BurmaNet News, March 15, 2006

[Editor]

March 15, 2006 Issue # 2919

INSIDE BURMA
DVB: NLD continue to carry out political activities in central Burma

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: New migrant worker regulations
Kaladan: MSF’s humanitarian assistance in undocumented refugee camps

HEALTH / AIDS
AFP via the Nation: Burmese farmers struggle with news blackout on bird flu
DVB: Bird flu outbreak slows down biryani sale in Rangoon
Xinhua: Testing results on Myanmar bird flu expected in days

BUSINESS/TRADE
AFP: Myanmar opens biggest-ever gems auction

REGIONAL
The Hindu: Myanmar to inform India on Suu Kyi
Mizzima: MP questions India’s Burma policy
Thai Press: Thailand senators said Salween project may need approval by
Parliament
Washington Post: Rice Criticizes Burmese Government

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

March 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
NLD continue to carry out political activities in central Burma

National League for Democracy (NLD) members at Sagaing in central Burma,
reopened their office at the home of Sagaing Division NLD joint secretary
Chit Oo, in order to carry out the party’s activities systematically.

The office ‘reopened’ at the beginning of March and party leaders are
going to man the it in turn, two days a week and carry out their duties.

Sagaing Division NLD office had been closed down since the occurrence of
the notorious Dipeyin Massacre which occurred on 30 May 2003 and a
temporary communication office was opened at Chit Oo’s home, the
division’s secretary Tun Myaing.

When asked if the authorities are not saying anything about the reopening
of the office, Tun Myaing said: “There is nothing to be said about the
manning of the office. As our office is being sealed off, from the
beginning, we have been using Chit Oo’s home as the communication office.
As it is a communication office, it needs to be opened full-time.
Therefore, the authorities concerned say nothing about it.”

Tun Myaing added that the party is continuing to rally members and
supporters, distributing directives from the central office and giving
them trainings in personal skills.

Similarly, NLD members at Meikhtila Township in nearby Mandalay Division
opened a new office at the home of the township’s NLD secretary Myint
Myint Aye’s home in order to increase party activities.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

March 15, Irrawaddy
New migrant worker regulations - Khun Sam and Sai Silp

The Thai government has amended its registration policy for migrant
workers, allowing them to apply for work permits without a previously
required deposit, according to an official announcement.

The Ministry of Labour’s official website on Wednesday quoted Labor
Minister Somsak Thepsutin as saying: “After the ministry’s meeting with
employers who want to hire migrant workers, the ministry agreed to
postpone the payment of deposit money.” He went on to say that the
ministry would reconsider the amount of deposit required for different
kinds of jobs and businesses, and announce a decision by June.

Under the new procedure, employers still have to register their workers
before the existing March 30 deadline, but will only have to pay a
standard work permit fee of 3,800 baht (nearly US $100) for each worker.
The previous policy required employers to make an additional deposit of
between 10,000 ($250) and 50,000 baht ($1,250) for each worker. The
deposits were introduced to encourage employers to take better care of
their employers, and control the flow of migrant workers who move around
the country without permission or engage in criminal activity

Pranom Somwong, a project coordinator for the Migrant Assistance Program
foundation, said that strong criticism from employers—who had been
complaining that the required deposits were too high—might have encouraged
the government to change its policy. If employers were to release workers
instead of paying the deposits, Pranom said, Thailand may face labor
shortages in processing industries and a negative impact on the country’s
overall economy.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Pranom described the development
as “semi-positive,” and said that it would be a positive step for Thailand
to “take recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission of
Thailand, or from migrant worker support groups or human rights groups.”
Pranom remains optimistic that by June the Thai government will scrap the
deposit system altogether.

Thailand has over 1.2 million migrant workers (legal and illegal) from
Burma, Cambodia and Laos, according to official statistics. However, the
country still faces a severe labor shortage and is unable to meet growing
industrial demands, prompting officials to frequently revise registration
procedures.

____________________________________

March 15, Kaladan News
MSF’s humanitarian assistance in undocumented refugee camps

Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) has begun humanitarian work in the Dum Dum
Meah undocumented refugee camp since March 3.

The MSF group in Dum Dum Meah camp provides medicine and is into
construction work for fresh water and sanitary system.

The MSF group had no office till now in Dum Dum Meah camp, but they come
daily to the camp from their Cox's Bazaar office, said Kalu, a refugee.

"We hope there will be no problem of fresh water this summer and we will
get medicines and medical treatment if they work continuously in our
camp," he added.

The MSF group is going to close its Rangoon office in March 19 because
they have been facing many difficulties where they are unable to work
freely in Burma, said a report of RFA.

About 10,000 refugees are living in Dum Dum Meah makeshift camp without
any help from any quarter.

____________________________________

March 15, Thai Press Reports
Thailand senators said Salween River dam project may need approval by
Parliament

A contract to build a dam on the Salween river between the Egat and the
Burmese (Myanmar) government may require approval from parliament,
senators said, the Bangkok Post reports.

Panas Tasaneeyanond, a senator for Tak, said because the deal was
counter-signed by the Burmese government, it should be considered a
"government to government" contract and scrutinised by parliament, as
stipulated by the constitution.

At the same time, Senator Thongbai Thongpao said parliament has the power
to stop the dam project after scrutinising it.

Earlier, a senate panel on foreign affairs said the dam project needed
consent from parliament since it is to be built across the Salween river,
which serves as part of the natural border between Thailand and Burma.

It could introduce a physical change to the river, and thus the border.

The Ministry of Energy on behalf of the government in May last year signed
a memorandum of understanding with Burma's Ministry of Electric Power to
develop the dam projects on the river. As a result of the MoU, a working
group proposed five dams based on satellite surveys - three in Burmese
territory, and two on the border. Altogether, the five dams will generate
12,000 megawatts of electricity.

Seven months later, the Egat signed the memorandum of agreement with
Burma, and agreed to start the scheme with the Hutgyi dam, about 50
kilometres inside Burma territory, opposite Tak province.

Senator Tuenjai Deetes, chairwoman of the senate panel on natural
resources stability, said the panel may call on Egat to submit the project
to parliament.

Earlier, Egat Plc refused to disclose information about the projects as
demanded by senators and activists, saying it would violate an agreement
with Burma.

This has heightened concerns about the transparency of the projects among
social development experts as well as environmentalists, who fear the
projects might have an impact on the environment, people's livelihoods, as
well as national security.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

March 15, Agence France Press via the Nation
Burmese farmers struggle with news blackout on bird flu

Burma's military rulers Wednesday maintained a news blackout about the
country's first outbreak of bird flu, leaving farmers uncertain how to
prevent the deadly virus.

"I still don't know what the symptoms of bird flu are, so how can I know
if my chickens will die of bird flu?" asked 55-year-old farmer Shi, who
has only one name.

Shi said neither agricultural nor health officials had given her any
details of bird flu or instructions on what to do with her 750 chickens.
Her farm outside Mandalay is located some 700 kilometres (435 miles) north
of Rangoon, where the outbreak was detected.

She did not even know which farms had suffered the outbreak, or if hers
was anywhere near the affected area.

"I have no idea yet if the authorities will kill my chickens," Shi said.
"If many chickens died or many chickens were sick, I would inform the
health department, but the problem is I don't know what the symptoms of
bird flu are."

On Monday, military-run Burma, one of the world's most isolated and
impoverished nations, informed the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) that officials had detected bird flu in poultry.

But state-run media and tightly controlled private publications have not
carried any stories about the outbreak of bird flu, which has killed about
100 people in seven countries since 2003.

The only information about the disease has come from short-wave radio or
from posters placed by health authorities in Mandalay's markets, where
poultry vendors are no longer allowed.

The lethal H5N1 can spread from infected birds to people in close
proximity, and causes flu-like symptoms in humans.

Tin Maung Than, a US-based expert on Myanmar, said the media blackout came
as no surprise given the notoriously secretive nature of the junta, which
has ruled the country since 1962.

"In cases like bird flu, the government is very cautious," he said. "If
they announce bird flu, they assume that there will be a widespread fear
in the public. They are afraid of any sort of instability."

A Rangoon-based official for the UN Development Program said the global
body was well aware of a lack of the public information on bird flu.

"I'm sure the Burma government understands the importance of educating the
public about bird flu. The public information on bird flu is one of our
priorities in discussions with the government," said the official, who
declined to be named.

Since the outbreak, Burma has already slaughtered 780 birds and
quarantined at least four farms and is intensely searching for any other
signs of bird flu, according to the FAO.

Jai P. Narain, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) regional
department of communicable disease in New Delhi, said the junta was
handling the outbreak in line with WHO guidelines.

"The first level of defence against bird flu is immediate action to cull
all the poultry in particular areas. That activity is going on," Narain
said.

"I think they are doing what needs to be done. The government is on a
right track," he said, declining to comment on the media blackout.

 But Nyan Tun, a 77-year-old doctor in Mandalay, said he was worried he
had little information about the virus.

"We still don't know what the symptoms of bird flu are. We need to have
many technical strategies for treatment, and we need to educate the
people," he said.

____________________________________

March 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
Bird flu outbreak slows down biryani sale in Rangoon

Recent reports of the discovery of deadly bird flu virus H5N1 at Mandalay
in central Burma, had caused the sale of biryani, considered a luxurious
Indian dish, to go down at restaurants Rangoon.

The poor sale of biryani also caused the sale of chickens to tumble as
consumers heard learnt about the outbreak of the flu as early as a year
ago through ‘foreign’ radio stations, residents in Rangoon told DVB.

A Burmese vet said that another chicken disease known as ‘twisted neck’ in
Burmese is also occurring in the country and he warned that those who
handle and slaughter chickens could catch the virus through having contact
with mucus and droppings of the infected chickens.

Although H5N1 was reportedly discovered on 8 March, the authorities still
haven’t officially informed the public about the outbreak through the
state-controlled media yet.

According to latest reports, Bangladesh has banned the importation of
chickens and eggs from Burma in an attempt to prevent the disease from
spreading there.

____________________________________

March 15, Xinhua General News Service
Testing results on Myanmar bird flu expected in days

The testing results on suspected bird flu occurring in Myanmar are
expected to be revealed in two or three days after the samples were sent
to the lab in Bangkok on early Tuesday, a resident representative of the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told Xinhua
Wednesday evening.

While awaiting for the results, an FAO expert will arrive in Myanmar on
Thursday to make field investigation and disease surveillance over the
suspected outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in the country, Dr. Tang Zhengping
said.

The FAO expert will also coordinate and cooperate with the Department of
Livestock Breeding and Veterinary of Myanmar to work out ways and means to
cope with the situation, he said, adding that samples are also being
urgently arranged to be sent to Australia for similar test.

Since suspected outbreak of H5N1 bird flu was reported on Monday in
Mandalay and Sagaing divisions, Myanmar has placed some townships in the
two divisions under restricted zones a day later.

Animals movement control, temporary close down of markets and disease
investigation in the poultry farms have also been undertaken by the local
authorities with field investigation and disease surveillance being
carried out domestically and continuously on the one hand.

The authorities said some 112 chickens were found dead on March 8 in a
poultry farm in Pyigyidagun township in Mandalay and after that the
authorities culled 668 other birds for fear of spreading the disease.

When examination was made on the dead birds, H5N1 virus was detected among
them and the samples have been sent to the international bird flu
examination center for further confirmation.

The case followed that in Shwebo, Kantbalu and Khin Oo townships in
adjacent Sagaing division in February.

The authorities attributed the possible causes to migratory birds flying
across the country or illegal importation of hatching eggs and day-old
chicks.

The authorities have urged stakeholders involved in poultry farming and
trading to coordinate and cooperate in the effective control of avian
influenza, the sample of which being discovered in Myanmar for the first
time.

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

____________________________________
BUSINESS/TRADE

March 15, Agence France Presse
Myanmar opens biggest-ever gems auction

Myanmar's military rulers announced Wednesday their biggest-ever auction
of precious gems and jade, saying they hoped to earn at least 53 million
euros (63 million dollars) from the sale.

The auctions, normally held every six months, are one of the military's
most important sources of desperately needed foreign currency, although
final sales figures are rarely released.

Deputy mining minister, Myint Thein, said some 1,000 buyers from 11
countries would attend the auction -- with most merchants coming from
China and Thailand.

"This emporium is the most significant in terms of quality, quantity, as
well as attendance," Myint Thein said.

The vast majority of the 2,960 lots, set to go on the block from Thursday,
were jade, he said.

But the highlight of the auction will be a spectacular 33.39-carat
sapphire, which will go on sale with a starting price of 3.5 million euros
(4.1 million dollars), he said.

Viewing of the gems was underway Wednesday, with the five-day sale
beginning Thursday.

Myanmar is one of the poorest and most isolated countries in Asia, but has
vast natural wealth -- including natural gas, minerals and highly prized
teak wood -- that often disappears into black markets.

The junta began the gems auctions in a bid to curb the smuggling of
precious stones out of Myanmar, which deprives the government of
much-needed foreign currency.

Myanmar is under stiff EU and US sanctions imposed for human rights abuses
and failure to implement promised democratic reforms.

But neighboring giants China and India have increasingly sought to boost
trade relations, especially to satiate their ever-growing energy needs
with Myanmar's natural gas fields.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

March 15, The Hindu
Myanmar to inform India on Suu Kyi  - Sandeep Dikshit

India has expressed interest in the welfare of the Noble Peace prize
winner, Aung Sang Suu Kyi, under house arrest without trial by Myanmar's
ruling military junta since May 2003. The Myanmar leader, Senior General
Than Shwe, assured President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam that he would hold
discussions with senior army officers and others in the apex State Peace
and Development Council and get back to India.

"I said India had friendship with her father [considered the father of the
nation by the people of Myanmar]. Naturally the people were interested in
her well-being. Senior General Than Shwe informed that he would discuss
India's interest for Suu Kyi with his colleagues and get back to us," the
President told newspersons while returning to the country after visits to
Myanmar and Mauritius.
Impromptu discussion

The impromptu discussion on Ms. Suu Kyi's arrest took place as the
President was being seen off at the Yangon airport by Senior General Than
Shwe.

The pro-democracy leader has been kept at an unknown place and not allowed
to meet anyone bar her doctor. She has been in jail since 1990 when her
party won 80 per cent of the seats but the Army annulled the elections.
Ms. Suu Kyi is acknowledged as the leader of modern time's one of the
greatest non-violent political struggles for the restoration of democracy.

Mr. Kalam said he suggested to the SPDC leader that India would help him
in implementing his proposed seven-point plan to usher in democracy in
Myanmar. "I told him India would be happy to push the Parliamentary system
[in Myanmar] as far as possible," he added.

Ms. Syu Kyi, along with her lieutenants, was placed under house arrest in
2003, strangely after her convoy was attacked while on a political tour in
north Myanmar. In November last, her arrest was extended by another six
months. This period will come to an end next month.

The President summed up his two-nation visit to Myanmar and Mauritius as
"very important" as one is the gateway to South-East Asia and the other to
Africa. He also noted that both countries signed agreements on promoting
hydrocarbon exploration with India. "Mauritius has a very large exclusive
economic zone, almost one-third of India, and we have agreed to study for
hydrocarbons in the sea by our institution. In Myanmar, we agreed on the
evacuation of gas and several other projects," he said.

____________________________________

March 15, Mizzima News
MP questions India’s Burma policy - Mungpi

Indian member of parliament Sharad Joshi challenged India’s prime minister
to justify the country's policy of engagement with Burma during a
parliamentary session in New Delhi yesterday.

Joshi, a member of India's upper house, asked prime minister Manmohan
Singh to explain why India entered into agreements with the Burmese
military while they continued to suppress Burma's democracy movement
during a parliamentary review of external affairs.

"In the case of [Burma] the military junta has taken over and they don't
appear to have any intention of restoration of democracy," Joshi told
Mizzima.

"My question is that why should India make agreements with [the military
regime of Burma]."

Prime minister Singh defended India's stance on Burma saying while the
Indian government had a good relationship with the Burmese military, they
were also pushing for reforms in the country.

"The prime minister said that we have to keep our relationship. But we are
trying to talk to [the junta] for the restoration of democracy in Burma
and we are also practically trying to get the release of Aung San Suu
Kyi," Joshi said.

Joshi, a member of the Indian Parliamentarians Forum for the Restoration
of Democracy in Burma, said he was also opposed to Indian president APJ
Abdul Kalam's visit to Burma early this month.

During Kalam's visit to Rangoon he signed several bilateral agreements
with the head of Burma’s military senior general Than Shwe. Kalam did not
meet detained National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I can understand that [Indian President] went [to Burma] but why is it he
did not at least see the leader of the people of democratic movement in
jail. And if he is not prepared to push for such a visit then he should
simple refuse to go [to Burma]," Joshi said.

____________________________________

March 15, Washington Post
Rice Criticizes Burmese Government - Alan Sipress

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sharply criticized Burma's military
government Wednesday for denying the aspirations of its people, describing
it as an oppressive holdout in a region moving increasingly toward
democracy.

Speaking during the second day of a visit to Indonesia, Rice condemned
Burma's rulers for bankrupting their once vibrant economy and shuttering
universities that had previously attracted top scholars.

Her tough remarks, which echoed earlier administration criticism of Burma,
capped an address surveying the state of U.S. relations with countries
across Southeast Asia.

"A country that was once the jewel of Southeast Asia is now out of step
with the entire modern experience of the region," she told an audience of
scholars, politicians, businessmen and students at the Indonesia Council
on World Affairs. Citing Burma's decision late last year to relocate its
capital to a remote site in its interior, she continued, "The Burmese
regime is now literally retreating into the depths of the country, closing
its people off from the world and robbing them of their future."

The U.S. government has imposed economic sanctions on Burma over the last
decade in hope of pushing the ruling generals toward political reform and
winning the release of detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. The
country's military rulers have maintained tight control since they
rejected the results of a 1990 election won by Suu Kyi's National League
for Democracy in a landslide.

With few formal contacts remaining between Washington and Rangoon, U.S.
officials have been looking to the leaders of Burma's Asian neighbors to
press the cause of political reform.

"Democracy still faces determined opponents, and where freedom is under
attack, it must be defended," Rice said after noting that Indonesians
themselves had successfully established a democratic system in recent
years after longtime dictator Suharto was ousted in 1998 amid mass
protests.

Two weeks ago, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono traveled to
Burma and called on its rulers to keep the rest of Southeast Asian
informed about internal political changes. He also urged that monitors
from countries in the region be allowed to visit.

While these steps were modest, they reflect a new willingness by
neighboring countries to intervene in Burma's domestic affairs. Members of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had long rejected what
they called meddling in each other's internal matters.

Late last year, ASEAN agreed to dispatch Malaysia's foreign minister, Syed
Hamid Albar, on a mission to Burma to assess whether the government
intended to proceed with democratic reforms it had promised. But Burma
repeatedly rebuffed Albar's request to visit.

In her speech, Rice praised ASEAN for its recent efforts to move Burma
toward democracy. She also noted that the U.N. Security Council is
reviewing the situation inside that country.

"So long as the proud people of this great nation remain oppressed, there
can be no business as usual in Southeast Asia," she said.

During her remarks, Rice emphasized the U.S. wish to cooperate with ASEAN
in confronting a range of security challenges.

Several Southeast Asian governments, including U.S. allies, have
criticized the Bush administration in recent years for its apparent
reluctance to engage with the organization. These regional officials have
warned that the U.S. approach is ceding influence to China, which has
proven more enthusiastic about engaging with ASEAN as an institution.

Rice outlined three areas of concern, including the hazard posed by
pirates and other criminals to crucial shipping lanes in the Malacca
Straits, a narrow strip of water between Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia
through which a quarter of the world's oil and trade passes. She also
cited the danger of epidemic illnesses, most recently bird flu, and the
continuing threat of terrorism carried out by radical groups, such as the
Jemaah Islamiyah underground in Indonesia and Abu Sayyaf in the
Philippines.

On the economic front, Rice said the United States would continue to
promote free trade in the region. She noted that the U.S. government has
already completed a free trade agreement with Singapore and has started
talks with Thailand and Malaysia on similar accords.extended by six months
in December.