BurmaNet News, August 6-8, 2005

[Editor]

August 6-8, 2005 Issue # 2777


INSIDE BURMA
South China Morning Post: Paranoia drives Myanmar's generals
DVB: Another ex-Burmese political prisoner dies young
Mizzima: Burma buys more military trucks from China

BUSINESS / FINANCE
Xinhua: One more major private bank in Myanmar sealed by gov't
Mizzima: Economic blockade continues, looting on the rise in Indo-Burma
border trade
Bangkok Post: Trade deficit with Burma needs addressing

ASEAN
AFP: Indonesia's president urges ASEAN to embrace democracy, free speech
AFP: ASEAN must keep pushing Myanmar to reform: activists
AFP: Myanmar junta praises ASEAN, ignores chairmanship crisis
AP: Southeast Asian lawmakers urge governments to keep pressuring Myanmar
on reform

REGIONAL
Mizzima: Burma Democracy and Human Rights website launched
Mizzima: Four Eights Spirit upheld

OPINION / OTHER
Nation: Burma at the fore on Asean Day
Bangkok Post: Trade deficit with Burma needs addressing

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

August 6, South China Morning Post
Paranoia drives Myanmar's generals

The junta leaders are afraid of facing a Nuremberg-style trial, Larry
Jagan reports from Bangkok

Money and power drive Myanmar's secretive generals to suppress democracy
and hold a vice-like grip on the leadership.

But increasingly there is a third motivator - fear.

The leadership has tightened control over the military and administration
for fear that if they stepped aside they would face Nuremberg-style
trials.

The country's top military leader, Senior General Than Shwe, has often
told former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that was his No1
fear.

Paranoia that the west is contriving a political assassination or outright
assault is further driving the ruling elite away from the day-to-day
realities confronting the rest of the populace.

"Power motivates the generals above all else," says Win Min, an
independent Myanmese analyst based in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

"If they have power, they can do and get whatever they want - money,
jewellery and cars."

In the past few months the army has been centralising authority in the
hands of a few generals, especially the country's top two military rulers
- General Than Shwe, the head of state, and General Maung Aye, who in
effect is in charge of the military.

Twelve senior generals make up the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) that runs the country and 12 regional commanders control the
countryside.

Almost every aspect of Myanmese life is dominated by the army. Economic
activity is tightly controlled by the army and the media are rigidly
censored.

"The military leadership has rewritten and reinterpreted history to
reinforce their belief that only they can save the country, and have done
so to a degree that they believe it," Myanmar specialist Professor David
Steinberg told the South China Morning Post.

General Than Shwe, who sees himself as the country's monarch, has a
passion for luxurious and grandiose houses. "He needs to feel that he
lives in a palace," says a Myanmese businessman who knows the general
well.

He had massive pillars coated in jade in his recently built home in
Yangon, before deciding they were not regal enough. He then spent millions
of dollars on importing Italian slate before finally deciding the pillars
needed to be of Chinese marble, according to a Myanmese building
contractor.

Flamboyant dwellings were also built for all his children.

Top military leaders and their families are accumulating money and
jewellery. When the former agriculture minister, General Nyunt Tin, was
arrested a few months ago, five boxes of gold bars, diamonds and other
precious stones were confiscated.

Imported cars - often smuggled in from Thailand or shipped from Singapore
- are also popular. General Nyunt Tin's family had more than 30 expensive
cars in their possession when the minister and his son were arrested.

"In Burma, power relates to whether you're in the military or not," says
Win Min, using the old name for Myanmar. "There is an understanding in
Burma that when you have stars on your shoulder, you have power and you're
a big thing, but once you have no stars on your shoulder, you've no power
and you're nothing."

Three years ago when the generals moved against the grandsons of former
dictator Ne Win, the top three men - Than Shwe, Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt -
slept for nearly a week in the heavily guarded War Office downtown as they
feared Ne Win's son-in-law had hired a foreign assassin in Thailand.

The generals are extremely chauvinistic and xenophobic.

"They have a profound but misguided sense of nationalism, which they have
used to attempt to legitimate their actions," Mr Steinberg says. "This
includes the belief that all foreign governments have attempted at one
time or another to divide up or otherwise undermine the state."

General Than Shwe insists on being called king. When he visited the
Myanmese embassy in Delhi during his official visit to India in October,
everyone had to sit on the floor in deference to his royal position, said
Indian diplomats.

He also behaved more like a monarch than a military leader in the way he
dealt with former prime minister Khin Nyunt and the intelligence chief
last October. Thousands of Khin Nyunt's supporters in the military and
government were purged. Hundreds of the senior military intelligence
officers were sentenced to hundreds of years in prison. Khin Nyunt himself
was recently sentenced to 44 years.

General Than Shwe has recently become so preoccupied with the possibility
of a foreign invasion, especially by the US, he is moving the capital
400km north of Yangon, into the hills in central Myanmar, to make it safer
in case of an attack.

The problem is that the next generation of generals already in the process
of being promoted into the ruling SPDC are likely to be just as
uncompromising as their superiors.

"They are just clones," said Win Min. "Their children are already corrupt
and dominating the country's businesses. So greed and fear are likely to
fashion their outlook as much as it has Burma's present military
leaders'."

____________________________________

Aug 6, Democratic Voice of Burma
Another ex-Burmese political prisoner dies young

Kyaw Thike, a Burmese student leader and ex-political prisoner, passed
away at his home in Bo Uttama Street, Kyimyintaing (Kemmendine) Township,
Rangoon on 5 August. He was actively involved in the 8888 nationwide
uprising in Burma and the formation of the outlawed All Burma Federation
of Student Unions (ABFSU). In 1993, Kyaw Thike was arrested for
distributing leaflets denouncing the so-called National Convention of
Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), and
given a ten year prison term. He was severely tortured by military
intelligence agents while he was being detained at an interrogation centre
and brutally beaten up prison authorities while he was in Myingyan Jail in
central Burma. Throughout his imprisonment, he suffered psychological
problems and when he was released at the end of 2001, he started to
receive medical treatments for his illnesses but he never recovered. He
died from brain haemorrhage. May he rest in peace!

____________________________________

August 7, Mizzima
Burma buys more military trucks from China - Myo Gyi

Mizzima has learnt that over 100 Chinese made "Aeolus" trucks arrived in
Ruili on the Sino-Burma border.

These trucks have been imported by the Burmese government - State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC) from China.

The first batch of over 100 trucks arrived in Ruili on 5th August from
China. The second batch of over 300 trucks will arrive in Ruili in another
two days, says our sources in the border.

A driver of a truck told Mizzima, "We drove the trucks from Hu Pei, 3,000
km from Ruili."

An eyewitness car mechanic said that these truckers are 4 x 4 6 cylinder
diesel trucks. He said, "The trucks were 5 ton trucks and were costlier
than "Dong Feng" trucks which cost only RMB 80,000. "Dong Feng's" are not
4 x 4 trucks.

These powerful trucks will be sent to Mandalay Transport Depot (in Burma)
the next day via Jie Gong -Muse Road.

The trucks were kept in China Jie Gong Customs warehouse, an eyewitness
added.

This is the second lot imported by SPDC from China. Earlier SPDC imported
over 100 "FAW" trucks in May this year.

A military analyst commenting on the imports said: "the SPDC is recruiting
and forming many more battalions. These new battalions badly need more
trucks for transport and logistics. They cannot afford to buy the trucks
from other countries. It is convenient for them to import from friendly
countries at steal away prices."

Mizzima has also learnt that due to high demand, and from orders by the
regional command, the Burmese military repainted illegal cars without
license and have been using them in their battalions and units

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / FINANCE

August 8, Xinhua News Agency
One more major private bank in Myanmar sealed by gov't

One more local and major private bank -- the Myanmar Universal Bank (MUB)
-- has been sealed by the government and the bank operation is being taken
over by the State Economic Bank, sources with the MUB confirmed Monday.

However, no government or bank statements are available yet about the
reason of the take-over with police guarding in front of the bank branches
here.

People started running for panic withdrawal of deposits from the bank on
Monday which has a total of 27 branches across the country. The amount for
such withdrawal is being initially limited to 3 million kyat (3,000 US
dollars).

At the end of March this year, two other major private banks -- the
Myanmar Mayflower Bank (MMB) and the Asia Wealth Bank (AWB), which were
set up in 1994 and 1995 respectively, were closed down by the government
for allegedly being linked to money laundering. The investigation into the
two banks had been conducted since December 2003.

Private banks were nationalized in Myanmar in 1963 during Ne Win's
government but after the country started to adopt the market-oriented
economic system in late 1988, private banks were allowed to operate again
since 1992 and since then there had been 20 such banks across Myanmar with
a total of 350 branches.

____________________________________

August 7, Mizzima
Economic blockade continues, looting on the rise in Indo-Burma border
trade – Sein Moe

Across a few feet from the barb wires, which barely fence the Indian
border town of Moreh with Tamu in Burma, is located the main Indo-Burmese
trade point known as the Nan Phalong market.

Here a variety of goods from Thailand and China, ranging from cosmetics
and electronic items such as television, tape recorders, VCD players,
radio, satellite receivers and edible goods such as vegetables are
available.

The market, however, was dry with no shoppers and shopkeepers around. Shop
owners sat idle or were busy with other chores. But no one was selling.

A woman in a textile shop was busy reading a novel, while a group of men (
Nepalese nationals) from a shop were engrossed in a game of cards.
Similarly, other shop keepers could be seen playing dice.

Provoking the already depressed shopkeepers was the market tax collector.

The silence in the market was strange so much so that a typical Burmese
could compose a humorous song on it. Even stray dogs that usually cash in
on leftovers during normal market days could not be seen.

An empty market is certainly a cause of anxiety for daily wage earners,
who have no earnings for the past 50 days
.
The economic blockade in Manipur (one of the northeastern States of
India), which began on June 19, has severely affected the Indo-Burmese
border trade point. It has halted all business transactions blocking the
flow of goods and commodities from both sides.

In the beginning the goods were destroyed by the blockers, however, as it
gained momentum more then five vehicles were burnt-down for carrying
goods.

The blockade has raised prices of commodities both in Manipur and in the
border. A betel nut package, which used to cost a rupee is now sold rupees
3 and a pack of tobacco costing a rupee is now rupees. 5. Businessmen have
stocked goods for better times. Commodities are therefore scarce.

The situation reminds one of the famous Burmese song "a Shan countryman in
Mandalay City," sung by a famous Shan ethnic singer 'Sai Htee Sai'.

In his song he says that as he is an ignorant countryman, people bullied
him. And in teashops he was asked whether he wanted tea with a lot of
sugar. The situation here is contrary to the song, with teashops facing
scarcity of sugar.

Teashops in Moreh have a supply of sugar from Mandalay. But the problem is
that the Mandalay (in Burma) sugar is more expensive than that available
in Guwahati in India.

A 25 kilogram packet of sugar from Mandalay costs about 5,500 Kyats (Kyat
is Burmese currency. Average exchange rate at the border is 1 rupee = Kyat
22). The money circulation has come to a halt.

Adding fuel to the fire is the rumour that fake 1000 denomination notes
from the Thai-Burmese border are doing the rounds. There have been further
rumours that currency making machines have been seized in a Buddhist
monastery in Mandalay. This has led to sky rocketing prices.

Under the prevailing situation, prices of commodities have spiralled. A
tin of prawn oil, which cost 17,000 Kyat on July 22, shot up to 19,700
Kyats on August 7.

A 45- kilogram bag of flour, which used to cost rupees 500 during normal
times has shot up to rupees 700. Prices of vegetables and other edible
commodities have soared. Ten kilogram of onions costs about 2,500 Kyats.

A packet of batteries, which use to be rupees 750 has risen to rupees 000.
The hardest hit are the daily wage earners. They have all come to the
Indian border town and have been looking for jobs such as digging drains,
or as teashop waiters among other things. They are settling for less pay.

The situation has affected Imphal, the capital of the Indian border state
of Manipur. The money, which bought five candles can now buy only two.
With no supplies from the border town the prices of stocked commodities
have sky rocketed.

"As both the US Dollar and Chinese Yuan have risen, the prices have again
gone up," laments a businessmen talking of exchange rate fluctuations. As
roads are blocked, traders could not carry their goods in normal ways and
have to give in to carriers, who are charging more than double for
carrying commodities.

Candle boxes, which were carried for rupees 60 are now being charged
rupees 150 -200. Carrying charges for a packet of washing powder has risen
from rupees 40 to 100.

Any attempt at bargain and the carriers just walk away. Owners of taxis
and vehicles are in a tight spot. It has created problems for Burmese
sellers who have to collect debts from the Indian side of the border.

The situation has adversely affected coolies. They have to carry stuff,
for rupees 2. Earlier they would charge rupees. 5. The coolies, who
usually earn about rupees 150 daily, are in extreme difficulty. Debtors
are creating pressure.

Commoners, daily wage earners and business people have been wandering
about the reason of the road blockade. The question can only be asked to
the All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM).

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Muivah (NSCN-M) faction
operates in certain areas of Manipur state with impunity. The NSCN-M is
into a cease-fire with the Indian Government.

In the beginning of June, the Government of India and leaders of the NSCN
-M had a round of talks in Bangkok, Thailand for the continuation of the
cease-fire agreement.


The cease-fire zones, agreed to by both the sides reportedly include the
state of Nagaland as well as parts of Manipur. However, this agreement of
the inclusion of parts of Manipur is being opposed by the Meiteis or
Manipuris of Manipur.. The proposed Southern Nagaland includes areas of
Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong districts in Manipur state.

Boycotting this agreement the Meiteis launched a series of protests
against the central government's decision and burnt-down a government
bungalow and a building. However, the protest was crushed by the Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) killing a number of protestors. Initially the
authorities declared that only 14 people had been killed. However, later
the toll increased to 18. When things went out of hand, the Manipur
government declared that Southern Nagaland has no connection with Manipur.
The Manipuris accepted the declaration and planned to build a monument to
commemorate the death of the protestors on June 8. Manipuris declared the
monument as Territorial Integration of Manipur and asked the state
government to observe it as a state holiday that was accepted by the
Manipur Government.

The ANSAM then objected the to state government's declaration of June 8 as
"Manipur Integration Day". And pointed out that it was a design to ignore
their demands for integration of all Naga-inhabited territories that
include areas in Manipur as well. When their demand of revoking the
Manipur state government declaration was turned down, the ANSAM then began
the economic blockade on June 19.

Food and other items ran short in Imphal town. With the help of security
forces hundreds of trucks were escorted to carry goods and commodities.
The blockade organisers pelted stones. The trucks hid their numbers. The
protestors destroyed a bridge on the road to Nagaland from Imphal. It
affected not only the people in the area but the border towns of Tamu and
Moreh. Some shop owners paid their employees in advance so as to sustain
them during this time. Some shops were looted.

Now the Government in India has decided to airlift essential commodities
to troubled Manipur State, one will have to wait and see how this measure
affects the Indo-Burma border trade.


____________________________________
ASEAN

August 8, Agence France Presse
Indonesia's president urges ASEAN to embrace democracy, free speech

Southeast Asian governments must heed their people's demands for peace,
democracy and free speech as they work to forge a united community,
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Monday.

In an address marking the 38th anniversary of the establishment of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Yudhoyono also praised the
bloc's decision that military-ruled Myanmar should not be group chairman
next year.

The decision came after pressure on ASEAN, notably from the United States
and European Union, to not allow Myanmar to become chairman because of its
poor rights record, including the house arrest of democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi.

Yudhoyono said the 10 ASEAN governments needed to listen to the
aspirations of the people in region for democracy and human rights as they
pursued their goal of becoming a European-style community by 2020.

"The people are now slowly but surely gaining a stronger and clearer
voice," Yudhoyono said at the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta.

"And that voice speaks of many aspirations: of peace and prosperity, of a
reliable future for themselves and their family, of freedom and democracy,
of human rights and good governance, and of transparency and the
accountability of leaders," he said.

Most of ASEAN older members, including Indonesia, are democracies.

But its newer members include tightly controlled and communist Vietnam and
Laos, and Myanmar, where Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
has not been allowed to ruled despite winning elections in 1990.

Yudhoyono described ASEAN's decision to allow Myanmar to skip its chance
to take the alphabetically rotating chairmanship as "a distinctive mark of
maturity".

"This demonstrates ASEANs fully developed capability to solve its own
problems.

"It shows a delicate sense of balance between non-interference in the
affairs of a sovereign state and upholding human rights and fundamental
freedoms," he said.

Non-interference is one of ASEAN's core principles.

Myanmar's official reason for relinquishing the chair was so it could
focus on its "democratisation process".

The junta has launched a reform road map to democracy which critics have
dismissed as a sham because it does not include the National League for
Democracy.

A meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers and the grouping's partners in Laos
last month renewed calls for Myanmar to release political prisoners and
resume dialogue with all parties.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

____________________________________

August 8, Agence France Presse
ASEAN must keep pushing Myanmar to reform: activists

The ASEAN bloc must keep the pressure on military-ruled Myanmar to reform
or risk losing its credibility, a human rights group said on Monday in a
statement on the 17th anniversary of a doomed pro-democracy uprising.

Activists said last month's decision by the junta, to give up the chair of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2006 because of
regional and international criticism, showed that such pressure worked.

"The unprecedented pressure exercised on the Burmese junta over the
chairmanship has boosted ASEAN's integrity, locally and internationally,"
Debbie Stothard, coordinator of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma,
said, using the country's former name.

"ASEAN should reinforce these gains by ensuring the regime actually
delivers on its promises for political and economic reform."

The statement, also timed to coincide with the 38th anniversary of the
founding of ASEAN, said continuous pressure on the Myanmar leadership was
most effective when applied from within the bloc.

"ASEAN should now insist the junta set a clear timetable in fulfilling its
long-standing pledge to ASEAN and the international community to commence
a genuine and inclusive process towards democratization in Burma," the
statement said.

In Malaysia the head of a regional group of legislators seeking democratic
change in Myanmar also said the pressure had worked.

"But it is not over yet. Both ASEAN and the world community must push for
change in Myanmar," Zaid Ibrahim, chairman of the ASEAN Pro-Democracy
Myanmar Caucus group of lawmakers, told AFP.

"ASEAN must also push for Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom," he said of the
country's detained pro-democracy leader.

The United States and European Union had said they would boycott ASEAN
meetings had Yangon taken the bloc's alphabetically-rotating chairmanship,
which will now pass from Malaysia to the Philippines.

On August 8, 1988, hundreds or even thousands of people are believed to
have been killed when troops opened fire on mass protests demanding an end
to military dictatorship.

A new junta took charge and allowed opposition parties to be formed after
26 years of monopoly rule.

But when the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a crushing victory in
May 1990 parliamentary elections, sweeping 392 out of 485 seats, the junta
refused to recognise the results and has since kept a tight grip on power.

The NLD's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has since May 2003 been under her third
stint of house arrest. The NLD can only operate from its dilapidated
Yangon office as its offices elsewhere were closed in May 2003.

Ten protestors demonstrated briefly near the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok to
mark the anniversary of the crackdown. But no demonstrations were being
held in Yangon, a correspondent there said.

Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962.

At least one-third of children in the country are malnourished, the UN's
World Food Programme chief said last week.

_____________________________________

August 8, Agence France Presse
Myanmar junta praises ASEAN, ignores chairmanship crisis

The chairman of Myanmar’s ruling junta said in comments published on
Monday that ASEAN had brought peace to Southeast Asia but made no mention
of the grouping's recent crisis involving his country.

In a front-page article in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper,
Senior General Than Shwe said ASEAN had much to celebrate on its 38th
anniversary, such as increased regional economic and socio-cultural
development.

"I truly believe that through the process of ASEAN integration, ASEAN will
surely become a concert of Southeast Asian nations, bonded together in
partnership, in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies
by the year 2020," he was quoted as saying.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
established in Bangkok on August 8, 1967, by founding members Thailand,
Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The bloc controversially admitted Myanmar in 1997. Its other members
include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The ASEAN bloc comprises some 540 million people with a combined gross
domestic product of 723 billion dollars and total annual trade value of
720 billion dollars, Than Shwe said.

Since joining, "Myanmar has contributed to the maintenance of peace and
security, economic and socio-cultural development in the Southeast Asian
region," Than Shwe reportedly said.

"It also in some way contributed to the endeavour of Myanmar in
establishing a modern, developed and peaceful nation."

ASEAN survived one of its biggest crises last month at its annual meetings
in Laos, when Myanmar decided at the last minute not to take over the
rotating chairmanship in 2006 after months of regional and international
criticism.

Southeast Asian parliamentarians and others had said Myanmar's leadership,
given its poor human rights record and detention of opposition figures
including Aung San Suu Kyi, would make ASEAN an international
embarrassment.

The United States and the European Union had said they would boycott ASEAN
meetings were Myanmar to chair them. That role will now be taken by the
Philippines.

Meanwhile, Myanmar opposition groups said they had no plans to mark the
17th anniversary Monday of pro-democracy protests, a date known by Myanmar
people as the "8888" people-power movement which resulted in a military
clampdown in September 1988.

The military ignored a landslide victory by National League for Democracy
candidates in a 1990 election and held on to power.

_____________________________________

August 8, Associated Press
Southeast Asian lawmakers urge governments to keep pressuring Myanmar on
reform

Southeast Asian lawmakers urged their governments Monday to maintain
pressure on Myanmar to establish democratic reforms, following the
military-ruled country's recent decision to forgo its turn to chair the
region's bloc.

Myanmar announced during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations last month that it would cede the grouping's 2006 chairmanship
because it wants to focus on its national reconciliation and
democratization process.

A coalition of legislators from six ASEAN nations said the decision showed
how "the concerted pressure and persuasive powers of ASEAN members" was an
effective tool that could force Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi and hold free elections.

"It shows that pressure works," Zaid Ibrahim, chairman of the ASEAN
Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar, told a news conference. "We now
urge ASEAN countries to ensure that that is a genuine effort towards
democracy."

ASEAN countries, which normally follow a policy of noninterference in each
other's domestic affairs and resistance to foreign pressure, should be
more assertive to ensure "the spotlight remains on Myanmar" to keep its
promises, Zaid said.

"We think that politically, economically and socially, the future of
Myanmar depends a lot on ASEAN's goodwill and support," Zaid said. "We
should take advantage of that and recognize our own leverage ... to
influence the course of events in Myanmar."

Zaid said the ASEAN parliamentarians - who come from Malaysia, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand - would hold a series of
forums between October and November to discuss what ASEAN could do to push
forward the democratic process in Myanmar.

A meeting with European lawmakers is also being planned, Zaid added.

Myanmar's current military government took power in 1988 after brutally
crushing a pro-democracy movement. In 1990, it refused to hand over power
when Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in general elections. Suu Kyi
has been under house arrest for much of the past 14 years.

_____________________________________
REGIONAL

August 7, Mizzima
Burma Democracy and Human Rights website launched – Han Pai

"We have launched Burmaguide.net, a web site to provide valuable
information on "Democracy" and "Human Rights" to the Burmese people,''
Aung Myo Min from "Human Rights Education Institute of Burma" (HREIB) said
today.

Aung Myo Min said during the web site launch ceremony held on the
Thai-Burma border that, "We explored ways to provide much needed democracy
and human rights facts and educational development."

www.burmaguide.net provides links to hundreds of thousands of web sites in
Burmese and ethnic languages of Burma for those who cannot read English,
he added.

"We got the idea of overcoming these two stumbling blocks of searching web
sites in ethnic languages. Then we developed the "burmaguide.net " or
"lampya.net " web site.

This web site has links to children, democracy, human rights, women, civil
society, education, development, ethnic issues, environment and transition
in English, Burmese, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Mon and Shan languages.

Burmese readers must install Unicode Burmese font developed by "Burma
Information Technology" (BIT).

Nan Phaw Ge from Karen Information Department said, "It is very convenient
for Karen people who can read only Karen language. All Karens cannot read
Burmese language."

But she also said that only "Sakaw" dialect is currently available on this
web site. Thus for those who speak only "Po" dialect, it is more
convenient to read in Burmese.

Aung Myo Min pointed out that though the web site was officially launched
today more than 5,200 people visited the web site in the last four days
starting from 5th August.
Most of them are from Burma, he said.

He added, "This shows how the Burmese people are starved of information."

HREIB had monitored data collection for all the 18 links. It prepared the
summary translated it all to 8 ethnic languages including Burmese.

The BIT was into the web site development, data entry and providing
technical assistance.

Currently the web site has 1, 000 summaries and will be updated every 6
months. These summaries can be read by visiting "burmaguide.net " web
site.

Besides the web site, HREIB is distributing CDs containing democracy and
human rights guide free of charge. It is available by registering in the
guest book on the internet web site.
Democracy Activists Commemorate 8888 Anniversary outside Burma:

_____________________________________

August 8, Mizzima
Four Eights spirit upheld

Today on the 17th anniversary of the 8888 uprising, Burma's democracy
activists in exile pledged to continue their unfinished struggle by
upholding the 8888 spirit.

Their one-day programs commemorating the uprising included protests, and
holding of commemorative meetings. Blood donation camps were organized in
Burma's bordering areas such as the Thai-Burma border as well as in the
cities of neighboring countries including New Delhi, Bangkok and Dhaka.

At Thai-Burma border

At the function, held on the Thai-Burma border, U Kyaw Htet of the "Forum
for Democracy in Burma" (FDB) said, "People from all walks of life toppled
the one party dictatorial rule of Burma Socialist Programme Party" (BSPP).
We need to strive for another similar uprising to get rid of the military
dictatorship."

Ko Toe Toe Htun of the "Democratic Party for a New Society" (DPNS) said
that the 8888 uprising was a complete success because of the support
garnered from all walks of life.

He added, "The uprising clearly showed that if there is repression, there
will be resistance to it and tyranny will fall. We must continue our
unfinished struggle for achieving democracy, peace and national
reconciliation."

Maw Maw Aung from National League for Democracy - Liberated Area said,
"The uprising succeeded because we could transform our students movement
to a nationwide people's movement. The major achievement of this uprising
was the toppling of the 26 year-long U Ne Win's one-party-dictatorship
which exploited and oppressed the Burmese people."

"The junta had to forgo the 2006 ASEAN rotating chairmanship because of
international and domestic pressure," she added.

She concluded her address, by saying "Let us continue our struggle to
achieve our goal of restoration of democracy by upholding the 8888 spirit.
We must join hands with all democratic forces and the people to achieve a
breakthrough from the current impasse."

Today's commemoration meeting was attended by over 200 people from Burma's
opposition parties and forces, migrant workers in Mae Sot, Thai and
Burmese students from the charity schools run by volunteers.

Some activists protest in Bangkok

In Bangkok, Thailand, security was tight for Burmese activists. The Thai
authorities usually do not allow any anti-Burmese government activities.
The Overseas National Students' Organization of Burma (ONSOB) and
Association of Burma Ex-Political Prisoners (ABEP) jointly staged the 17th
anniversary 8888 uprising day protest in front of the Burmese embassy.
Seventeen people from ONSOB including women and five from ABEP took part
in the protest.

Ko William Chit Sein from ONSOB told Mizzima: "Today is the unforgettable
bloody day in modern Burmese history. We shall come and stage protests
even if they arrest us. We are determined to protest today though the Thai
government has not given permission. Today is an unforgettable day for the
Burmese people."

The protestors demanded a halt to all government to government dealings,
withdrawal of all foreign investments from Burma, legal action against the
persons who are responsible for the killings in 1988, and release of all
political prisoners including National League for Democracy leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi.

They sent a memorandum to the Burmese embassy asking for the release of
all political prisoners including DASSK and holding of a tripartite
dialogue, Ko Saw Hla Win, General Secretary of ABEP told Mizzima.

Burmese migrant workers in Thailand protest

At Chum Phung in Southern Thailand, the 17th anniversary 8888 uprising was
remembered by an association of Burmese patriotic youth. They offered alms
to seven monks at the ceremony in memory of fallen monks, students and
people who sacrificed their lives in the uprising, Ko Pho Khwar, Chairman
of the Association said. This Association was formed by students and
workers who took part in 8888 uprising.

"We offered alms to the monks in memory and dedication to our fallen
martyrs. Today is an unforgettable day for all of us", he added.

The function was attended by over 100 people and Burmese migrant workers
of two organizations.

Blood donation in memory of fallen martyrs

Over 80 workers from Mae Sot, Thailand donated blood today in memory of
fallen martyrs of the 8888 uprising. It was held at the Mae Taw clinic run
by Dr. Cynthia Maung yesterday.

The leading organizer of the blood donation said, "We observed the 17th
anniversary 8888 uprising by donating blood in honour of our fallen
martyrs."

Ko Maung Maung Htoo from Moe Thauk Pan Trade Union said that the workers
donated blood. "We talked to them about the 8888 uprising. And then we
requested them to donate blood if they wished to do so in honour of the
martyrs. They donated their blood voluntarily", he added.

One of the donors, Ma San Dee from Paung Township, Mon State, who was only
nine years old in 1988 said, "I took part in the uprising with my elder
brothers. I saw much blood spilled in the uprising. In recollection and in
honour of these fallen martyrs I came here today to donate my blood."

She is working in the Mae Sot knitting industry and frequently donates
blood. Similarly a woman worker working in Mae Sot who was only a Class
VIII student in 1988 said, "I feel we must donate blood for the needy for
the revolutionaries who are continuing the unfinished struggle of the 1988
uprising and in honour of the fallen martyrs. I admire them; I adore them
though I myself could not join their struggle."

She said that she could not join the uprising at that time because she did
not the get the permission of her parents. "I feel sad and sorry whenever
I read about them in the magazines published here and from my own self
eyewitness account", she added.

Migrant workers from Mae Sot, "Exiled Irrawaddy Association" and "Yaung
Chi Oo" trade union and youths form "Zomi National Congress" joined the
blood donation ceremony.

Protestors in New Delhi burn effigy of Gen. Than Shwe

More than 150 Burmese democracy activists joined by Indian supporters
staged a noisy demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India this
morning to protest against the Burmese military regime. Ms. Nirmala
Deshpande, Member of Parliament from India who was awarded India's
National Harmony Award by the Government of India a few days ago, joined
the Burmese activists and extended her solidarity.

"You have been fighting for 17 years now and the great leader Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi is still in detention. But she has become a symbol all over the
world for her bravery, for her non-violent fight for democracy and she has
become an icon in the world today and people derive inspiration and
strength from her. I just want you to know that you are not alone. The
people of India are with you in your fight and let us fight together for
democracy in Burma", said Ms Deshpande, who is also the President of
Association of Peoples of Asia (APA).

The general secretary of South Asia Forum for People's Initiative Mr.
Sudhindra Bhadoria also joined the Burmese demonstration.

The protestors, carrying red banners of a "fighting peacock" and chanting
anti-military junta slogans, burnt the effigy of Burmese military leader
Senior General Than Shwe and condemned the continued military rule in
Burma.

The demonstrators demanded immediate end of military rule in Burma and
called for restoration of democracy and human rights in Burma.

On 8th August 1988, the 8888 uprising broke out and the nation wide
general strike was staged by the people from all walks of life. The
military regime killed many unarmed protesters and many monks, people and
students.

(Reported by Han Pai and Suu Mya Mya Soe in Thailand, Nem Davies and Tin
Zaw Moe in India).

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

August 8, The Nation
Burma at the fore on Asean Day

The anniversary of the group’s founding emphasises the common values that
every member must adopt. Today is Asean Day, the anniversary of the
group’s founding 38 years ago. Coincidentally, it is also the day when
Burmese democracy-lovers poured out onto the streets of Rangoon 17 years
ago and were subsequently crushed.

For the first time, considering the two incidents together seems natural.
When Burma decided last month to forgo next year’s chairmanship of Asean,
it represented a high point for the grouping. Never before in its history
had Asean asserted itself so forcefully in the face of a member state.

Simply put, it showed that peer pressure on Burma does work eventually.
More than officials would like to admit, continued criticism by certain
key Asean foreign ministers - some describe it as the Asean way of
discreet criticism - left Burma with no choice but to back down from its
original intransigent stance. Asean ministers told Burma in no uncertain
terms to put the grouping’s interests first.

For the past eight years, Asean has suffered a great deal from its
decision to admit Burma. The grouping will continue to face a large amount
of uncertainty as long as political dialogue and the process of national
reconciliation inside that country fail to progress. This is a huge
dilemma, one that will haunt Asean in the coming years. The ball is now in
the Burmese court. Unfortunately for everyone else, Burma will more than
likely manipulate Asean and come out on top.

There are currently two competing developments inside Asean. One is a new
attempt at drafting an Asean charter, which will start later this year. At
the planned Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, a group of eminent personalities
will be appointed to compile the core principles that will govern the
future of Asean. This legally binding constitution will provide a
framework for the realisation of the three communities envisaged by Asean,
security, economic and socio-cultural. It should take a year to complete
the charter.

Meanwhile Burma is racing against time to fulfil its pledge to follow
through on its seven-point road map for democracy. In Vientiane, Burma
said that it planned to use the next year to concentrate on domestic
development and national reconciliation, but that was only a half-truth.

Obviously Burma knows the next 12 to 18 months will prove crucial to
Burmese membership of Asean. It is a do-or-die proposition. The Burmese
junta hopes that by 2007 domestic conditions will have fallen into place
in accordance with the map. The completion of a new constitution followed
by a national referendum by the middle of next year is very much in the
works. Then an election will follow, probably at the end of next year, and
a new government will be formed.

Come 2007, Asean will face a dilemma about whether to grant Burma’s desire
to take up the chairmanship, after the Philippines. Asean foreign
ministers were not very clear on this point. Some said that Burma could do
so right away if the country were ready. And which country will serve as
arbitrator in determining Burma’s readiness to return? It’s a tricky
question. Strangely enough, it would serve the grouping’s interests if
this ambiguity were to continue.

If the future Asean charter is true to the spirit that was expressed
jointly in the Declaration of Asean Concord II in Bali and the Vientiane
Action Plan, it is unlikely that Burma will be able to assume the
chairmanship, because of the new adopted shared values and norms.

The problem is, how can Asean continue to apply pressure on Burma to
ensure that any political settlement and democratisation will be
comprehensive enough to include all stakeholders inside the country? An
Asean with a proper charter would never recognise a pariah state.

Ironically, as we have seen, from now on 8-8-88 will take on a whole new
significance. It is incumbent upon Asean to ensure that when Burma finally
does assume the chair, it does so in a respectable manner, one that
highlights the grouping’s maturity and common values.

_____________________________________

August 6, Bangkok Post
Trade deficit with Burma needs addressing - Tharn Settakij

Thailand has recorded big cross-border trade deficits with Burma for the
past two years, and the government should do something about them.

Trade between Burma and the seven border provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang
Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Ranong has
steadily increased since 2003, when two-way trade was worth 58 billion
baht.

In 2004, the figure rose to 68 billion baht, with Thailand importing goods
worth 49 billion baht and exporting 19 billion baht worth of Thai
products.

A bigger trade deficit was recorded in the first five months of this year,
with Thailand buying 24 billion baht worth of Burmese goods and gaining
only 10 billion baht from exports.

Kanchanaburi posted the biggest trade deficit, importing 44 billion baht
worth of fuel oil from Burma in 2004.

Thai exports comprise mostly processed agricultural products, vehicles and
spare parts, while imports are mostly fuel oil, fishery products, minerals
and textiles.

Rangoon bans the import of 28 types of goods from Thailand. These include
seasoning powder, syrup, soft drinks, crackers, chewing gum, cakes,
chocolate, canned food, instant noodles, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes,
fresh fruit, refrigerators, washing machines, umbrellas, paintings, gum
boots and mosquito repellent.

The import ban has been in force for several years because Rangoon wants
to protect local industries. But Thai exporters are suffering as they can
sell fewer products to their Burmese counterparts.

The government should raise this matter for discussion with the Burmese
government based on the principle of fair trade. Apart from the ban, Burma
also restricts the volume of goods imported from Thailand as well.