BurmaNet News, July 7, 2005

[Editor]

July 7, 2005 Issue # 2755


INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar's former PM charged, to stand trial next week
AFP: Myanmar says 400 prisoners freed, refuses to identify them
Mizzima: Burmese junta tricks detained journalist Win Tin

BUSINESS / FINANCE
AFP: Bangladesh wants more talks on tri-nation gas pipeline

ASEAN
AFP: ASEAN lawmakers hail release of prisoners in Myanmar, call for more

REGIONAL
Mizzima: Another 7th July and the struggle continues

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: Rice to skip key ASEAN talks, may be viewed as snub by region
AFP: Amnesty hails release of 200 political prisoners in Myanmar
UN News Centre: Praising prisoners' release, Annan calls for lifting of
other restraints in Myanmar

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: Prisoners of conscience are not political tools
Irrawaddy: Two months of silence


____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

July 7, Agence France Presse
Myanmar's former PM charged, to stand trial next week

Myanmar's detained former premier and military intelligence boss Khin
Nyunt has been charged with bribery and corruption and his secret trial
will begin next week, a legal source said Thursday.

Khin Nyunt was sacked in October, accused of corruption and placed under
house arrest. He was taken to the notorious Insein prison in Yangon
Tuesday ahead of the trial, the source said.

"On July 12, three judges will hear the case... including Yangon division
Judge U Aung Ngwe," the legal source, who has closely followed the case,
told AFP.

"Altogether he faces eight charges, including bribery and corruption," the
source said, adding that Khin Nyunt's wife was also charged in the case.

A source close to the premier's family confirmed that Khin Nyunt had been
transferred to Insein and that his wife would also stand trial.

"He was taken July 5, together with his wife," the family source said.

Legal sources said Myanmar's Supreme Court last month began preliminary
hearings in the junta's case against the former premier.

Khin Nyunt, who announced military-ruled Myanmar's "road map to democracy"
in 2003, was seen as favoring limited dialogue with detained opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He was replaced by junta hardliner General Soe
Win.

Some 300 people linked to the former premier, including two of his sons,
have been standing trial at secret tribunals set up inside Insein prison.

About 40 of them have already been tried and convicted, mainly for
economic crimes.

The trials of Khin Nyunt's two sons began in mid-May. Their sentencing has
been delayed without explanation, a lawyer close to their trials said.

The junta arrested hundreds of people during the October purge described
as a crackdown on corruption that toppled Khin Nyunt and resulted in the
dismantling of the National Intelligence Bureau, the body that gave
widespread powers to military intelligence officers.

The intelligence wing was believed to control much of the black market and
drug money in Myanmar -- the world's second largest opium producer -- and
was a bitter rival of hardline army factions loyal to the junta
leadership.

The military has ruled the country since 1962.

____________________________________

July 7, Agence France Presse
Myanmar says 400 prisoners freed, refuses to identify them

Myanmar's military government said Thursday it had released about 400
prisoners across the country but would not identify the freed inmates,
many of whom were believed to be political detainees.

"About 400 prisoners were released yesterday," a director from the home
affairs ministry told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He could not confirm who the inmates were or whether prominent political
prisoners were among them.

Early Thursday some of the freed prisoners visited the Yangon headquarters
of the NLD, the opposition party headed by detained Nobel laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi, which welcomed the releases.

"The National League for Democracy especially welcomed the release of 334
prisoners, including political prisoners, from all prisons on July 6," the
party said in a statement.

It expressed disappointment, however, that one of its top officials,
75-year-old prize-winning writer Win Tin, was not freed despite calls by
human rights groups and the United Nations for his release.

"We are sorry for U Win Tin, who has not been released."

Rights watchdog Amnesty International said more than 200 political
prisoners had been freed but called for the release of the estimated 1,100
others, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We are happy to hear of the release of prisoners of conscience, many of
whom have been imprisoned for more than a decade," said Catherine Baber,
deputy director of Amnesty's Asia program.

"We urge the authorities to use the momentum of this decision and release
unconditionally -- regardless of their political or religious allegiance
-- all prisoners of conscience, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," Baber
said in a statement.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last 15 years under some form
of detention, is under house arrest in Yangon.

Myanmar's military rulers freed 19,906 prisoners between November 18 and
January 3, but most of them were petty criminals.

One of those released Wednesday was Sein Hla Oo, a former journalist who
became a member of the NLD's central executive committee, said party
spokesman Myint Thein.

Sein Hla Oo won a seat in parliament in 1990 elections, when the NLD
scored a landslide victory that was never recognized by the military.

Khin Zaw Win, a dentist and overseas student with NLD ties, and Kyaw Min
Yu, a student arrested for his political activities in 1989, were also
among the freed prisoners, Amnesty said.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan welcomed the releases but renewed his call
for "the lifting of remaining constraints on all political leaders and the
reopening of NLD offices," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a
statement.

ASEAN parliamentarians also welcomed the junta's action but called for the
release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

"We welcome the release of the political prisoners. But they need to do
more," said Zaid Ibrahim, chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Pro-Democracy Myanmar Caucus group of lawmakers from five
of ASEAN's 10 countries.

ASEAN will meet later this month in Laos to consider among other issues
whether Myanmar should be allowed to take the rotating chairmanship of the
bloc.

That prospect has sparked discontent among some ASEAN members and strained
ties with the United States and Europe.

Officials in Washington said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would
not attend the meeting, citing a scheduling conflict. It will be the first
time in about two decades that a US secretary of state will not take part
in the annual ASEAN talks.

Some officials have linked her absence to concerns in Washington that the
region was not pushing hard enough for democratic reforms in Myanmar.

Both the United States and the European Union have indicated that they
might boycott ASEAN meetings if Myanmar heads the grouping, which also
includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

____________________________________

July 7, Mizzima
Burmese junta tricks detained journalist Win Tin

In a bizarre turn of events freedom eluded prominent journalist U Win Tin
at the last moment. He was sent back to prison even as news of his release
was conveyed to the National League for Democracy headquarters in Burma.
This is the second time in twelve months that this has happened.

Win Tin, who is 75 years-old, was reportedly due to be freed yesterday
morning. But he was taken back inside the prison unexpectedly without any
reason being given. He was among a select group of 10 political prisoners,
who were temporarily shifted to a building near the gate of the prison -
known as "Buwa".

"At about 11:00 a.m. yesterday, a prison department staff asked Win Tin to
take rest in the prison office and he followed suit. Then he was taken
back inside the prison," said Minbu Township elected Member of Parliament
Soe Myint, who was with the veteran journalist in the select group.

The minister of the Information Department, Brigadier General Kyaw San
gave a thirty minute speech to the other nine political prisoners before
they were freed and sent to their respective homes.

The news of the freedom of the prize-winnings journalist started coming in
yesterday morning, when a freed youth member of Burma's opposition party
National League for Democracy told party officials that he had seen Win
Tin among the people waiting for the minister's briefing.

The junta's stand

"The junta's stand, Brigadier Kyaw San conveyed was that Win Tin should
not be released. He said the junta will free persons who should be
released but Win Tin should not be discharged and therefore he has been
put back to prison," said Soe Myint quoting the minister.

Win Tin, the editor of two daily newspapers and the advisor to the
National League was arrested 16 years ago and is serving a 20 year prison
sentence.

Excited friends, colleagues and reporters were waiting at one of Win Tin's
friends home the whole of Wednesday. Some observers in Rangoon believe
that the junta had tricked Win Tin to demoralize him. "He was very happy
when he heard about his release", said Soe Myint, who was jailed for over
7 years.

The junta released 249 political prisoners. Members of the opposition
party National League for Democracy, students, monks and members of ethnic
rebels Karen National Union (KNU) were released from Burma's jails.

Second Time

The junta has started freeing political prisoners since November 2004, in
small numbers. According to the junta those being freed were detained by
the purged military intelligence machinery. And their detention was
"inappropriate."

Win Tin being sent back to prison has stunned people. Even deputy Foreign
Minister Kyaw Thu said in an interview to Reuters news agency that "Win
Tin is already on the list" of those to be released.

This has happened with Win Tin previously also. The drama seems to have
been repeated. But unlike the previous occasion, this time he was not only
on the list but was also sent to the gate of the prison.

Win Tin was the secretary of NLD till 1989. He was arrested on July 4 of
that year on political grounds. He suffers from poor health.

Two journalists freed

Journalist Sein Hla Oo, aged over 70 and documentary filmmaker Aung Pwint
were, however, released. Sein Hla Oo was released from Myitkyina prison
after being held for 11 years. He is reported to have diabetes and suffers
from kidney problems. His health deteriorated while in prison.

Aung Pwint was arrested in September 1999 for "illegal possession of a fax
machine" and of "transmitting information to banned Burmese publications."

Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association hoped it would
be a start of a new period for the Press in Burma. They, however, pointed
out that six journalists including Win Tin are still being held in Burmese
prisons.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / FINANCE

July 7, Agence France Presse
Bangladesh wants more talks on tri-nation gas pipeline

Dhaka Thursday called for India to return to talks on a proposed
tri-nation pipeline after New Delhi said it was considering bypassing
Bangladesh and importing gas directly from Myanmar.

Bangladesh declined to attend talks between Indian and Myanmar officials
in New Delhi on Wednesday. India says Dhaka has sought trade concessions
from New Delhi in return for letting the pipeline through its territory,
something which the Indian government has objected to.

"We are not aware of the decisions of the Indo-Myanmar minister-level
talks in New Delhi. But if India is willing, we can restart talks on the
pipeline," Deputy Energy Minister Mahmudur Rahman told AFP.

"We've an open mind and we are waiting for a signal from New Delhi to
restart the talks," Rahman said.

India's Oil Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, who met Myanmar's Energy Minister
Lun Thi, said after the meeting Wednesday that a panel would examine the
possibility of direct gas imports from Mynamar by ship or a pipeline
bypassing Bangladesh.

However, he added New Delhi would try to resolve the matter with Dhaka as
the shortest pipeline route was through Bangladesh.

In January, the three countries agreed in principle to cooperate in gas
exploration and an overland pipeline project.

The project is expected to yield 600 million dollars in investment to
Bangladesh, besides annual "wheeling charges of 100 million dollars as
well as financial benefits to Bangladesh energy firms."

Bangladesh has proven recoverable gas reserves of 13 trillion cubic feet,
of which more than three trillion has already been extracted, according to
official figures. Current reserves of natural gas are expected to last
until 2020.

Dhaka is being urged by the US and other major donor countries to export
gas as it would bring much-needed income to the impoverished country.
However, the proposal has been opposed by some political parties which say
Bangladesh does not have enough gas to export.

____________________________________
ASEAN

July 7, Agence France Presse
ASEAN lawmakers hail release of prisoners in Myanmar, call for more

ASEAN lawmakers welcomed Thursday Myanmar's release of scores of
prisoners, many of them believed to be political detainees, but demanded
that democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi also be freed.

"We welcome the release of the political prisoners. But they need to do
more," said Zaid Ibrahim, chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Pro-Democracy Myanmar Caucus group of lawmakers.

"They must also free Aung San Suu Kyi," Zaid told AFP.

Myanmar's military government said Thursday it had released about 400
prisoners across the country, but it would not identify the freed inmates.

The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) said Wednesday it knew
of 249 people, mostly political prisoners, who had been freed.

The Malaysian-based Pro-Democracy Myanmar Caucus is made up of lawmakers
from five of ASEAN's 10 countries who have been pushing Myanmar to speed
up democratic reforms, including by releasing political prisoners.

They are also lobbying for the military-ruled country to be denied the
alphabetically rotated chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006, which many feel
would be internationally embarrassing for the group.

The United States and European Union, key partners of ASEAN, have vowed to
boycott the Southeast Asian group's meetings if Myanmar is chairman.

Zaid, who is based in Malaysia, said he hoped Myanmar's generals were not
using the prisoner release to try to win ASEAN backing for its
chairmanship, to be raised at a meeting of the regional body in Laos this
month.

"The military junta must do more than just this. This is not enough. I
don't think ASEAN should fall for it," he said.

Zaid said the ASEAN meeting should put pressure on Myanmar to free Aung
San Suu Kyi. "Most definitely. This is something they must do," he said.

The lawmakers in the Caucus come from ASEAN's five founding members --
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand -- who are
behind calls for Myanmar to reform.

The group's newer members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam -- have
adopted a more tolerant approach.

Zaid said he regarded a decision by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
to skip the Laos meeting as "an expression of US displeasure" with ASEAN
and Myanmar.

Officials in Washington said Rice would not attend the meeting because of
a a scheduling conflict. It will be the first time in about two decades
that a US secretary of state will not take part in the annual ASEAN talks.

Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the NLD, has spent
various periods in house arrest since 1989. Her latest began in May 2003.

NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990 but has never been
allowed to take power.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

July 7, Mizzima
Another 7th July and the struggle continues

Burmese students in exile today, in a demonstration, in New Delhi, India
demanded the immediate restoration of democracy and the right to form
students' unions in Burma.

The demonstration, held in commemoration of the cold-blooded killing of
Rangoon University students on 7th July 1962, was organized as a symbol of
Burmese students' continued struggle for their rights.

"Even after 43 years, we are still continuing the struggle for our rights.
We want democracy and human rights to be immediately restored in Burma,"
said Myint Aye, Presidium member of the Students and Youth Congress of
Burma (SYCB). SYCB is an umbrella organization of various Burmese and
ethnic students unions based in New Delhi, India.

"We would like to see student unions being formed once again in Burma.
Throughout history, Burmese students have played a key role in revolutions
and changes in Burma," he added.

On July 7, 1962 Burmese soldiers opened fire upon peaceful student
demonstrators in Rangoon University. They were protesting against the
military coup led by the late General Newin.

Scores of students, who were peacefully organizing a sit-in demonstration
on the lawn of the university campus, were mercilessly shot-dead on the
eventful day. Following the massacre, on July 8, the military blew up the
famous Student Union Building in Rangoon and ordered abolishing of all
kinds of student unions or organizations.

With slogans such as - "Don't Forget; 7 July," and "Down Down; Tyranny" -
the demonstrators, gathered near the Jantar Mantar park in central Delhi,
and also enacted a street-play portraying the brutal crack-down on Burmese
students and the blowing up of the Union building.

"We will never forget 7th July, as it is the day we students lost our
rights. We must remember that our comrades have sacrificed their lives and
therefore we will continue the struggle until we regain our rights," Myint
Aye told Mizzima.

Students throughout modern Burmese history have played an active part in
reformation and revolution. From the colonial times until today, Burmese
students have maintained a prestigious position in leading movements for
changes.

Burma, a former British colony, came under military boots on March 2,
1962, when General Newin led a military coup against the parliamentary
democracy regime under the Premiership of the late U Nu.

Under the leadership of General Newin, the country, which was once
regarded as the rice bowl of Asia, faced degradation in every field,
falling to the category of the world's Least Developed Countries (LDC).

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

July 7, Agence France Presse
Rice to skip key ASEAN talks, may be viewed as snub by region

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will not attend a key Southeast
Asian meeting this month, officials said Wednesday amid warnings that the
move could be viewed as a slight by the region's leaders.

Rice had told Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign
ministers that she could not make it to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in
the Laotian capital Vientiane in late July due to a clash of schedules,
regional diplomats said.

But some officials had linked her skipping of the trip to concerns in
Washington that the region was not pushing enough for democratic reforms
in military-ruled Myanmar.

As this would be the first time in about two decades that a US Secretary
of State is not participating in the annual ASEAN talks, some ASEAN
leaders may perceive it as downgrading of US participation in the region's
most important diplomatic event.

The meeting includes a July 28-29 post-ministerial dialogue between ASEAN
and its key trading partners, notably the United States, European Union,
China, Japan and Russia, as well as an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the
only official security meeting in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rice, who is expected to visit Africa during that period, would be
represented by her deputy Robert Zoellick, the former US Trade
Representative and an old ASEAN hand, to the meetings.

Unlike her predecessor Colin Powell, who maintained a personal touch in
relations with his ASEAN counterparts, Rice has delegated much of the work
in the region to Zoellick.

Her top priority in Asia is the Korean nuclear crisis.

She leaves this Friday for a six-day trip to China, South Korea and Japan
and will likely discuss possible options if North Korea fails to return to
multilateral talks aimed to end its nuclear weapons program.

The July 8-13 trip would be the second to northeast Asia in some three
months.

"The fact that she will go to Asia and talk about North Korea demonstrates
that this is the key number one priority in the region for the
administration," said Derek Mitchell of the US Center for Strategic and
International Studies.

"Because you would think that Rice would go to ARF, symbol of our
engagement in Asia, but she is going over there this month really to talk
about North Korea," said the former Pentagon official responsible for
Asian affairs.

The six-party talks among the United States, the two Koreas, Japan, Russia
and China aimed at wooing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons program
in exchange for aid have been stalled since June 2004.

Karen Brooks, a leading architect of US policy toward Asia during both the
Bush and Clinton administrations, warned there could be "unintended
consequences" of Rice's decision, including a belief that the United
States was ignoring the region, where it has vast investment, trade and
security interests.

"Such a decision would not be intended as a signal that 'We don't care.'
But, be that as it may, that's the way it is going to be interpreted,"
Brooks said.

In an apparent bid to assuage regional concerns, Rice will break up her
upcoming north Asian trip with a visit to Thailand to gauge tsunami
reconstruction progress there. She would fly from China to Thailand on
Monday before proceeding to Japan and South Korea.

Earlier, both the United States and the European Union indicated that they
might boycott ASEAN meetings if Myanmar is allowed to chair the grouping,
which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Some ASEAN members, as well as the grouping's western partners are opposed
to the outcast regime taking on such a role, with Myanmar scheduled to
take over the ASEAN helm from Malaysia at the end of 2006.

ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong shrugged off concerns last week when
there were intense speculations that Rice would skip the ASEAN meeting.

"ASEAN is a very deeply secure portfolio. There is no big controversy
there except Myanmar, which has to be played out in its own way," he told
AFP in Washington.

"So if you are a portfolio manager and have multiple portfolios, you go to
the area that really give you sleepless nites, not areas which do not
disturb your sleep."

_____________________________________

July 7, Agence France Presse
Amnesty hails release of 200 political prisoners in Myanmar

Amnesty International on Thursday welcomed the release of more than 200
political prisoners in Myanmar and urged freedom for the estimated 1,100
others, including pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We are happy to hear of the release of prisoners of conscience, many of
whom have been imprisoned for more than a decade," said Catherine Baber,
deputy director of Amnesty's Asia program.

"We urge the authorities to use the momentum of this decision and release
unconditionally -- regardless of their political or religious allegiance
-- all prisoners of conscience, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," Baber
said in a statement.

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last 15 years
under some form of detention, is under house arrest in Yangon.

Myanmar's military government said Thursday it had released about 400
prisoners around the country but would not identify them.

Amnesty said some of the prisoners were eligible for release with time off
for good behavior from their sentences, and warned that politically
motivated arrests have continued despite the releases.

The international rights watchdog said among those freed were Sein Hla Oo,
a journalist who became a leading member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy (NLD), winning a seat for the party in 1990 elections
never recognized by the military government.

Khin Zaw Win, a dentist and overseas student with NLD ties, and Kyaw Min
Yu, a student arrested for his political activities in 1989, were also
among the released prisoners, the group said.

_____________________________________

July 6, UN News Centre
Praising prisoners' release, Annan calls for lifting of other restraints
in Myanmar

While welcoming the release today by authorities in Myanmar of 249
prisoners throughout the country, United Nations Secretary-General
reiterated his call for the lifting of remaining constraints on all
political leaders.

In a statement issued by his spokesman in New York, Mr. Annan welcomed the
release of the prisoners, reportedly including two prominent journalists
and a close aide of the still-detained National League for Democracy (NLD)
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the lifting of remaining
constraints on all political leaders and the re-opening of NLD offices. He
further calls on the Myanmar authorities to resume their political
dialogue with all parties concerned," the spokesman said.

Over the past several years Mr. Annan, in concert with his Special Envoy
Razali Ismail, has been pushing the Government of the South Asian country
to allow a role for opposition parties such as the NLD. Just last month,
Mr. Annan marked the 60th birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, by appealing to
Myanmar's military Government to end her house arrest.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

July 7, Irrawaddy
Prisoners of conscience are not political tools

The junta’s latest release of prisoners on Wednesday has brought surprise
and happiness to many people—especially to the families and colleagues of
the former prisoners.

More than 240 prisoners—many of them political prisoners—were released
from several Burmese prisons. Among the released were veteran and
prominent dissidents, such as senior members of the main opposition group
National League for Democracy and former student leaders. Initial reports
suggesting that the celebrated journalist Win Tin was also released have
since been dismissed, and his fate remains uncertain.

This current release is the first since the military government freed
thousands of political prisoners late last year, claiming that they were
wrongly sentenced by sacked prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt’s military
intelligence apparatus. Among the released at that time were a few dozen
political prisoners, the most prominent of them being the former student
leader Min Ko Naing.

The release of such prisoners is good at any time, but analysts and
observers have questioned what the junta’s real motive might be. Most are
skeptical that the regime has released the prisoners to ease tension
between the government and other political dissidents.

It is thought that Burma’s military government will finally decide whether
to take over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations in 2006, when the organization holds a major meeting next month in
Vientiane, Laos. Several member nations of Asean have criticized Burma’s
chairmanship because of the government’s oppression of political
opposition groups and its widely reported human rights violations.
Furthermore, the United States and Europe are likely to boycott any Asean
meetings held in Burma.

The Asean chairmanship will provide Burma with a prestigious regional
role, and the generals in Rangoon have appeared at times to relish the
opportunity. Some analysts suggest that the freeing of prisoners now might
be an attempt to soothe criticisms and ease fears associated with its
coming chairmanship.

Such a motive is quite likely. The military government has often released
prisoners to deflect pressure from the international community, using them
as hostages to consolidate their power at home and to improve their image
abroad.

If the generals really want to move Burma toward democracy, they must
initiate such a shift by releasing all political prisoners—there are about
1,400 languishing in Burma’s prisons—including Aung San Suu Kyi, who has
been held under house arrest—intermittently since 1989—for a total of nine
years.

If this latest release of prisoners is simply intended to ease political
tension or smooth the road to Burma’s chairmanship of Asean, then a
democratic Burma is as far away as it was before the release, and the
newly-freed prisoners will have no guarantee that they will not be
arrested again. Such a situation is shameful. The Burmese government
should not play political games with the lives of its citizens.

_____________________________________

July 7, Irrawaddy
Two months of silence – Aung Lwin Oo

What’s going on? Not the first time this question has been asked of the
military junta that rules Burma, but two months after the bombings that
ripped through downtown Rangoon, two months with barely a peep from the
generals, it’s certainly valid. With an official death toll of 23—and
unofficial estimates are much, much higher—surely this is not something
the generals can sweep under the carpet and pretend never happened.

Straight after the bombings the generals started pointing the finger,
seemingly at whoever popped into their minds. The Karen National Union,
the Shan State Army-South and Karenni National Progressive Party were
among those subjected to the first wave of blame and when the generals
finally got around to holding an official press conference—around a week
after the event—they started adding various exiled Burmese groups to the
mix. Now, either there has been a momentous coming together of the clans
or the bigwigs simply do not have a clue who was responsible.

The upshot of all this is that the Rangoon public, nearly 200 of whom were
injured in the blasts, don’t know what to do. Understandably they have
been hesitant to spend too long out of doors and away from their families
as security measures are stepped up around the city, but all the while the
Minister of Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan has been telling them that the
situation is under control and “people can go about their daily business
without having any anxiety.”

Without having any anxiety? Bombs decimate three downtown locations
killing dozens, nobody knows who did it and people are told to relax?
Maybe if there were signs of an official investigation, some level of
transparency instead of the weary, patronizing tones of a parent who
doesn’t think his kids are capable of handling the truth. Maybe then
people would be able to relax a little.

In recent weeks, the campaign against groups in exile has been taken up by
the War Veterans Organization and the Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation
who have been using meetings and rallies to back up the government
position and join in the finger pointing. Do they know something we don’t?
Have the generals been slipping inside information to the veterans and
women’s groups?

Unless the perpetrators are tracked down and convicted with rock-solid
evidence, whatever conclusions are reached will doubtless be greeted by
groans and more than a pinch of salt. Two months on and we are none the
wiser. If the generals are really hoping this will all blow over, there’s
going to have to be a mighty strong wind in Rangoon.