BurmaNet News, August 25, 2007

[Editor]

July 25, 2007 Issue # 3274

INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar activists face legal action over fuel hike protest
AP: Myanmar detains at least 65 activists over fuel-price protests
AFP: Protesters sent to notorious Myanmar prison
Irrawaddy: Burmese authorities hunt down key activists
Mizzima News: Junta-backed gangs foil protest plans, security tightened
across Burma
Irrawaddy: More than 150 people demonstrate in Mogok
Khonumthung News: People fleeced for road building project in northwest Burma

BUSINESS / TRADE
The Daily Star: Delhi, Yangon busy discovering huge reserves

REGIONAL
SEAPA: Disrupted information flow following beatings and arrests of
protesters will encourage impunity

PRESS RELEASE
AMBASSADE DE FRANCE EN BIRMANIE: Yangon, CFSP Statement: Declaration by
the Presidency on behalf of the EU

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

August 25, Agence France Presse
Myanmar activists face legal action over fuel hike protest

Myanmar's junta was interrogating 13 activists arrested for organising a
rally against the regime over its massive hike in fuel prices ahead of
likely legal action, state media said Saturday.

Since first taking to the streets last Sunday, a series of peaceful
protests over the fuel hikes have been held in Yangon but the military has
quickly clamped down on dissent by hauling off demonstrators.

"The 13 persons including Min Ko Naing are being interrogated and action
will be taken against them in accordance with the law," said the state-run
New Light of Myanmar daily.

The junta has detained more than 50 protesters over the past week, it said.

Min Ko Naing is considered Myanmar's most prominent pro-democracy leader
after detained opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi.

The paper accused the 13 protesters of "agitating to undermine stability
and security of the state" in the first official word on the fate of the
detained activists.

Myanmar, under military rule since 1962, tolerates little public opposition.

The 13 activists were arrested Tuesday for leading a peaceful march Sunday
through Yangon, which drew 500 protesters in the biggest anti-government
rally here in at least nine years.

Earlier, a source close to Min Ko Naing told AFP the prominent democracy
activist and 12 others were sent to Myanmar's notorious Insein prison in
northern Yangon this week. The source declined to give further details.

The prison is home to some of the nation's estimated 1,100 political
prisoners, and international rights groups have alleged abuse and torture
were rampant there.

The 13 were members of the pro-democracy 88 Generation Students group,
which is made up of former student leaders who led an uprising against
military rule in 1988.

That uprising, which initially began as a protest over Myanmar's harsh
economic conditions, ended with soldiers firing into a crowd of students,
killing hundreds if not thousands.

Min Ko Naing spent 15 years in jail for his role in the uprising and was
released in November 2004. Since then, he has again spent another four
months in detention due to his civil disobedience against the junta.

On Friday, authorities dragged some defiant demonstrators, mainly women,
into trucks as they gathered near Yangon's city hall. They were arrested
before launching any action.

Several police cars stood guard near city hall Saturday, with
plain-clothes security officials patrolling the streets.

Two men were also arrested near a busy market Saturday, sources told AFP,
adding authorities pushed them in a car before the pair would take any
action.

Myanmar's state media on Saturday also mentioned the fuel rises for the
first time since the junta secretly doubled key fuel prices on August 15,
saying authorities increased the diesel and petrol prices "unavoidably."

"The public in general will certainly experience inconveniences in one way
or another due to the fuel price hikes," said a commentary in the New
Light of Myanmar daily.

"So, we have to practice frugality...It will not be proper for one person
to shout loudly since the matter is concerned with the entire people," it
said.

Inflation is estimated at 37 percent this year in Myanmar, one of the
world's poorest nations, and the hike in fuel prices has left many people
unable to afford transport to get to work.

____________________________________

August 25, Associated Press
Myanmar detains at least 65 activists over fuel-price protests

Myanmar's junta has detained at least 65 activists who protested
fuel-price hikes, a state-controlled newspaper and witnesses reported,
including two arrested Saturday as they were about to launch a fresh
demonstration.

The New Light of Myanmar said 13 of those arrested Tuesday from the
prominent pro-democracy 88 Generation Students group "are being
interrogated" for allegedly undermining the government, colluding with
insurgent groups and harming the community peace. If charged, the
activists face up to 20 years in jail.

Members of the 88 Generation Students were at the forefront of a
pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and were imprisoned and tortured after the
military brutally suppressed the rebellion.

Of the more than 50 others, witnesses said two were arrested Saturday as
they were about to hold a protest at a busy intersection in the country's
largest city Yangon.

One of those arrested Saturday was Htin Kyaw, the 44-year-old leader of
the pro-democracy group Myanmar Development Committee. He has repeatedly
been arrested in the past for organizing protests over the country's dire
economy, most recently in April.

Of the more than 50 others, the newspaper said eight people were arrested
in the country's largest city Yangon as they marched in an anti-government
protest Wednesday. The rest were picked up in the same city Thursday and
Friday ahead of other planned rallies.

People in impoverished Myanmar are angry at the military government's
decision to double fuel prices at state-owned gas stations earlier this
month.

Yangon was quiet Saturday, with pro-junta supporters and plainclothes
police deployed throughout the city to prevent further protests. Trucks
stood ready to take demonstrators away.

Nyan Win, a spokesman for the opposition National League for Democracy
party, said Saturday the eight demonstrators detained Wednesday had been
released, but that the fate of the others was unknown.

Peaceful protests have been taking place since Sunday, mainly in Yangon.
No new demonstrations were reported early Saturday.

The junta quickly broke up burgeoning protests Friday, but the defiant
demonstrators could claim a partial victory after the government ordered
some bus companies to lower fares that were raised because of the higher
fuel prices.

Myanmar's ruling junta has been widely criticized for human rights
violations, including the extended detention of NLD leader Aung San Suu
Kyi and more than 1,200 other political prisoners.

The United States, France, Britain and several international human rights
groups have called on the junta to ease its repressive activities and free
political prisoners. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's
government to exercise restraint in its response to the demonstrations.

Economic dissatisfaction sparked the country's last major upheaval in 1988
when mass demonstrations broke out seeking an end to the military rule
that began in 1962.

The protests were violently subdued by the army with hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of people killed.

The current protests are nowhere near the scale of the 1988 events, but
the junta appeared to be taking no chances in trying to clamp down on the
demonstrations.

The military rulers held a general election in 1990, but refused to honor
the results when the National League for Democracy won in a landslide.

____________________________________

August 25, Agence France Presse
Protesters sent to notorious Myanmar prison

A group of 13 activists arrested for organising a rally against Myanmar's
junta over its massive hike in fuel prices have been sent to the country's
notorious Insein prison, a source said Saturday.

The prison is home to some of the nation's estimated 1,100 political
prisoners, and international rights groups have alleged abuse and torture
were rampant there.

The activists include Min Ko Naing, who is considered Myanmar's most
prominent pro-democracy leader after detained opposition leader and Nobel
peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

They were arrested Tuesday for leading a peaceful march Sunday through
Yangon, which drew 500 protesters in the biggest anti-government rally
here in at least nine years.

Myanmar, under military rule since 1962, tolerates little public dissent.

Min Ko Naing and 12 others were sent to Myanmar's notorious Insein prison
this week, the source close to Min Ko Naing told AFP. The source declined
to give further details.

The 13 were members of the pro-democracy 88 Generation Students group,
which is made up of former student leaders who led an uprising against
military rule in 1988.

That uprising, which initially began as a protest over Myanmar's harsh
economic conditions, ended with soldiers firing into a crowd of students,
killing hundreds if not thousands.

Min Ko Naing spent 15 years in jail for his role in the uprising and was
released in November 2004. Since then, he has again spent another four
months in detention due to his civil disobedience against the junta.

Since Sunday's march, a series of peaceful protests over the fuel hikes
have been held in Yangon but the junta quickly quashed them by hauling off
demonstrators. Dozens have been arrested so far.

On Friday, authorities dragged some defiant demonstrators, mainly women,
into trucks as they gathered near Yangon's city hall. They were arrested
before launching any action.

Several police cars stood guard near city hall Saturday, with
plain-clothes security officials roaming the streets.

Inflation is estimated at 37 percent this year in Myanmar, one of the
world's poorest nations, and the hike in fuel prices has left many people
unable to afford transport to get to work.

____________________________________

August 25, Irrawaddy
Burmese authorities hunt down key activists - Kyaw Zwa Moe

Burmese authorities are desperately hunting down key activists following
what has been a series of small, guerilla-style protests that began last
Sunday. One of the authorities' major weapons has been to conduct thorough
searches of their homes and confiscate "illegal items."

Authorities are searching for Htay Kywe, left, who is now in hiding
following the detention of fellow activists Ko Ko Gyi, middle, and Min Ko
Naing
On Friday night, authorities launched searches in the homes of several
activists who played key roles in the recent protests against the
government’s sudden, sharp increase in fuel prices on August 15.

After midnight, authorities entered the home and arrested activist Sandar
Min, in Bahan Township, a member of the 88 Generation Students group, and
searched the entire home.

Similarly, about 40 people raided the home of activist Tin Htoo Aung
Friday night, and he narrowly escaped through a back door, according to a
friend.

Meanwhile, activist Aung Naing, who made a speech during a recent protest,
is also being pursued by authorities who searched his home Friday night.

Activist Htin Kyaw was arrested on Saturday afternoon shortly after his
small group staged a protest in front of Theingyi Market in downtown
Rangoon at 1 p.m. Authorities had offered a reward of 500,000 kyat (US
$400) for his arrest.

Htin Kyaw had been targeted for arrest by authorities following the
Rangoon-based Myanmar Development Committee's announcement that it would
stage a demonstration against the regime's increase in fuel prices.

Another prominent activist, Htay Kywe, a leader of the 88 Generation
Students group, has been in hiding since 13 of his fellow leaders were
arrested on Tuesday after they organized a peaceful march on Sunday
against the rise in fuel prices. Among the 13 arrested was activist Min Ko
Naing, one of the most prominent leaders of the nationwide 1988
pro-democracy uprising.

While in hiding, Htay Kywe told The Irrawaddy by phone, "Photos of Ko Htin
Kyaw and me were given to checkpoints in Rangoon and other cities with
orders to arrest us.” He said he was told there was a 500,000 kyat ($400)
reward his arrest.

Htay Kywe, who has spent more than a decade in the junta’s prisons, said,
“We hold these demonstrations on behalf of the people only to highlight
the problems they are facing.”

The state-run newspapers on Saturday accused Htay Kywe and his fellow
activists of the 88 Generation Students group of "agitating" to undermine
Burma's stability and security and attempting to disrupt the National
Convention by “committing terrorist acts.” The official newspapers said
those arrested were being interrogated and would be dealt with according
to existing laws. The articles suggested they could face up to 20 years
imprisonment.

Currently, there is no information on the whereabouts of those arrested,
and family members are concerned about their treatment and health.

Myint Thein, a spokesman at the headquarters of the opposition National
League for Democracy in Rangoon, said it is reported the student group
leaders are being held in Insein Prison, but that has not been
independently confirmed. In addition to the arrests of the 13 leading
activists, 50 other demonstrators were detained in recent days, according
to The New Light of Myanmar, a government newspaper.

“We all are more worried about my brother after authorities searched our
house three times,” said the sister of Panneik Tun, who was arrested with
the leading members of the 88 Generation Students group on Tuesday.

“Authorities were offensive when they searched our home the last time,”
she told The Irrawaddy by phone. “We don’t like they way they treated us.
I am also worried for my parents, who are not in good health.”

She said authorities confiscated a computer, a mobile phone, photo albums
and a copy of a poem which was translated by pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.

Similarly, mobile phones, computers, documents and photo albums were
confiscated during the searches of other homes of the 88 Generation
Students group.

Win Maung, the father of prominent detained activist Pyone Cho, said
authorities confiscated a book of poems, pictures of Suu Kyi and pamphlets
about their late son Thet Win Aung, who died last year in prison where he
was serving a 60-year sentence for political activities.

A veteran Rangoon activist said on Saturday that some activists, including
him, went into hiding without returning home. He said more activists would
probably face arrest in coming days unless they manage to escape.

The New Light of Myanmar reported on Saturday, “Htay Kywe, who led the
move [demonstrations], is still at-large.”

Htay Kywe managed to escape arrest as his colleagues were being arrested
on Tuesday. On Thursday, his brother was taken in by authorities and
questioned about Htay Kywe's whereabouts.


>From his location in hiding, Htay Kywe told The Irrawaddy, “With the

cooperation of the people, we are ready to break through all obstacles if
the political and economic impasse in Burma persists.”

____________________________________

August 24, Mizzima News
Junta-backed gangs foil protest plans, security tightened across Burma -
Mungpi

More activists were arrested and the Burmese military junta deployed
pro-government gangs on the streets of Rangoon foiling the planned massive
combined protest on Friday. The gangs of USDA members were arming
themselves with knives and batons to thwart the demonstrators in Tamwe
Township.

Plainclothes police and members of junta's puppet civil organization –
Union Solidarity and Development Association and Swan Arrshin – arrested a
group of protesters, who were heading towards downtown Rangoon, activists
told Mizzima.

"Daw San San Myint and some protesters marched towards downtown Rangoon.
Not long after that I received a phone call saying that Daw San San Myint
and some of the women protesters had been arrested," an activist told
Mizzima.

Though there were plans to join forces by the activists, who have in the
last few days launched separate protests in various parts of Rangoon, and
organize a massive protest, the plan was foiled as several hundred
pro-junta gangs were deployed on the streets to stop them, he added.

"Regarding the demonstrations in Tamwe Township, USDA members, armed with
knives and batons, are planning to use force. They have vowed to attack
the demonstrators. Moreover, they are putting on NLD uniforms and plan to
mingle with us and shout whatever slogans they want to shout and create
confusion among us," said Aung Naing, a 88 generation student leader, who
is spearheading the protest over the increased fuel prices.

"Since we do not want to lose our activists, we have decided to withdraw
our plan for today. But these people [USDA] are still waiting. There are
as many as 200 to 300 of them at places where we announced to hold
demonstrations. They don't know that we have withdrawn our plans," he
added.

Activists yesterday announced to stage a massive protest on Friday by
joining forces which have been protesting throughout the week in various
parts of the city.

"Yesterday we announced that we would combine all the forces and stage a
massive demonstration today. So today, there are no small demonstrations
as everybody was ready to join the massive demonstration," he added.

Following the announcement by the activists the government tightened
security in the city.

"Last night there were truckloads of security personnel [Hlone Htain]
doing the rounds. They are equipped with shields and armed with batons. We
think they will still use civilians to stop us, but if there is commotion
the security personnel [Hlone Htain] will intervene," said an 88
generation student.

Beside tight security in Burma's former capital city Rangoon, authorities
have reportedly stepped up security in other parts of the country.

Earlier this morning, the Nation League for Democracy (NLD) branch
chairman in Magwe division, central Burma, was called by authorities and
was made to sign a document not to gather more than five people.

The NLD branch chairman, U Aung Soe, However refused to sign the document.

"Police in plainclothes have begun to keep a close watch on politicians.
Even high school students are being monitored and security and there is
heightened security inside schools. Authorities have ordered teachers to
take care of the students and form security cells. The public is watching
with great interest," another resident of Magwe told Mizzima,

In Mandalay , the second largest city of Burma, eyewitnesses said
truckloads of soldiers are doing the rounds on the 62nd and Science Road,
where the old university main campus is located.

"I saw soldiers on big TE21 trucks patrolling the 62nd street and Science
Road. An officer beside the driver was using a walkie-talkie," an
eyewitness told Mizzima.

In Myit Kyi Na, capital of Burma's northern most Kachin state, local
residents said security has been tightened with several soldiers
positioned in important junctions.

Besides, security checks are being conducted on buses and other vehicles
plying on highways in central Burma and connecting urban areas such as
Mandalay, Sagaing, Meikhtila, and Monywa, a businessman who recently
travelled in the area told Mizzima.

Back in Rangoon, veteran Burmese politician, Amyotharyee U Win Naing in an
interview with Mizzima said, "Security is in place at all road junctions
in Rangoon. From what we can see, we think these people [junta-backed]
will pretend to be NLD members and disturb and foil the demonstration
plans. I think they will take the form of NLD youth."

However, activists vowed to continue with the protest against the massive
fuel price hike that triggered an increase in bus fares and prices of
other essential commodities.

"We will continue with the protest, but I don't mean today. More and more
people are joining us. We will continue with whatever we need to do for a
nation-wide protest," Ko Htin Kyaw, an activist who was arrested several
times in the recent past for protesting against rising commodity prices,
told Mizzima.

____________________________________

August 25, Irrawaddy
More than 150 people demonstrate in Mogok - Shah Paung

More than 150 people in Mogok in Mandalay Division held a peaceful protest
on Saturday against rising commodity and fuel prices without arrests or
interference by authorities, according to a leading protester.

Min Thu, a committee member of the Mogok Township National League for
Democracy, told The Irrawaddy by phone the demonstration started around
11: 30 am and ended around 2 pm. The group started marching from Mogok's
Central Market with about 25 people. Later, more than 150 people joined
the protest, he said.

During the demonstration, marchers shouted, “We march in peaceful protest
on behalf of the people to reduce the fuel and commodity prices.”

The protest group stopped at a state-owned gas station to give a letter to
the manger to send to the Ministry of Energy. Authorities from the
Township State Peace and Development Council accepted the letter and asked
the demonstrators to break up.

Min Thu said the letter said people are facing difficult times because of
the high price of fuel and rising commodity prices. The letter called on
the Ministry of Energy to reduce fuel prices to previous levels.

Min Thu urged other cities and townships to hold peaceful demonstrations.
He said the authorities inspected still and video cameras which were used
to make a record of the protest but later returned them.

Meanwhile, authorities in Rangoon arrested four protesters at 1 pm on
Saturday at Theingyi Market in Latha Township, including Htin Kyaw, a
member of the Myanmar Development Committee who earlier had announced the
group would hold a demonstration at Rangoon City Hall on August 23.

According to a state-run newspaper report on Saturday, since the
demonstrations started on August 19, at least 63 people have been arrested
including 13 prominent 88 student leaders.

In Yenanchaung in Magwe Division there was tension between pro-democracy
demonstrators and Burmese authorities, according to Khin Saw Htay, the
head of the NLD Magwe Division women's group.  Security was tight and
authorities blocked demonstrator's efforts to stage a protest.

____________________________________

August 25, Khonumthung News
People fleeced for road building project in northwest Burma

Main Road in Kalay, Sagaing division

House owners residing along Bogyoke Road in Kalay town, Sagaing division,
Burma have been ordered to broaden the road in front of their homes at
their own cost.

The order was issued by U Soe Win, president of Kalay’s Township Peace and
Development Council.

The authorities in Kalay Township are gearing up to widen the two-way
Bogyoke Road from 50 feet to 100 over a nine mile stretch. However,
residents have been ordered to take the responsibility of widening the
road running past their homes, said a local from Kalay.

“Actually, it is the work of the military government; I don’t understand
why civilians have to construct the road. The people are terribly
frustrated,” a local from Kalay said.

As it is the residents are in a financial bind and constructing one feet
of asphalt road will cost Kyat 3000.

Though the authorities announced that it would contribute Kyat 1,500 for a
feet of asphalt road to each household, the locals have not received any
financial assistance yet, said a local in Kalay.

House demolition

Meanwhile Kalay town’s municipal authorities have asked Cin Sian Thang, a
prominent Chin politician from Zomi National Congress party, to demolish a
portion of his house said to be encroaching on Bogyoke Road before August
28. He is among around 1000 households residing on along the road.

Hakha–Mantaw Road

The authorities in Chin state collected money from the people for the
construction of the 80 mile long proposed Hakha–Mantaw Road that will
connect Chin state with Sagaing Division, in northwestern Burma.

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government sanctioned Kyat
12,600,000 (US $ 9618.32) for the Hakha-Mantaw Road construction project
in the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Moreover, Chin people abroad also
contributed Kyat 12,100,000 (US $ 9236) to the construction fund.

Although a huge sum of money was channeled to the road construction fund
committee headed by the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC)
authorities, the people from Thangtlang town and Hakha town, capital of
Chin state were forced to pay for the proposed road connecting Hakha to
Mantaw in Kalay Township, Sagaing division. The people are angry with the
authorities.

The proposed road is targeted to be completed in 2008. It will be 12 feet
wide and 80 miles long. So far only 30 miles have been completed.

The brains behind collecting the money from the locals are U Khin Maung
Win, TPDC president of Hakha and U laito, TPDC president of Thangtlang.
They extracted Kyat 1,000 from each household.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

August 24, The Daily Star
Delhi, Yangon busy discovering huge reserves

While Bangladesh is going slow about marking its deep sea boundary in the
Bay of Bengal for the last three years, neighbouring India and Myanmar are
busy discovering huge gas reserves in the bay close to Bangladesh
territory.

South Korean oil company Daewoo International along with its Indian and
Myanmarese partners has discovered about 7.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of
exploitable gas in three blocks in the Bay of Bengal near the Bangladesh
border, according to an AFP report.

A Daewoo spokesman told AFP that the size of the reserves is a record for
Myanmar, and certified by international consultants Gaffney, Cline and
Associates.

The reserves were certified as between 4.5 and 7.7 tcf, he said.

Daewoo has a 60 percent stake in the fields. The state-run Korea Gas Corp
owns 10 percent and the remaining 30 percent is held by two Indian firms
-- Gail India and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Daewoo hopes to supply 600 million cubic feet of gas per day, or 3.7
million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for up to 25 years, the
spokesman said.

The company also said it would be cheaper and quicker to pipe the gas to
neighbouring countries. "We are in talks with potential buyers in China,
Thailand and India," the spokesman said.

Earlier on January 15, Indian newspaper Business Standard reported that
India's east coast is emerging as one of the hydrocarbon hotspots in the
world with 100 tcf of gas and two billion barrels of oil in place.

Two main basins in the Bay of Bengal -- Krishna-Godavari and Mahanadi --
have shown a potential of nearly 18 billion barrels of oil equivalent gas
in place.

Earlier, Canadian company Hardy Oil along with ONGC and Bharat Petroleum
Corporation (BPCL) announced major oil and gas discoveries in the
southernmost basin in the area--Kaveri basin.

Official sources quote a figure of 100 tcf for gas reserves in the region
but unofficial estimates peg the reserves at 200 tcf. This, says a report
by equity brokerage house CLSA, could put India in the league of top 10
natural gas producers in the world.

Bangladesh government has been planning to hold its own off-shore oil and
gas exploration bid. Though the government did not even make any primary
preparations with basic seismic data, it has identified some offshore
blocks for this bid.

Locations of some of the off-shore blocks overlap the maritime region of
India and Myanmar.Similarly. some of the off-shore blocks of Myanmar and
India, where exploration activities are now going on, overlap Bangladesh's
maritime region.

Last year, The Daily Star ran a story on Bangladesh government's
indecision about marking its deep sea boundary.

An inter-ministerial technical committee headed by the foreign ministry
formed three years ago could not complete the task. This committee
comprises members from Petrobangla, Geological Survey of Bangladesh, the
Navy, Spaarso, Inland Water Transport Authority and Surveyor of
Bangladesh.

The committee was to recommend to the government how to mark the deep sea
territory fulfilling requirements of the United Nations and as per the law
of the sea.

While this committee went into hibernation, the Indian government in early
2006 launched the sixth licensing round under its New Exploration
Licensing Policy (NELP-6) offering 55 blocks including 24 deep water
blocks.

According to the block acreage map published by Indian government, larger
parts of blocks D-23 (8706 sqkm) and D-22 (7790 sqkm) appear to have
fallen inside Bangladeshi deep waters far below the coast of the
Sundarbans.

Both these blocks are situated right below block 21 of Bangladesh, as was
floated in the second round block bidding.

International law allows each country to have 200 nautical miles from its
coast to the sea to enjoy rights. But this is a tricky matter as the
coasts of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar follow a curve which imply
overlapping of territory. As per international practices, in such a case,
neighbours should inform each other and reach a mutual understanding
before exploring such gray areas.

As there had been no exploration in the deep waters of the bay, a
scientific survey in June and July last year conducted by a German
geo-scientific and natural resources institution-- BGR-- primarily found
for the first time the presence of sedimentary rock oolite or carbonate in
the south-western bay, which indicates the potentials of oil and gas
there.

Sources said oolite was detected at a depth of 125 metres off the
Sundarbans coast. Samples extracted by scientists show the oolite has a
layer of 6 metres in depth.

The sonar map produced by the survey shows the presence of oolite
extending to off-shore blocks 21b and 20 b. "But this study was not aimed
at detecting mineral resources. So, specific and further studies will
determine how extended the oolite layer is, which will also indicate
actual potential of oil and gas reserve there," said one source.

But the government did not follow up such accidental discovery till date.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

August 24, Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
Disrupted information flow following beatings and arrests of protesters
will encourage impunity

The Burmese military dictatorship may be tightening the already restricted
telecommunication channels in the country to prevent information about the
ongoing mass protests and arrests in Rangoon from leaking out, according
to SEAPA sources.

Internet users in Burma who are trying to communicate with their contacts
outside the country are experiencing constantly disrupted connections,
while worried friends and relatives overseas are finding it difficult to
reach those inside on mobile phones.

Authorities have also confiscated the mobile phones of leaders of the
pro-democracy group, 88 Generation Students, who were arrested on 22
August 2007 for spearheading protests against the recent sharp increase of
fuel prices. SEAPA sources say the junta is trying to prevent
international media from obtaining the latest information about the
protests that have been held every day since 19 August, following the
price hike that has paralysed the public transport system and drastically
affected prices of essential commodities. Callers to the well-known
dissidents said they received a message informing them that the government
has cut off the number they are trying to reach.

With the junta's iron-fist hold on information and all channels of
communication, the people rely on foreign media for the truth, even when
it comes to events within the country.

SEAPA fears that the apparent moves by the Burmese junta to restrict
information from reaching the international community will lead to a
worsening situation for the people. Hidden from the eyes of the world as
such, the repressive regime may feel emboldened to commit more acts of
impunity against the peaceful protesters.

Driven to desperation by the worsening inflation in a country where 25 per
cent of its 47 million population are already living in poverty, about 500
citizens have been taking to the streets every day despite the risk of
arrest and beatings at the hands of mobs paid by the junta.

Bystanders who fear expressing their unhappiness in the same conduct could
only support those who are "speaking" on their behalf by bringing them
food and water, and cheering them on with the thumbs-up sign, according to
news reports.


_______________________
PRESS RELEASE

August 25, AMBASSADE DE FRANCE EN BIRMANIE
Yangon, CFSP Statement: Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU

The European Union views with concern the recent arrests by the Government
of Burma /Myanmar of several leaders of the opposition, notably from the
group “Generation 88”, who were protesting against the sharp rise of fuel
prices and the economic burdens being heaped on the Burmese people.

The European Union condemns this decision to detain individuals who were
exercising their basic right to peaceful demonstrations, and calls for
their immediate release.

The European Union further urges the authorities of Burma / Myanmar to
release without delay Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leaders and
political prisoners, and to engage with all different components of the
society of Burma /Myanmar in the sort of open and inclusive dialogue which
is indispensable to long awaited political reform.