News & Articles on Burma

Monday, 12 December 2011
Myanmar orders military to halt attacks against Kachin rebels

YANGON: Myanmar's president has ordered the country's powerful military to cease attacks against ethnic Kachin rebels in an effort to solve the damaging conflict politically, his office said on Monday.

President Thein Sein, a former junta general who has indicated a will to reform the long-isolated nation, told the army to stop fighting two days ago, officials said, after months of fierce clashes in the northern state of Kachin.

"The president instructed the military on Saturday not to start any fighting with the KIA (Kachin Independence Army) in Kachin State, except for self defence. All military commands were sent the president's instruction," the President office in Naypyidaw told AFP.

An official announcement is expected in the coming days.

The military-dominated nation's new nominally civilian government has recently inked a deal with one rebel group - the Shan State Army South - but has not formally agreed an end to fighting in the strategically important Kachin area, which borders China.

Doibu, of the Unity and Democracy Party in Myanmar's lower house, confirmed to AFP that the president's instructions to stop fighting had been sent.

"We do not know the situation clearly yet. I think small fighting for self defence has continued," the MP told AFP by telephone from the Kachin town of Myitkyina.

The KIA, one of the largest ethnic armed groups, has been locked in conflict with the Myanmar army since June in Kachin, where there has been resentment of Chinese backed hydropower projects.

In a rare response to public opposition, Myanmar's president in September suspended construction of a controversial mega-dam in the state.

But fighting continued and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), whose group attended the November peace meeting, last week accused Myanmar's military of deploying more troops and using chemical weapons - an allegation that could not be independently verified.

The battles have forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Peace talks between the KIA and Myanmar government are ongoing, said a Myanmar government official, who did not want to be named.

"The president really wants to achieve peace with the KIA. He also wants them to know that this is his wish. That's why he has been trying to solve this problem politically," he told AFP.

Myanmar has been wracked by civil conflict - and human rights abuses involving government troops - in ethnic areas since it became independent from British rule in 1948, including an uprising in Kachin, which gathered momentum from the early 1960s.

The predominantly Baptist and Catholic Kachin account for about seven percent of the country's population.

Efforts at peace "mark one of the most significant moments in the six decades of conflict," the think-tank International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a recent report, while adding that "lasting peace cannot be assured".

On her landmark visit to the country earlier this month, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed what she said were efforts by the regime to resolve ethnic conflicts, after talks with the country's rulers.

But throughout Clinton's visit - the first by such a high level US politician in 50 years - US officials said they expected the ethnic fighting to be one of the most difficult issues for Myanmar to resolve. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1170906/1/.html
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Burma repression continues despite signs of change
Updated December 12, 2011 15:02:29

Despite signs of change in Burma, humanitarian organisations say they're still battling government restrictions that prevent them from freely helping those who're most in need.

Years of repression and economic stagnation mean there are now few basic services available to the Burmese people who are, for the most part, desperately poor.

And while there's hope that change is coming so far there's been little real improvement in people's lives.

Presenter: Zoe Daniel, Southeast Asia correspondent
Speakers: Kyaw Thu, humanitarian worker; Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's opposition leader; Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State

DANIEL: It's perhaps the most basic symbol of human dignity, to be able to give and receive a proper send off from the world in the form of a funeral. But here in Burma, it's one of the many things that's been lost in repression and economic hardship - until now.

"We cremate 45 to 50 bodies every single day" says Kyaw Thu, who was once Burma's most famous movie star and director. He's won two local academy awards.

Now he's banned from acting by the government because of his humanitarian work. His group's delivered more than a million free funerals to the poor.

"Our group's not an opposition party or political group but set up to help people" he says.

"Even this kind of group like is not allowed, this is not democracy."

DANIEL: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says access to the most basic rights and services for the country's people is a key motivation for bringing democracy to Burma.

SUU KYI: To help our country to develop its educational and health facilities, which are the basic needs of all our peoples.

DANIEL: She discussed it with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who made an historic visit to the country earlier this month.

CLINTON: We want to see every child here given the chance for a good education, for the healthcare that he or she needs.

DANIEL: Already nongovernment organisations have stepped in. Kyaw Thu's funeral service has now expanded to include adult education and a library. A free clinic serves hundreds each day; they line up from dawn to access healthcare.

Yet in common with other NGOs here, the government still restricts the organisation's activities, refusing to grant official operating permits so staff risk arrest by defying the authorities.

"Under the new government, people think there are many developments and changes," Kyaw Thu tells me. "But for social workers like us, there is no change at all."

He says he won't act again, even if the ban is lifted. His role now is to give dignity to people - alive and dead. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201112/s3389200.htm
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India to boost democratic transition in Myanmar
IANS India Private Limited
By Indo Asian News Service | IANS

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) India will share with a visiting parliamentary delegation from Myanmar its decades-long democratic experience to help the Southeast Asian country evolve its own parliamentary procedures and norms.

The parliamentary delegation, led by Thura U. Shwe Mann, speaker of the lower house of the Myanmar parliament, began a week-long visit to India Sunday. The delegation has been invited by Vice President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Besides Ansari and Kumar, the delegation is expected to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.K. Bansal, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.

They are also expected to meet Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and observe the proceedings of both houses of parliament.

The state visit by Myanmar President U. Thein Sein in October signalled India's move to accelerate its economic and political engagement with Myanmar. The democratic reforms initiated by the new govenment has attracted positive global attention and have also been welcomed by the hitherto sceptical West. In fact, taking note of the changes, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the first top US diplomat to visit Myanmar in over five decades.

The idea of intensifying parliamentary exchanges emanated from the discussions during Thein Sein's visit to India.

During his talks with Myanmar leader, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had had offered 'all necessary assistance in further strengthening the democratic transition of Myanmar in an inclusive and broad based manner.' He has also expressed readiness to share India's own experiences in evolving parliamentary rules, procedures and practices.

India has welcomed the reforms process initiated by the Thein Shein government over the last few months and intensified its diplomatic and economic initiatives with the gas-rich Southeast Asian country. Marking a new high in its relations, India announced $500 million for a host of development projects in Myanmar.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/india-boost-democratic-transition-myanmar-090701461.html
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UN gains access to Kachin rebel territory
By FRANCIS WADE
Published: 12 December 2011

UN aid groups have been granted unprecedented access to territory controlled by the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA), where thousands of war refugees have been struggling to access food and medicine following a blockade on international aid groups leaving government-controlled areas in the northern state.

The decision by the Burmese government to allow the UN to visit the town of Laiza, where the KIA is headquartered, is a sign that negotiations over access to those displaced by fighting since had borne fruit, said Barbara Mansi, head of the Burma operation of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

A team is currently en route, and hopes to reach there by this evening, although the conditions of the roads in Burma's isolated border regions means they may not arrive until tomorrow. A source in Laiza told DVB this afternoon however that they had already arrived, and were staying at a hotel in the town. They are bringing relief supplies, particularly pillows, mats and blankets to support the refugees during the winter months.

Mansi said negotiations would continue to allow it access to all of the estimated 40,000 Kachin refugees. "This is hopefully going to be the first of many [more trips]," she told DVB.

The blockade on international aid groups entering Kachin territory has meant that for the past five months, local entities, such as Kachin churches and small advocacy groups, had been forced to take on the burden of supporting the refugees.

The government had allowed the UN to access only around 6,000 people in the government-controlled towns of Myitkyina, Waignmaw and Bhamo. Neither side has publicly stated the reason for the blockade, but it most likely stems from perceptions in Naypyidaw that supporting the thousands who fled to KIA territory would be tantamount to support for the rebel army itself.

Reports have also circulated that China has threatened to evict the Kachin who have fled across the border from the Kachin town of Maijayang, despite signs that areas close to Maijayang could soon erupt in violence as Burmese forces gain ground.

The war in Burma's northernmost most state, which began in June following the KIA's refusal to become a government-controlled Border Guard Force, has come at great human cost, with tens of thousand displaced and evidence of severe human rights abuses by Burmese troops.

The US-based Physicians for Human Rights said in a report last month that there was evidence of the use of civilians, including children, as human minesweepers, and the killing of "non-military targets" by firing "automatic weapons directly into a civilian village."

Despite several stabs at negotiations towards a ceasefire, fighting continues: a local Kachin relief worker told DVB over the weekend that intense clashes were ongoing close to Waingmaw, when around 200 Burmese troops launched an assault on Sadone and Kan Paik Ti villages.

The KIA's spokesperson, La Nan, said last week: "According to our statistics, there have been 67 clashes so far between 1 and 8 December, and those were intense clashes." Three Burmese columns had been deployed to take the KIA Bridge 3 base in Wuhtau Bum, while Brigade 4 was also defending against a volley of assaults.

La Nan added that around 600 additional Burmese troops were deployed to areas close to KIA territory in northern Shan state as the conflict shows signs of escalating further.

Additional reporting by Naw Noreen. http://www.dvb.no/news/un-to-access-kachin-rebel-territory/19147
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Indonesian minister notes Burma's 'sense of change'
Monday, 12 December 2011 17:31 Mizzima News

Bali, Indonesia (Mizzima) -- The Indonesian government has been engaging with Naypyitaw and feels positive about the changes taking place in Burma.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. Photo: Mizzima

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. Photo: Mizzima
This was the message from Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who told Mizzima at a recent democracy forum in Indonesia that his country was seeking to collaborate with Burma's new government.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 4th Bali Democracy Forum held on Dec. 8-9 in Nusa Dua, Bali, the minister said he supported the changes taking place.

Natalegawa said that what was important was what the people in Burma think about the recent changes.

"From the perspective of a person outside the country, I get a sense of change in Myanmar, and even very hopeful and positive signs of change," he told Mizzima.

"I am sure like Indonesia there will be ups and downs, it is a process, but we wish Myanmar well and reiterate this is a process we strongly support."

He stressed that "a strong, democratic Myanmar will contribute to the peace and stability of Southeast Asia."
Natalegawa said he would shortly return to Burma.

"To enhance bilateral relations between Myanmar and Indonesia, we have a meeting, and we will be identifying new areas of collaboration," he said. "It is a continuation of my most recent visit two or three weeks ago, and I will be especially looking for collaboration in the area of capacity building on promotion of democracy and human rights, as well as trade an investment. And I will also be hoping to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."

The forum drew participants from a number of countries who discussed the development of democracy. Established by Indonesia in 2008, The Bali Democracy Forum brings together heads of state and foreign ministers from countries across Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.

According to the forum, attendance this year increased from 62 to 82 countries with attendees including the president of Indonesia, the president of Sri Lanka, the Sultan of Brunei, and the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Timor Leste. http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/6269-indonesian-minister-notes-burmas-sense-of-change.html
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Cautious hope for Burma's 'second-class citizens'
By YESHUA MOSER PUANGSUWAN
Published: 12 December 2011

No one knows how many people have been affected by landmines in Burma, the only state to consistently lay mines since 1997. Some who step on mines die immediately, but most will survive to live with severely disabling injuries. For the latter there is little in the way of immediate or long-term medical assistance available from the country's impoverished medical system.

Hope is on the horizon, however. On Friday last week the UN announced the accession of Burma to the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRPD). This rights-based document could bring about a significant improvement in the quality of life for landmine victims and other people living with disabilities in the country. For that improvement to happen in the lifetime of current survivors, the convention needs to be implemented, meaning Burma must focus on generating necessary services in the areas where survivors live -- given that landmines are mostly laid in the country's remote border regions whose development has never taken place, this will be no easy feat.

As a rights-based convention, it is dependent on the implementation of laws to fulfil human rights. The CRPD actually contains no new rights, but ensures that existing rights are met comprehensively, and that their implementation is monitored. Of course this won't happen overnight.

Implementation will require, at a minimum, that a survey of disabled people in Burma be taken so that their needs can be clearly defined. Gaps in existing care structures must be identified so that action can be taken to meet the urgent and long term needs of the disabled, including adequate medical care, availability of prosthetics, and social and economic rehabilitation. As well as treatment of physical injuries, the convention also requires the government to implement psychological support and social reintegration for victims, such as community-based peer support groups, associations for disabled people, sporting and related activities, and professional counselling.

A preventative health approach would ask what is causing people to become disabled. In the case of those made disabled by landmines, the preventative approach would be to advocate vigorously for a landmine ban by all armed actors: the Burmese army, as well as the militias associated with Burma's many ethnic groups. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) calls on all these groups to halt new landmine use now. A halt of new mine use should be specified in all of the current ceasefire negotiations between the government and ethnic armies, and additional peace accords should include a comprehensive ban on the weapon and a pledge to mark mined areas and clear them.

The ICBL was earlier informed by Burmese foreign ministry representatives that a legal review of the convention had been completed. It appears now that it has been forwarded to parliament for approval.

The accession by Burma to the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People should be good news to the disabled in the country, where like most other societies in Asia, disabled people are treated like second-class citizens. It will take more than accession to the convention to change the habits of a nation; it will also take resources. If Burma genuinely wishes to implement this convention, it is going to need to seek assistance from the UN and some of the many specialised non-governmental organisations with expertise in this area. We encourage them to do so in the immediate future.

Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan is the focal point for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines on Myanmar/Burma. Further information can be found at burma.icbl.org [English] or myanmar.icbl.org [Burmese]. http://www.dvb.no/analysis/cautious-hope-for-burma%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98second-class-citizens%E2%80%99/19155
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The Telegraph: Monday 12 December 2011
Aung San Suu Kyi party unveils logo in Burma politics run

Aung San Suu Kyi's party has chosen the image of a fighting peacock gazing at a white star as its new voting emblem, as it prepares to re-enter Burma's political fray.

The image, which is similar to the party's flag and will be its official insignia at the ballot box, is a symbol of the country's struggle for change, said Win Htein, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

"In our new seal, the white star represents the revolution. It was used many years ago as revolutionary symbol," he told AFP.

The announcement was aired in state-run media in an unusual concession by Burma's army-dominated government, which has embarked on a series of reform measures in recent months, including holding talks with critics.

The NLD has accepted an invitation to rejoin the political mainstream and applied in November to re-register as a political party. Suu Kyi has said she will take part in forthcoming by-elections, although no date has been set.

Win Htein said the peacock was chosen in an homage to student protesters involved in the country's 1988 rallies against the military which were brutally crushed by the then ruling junta.

"Students demonstrated against the government under the fighting peacock symbol during the 1988 democracy uprising. So we used this image to acknowledge the struggle of students," he told AFP.

At least 3,000 people were killed in the crackdown, and many democracy activists including Suu Kyi were later locked up. Some student leaders remain in prison and their release is a key demand of the international community.

Emblems are used in Burma as a visual marker for voters unable to read.

The NLD's new symbol replaces its well-known bamboo hat trademark, which was used by a breakaway group that participated in the much-criticised November 2010 elections.

The hat symbol became a source of bitter contention during the run-up to the poll the first since an NLD victory in 1990 that was never recognised by the junta.

Suu Kyi's party refused to participate in the 2010 vote because of rules that appeared designed to exclude the Nobel laureate.

Its boycott led to a splinter group forming a new party, the National Democratic Force (NDF), which appropriated the hat sign.

The NDF now has a handful of seats in the new parliament and continues to use the symbol, despite complaints by Suu Kyi's party.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/8950472/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-party-unveils-logo-in-Burma-politics-run.html
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Suu Kyi's party unveils logo in Myanmar politics bid
Posted: 12 December 2011 1638 hrs

YANGON: Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's party said on Monday it has chosen the image of a fighting peacock gazing at a white star as its new voting emblem, as it prepares to re-enter the political fray.

The image, which is similar to the party's flag and will be its official insignia at the ballot box, is a symbol of the country's struggle for change, said Win Htein, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

"In our new seal, the white star represents the revolution. It was used many years ago as revolutionary symbol," he told AFP.

The announcement was aired in state-run media in an unusual concession by Myanmar's army-dominated government, which has embarked on a series of reform measures in recent months, including holding talks with critics.

The NLD has accepted an invitation to rejoin the political mainstream and applied in November to re-register as a political party. Suu Kyi has said she will take part in upcoming by-elections, although no date has been set.

Win Htein said the peacock was chosen in a homage to student protesters involved in the country's 1988 rallies against the military which were brutally crushed by the then ruling junta.

"Students demonstrated against the government under the fighting peacock symbol during the 1988 democracy uprising. So we used this image to acknowledge the struggle of students," he told AFP.

At least 3,000 people were killed in the crackdown, and many democracy activists including Suu Kyi were later locked up. Some student leaders remain in prison and their release is a key demand of the international community.

The NLD's new symbol replaces its well-known bamboo hat trademark, which was used by a breakaway group that participated in the much-criticised 2010 election.

"Because we do not want voters to be confused by the bamboo hat seal in the future, we hereby announce that it is totally not concerned with the National League for Democracy," the NLD's statement in the Myanmar Ahlin newspaper said.

Party emblems are used in Myanmar as a visual marker for voters unable to read and the hat image was particularly popular with rice farmers, who use similar head wear while tending their fields, in the NLD's 1990 election campaign.

Suu Kyi's party won that poll, but was never allowed to take power and its insignia became a source of bitter contention during the run-up to last year's vote.

The NLD refused to participate in the November election - the first in two decades - because of rules that appeared designed to exclude the Nobel laureate.

Its boycott led to a splinter group forming a new party, the National Democratic Force (NDF), which appropriated the hat sign.

The NDF now has a handful of seats in the new parliament and continues to use the symbol, despite complaints by Suu Kyi's party.

- AFP/de http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1170843/1/.html
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Burma's changes must go beyond the political
Ronan Lee
December 9, 2011
www.esuperfund.com.au

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Burmese government has loosened its strictures, but is still to outline real benefits for the impoverished people.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Burmese government has loosened its strictures, but is still to outline real benefits for the impoverished people. Photo: POOL, STF

Burma holds the record for the world's oldest military regime and governments don't break records for longevity without knowing a thing or two about effective ways to hold on to power. In this field the regime's skills are impressive. A wrecked economy, health-care funding at medieval levels, rampant corruption, an overwhelming opposition election victory and a popular uprising led by Burma's revered monks and still the military retain effective control. It's through this lens Australia should consider recent decisions by Burma's notionally civilian government and take this opportunity to encourage it towards domestic policy change going well beyond the release of political prisoners.

Let's consider some recent decisions by the new government that have so convinced many including governments such as Singapore's, organisations such as the International Crisis Group (ICG) and many commentators that Burma is on an un-turning road to positive change: recently scores of people who should never have been jailed in the first place were released from Burmese prisons; the Myitsone dam, regarded as a serious threat to the downstream health of the country's most important river and the livelihoods of millions of citizens, was canned; the government is engaging with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader whose party overwhelmingly won the country's last free election; and there is apparently less direct government censorship of the media.

Of course it is good news when unfairly jailed people are released from prison, but releasing 200 of Burma's around 2000 political prisoners cannot be considered a great leap forwards. This figure is especially galling considering the reasons for many of the jailings include "crimes" such as "speaking with the International Labour Organisation" or simply actively supporting democracy.
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Likewise, the decision to halt construction of the Myitsone dam is positive. But surely no national government expects international praise for stopping a project that would cause such catastrophic consequences for its own citizens downstream. The regime's positions on so many matters have been so bad for so long that any reasonable step is now seen as disproportionately positive and praiseworthy.

In any country aside from Burma these actions would be seen as well overdue, not worthy of praise let alone reward. But Burma has been rewarded with closer ties with western nations and a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While hardliners might find recent decisions somewhat distasteful there's really nothing happening to fundamentally undermine the military's pre-eminence. There's a wiliness too in the way the government drip-feeds announcements of each successive decision.

In practical terms the regime's desires are simple: they want the removal of sanctions for economic reasons and they want the chair of ASEAN in 2014 for prestige and political reasons in the short-term and economic reasons in the longer-term. So far, western governments such as the US and Australia sensibly haven't indicated an immediate desire to budge on sanctions, but there does seem to be an increasing likelihood Burma will assume the ASEAN chair and host the 2014 ASEAN summit.

All of this poses a significant dilemma for western nations who are reluctant to remove sanctions too soon but want positive changes, both small and big, to continue. Australia, like the US, believes the release of Burma's remaining political prisoners is a pre-condition for the removal of sanctions but a focus on political prisoners exclusively risks wasting an opportunity to achieve further important changes within Burma.

Australia should take the opportunity afforded by the Burmese government's new openness to put on the table a desire to see other practical changes within the country before sanctions are lifted. Obviously the prisoner release is a given but Australia should also include a desire to see a significant increase in government spending on health care for ordinary Burmese citizens.

Burma's health-care spending consistently ranks near the bottom of global statistical tables and, not surprisingly, health outcomes do too. According to the World Health Organisation, the life expectancy of Burmese citizens is well below the global average and poor when compared to other countries in the region. This has rightfully been a cause for significant criticism from NGOs but so far, improvements in health for Burma's citizens is not a pre-condition for western nations removing economic sanctions. This should change.

There is an opportunity for Australia to take the international lead and make the provision of better health care for Burma's citizens a key issue, alongside the release of political prisoners, that could lead to the removal of sanctions. This would provide genuine encouragement for Burma's new government to re-order budget priorities dedicating more funds to health while giving western nations an important domestic goal. It would also significantly improve the lot of ordinary Burmese citizens and be a further measure against which the country's progress can be judged.

Unlike political change within Burma, which experience shows, can be all too easily reversed at the whim of the country's leaders, spending on health care would be more difficult to quickly reverse and would deliver positive results for Burma's citizens in the meantime.

The Burmese government might be open to a better dialogue with western nations but the question now for Australia is whether we are open to a smarter engagement with Burma aimed squarely at delivering better results for ordinary Burmese whose welfare has for too long been invisible to the international community and, most tragically, also to their rulers.

Ronan Lee is a political consultant and former Greens MP and adviser. He has traveled extensively in Burma, observing the 2010 elections and meeting Aung San Suu Kyi in the days following her release from house arrest.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/burmas-changes-must-go-beyond-the-political-20111209-1on2p.html#ixzz1gGQjAQFx
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Jailed ex-army captain appeals verdict
By NAY THWIN
Published: 12 December 2011

A former captain in the Burmese army who was sentenced in August to 10 years in prison on charges of subversion has submitted an appeal at the Supreme Court in Naypyidaw.

Nay Myo Zin's lawyer, Hla Myo Myint, said that his client had one more chance if this appeal failed. The 36-year-old, who turned to charity work after he left the army, was jailed this year after police discovered documents on his laptop that allegedly defamed the Burmese military.

He carries the distinction of becoming the first political prisoner of the new government, which came to power in March this year and has pledged to break with the Machiavellian polices towards the political opposition of the former junta.

Despite some 1,700 people in jail because of their activisim, however, Burma's deputy foreign minister Maung Myint told Mizzima at the weekend that the government's position is that, "There are no political prisoners or prisoners of conscience in our country".

Hla Myo Myint said his client deserves to be released, and claims that his trial was heavily politicised and mired in misconduct by judges, whom legal groups say lack independence from the government.

Two months ago Nay Myo Zin suffered a fall in his cell in Rangoon's Insein prison and fractured his lumbar vertebrae. Despite being treated at the prison hospital, doctors there warned he may become paralysed in his lower body should he not receive proper medical attention at a hospital outside.

His mother, Khin Thi, who visited him a week ago, said: "He was carried into the [visitor room] by four people and left lying on two tables joined together." She added that treatment outside of the hospital had been denied, and he was only being given painkillers. He is also experiencing problems with his stomach, she said.

Doctors in Insein had said last month they would operate on him, but his family and lawyer, who have repeatedly lobbied the government to release him in order that he can receive medical care, say the facilities inside the prison are not fit for such an operation.

An official from the government's Prison Administration Department admitted last year that there were, in total, 109 medical staff assigned to all the prisons, equating to one for every 8000 inmates. Only 32 of these were fully trained.

Prisoners are often forced to bribe medical staff in order to receive treatment; the majority who cannot have to rely on medicine supplied by visiting family members. http://www.dvb.no/news/jailed-ex-army-captain-appeals-verdict/19138
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Myanmar eases media censorship
Monday, 12 December 2011 02:34

BANGKOK: Myanmar has loosened restrictions on dozens of business and crime publications, local media reported yesterday, but kept news titles in the grip of strict censorship rules.

A total of 54 journals, magazines and books will no longer have to submit their content to censors before publication, according to a report in the Myanmar Times, after changes introduced on December 9.

News media will continue to be subject to pre-publication censorship that is criticized by press freedom groups as among the most restrictive in the world, although officials told the newspaper that this would ease in time.

Myanmar's army-dominated government, which came to power after a controversial November 2010 election, has launched a series of reformist moves in an apparent move to end its international isolation, and welcomed a landmark visit from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this month.

Measures have included dialogue with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, whose picture is now permitted to be printed in the media.

Publishers were told in June that sports journals, entertainment magazines, fairytales and the winning lottery numbers would not need to have prior approval from the information ministry.

According to the Myanmar Times, Tint Swe of the country's Press Scrutiny and Registration Department said that news, education and religious titles would also shift to "self-censorship" before a new media law is enacted -- without giving a timeframe or details of the legislation.

An executive editor from 7-Day News told the Myanmar Times that he was disappointed that the changes had not gone further, but welcomed the relaxation on business publications.

"As our country is implementing economic reforms, it's crucial that we have the freedom to write and criticise freely," he said.

A report in the state-run New Light of Myanmar yesterday said that Minister for Information and Culture Kyaw Hsan had suggested film and video censorship would also be relaxed, without indicating when this would happen.

In September, Myanmar's Internet users were able to see banned media websites for the first time, including the BBC and exiled media organisations such as the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB).

But the move, which was not officially announced, came in the same week that a court added an extra decade to the sentence of a journalist jailed over his work for DVB. He now faces 18 years in prison.

AFP http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/s.-asia/philippines/175430-myanmar-eases-media-censorship-.html