BurmaNet News, October 28, 2005

[Editor]

October 28, 2005 Issue # 2833


INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Junta prepares to leave ILO as relations hit new low
The Daily Telegraph: Burma jails protester 'in revenge'
Irrawaddy: Rangoon raises bus fares
Irrawaddy: UK Ambassador discusses security, human rights with junta
Naranjara: Factories in Akyab close down as fuel price sky rockets

ON THE BORDER
Narinjara: Bangladesh to introduce ID cards for border citizens to prevent
infiltration of Burmese Muslims
SHAN: No stopping the girls leaving home

HEALTH / AIDS
Xinhua: Myanmar free from bird flu: official

BUSINESS / FINANCE
International Oil Daily: Total places Yadana order
Xinhua: 13 river routes to be sealed off to stop smuggling

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: UN rights rapporteur urges world to spur Myanmar democracy

OPINION / OTHER
SEAPSNet: If Asean can't do it, time for UN to deal with Myanmar?

STATEMENT
United Nations: Statement by Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro,
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar


____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

October 28, Irrawaddy
Junta prepares to leave ILO as relations hit new low - Clive Parker

A report released by the International Labour Organization on Friday has
confirmed the Burmese government intends to withdraw from the
organization, leaving the relationship between the two at an all time low.

An ILO delegation visiting Rangoon last week was told by Burma’s Ministry
of Labor that it had every intention of leaving the organization after
nearly 60 years of membership despite being warned such a move would do
considerable damage to the junta’s already poor international reputation.

Leaving the organization would effectively suggest that the Burmese regime
is unable to solve its forced labor problem, which it has repeatedly
assured the ILO it is keen to address.

Seeking confirmation of the decision, the delegation was told by Minister
of Labor Thaung that Burma planned to leave the organization because of
its unfair treatment.

It is not yet known whether Burma will fulfill its two-year notice period
before full withdrawal, a stipulation that forms part of the ILO’s
constitution. The Geneva-based organization, for its part, said it hopes
to increase its presence in Burma.

Overall, the report was highly critical of the Burmese government in its
dealings with instances of forced labor and drew attention to the
disturbing news that Richard Horsey, the ILO’s representative in Rangoon,
had received 21 death threats in August and September this year.

One such letter—which Horsey received through the post at his personal
residence—reads: “I would like to urge you not to intervene our internal
affairs: If you interfere our internal affairs, your head will be cut off
and our people will crush you and poison you. Be careful, danger is
everywhere for you.”

The report said that Leon de Riedmatten—who has acted as an intermediary
for the ILO and Burma’s democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi in both
parties’ dealings with the junta—had also received similar threats at the
end of August. De Riedmatten was the first liaison officer of the ILO in
Burma when it originally opened its office in May 2002.

In response to the incidents, the ILO sent a letter expressing its concern
to Burma’s Prime Minister Gen Soe Win. To date it has not received a
reply, although the Ministry of Labor had previously assured Horsey “that
Myanmar [Burma] had a reputation as a very safe country so he should have
no concerns about his personal security except in remote areas,” the
report said.

The ILO says the letters form part of a concerted campaign of intimidation
by government affiliated bodies, including the Union Solidarity and
Development Association and the Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation, which
this year have held mass rallies and issued statements highly critical of
the ILO. These organizations have also called for Burma’s withdrawal from
the ILO, statements which have routinely appeared in Burma’s state-run
press.

In respect to Burma’s efforts to tackle forced labor issues, the report
was perhaps the most critical to date by the ILO.

It cited Burma’s insistence at prosecuting what it considers to be false
claimants of forced labor as a major stumbling block. One such related
case—which the ILO says it is following closely—involves Su Su Nway who
successfully prosecuted the authorities on forced labor charges only to
find herself later sentenced to 18 months in jail for abusing government
officials.

In another case the government is reported to have rearrested Aye
Myint—who had previously been sentenced to death for high treason and then
released—after he informed on the authorities in a land confiscation case.

The ILO said another forced labor case raised in 2004, however, had been
dealt with by the authorities and villagers had not been subjected to
further human rights violations.

Overall, the report recommended a stepping up in action against the junta,
ahead of a meeting of the organization’s governing body next month: “The
next session should not limit itself to reviewing the steps taken under
the 2000 resolution, but should also be ready to consider further steps,”
it said.

Burma became the only country in the ILO’s 86-year history to be subjected
to sanctions by the body in 2000, which were subsequently reactivated in
June this year.

If it were to leave the organization, Burma would become only the fourth
country to do so in recent times— South Africa left between 1966 and 1994,
the US did so from 1977-1980, and Vietnam between 1985 and 1992.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy today by telephone, Horsey said he was
disappointed with the way events had turned: “It is always regrettable if
any country decides to leave [the ILO], whatever the reasons. I
 believe
that the best way to make credible progress on the elimination of forced
labor is through cooperation between Myanmar [Burma] and the ILO. It is
through such cooperation that genuine progress has been made in the past.”

_____________________________________

October 28, The Daily Telegraph
Burma jails protester 'in revenge' - Sebastien Berger

The first Burmese victim of forced labour ever to sue the authorities and
win has been jailed for defamation, in what campaigners say is a blatant
act of revenge.

Forced labour is widespread under Burma's military dictatorship, which is
regarded as one of the most repressive and corrupt regimes in the world.
Authorities describe the practice as "self-help volunteering".

Earlier this year Su Su Nway, 34, a woman living in Htan-Manaing outside
Rangoon, saw the chairman of the village committee and two of its members
jailed after she filed a complaint against them, an unprecedented move.

The authorities prosecuted her for defamation, saying she had abused,
threatened, and sworn at officials.

Before her conviction she said: "I will be sent to jail one day or
another. If I go to prison thus, I want to urge all those have been
subjected to forced labour like me not to feel dejected but fight on
bravely."

_____________________________________

October 28, Irrawaddy
Rangoon raises bus fares

Burma’s public transportation fees have risen six times to 120 kyat (8.4
US cents) from 20 kyat (1.5 US cents) the state-controlled All Bus Lines
Control Committee announced yesterday. The current increase is the second
in the last week.

Residents in Rangoon said daily wage earners, who survive on less than US
50 cents a day and rely on public transportation, have suffered most by
the price increase, as additional government-subsided gas and fuel prices
shot up last week. Hikes in fuel costs have led to a rise in the price of
other goods. One resident said that most basic food items have doubled in
price.

The military government, however, has dismissed concerns about the recent
economic woes, saying that the price increases were “reasonable.”
Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw San told reporters at a press
conference last Sunday that the government had been subsidizing gasoline
at a significant loss, and the increase was spurred by “international
crude prices.” According to sources in Rangoon, discussions of the
implications of price increases have been censored by the country’s
state-run media.

_____________________________________

October 28, Irrawaddy
UK Ambassador discusses security, human rights with junta

British Ambassador Vicky Bowman held talks with Interior Minister Maj-Gen
Maung Oo and Police Chief Khin Yi on Tuesday, in which she pressed the
issue of human rights and discussed the continuing absence of security
outside foreign embassies.

A spokesperson for the British Embassy said the ambassador also pressed
the issue of political prisoners in the country. Foreign embassies in
Rangoon have been concerned about security since the beginning of this
month when the government—without explanation—withdrew guards from outside
foreign compounds. It later explained these would be replaced by
plain-clothes security personnel, but this has not been implemented. A
diplomat in Rangoon said talks on the issue remain “ongoing.”

The British Embassy in Rangoon said it requested the meeting to discuss
cooperation in areas related to the Interior Ministry’s mandate, including
HIV/AIDS. The EU has a three-pronged policy in dealing with the junta
based on targeted sanctions, assistance and dialogue, the embassy said.
____________________________________

October 28, Narinjara News
Factories in Akyab close down as fuel price sky rockets

The alarming increase of gasoline prices has forced at least four major
factories and a number of small factories in Akyab, the capital of Arakan
state, to close down."About 1,000 workers from Akyab are now jobless
following the shut down of the factories," said a worker from Akyab.

Most of them are day labourers working in the fishery sector. Now they are
having trouble surviving, said a fishing boat owner. An ice factory of a
pearl and a fish husbandry project closed down first in Akyab. One week
later three other factories followed suit. The two factories are Aung
Naing Won, Shwe Nga. "Increase of gasoline prices has not only affected
the factories, but also all fishing sectors in Arakan," said another
fishing boat owner. Several fishing boats have been anchored since then,
as there is no income being generated by fishing boats going to sea to
catch fish.In Akyab, the time for the electricity supply to be cut off has
been shifted from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In the very near future, towns will be unable to get electricity because
of high fuel prices. In Arakan State, all towns are now receiving
electricity from fuel-powered generators, said a source in Maungdaw.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

October 28, Narinjara News
Bangladesh to introduce ID cards for border citizens to prevent
infiltration of Burmese Muslims

The government of Bangladeshi is toying with the idea of providing
identity (ID) cards to Bangladeshi nationals in Teknaf and Ukhiya, the
Burma-Bangladesh area in Cox’s Bazaar district in Bangladesh. This is
being done to make it easier to identify locals, given that there is an
exodus of Burmese Muslims into Bangladesh.

A local newspaper, the Dainik Cox’s Bazaar, reported in its October 27
issue that the home ministry is contemplating providing such identity
cards. The home ministry of Bangladesh has already sent letters to the
respective police authorities in Ukhiya and Teknaf, bordering towns with
Burma, to take necessary steps regarding issuing of ID cards. Bangladesh
authorities cannot prevent the inflow of Burmese Muslim because they look
like local Bangladesh people.

It is easy for the infiltrators to mingle with citizens of Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi nationals say that the number of Muslims coming from Burma are
increasing by the day, creating various negative impacts on national
security and the loss of national assets in Bangladesh. Providing ID cards
to the locals will aid existing superficial troubles rather than solve
problems relating to the increase of Burmese Muslims into Bangladesh
unless effective action against the illegal entry from Burma is taken by
using laws and rules concerning refugees, said some people in Bangladesh.

They say, “Send the Burmese Muslims back to their homeland immediately
because they are spreading throughout the country.” They also urged that
it was high time to take effective steps concerning the Burmese Muslims or
else, the consequences would be dangerous for every Bangladeshi national.

____________________________________

October 27, Shan Herald Agency for News
No stopping the girls leaving home

Burma has recently promulgated the anti-human trafficking law. Which in
effect means women under 25 cannot cross the border between Burma’s
Tachilek and Thailand’s Maesai without special authorization.

Sources on the border however say otherwise. Under aged girls are turned
away at the principal crossing point at the Friendship Bridge. Bur
officials at other crossing points of the river Maesai have not even
bothered to ask to see the national registration card (NRC) from anybody
who pays 300-500 baht ($7.5-12.5).

Another official stipulation is that all females leave their NRCs at the
immigration checkpoint when they go to Maesai across the bridge and pick
them up when they return. In reality, a payment of 300 Kyat ($ 7.5) can
make people concerned to overlook the point.

People crossing the border at the Friendship Bridge are charged 20 baht
($0.5) per person each way, 10 for Burma and the other 10 for Thailand.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

October 28, Xinhua News Agency
Myanmar free from bird flu: official

Myanmar remains free from bird flu, with no cases reported so far in the
country in the wake of renewed outbreak of the disease worldwide, a
livestock official told Xinhua Friday.

Despite the absence of the cases, Myanmar has urged the public to remain
vigilant against the influenza following the persistent presence of the
virus and fresh outbreak in countries including neighbors, said a deputy
director with the administration department of the Ministry of Livestock
and Fisheries.

Meanwhile, the authorities have called for keeping aware of the modes of
infection of the disease and intensifying precautionary and educational
measures to prevent any occurrence in humans and birds, said the official
who declined to be named.

Myanmar has developed a national pandemic plan since early this year for
controlling the disease under guidelines prescribed by the World Health
Organization and isolation units have also been set up at hospitals in the
country's border towns.

According to earlier reports, the Japan International Cooperation Agency
has provided Myanmar with equipment and test kits to improve its capacity
for diagnosing bird flu.

Myanmar has also benefited from a fund of 400,000 US dollars extended to
Southeast Asian nations by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to
enhance efforts in this regard.

Since renewed outbreak of bird flu in some Southeast Asian countries was
reported in September last year, Myanmar has stepped up precautionary
measures against the disease, including alerting farmers to report any
unusual increase in mortality rate among poultry.

There are 63 million chickens in Myanmar, of which 50 million are bred
outdoor in rural areas.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / FINANCE

October 28, International Oil Daily
Total places Yadana order

French Total has awarded German turbine-maker Siemens an order for two gas
turbine compressor trains to be installed on a new platform in the Yadana
gas field in the Andaman Sea offshore Myanmar.

They will be used to supply gas to the domestic market and to three power
plants in the Bangkok conurbation in Thailand. The order is scheduled for
delivery to Myanmar in May 2006.

The Myanmar job, combined with another order in Russia, is worth 33
million ($40 million), Siemens said.
_____________________________________

October 28, Xinhua News Agency
13 river routes to be sealed off to stop smuggling

Facing the continuous smuggling of fertilizer to neighboring countries,
Bangladesh has decided to seal off 13 river routes to stop the crime and
apprehend smugglers.

"A huge amount of fertilizer is being smuggled out of the country as the
price in India and Myanmar is two to three times higher than the local
one," local daily New Age quoted a Home Ministry official as saying on
Friday.

"The government is already facing shortage of fertilizer due to
smuggling," he said, adding that the Bangladesh Navy and Coastguard would
soon increase patrols in the routes and start checking the outgoing
vessels to seize fertilizer.

The issue on smuggling fertilizer, diesel and edible oil to India and
Myanmar has been constantly discussed by the Home Ministry over the past
few months as it has had a very adverse impact on the economy and the
local markets.

"By patrolling and checking boats on the river routes, we will be able to
seize the major portion of fertilizer being smuggled," Lutfozzaman Babar,
State Minister for Home Affairs, was quoted as saying.

According to the daily, the Coastguard has seized 11,250 sacks of
fertilizer worth about 2.8 million taka (43,000 US dollars) from southern
Bhola and Hizla subdistrict in three separate drives on the river Meghna
in the last two days.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

October 27, Agence France Presse
UN rights rapporteur urges world to spur Myanmar democracy

Military rulers are driving Myanmar into further isolation and the world
community, particularly neighboring states, must help find a constructive
way out of the impasse, a UN rights official said Thursday.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the special human rights rapporteur for Myanmar,
told a committee of the UN General Assembly that despite "grave concern
about systematic human rights abuses" and the lack of progress toward
democratic rule, "we must not give up."

"I urge the international community to step up its assistance and not to
retreat from supporting the people of Myanmar," said Pinheiro, a Brazilian
who addressed the assembly for the last time, as his mandate expires next
April.

"It is our duty to direct our best efforts to find a constructive way out
of the current impasse," he noted, stressing that Myanmar's neighbors had
a key role to play.

"The current leadership appears to be driving the country toward further
international isolation," said Pinheiro, who has not been allowed to visit
Myanmar since November 2003.

"The friends and good neighbors of Myanmar should demonstrate that this is
a serious mistake, which is causing significant damage internally and is
blighting the reputation of the region and its prospects for prosperity
and stability," he added.

He called for a coordinated international drive to pressure Yangon's
military junta.

"The United Nations and the international community stand ready to work in
partnership with the government, the political parties and civil society
organizations, to effectively and expeditiously facilitate national
reconciliation and the transition to democracy," he added.

Earlier this month, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
lawmakers urged UN chief Kofi Annan and the Security Council to take up
the issue of Myanmar.

Last month, former Czech president Vaclav Havel and South African
Archbishop and Nobel peace prize laureate Desmond Tutu also urged the
Security Council to push the Yangon junta to reform.

The United States, Britain and France have expressed interest but China,
Russia and Myanmar's partners in ASEAN are cool to the idea.

Pinheiro on Thursday reiterated that over 1,100 people remained behind
bars for their political beliefs in Myanmar.

Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won 1990 elections but was never allowed to
govern, has been under house arrest for much of the past 16 years -- the
world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

Myanmar's ethnic minorities are being subjected to gross rights violations
while "the machinery of law, order and justice, far from upholding the
rights of citizens, has been employed as an implement of repression and to
silence dissent," Pinheiro said.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

October 28, SEAPSNet
If Asean can't do it, time for UN to deal with Myanmar?

Bangkok: Those who are hoping that the "Myanmar issue" will be high on the
agenda at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur this December are likely to be
disappointed. Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the
meeting's focus will be on economic issues and the integration of Asean.
There will be no discussion on specific issues or human rights. In other
words, the leaders will stick to Asean's long-held policy of
non-interference – which some critics say are outdated – at the summit.

"Asean is not in the habit of discussing a particular country in an
agenda," Mr Syed Hamid said on Oct 24. However, Asean's 10 leaders are
free to raise any issue on the sidelines of the summit, he added.

The absence of the Myanmar issue on the formal agenda of this year's
summit will come as no surprise to Asean-watchers. Still, the Bangkok Post
couldn't help feeling disappointed that Myanmar's military leaders will be
spared from having to engage in a formal discussion with their Asean
counterparts over issues such as political reforms and the release of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

In an editorial, the Post said that by relegating the Myanmar issue to the
sidelines, "it is clear that Asean has no intention of really addressing
the situation in Burma".

"It is also a slap in the face of the United Nations. Late last year, then
UN's special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, specifically called on Asean
to do more to speed up democratic reforms the junta had promised to carry
out. He said there would be no change in Burma unless Asean members accept
that responsibility."

The Nation, in an editorial, attributed Asean's reluctance to increase
pressure on Myanmar to the organisation's internal problems. "The group is
currently facing a huge dilemma because member countries are not in
harmony with each other."

Referring to the ongoing diplomatic row between Thailand and Malaysia over
the violence in southern Thailand, the newspaper said: "Never before in
the history of Asean have the grouping's core countries been so vicious in
their dealings with each other. This state of affairs could have
far-reaching implications for Asean because it could divide the member
states further."

The Nation suggested that it is time for the United Nations' Security
Council to be more proactive in pushing for changes in Myanmar.

"If the Security Council takes up the Burmese issue, it would be good for
Asean. For one thing, it would remove pressure from the group, which at
core wants to see positive change in the country


"The international community has failed to deliver its promises to (Aung
San Suu Kyi) for the last 17 years. Now, only the council's intervention
will make a difference."

____________________________________
STATEMENT

October 27, United Nations
Statement by Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro,
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
To the General Assembly

Thursday 27 October (agenda item 71)

Mr. Chairperson,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Commission on Human Rights invited me in 2000 to take up the mandate
of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. I
accepted the appointment with optimism and openness to work in the mandate
pragmatically, inspired by my dear friend Sergio Vieira de Mello:

"I have not come to teach you lessons. I am not going to tell you what you
already know perhaps better than I. But do listen to me, because I come as
a friend and I can share with you some experience, which can be useful to
you. Perhaps I can help you solve some problems. This will bring you
credit in the eyes of the international community and at the same time
consolidate the political stability and security inside your frontier."


>From the outset, I sought to exercise my mandate with independence,

objectivity and impartiality, which have never been contested by the
Government of Myanmar. Realizing the challenges, I tried to identify the
primary issues of concern. I also looked at possible ways in which I could
assist the Government in instituting the reforms necessary to smoothly and
expeditiously facilitate the realization of human rights and the
transition to democracy, reforms to which the Government has pledged its
commitment.

Today, I address the General Assembly for the final time, as my mandate
expires in April next year. I stand before you with a sense of frustration
for not having been able to fulfill my duty as I wished. Indeed, the
Government of Myanmar has not invited me to visit the country since
November 2003. Similarly, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General
has not been granted access since March 2004, which I deeply regret.

Throughout my mandate as Special Rapporteur I have received many reports,
documenting violations of the Government's pledge to democratic reform and
respect for human rights. I have attempted on many occasions, through
different means, to be allowed to visit the country in order to verify
those reports. The Government of Myanmar has not given me the opportunity
to do so. In this way the Government is renouncing to have its views and
policies reflected in my report.

The Government's pledge to democratic reform and respect for human rights
was made and has been reiterated since the 1990 elections were cancelled.
A first step was the convening of a National Convention, charged with
drafting a new Constitution. This National Convention has been in place
for over twelve years. In its last session of 17 February-31 March 2005,
it was convened, yet again, under a number of same procedural
restrictions. Many key political actors, such as the National League for
Democracy, have been excluded from the process. Critical voices are not
tolerated. Inclusion is dependent upon the participants' acceptance of the
six 'objectives' that should serve as the basis for the future
Constitution. One such objective is the participation of the military in
the national political leadership of the state, with a quarter of seats in
the national parliament and one third of the seats in the regional
parliaments reserved for the military.

Freedom of assembly and association are still not respected or guaranteed.
Almost all of the offices of political parties such as the National League
for Democracy have been shut down. Press censorship appears to be
worsening. Intimidation and detention of pro-democracy activists
continues. Over 1,100 people are currently behind bars for their political
beliefs, some with prison sentences of over 47 years. Many of those
include MPs elected in the 1990 elections that were prevented from taking
their seats, as well as poets, journalists, monks, students and teachers.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate remains in a virtual
solitary confinement in her house, with no visitors permitted, even
without access to the ICRC, which otherwise has full access to all other
prisoners in Myanmar. The General Secretary of the NLD has spent a total
of 10 years in three separate periods of house-arrest from 1989-1995,
2000-2002 and from May 2003 until today. Elderly political prisoners such
as the poet U Win Tin, the Vice-chairman of the National League for
Democracy U Tin Oo and the author and lawyer U Shwe Ohn are in their late
seventies and early eighties. Many are in urgent need of medical care.

The Government's "roadmap" to democracy has no time frame and no scale.
The destinations are hazy, the road-signs keep shifting and the journey
time between each place is anybody's guess. The loose mention of a
referendum and political elections has not yet been clarified. The
political transition process has become a long and winding road with no
clear end in sight.

Of grave concern is the level and consistency of abuses committed against
Myanmar's ethnic communities. It is reported that some ethnic groups are
re-considering ceasefire agreements as they have failed to bring about any
improvement in their day-to-day life. In some instances, and despite those
agreements, there has been an increase in Government military presence in
certain ethnic areas. Moreover, the political concerns of ethnic
communities appear to be unaddressed in the deliberations of the National
Convention. There is a risk that, should the Government continue to ignore
these ethnic concerns, including the alleged gross violations committed
against ethnic communities and the duty to arrest and detain of those
responsible, these fragile agreements risk to unravel.

I stress in my report the record of widespread and systematic violations
of human rights in Myanmar and the consistent failure of the Government to
protect the citizens prevail in the country. The Government has shown
little interest in examining allegations of serious human rights abuses by
its forces against its own citizens. Successive requests for
investigations to be conducted into allegations of rape of ethnic women in
Shan State and the Depayin killings were met with inertia. The culture of
impunity is such that complaints, which are brought to the authorities'
attention, are frequently met with threats and reprisals.

The machinery of law, order and justice, far from upholding the rights of
citizens, has been employed as an implement of repression and to silence
dissent. Calls for reform and offers of technical assistance to train
officials in international standards have been met with silence.

I must also mention that non-State armed groups have also committed
serious human rights abuses despite their clear obligation to abide to
principles of human rights and humanitarian law.

 Widespread reports of forced labor are commonplace, where men, women,
children and the elderly are obliged by authorities to carry out such
duties as road construction, fencing of military barracks, mine-sweeping,
portering of military supplies and cultivation of crops on civilian land
for military use. Those who are unwilling or unable to carry out such
orders are frequently exhorted to pay a fee, in lieu of their 'duties',
or face punishment. Anyone found to have made what the Government deems
as 'false' complaints to the International Labour Organization, according
to a Government spokesman, face prosecution.

Forced relocations of entire villages by Government agents continue,
ostensibly to curb the activities of armed opposition groups. Such forced
relocations have been described by one of my predecessors as being akin to
a 'scorched earth policy'. It was estimated in October 2004 that since the
end of 2002, 157, 000 people have been displaced by armed conflict or
human rights abuses and around 240 villages have been destroyed or
relocated.

The resulting outflow of people fleeing such violations has produced
several hundred thousand refugees, as well as a high number of displaced
people. Many have become migrant workers in neighboring countries. The
number of people originating from Myanmar in Thailand alone is estimated
to stand between 700.000-1 million. India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and other
countries in the region are also playing host to people leaving Myanmar.

Repeated calls for immediate economic reform have been unsuccessful. The
economy continues to spiral downwards as the price of daily commodities
rapidly increases beyond the affordability of citizens. Without
fundamental economic and political reforms being instituted, there cannot
be any improvement in these trends. To postpone the normalization of the
political environment means arresting the development of the country and
impeding the rich potential of Myanmar

Trafficking is a pressing problem, which is having a major impact within
the borders of Myanmar and its neighboring countries. There is also now
serious concern at the very rapidly increasing rate of HIV/Aids infection
within Myanmar, which is spreading across its borders to neighboring
countries. Unfortunately for the people of Myanmar, increased restrictions
on the operations of the Global Fund led the Fund to take the very
regrettable decision to withdraw from the country.

Let me stress this point: I believe that the increased scrutiny and
excessive bureaucratic restrictions to which humanitarian organizations
are being subjected should not deter the international community from its
duty to respond to the humanitarian crisis within the country. The ability
to provide assistance when and where it is required and to assess the
needs is a key humanitarian value that all member States are bound to
uphold. The peoples of Myanmar have a right to be supported.

A  positive statement made by the "Student Generations since 1988" which
calls for cooperation among the Government, UN agencies, independent civil
groups and international donors in addressing the critical humanitarian
needs of the people of Myanmar must be warmly  welcomed. They point out
the importance of establishing appropriate mechanisms in the country,
which are open and accountable, to coordinate the flow of humanitarian aid
to people in distress.

I urge the international community to step up its assistance and not to
retreat from supporting the people of Myanmar. We have a duty to the
hungry and suffering people to overcome these difficulties.

Mr. Chairperson,

At this point, if you allow me, I feel that I have made clear the reasons
for the disappointment I expressed at the beginning of my intervention.
There is no doubt that the General Assembly, the Commission on Human
Rights, my predecessors and I have been reiterating for years now, our
'grave concern' about systematic human rights abuses and the lack of
transition from military to democratic rule. The commitments made by the
Government have not materialized.

Many dawns have come and gone, with little sign of an improvement to the
suffering of the people of Myanmar. Yet, despite my frustration, despite
the fact that the patience of the international community is been tested -
the recent report commissioned by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former
President Vaclav Havel  is an  expression of this  sentiment -  I believe
that we must not give up. It is our duty to direct our best efforts to
find a constructive way to forward out of the current impasse. We owe that
to the people who are striving in Myanmar to improve their own situation.

I am under the impression that the current leadership appears to be
driving the country towards further international isolation. The friends
and good neighbors of Myanmar should demonstrate that this is a serious
mistake, which is causing significant damage internally and is blighting
the reputation of the region and its prospects for prosperity and
stability. No country in the interdependent world of today can pretend or
afford to live in such isolation.

The transition to a full, participatory and democratic system in must not
be postponed. As my colleagues and I have reiterated several times, the
United Nations and the international community stand ready to work in
partnership with the Government, the political parties and civil society
organizations, to effectively and expeditiously facilitate national
reconciliation and the transition to democracy. In strengthening its
cooperation with international organizations, the Government can be
assured of support for conflict resolution, political and economic reform,
institution and capacity building, humanitarian assistance and human
development.

In closing, I wish to extend my warm appreciation and thanks to the member
States and civil society organizations that supported and facilitated my
mandate.

Thank you.