BurmaNet News, September 9-11, 2006

[Editor]

September 9-11, 2006 Issue # 3042


INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Junta’s National Convention a hard sell to ethnic opposition
Mizzima: Military quarterly meeting on in Naypyidaw

ON THE BORDER
NMG: Increasing refugees create shortage of medicine, shelter

BUSINESS / TRADE
DVB: Korea’s Daewoo and arms sales to Burma junta

ASEAN
Mizzima: Burma to feature at AIPO general assembly

REGIONAL
BBC: India to urge Burma to "flush out" insurgents in talks 13-16 Sep
Mizzima: Burmese women activists at the 7th National Women’s Conference

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: Ready to cooperate with the UN, Burma tells
The Irish Times: Asia-Europe summit will discuss global challenges
Agence France Presse: US seeks puppet government in Myanmar: state media
Irrawaddy: Activists kick off campaign to release Shan leader
DVB: Hunger strikes by Burmese activists in Washington continue
Mizzima: Burmese activists hold anti-ASEM protest

OPINION / OTHER
The Observer: Furthermore: Remind me again what Europe is

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

September 11, Irrawaddy
Junta’s National Convention a hard sell to ethnic opposition - Khun Sam

Burmese ethnic opposition groups remain skeptical about the possible
success of the country’s National Convention, following the government’s
announcement that the assembly will reconvene in October.

Lt-Gen Thein Sein, chairman of the National Convention Convening
Commission, announced on Saturday that the new round for talks of drafting
a new constitution, a first step of the junta’s seven-point road map to
democracy, will resume on October 10. Thein Sein earlier said that the
assembly had agreed on 75 percent of the new constitution.

Opposition groups dispute the claim and doubt whether the convention will
have any positive effect. “We do not believe that the process will benefit
to the country,” said Cin Sian Thang, a member of the Committee
Representing the People's Parliament, on Monday. “There’re no democratic
practices as most delegates were hand-picked by the junta,” the
Rangoon-based ethnic politician added.

Thein Sein said in his announcement that invitations to the convention
would be sent out to all delegates except those who have died, are ill or
have retired. Delegates must arrive by October 7 in Nyaung Hnapin, on the
outskirts of Rangoon, where the convention is set to take place.

Nai Lawee Mon, a member of the ethnic ceasefire group New Mon State Party,
confirmed that the group has received an invitation but that a decision to
attend has not yet been reached. An NMSP spokesperson told The Irrawaddy
that the aims of the National Convention are not in line with the
objectives of the group. During the last session—adjourned in January—the
NMSP maintained observatory status instead of full participation at the
assembly.

The junta has claimed that the National Convention has been “a success,”
with participating representatives from all walks of life. However, the
international community has remained critical of the assembly because it
has not included several of the country’s principal political forces—most
notably, the National League for Democracy.

During a two-day summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting, Prime Minister of
Finland Matti Vanhanen said the junta’s Foreign Minister Nyan Win failed
to provide a clear promise on the country’s progress towards democratic
reform. The 10-member bloc Asean also expressed dismay at the slow pace of
reform during a ministerial meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July.

____________________________________

September 11, Mizzima News
Military quarterly meeting on in Naypyidaw

The quarterly meeting of top generals of the military junta begins today
in Naypyidaw in central Burma.

The members of the State Peace and Development Council and high-ranking
military officers are attending the routine meeting in the new capital
near Pyinmana, 373 miles north of former capital Rangoon.

Major reshuffles in the cabinet and military hierarchy have often occurred
after quarterly meetings although it is routine.

About 120 military officers, comprising of Light Infantry Division
commanders, regiment commanders, top military brass from the war office
and cabinet members attending the week-long meeting, usually nod or agree
to transfers and reshuffles decided by the top two ---senior general Than
Shwe and vice-senior general Maung Aye.

Burmese military observers hoped another major reshuffles in regiment
commanders and new assigning of ranks of Major would fill the vacancies
left in the customs department after a major crackdown in June and August.

The head of the Customs Department director-general colonel Khin Maung Lin
was arrested along with dozens of officers for their alleged involvement
in corruption.

Rumours have spread in political circles in Rangoon that Than Shwe in his
70s, and Maung Aye, 67 years old are going to retire soon after the
quarterly meeting, forming a new civilian council while general Thura Shwe
Mann will lead the military.

Win Min, a Burmese military analyst based in Thailand dismissed the rumour.

"I doubt this rumour since it has been there before and didn't happen last
time," Win Min said.

"If it is happens, it would be next year," he added.

Interestingly, a well-informed observer from Rangoon told Mizzima that the
aged senior general Than Shwe, would come up with his own plan or Road Map
for a future Burmese military council at the meeting.

Last time the quarterly meeting was held in May.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

September 9, Network Media Group
Increasing refugees create shortage of medicine, shelter

The newly established refugee camp, Ei-du-hta, on the Thai-Burma border,
is facing an acute shortage of shelters and medicines as the number of
refugees have gone up following attacks by the Burma Army in Karen State.

"Currently, we are facing a shortage of shelters for newly arrived
refugees comprising of about 30 families and for 26 families which arrived
at the camp earlier," said Saw Pe Tha the chairperson of the camp.

Ei-du-hta camp was set up in April this year with 139 households including
744 refugees. Currently, the camp has 257 households comprising 1,303
refugees.

Regarding health care of refugees, Saw Pe Tha explained, "The health
problems are quite serious. There is only a meagre supply of medicines
which can last about two months. We are worried as large groups of new
refugees have arrived."

Villagers abandoned their houses and villages and fled to hide in the
jungles following operations by the Burma Army in Taungoo and Nyaunglebin
districts since the beginning of this year. They fled to refugee camps as
they ran out of food and supplies after having hidden for a long time in
the jungles to escape attacks by the Burma Army.

"On 4th this month, 30 families which is the largest group ever arrived in
the camp. One group came on the on 28th and another on the 24th of last
month," said Saw Pe Tha.

Burmese troops have been continuously setting up new military camps with
forced labour of local civilians in different areas that they have taken
control, he said.

He added that Burmese troops have fenced and planted mines around each
village. Villagers are ordered to stay inside villages, and they are shot
to death if they come out of the fenced area.

Saw David Takapaw, a member of the Karen National Union said small battles
are being waged between the KNU and the Burmese Army almost everyday.

"There are small, often guerilla warfare in Taungoo, Nyaunglebin, Papun
and Thaton districts," he said.

There are about 70 battalions of Burmese troops in these areas and
currently about 20,000 Karen villagers are hiding in the jungles of Karen
State , he added.

Following the attacks by the Burma Army, about 2,000 villagers fled to Mae
Ra Mu refugee camp and more than a thousand arrived in Ei-du-hta camp on
the Thai-Burma border.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

September 8, Democratic Voice of Burma
Korea’s Daewoo and arms sales to Burma junta

South Korea’s special investigation department revealed yesterday that
Daewoo, one of the biggest foreign investors in Burma, has been selling
military equipment to the ruling military junta, the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC).

The revelation was made during radio and TV broadcasts yesterday evening,
according to a Burmese who is living in Seoul. As the sale of the
equipment was made without the permission of the government, the report
said that officials concerned at Daewoo will be investigated as soon as
possible and taken action against.

“Yesterday, 7 September at 8pm (local time), a TV (station?) called SPL
and the IPC; both departments announced it. Similarly, the radios also
announced it. But there has been no statement (or news) in English up to
now. Korean newspapers also carried these reports in Korean language,” a
Burmese pro-democracy activists Yan Naing Tun told DVB. “What the news
said was Daewoo international company based in Korea has been selling
auxiliary military equipment and materials needed to make military
weapons. With that, the special investigation department in Korea also
found out with strong evidences that (the company has been) teaching (the
Burmese) how to use the technology, it was announced thus.”

Thailand-based Burma army watcher, Htay Aung gave his opinion on the
development in South Korea as follows:

“In my view, as for the military government, in its efforts to make its
army a great modern army, it has been buying both technologies and weapons
from any country available, especially from neighbouring country China,
and Russia. Moreover, there have been attempts and actual purchases (of
weapons) from the black market. In this case, the South Korean company
Daewoo is investing in Burma offshore gas. It is possible that it (the
SPDC) is buying modern military equipment and technologies with the money
it gets from it (Daewoo). From the initial reports I got, there had been
some examples of exchange of weapons and equipment from North Korea with
narcotics manufactured in Burma. Therefore, I assess that there is a great
possibility that there could be an exchange of weapons from the black
market with the gas money gained from South Korean company Daewoo.”

Yan Naing Tun said that Burmese activists in South Korea are planning to
stage a demonstration outside Daewoo head office on Monday to demand the
truth from the company.

Daewoo is the biggest investor in the exploration of natural gas off the
coast of western Burma’s Arakan State near Bangladesh. The latest report
emerged at a time exiled pro-democracy activists groups and rights
organisations are demanding foreign companies to stop doing business with
the SPDC which is accused of various forms of human rights violation.

“In my opinion, as for big corporations, except for gaining profits for
themselves, there is no example of them caring for human rights and
democratic rights,” commented Htay Aung. “Therefore, as for Daewoo
company, in my view, they are only concentrating on their own profits.
Therefore, although they might know that the military government is
violating human rights, if they can gain profits from the military
government, they will not be worried to do ‘give-and-take’ with anything.”

____________________________________
ASEAN

September 11, Mizzima News
Burma to feature at AIPO general assembly - Mungpi

For the first time parliamentarians from the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations have raised the issue of Burma and the political stalemate
the country is in that has been plaguing the grouping, at its General
Assembly being held in the holiday resort city of Cebu in the Philippines.

Philippines' Congressman Mario Aguja, who is also member of the Asean
Inter Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) told Mizzima, that the
Indonesian delegation during the opening session of the 27th General
Assembly of Asean Inter Parliamentary Organisation on Sunday raised the
issue of Burma and its static political reforms.

Though the issue of Burma has never been discussed at the AIPO's General
Assembly, with the Indonesian delegation raising it, Burma is likely to
feature as an agenda, during the discussion of the committee on political
matters, said Aguja.

The move by the AIPO to discuss Burma was pushed by the AIPMC and Burmese
parliamentarians in exile, who were elected in Burma's last general
election in 1990 but were never allowed to form a government.

"We (AIPMC) are calling the AIPO to support the move for the UN Security
Council to include Burma as an agenda and to urge Burma to release of Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners," said Aguja.

The AIPMC delegation and the Burmese parliamentarians also condemned the
AIPO for allowing the Burmese delegation to participate in the Assembly as
observers.

"The AIPO has given space to the illegitimate SPDC (State Peace and
Development Council, the ruling military junta) as observers to the AIPO
even when they are not duly elected parliamentarians. The MPUs are the
duly elected representatives of the people and must be allowed to
participate in the region's parliamentarian organization," said AIPMC
members during a press briefing on Sunday.

AIPO, which encompasses parliamentarians from eight Asean nations –
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam – and has Burma and Brunei as observers, is the biggest
parliamentarian forum in Southeast Asia.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

September 10, PTI (India) via BBC
India to urge Burma to "flush out" insurgents in talks 13-16 Sep

New Delhi: With reports that insurgent groups in northeastern India are
operating from Myanmar [Burma], India will press for measures to flush
them out like Bhutan's crackdown on the separatist group United Liberation
Front of Assam [ULFA] in 2003, official sources said.

New Delhi will raise its concerns with Yangon over the activities of the
insurgent groups during the 12th home secretary-level talks between the
two sides beginning here on 13 September.

Sources in the security establishment say that there are reports on the
activities of insurgent groups in Myanmar and their whereabouts and New
Delhi will utilize the four-day talks to make the demand for flushing them
out, besides raising issues like drug trafficking and smuggling.

They said some insurgent groups from Manipur and Nagaland were operating
from Myanmar and cited the instance of the killing of some Assam Rifles
personnel by insurgents a few months back.
They said New Delhi will take up the matter seriously with Yangon.

Though Bhutan launched "Operation All Clear" to flush out ULFA militants
nearly three years ago, neither Bangladesh nor Myanmar has so far agreed
to similar action against Indian insurgent groups.

The northeastern states have been voicing concern over this issue,
pointing out the importance of Myanmar as the gateway to East Asian
countries from the strategic point of view.

Border management and fencing are among the issues expected to be
discussed at the talks. They are likely to be taken up in the light of
recent reports indicating the smuggling of Chinese grenades and
counter-feit Indian currency through the Myanmar border.

While the Indian side will be led by Home Secretary V,K, Duggal, Deputy
Minister Brig-Gen Phone Swe will lead the Myanmar side.

Sources said during the last meeting, held at Yangon in October last year,
issues related to security, drug trafficking, border trade, border
management and proposed infrastructure projects in Myanmar were discussed.

Both sides had agreed to further strengthen cooperation in tackling the
activities of insurgents, arms smugglers, drug peddlers and other hostile
elements along the India-Myanmar border.

The status of various infrastructure projects in Myanmar, particularly in
the road and power sectors, for which the two countries have agreed to
cooperate, was reviewed at the last meeting and a follow-up is expected
this time.

India and Myanmar had signed an agreement for maintenance of peace and
tranquility in the border areas in 1994, under which home secretaries of
both countries are to meet once a year while joint secretaries are to hold
sectoral meetings every six months. The last sectoral meeting was held in
the eastern Indian metropolis Kolkata in July last year.

____________________________________

September 11, Mizzima News
Burmese women activists at the 7th National Women’s Conference - Nga Ngai

In order to share, sensitize and to create awareness of the problems
encountered by Burmese women and to find common solutions, 10 Burmese
women activists are taking part in the 7th National Conference of Women's
Movement, being held in Kolkata.

The three-day conference being held between September 9 to 12, is being
attended by over 2,000 women delegates including those from Bangladesh and
Nepal, will discuss issues affecting women.

With its theme being "Towards a Politics of Justice: Affirming
Diversities, Resisting Divisiveness", the conference is being held in
order to give women a
platform to come together to share, dialogue, debate and sharpen their
political skills with a deep understanding of and responses to issues and
strategies, organizers said.

The major issues to be debated and discussed includes challenges before
women, their experience, prevention of sexual violence against women,
communal violence and exploitation of children.

Dr. Nandita Gandhi, Co-Director of the conference committee told Mizzima,
"I am very happy to hear Burmese women’s group are participating in this
conference
 because the problems we women are facing are always the same."

The Burmese delegation will share their experiences, sufferings as women
and also their struggle for political change in Burma through various
presentations including cultural dances, singing of the national anthem,
and presentation on the current political situation in Burma.

In order to foster better understanding of the political situation in
Burma, delegates at the conference on September 10, had a panel discussion
on "Politics and Democracy in Burma". The National Conference of Women's
Movement, which was started by autonomous women groups, held its first and
second conferences in 1980 and 1985 respectively in Mumbai, Maharastra
state. While the third conference was held in Patna, in Bihar state in
1987, the fourth was in Calicut in 1990 followed by the fifth in Tirupati
in 1994 and the sixth in Ranchi in 1997.

The participation of Burmese women delegates in the seventh National
Conference was organised by an Indian nongovernmental organisation, ‘The
Other Media,’ which has been working closely with Burmese political
organisations in New Delhi.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

September 11, Irrawaddy
Ready to cooperate with the UN, Burma tells EU - Clive Parker

EU officials meeting with Burmese counterparts at the Asia-Europe Meeting
in Finland, say Foreign Minister Nyan Win indicated his government is
“ready to cooperate with the United Nations.”

In a discussion with EU officials on Sunday on Burma’s democratic
progress, “Nyan Win reiterated his government’s serious intentions towards
democratization and said they were ready to cooperate with the United
Nations,” an official EU statement said.

Markus Lyra, undersecretary of state for political affairs for Finland,
said there were some “positive elements” in the meeting, The Associated
Press reported, although the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, said
that Burma had not given any firm promises on democratic reform.

It was not clear in what capacity Burma is prepared to cooperate with the
UN. A source in Washington recently told The Irrawaddy that Burma invited
Under Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari to return to Burma during his
visit in May. The UN Secretariat last week confirmed that it was
considering a second visit by Gambari, but will likely be mindful of the
political fallout should a return to Burma fail to produce progress.

Gambari was able to meet with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, prompting
some analysts to speculate that the move was designed by the regime to
relieve international pressure, particularly from the UN Security Council,
which held a briefing on Burma for the first time in December last year.

Brad Adams of New York-based Human Rights Watch urged caution following
Sunday’s meeting: “I don’t think the EU or the United Nations—like when
Gambari was there—should be able to take what the Burmese say as if it’s
meaningful unless the Burmese act, and then we can talk about whether
things are starting to move.”

London-based Amnesty International’s Brussels office was similarly
hesitant in welcoming the regime’s response: “If it leads to concrete
improvements
 it is a positive development,” a spokesperson said on
Monday.

Talks between Burma and the EU at the ASEM follow Europe’s decision to
waive the current visa ban against junta officials at multilateral events
in Europe, providing human rights are addressed—a policy that has sparked
controversy.

HRW and Burma Campaign UK—among others—have heavily criticized Brussels
for allowing Nyan Win to travel to Helsinki. “One would have thought that
the EU would have seen that this was the right moment to isolate Burma
diplomatically,” Adams said.

AI has stated that it has “no position on the attendance of government
representatives at official meetings.”

“We need to take every possible opportunity to improve the situation in
the country,” the AI spokesperson said. “If you look at it at the level of
the EU, has sanctions brought any development?”

____________________________________

September 9, The Irish Times
Asia-Europe summit will discuss global challenges - Jamie Smyth

Finlad: The sixth Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit will take place in Helsinki
this weekend with leaders from 39 states, including Ireland, gathering to
discuss co-operation on trade, climate change, terrorism and energy.

Junichiro Koizumi will attend the summit on his last trip abroad as
Japanese prime minister and Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao will also be
there to discuss EU-China relations following a spate of recent trade
disputes with Europe.

ASEM was created 10 years ago as a co-operation forum for Asian and EU
states to strengthen dialogue and interaction between the two regions. The
meetings are informal with few formal conclusions or concrete results
expected. Instead, they offer world leaders a chance to discuss a range of
political, economic and cultural issues.

The theme of the summit is "10 Years of ASEM: Global Challenges - Joint
Responses". However, in the lead up to the summit, the thorny issue of
human rights has dominated the media agenda, in particular the decision by
the EU to extend an invitation to the foreign minister of Burma for the
high-profile political event.

In January EU foreign ministers agreed to lift a visa ban on high-level
Burmese officials entering the un-ion to enable the country's foreign
minister, U Nyan Win, to attend the ASEM summit.

Under the controversial deal, which was agreed in private, Burmese
officials are allowed to enter the EU for meetings where human rights are
discussed. The change in policy followed a dispute between Asian states
and Europe over a decision by the Netherlands to refuse a visa to Burmese
officials for an ASEM finance meeting during its EU presidency in the
autumn of 2005.

"It was a classic EU fudge," says Mark Farmaner, campaigns manager at the
Burma Campaign UK. "They reinterpreted the visa ban and added a clause
that says officials can enter the EU at meetings where human rights are
discussed. . . This is a regime whose soldiers rape five-year-olds and
that are involved in ethnic cleansing."

Aware of the criticism of the inclusion on the guest list of politicians
in Burma's military dictatorship, Finland - holder of the rotating
six-month EU presidency - publicly criticised the regime, describing human
rights in Burma as "appalling".

"The EU is disappointed with the lack of democratic reforms and human
rights in Burma/Myanmar. . . In this regard there has been no progress in
the country," said Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, who
nevertheless insisted that engaging at ASEM would help strengthen
international pressure on the junta.

EU leaders will raise human rights at a dinner tomorrow.

Several demonstrations are planned in Helsinki by pro-democracy pressure
groups, which will focus on human rights abuses in China and in Burma.

Beijing comes to the summit intending to raise the issue of the EU arms
embargo on China, which has been in place since the crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square. But in an interview with The
Irish Times, Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen said this would not be
addressed by leaders at the meeting. "The summit will address a
pro-security agenda, including terrorism and organised crime and global
health threats," said Mr Vanhanen, who added ASEM should facilitate more
student exchanges between Asia and Europe.

Following the recent collapse of the World Trade Organisation talks, EU
leaders will use the meeting to discuss trade opportunities with Asian
states. Enlargement will also be high on the agenda. Bulgaria and Romania
are set to join the EU in January and the Europeans will propose they join
ASEM. The Asians are likely to propose new members for ASEM, with India
and Pakistan possibilities.

The meeting will also discuss internal reform of ASEM, which was strongly
criticised in a recent joint study compiled by Asian and European
think-tanks.

The report criticised its "paucity of tangible results", an "inability to
approach political issues" and "forum fatigue". It said ASEM should retain
its informality but try to profile concrete functional projects.

Perhaps with this in mind, ASEM leaders are expected to sign a joint
declaration on climate change at the meeting.

____________________________________

September 9, Agence France Presse
US seeks puppet government in Myanmar: state media

US attempts to haul Myanmar before the UN Security Council showed that
Washington wants to over-throw the ruling junta, state media said
Saturday.

"It is apparent that the US government is attempting to install a puppet
government in Myanmar," the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

The paper accused US lawmakers of colluding with "internal and external
lackeys and terrorist groups in exile" which were attempting to "make good
use of the Security Council for political gain".

It said some pro-democracy groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy, were seeking to seize power under the cover of the
US' diplomatic attacks.
Washington pressed Friday to have the issue of political repression and
human rights abuses in Myanmar put formally on the agenda of the Security
Council this month.

US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said he sent a letter to the incoming
council president, Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of Greece, asking for
the move "because of the threat to international peace and security that
the policies and actions" of the junta in Yangon pose.

The newspaper, a mouthpiece for Myanmar's highly secretive regime which
has ruled the country since 1962, said the US' allegations were not "based
on true events or prevailing conditions".
Security Council action, it said, could undo the stability already
achieved by the junta.

"The real problems do not lie in Myanmar; they are the consequences of
outside pressure and lop-sided sanctions," the paper said.

Early last month, US President George W. Bush signed legislation renewing
economic sanctions on Myanmar to signal his "serious concern" about the
military regime there, the White House said.

Washington has led efforts to force Yangon to change its repressive
policies and notably release Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house
arrest for most of the past 17 years.

A number of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members have
also openly expressed frustration at the lack of democratic reform in
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Myanmar has indicated it would resume constitutional talks in October that
were suspended earlier this year, but critics warn that democratic reforms
are almost impossible under the current regime.

_____________________________________

September 11, Irrawaddy
Activists kick off campaign to release Shan leader

Exiled Shan communities in several countries launched a campaign on Monday
for the release of imprisoned ethnic leaders, currently serving long
prison terms in jails across Burma. The campaign coincides with the 63rd
birthday of detained Shan leader Hkun Htun Oo, chairman of the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy, who remains in prison in Putao, Kachin
State.

Shan activists in Thailand, Australia, Japan, UK and the US plan to hold
simultaneous events in support of the detained leaders, while activists
are preparing to submit letters of appeal to offices of the UN in Bangkok
and Tokyo on Monday, according to Thailand-based Shan campaigner Ying Lao.
Activists are also circulating petitions for the release of the ethnic
leaders and will submit them to the UN General Assembly.

Shan leaders, including Maj-Gen Hso Ten, president of the Shan State Peace
Council, Hkun Htun Oo and Sai Nyunt Lwin, chairman and general secretary
respectively of the SNLD, were arrested in last February on charges of
high treason.

A special court in Rangoon’s Insein prison sentenced Hso Ten to 46 years
and three life sentences, while Hkun Htun Oo received 53 years and two
life sentences. Sai Nyunt Lwin was given 25 years and two life sentences.

Following the sentence, Hkun Htun Oo was sent to Putao Prison in Kachin
State. Sai Nyunt Lwin was transferred to Kalay prison, and Hso Ten was
sent to Hkamti prison, both in Sagaing division, in late November 2005.
Another detained leader, 54-year-old Myint Than of the Shan New
Generation, died in a prison in Arakan State in May while serving a
79-year sentence.

_____________________________________

September 10, Democratic Voice of Burma
Hunger strikes by Burmese activists in Washington continue

Burmese pro-democracy activists in Washington DC are continuing a series
of hunger strikes outside the embassies of countries supporting Burma’s
military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to demand
the release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The activists continued their campaign outside the Russian embassy on the
eighth day of the strikes, having finished their vigil at the Chinese
embassy from 4 to 7 September.

“When U Tin Maung Thaw arrived, he went to give a letter to the Russian
embassy with us and a counsellor named Andrew personally came out to greet
us,” one of the strikers Aung Kyi Oo told DVB. “He said he is glad to meet
us thus for the cause of Burma. He said he has sympathies for the people
of Burma and want peaceful change in Burma. Another thing, he said that he
will report the matter to his government in Moscow.

He also told us to tell him what we wanted to say. We said, our protest in
front of the Russian embassy is not to protest against or oppose you. When
the issue to Burma is put forward officially at the UN, please do not
oppose us but help us. For this, they warmly welcomed us and said that
they will do their best.”

The strikes started on 4 September and expected to end on 21. After
finishing the vigil at the Russian embassy, they are continuing it at the
Indian embassy from 12 September and will move on to the UN building in
New York on 16 September until they finish the strikes on 21 September.

The five hunger strikers are; Han Lin, Aung Kyi Oo, Ko Phyo, Tun Win Latt
and Ne Lin.

_____________________________________

September 11, Mizzima News
Burmese activists hold anti-ASEM protest - Louis Reh

Burmese activists from Sweden, Norway and Finland staged demonstrations
spread over two days in front of Helsingin Messukeskus in protest against
the Finnish government’s granting visa to Burmese foreign Minister Nyan
Win, who is representing Burma at the Asia Europe Meeting held in
Helsinki, capital of Finland.

Activists, staging demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday, said despite
continued human rights violation and lack of democracy in Burma, the
invitation of the Burmese representative to the ASEM is contradictory to
the European Union's rhetorical stand on Burma.

Finland based Campaign for Democracy in Burma (CDB) said that the EU
policy on Burma is fickle as it displays inconsistency in their policy
over Burma by granting visa to the regime's representative.

However, Finnish under-secretary of state Markus Lyra told Mizzima earlier
that EU's sanctioned policy on Burma includes a possibility for exception
to grant visa to the Burmese junta if the reason was to attend
inter-government summits.

Markus Lyra also said that Burma, which was accepted as a participant of
the ASEM in 2004 in Laos, automatically qualifies to attend the ASEM 6.

Finland's decision and logic behind inviting the Burmese delegation,
however, was subjected to criticism by activists and rights campaigners as
the Netherlands barred the Burmese junta's representative from attending
an ASEM meeting in the Hague last year.

Joining the demonstration, over 60 people with yellow-coloured-peacock
headbands chanted slogans like "We want Democracy, Free Aung San Suu Kyi
and No SPDC," and waived flags for nearly five hours each over two days.

Demonstrators also called on the EU to set tougher trade sanctions against
the Burmese junta and to avoid dealing with them until there are tangible
political reforms in Burma.

"It [the invitation to the Burmese FM] is an embarrassing downfall for
Europe and [it] further weakens the feeble EU Common Position on Burma,"
said a joint statement released by Burmese activists in Europe.

On Sunday, European leaders urged the Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win to
improve the human rights situation in Burma.

"We reiterated our well-known position on human rights and democracy, a
lack of democracy in Myanmar [Burma]," reports quoted Markus Lyra as
saying.

"Myanmar's [Burma's] reaction was traditional: Myanmar [Burma] needs
time," Lyra told reporters about Nyan Win’s reaction.

But the Finnish official said there are signs of "Positive Elements" in
the meeting with the Burmese Foreign Minister, saying the Burmese junta
seems to be more interested to cooperate with the United Nations.

The U.N. has been trying to bring about reconciliation through a dialogue
between the military and the detained Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi led opposition party – the National League for Democracy – and
ethnic minorities. In May 2006, U.N undersecretary for political affairs,
Ibrahim Gambari, visited Burma and met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEM includes 25 European countries along with the European Commission and
13 Asian countries, which include the ten-member ASEAN, Japan, China and
South Korea.

_____________________________________

OPINION / OTHER

September 10, The Observer (England)
Furthermore: Remind me again what Europe is for - Nick Cohen

Before he launched his pre-emptive war against Gordon Brown, Charles
Clarke made an interesting speech on where on earth the British
centre-left should go now. High among his recommendations was that it
should try to build up Europe as a counterweight to America.

Everyone I know says the same thing, but neglects to explain what comes
next after Europe has declared that it thinks the United States is
dangerous and vulgar.

Ever since a European Union which was daily proclaiming its commitment to
human rights and loathing of totalitarianism stood by while crimes against
humanity were committed just over its borders in Bosnia, the suspicion has
been that what comes next will be mere posturing.

Even on small matters of principle, it can't be brave. For years, the EU
refused to allow the thugs who run the Burmese junta to visit Europe. The
visa ban was a gesture, but one that emphasised to the military that there
were at least some parts of the world where they were rightly regarded as
pariahs.

Yet this weekend, tyrannous Burmese officers dined long and lustily with
John Prescott and other EU leaders at a banquet in Helsinki to celebrate
co-operation between Europe and Asia.
Germany, Austria, Italy and, inevitably, the French wanted to put trade
before human rights and constructed a loophole to allow Burma's goons in.

The Burma Campaign Group says that the lavish meal is 'not a serious
attempt at political engagement, but a farce designed to save face' and
it's hard to disagree. The EU isn't saying: 'We'll lift the visa ban if
you release democrats from prison', but giving the junta just what it
wants. A strong Europe sounds a wonderful thing, but what will it do with
its strength?