyi figured in the thaw between the former generals who doffed their uniforms for civilian dress in March and the anti-military opposition rallying around the banned National League for Democracy (NLD), which she heads.

On August 19, she had her first face-to-face meeting with Thein Sein in Naypyidaw, the remote administrative capital in central Myanmar. The next day, she attended a meeting on alleviating poverty in the country.

"Suu Kyi was quite encouraged by the level of openness at the conference and she wants to support the poverty alleviation efforts," Zaw Oo, a Burmese economist who attended the meeting, told IPS. "It is one area where she and the government share a common interest without many ideological or political differences."

Thein Sein is also receiving credit for turning the spotlight on poverty, a scourge in a country rich in natural resources, including natural gas, which the earned the country US$8 billion from exports to Thailand from 2000 to 2008.

The former strongmen who reportedly profited from the windfall kept under wraps the fact of 19 million people - or 33% of the population - living below the poverty line. Myanmar is currently ranked 138 out of 182 nations in the human development index of the United Nations.

"Giving such a high priority to poverty alleviation and economic development was unprecedented," said Zaw Oo. "The government, recognizing the problem and the challenges it faces, also held discussions that were open, with even ministers being challenged by members of the audience."

The hint of reform in Myanmar under Thein Sein - who was chosen in late March by a national parliament elected in a controversial November poll, including blatant military interference - is winning international applause.

The European Union (EU) which has criticized the junta for years, and imposed sanctions on it, has responded positively. "I see an opportunity for more openness in Myanmar," said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for international cooperation and humanitarian aid.

"I was encouraged by the authorities' willingness to expand humanitarian access to more areas of Myanmar," she told journalists in Bangkok on Sunday following a two-day humanitarian mission. "The atmosphere in the country is different. We know there are agents for change."

The EU olive branch follows concessions announced after a pro-reform speech by Myanmar's president soon after he assumed office. European ministers are now allowed to visit Myanmar and visa restrictions on Myanmar officials, including the country's foreign minister, have been lifted.

But, that is small comfort for victims of military oppression like Bo Kyi, a political prisoner for over a decade. "The government has to release political prisoners and end human-rights abuse across the country," he says. "This change is only to ease international pressure and improve image."
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Burma Urged to Release Political Prisoners
By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff Created: Sep 14, 2011 Last Updated: Sep 14, 2011

Human Rights Watch is urging the Burmese government to release its political prisoners to show its commitment to making real reforms.

The rights group said that around 2,000 political prisoners are being held in Burma, which was renamed to Myanmar by the current ruling junta. The organization said detainees must be released in order for the government to be legitimate.

“The release of the nearly 2,000 political prisoners would be a telling indicator of the government’s sincerity” to reform, said Elaine Pearson, HRW’s deputy Asia director.

The United Nations and other governments for years have been calling on the Burmese government to release its political prisoners, but since 2005, the vast majority of long-term political detainees have remained jailed, HRW reported.

Even worse, the government is still mistreating and torturing political prisoners. U.N. Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana said in August that he received “testimonies of prolonged sleep and food deprivation during interrogation, beatings, and the burning of bodily parts.”

U.S. special envoy to Burma, Derek Mitchell, conducted his first visit to the country on Wednesday and called on it to take “concrete” steps toward reforms, according to The Irrawaddy news agency, an opposition newspaper based in Thailand.
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Scoop.co.nz - Press Conference in Rangoon, Burma
Thursday, 15 September 2011, 2:43 pm
Press Release: US State Department

Press Conference in Rangoon, Burma
Remarks
Derek Mitchell
Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma
Rangoon, Burma
September 14, 2011

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: Mingalaba. Good Morning. Let me read a brief prepared statement. I have just completed my first visit to Burma as U.S. Special Representative and Policy Coordinator. I have spent the past five days in intensive consultations with a full spectrum of interlocutors in Nay Pyi Taw and in Rangoon to discuss the situation here and ways in which the United States can support and promote democracy, human rights, development and national reconciliation in the country in our common interests.

I want to acknowledge first the government’s excellent hospitality, Chargé d’Affaires Michael Thurston and his outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy for a quick turnaround in organizing a visit, and all my interlocutors for their time and candor during our meetings over the past several days.

Being my initial visit, my primary goal was to introduce myself, listen to local perspectives, and establish relationships that I will build on as I proceed to fulfill my mandate and
responsibilities for managing U.S. Burma policy.

In Nay Pyi Taw, I met with Union Parliament Speaker Khin Aung Myint, People’s Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann, Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, Labor and Social Welfare Minister Aung Kyi, Border Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Thein Htay, Information Minister Kyaw Hsan, and USDP Secretary General Htay Oo. I also met with a cross section of opposition MPs, including representatives from ethnic minority regions.

I was encouraged by and pleased with the quality and openness of the exchanges, and the constructive and respectful tone of each interaction I had. During these meetings, my government interlocutors repeatedly stated that this country had opened a new chapter to a civilian-led democratic governing structure and expressed that they were sincerely committed to reform in the interest of human rights, democracy, development, and national reconciliation.

I responded that the United States recognized and welcomed recent gestures from Nay Pyi Taw, such as President Thein Sein’s meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
establishment of a National Human Rights Commission, public emphasis on dialogue with ethnic minority groups in the interest of national reconciliation, and moderate easing of media censorship. Among both the international community and the Burmese people, it is clear from my visit that there are heightened expectations and hopes that change, real change, may be on the horizon.

At the same time, I was frank about the many questions the United States – and others – continue to have about implementation and follow-through on these stated goals. I noted that many within the international community remain skeptical about the government’s commitment to genuine reform and reconciliation, and I urged authorities to prove the skeptics wrong.

To that end, I raised concerns regarding the detention of approximately 2,000 political prisoners, continued hostilities in ethnic minority areas accompanied by reports of serious human rights violations, including against women and children, and the lack of transparency in the government’s military relationship with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
I offered respectfully that the government should take concrete actions in a timely fashion to demonstrate its sincerity and genuine commitment to reform and national reconciliation, including by releasing all political prisoners unconditionally, engaging in meaningful outreach to the political opposition, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and engaging in dialogue rather than armed conflict with ethnic minority groups. I affirmed the importance of establishing a legitimate and credible mechanism for investigating reported abuses in ethnic areas as a first step toward building trust and promoting national reconciliation through accountability. I also urged the government to adhere to all of its obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions related to proliferation.

I want to emphasize that our dialogue on these topics was respectful and open, which I greatly appreciated. I noted that progress on these issues will be essential to progress in the bilateral relationship, and that if the government takes genuine and concrete action, the United States will respond in kind.

Here in Rangoon, I continued the conversation on current conditions and trends in the country with a broad cross section of civil society. I consulted with the business and diplomatic communities, and local and international NGOs, including citizens doing heroic and courageous work providing free funeral services for the poor and treating those with HIV/AIDS.

And of course I met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of the National League for Democracy to discuss their perspectives on recent developments in the country, the future of their party, and U.S. policy approaches. I was reminded consistently during my visit that Daw Suu remains deeply important to the citizens of this country, Burman and ethnic minority alike, and that any credible reform effort must include her participation. It was also clear that she remains fully committed to the cause of peaceful change through dialogue.

Unfortunately, I was only here for a few days and thus was unable to explore the full breadth and diversity of this beautiful country. However, the courage and commitment of those with whom I met give me great hope for the country’s future should genuine reform and reconciliation proceed. I will be following developments closely from afar, and look forward to many return visits here to continue the United State’s principled engagement policy.

Again, I would like to thank the government for hosting me so warmly for my inaugural visit in my new post, and to all my interlocutors for sharing their valuable insights. I consider this a highly productive visit. I will now take a few questions before I have to catch a plane.

QUESTION: Did you get any assurance of the release of political prisoners from the government?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: As I suggested, we had a very candid dialogue on this subject. There were no absolute commitments on anything. But we had a very productive exchange on the subject, so nothing further I can say on that.

QUESTION: And my second question is would it be possible for your government to lift the sanctions if the political prisoners were not released?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: The issue of sanctions, again, that was not a primary point of discussion. There are a lot of issues that we need to deal with in terms of the relationship, and sanctions are one component, as I said. Most of this is about our engagement, our principled engagement, with the regime. I know yesterday there was a report that came out unfortunately, sad to say, that I think mischaracterized my position on this, referring to a roadmap to lift sanctions. I think it took my words out of context. It mischaracterized what I said in response to a question. I never presented, nor have I developed such a roadmap. The conversation flow and tone were as I just described earlier about the full range of issues being addressed concerning exchange of views, concerning what we would need to see in order to truly develop a productive relationship and to change the parameters of the bilateral relationship.

QUESTION: What is the most important criterion for assessing the situation in this country?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: There's no particular single issue, obviously. I listed the things we needed to see that we thought were elements of demonstrating credible and genuine commitment to reform. So there's no single answer to that, but if we see some of the things that I outlined, I think it would demonstrate the kind of genuine commitment that people are looking for, not just probably -- obviously from the outside, but people within the country. And the issue of skepticism and uncertainty about how far this is going and where it's leading, I think the government recognizes that the skepticism is out there and we'll just see how this proceeds. And as I say, if we see actions that are credible, the United States will respond.

QUESTION: I would like to ask if you've seen any change of attitude from the current government during your visit?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: Well this is my first visit, so I can't compare it to any previous visit to say whether they've changed or not. I can answer that question during my second visit, which I hope will be soon. I have to say though, that I know there were concerns about my position, coming in. My position was, as many of you know, was mandated by Congress under the JADE Act. In the United States, the JADE Act is the sanctions act. So there were concerns that I was purely a function of sanctions, that I was simply here to talk sanctions, and not to talk more broadly about the relationship and to get a feel for the place and what's happening here. So my sense was, again, I was very pleased with the reception I got, very pleased with the nature of the conversations, very pleased with how welcoming they were. And I detected no nervousness about me or my position. And I look forward to continuing those relationships in a very frank and candid manor that befits a healthy relationship.

QUESTION: Yesterday the State Department released an annual religious freedom report, and Burma being designated as one of the eight nations, countries of most particular concern. Did you have a chance to meet the various religious organizations? If so, what is their concern? Do they still have these concerns? How likely is Burma to be out of this list soon?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: I did not meet with representatives of those organizations. So I can't speak for them in terms of how they view the situation in the country. There's a separate section of the State Department that looks at these things independently and I can't comment any further on the context or substance

QUESTION: I need a little clarification. Does it mean that the U.S. will continue to employ the two-track policy, retaining the sanctions and engaging with the government at the same time? So in view of the current developments that you just mentioned, are you going to, is the U.S. going to establish Ambassadorial-level engagement soon? And another one is, does the government give any indication that they're initiating any tri-partite dialogue that involves ethnic minorities?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: On the latter, we didn't discuss that, so I don't know what their intentions are, or the prospects of that. I know there's been discussion of that here. Before I came I read there was some kind of discussion of a potential peace commission through the legislature, but that's in process. But I heard nothing specifically on this during my visit, on a tri-partite process.

Yes, our policy has not changed. My trip is consistent with the policy. That sanctions remain in place is a component of our policy. But really this trip was about going beyond that to engage in a principled fashion, to discuss a broad range of issues, but particularly to talk about the relationship and what would be required to change the parameters of the relationship to date. And to get a feel for what's happening here on the ground. You can't learn about a country from afar. You have to come. You have to talk to people directly. You have to get a lot of different perspectives. You have to listen. My point in coming here was to listen as well as provide very candidly the U.S. perspective so that people here were not misunderstanding our policy. I'm sure there's not a clear understanding of what does principled engagement mean, what are your intentions, how far can this go, and the same here. So again, I didn't see enough of the country in some fashion. I didn't see everybody that maybe I could see while here. Believe me, I worked very hard. I was having meetings from the first thing in the morning until late at night, trying to meet as many people as I possibly could to get as broad a perspective on what's happening here. And as I said, my sense is people are hopeful about change. People do have high expectations and are hopeful that something real may happen. The question is how far that will go and what the concrete steps will be going forward. So it's a long answer to the question; our policy has not changed.

QUESTION: (Inaudible – repeat of question about reestablishing Ambassador-level engagement from Rangoon.)

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: Oh, well the issue is… that's a hypothetical. We've made no decisions on that. Again, no changes to the way we've done things to date along those lines.

QUESTION: (Interpreted from Burmese). Yesterday you met with the Human Rights Commission here. If the commission is formed by former government officials, so do you think they will genuinely investigate the abuses here? What is your comment?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: It was a very good meeting. They gave us an overview of their plans, their thinking. But they're at the very, very early stages of thinking about it themselves. I have some sympathy for them They're trying to get up and running quickly and think things through I have no preconceptions about what they will or will not be able to do. I certainly have an open mind about that and they're struggling themselves, I think, about it. They said they will have to work with Nay Pyi Taw and send things, report up to Nay Pyi Taw. So I'm hopeful. I think it is a positive gesture. It's one of those things that I said to counterparts and put in my statement that is certainly a positive move to establish a human rights commission. But like everything else, the proof of its legitimacy will be how they proceed to implement that mandate after establishment. So I was grateful for the opportunity to have the conversation. We'll obviously be watching them.

The other thing is we offered that given there is not a lot of expertise in this, and there is some skepticism about whether it will be a real commission looking at abuses, reported abuses, alleged abuses here that it might be useful to have some partnership with international organizations, individuals with experience. And I said that also to the folks in Nay Pyi Taw that we remain open to assisting with helping them do a job like investigating or doing accountability in ethnic minority areas in the interests of national reconciliation. So again our minds are open but are arms are outstretched too to assist as we can in making them a fully credible and productive institution in the interests of national reconciliation, human rights and democracy.

QUESTION: When you go back to the States you'll be reporting to the Congress, right? So if somebody from the Congress asks you what is the most significant outcome of your trip, what would you answer?

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: Significant outcome… I think it's the remarkable sense of hope that we see here among people. That they see something happening. There is, something is happening, something may be changing. It may be small gestures now. But again that sense of expectation is very, very important. And as I say, I really hope that I think everybody who follows this country knows that there have been stops and starts, that expectations have been dashed. That things only go so far, and then they stop or they reverse themselves. And I really urged the leadership to prove the skeptics wrong. But it was very encouraging to me that my reception was as warm and welcome as it was. And that the leadership in Nay Pyi Taw were open to having discussions, having exchanges. Again, no commitments made. No outcomes that are tangible. But we were open to have a dialogue with respect, and I was able to say that I and the international community need to see the concrete action and genuine action for us to feel that something is not only hope but real change here over time. So I'll have a very frank exchange with my friends in Congress and they I think, they're just like the rest. They want the best - everyone in America. I hope it's clear to folks that people in the United States wish this country no ill will at all. We want to do what's best to help this country develop itself. Those four goals that were outlined by the government – democracy, human rights, development, and national reconciliation – we share. If the government is serious and committed to those goals in a credible fashion they will have a partner in the United States and I think Congress and others will be watching very closely to see what this government decides to do in order to move credibly forward toward those goals.

One last question.

QUESTION: You said that this is your very first trip. So when will you be coming again? And also I would like to know your opinions on the rising China influence here.

AMBASSADOR MITCHELL: It was not a topic of conversation, really, with the leadership. I do get a sense, talking to some citizens and others here that there is a palpable sense of Chinese influence, Chinese presence. But we really didn't have much of a discussion of that topic. The leadership here and the citizens here will have to decide how they deal with their neighbor. Obviously whenever you have neighbors, there are challenges, there are opportunities. But there's really nothing more I would say about Chinese influence in that regard.

Thank you all very much. I do have to catch the plane. I appreciate this and I will see you next time I'm sure.
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Sin Chew Jit Poh - US to test 'winds of change' with Myanmar FM
Foreign 2011-09-15 10:05

SAN FRANCISCO, September 14, 2011 (AFP) - The United States will meet next week with Myanmar's foreign minister in the second such talks this month to explore "winds of change" it sees in the nation, a senior official said Wednesday.

Derek Mitchell, the newly appointed US coordinator on Myanmar, closed his first visit Wednesday to the country formerly known as Burma and urged "genuine and concrete" reforms by the military-backed regime.

A senior US official accompanying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a trip to San Francisco said the United States planned "intense deliberations" next week when Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

"There are clear winds of change blowing through Burma. We are trying to get a sense of how strong those winds are and whether it's possible to substantially improve our relationship," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official, however, reiterated that the United States still had "real concerns" in Myanmar, including the military's "horrible brutalities" against ethnic minority guerrillas and troops' treatment of women.

Myanmar last year held rare elections after which the military nominally handed power to civilians, although the opposition and the United States have criticized both steps as shams.

The new leadership has also opened talks with opposition icon and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed after spending most of the past two decades under house arrest.

Clinton was visiting San Francisco for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and annual talks between the US and Australian foreign affairs and defense chiefs.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited Myanmar in July and has since had "discreet conversations" with Clinton on how to move forward, the US official traveling with Clinton said.

Rudd, speaking to the United States about the situation in Myanmar, said it was "too soon to call it overly hopeful" but highlighted "most probably the most significant developments on the ground in decades," the US official said.

President Barack Obama's administration opened dialogue with Myanmar after taking office in 2009, concluding that the previous policy of trying to isolate the regime has failed.

Obama has maintained sanctions on Myanmar, including over its lucrative gem trade, but has said that it is willing to ease restrictions in return for progress on democratization.
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Sun Star - UN body to investigate Burma’s ruling junta proposed
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A LABOR group called on foreign affairs officials to support a global campaign for the creation of a United Nations body that can look into allegations that Burma’s ruling junta is involved in crimes against humanity.

Burma, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is ruled by a military junta since 1962. A constitutional reform initiated by the junta in 2008 led to the holding of elections in 2010.

After the November 2010 elections, the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won 80 percent of the votes.

But opposition groups led by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi disputed the results and have accused the military establishment of involvement in massive election fraud.

"Governments as well as democratic social movements have the duty to defend the human rights of people who are under systematic state repression, especially when they are your own neighbors," Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) secretary-general Judy Ann Miranda.

PM said the proposed Commission of Inquiry is expected to investigate international crimes in Burma which reportedly include sexual violence, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, forced labor, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, extrajudicial killings and disappearances.

Sun.Star tried to reach Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez for comment but he failed to respond.

Should the Philippine government throw its support on this issue, PM said it should make sure that it joins the campaign inside the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

The Philippine-based Free Burma Coalition (FBC), meanwhile, had also asked the Philippine government to use its influence inside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and apply more pressure to the Burmese junta for genuine democratic reforms.

These include the immediate cessation of hostilities and all forms of human rights abuses in the impoverished nation.

However, the 44-year-old Asean has since invoked its commitment to non-interference in member states' internal affairs, which explains why it chooses refuse to engage Burma.

In 2008, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked the military junta to free Suu Kyi but her appeal went unanswered.
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The Nation - EDITORIAL: Burma is not changing enough for recognition
Published on September 15, 2011

The country's foreign minister claimed in a speech to the UN that real progress is being made, but evidence of this is thin on the ground

The speech by Burmese Foreign Minister U Wunna Muang Lwin to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier this week was very impressive. He discussed at length the progress his country has been making since the new government under President Thein Sein was formed in March. He said Burma has made progress in many areas including the sensitive issues related to human rights. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been given access to prisoners like never before, he claimed. He also cited the outcome of the visit by the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, saying that the trip was productive and that the international community should encourage positive changes inside Burma. Yet somehow he did not mention the condition of over 2,300 political prisoners in Burma, for whom the international community has appealed repeatedly to the Naypyidaw authorities to release without delay.

Toward the end of his speech, the foreign minister was very sanguine in reiterating that Burma has entered a new era and that the country is changing in order to make real progress. Therefore, the international community must help Burma to fulfil its hopes and ambitions.

Of course, in an ideal world, Burma's request would be immediately fulfilled in no time. But the rest of the world knows well the cruelty of the Burmese junta leaders, who have ruled the country with an iron fist for decades since independence after the Second World War. Naypyidaw still has a long list of dirty laundry. It has to do much more work to gain any real respect in the international community. Indeed, political openness and related developments need to move forward, especially those issues related to national reconciliation and dialogue with the opposition and the minority ethnic groups.

It is obvious that Naypyidaw is racing against time to prove - or try to convince - that there has been substantive progress in all areas in order to warrant both Asean and international support. Burma hopes that at the upcoming Asean informal meeting in New York later this month, it will be awarded the chair of the regional grouping for 2014, as requested earlier this year. But Indonesia, the current chair, has not yet been scheduled to visit Burma to check whether the conditions are right to hand over this prestigious appointment to the recalcitrant state.

Furthermore, the foreign minister reiterated that the ongoing economic sanctions against Burma should be lifted because this would help the government there to assist the disadvantaged and end the international isolation imposed by the US and EU.

Of late there have been more and more positive noises from all parties concerned with Burma, especially from some of the EU members. But despite some progress in economic reforms, there is still a lack of guarantee that these positive developments will not be reversed. In the past, on many occasions, Burma has backtracked on its promises whenever there are negative affects for the junta's grip on powers. For instance, it is entirely feasible that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could be re-arrested again.

The world community knows that the positive developments so far come mainly from the powers that be, and that there is an urgent need to bring further changes that involve non-governmental players from the opposition and civil society. At the moment, these elements are still restricted and held firmly under the control of the authorities. Burma can only see genuine changes if people from all walks of life are involved in bringing them about. The generals need to be reminded that the country does not belong to them and a few of their "elected" cronies.
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09/15/2011 13:48
MYANMAR
AsiaNews.it - As Myanmar undergoes an economic revolution, the International Monetary Fund comes calling
by Yaung Ni Oo
Myanmar is going through many changes, including new visa rules, the first trade unions, an expanding mobile phone network and better infrastructures. But the main change is the strength of the local currency, the kyat, against the US dollar. Next month, IMF officials are coming to help stabilise the currency and prices.

Yangon (AsiaNews) – Myanmar is a nation “on the go”. In recent weeks, it has experienced many changes: new visa rules for foreigners, the birth of the first trade unions, higher costs for domestic flights, more and better infrastructures and mobile phones, but especially a stronger kyat against the US dollar with major consequences for the local economy and the cost of living. In fact, the local currency has gained 30 per cent against the greenback, which is now traded at 700 per dollar against a 1,000 a year ago. Such changes are the result of the end of the military regime, replaced by a “civilian” government appointed by a parliament, albeit one still controlled by the armed forces, and the influence of international financial circles.

The government’s decision this month to impose a 10 per cent tax on domestic flights has caused grumbling among tourist operators. Yet, a small sign of the country’s modernisation comes from the establishment of professional organisations and trade unions, which have already begun labour action to increase wages.

Visa rules have also changed, but foreigners still need one to enter the country. In fact, since the summer, they must now enter and exit from the same border post. Thus, anyone arriving at Yangon’s international airport from abroad must leave the same way and can no longer cross the border with Thailand.

The government has invested heavily in infrastructure, building important motorways that connected the capital Naypyidaw to the country’s other cities like Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. Once off-limits, the capital itself is now a tourist destination.

Visitors will be able to use local phone cards by paying a US$ 50 deposit, plus a US$ 2 daily fee. Foreign and international cards are not compatible with Myanmar rules.

The biggest change however is the rise of the Kyat. Over the past year, it has gained 30 per cent against the US dollar. That is more than 200 kyat in the last two months.

President Thein Sein warns that a strong currency could penalise exports and negatively affect the economy, but a crisis could force Myanmar’s rulers to introduce long awaited political, social and financial reforms.

The cost of services, including restaurants and transports, are rising as well. A hike in hotel prices is also possible.

The inflow of foreign capital and the growth of investments into a hitherto backward country sitting on the edge of Asia’s geopolitical fault lines is pushing up costs and revaluing the national currency.

Myanmar has great potential because of its energy resources (oil and gas) and mineral wealth (precious metals) as well as cheap labour, which is still primarily employed in agriculture.

At the same time, prices are rising in the real estate market as well, as local investors sell their dollars to buy kyats.

In October, for the first time, officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit the country to help local authorities stabilise the currency and prices.

This is a toll task for a government still tied to the old military regime, but one that is increasingly necessary if Myanmar is to face the challenges of a new and modern market economy. The country formerly known as Burma is indeed a nation “on the go”.
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9 state-owned factories privatized in Myanmar
Time: 2011-Sep-15 16:38

YANGON, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar government has handed over nine state-owned factories to private enterprises under long-term lease system, aiming to producing more marketable and profitable products in the country, a local weekly reported Wednesday.

The factories under the Ministries of Industry-1 and -2 include two soft-drink factories, two sugar mills, two garment factories, packing factory, paper factory and umbrella factory, said the Phi Myanmar.

According to official figures, there were 106 factories and 57 branch factories totaling 163 under the Ministry of Industry-1. Among them, 22 factories and 30 branch factories deal with foodstuff.

In a bid to turn the state-owned enterprises into more effective ones under its market-oriented economic policy, Myanmar introduced the privatization plan in 1995 which has been implemented through auctioning and leasing or establishing joint ventures with local and foreign investors.

The privatization plan covering those enterprises nationalized in the 1960s was introduced in a bid to systematically turn them into more effective enterprises, according to the government- formed Privatization Commission.

In June 2007, the government formed another committee for auctioning some state-owned buildings remained in the former capital of Yangon after the administration was moved to the new capital of Nay Phi Taw in 2005.
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Thursday, Sep 15, 2011, Posted at: 13:01(GMT+7)
SGGP- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam discuss ways to boost tourism

Tourism ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam held a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss ways to boost tourism in all the four countries, creating a four country tourist destination.

At the meeting on September 13, attended by over 200 delegates and investors, tourist experts said that the current trend in tourism showed that three out of each ten international visitor coming into Vietnam also wanted to visit Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Tourism ministers of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar agreed that Vietnam would play an important role in the future in connecting and transferring visitors to the other three countries.

Thong Khon, Tourism Minister of Cambodia said that cooperation with Vietnam has benefited his country. Besides the increased number of Vietnamese travelers into Cambodia each year, Vietnam is also a strategic location to transfer tourists from other countries to Cambodia.

The last three years has seen that Vietnamese took the lead in the highest number of foreign visitors to Cambodia. Last year a record 470,000 Vietnamese visited Cambodia out of a total 2.5 million foreign visitors, which number is expected to increase to 550,000 this year.

Many delegates at the meeting said the four countries should exempt the visa fee for foreign visitors who want to travel within these countries.

Hoang Tuan Anh, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have huge potential to develop inter-regional tourism.

However, they need to invest more in infrastructure and services, especially in Myanmar and Laos.

They should also develop a traffic network within regions, especially for airways and waterways. At present, road routes between Vietnam- Cambodia and Vietnam-Lao-northeast Thailand are operational. In future, road projects to connect China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and the Vietnam – Cambodia Railway will be built.
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Asahi Shimbun - Some signs of free debate emerging in Myanmar
BY DAISUKE FURUTA CORRESPONDENT
2011/09/15

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar -- Some degree of freedom has been seen in military-controlled Myanmar (Burma), as foreign media were allowed into the reclusive nation to cover a parliamentary session that was the first convened in 23 years.

A reporter for The Asahi Shimbun observed proceedings in the People's Parliament, the Lower House, on Sept. 8 and 9.

The parliament is located in Naypyidaw, which became the capital in 2006 after it was moved there from Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

While Naypyidaw was initially populated mainly by those in the military, the civilian population has also increased along with the development of the new capital.

The parliament is contained within an approximately 3.3-square-kilometer compound surrounded by a double layer of walls. While there are 31 government buildings, housing the two chambers of parliament, a state guesthouse and the offices of the nation's president and vice presidents, few people were seen in the streets.

The Lower House has 440 representatives. About three-fourths of the members wore the traditional attire of the ethnic group they belong to. The other members wearing khaki uniforms were those from the military, which was assured of holding a certain quota of seats.

One lawmaker asked, "Any expropriation of land should be kept to the minimum in order to limit the effects on the lives of the people."

A Cabinet minister responded, "The government will monitor the situation to determine if excessive expropriation is being conducted."

Applause greeted even comments that were critical of the government.

Sai Zom Pha, a 35-year-old director with the private Myanmar International Television, expressed surprise at the degree of free debate.

However, reporters were not allowed to directly contact lawmakers, and the only reporting allowed was from the press seats set aside in the parliament. Censorship of stories was also still in place.

Still, a man reading a weekly magazine in a local market said, "There has been an increase in articles about politics. That is a good change."

A police officer approached and asked, "What are you doing?"

After explaining that the reporter had received permission to cover the parliament, the police officer left.

Despite the new show of openness in Myanmar, monitoring by security officials continues.

On Aug. 25, Thein Nyunt, an independent lower house member, proposed that the president pardon about 2,000 people considered political prisoners. Such a remark under the rule of the military junta could have led to the individual's arrest.

Thura Shwe Mann, the speaker of the People's Parliament, asked if there were any supporters of the proposal and a number of lawmakers agreed, including two among those representing the military.

The speaker urged Ko Ko, the home affairs minister, to report on the proposal to President Thein Sein.

The events of that day were reported in local newspapers, television and weekly magazines.

Thein has already submitted 17 questions or proposals to the parliament, calling for legislation to allow freedom of the press as well as a revision of the state of emergency law that made it easier to arrest pro-democracy activists. Thein said while there is a need to report on the contents beforehand to the parliament secretariat, there were no limits on what could be submitted.

Thein was formerly a member of the opposition National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and detained for three years for criticizing the military rulers. He left the NLD after it decided to boycott the parliamentary elections held last year because it claimed the military rulers would not allow fair elections.

Thein ran in the election because of the conviction that parliamentary debate was the true course toward democracy.

However, in addition to one-quarter of lawmakers coming from the military, more than 70 percent of the remaining seats are held by members belonging to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which was established by the military.

Thein said, "The contents of the deliberations will remain in the minutes of the proceedings and some of it has been reported in the media. The government will not be able to ignore such developments."

The new government has taken a softer approach, calling on ethnic minorities to enter a ceasefire as well as indicating the possibility of pardons to political exiles who return home.
On Aug. 19, Thein Sein met with Suu Kyi, who said the president was seeking true and positive change.

After that meeting, posters of Suu Kyi began appearing in the streets of Myanmar. Local media also began publishing stories and photos about the Nobel laureate.

A local reporter said, "Until now, we had been regulating ourselves. However, the restrictions on us have loosened after debate in parliament greatly exceeded those limits."

Even media targeting exiled Myanmar citizens that have taken a clear stance against the military rulers have partially praised developments in the parliament.

The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) has had people in Myanmar who have cooperated with the organization arrested and sent to prison.

Toe Zaw Latt, the DVB's bureau chief in Thailand, said, "The national budget that had only been a mystery until now has been released in the parliament. That is one good point.

However, an overwhelming majority of members belong to USDP. In the end, the parliament is under the thumb of the government."

Kyaw Hsan, the information minister, said in an interview, "The new government will cooperate with the media and will stress transparency and fulfilling its responsibility to explain decisions."

At the same time, he added, "Reporting can occasionally lead to social instability. The media has to understand the responsibility it has."

Although private-sector media organizations have been allowed to report, no live coverage of parliamentary proceedings has been allowed. TV news reports consisted of a summary of parliamentary debate as well as on what has been decided. There were no reports critical of the government.

Ordinary citizens also appeared hesitant to talk to reporters, likely due to fears about possible arrest.

A man in his 30s in Yangon whispered, "We have suffered so much hardship. It is no longer possible to believe any government that now says to trust it."

Aung Thein Lin, who heads the USDP chapter in Yangon, said, "We will seek a Myanmar-style of 'disciplined democracy.' "

That is the slogan used by the State Peace and Development Council, which was the highest organ of authority under military rule.

Regarding Than Shwe, who served as head of the council, Thein Lin said, "He has completely retired. However, we studied under him for more than 10 years. We still abide by his ideas."
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The Irrawaddy - 'An Opportunity for Change': Suu Kyi
Thursday, September 15, 2011

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked the International Day of Democracy with a rousing speech at the National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters in Rangoon on Thursday morning.

“I believe we have reached a point where there is an opportunity for change,” she told the assembled crowd of around 200, which included representatives from various political parties, members of the 88 Generation Students group and national media.

Thursday's gathering marked the first time that an event has been permitted in Burma to mark the International Day of Democracy, which was first promoted by the United Nations in
2008 as an occasion to celebrate the values embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

According to Win Htein, a spokesman for the NLD, Suu Kyi's message included: “Governments always have to change. It is not a democracy where the same people are always in power. But change must be gentle, peaceful and dignified, and it must not violate civilians or the former government. The new government should not seek unnecessary advantages.

Everyone must start on a level playing field.

“I believe we should not celebrate this kind of day only once a year. We should think of every single day as a day of democracy and hard work,” said Suu Kyi.

When Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in November, she met twice with government minister Aung Kyi when she announced that she was prepared to cooperate with the new government in the interests of the people of Burma.

More recently, the pro-democracy leader went to Naypyidaw to meet President Thein Sein and other government ministers.
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The Irrawaddy - Burmese Farmers Take to Streets to Protest Land Confiscation
Thursday, September 15, 2011

More than a hundred farmers in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta region took to the streets on Thursday, demanding that the authorities return plots of lands which they said were forcibly confiscated from them by a construction company and the Burmese military.

The rice farmers, from five village tracts in Pathein Township, Irrawaddy Division, said that since 2000, they have been pressured to sell their lands at far below their market value to the Yuzana Company, owned by Htay Myint, a Burmese tycoon on a US sanctions blacklist for his close ties to the country's top military leadership.

The company is now using the land to breed fish and prawns, the farmers said, adding that in 2006, more of their land was taken from them without compensation by units of the Burmese air force.

The farmers marched in a procession to the head office of local government authorities, where they submitted a letter stating that the unjust confiscation of their lands had robbed them of their livelihoods and left them jobless. The letter also demanded that the authorities help to resolve their current predicament.

Such protests are rare in Burma and often face violent crackdowns by the government. In this case, however, the local authorities told the farmers that their complaints would be examined and the issue would be resolved through proper negotiations within three days.

“We have to decide whether we should go back to our village or not after we know if we'll get our lands back or receive proper compensation,” said one of the farmers who joined the march.

The protest came at a time when the nominally civilian administration that took office in March is claiming that one of its top priorities is fighting abject poverty in the country and reforming the country's dismal economy.

The delta region was devastated by the powerful Cyclone Nargis in 2008, killing around 140,000 people and leaving millions homeless. (According to information recently leaked by
WikiLeaks, the government estimated the disaster left at least 300,000 dead.)

Among the worst hit by the cyclone were farmers, many of whom were driven into great debt, said development experts.

A local rights group helping the farmers in the region said cases of forced land confiscation by companies close to the government officials have become frequent in the past 10 years.

“The farmers are now in straitened conditions because of these injustices. Once they were landowners, but now they work for daily wages on those lands,” said Myit Naing, an activist from the rights group.
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The Irrawaddy - Shan Fighter Turned Journalist Dies at 59
By BA KAUNG Thursday, September 15, 2011

Saengjuen Sarawin, a former Shan revolutionary fighter who later became a journalist with the Thailand-based Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN), has died of liver cancer in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai at the age of 59.

Better known as Saeng Juen, or Sein Kyi to members of the Burmese exiled media community, Saengjuen was SHAN's deputy director and Burmese- and Shan-language editor. As a former member of the Shan State Army (SSA), he was also in charge of publications by Shan militia groups until late 2010.

With his first-hand experience of the conflicts in eastern Burma and his continued affiliation with ethnic armed groups in the region, he was an invaluable source of information for Burmese exiled media organizations, including The Irrawaddy, seeking to track developments in these often inaccessible areas.

Saengjuen also wrote extensively on human rights issues in Shan and Wa ethnic areas along the Sino-Burmese border. Among Shan people, he was also a well-known musician who, in the opinion of many of his colleagues, could have become one of the best singers in Burma if he hadn't joined the revolutionary movement in his younger days.

Regrettably, the flames of wars that he witnessed in Burma's eastern Shan State continue to rage on. His untimely death has deprived people living in these areas of a voice dedicated to documenting the human rights violations they continue to suffer.

Harn Lay, an award-winning editorial cartoonist for The Irrawaddy and other exiled publications, attributed his artistic success to the influence of former SSA comrade Saengjuen.

“In 2003, he asked me to come out of Burma and work for SHAN as a cartoonist, saying we must continue the revolution in a way we can. So I did,” said Harn Lay. “He was like a brother I could always count on.”

Sein Kyi is survived by his wife and three children. His remains will be cremated at Wat Pa Pao, a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, this week.
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Government to bring back stranded Burmese fishermen
Thursday, 15 September 2011 22:09 Te Te

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Myanmar Fisheries Federation says the Burmese government has negotiated with the Indian government to bring back 135 Burmese fishermen who were adrift at sea and have been stranded in Port Blair in Andaman Island.

“Originally, the authorities planned to send them back to Burma via an Indian coast guard ship. But the plan was delayed, so Burmese authorities are negotiating to bring them back to Burma via airplane,” said Win Kyaing, the general-secretary of the fisheries federation.

He said that the exact date had not been set.

About five months after the Indian government informed Burmese authorities that the marine workers had been rescued by its navy following a storm, officials began plans to bring them back. Most of the fishermen are from Pyapon township.

Most of the workers were adrift on their tiger-shaped rafts after a sudden storm in the Gulf of Martaban in March 2011. A few others were stranded earlier in the year. The fisheries federation said that more than 480 fishermen are still missing.

“We have had no clues for a long time, so I think they will be placed on the list of the deceased,” a fisheries official said.

Because of the March storm, 3,600 rafts from Twante, Kawhmu and Kungyangon townships in Rangoon Region and Labutta, Pyapon, Dedaye and Bogalay townships in Irrawaddy Region were damaged. An estimated 16,268 fishermen were adrift at sea, according to the federation.

“The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries gave the lists of the names of the fishermen [who are missing] to the relevant ministries of the countries located along the coast of the Indian Ocean,” said Win Kyaing.

Meanwhile, he said that three Burmese fishermen who were stranded in India for 10 years after a storm have arrived back in Burma. Similarly, the Burmese embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has sent back 14 Burmese fishermen stranded in Sri Lanka to Burma, he said.

Meanwhile, Myanmar Insurance has announced that it will soon offer an insurance plan for marine workers who die or are injured while working on the sea.
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WikiLeaks: Than Shwe complained Suu Kyi stuck to ‘old ideas’
Thursday, 15 September 2011 11:40 Ko Wild

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – In a meeting with former Singaporean Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, former Burmese junta leader Than Shwe complained that Aung San Suu Kyi stuck to her “old ideas.” He said he would meet with her only if she urged foreign countries to lift sanctions against Burma and ended her obstructive actions, according to a US diplomatic cable released by the website WikiLeaks.

The cable, sent from the U.S. embassy in Rangoon to the State Department in Washington, was released on August 30.

Than Shwe, now retired, said that he was forced to make a choice between national stability and accommodating Suu Kyi’s demands.

During the one-hour meeting, Than Shwe told his “old friend” Goh Chok Tong that the general elections in Burma in 2010 would be free and fair.

The Singaporean ambassador to Burma briefed the diplomatic corps on Goh Chok Tong’s meetings with Than Shwe and then-General Thein Sein, who was the prime minister and is now president, according to the cable.

At the time, Suu Kyi was facing a trial in Insein Prison because she had received a U.S. citizen, John Yettaw, who swam across a lake to her compound without invitation and allegedly violated the rules of her house arrest.

According to the cable, Ambassador Robert Chua said that Goh Chok Tong told Than Shwe that Suu Kyi’s arrest and trial would complicate the policy reviewing process to make constructive engagements with Burma, but Than Shwe “did not respond substantively.” Goh Chok Tong also warned that although Suu Kyi’s trial was an internal affair, the international community was watching it closely.

After Goh Chok Tong left Burma, on August 11, the special Court in Insein Prison sentenced Suu Kyi to three years in prison under the State Protection Act. Than Shwe commuted the sentence to 18 months under house arrest.

Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November 13, 2010, three days after the general elections. Her National League for Democracy party did not contest in the elections.

A few days after the verdict, U.S. Senator Jim Webb met with Than Shwe in Naypyitaw, and Yettaw, who was sentenced to seven years in prison, was released and returned to the U.S. with Webb.

Despite Webb’s demand for the release of Suu Kyi, Than Shwe did not comply, according to the US diplomatic cable dated August 17, 2009.

US diplomatic cables also said that Burmese tycoons such as Zaw Zaw, the owner of the Max Myanmar Group of Companies and Tay Za's Htoo Trading Company Limited, who are on the list of the US sanctions, used banks in Singapore to transfer money to companies in foreign countries and to do business. Later, Singapore banks used by Burmese cronies restricted some of those activities, according to a leaked diplomatic cable.

On Wednesday, Suu Kyi was a guest of Zaw Zaw, who is also chairman of the Myanmar Football Federation, and they watched a football match together at Thuwunna Stadium in Rangoon.
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Fourteen Burmese MPs to attend Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
Thursday, 15 September 2011 11:49 Te Te

New Delhi (Mizzima) – MPs from the Upper House and Lower House of the Burmese Parliament will attend the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It will be the first time Burmese MPs have attended the assembly.

Seven MPs of the Union Solidarity and Development Party including Union Assembly Speaker Khin Aung Myint will attend, along with one MP from each of six political parties: National Unity Party, Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), Chin Progressive Party, Pa-O National Organization, Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party and New National Democracy Party; and one independent MP.

This is the first opportunity for Burmese to attend an AIPA meeting. The MPs will submit papers on politics, economics, social affairs, forming institutions and women’s affairs during the seven-day conference, scheduled to begin September 18.

“The representatives were chosen on a party basis. They are chosen on a racial basis. MPs who are Chin, Rakhine, Shan and other ethnic groups who represent their regions,” Lower House MP Dr. Aye Maung of the RNDP told Mizzima.

Chin Progressive Party (CPP) chairman Noe Thang Kup said, “I think that the Union Assembly reviewed the educational backgrounds [of the MPs].” Lower House MP Khun Lane of the CPP will attend.

Three women MPs from the USDP representing Karenni and Mon states and Magway Region will speak on women’s affairs.

Fourteen businessmen from the tourism and fishery sectors will accompany the MPs to promote tourism and trade with Asean-member countries.

The AIPA conference is expected to grant a permanent membership to Burma, currently a special observer in AIPA. Among 10 Asean countries, Burma is the only one that is not a permanent member of AIPA. Since Burma became a member of Asean in 1997, it has been a special observer in AIPA. Other special observers are Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, European Parliament and Papua New Guinea.

Asean countries formed AIPA in 1977 to promote solidarity and cooperation among parliaments of member countries. The venue is rotated among the member parliaments in alphabetical order unless otherwise decided by the general assembly and the host country chairs the assembly, according to the AIPA website.
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DVBNews - Burma FM to meet US officials in New York
By AFP
Published: 15 September 2011

The United States will meet next week with Burma’s foreign minister in the second such talks this month to explore “winds of change” it sees in the nation, a senior official said Wednesday.

Derek Mitchell, the newly appointed US coordinator on Burma, closed his first visit Wednesday to the country and urged “genuine and concrete” reforms by the military-backed regime.

A senior US official accompanying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a trip to San Francisco said the United States planned “intense deliberations” next week when Burma’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

“There are clear winds of change blowing through Burma. We are trying to get a sense of how strong those winds are and whether it’s possible to substantially improve our relationship,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official, however, reiterated that the United States still had “real concerns” in Burma, including the military’s “horrible brutalities” against ethnic minority guerrillas and troops’ treatment of women.

Burma last year held rare elections after which the military nominally handed power to civilians, although the opposition and the United States have criticized both steps as shams.

The new leadership has also opened talks with opposition icon and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed after spending most of the past two decades under house arrest.

Clinton was visiting San Francisco for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and annual talks between the US and Australian foreign affairs and defense chiefs.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited Burma in July and has since had “discreet conversations” with Clinton on how to move forward, the US official traveling with Clinton said.

Rudd, speaking to the United States about the situation in Burma, said it was “too soon to call it overly hopeful” but highlighted “most probably the most significant developments on the ground in decades,” the US official said.

President Barack Obama’s administration opened dialogue with Burma after taking office in 2009, concluding that the previous policy of trying to isolate the regime has failed.

Obama has maintained sanctions on Burma, including over its lucrative gem trade, but has said that it is willing to ease restrictions in return for progress on democratization.
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DVB News - Anger over minister’s Myitsone comments
By NAY THWIN
Published: 15 September 2011

Burmese magazine editors and advocates of the ‘Save the Irrawaddy’ campaign have expressed anger over comments made by Electric Power-1 Minister Zaw Min. The minister accused the movement of mass “hysteria” and said those taking part in it were conspiring against a “national interest” in a meeting with journalists on 11 September.

Maung Sein Ni, editor of Padauk Pwint Thit monthly magazine said he was disappointed to hear such ‘ungentlemanly’ comments from the minister.

“We don’t want to pay attention and respond to such ungentlemanly comments. We were only looking do what is needed to be done for the future and expected a civilised response from him but it turns out he only came up with really vulgar comments. He should have to pay a price for what he said,” said Maung Sein Ni.

Padauk Pwint Thit dedicated its whole issue in June to the Irrawaddy River. Maung Sein Ni said it was necessary to do so as there are signs that the river is about to disappear.
Dewi Thant Zin, editor of Aung Pinlae magazine said there the general public were disappointed over the minister’s remarks.

“As far as I know, no one was happy about his comments that the project won’t be backed down. I think he should have a respect for the people’s voice and will at a time like this, when looking to the development of the country under a new government,” she said.

Influential, veteran journalist Ludu Sein Win has also warned that it would be the responsibility of those who decided to continue with the project if people take to the streets when civilised efforts had failed.

The Myitsone dam is a major Chinese hydro power project at a confluence of the Irrawaddy river in Kachin state. The vast majority of the electricity will go to China. A vocal chorus against the project has emerged, including democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who recently voiced concerns over the project.
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DVB News - Family pleads for release of ailing prisoner
By NAW NOREEN
Published: 15 September 2011

The family of a political prisoner suffering from the later stages of cancer, with apparently only six months left to live, have sent a letter to Burma’s President, Thein Sein to consider an amnesty for him.

Zaw Lin Htun’s is serving 20-years imprisonment in Insein jail, his family say he was diagnosed with stomach and liver cancers and according to doctors; he has about six months left to live.

On 9 September the family sent the letter to President Thein Sein calling for an amnesty for their ailing relative. They are also preparing to send the letter bearing his mother’s signature to the government’s Prison Administration Department.

Zaw Linn Htun was imprisoned for 20-years in 2003 under the Unlawful Association Act, the Emergency Provisions Act and the Immigration Act after taking part in an effort to re-establish the All-Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU).

On 18 August this year, he was submitted to Insein Prison’s hospital due to severe illness and later transferred to Insein Hospital where his condition continued to deteriorate. He was diagnosed with liver cancer and then transferred to a hospital in Thingangyun township, where he was diagnosed to be additionally suffering from stomach cancer, according to close-associate U Htay.

“He can still talk and not exactly bed-ridden yet. He found out he has liver cancer but he didn’t know about the stomach cancer yet. We are not telling him that. He’s a spiritually strong man. We sent a letter to the President for an amnesty for him hoping he would still have some life left to get a treatment outside and to be with his family. We’re just hoping that he would get his freedom before he dies,” U Htay told DVB.

“Although he won’t see democracy in Burma before he dies, we would want him to be outside of the prison in the last days of his life. We want him to taste freedom before he dies.”

He said Zaw Linn Htun’s mother, who is 80 years old and suffers a heart condition, still has not found out about her son’s condition.

Min Naing, spokesperson of the ABFSU said the government should release him.

“We call for his immediate release and also the government to take responsibility for his condition as he fell ill while serving his prison term. Also, we would like to urge the government to release all political prisoners,” said Min Naing.
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