BurmaNet News, February 22, 2008

[Editor]

February 22, 2008 Issue # 3408


INSIDE BURMA
AFP: As Myanmar's economy crumbles, prostitution lures young women
Irrawaddy: Outcry for fair referendum, elections
Irrawaddy: Rangoon internet users report poor connections
Irrawaddy: Three Pa-O ceasefire leaders detained
DVB: Military abducts 15 children in Tharawaddy
DVB: NLD calls for publication of convention principles
DVB: Pro-government leafleting in Insein township
USA Today: Burma takes shots at John Rambo
Shan Herald Agency for News: More exploitation on villagers since crackdown

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Bomb at Mae Sot dump injures 14 Burmese migrants

BUSINESS / TRADE
Bangkok Post: Trade hurt as Burmese close cargo piers
Mizzima News: Essar to explore Burma's onshore gas field
Irrawaddy: India battling China for influence

INTERNATIONAL
AP: UN envoy frustrated with Myanmar
BBC News: Planet's Burma guide 'unethical'
Financial Times: Burma's constitution attacked
Mizzima News: Costa Rican leader stands behind Suu Kyi

OPINION / OTHER
Boston Globe: World's conscience on Burma
Irrawaddy: Junta targeting Burma’s press

STATEMENT
National League for Democracy

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

February 22, Agence-France Press
As Myanmar's economy crumbles, prostitution lures young women – Mony Chris

Cherry and Kay Kay walk into room Number Two of a Yangon karaoke bar,
where a man waits alone for them on a brown leather sofa.

"Come on, girls. Sing, please," he says, as they flick the karaoke machine
to a Myanmar folk song they hope he likes.

The scene may not be uncommon in many parts of Asia, but was until
recently rare here in isolated Myanmar, where economic desperation is
increasingly pushing young women into a sex trade that hides behind the
facade of karaoke bars and massage parlours.

At the bars, known locally as KTVs for "karaoke television," young women
in their late teens and early 20s entertain clients in private
air-conditioned rooms furnished with sofas and karaoke equipment.

Waiters enter only when customers order food and drinks, or if the women
ring a bell to alert the management that a client is getting out of hand.

Workers at KTVs say sex is not necessarily on offer, but they add that in
the private rooms boundaries can be vague.

"It's hard to control men in this kind of room," 22-year-old Kay Kay says.

"They are so wild when they get drunk. I need to hold both his hands to
protect myself. Sometimes I need to ring the bell to call for help from
the waiters," she says.

Customers vary from teenagers to adults. Sometimes they come with friends,
occasionally even with family, to venues that blur the line between casual
entertainment and brothels.

Cherry and Kay Kay are among 20 girls working in their KTV bar, located
near Yangon's landmark Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the Buddhist country's
holiest shrines. Ostensibly they are hostesses, paid to keep customers
company, encourage them to buy drinks, and to sing for them.

Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar, but it began to take root underground
after the ruling junta abandoned socialism for a market economy in 1996.

Myanmar is one of the world's poorest countries, where even urban
professionals scrape out a living on less than a dollar a day. Salaries
for civil servants, for example, start at about 20,000 kyats (16 dollars).

Many industries have been decimated by decades of economic mismanagement
by the military, coupled with the effects of Western sanctions imposed
over the regime's failure to make good on promises of democratic reforms.

Cherry says she decided to work in the karaoke bar after quitting her
low-wage job at a garment factory.

The eldest daughter in her family, Cherry was taken out of school before
she reached her teens so her family could afford to send her brothers to
school.

She then started working in the factory, but quit after discovering that
she could earn more in tips in one night at the karaoke bar than she
earned in a month at her old job.

Cherry and Kay Kay say they both grew up in broken families, and have not
told any of their relatives about their new jobs.

"I didn't tell my mum that I'm working at KTV. She thinks that I'm working
as a sales girl in a supermarket," Cherry says. -- 'Our girls even include
university graduates' --

Many of the girls working in Yangon's KTV bars have come from Myanmar's
impoverished countryside in search of better opportunities in the city.

The bar that employs Cherry and Kay Kay provides them with free room and
board, and a base salary of 20,000 kyats, or about 18 dollars.

"The basic salary is similar to what I earned at the factory, but here we
get tips from customers," Cherry says. "Sometimes we earn 30,000 kyats (25
dollars) in one night just from the tips."

The women are not allowed to leave the bar before its 2:00 am closing
time, and then they are driven back to the hostel.

In a nation that prides itself on the glories of its past and its literary
culture, the growth of the entertainment industry has caused some public
soul-searching.

One poet, who wrote about the trend in a poem called "Yangon Nights," said
poverty was not the only culprit driving young women to their after-hours
jobs.

"As many of them are uneducated and don't value their life, so they
eventually end up in this community," he told AFP, speaking on condition
of anonymity.

But Wine, who worked as a cashier in a music restaurant, said that even
some professional women are turning to the nightlife for second jobs to
help make ends meet.

"The girls working in our shop include schoolgirls, nurses who are
available to work at night and university graduates," Wine said, adding
that she started working at the restaurant after twice failing her high
school graduation exam and being unable to find any other job.

"Many friends of mine work in KTVs or music pubs while also taking
university correspondence courses," she said.

The stigma attached to the bar girls remains strong, and many parents
would rather see their children join the millions of Myanmar migrants
heading overseas to search for work.

"My youngest daughter wanted to work in a KTV bar. I did not allow her,
because once she takes the step of working there, it becomes very easy for
her to become a commercial sex worker. It's very hard to control," said
Ei, a 59-year-old mother of two daughters.

Ei says that like many families here, hers is struggling to survive. But
she would rather see her daughters try to find work overseas than let them
work in a karaoke bar.

Cherry and Kay Kay say they are happy they make enough money to support
their families without having to leave the country.

"I can support my family well. One of my brothers will graduate from
university very soon," says Cherry.

"I don't need to work very hard like I did in the factory but you know
customers treat us just as bar girls, they look down on us. The reputation
of a bar girl is not so good in this community."

____________________________________

February 22, Irrawaddy
Outcry for fair referendum, elections – Saw Yan Naing

Veteran Burmese politicians, opposition activists and ethnic ceasefire
leaders have urged Burma’s military regime to hold a free and fair
national referendum and general election.

Burmese protesters residing in Japan holds a huge picture of pro-democracy
politician Aung San Suu Kyi during a march demanding to urge for more
action by the international community against their country's military
junta, at Tokyo's Shibuya shopping and amusement district on November.
(Photo: Reuters)
An influential group of veteran politicians, pro-democracy activists and
leaders of the Kachin Independence Organization all released statements on
Thursday, each calling for a fair referendum and general election.

In early February, the Burmese government announced that a national
referendum on the constitution will be held in May and a multi-party
general election in 2010.

The veteran politicians—including Thakin Chan Htun and Thakin Thein
Pe—urged the regime to widely distribute the draft constitution and to
allow sufficient time for voters to study the constitution.

Thakin Chan Htun, a leader of the group, told The Irrawaddy on Friday,
“The regime should release political prisoners and allow them to freely
involve themselves in the referendum. They [the authorities] should also
allow UN representatives, political analysts and journalists to observe
the voting process.”

The politicians criticized the regime for ignoring the calls of the
international community, the United Nations, prominent world leaders,
Burmese opposition groups and citizens to promote real national
reconciliation.

Economic and social problems can not be solved through a constitution and
election if the regime does not allow sufficient time for the people to
study the draft constitution, said the politicians.

Meanwhile, the central committee of the Kachin Independence Organization—a
main ethnic ceasefire group based on the China-Burma border—released a
statement on Thursday saying the referendum and election have a chance to
promote political reform in Burma, but only if  the referendum and
election are free and fair.
The KIO took part in the junta-sponsored National Convention, which led to
the referendum on the draft constitution.

The ceasefire group called for the regime to appoint a group to monitor
the voting process to ensure fairness.

An ethnic Mon ceasefire group, the New Mon State Party based on the
Thai-Burma border, announced that it will not support the draft
constitution written by the Burmese government because it does not
guarantee the rights of ethnic groups or create a federal union style
government.

Nai ong Ma-Nge, a spokesperson for the party, said, “It is not a good sign
because they [the regime] don’t negotiate with opposition groups and
ethnic leaders. We don’t follow their strategy. What we believe is that
tripartite talks are the best way to solve the political problems in
Burma.”

The NMSP signed a ceasefire agreement with the regime in 1995.
Representatives of the party also attended the National Convention as
observers along with other ethnic ceasefire groups in 2004.

Meanwhile, many Rangoon-based activists called for fairness in the
referendum and election.

An underground activist group, known as Generation Wave, released a
statement on Thursday calling for all citizens to have the right of
freedom of expression and the right to lobby for their political views.

The Generation Wave, believed to be made up of students, was founded in
2007 after the military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.

At a regional meeting in Singapore, Burma’s Foreign Minister, Nyan Win,
said Aung San Suu Kyi will not be allowed to take part in the 2010
election because of her marriage to a foreigner, Briton Michael Aris.

In an Associated Press story, Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the US
National Security Council, said, "That [banning Suu Kyi] is hardly the
definition of free and fair elections. The junta needs to start from
scratch with a real constitution that actually passes the laugh test."

____________________________________

February 22, Irrawaddy
Rangoon internet users report poor connections – Saw Yan Naing

Owners of Internet cafes and their customers are complaining that servers
in Rangoon have become increasingly unreliable in recent weeks.

The reason for the frequent disruption of service is not known, but users
in the former Burmese capital say that the problem has become more
noticeable since the beginning of this month.

“It takes a long time to send attached files, such as photos and pictures.
It is not as fast as before,” said a woman working at an Internet café in
Sanchaung Township.

“Sometimes the connection fails completely while users are online and we
have to change to a new proxy number. It happens all the time now,” she
added.

Keeping services up and running has become a constant struggle for
technical staff.

“My staffers are very busy helping our customers because the connection is
down every five minutes,” said the owner of another Internet café in
Sanchaung Township.

One user complained that Internet services appear to be going the way of
the country’s notoriously undependable electricity supply.

“I come to the Internet café so I can contact my husband, who is overseas,
because I can’t afford to make long-distance telephone calls,” said a
woman contacted by The Irrawaddy. “But now there are constant problems
with the Internet connection. On top of that, sometimes the lights go
out.”

Last September, Internet connections in Rangoon were shut down for a week
to prevent people sending digital photographs and video of a crackdown on
monk-led protests.

Although service has resumed, the authorities continue to restrict
Internet traffic to prevent users from gaining access to outside sources
of information, and to keep damaging images from reaching exiled and other
international media outlets.

According to sources in Rangoon, the Burmese regime’s network of informers
are now focusing their attention on Internet cafes, which are replacing
traditional teashops as places where people can discreetly share their
views with others.
____________________________________

February 22, Irrawaddy
Three Pa-O ceasefire leaders detained – Saw Yan Naing

Three ethnic Pa-O ceasefire group leaders were summoned and detained for
questioning by the Burmese army following a clash in the Shan State
capital that killed two Burmese soldiers.

The leaders of the ceasefire group, known as the Shan State Nationalities
Peoples’ Liberation Organization (SSNPLO), are Chairman Ta Kalei, Vice
Chairman Sein Shwe and Soe Aung Lwin, one of the organization’s officers.

The leaders were summoned on February 18, one day after a clash with a
splinter group known as the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO).

The clash took place in Sesai Township in Taunggyi, the Shan State
capital, according to PNLO sources.

The SSNPLO, which has about 100 members based at its headquarters in Naung
Tao, in southern Shan State, is one of the ethnic ceasefire groups that
have been pressured by the Burmese regime to disarm since 2006.  It signed
a ceasefire agreement with the military government in 1994.

Col Khun Thurein, the general secretary of the PNLO said, "They [the
Burmese army] will likely take this opportunity to accuse the group
[SSNPLO] of having relationships with other rebel groups and pressure the
group till it disarms."

The area where the clash occurred was patrolled by troops from Light
Infantry Battalion 423 under Military Operations Command 7.

The SSNPLO disarmed once in 2004 but again split into two groups.

A splinter group of SSNPLO, numbering about 130 people with 35 soldiers,
led by Col Chit Maung disarmed in June 2007.

The PNLO split from the SSNPLO in late 2007, said the group's leader, Col
Khun Thurein.

The military government pressured many ethnic ceasefire groups, including
the United Wa State Army and the Kachin Independence Army, to disarm
before the formation of the National Convention in 2007.

____________________________________

February 22, Democratic Voice of Burma
Military abducts 15 children in Tharawaddy – Naw Say Phaw

Fifteen children from Tharawaddy township in Bago division were abducted
by government troops about 10 days ago and forced to join the army, local
residents said.

The children were in the forest collecting wood when they were taken by
soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion-35.

A Tharawaddy resident said the children were threatened with imprisonment
if they would not join the army.

“The children were abducted by LIB-35 about 10 days ago when they went
into the forest to collect bamboo,” the resident said.

“They were then taken to the barracks where the military officers
apparently told them they had to choose between joining the army and being
sent to prison, but the children all said they would prefer to go to
prison.”

The children were taken to Tharawaddy police station about three days ago,
as the LIB-35 battalion commander was due to come to the barracks and
officers were reportedly worried they would be reprimanded for having the
children there.

But the police refused to press charges against the children or to keep
them in detention, and so the military took them back to the barracks.

The Tharawaddy resident said the police were also worried about action
against them if they kept the children at the station.

“Maybe they’re afraid that they’re going to get into trouble for having
these children,” he said.

“The police also used to make some money from people who went to the
forest to cut wood, but since the military has been discouraging people to
go there they are not getting money any more.”

Other local residents said that soldiers from the military recruitment
division led by lieutenant Saw Win have taken people from the forest on
several recent occasions.

____________________________________

February 22, Democratic Voice of Burma
NLD calls for publication of convention principles – Htet Aung Kyaw

National League for Democracy spokesperson U Nyan Win has criticised the
junta for not making public the national convention principles, despite
claims by the chief justice that they were available.

U Nyan Win said that the book of principles mentioned by the chief justice
did not seem to be publicly available.

"The book featuring the principles of the national convention, which the
Chairman of National Convention Convening Work Committee, chief justice U
Aung Toe, said was available, is nowhere to be found as of 2pm on 21
February,” he said.

“So we have still had no chance to find out what's in it."

U Aung Toe said on 19 February that, “a book featuring the fundamental
principles and detailed basic principles has been published”, and also
claimed they had been publicised on radio and television.

The chief justice said that the constitution, which was approved by the
Commission for Drafting the State Constitution on 19 February, was drafted
in accordance with these principles.

Burmese foreign minister U Nyan Win stated recently at a dinner cruise for
Association of South-East Asian Nations foreign ministers in Singapore
that Burmese people who have married foreign nationals are excluded from
running for office.

"According to Burma's 1974 basic constitution, a Burmese national who is
married to a foreigner or has children who are not of Burmese nationality
cannot be allowed to participate in the national elections," foreign
minister U Nyan Win said.

If such a clause is also included in the new constitution, this would bar
NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from standing for election, a possibility
that has been widely criticised.

NLD spokesperson U Nyan Win said that the foreign minister’s remarks were
irrelevant given that Burma does not currently have a valid constitution.

"The 1974 basic constitution was demolished in 1988, and today's draft
national constitution has not been fully approved yet,” the NLD
spokesperson said.

“If the remarks were based upon the 1974 constitution, then his remarks
are not based on existing laws. We consider that this was only his
personal opinion.”

____________________________________

February 22, Democratic Voice of Burma
Pro-government leafleting in Insein township – Naw Say Phaw

Residents of Insein township, Rangoon division, were angered when local
authorities allowed a pro-government group to hand out leaflets in the
township.

While opposition groups face harassment from the authorities for trying to
run similar campaigns, the pro-government 88 Generation Students (Union of
Myanmar) received assistance and security from local officials.

A couple of people from the group, led by Aye Lwin, were seen in Insein
township yesterday morning distributing leaflets with information on Aye
Lwin, his group and statements they had made about the government.

An eyewitness said he was handed a leaflet when he was on his way to the
market.

“They were wearing white and green uniforms that are very similar to those
worn by the Union Solidarity and Development Association,” the eyewitness
said.

“The leaflets contain information about Aye Lwin and his background, and
statements by his group,” he explained.

“There are also explanations about the origin of the group [
], but no one
was really paying attention to what was in the leaflet.”

The witness said that the leaflets were accepted by local government
officials, and USDA and Swan Arr Shin members provided security for the
group.

“This is not fair. When we do this kind of thing they arrest us, but when
pro-government people do the same thing they even provide security and
assistance,” he said.

____________________________________

February 22, USA Today
Burma takes shots at John Rambo

A Burmese magazine issued a harsh critique of Sylvester Stallone's
performance in the latest installment of the Rambo franchise.

The Voice, a privately owned magazine subject to censorship, says the
American actor, whose character saves Christian missionaries being held in
the jungles of the country also known as Myanmar, "looks funny fighting a
war even though he's so fat with sagging breasts."

The magazine goes on to say Stallone looks like a "lunatic" in the banned
movie.

AP says The Voice article is actually a "loosely translated" version of a
review that appeared in The Straits Times last month. Here's how that
paper described the action star: "He brings back his [John] Rambo for one
more ridiculous battle even though he's so fat and man-breast heavy he
looks like Blocky crashing through the jungle like a trip down mammary
lane."

The wire service says a word the original author used to describe the
ruling junta was lost in translation: "Dictators."

____________________________________

February 22, Shan Herald Agency for News
More exploitation on villagers since crackdown – Hseng Khio Fah

On 20 January 2008, at 1:00am, Loilem based Light Infantry Battalion 12
commander Major Yang Aung Win led a 35 strong patrol on the way to Natu to
Hsikkhar village, Mongkhun village tract, Mongkung township and stole 11
chickens (value about Kyat 22,000, US $ 18) from Hsikkar village and a
pair of sneakers value Kyat 3,000(US $ 2.5). Then at 10:30am, they went
into villagers Pawhsang Nyeing and Maehsang Nyeing's house and took Kyat
833,700(US $ 695) and a chicken value at Kyat 3,000(US $ 2.5), according
to a local source.

Also on 8 January 2008, Light Infantry Battalion 131 forced the villagers
of Wan Khem to buy a motorbike. The battalion is based in Wan Pang, Wan
Khem village tract, Kehsi Township.

Again, on 13 January 2008, at 4:00am, Mong Pawn based Light Infantry
Battalion 517 commander Major Thurein Tun patrolled with his 15 men and
rested at Nang Mon's house in Wan Long, Wan Hwe village tract, Mongkung
Township, Northern Shan State.  After that they intentionally left their
guns at the house and left the village by tractor to Sanpek village,
Mongkhun tract, according to a local source.

“On the next day, at 6:00am, 5 soldiers from the group returned to Nang
Mon's house and asked for their guns. They accused villagers of hiding
those guns. As for punishment, they took 5 blankets from the villagers,”
said a villager.

“Wherever they patrol, they always take things and collect taxes from the
villagers. Since the September crackdown in 2007, soldiers seem to have
lost faith in their top officers. They only think of money. As long as
they get the money they allow every one to plant and trade whatever they
want,” said a villager.

Soldiers abusing their powers not only in Southern Shan State but also
similar things happened in Northern Shan State.

On 18, January, S.H.A.N (Shan Herald Agency for News) reported that a
police station officer collected taxes from villagers who own motorbikes.
The tax is Kyat12, 000 ($10) for each. They then buy motorbikes from the
tax money. And also local authorities forced people to buy motorcycles for
their use in Mong Ngaw Township, Kyaukme District, Northern Shan State.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

February 22, Irrawaddy
Bomb at Mae Sot dump injures 14 Burmese migrants – Violet Cho

Around fourteen Burmese migrants, including three children, were injured
this morning by a bomb blast at a garbage dump located about 2 km from the
Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot, according to witnesses.

A teacher at Sky Blue, a school for migrant children who live in the area
around the massive rubbish dump, told The Irrawaddy that the bomb went off
early this morning, shortly after a truck deposited a load of garbage.

Local Thai police have begun an investigation into the incident, and
victims of the blast have been taken to Mae Sot General Hospital for
treatment, the teacher added.

Among those hospitalized were two men and an eight-year-old child who
sustained serious face, neck and chest injuries, according to a medical
worker from the Mae Tao Clinic for Burmese migrants. The injured were all
people living near the dump, where many migrants sift through the town’s
waste to find recyclable materials they can sell.

According to a Burmese journalist in Mae Sot, migrants who make their
living off the dump have expressed shock at the incident, which has raised
concerns about their security.

Meanwhile, local Thai authorities and police say they are looking for the
truck which they believe was used to plant the bomb, she added.

Around 200 illegal migrant workers and their families live near the dump,
which provides many with their only source of income, especially in the
summer months, when there are few other jobs available.

The dump, which is located on the outskirts of Mae Sot, is the size of
several football fields.  The whole area is covered with plastic bags,
bottles and rotting waste which fills the air with a powerful stench.

Thousands of Burmese migrants live in or around Mae Sot, which lies
opposite the Burmese border town of Myawaddy. Those living near the dump
are among the most desperately poor.

Living conditions are worsened by fears of harassment and arrest by the
police, and by a lack of educational opportunities for children.

In late 2006, a primary school was built with the assistance of the
Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee, based in Mae Sot. But some
children are still unable to study due to economic pressures which force
them to continue working to contribute to their families’ meager incomes.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

February 22, Bangkok Post
Trade hurt as Burmese close cargo piers – Supamart Kasem

Burmese authorities have temporarily closed cargo piers on the Moei river,
holding up a large volume of border trade, the Tak Chamber of Commerce
said yesterday.

Ampon Chatchaiyaruek, chairman of the chamber of commerce, said exports of
goods have dropped 5-10% in value since Burma closed more than 20 piers on
the Moei river, the natural borderline, as of Tuesday.

The piers are opposite Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Tha Song Yang districts.

The Burmese authorities said they shut down the piers to streamline
customs procedures and to better control the collection of border tariffs.

Border business now carries on via the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge in
Mae Sot district.

It has not been announced when the piers will reopen. Daily border trade
through checkpoints in Mae Sot is now valued at between 30-40 million
baht, a drop of around 10%.

Streamlined customs regulations are thought to benefit the economic zone
about 10km west of the Burmese border town of Myawaddy where large
warehouses are under construction and a one-stop service centre
established to facilitate border trade there.

Earlier, Tak authorities beefed up border security in Mae Ramat following
the killing of Karen National Union secretary-general Padoh Mahn Shar
Larpan in Mae Sot on Thursday. The killers were believed to have crossed
the border via Ban Wang Pha border pass.

____________________________________

February 22, Mizzima News
Essar to explore Burma's onshore gas field – Mungpi

Indian Oil Company, Essar, will start drilling the first test well in May
at the onshore Block L gas field in Burma's western State of Arakan, the
company's spokesperson said.

Essar Global Ltd., which has interest in energy, steel and
telecommunications, will begin drilling a test well for exploration of
natural gas in Block L under a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with
Burma.

Essar's spokesperson said, the company signed the PSC for both Black L and
A 2, and work has commenced.

While Essar is the operator for both the blocks with a 100 percent
Participating Interest (PI), the production is shared with the Myanmar Oil
and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), the spokesperson added.

Essar is one of the three Indian companies engaged in oil and gas
exploration in Burma. The other two are Indian government-owned Oil and
Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), both
of which has stakes in Block A-1 and A-3 of offshore gas fields in Arakan
state.

The consortium led by Daewoo International Corporation of South Korea
includes the ONGC and GAIL along with South Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS).

Burma, which is listed among the United Nations' Least Developed Countries
(LDC) due to its military ruler's economic mismanagement, has an abundance
of natural gas reserves, particularly in offshore areas.

Burma's gas fields including three offshore and 19 onshore gas fields is
estimated to have 89.722 trillion cubic-feet (TCF) of recoverable reserve.

Reportedly, at least 13 foreign oil companies mainly from Australia,
Britain, Canada, China, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand
and Russia, are engaged in oil and gas projects in Burma.

____________________________________

February 22, Irrawaddy
India battling China for influence – William Boot

The India government is determined not to lose out completely to China in
the battle for the hearts and minds—and natural resources—of the Burmese
junta.

The Chinese may get the big field of gas the Indians wanted and use Burma
as a shortcut to ship Middle East oil to southwest China, but India
continues to woo the Naypyidaw generals—and in a Jekyll and Hyde fashion.

New Delhi is claiming credit for organizing UN special envoy Ibrahim
Gambari’s next visit to Burma, and will welcome  Burmese military chiefs
at its international arms fair beginning on Saturday.

Some observers might think that’s a contradiction, but not in the eyes of
the leaders of the biggest democracy in the world.

In April, the junta's No. 2, Gen Maung Aye, will be a VIP at the formal
signing of a much-coveted US $120 million business deal between the two
countries.

New Delhi has wriggled and twisted to ensure it secures the special
contract to redevelop Burma’s dilapidated west coast port of Sittwe, along
with new transport links up to the border of the Indian northeast state of
Mizoram.

India was originally going to get operational control of Sittwe port in
return for renovating the former British rice export centre, but the junta
changed its mind—after Chinese objections, say insiders.

Rather than let the deal go, New Delhi will now sign what’s being termed a
BTU agreement—build, transfer and use.
Under the deal, the Indians will still be able to use Sittwe as an
export-import junction for its northeast. But with the Chinese set to run
a gas pipeline beside the port from the nearby offshore Shwe field,
Beijing would not want a third country in charge of port operations.

“This deal has not been easy, as with most negotiations with the
prevaricating generals, but the Indian government has been dogged to the
point of fawning to clinch it,” said independent energy industries
consultant Collin Reynolds in Bangkok.
“This is because it is critical to plans for developing India’s isolated
and troublesome northeast states.”

Those states—Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and
Arunachal Pradesh –are populated with 35 million mostly non-Indian
indigenous tribes many of whom have long resented New Delhi control and
harbor extremists who seek independence. Some of the armed separatists
cross the border into Burma to thwart Indian army pursuit.

Ironically, these northeast territories were annexed by the British during
the expansionary heyday of the 19th century British empire as a buffer
against marauding Burmese before the British also invaded Burma.

The deal Maung Aye is expected to sign in New Delhi includes widening and
deepening the Kaladan River that flows from Mizoram to Sittwe to
accommodate cargo vessels. A parallel road is also planned.

New Delhi’s decision to ignore US and European Union calls to support a
trade boycott and the political isolation of the Burmese government to
force reform is paying off, just like it is for China.

The Indian energy company Essar is to begin exploratory drilling for gas
and oil at two Burmese sites. One is onshore near Sittwe in Arakan State.
The other, ironically, is in the Shwe field in the Bay of Bengal where two
other Indian companies— onGC and GAIL—have been frustrated by the Chinese.

Having discovered and developed 5.6 trillion feet of recoverable gas (184
billion cubic meters) in two other Shwe sections along with the South
Koreans, China successful negotiated with the generals to buy the
much-coveted fuel.

“It has hurt the India government to produce gas for the Chinese, but the
Indians cannot afford not to play along even though Essar might experience
the same fate,” said Reynolds.

Arakan State is poised to experience increased development in the next few
years as India and China scramble for energy and to use the territory as a
conduit to their landlocked regions.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

February 22, Associated Press
UN envoy frustrated with Myanmar – Zakki Hakim

A U.N. envoy said Friday he is frustrated with Myanmar's slow progress
toward democracy, but is hopeful that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi will be allowed to take part in planned elections.

Ibrahim Gambari is on a tour of Asia aimed at encouraging regional leaders
to do more to press for change in Myanmar. He made the remarks after
meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"Sometimes, I myself am frustrated that the tangible results are not
faster or we have not achieved more, but we have to build on what we have
and continue to press for more results," Gambari said in an interview.

He said he expected to visit Myanmar in the first week of March to resume
talks with the country's military rulers, but complained of the
restrictions the junta placed on him when he was there on previous trips.

"I'm asking to be allowed to see more people, with more freedom and to
stay longer, that's my wish," he said.

In a surprise announcement earlier this month, Myanmar said it will hold a
May referendum on a new constitution written under military guidance, and
will hold elections in 2010 _ the first specific dates for steps in an
earlier-announced "roadmap to democracy."

Under the new constitution, Suu Kyi would not be allowed to run in the
elections because she was once married to a foreign citizen _ her late
husband was British _ and enjoyed the privileges of a foreign national.

The plans have been widely criticized for failing to include any input
from Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, which complained
Monday that the junta's recent moves toward reform were not enough.

Gambari said he "hoped" that Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest,
would be allowed to take part in the polls. He said Thursday he would
raise the issue with the junta during his upcoming visit.

Suu Kyi's party won general elections in 1990 but was not allowed by the
military to take power. She has been under house arrest or in prison for
more than 12 of the past 18 years.

Myanmar sparked global outrage in September when the junta crushed
protests led by Buddhist monks. The U.N. estimates at least 31 people were
killed and thousands more were detained in the crackdown.

____________________________________

February 22, BBC News
Planet's Burma guide 'unethical'

The TUC has called for a boycott of Lonely Planet guidebooks until the
Burma edition is withdrawn from sale.

The trade union umbrella organisation says travel to Burma is unethical
and helps prop up the military government.

Last year, Lonely Planet was bought by BBC Worldwide Limited, the
commercial arm of the Corporation.

In a statement, the BBC said the guide book - one of 288 published by
Lonely Planet - "provides information and lets readers decide for
themselves".

The TUC, Tourism Concern, Burma Campaign UK and the New Internationalist
have launched an online petition calling for the immediate withdrawal of
the book.

'Unethical' travel

New Internationalist co-editor, Chris Brazier, said: "Holidaying in Burma
is one of the most unethical trips you could make, given the brutality of
the current regime.

"The Lonely Planet guide to Burma should be immediately withdrawn."

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber added: "The very existence of a
travel guide to Burma encourages people to visit a country they might not
otherwise consider."

But BBC Worldwide said the guide "provides information to help travellers
make informed decisions about whether or not to visit Burma and, should
they decide to go, make informed choices on what they do when in the
country.

"Lonely Planet believes that its decision to publish a guide book to Burma
does not of itself represent support or otherwise for the current regime.

No plans to withdraw

BBC Worldwide says it has "carefully reviewed that position and has no
plans to withdraw the guide".

"It provides information and lets readers decide for themselves."

The pros and cons of travel to Burma are set out at the front of its
guidebook:

Its reasons not to go include:

•	Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi opposes tourism
•	The military government uses forced labour
•	International tourism seen as 'stamp of approval'
•	Money from tourism goes to the military government

Reasons to go are:

•	Tourism one of few areas to which locals have access
•	Carefully targeted spending reaches individuals in need
•	Locals have told travel guide authors they are in favour
•	Abuses less likely in areas frequented by foreigners
•	Insight Guides is the other main publisher with a guidebook on Burma.

It has postponed its latest edition in the light of September's violence,
when pro-democracy demonstrations were violently suppressed.

Rough Guides does not have a guide to the country. In a statement, its
co-founder, Martin Dunford, said: "We don't like to take moral stances
when it comes to travel.

"But there are some regimes that are so oppressive that travelling there
just feels wrong.

"Indeed so much of Burma's tourist infrastructure is linked to the
military government that we feel tourism can't help but support the
regime, however indirectly.

"We are also mindful of – and respect – Ang San Suu Kyi and the democratic
opposition's call for tourists to boycott the country as a way of bringing
about change, but understand that it is a personal choice for individual
travellers to make."

Lonely Planet has also issued a travel advisory in the wake of the
crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks.

It urges travellers to exercise "extreme caution".

The TUC's international secretary, Owen Tudor, said Lonely Planet was
being singled out because "The country's main trade union organisation and
the people of Burma oppose tourism."

Human rights

He denied the Lonely Planet boycott should also apply to guide books on
Cuba, Saudi Arabia or other governments around the world with poor human
rights records.

"Disinvestment campaigns have worked in the past, dissuading companies
from dealing with Burma," he said.

"BBC Worldwide is one of 28 UK companies who have dealings with Burma and
17 of them are travel companies."

The Independent newspaper's travel editor, Simon Calder, has condemned the
boycott.

He said: "It seems bizarre that there should be calls for a boycott of a
travel publishing brand that has a first-class record on championing human
rights and, incidentally, urging readers to be environmentally and
culturally aware travellers."

____________________________________

February 22, Financial Times
Burma's constitution attacked – John Aglionby and Amy Kazmin

Indonesia became the first big developing country yesterday to criticise
Burma's draft constitution, which entrenches military rule by banning
leading opposition activists from politics, including Aung San Suu Kyi,
the Nobel prize-winning democracy advocate.

Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia's foreign minister, said the constitution
should be revised before being put to a national referendum in May, to
ensure that the interests of opposition and minority groups were
protected.

His comments were made days after Burma's military rulers publicly
clarified that Ms Suu Kyi, now a widow, would be prohibited from
contesting Burma's planned 2010 elections because she had married a
foreigner.

"We hope that in the period between now and May, a process of consultation
will take in input from these groups so that the draft constitution which
will be voted on will be comprehensive, meaning that it will accommodate
their interests," Mr Hassan told the Financial Times.

The Burmese junta insists its charter will lay the foundation for a
"disciplined democracy" suitable for Burma's multi-ethnic -population.

But opposition groups have denounced it as an attempt to legalise military
rule, while Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has complained that
the army's "unilateral" referendum plans "did not support meaningful
political dialogue or the national reconciliation process".

Under the proposed constitution, 25 per cent of parliamentary seats will
be reserved for the military, while the army chief can appoint key
ministers, and declare a state of emergency, seizing widespread powers.
Protection of basic rights and civil liberties will be highly conditional,
and easily curbed by the military.

The constitutional provisions governing election eligibility also make it
clear that political dissidents can easily be excluded from running for
public office.

"It's already rigged," said Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese political analyst in
exile. "Anyone who has been an active campaigner for democracy, or has
been against the military at some point, or has the potential to do so,
will be disqualified."

The charter bars from office anyone married to a foreigner, or whose
spouse or children have foreign citizenship, as well as Buddhist monks and
other religious figures. It also bars political prisoners and civil
servants, except for soldiers.

Parliamentary candidates must have lived in Burma for 10 consecutive years.

____________________________________

February 22, Mizzima News
Costa Rican leader stands behind Suu Kyi

Costa Rican Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias has added his name to the nine
original signatories of an appeal calling on an international arms embargo
on Burma.

The appeal, released Wednesday, also declared support and solidarity for
pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the monks at the
forefront of September's Saffron Revolution.

"The regime's 'road-map' and decades-long constitution process is flawed:
it does not include participation for the National League for Democracy.
The NLD and Burma's ethnic nationalities must play an inclusive role in
determining a negotiated settlement and transition to democracy," stated
the petition in part.

"I remain a longstanding supporter of the non-violent efforts of Aung San
Suu Kyi to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy in her country
and wish to associate myself with the Statement and Appeal issued by my
fellow Nobel Peace Laureates," wrote Arias on Wednesday.

The Costa Rican is the latest of a growing list of international actors
and leaders declaring the junta's constitutional process inherently
"flawed."

Arias was awarded the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize, four years before Aung San
Suu Kyi received the honor, for his work in ending the civil war in
Nicaragua between the Sandinistas and Contras.

He is the current President of the Republic of Costa Rica.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

February 22, Boston Globe
World's conscience on Burma

THEY FLY no flag, they rule no territory, yet winners of the Nobel Peace
Prize have earned the right to act, at certain times, as representatives
of the world's conscience. This was never more true than in the statement
on Burma issued this week by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and
signed by eight of his fellow Nobel laureates.

After the ruling military junta shot and beat saffron-robed Buddhist monks
and other citizens peacefully demonstrating for democracy last fall, most
governments only dithered. The United Nations sent a special envoy to
Burma to beg the despotic generals for some gesture of reconciliation with
a population that despises them.

Predictably, the regime of General Than Shwe went on rounding up monks and
other pro-democracy activists. In a show of disdain for their own people
and the rest of the world, the generals announced this week that they will
hold a vote in May on a new constitution - a phony referendum on a
document that their hand-picked stooges have spent 14 years drafting. And
they rubbed salt in their victims' wounds by decreeing that Nobel Peace
Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi will not be allowed to participate in
elections envisioned for 2010.

Suu Kyi has been under some form of arrest for 12 of the past 18 years,
since her National League for Democracy won 82 percent of parliamentary
seats in a 1990 election the junta has refused to honor. In their appeal,
the Nobel winners declared, "We stand firmly in support of our fellow
Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and have repeatedly called for her
release, as well as the release of Buddhist monks and all political
prisoners in Burma." Because Suu Kyi, her National League for Democracy,
and Burma's oppressed ethnic minorities have been excluded from the
regime's "roadmap" to a new constitution and elections, the laureates
said, the junta's version of reconciliation is "flawed."

Bishop Tutu, in his own accompanying statement, was more pointed.

"The election promised by the military regime is a complete sham,"
declared the courageous clergyman who headed South Africa's post-apartheid
Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Just as an arms embargo was imposed
on apartheid South Africa after police massacred black demonstrators in
the 1960s and '70s, Tutu said, the UN and the nations of the world should
"immediately impose arms embargoes and targeted banking sanctions on Burma
following the Saffron Massacre."

Governments habitually act - or refuse to act - for reasons of state. By
calling on those states to impose meaningful penalties on uniformed
gangsters who murder and torture nonviolent monks and civilians peacefully
petitioning for democracy, Tutu and his fellow peace prize winners are
defending the interests of humanity.

____________________________________

February 22, Irrawaddy
Junta targeting Burma’s press – Yeni

Burma’s military government continues to crack down on the country’s
struggling independent media, most recently by the arrest last week of
Rangoon-based journalists Thet Zin and Sein Win Maung—respectively the
editor and office manager of the Myanmar Nation weekly news journal.

The two journalists were arrested when police and intelligence officers
carried out a four-hour search of their offices and confiscated documents,
including a copy of UN Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro's report
on Burma, Shan ethnic leader Shwe Ohn’s book on federalism, a VCD on the
September uprising and poems. The two journalists were taken to the
headquarters of the interior ministry.

It was unclear under what specific charges the two journalists are being
held. However, Rangoon-based journalists suggest their arrests stemmed
from the news journal’s principles of journalistic integrity. Unlike some
publications, the Myanmar Nation didn’t have a cozy relationship with the
junta's villainous Information Minister Kyaw Hsan.

Furthermore, the editor, Thet Zin, has been an anti-government activist
and critic. He was arrested and tortured in 1988 for taking part in the
student pro-democracy protests at Rangoon University, and he was
occasionally detained and interrogated by officials throughout the 1990s.

Four days after the arrests, the authorities raided the publication again.
Later, the censorship board, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division,
instructed the publisher to stop publishing the weekly journal.

Such actions by the junta against the Burmese media have never ceased.

According to Rangoon-based journalists, the military authorities recently
banned reporters from covering a number of governmental meetings which, in
the past, they attended. The reporters, who were intensively questioned,
were not allowed to enter the meetings of the Myanmar Construction
Entrepreneurs Association, the Myanmar Info-Tech Meeting and the Myanmar
Forest Products & Timber Merchants Association.

The latest harassment and sanctions against news media follow recent
official statements on the press.

Several Rangoon newspapers were ordered to publish government-written
opinion pieces characterizing the pro-democracy protests as a threat to
national security.

However, a new generation of journalists—citizen reporters and
bloggers—continue to challenge press censorship through the Internet and
other technology. Their efforts began during the September 2007 uprising
when they played a key role in reporting the junta’s brutality to the
world.

In response, the authorities have reduced Internet speed and bandwidth,
making it more difficult to send and receive high resolution images and
large files. The government action hit many Internet cafés which are the
only places for many people to get access the World Wide Web. Users are
now desperately complaining to owners about the inadequate connection
speed.

Many Burma observers now suspect that authorities are pursuing a policy of
repression rather than reform, even as plans go ahead for a constitutional
referendum in May.

Brad Adams, the Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said, "The arrests of
journalists and repression of access to information deny the Burmese
people any real opportunity to debate the proposed new constitution."

Instead of focusing on how to unite and rebuild the country, Burma’s
mind-control experts are tearing down the country's struggling press.

The regime is trying to ensure that democracy has no chance in Burma by
eliminating all possibility of a free press and freedom of speech.

The junta should immediately stop the arrests of journalists, citizen
reporters and bloggers and unconditionally release them from detention and
prison so that they may serve the country at this critical time in its
history.

____________________________________
STATEMENTS

February 22, National League for Democracy

The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) (now the State Peace and
Development Council, SPDC) issued Declaration No 1/88 on 18 September
1988, stating that it was taking over the state power to carry out four
"duties". In the same declaration, the SLORC pledged to the monks and the
lay people that the holding of a multi-party general election would be its
final duty.

Furthermore, the commander-in-chief of the Defense Services said on 23
September
1988: "... since our organization, formed with members of the Defense
Services, has also pledged loyalty to the nation, I believe that it will
never renege on the promise it had given to the nation and the people.
..."

The SLORC (now the SPDC) also passed Law No 14/89 or the "People's Assembly
Elections Law" on 31 May 1989. Section 3 of that law states: "The
Parliament shall be formed with representatives elected from the
constituencies in accordance with this law."

The international community also acknowledged that the election held in
Burma was fair and free.

Furthermore, speaking to local and foreign journalists on 5 July 1989
(5-7-89) the commander-in-chief of the Defense Services clearly said that
the military cannot draft the constitution because it was not an elected
entity: "... draft the constitution? We are not elected representatives,
why should we draft it. Are you trying to make culprits out of us? Do not
do that. ..."

At the coordinating meeting of the State and Divisional State Law and
Order Restoration Councils held at the Army Commander-in-Chief Operations
Room on 3 July 1990, the
Commander-in-Chief once again made the following promises to the nation:
"... What will we do after the elections? We must draft the constitution.
I have touched on the matter in my speech on 5 July 1989. I have said that
the State Law and Order Restoration Council will not draft it. We do not
intend to become any wrongdoer in history. ..."

"... The drafting of the constitution is a matter that must be done by the
elected representatives from the political parties..."

Again, in order to strengthen the People's Assembly Elections Law,
Paragraph 12 of
Order No 1/90 released by the SPDC on 27 July 1990 said: "Section 3 of the
Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law provides that 'The Parliament shall be
constituted with the representatives elected' from the constituencies in
accordance with this law and the
SLORC will take measures for summoning the Parliament in accordance with
this provision."

Hence, it is the responsibility of the authorities to convene the
Parliament with elected representatives in accordance Section 2 of the
People's Assembly Election Law as well as Section 12 of SLORC's Order No
1/90. Also, Paragraph 20 of Order No 1/90 clearly states that: "... under
the present circumstances, the representatives elected by the people are
those who have the responsibility to draw up the constitution of the
future
democratic State..."

Paragraph 21(B) of Order No 1/90 affirms that in the interim period before
a government is formed in accordance with a new firm constitution drawn up
according to the desires and aspirations of the people, the SLORC will
defend and safeguard -- "(b) The first three of the following four main
tasks of the SLORC mentioned in Declaration No 1/88-- the prevalence of
law and order and the rule of law, regional peace and tranquility and
ensuring safe and smooth transportation and communication, and easing the
food, clothing and shelter problems of the people, and the holding of the
Multi-Party Democracy General Elections (The exception being the last task
– the holding of the Multi-Party Democracy General Election)." Hence,
there is no room for doubt that for the military authorities the holding
of the 1990 Multi-Party Democracy General Election should be the last
responsibility of its kind.

Under Section 2 (A) of the Substitution of Expressions Law of 1997, the
"State Law and
Order Restoration Council" was substituted with the name, "State Peace and
Development Council", and hence, SPDC is legally required to continue
carry outing all the tasks that the SLORC had been undertaking.

However, until today the SPDC has not been fulfilling its legal
obligations. Even before a genuine dialog could take place, it
unilaterally announced under Announcement No 1/2008 on 9 February 2008
that the "Approval of the Constitution draft will be sought in
National Referendum to be held in May 2008" and under Announcement No
2/2008 that "in accordance with the forthcoming State Constitution, the
multi-party democracy general elections will be held in 2010". The
authorities are duty bound to first explain to the voters how they view
the 1990 election result and the reason why they adopt such an attitude
toward it.

Studying the two announcements, it is apparent that the authorities did
not follow standard procedures. In the case of Announcement No 1/2008, the
draft state constitution which needs to be approved should have been made
public first and the Referendum Law under which the constitution must be
approved enacted. They should have been done by the time the announcements
are released so that people can study the draft constitution and make
their decisions.

In the case of Announcement No 2/2008, a new election was announced even
before the draft state constitution is approved. Besides, the draft state
constitution under discussion was not drafted by representatives elected
by the people as required under Order No 1/90 but by the State
Constitution Drafting Commission which is mainly composed of people who
attended the National Convention -- only one percent of the delegates were
elected representatives -- which laid down the "basic principles" and
"detailed basic principles" based upon which the constitution was drafted.

Even though national newspapers carry slogans daily about "the emergence
of the state constitution" being "the responsibility of every citizen",
the authorities did not create conditions that were necessary for the
citizens to actively and enthusiastically participate in the
constitution-writing process. Moreover, no opportunity was made available
to the other people, including elected representatives, whose concerns are
directly linked to the constitution-drafting process.

On 7 June 1996, the authorities promulgated Law No. 5/96 or "The Law
Protecting the
Peaceful and Systematic Transfer of State Responsibility and the
Successful Performance of the Functions of the National Convention against
Disturbances and Oppositions", and imposed tough restrictions under that
law. As long as this law is in place there can be no fair and free
referendum.

Hence, Announcements 1/2008 and 2/2008 released by the authorities
completely contradict the authorities' own Pyithu Hluttaw [People's
Assembly] Election Law and Order No 1/90 and they also run counter to the
promises given to the monks and the people. It amounts to ignoring the
will of the constituents, including Defense Services personnel, and by
doing so the authorities are showing a disregard for the overwhelming wish
of the entire nation. It also is a violation of the democratic rights of
the people. A democratic nation can never be established in this way. The
reason the National League for Democracy was formed in accordance with law
is to restore human rights and democratic rights in Burma.

The announcements by the authorities take no heed of the resolutions,
advices, demands, and suggestions by the United Nations and other
international institutions. They disregard the point raised in the
Presidential Statement of the UN Security Council on 11 October 2007,
which states: "The Security Council stresses the need for the Government
of Burma to create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue with
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all concerned parties and ethnic groups..."

For this reason, after the announcements were released by the authorities,
the UN
Secretary-General made a statement on 11 February, saying: “I renew my
call to the Burmese authorities to make the constitution-making process
inclusive, participatory and transparent in order to ensure that any draft
constitution is broadly representative of the views of all the people of
Burma”.

Being a member of the United Nations, Burma is obliged to follow UN
resolutions, advices and suggestions. Regardless of the situation, the
National League for Democracy will continue to cooperate with the United
Nations, the UN Secretary-General, and the UN Special Envoy.

It is hereby declared that the authorities who unilaterally made the
decisions to release the announcements must bear full responsibility for
the exacerbation of political, socioeconomic, and other difficulties, the
stalling of substantive political dialog and desperately needed national
reconciliation in the country, the disruption of peace and stability, the
decline of Burma's prestige in the eyes of the world, and other unwanted
consequences.