BurmaNet News, September 6, 2006

[Editor]

September 6, 2006 Issue # 3039


INSIDE BURMA
Associated Press: In Myanmar, laughter is the only medicine, but a dose
can be dangerous

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Burma seals border island with Bangladesh

HEALTH / AIDS
AP: Report: Myanmar declares itself free of bird flu

DRUGS
Irrawaddy: Drug addiction on the rise in Kachin State

ASEAN
Jakarta Post: ASEAN public urged to crank up pressure on Myanmar junta

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: UN considering second Gambari visit to Burma
AFP: EU has not softened stance on Myanmar: presidency

OPINION / OTHER
SHAN: Biodiesel in Burma: A friendly alternative?

PRESS RELEASE
NCGUB: ASEM Summit urged to find 'practical solutions' for Burma

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

September 6, Associated Press
In Myanmar, laughter is the only medicine, but a dose can be dangerous -
Aaron Clark

In Myanmar, there's not much to laugh about these days. Ask some of its
most famous comedians. Two of the Moustache Brothers, a trio known for
jokes about the omnipresent secret service and, curiously, for classical
Myanmar dance, were sentenced to five years in jail at hard labor after
making fun of the country's ruling military generals.

Although blacklisted from public performances, the aging performers
leveraged their cause célèbre status an Amnesty International campaign
helped win their release into securing the government's OK to perform, if
only at their home for tourists. Others have not even been as lucky as the
"brothers" troupe, actually two brothers and a cousin.

Mg Myit Tar, a comedian and singer, was banned from performing after
making a crack on state television about the country's frequently
shut-down university system. One woman comedian who made off-color jokes
about the generals and who shares a name with the junta leader was blocked
from working after she refused to change her name.

"Most of the jokes in our country satirize the government and its corrupt
system so the authorities are afraid of our jokes," said Maung Thura, a
dental student turned stand-up comic barred from the stage since May.

"It is very difficult to perform nowadays. Most of the comedians are
banned. "Myanmar's brand of humor would seem innocuous in most societies,
like a joke now making the rounds that Maung Thura told about a chat by an
Englishman, an American and a man from Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"Our man who had no legs could climb Mt. Everest," brags the Englishman,
and the American shoots back, "Our man sailed across the Pacific with no
hands." Then the Burmese chimes in: "That's nothing. Our country has been
ruled for 18 years by a group of men who have no heads."

But such cracks are enough to land comedians among Myanmar's more than
1,100 political prisoners, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch.
The organization says the ruling junta "continues to ban virtually all
opposition political activity and to persecute democracy and human rights
activists.

"Although the regime denies human rights violations, the crackdown on
comedians is part of a larger government effort that seemingly scrutinizes
everything from obituaries to cartoons for any hint of dissent and imposes
harsh punishments on supposed offenders. That hasn't stopped the
wisecracking.

In Myanmar, quietly traded jokes run the gamut from the claim that
generals' wives acted as bookies during the recent soccer World Cup to the
observation that the daily power cuts only give teenagers greater
opportunity for hanky-panky in the dark.

Maung Thura perhaps the country's most popular comic, known by the stage
name "Zargana" was banned after giving an interview to the BBC, supposedly
for criticizing the regime's rules on Thangyat performances that
traditionally poke fun at society and politics.

Zargana has a history of run-ins with authorities. Offered a seat at a
police station when once taken in for questioning, he reportedly replied,
"Thanks, but I don't want to sit down, because once I sit on a chair I
won't want to give up my seat" a reference to then-Prime Minister Ne Win's
penchant for clinging to power.

"They could not stop the conversation between me and the people," Zargana,
whose shaved head and rimless glasses lend him an air of modernity, said
in an interview. The comedian, whose nickname translates as "tweezers," is
just the latest casualty of the crackdown on comedy.

"Let me put it this way, I think hard-line generals don't like jokes,"
said Aung Zaw, editor of Irrawaddy, an independent newsmagazine based in
Thailand that reports on Myanmar-related issues.

Comedian-singer Mg Myit Tar was silenced by authorities in 2001 when, as
host of a music show on state-run TV, he interviewed a female singer of
high school age and congratulated her for finishing her education a
pointed reference to the regime's frequent closures of universities.

The famous Moustache Brothers have been barred from working in public
since the late 1990s. In 1996, brothers Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw were
imprisoned for cracking jokes during a rally at the home of democracy
advocate Aung San Suu Kyi. Their crime? "Spreading false news."

After calls for their release flooded in from around the globe top
American comedians including Bill Maher, Ted Danson and Paul Reiser sent a
letter the brothers were reunited in 2001 with their cousin and partner,
who wasn't at the Suu Kyi show. Now they are effectively banned from
performing in Burmese, meaning most of their viewers are tourists.

"Tourists are our Trojan horses," the cousin, Lu Maw, told a Western
journalist last year. "Through tourists, the rest of the world can learn
of our plight." Last year, one of the trio remarked to a foreign audience,
"We're blacklisted. That means you are illegal too, and the secret police
are coming to arrest you." When an Italian woman appeared upset, he winked
and assured her, "That was just a joke," according to an account in the
South China Morning Post.

One of the more bizarre crackdowns that still makes comedians here chuckle
was directed at an elderly comedienne and actress who had the exact same
name as junta leader Gen. Than Shwe. According to Zargana, the comedienne
Than Shwe was barred from performing when she refused the regime's demand
in 1997 that she change her name. She died 2004 in a village outside
Yangon, away from the limelight.

Even faced with a performance ban, Zargana seems resolute and brash. He
speaks of a "whispering campaign" and insists under-the-table humor will
persist in Myanmar's taxicabs, teashops and dining rooms. "Burmese people
love to laugh," he said. "But if I can't speak, jokes will still spread.
The people will make them up themselves."

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

September 6, Irrawaddy
Burma seals border island with Bangladesh

Burma has hoisted its flags and assumed control of a small island in the
Naaf River, an international boundary between Burma and Bangladesh, in an
escalation of a simmering border dispute.

Sources in Dakar said that local Bangladeshi authorities sent a protest
letter to Burmese authorities demanding the withdrawal of the flags from
the island within a month and requesting that the border dispute be solved
in a meeting between officials. Border security forces in both countries
are on standby along the disputing area, the sources added.

The seized island is part of a chain of small islands formed by silt
deposits in the river. The area had previously been surveyed jointly by
Burmese and Bangladeshi officials in 1984, and the river had been
designated as a fixed boundary between the countries in 1966. The current
showdown is over who controls the alluvial islands.

____________________________________

September 6, The Irrawaddy
Broadening horizons - Khun Sam

Teachers working among Thailand’s Burmese migrant laborers hope that their
students will have a life beyond the country’s factories and fishing
fleets

Burmese migrant workers in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai might be
excused for wanting nothing more than to relax after a long day’s labors.
A growing number of them, however, choose instead to attend the Chiang Mai
Learning Center to complete studies that most had cut short in order to
provide for their families.

Founded in October 2005 by the Burmese Migrant Education Program, the
school offers courses in Thai, English and basic computer skills—all free
of charge. The center’s goal, according to program organizer Dr Thein
Lwin, is to give students an opportunity to broaden their skills. Some 200
students so far have signed up for courses, and the number is growing.

“They are really keen to study,” said Thein Lwin, who is also principal of
the Burmese teacher training program. “They want a professional education
for themselves and for the benefit of their community.”

Students, who range in age from young children to the elderly, choose
their preferred time of instruction based on the requirements of their
work schedule. The school offers two sessions each morning and evening,
with two levels available in all subjects. Eight teachers currently work
at the school, but the swelling ranks of interested students may soon
require a larger staff.

“When we first started the school, we passed out 200 application forms,”
said Thein Lwin. “But we received 400 back. Someone made copies.” Not all
applicants could be accommodated, as space was limited, and many
prospective students faced transportation problems and time conflicts. The
school eventually added mid-day classes for those who could not attend
morning or evening sessions.

Every attempt is made to accommodate each student based on their
particular needs. “Though the main reason they come to Thailand is
employment, they also want educational opportunities,” said Thein Lwin.

Such opportunities are unavailable or difficult to obtain in
military-ruled Burma. Most migrant workers attending the school are young
people who have been unable to afford education at home or have gone to
work for the benefit of their families.

Sai Aung Aye, a student at the school from Lashio township in northern
Shan State, is grateful for the opportunity to study. “It has been a long
time since I’ve seen a book,” he said. “I am glad to be able to study and
read again.”

According to official Thai figures, about 850,000 people from Burma
registered as migrant workers in Thailand in 2005, though the actual
number is thought to be over 1 million. There are also as many as 63,000
children under the age of 12 working as migrant laborers. Thailand’s
education ministry says only 13,500 of these children attend Thai schools.

At 22, Sai Aung Aye has worked since he was 12, when he left middle school
and fled the harsh conditions of Burma to work in Thailand. He has done
his best to provide money for his family, but he knows that his future
depends on being literate and educated.

After working all day at a construction site, Sai Aung Aye spends his
evenings taking every course available at the school. His language skills
have improved rapidly. “Now I can understand and speak a little bit of
English. I can also use email and the Internet,” he said.

Burma’s education system, according to Thein Lwin, does not adequately
prepare students for life beyond school. “They come here to work with half
an education,” he said. “Many don’t even finish their basic education and
have no opportunity for higher education. I know they want to study, but
they have been deprived.”

He sympathizes with his students’ lost opportunities. Once a student at
Rangoon Institute of Technology, Thein Lwin was expelled for his
involvement in the 1988 pro-democracy student uprising in Rangoon. He
obtained his PhD in education from Britain’s University of Newcastle in
2001.

Khaing May Oo, a mixed ethnic Pa-O, spent three years working as a maid in
Bangkok before seeking assistance to further her education. She sent a
letter to the BBC Burmese Service and learned of Thein Lwin’s school,
after which she moved to Chiang Mai and began attending courses.

“Though I have to work, I always wondered whether I could attend school,”
said Khaing May Oo. “I want to be literate and earn my living in a career
rather than the kind of work I’ve done so far.”

Khaing May Oo finished her education after high school, and she came to
Thailand to earn money for her siblings’ school fees. “One day, after I
save enough money, I hope I can return home and attend university.” She
currently works as a cleaner in a hotel near the Chiang Mai Learning
Center. Every month she sends 100,000 kyat (US $75) back home to support
her five siblings currently enrolled in school in Moulmein, Mon State.

The demand for classes has now spilled over to Thai migrant workers.
Bundit, 32, an ethnic Thai Lahu, said he had completed year 12 of high
school, but had decided to join his friends in taking English courses at
the school. “It is free, and the teaching is very good. I can come any
time for lessons,” Bundit said.

Historically, the Thai government has taken a firm stand against migrant
schools, since many of the migrants who attended were living and working
in the country illegally. But recently, at the urging of Thai officials
and NGOs, the Ministry of Education has eased restrictions and allowed an
expansion of migrant schools and learning centers. Burmese communities in
Bangkok, Phang Nga and Tak provinces now operate schools for migrant
workers.

Htoo Chit, the director of Grassroots Human Rights Education, which helps
Burmese workers in areas hit by the December 2004 tsunami, said the
organization operates nine schools—six primary and three nursery—in Phang
Nga province. After the tsunami, Htoo Chit did relief work in cooperation
with the Tsunami Action Group. At that time, he found many children among
the migrant workers in the area and decided that a long-term educational
program was necessary to assist Burmese victims.

“When I was doing rescue and relief work, I saw more than 1,000 children
working along with their parents,” said Htoo Chit. “They were child
laborers working under dangerous conditions, and I thought they should be
in school.” Children aged 12 and younger were employed in fishing,
construction projects and agriculture. Others cooked and looked after
their siblings while their parents were at work. “Some children could not
read either Burmese or Thai,” said Htoo Chit. “I started to wonder if it
would be possible to open schools after the rescue work was finished.”

GHRE opened its first school in July 2005, and after a year it has 32
teachers and 500 students learning primarily Burmese, Thai and English.
The school also offers courses in math, history, geography and social
science.

In Tak province, the Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee operates
more than 40 schools for the children of migrant workers in western
Thailand. Many additional educational opportunities are now available from
organizations such as the Young Chi Oo Burmese Workers Association in the
Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot and the Bangkok-based Thai Action
Committee for Democracy in Burma, which offers courses on Thai law and
migrant worker rights.

Such programs are vital to migrant workers, according to Thein Lwin,
because they allow workers to communicate more effectively with their
employers and provide the foundation for greater opportunities in the
future.

“I want youths to study and earn their living with a professional
education,” said Thein Lwin. “After they become educated, their lives will
be better and they will benefit their community and their country.”

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

September 6, Associated Press
Report: Myanmar declares itself free of bird flu

Myanmar has declared itself free of bird flu after a three-month detection
program found no new cases in the impoverished Southeast Asian country,
state-run media reported Wednesday.

Livestock officials teamed up with foreign experts to determine if the
disease had spread after Myanmar's first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus
was detected earlier this year, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper
reported.

During a three-month program that started in late April, the experts found
no other bird flu cases, prompting the livestock ministry on Monday to
"declare Myanmar as a nation free from bird flu," the newspaper said.

Myanmar discovered the country's first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain
of bird flu in chickens and quails in the Mandalay and Sagaing regions in
central Myanmar in early March.

Authorities banned transport of poultry and barred the sale of chicken and
eggs at markets in affected regions and slaughtered 342,000 chickens and
320,000 quails at 545 farms and destroyed 180,000 chicken and quail eggs
to prevent the spread of the disease.

Restrictions were lifted on May 1 after the outbreak was brought under
control. Myanmar has reported no human infections of the H5N1 virus, which
has killed at least 141 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian
poultry stocks in late 2003.

____________________________________
DRUGS

September 6, Irrawaddy
Drug addiction on the rise in Kachin State - Khun Sam

Drug addiction is increasing in Kachin State, according to a forthcoming
community-based study, which says that more than 60 percent of users are
between the ages of 15 and 40.

The 19-page Kachin language study—the title translates to “Let’s Prevent
the Use of Drugs”— was conducted by the Kachin Consultative Assembly,
based on interviews with local communities, NGOs and religious leaders. It
aims to highlight the growing problem of drug use among Kachin youth and
is expected to be released later this month.

“We have found that 66 percent of youth in Kachin State, particularly in
the age range from 15 to 40, are involved in narcotic uses,” said Maran
Zau Nan, head of the KCA, about the report’s findings. Some 80 percent of
these users are students.

“We would like to highlight the drug addiction problem among youth in
Kachin State because it is increasingly rising to the level of deep
concern,” Maran Zau Nan said.

The group suggests that increased drug use in Kachin State is linked to an
increase in drug production—specifically opium—in the region, where access
to illicit drugs has become easier. Another factor, according to the
group, is a growing alienation among young Kachin due to high unemployment
throughout the state.

While opium is said to be widespread in rural Kachin State, several other
drugs—including heroin and methamphetamines—are readily available in urban
areas such as Myitkyina, the capital, where the state’s main university is
located.

“Many kinds for drugs are widely used among university students, and they
are easily obtained on the outskirts of Myitkyina as well as in some
coffee shops downtown,” Maran Zau Nan said.

A 2005 opium survey prepared by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime found
that opium poppy cultivation in Kachin State had increased in recent
years, though it had fallen in other regions of Burma.

_____________________________________
ASEAN

September 6, The Jakarta Post
ASEAN public urged to crank up pressure on Myanmar junta - Abdul Khalik

Jakarta: Civil society groups, political activists and legislators from
Southeast Asian countries agreed Tuesday to continue to put pressure on
the Myanmar military junta to pursue democratization and release Aung San
Suu Kyi.

During a seminar here, they also called on governments of the Association
of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as China, India and Japan
to urge Yangon to fulfill its promise to institute democratic reform. They
also sought the completion of the drafting of country's constitution as
well as the acceptance of the 1990 national election results.

Most of them also agreed that ASEAN should scrap its problematic
noninterference principle to enable the grouping to act decisively when
widespread human rights violations were occurring in a member country.

"The noninterference principle can't be used to justify gross human
rights' violations inside a member country," Sann Aung, an elected member
of Myanmar's parliament living in exile in Thailand, told participants at
the seminar on Myanmar, organized by the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) and several NGOs.

In 2005 alone, at least 144 politicians, including five members of
parliament, were jailed, part of the 1,100 politicians presently detained
by the military junta. Due to harsh treatment in prisons, 127 political
prisoners have died since 1988, human rights groups say.

Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma described the
severe malnutrition, HIV-AIDS and many other diseases, such as
tuberculosis, afflicting Myanmar citizens. She attributed it to the junta
devoting most its budget to military spending instead of the basic needs
of the people.

According to latest budgetary figures, Myanmarese generals only intend to
spend US$1.10 per citizen on education and 40 U.S. cents for healthcare,
compared to $400 for each soldier.

To make matters worse, she added, the military regime heavily restricted
international aid to the people; the aid they let enter carried heavy
taxes.

According to the UN, 75 percent of Myanmarese live below the poverty line,
while 25 percent of households live below the subsistence level.

Aung said that ASEAN must apply more pressure on the military regime
because the current situation endangered neighboring countries from a
flood of Myanmarese refugees.

Malaysian parliament member Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also a member of
the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar (AIPMC), urged the public
and media to make the issue a priority.

"We must always put Myanmar issue on the map. Sometimes we forget the
issue because many other international issues come up."

She added that Indonesia, as the biggest member of ASEAN, was in a
position to make a significant difference because ASEAN and the rest of
Asia took notice of its positions.

AS Hikam, a member of both the House of Representatives and AIPMC, said
that because ASEAN failed to effectively deal with Myanmar, the civil
society across the region must unite to help the Myanmarese.

He believed the UN Security Council was the ideal place to settle the
problem.

"The UNSC must issue a binding resolution for Myanmar in its upcoming
meeting. We, members of the ASEAN parliament, will try to push for such a
resolution."

The U.S., citing a threat to world peace and security, is pressing for the
issues of political repression and human rights abuses to be put formally
on the agenda of the UNSC this month.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

September 6, Irrawaddy
UN considering second Gambari visit to Burma - Clive Parker

The UN is currently deciding whether to send Under Secretary-General
Ibrahim Gambari on a return trip to Burma following a first visit in May,
the world body confirmed on Tuesday.

The spokesperson of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Stephane Dujarric,
said in his daily press briefing in New York that “a possible return visit
by
 Gambari to Myanmar [Burma] is under consideration.”

No further details were given, although the journalist that asked the
original question on Burma referred to a possible scheduled visit by the
under-secretary in October. This was not confirmed. Reuters has recently
reported that Gambari “may travel to Myanmar [Burma] again in the coming
weeks,” citing unnamed diplomats.

A source in Washington has told The Irrawaddy that the Burmese government
invited Gambari to return to Burma during his three-day visit to Rangoon
and Naypyidaw in May.

The previous visit was considered a minor breakthrough in the country’s
stalled reconciliation process, not least because Gambari was able to meet
with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as the
head of Burma’s government, Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

During a second briefing to the UN Security Council shortly after the
trip, Gambari said the UN would continue to work towards reconciliation in
Burma in keeping with the mandate the secretariat has been given by the
General Assembly.

News of Gambari’s possible return to Burma comes at a time when the US has
again upped the pressure in the Security Council. Washington’s ambassador
to the UN, John Bolton, sent a letter to the president of the Council for
September, Greece, calling for a formal discussion on Burma’s
“deteriorating situation,” which Bolton said is “likely to endanger the
maintenance of international peace and security.”

_____________________________________

September 6, Agence France Presse
EU has not softened stance on Myanmar: presidency

An invitation to Myanmar to attend a European Union-Asia summit in
Helsinki next week does not signal a softening of the EU's tough stance on
the Southeast Asian nation, the EU presidency said Wednesday.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, "is one of the 39 partners of the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process, which it joined two years ago," said
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, which holds the rotating EU
presidency.

"However, this should by no means be seen as any kind of softening of the
EU position," he said, noting that the EU remained disappointed with
Myanmar's lack of democratic reforms and poor human rights record.

"In this regard, there has been no progress in the country," Tuomioja
said, speaking before the non-governmental Asia-Europe People's Forum, a
parallel meeting held in Helsinki before the two-day ASEM summit open on
September 10.

The forum of human rights organizations and aid agencies -- including
Amnesty International -- has denounced Myanmar's participation in the
EU-Asia summit, scheduled for September 10-11, pointing out that the
country is the object of international sanctions.

The military-led government of Myanmar has been widely criticized for
sustained human rights violations and the continuing detention of Nobel
peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for most
of the past 17 years.

Her National League for Democracy party won 1990 elections but was never
allowed to rule. Its offices have been shut down by the junta, which has
also locked up many other party members.

Tuomiojo nonetheless argued that including Myanmar in the summit was the
best way to steer the country toward reform.

"Engaging the whole region will help to strengthen the international
pressure on Myanmar," he said. "ASEM should not be held hostage by this
problem."

The Finnish foreign minister said that Myanmar's "serious human rights
violations" and lack of progress toward democracy would be discussed
during the two-day forum.

ASEM includes 38 European and Asian countries: the 25 member-states of the
EU, ASEAN, as well as Japan, China and South Korea. The European
Commission is also considered as a partner.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

September 5, Shan Herald Agency for News
Biodiesel in Burma: A friendly alternative? - Naomi Mann

The green seed of Jatropha Curcans, commonly known as the 'Physic nut' or
more recently the 'biodiesel tree' is the shape of a large olive and about
twice the size. Between 30 and 50 percent of this seed is oil that can be
used as an ingredient in the making of biodiesel. Native to Central and
South America, it is now being grown across Africa, India and Southeast
Asia, not only as a breakthrough source of clean energy but also as a
means to regenerate land, degraded by years of deforestation and
desertification.

The farmer who hands me the seed stands in the middle of a one year old
plantation of Jatropha trees on a hillside overlooking Inle lake in Upper
Burma, one of the country's prime tourist destinations. Dressed in nothing
other than a ragged Longyi, he tells me how he was ordered to plant the
trees by the army. Asked if he thinks they are a good thing, he replies
that they are, asked why and he shakes his head, unsure of an answer, then
turns his arms, mimicking a steering wheel. I survey the patchwork of
plantation crops; no mechanized device is in evidence. Indeed, only the
nearby meditation cave, where several monks live, and the surrounding huts
possess electric light and this is supplied by two small hydroelectric
generators.

Wherever you look, Jatropha is provoking widespread interest. With the
help of automobile and petroleum giants DaimlerChrysler and BP, the Indian
government is pushing ahead with a scheme to broaden its introduction
costing millions of US dollars. At the same time, many grassroots NGOs are
hailing it as a revolutionary new tool in the struggle against rural
poverty. As well as being drought resistant and toxic to predators, the
press cake that remains after processing can be used as a high-grade
organic fertilizer, helping to improve soil fertility.

Jatropha can grow on otherwise unusable land, often home to the most
marginalized and impoverished members of society and in South Asia local
initiatives have dedicated themselves to ensuring that farmers who
propagate Jatropha on these lands continue to benefit economically by
training them in all aspects of its cultivation. In many parts of Africa,
Jatropha has traditionally been used as a hedge to prevent wind erosion
and to protect crops against animals. The nuts have been harvested for
their medicinal properties and used in the production of soap. These days,
NGOs are helping to install energy platforms that use biodiesel as a fuel.

All of these seemingly good tidings stand in sharp contrast to the
situation in Burma.  In the swirling mists near Kalaw in southern Shan
state, I encounter a softly spoken Pa O hill tribesman. The monsoon is
relentless at this altitude and my daps have accumulated so much brown
sticky mud they resemble clogs. He smiles from inside the leaf like piece
of plastic in which he is wrapped as I slide down the tiny path behind
him. These formerly pine covered hills are now dotted with thousands of
small Jatropha plants. He seems slightly embarrassed by my interest in the
plantation and crouches down against the rain. Even up here the trees have
ears, suspicion and paranoia dominate people's minds. In lowered tones, he
tells me that many people here are angry and bewildered at being compelled
to grow the crop. Every family, including children, were forced to plant
300 seedlings, risking imprisonment if they refused. They were even made
to pay Kyat 500 to 1000 (50c - $1) to buy the plants in the first place.
Neither did the farmers I spoke to hold out hope of making any money from
them.

On the road to the local airport, our taxi sputters to a halt - a problem
with the fuel line the driver explains nonchalantly and waves down a
passing pick-up. It's crammed full with villagers going to the market in
nearby Taungyi, the state capital. Without the slightest fuss being made,
they take us out of their way, all the while joking about the sudden turn
of events  ''going to Yangon", the raggedy girl beside me shrieks as
everyone clings to their shopping baskets in hysterical laughter.

Out of a slit in the bouncing truck, I spy an unbroken line of Jatropha
seedlings along the roadside - some of them already dead from being so
hastily planted. The junta's soviet style three-year plan is to convert
7,000,000 acres (2,834,006 hectares) of land across the country to
Jatropha cultivation by 2009. Just as on 20th October 2005, when the
population awoke to find that fuel prices had soared nine times overnight,
the decision was summarily put into force without any prior announcement.
Since then, there has been a steady flow of propaganda in the state
controlled press and TV media extolling the virtues of Jatropha and
Senior-General Than Shwe "has given guidance that physic nut plants are to
be grown as a national duty" (New Light of Myanmar; June 2006). The
language used is often insidious, "Jatropha Curcas plantations are to be
placed on 500,000 acres (1,417,003 hectares) of land
" no mention of the
massive mobilization of forced labour that this involves. Official figures
maintain that one acre (2.4 hectares) will eventually produce 100 gallons
of biodiesel a deceptively simple piece of arithmetic which if true could
significantly decrease the country's dependence on foreign oil imports.
These figures, however, take no account of growing conditions - on
marginal soils, Jatropha can produce only marginal yields.

The giggling doesn't die down until we reach the airport, where my offer
of money is roundly refused. Poor as the majority of Burma's people are
and are becoming, I end up, as usual, in their debt.

What rhetoric do the junta use to justify their claims concerning the
planting of biodiesel? One argument runs that wasteland cultivation of
Jatropha will release rural people from their dependence on fuel wood and
thus prevent deforestation. Yet, on Burma's secretive Southwest coast, I
observe Jatropha being grown on the remains of recently clear-cut
rainforest - the latest in a line of profit making experiments carried out
jointly in the region by the military authorities and tycoon businessman
Tay Zar, now Than Shwe's son in law. As well as biodiesel, local farmers
are made to grow Cashew nuts destined for foreign export. Nor is a cheap
and reliable stove yet available that would enable people to use the oil
for cooking purposes and thus they remain reliant on charcoal. Stepping
gingerly in the footprints of wild elephants, I traverse deeper into what
few fragments of forest remain. Local settlers stare incredulously as I
pass, warning me of the danger. As their territory dwindles, the herd
inevitably comes into contact with humans. The area is home to hundreds of
charcoal making kilns. I stop at one smoking entrance, resembling the
doorway to a tomb.This is the main cause of deforestation in Burma  a
practice made illegal by the junta in 1997 yet which continues to flourish
via a system of bribes and kickbacks. According to scientists, it is
unlikely that Jatropha's soft, fast burning wood could ever be used as a
viable substitute.

The authorities claim that Burma has about 60 million acres (25 million
hectares) of wasteland on which to plant Jatropha - oddly enough the same
figure as that published for India. Indeed, India's headlong rush into
biodiesel seems to have ignited the generals own grandiose imaginings. In
a recent address to the Myanmar chamber of commerce, the Indian president
was vocal in his support for the initiative. Yet neither country appears
to have undertaken the kind of pilot study usual in experiments of this
kind. Jatropha is an introduced species, classified as a weed in many
countries. It is potentially invasive and is thought to have toxic effects
on the soil. Research into its role as a carcinogen is ongoing and as a
precautionary measure the government of Western Australia has already
banned its introduction. If the experiment fails, as most Burmese believe
it will, millions of acres of cultivable land could be lost and this in a
country where over 40 percent of children under three suffer from moderate
to severe malnutrition.

Economic sanctions mean that Burma, unlike India, lacks the financial and
technical support of foreign companies like BP so necessary to the success
of a venture of this magnitude. In order to be used as a replacement fuel
for diesel engines the oil has to be extracted, processed and impurities
removed. Without such a method, up to 40 percent is lost and the remainder
only usable, as it is at present, in small-scale engines. This is in
itself a massive undertaking, involving the construction of hundreds of
esterification plants and workers trained in the use of volatile chemicals
such as methanol. At the local headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture
in Inle, I find myself staring at the small hydraulic press barely a metre
high, imagining it in a few years time, when the trees reach maturity,
engulfed by a tidal wave of seeds. Meanwhile, blissfully ignorant of such
petty annoyances, the generals continue their rounds of 'model farming
villages' ceremoniously planting biodiesel trees wherever they go and
''assisting agricultural technology to the Jatropha curcas growers" (New
light of Myanmar; 2006). Of course, the state media is full of pictures of
happy farmers, tended by dutiful smiling wives, driving new modern
tractors powered by biodiesel. In reality, all you ever see in the fields
are people and buffalos. Wherever the intended market for Burmese
biodiesel is it is unlikely to be here at home.

None of this is new of course. Even before independence, the British were
able to acquire land whenever it was judged expedient. Since then,
successive regimes in Burma, together with a small group of powerful
entrepreneurs, have controlled all aspects of land use, denying individual
farmers the right to own land. Farmers have rights only to cultivation and
land is regularly seized if they do not grow those crops specified by the
state or the land is deemed useful for other projects - witness the mass
eviction of thousands of people to make way for the new capital
'Napyidaw'. The junta's record during its years of power has been abysmal.
In the last 40 years, yields of most crops have either dropped or stayed
the same - rice exports have more than halved. At present, the most
profitable sector is the sale of beans and pulses, ironically the only
area to have escaped wholesale regulation.

Back in Rangoon, the pavements are being lined with biodiesel trees. They
seem especially in evidence opposite the small, maroon painted office of
the NLD. When I talk to ordinary people about this, I discover another far
eerier explanation for the generals' obsession. The word for Jatropha in
Burmese is Kyet Su Pin Pin meaning tree Kyet Su if reversed becomes Suu
Kyi - Burma's imprisoned leader in exile. It's not difficult to imagine
that the Burmese authorities, with their historical love of astrology and
numerology, could believe they were counteracting the influence of their
celebrated nemesis in this manner. In an even stranger twist, sales of
traditional gold painted papier-mâché owls have reportedly been rising in
recent months. The word for owl in Burmese is Zee Gwat. In Burmese each
letter is associated with a day of the week. In this case, the days for
Zee Gwat and Kyet Su are reversed thereby counteracting any previous
magic.

Whatever supernatural reasons the junta may have for the mass planting of
biodiesel, the effects in real terms are likely to be disastrous for both
people and the land on which they depend. We can be sure that no voices of
dissent from within the country will be voiced however. In Chin state, the
death penalty is already in place for anyone daring to criticize the
policy on Jatropha.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

September 4, The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB)
ASEM Summit urged to find 'practical solutions' for Burma

The Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting will soon be held in Helsinki and
the Burmese military will be represented at the meeting because of a
special waiver.  The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
(NCGUB) understands that the waiver was issued with the expectations that
the Burmese generals will be more susceptible to suggestions by the
international community, which has been stressing the need to address the
deteriorating humanitarian conditions and begin an inclusive political
process leading to national reconciliation and democratization in Burma.

Given the circumstances and in light of the fact that the situation Burma
is now increasingly becoming critical because of rising tensions, soaring
prices and higher taxes, and deepening political divide, the NCGUB
believes that the ASEM Summit will place Burma high on the agenda and
discuss the human rights, political, and humanitarian situation in the
country.  The discussions, NCGUB hopes, will lead to a consensus at the
ASEM on the minimum parameters that are required from the Burmese generals
to end the political deadlock in the country.

The Burmese generals' intent to pursue their own road map and legitimize
military rule in Burma should no longer be tolerated by ASEM as the
regime's exclusion of all legitimate political parties -- the National
League for Democracy, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, and
others -- from the decision-making process at the national level will only
lead to unforeseeable problems for the country and the region.

The NCGUB firmly believes that ASEM should take into consideration the
gestures of goodwill and compromise made by leaders of the democracy and
ethnic movements so that a negotiated political settlement can be achieved
and also heed their call for the United Nations to mediate and assist in
the process of national reconstruction.

The Burmese generals have not complied with any of the recommendations by
the United Nations and have refused to follow up on the pledge to UN Under
Secretary-General for Political Affairs Mr. Gambari.  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and other political prisoners continued to be detained, atrocities are
still being committed against Karen civilians, legitimate parties remain
excluded from the National Convention, and UN agencies and international
humanitarian organizations are still being hampered from carrying out
humanitarian assistance for the needy.

Hence, the NCGUB calls on the ASEM to come up with practical solutions,
including the passing of a binding resolution through the UN Security
Council to make the Burmese generals accountable and compliant with the
calls by the United Nations and the international community for national
reconciliation and democratic transformation in Burma through dialogue.

4 September 2006, Helsinki

(For further information, please contact Dr. Thaung Htun, Tel: 1-646-6624557)