BurmaNet News, September 9, 2005

[Editor]

September 9, 2005 Issue # 2799

"The U.N. is also closely following Myanmar, trying to promote reforms in
the military-ruled country,"
- UN Undersecretary-General Ibrahim Gambari as quoted in "U.N. summit to
give leaders 'face time,'" Associated Press,September 9,2005

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Burmese junta cuts support for NMSP
Irrawaddy: Junta closes popular Rangoon church
SHAN: Propaganda is costly
DVB: Rangoon Division court rejected appeal for Aung Hlaing Win

ON THE BORDER
DVB: Burma junta lures ex-KNU members to surrender

GUNS
Reuters: Bangladesh seizes more arms from Myanmar rebels

REGIONAL
Narinjara: Arakanese commemorate U Ottama Day in Dhaka

INTERNATIONAL
AP: U.N. summit to give leaders 'face time'

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: It’s time to face the blunt truth on AIDS in Burma

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

September 09, Irrawaddy
Burmese junta cuts support for NMSP - Louis Reh

The New Mon State Party’s economic support from Burma’s State Peace and
Development Council—a condition of the 1995 ceasefire agreement between
the two parties—has been cut off for the last two months, along with
support for local business interests, said a spokesperson for the NMSP.

The SPDC has traditionally supplied the NMSP with four million kyat
(nearly US $3,500) in economic aid each month for the political body to
function in Mon State, Burma.

“There is no clear reason why they [SPDC] have cut the support,” said NMSP
spokesperson Kwe Hong Mon, adding that “the SPDC has also placed
restrictions on the party’s business interests.”

Kwe Hong Mon suggested that the party’s participation in the National
Convention—set to resume in December—may have something to do with the
suspension of funding.

“I think the reason for the cuts is that the NMSP has been blacklisted
because of its participation in the National Convention and the party’s
insistence on a free referendum and a genuine federal democracy in Burma,”
said Kwe Hong Mon.

The SPDC has also tightened restrictions on the party’s business
interests, particularly the logging industry. The NMSP had previously been
allowed limited logging rights and permission to export to Thailand. “The
party’s permission to log in Mon State, Burma, has been revoked. We cannot
log where we are not specifically permitted by the SPDC,” said Kwe Hong
Mon.

The NMSP has never before experienced delays in payments received from
SPDC’s Southeast Command or restrictions on business activities.

Other ethnic ceasefire groups claim to be facing similar difficulties with
the SPDC. The Karenni Nationalities People’s Liberation Front reached a
ceasefire agreement with the SPDC in 1994.

“The KNPLF now has to provide for itself because the SPDC no longer gives
us any assistance,” said a member of KNPLF. He added that the group must
rely on profits from limited logging rights and control of the Maw Chin
mine in Karenni State to fund the group’s security forces and
administrative offices.

_____________________________________

September 9, Irrawaddy
Junta closes popular Rangoon church - Yeni

The Full Gospel Assembly, a rapidly growing church in downtown Rangoon,
has been ordered by Burma’s military government to cease all activities,
according to Christian sources in the capital.

The church operates several programs in Rangoon, including Bible training
courses, women’s and youth meetings, weekly worship services, and monthly
fasting and prayer.

“At present we are not allowed to do any activities—even weekly worship
service,” a pastor from the church told The Irrawaddy by telephone on
Friday, offering no other details and preferring to remain anonymous.

Sources in the capital have said that the government has cracked down on
Christian churches in recent months, closing several of them after many
local residents had converted from Buddhism to Christianity.

Christians in rural areas have reportedly experienced more restrictions on
religious expression than in urban areas. Construction on a new Baptist
church in Tachileik, near Burma’s eastern border with Thailand, was
recently halted.

Christians among ethnic Karen, Karenni, Chin and Kachin communities, as
well as Muslim Rohingyas, have all suffered government interference in
their religious practices. While the junta vigorously promotes the spread
of Buddhism in ethnic areas with large Christian or Muslim populations,
such actions are generally considered to be politically motivated.

"The regime is vigorously pursuing a policy of religious persecution
against Chin Christians in order to expand the influence of Buddhism in
Chinland," noted the India-based Chin Human Rights Organisation.  Chin
populations—living near Burma's western border with India—are 90 percent
Christian.

According to CHRO, Burmese army troops in January pulled down a 15-metre
(50-foot) cross built by Chin Christians on a hillside in Matupi, Chin
State, near the Burma-India border. Other crosses in towns throughout Chin
State have been destroyed in recent years, and the Burma Army has
reportedly forced Christian villagers to construct Buddhist pagodas in
place of the Christian crosses.

But Buddhists themselves have also been the target of government
persecution. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma
estimates that about 100 Buddhist monks and novices are currently in jail
for protesting Burma’s military ruling military regime.

The US State Department has designated Burma as a "Country of Particular
Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly
severe violations of religious freedom since 1999.

However, government officials in Rangoon deny any legislative or
administrative restrictions on religious freedom, stating that "the
national races shall enjoy the freedom to profess their religion ...
provided that the enjoyment of any such freedom does not offend the laws
or the public interest."

____________________________________

September 9, Shan Herald Agency for News
Propaganda is costly - Chai Sayam

A source from the Information Ministry asked by S.H.A.N. why it was
raising the price of its daily papers from 10 kyat to 50 kyat, said it had
for years been operating at a loss.

"It had already cost the ministry 65.10 kyat ($ 0.065) per copy to print
the papers," the official who requested his identity be withheld
explained. "And that was before the oil prices broke loose."

The military government would still be selling the papers: Myanmar Alin
and Kyemon (in Burmese) and the New Light of Myanmar (in English) at a
loss after the price hike, he said.

Monthly subscription is 500 kyat ($ 0.5), but most individual subscribers
are getting it at 1,000 kyat ($1). "I fear the circulation will drop after
the new price is in place," he added.

Rangoon announced on 5 September that the price of its papers would
increase fivefold starting October.

____________________________________

September 9, Democratic Voice of Burma
Rangoon Division court rejected appeal for Aung Hlaing Win

Rangoon Division court summarily rejected the appeal for reinvestigation
of the case of National League for Democracy (NLD) member Aung Hlaing Win
who was killed during an interrogation session in Rangoon.

The appeal was lodged by Aung Hlaing Win’s wife Hnin Sandar with the help
of the NLD legal advocate Aung Thein and team after the lower courts
rejected her complaint that her husband was killed unlawfully by military
intelligence agents.

Mayanggone Township court, on 10 June, dismissed her complaint claiming
the death of Aung Hlaing Win was natural and closed the case, causing
disgruntle among his remaining relatives.

Aung Hlaing Win, a youth member of Rangoon Hlaing Township NLD was
arrested by four intelligence agents in civilian clothing, on 1 May while
he was having a meal at a restaurant. On 10 May, an army officer notified
his family that he died from heart attack during an interrogation session.
When the family asked him to return his corpse, the officer told them that
he had already been buried and offered them 100,000 kyat in an attempt to
gag them. The family declined the offer and reported the case to the local
police station, leading to a hearing at the court.

His corpse was never returned to the family as the authorities cremated it
secretly. Although a doctor testified at the court that the victim bodies
bore signs of tortures, the court insisted that Aung Hlaing Win died from
“natural” cause with illness and diseases he suffered before the
detention.

Aung Thein vowed to fight on with all other available legal means
available until the truth on how Aung Hlaing Win was killed is revealed.

“For us, the problem that existed criminally cannot become ‘rotten’. The
truth will come out by itself one day. With that hope, we are approaching
the courts level by level and trying to dig out the truth.”

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

September 8, Democratic Voice of Burma
Burma junta lures ex-KNU members to surrender

Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Coastal
Command in southern Burma, has been luring ex-Karen National Union (KNU)
members who are taking refuge in nearby Thailand Kanchanaburi Province
back into Burma to surrender.

Burmese army officers are giving 100,000 kyat (less than US$ 100) for each
ex-KNU member returned to their control, to whoever could entice them into
Burma, according to a Karen villager.

“Last week, they had taken 16 ex-KNU Karen villagers who were taking
refuge in Thailand for the so-called exchange of arms for peace,” the
villager said. “They (Burmese military authorities) spend a lot of money.
100,000 kyat for each person.”

The commander of KNU Brigade – 4 Phado Kwe Htoo told DVB that the Coastal
Command has been enticing ex-KNU members for some times.

“Not only under the current commander but also under the previous
commander Lt-Gen Ohn Myint, they have been sending, should I say, ‘agents’
to entice people,” Kwe Htoo said. “I don’t know how much they spend on
each person. But we know that they do spend money. Recently, on 27
(August?), they held an arms surrender ceremony at Myitha. Those who
surrendered were who had been staying outside a long time ago and some
villagers. I find it puzzling.”

When asked why the junta is carrying out such activities while it is
conducting peace talks with the KNU, Kwe Htoo said that it is part of the
junta’s psychological warfare to put more pressures on the KNU. But he
insisted that the KNU will continue to strive for peace and defend itself
militarily when attacked by the junta’s troops.

____________________________________
GUNS

September 9, Reuters
Bangladesh seizes more arms from Myanmar rebels

Dhaka: Bangladesh troops seized rifles and ammunition among more weapons
believed to have been hidden by Myanmar rebels in a forest between the two
countries, officials said on Friday.

"Eight AK-47 rifles, four carbines, 3,000 rounds of ammunition and other
battle gears were seized after busting a cache at a remote bordering
forest early today," a senior border security official said.

The weapons were seized as part of an operation to flush out foreign
rebels from the forests along the border.

In the past few weeks, 50 modern weapons -- including a light machinegun
and 20 AK-47 rifles with 30,000 rounds of ammunition -- were seized from
different spots in the forest about 450 km (280 miles) southeast of the
capital, Dhaka.

"We believe the weapons have been brought in and hidden by different
Myanmar rebel groups trying to escape an ongoing military operation
there," Lieutenant-Colonel Abdul Awal of the Bangladesh Rifles border
guard said.

Bangladesh troops have evicted several camps and captured more than 30
Myanmar rebels since they began raids in June to flush out clandestine
militants, who officials say are mostly from west Myanmar's
Muslim-majority state of Arakan.

Different rebel groups operating in Arakan often set up temporary camps in
Bangladesh to escape raids by Myanmar forces.

Bangladesh and Myanmar share a 320-km (200-mile) border.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

September 9, Narinjara News
Arakanese commemorate U Ottama Day in Dhaka

Dhaka: The exiled Arakanese community in Dhaka commemorated the 66th
anniversary of U Ottama Day in Dhaka today.  The chairman of the ceremony,
U Maung Saw Tin, said, “He was the pioneer of the Burmese independence
movement. He fought against colonial rule till his last breath. However,
it is unfortunate that the current military junta has deliberately
forgotten people like him, because he was an Arakanese. The junta should
recognize his selfless contribution to the future of Burma and not let his
memory fade away from our national history but revive it for the present
day youth.”

Other Arakanese representing different organizations and sections of the
society also expressed similar sentiments in their speeches at the
ceremony. About 65 Arakanese in exile attended the ceremony.  They also
issued a joint statement demanding an officially recognized day to
remember venerable U Ottama for his contribution and sacrifices towards
the future of Burma, to realize his vision of a peaceful, democratic and
federal Burma, and to solve the current political problem through peaceful
means of a dialogue as U Ottama preached for the better future of his
people.

Though U Ottama day is celebrated by Arakanese around the world in
cooperation with other democratic people of Burma, it is not permitted by
the junta inside Burma.  U Ottama ceremony in Dhaka was organized by the
Democratic Force of Arakan (DFA), a democratic organization comprising
Arakanese refugees living in Bangladesh.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

September 9, Associated Press
U.N. summit to give leaders 'face time' - Edith M. Lederer

United Nations: A key attraction for leaders from more than 170 countries
attending next week's U.N. summit is "face time" - that rare opportunity
to look each other in the eye and talk about global hotspots from Nepal
and central Africa to the Middle East.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked heads of state and government to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations by adopting a
sweeping blueprint for tackling the challenges of the 21st century and
taking fresh action to fight global poverty. That will be the public focus
of the Sept. 14-16 summit, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders.

But Undersecretary-General Ibrahim Gambari said the main reason leaders
come to U.N. summits and the annual ministerial meeting of the General
Assembly is the rare chance to talk to each other and to the
secretary-general in person about key issues.

"The leaders will have to respond to new as well as old threats to
international peace and security," Gambari said Thursday. "The new threats
include terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, failed and failing states,
and HIV/AIDS. The older ones range from the fight against poverty and
disease to conflicts between states."

The leaders are also certain to engage in some old-fashioned
behind-the-scenes politicking on two fronts: expanding the powerful U.N.
Security Council and choosing a new secretary-general to replace Annan,
whose term ends on Dec. 31, 2006. It's supposed to be Asia's turn to
choose a candidate, and at least one is expected to be at the summit,
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

In interviews last week and on Thursday, Gambari did a tour of the globe,
talking about hotspots likely to be high on the agenda of the heads of
state and government and their foreign ministers, who will stay on for the
General Assembly's ministerial meeting from Sept. 17-28.

In the Middle East, ministers from the so-called Quartet - the U.N., the
U.S., the European Union and Russia - will meet on the summit sidelines to
assess Israel's historic withdrawal from Gaza. They will focus on the
difficulties in reviving the Palestinian economy and getting Israelis and
Palestinians to return to the road map peace plan, Gambari said.

Security will top the agenda in talks with Iraqi leaders and the United
Nations will also be discussing help for the referendum on a new
constitution and the elections to follow, he said.

In talks with Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the
secretary-general will encourage him "to really engage" with the European
Union, which is seeking to persuade Tehran to give up some nuclear
activities that can be used to make weapons.

The U.N. investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime
minister Rafik Hariri - and the extent of Syria's cooperation - are also
certain to be on some leaders' agendas.

Sudan will be also in the spotlight, with many countries watching progress
on implementing the peace agreement between the government and southern
rebels following the death of rebel leader John Garang. They will also be
trying to solve the conflict in western Darfur where peace talks are
expected to resume next week.

Elsewhere in Africa, there is concern Ivory Coast may not meet its October
deadline for elections. If that happens, President Laurent Gbagbo will
undoubtedly want to continue in power but rebels have called for an
interim government, Gambari said.

On Zimbabwe, the United Nations is struggling to reach agreement with
President Robert Mugabe's government on an appeal for funds to help
hundreds of thousands of people evicted from slums. Annan has indicated a
willingness to visit Zimbabwe, and Gambari said the trip might be arranged
during the summit.

Gambari said the world body will consider how to help Somalia, where
efforts to rebuild the failed state are "unraveling" and "the prospect of
resuming armed conflict is very real," he asked.

In Asia, there is concern about the impact of another recent assassination
- Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar - which raised tensions
with Tamil rebels. The U.N. is also closely following Myanmar, trying to
promote reforms in the military-ruled country, Gambari said.

The six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program are scheduled to
resume on the eve of the summit and Gambari said the U.N. needs to find
ways to help meet the humanitarian needs of North Koreans.

As for the possibility of renewed conflict between India and Pakistan,
Gambari said he believes both countries are trying to make progress on the
disputed region of Kashmir, the main flashpoint.

"Whatever can be done to promote good relations between India and Pakistan
is good not only for both countries, the region, but for the world because
they are declared nuclear powers," Gambari said.

In Latin America, Gambari said leaders are concerned about recurring
violence in Haiti, turbulence in the Andean region and Venezuela, threats
to democratic governments and weak political institutions.

In Europe, he said, prospects for renunification of Cyprus will be on the
agenda but Annan is unlikely to relaunch his peace plan which was rejected
by Greek Cypriots.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

September 9, Irrawaddy
It’s time to face the blunt truth on AIDS in Burma

Let’s face the truth—we need to talk turkey on a vital issue.

The blunt truth is that Burma faces an HIV/AIDS epidemic. Hundreds of
thousands of people need assistance and care. But the sad fact is that so
far the country has not received adequate assistance to fight the deadly
epidemic.

The biggest blow to Rangoon came last month when Global Fund withdrew a
pledge of material assistance to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in
Burma. Global Fund, which had initially agreed to spend nearly US $100
million over a five year period, said its decision to withdraw the
assistance was regrettable but that it had been necessary because of
restrictions and regulations imposed by the military government.

It is no secret that UN agencies and NGOs operating inside the country
have recently been expressing increasing frustration at regime
restrictions on the free movement of aid workers. Yet although this was
Global Fund’s official reason for ending its aid, there were also some out
there who didn’t want assistance to go to Burma.

Some influential foreign lobbyists, anti-junta groups and campaigners were
also involved in pulling the plug on Global Fund assistance to Burma. The
reason: aid might not reach those who needed it and the regime and its
associates might be the true beneficiaries. Moreover, doubts have been
expressed about the ability of UN agencies to carry out effectively the
mandates they had been given.

Yet even as Global Fund withdraws its aid, interesting and encouraging
developments are occurring within Burma. A group of former student leaders
led by Min Ko Naing, a prominent activist in the 1988 pro-democracy
uprising, recently issued a statement calling for assistance to Burma. The
statement said: “We firmly believe that it will be more effective,
especially for a least-developed country like Myanmar (Burma), to receive
humanitarian assistance through cooperation with the international
community handling health and education crises.”

The group also called for cooperation and coordination between the
military government, the UN agencies, donor countries, the international
community, local NGOs and independent associations. Although government
agencies and state-sponsored welfare organizations have issued a similar
statement pleading for assistance, the statement by the former students
carried weight and authority. It was also a bold move made by former
student leaders who have spent many years in solitary confinement and
experienced regime repression.

There is no doubt that Min Ko Naing and other former students inside Burma
know the reality on the ground and have first-hand information about
what’s really happening. The group’s call should therefore be taken
seriously.

Aside from intervention by the group of former students, a number of AIDS
patients in Burma have also issued a statement calling for immediate
assistance and asking Global Fund not to withdraw its support.

Although there are no independent statistics available on Burma’s AIDS
epidemic, it is believed that up to 600,000 people are living with the
disease.

They should not be denied medical assistance and attention. Victims of
government neglect and repression, they—like all Burmese people—need help.

Although now is not the time to play the blame game, but rather to look at
the issue carefully, one culprit is readily identifiable—it is none other
than the military government, which claimed to be saving Burma from chaos
and the abyss. The military government has been ignoring the AIDS crisis
for many years. Until recently, it was in a state of denial, refusing to
acknowledge the fact that the country was facing a health crisis of huge
proportions.

There was a clear lack of political will at the top to tackle the issue.
Writing or even talking about the AIDS epidemic was taboo, with government
leaders labeling it a “foreign disease,” even as people throughout the
country were dying in ever-growing numbers.

Belatedly, some government leaders began to admit the existence of AIDS
within Burma, allowing NGOs, campaign activists and artists to educate the
population with a measure of freedom. But the military government retained
its relatively conservative approach to the issue, remaining reluctant to
address it at a national level despite the climbing death toll.

Regrettably, no one is coming up with concrete proposals on how to address
the restrictions imposed by the government and the problem of delivering
aid to the needy. This latter problem must be tackled as a matter of
extreme urgency; a way must be found of circumventing bureaucracy and
corruption. We just can’t beat around the bush any more.

The regime must agree to lift its restrictions and allow NGOs, UN agencies
and grassroots-level organizations to work freely in tackling AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis, and to offer them all assistance. It is also the
duty of Burmese groups, NGOs and UN agencies, including Global Fund, to
continue to press the regime to lift regulations and restrictions and
demonstrate good faith in extending humanitarian assistance to its own
citizens.

The military leaders have never ceased to claim their desire to build a
strong, modern and developed nation. To meet that ideal they must look
after the health of Burmese citizens. They certainly can’t hope to build a
strong nation while hundreds of thousands continue to die from disease and
neglect.