BurmaNet News, March 7, 2008

[Editor]

March 7, 2008 Issue # 3417

INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar junta refuses to amend charter barring Suu Kyi from polls
Guardian UK: Cold shoulder for UN envoy over Burma's May referendum• Junta
yet to confirm who Gambari can meet
Irrawaddy: Gambari to meet NLD on Saturday
Irrawaddy: Junta beefs up security in Rangoon
Irrawaddy: Political prisoner, ‘afraid of nothing,’ dies of TB
Mizzima News: Multiple murders banned from reportage in domestic journals
Mizzima News: Junta canvases ceasefire groups for referendum support
IMNA: Burmese army troops kill woman in southern Ye Township

ON THE BORDER
CSM: On Thai border, a rare refuge for Burmese children
Narinjara News: UNHCR Dhaka office issues new IDs to urban refugees

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Border trade zone to open on Armed Forces Day

DRUGS
Narinjara News: Bangladesh used for heroin trafficking routes

ASEAN
Mizzima News: ASEAN, Indonesia can lead the way

REGIONAL
New Kerala.com: India, Myanmar hold home secretary-level talks

INTERNATIONAL
RFA: U.N. rejects Burma's slap at Special Envoy
Bangkok Post: Burma in focus
South China Morning Post: Be wary of Burmese junta’s election pledge
UN News Centre: Myanmar, migrant workers on agenda as UN labour policy
group convenes

OPINION / OTHER
The Nation (Bangkok): Open letter to Ibrahim Gambari, envoy to Burma

PRESS RELEASE/STATEMENT
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
HRW: Time for action, not more empty promises from military rulers

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

March 7, Agence-France Press
Myanmar junta refuses to amend charter barring Suu Kyi from polls

Myanmar's ruling junta Friday flatly refused to amend its proposed
constitution, which bars democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from elections,
while accusing a UN envoy of "bias" against the regime.

The information minister, Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, made the remarks
during his meeting with visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, according to
state television.

Gambari arrived here Thursday on a mission to press the regime to include
Aung San Suu Kyi in its plans to hold a constitutional referendum in May
and multiparty elections in 2010.

Any hopes for progress in his talks appeared dashed by the information
minister, who gave no indication that the regime would waver from its own
plan to build what it calls a "discipline-flourishing democracy."

"It is impossible to draft the constitution again," Kyaw Hsan flatly told
Gambari, according to state television.

The minister also made a scathing criticism of Gambari's performance as a
mediator, accusing him of "bias" in favour of Aung San Suu Kyi for
releasing a letter from her after his last visit here.

In the letter, she had declared her willingness to enter into a dialogue
with the regime aimed at national reconciliation.

"You have acted outside your role as a mediator" by releasing the letter,
Kyaw Hsan said.

"Most people have criticised you for showing a bias. Some also believe
that you wrote this letter in advance and released it after negotiations
with Ms Aung San Suu Kyi," the minister said.

"The statement you released was a danger that could have harmed the recent
peace and stability of the country," he said.

"It is important for the mediator using good offices not to have any
intention of orchestrating events," he added.

"There is no justice in attacking us with pressure from all sides," he
said. "The United Nations should stand honestly, without any
discrimination on anything."

Gambari is on his third visit to the country since the regime launched a
deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests last September, killing at
least 31 people according to the United Nations.

But the political landscape has shifted enormously since his last visit in
November, following the surprise announcement one month ago of the
regime's election plans.

If held, the planned polls would be the first in the country formerly
known as Burma since Aung San Suu Kyi led her National League for
Democracy (NLD) to a landslide victory in 1990, a result the junta never
recognised.

Western countries have criticised the regime for limiting the role of Aung
San Suu Kyi and the NLD in the polls.

The junta has brought in a law criminalising public speeches and leaflets
about the referendum and announced that Aung San Suu Kyi would be barred
from running in elections because of her marriage to a foreigner, Briton
Michael Aris, who is now dead.

The NLD has warned that the public would not accept the junta's new
charter, but has stopped short of calling for a boycott or urging a "No"
vote.

Gambari has tried to open a dialogue between the Nobel peace prize winner,
who has been kept under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years, and the
regime.

His initial efforts seemed promising. After his first mission in the
aftermath of the crackdown, the junta appointed a liaison officer to meet
Aung San Suu Kyi while military supremo Senior General Than Shwe made a
heavily conditioned offer to meet her himself.

But Than Shwe shunned Gambari on his last visit here, and no meeting with
Aung San Suu Kyi has taken place.

Even the talks with the liaison officer have dragged, with Aung San Suu
Kyi saying in January that she was "not satisfied" with their progress.

The junta has so far not scheduled any talks between Gambari and Aung San
Suu Kyi for this trip. Even his departure date has not been settled,
although diplomats expect him to leave Sunday.
____________________________________

March 7, Guardian UK
Cold shoulder for UN envoy over Burma's May referendum• Junta yet to
confirm who Gambari can meet – Ian MacKinnon

The UN's special envoy to Burma began a new diplomatic effort yesterday to
persuade the country's ruling generals to embrace reform, amid signs that
they are tightening their grip on power in the aftermath of pro-democracy
protests.

As Ibrahim Gambari arrived in Rangoon for his third trip to Burma since
the regime's deadly crackdown on the pro-democracy movement last
September, expectation grew among foreign diplomats that the generals
would again sidestep the envoy's calls for urgent change.

September's uprising saw crowds of demonstrators led by Buddhist monks
take to the streets of Rangoon, their ranks eventually swelling to 100,000
every day. Initial anger over fuel price rises gave way to demands for
democracy, before the military regime ordered troops to open fire to quell
the protests, leaving at least 31 dead according to the UN. The brutal
suppression by the isolated 45-year-old regime sparked worldwide
condemnation.


>From the outset the former Nigerian foreign minister's trip was fraught

with uncertainty. The list of people he could meet was still subject to
discussion yesterday, while he could only say he hopes to "stay as long as
is necessary". Shortly after landing he met the Burmese foreign minister,
Nyan Win, followed by discussions with foreign ambassadors and UN staff
posted in Rangoon. No details of the day's talks were revealed.

The ambassadors echoed Gambari's stated view that the May referendum on
the constitution and elections planned for 2010 - announced last month in
a surprise move by the generals - must include the regime's opponents.

Burmese dissidents have already dismissed the announcement, hailed by the
junta as part of its "road map to democracy", as a sham. They say it is
designed to consolidate military rule while dampening the international
opprobrium sparked by the killing of at least 31 protesters during the
pro-democracy uprising.

"Gambari should tell the generals that marching a fearful population
through a stage-managed referendum will not advance democracy or
reconciliation in Burma," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights
Watch. "A referendum under these repressive conditions will only cement in
place continued military rule."

Regulations governing May's vote threaten three years' imprisonment for
anyone who distributes leaflets or makes speeches against the referendum
on the constitution, itself drawn up in a tortuous 14-year process that
excluded many groups, including that of detained pro-democracy leader Aung
Sang Suu Kyi. Few details of the constitution have been released, but the
rules would exclude the leader of the opposition National League for
Democracy because she was married to a foreigner, Briton Michael Aris.
Another provision says 25% of seats in parliament will be reserved for the
military.

Gambari, who has expressed frustration at his inability to show concrete
results, is expected to press the regime to allow campaigning for the
referendum vote.

During his last trip he was shunned by the Burmese leader Than Shwe,
though he again saw Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 12 of the
past 18 years. But he failed to persuade the general to meet her, despite
an earlier pledge.

"Everybody hoped that there was genuine will on the part of Than Shwe and
his senior generals to begin a real dialogue, and what is increasingly
evident is that they have no intention whatsoever in engaging in a genuine
dialogue," Shari Villarosa, the top US chargée d'affaires in Burma, told
the Associated Press.

Last month Gambari staged back-to-back talks in Asia, meeting leaders in
China, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, to bolster his efforts to move the
generals towards democracy. But many in Burma and abroad fear that their
plight has faded from the spotlight and that Gambari lacks the clout to
pull off his mission.

"I think similarly to most other people - we have fairly low expectations
from Ibrahim Gambari's trip," said Adam Cooper of Peace for Burma. "The
recent announcement that they would hold a referendum without significant
participation by the opposition is regarded by many as a step backwards."

____________________________________

March 7, Irrawaddy
Gambari to meet NLD on Saturday – Wai Moe

UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari is scheduled to meet with senior
members of the main Burmese opposition party, the National League for
Democracy (NLD), on Saturday, according to a party official.

Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the NLD, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that
authorities informed him that the NLD was permitted to meet with Gambari
and that five persons representing the party were allowed at the meeting.

“Five members of the central executive committee will go and meet with the
UN special envoy tomorrow,” said Nyan Win. “The NLD will talk over the
issue of establishing inclusive participation in the national
reconciliation process and a meaningful dialogue.”

He also said that the party expected its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to be
included in Saturday’s meeting, though he didn’t confirm whether she
would, in fact, attend.

On Friday, the UN special envoy met for two hours with Information
Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, who is also head of the military council’s
information committee.  Later, he met with Aung Toe, the head of the
Supreme Court, who has also been appointed chief of the referendum
commission under official decree 3/2008.

The UN Information Center announced on its website that Gambari arrived in
Rangoon on Thursday, where he held talks with Nyan Win. He also met with
the UN Country Team in Burma and the Diplomatic Corps, as well as a
representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

A UN press release stated: “In the next few days, Mr Gambari expects to
continue consultations with a broad range of representatives of Burmese
society, including [dissident and ethnic] groups which he was not able to
see during his last visit.”

The last time Gambari visited Burma was in early November, when he flew
firstly to Naypyidaw. Although he was snubbed by Snr-Gen Than Shwe, he was
given permission to meet with Suu Kyi at a government guest house in
Rangoon.

Gambari is currently on his third trip to the country since the junta’s
brutal crackdown on monk-led demonstrations in September, and his fifth
visit since May 2006.

____________________________________

March 7, Irrawaddy
Junta beefs up security in Rangoon – Saw Yan Naing

The Burmese military government is beefing up security as it intensifies
its crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents in Rangoon, according to sources
in the former capital.

Four unidentified activists were arrested in Rangoon on Thursday and
Friday by authorities—members of Military Affairs Security department, a
local resident told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

Sources said that security forces were beefed up in several townships in
Rangoon, including the downtown area, ahead of UN Special Envoy to Burma
Ibrahim Gambari’s arrival on Thursday. Sources say the regime fears
protests during the envoy’s stay.

Local sources said plain clothes security guards and riot police equipped
with arms, tear gas and batons were deployed in downtown areas, especially
around Sule Pagoda, where Burmese troops opened fire on crowds of
demonstrators during the September uprising.

A reporter in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy on Friday: “There are many
security guards and they are spread around the city. There are many more
at Sule Pagoda and at city hall.”

Meanwhile, an eyewitness in Rangoon said that a truck dropped off more
than a dozen people, believed to be members of the Union Solidarity and
Development Association (USDA) in front of the University of Foreign
Languages and Rangoon University on Friday morning. It is thought that the
USDA members have been deployed to keep an eye on the students and gather
any information about anti-junta activities.

Kyaw Kyaw, an activist who is also one of the leaders of students’ group
Generation Wave, founded in 2007 after the military crackdown on the
pro-democracy movement, said: “Now, we are much more restricted in
carrying out campaigns than in the past. But if the security guards arrest
us, we will not accept it.”

Despite the security measures, leaflets denouncing the junta’s national
referendum have been circulating areas in Rangoon, especially
marketplaces, according to the student leader.

Recently, Buddhist monks in Mandalay, upper Burma, have launched a harshly
worded poster campaign urging the public to “Vote No” to the government’s
referendum on a draft constitution due in May, say sources in Mandalay.

Some sources have claimed that the Burmese authorities are increasing
security ahead of Burma’s Armed Forces Day celebrations which will be held
on March 27.

____________________________________

March 7, Irrawaddy
Political prisoner, ‘afraid of nothing,’ dies of TB – Saw Yan Naing

A political prisoner, Win Tin, also known as Annul, a youth member of the
main opposition National League for Democracy, died on Thursday in
Tharrawaddy Prison in Burma, while serving a 24-year sentence of hard
labor, according to a human rights group.
Win Tin, 30, died of tuberculosis in the prison in Pegu Division,
according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners (Burma).

A Muslim, Win Tin was arrested in 1999 for his political activities.

Myat Hla, the chairman of the NLD office in Pegu, said, “He [Win Tin] had
been suffering from tuberculosis for a long time. We heard often that his
health condition was bad, and he didn’t receive medical treatment in
prison. This morning, when his family members went to see him, he had
already died.”

Win Tin is survived by his wife. He joined the NLD when he was teenager
and was very active in the political movement, said Myat Hla.

“He was afraid nothing,” he said.

Bo Kyi, the joint secretary of the AAPP, said Win Tin had suffered from
tuberculosis since 2002. He didn’t receive proper medical treatment in
spite of specific requests from his family members to prison authorities,
he said.

“Medical treatment in Burmese prisons is very poor,” said Bo Kyi. “If the
authorities don’t provide sufficient medical treatment, more prisoners
will die in the future.”

The military government charged Win Tin with activities destructive to the
stability of the regime.

The AAPP estimates that there are 1,864 political prisoners in Burmese
prisons.

____________________________________

March 7, Mizzima News
Multiple murders banned from reportage in domestic journals – Phanida

Domestic journals in Burma are not allowed to report the chilling multiple
murders in Rangoon where five people were killed. Only two crime journals
are allowed to report the killings.

Sources from domestic journals said that the authorities didn't allow them
to report this chilling news among Rangoon residents but they allowed only
two weekly journals of 'Hmukin Shudaunt' (Crime View) and 'Hmukin
Myinkwin' (Crime Scene) which are published every Monday.

"A police officer said that we could not report this news in our journal
and we were not allowed to publish this news when we contacted the Kamayut
police station over telephone," a local journal editor said on condition
of anonymity.

"In fact we could write this news by citing only the official news and the
advertisement that appeared in the newspaper. But they did not allow us
even to do that," another domestic journal editor said.

He further said that they had submitted their news report to the censor
board today and hoped the board would clear their news report this time
since this news has appeared in their official paper and crime journals.

A man and four women were shot in their heads by unknown assassins in the
evening at 126, Sein Le Kantha (Green Bank), Kamayut Township in the
heavily guarded area close to the residence of detained democracy icon Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi.

The two weeklies which were allowed to report this news published the
journals as supplementary copies and distributed today at Kyat 300 per
copy with a circulation of 1,000 copies though these journals are
published regularly on Mondays.

According to the police sources, about USD 90,000 (Kyat 100 million) is
missing from the victims' house.

Well informed sources say that though the factory code and batch number
were erased from the bullets used in the killing, these are believed to be
manufactured by government defence industry (DI) factories.

All five victims will be cremated this evening in Yeway cemetery.

____________________________________

March 6, Mizzima News
Junta canvases ceasefire groups for referendum support

With an eye to May’s referendum, the Burmese junta is distributing
temporary identity cards to ceasefire groups, a Sino-Burma border-based
analyst says.

The junta started issuing the cards among ceasefire groups, including the
United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Kachin Independent Organization (KIO), the
last week of February. They are temporary identity cards and are white, as
opposed to the usual red.

Political observer Aung Kyaw Zaw remarked, "The main goals of this action
are to garner support for the referendum as well more control over them
[ceasefire groups] in the future."

Whether the referendum will be a success or not, issuing white identity
cards to ceasefire groups will make it easier for the junta to identity
them in the future, Kyaw Zaw noted.

Both the UWSA and KIO have refused to sign counter-statements against Aung
San Suu Kyi's statement of last year and have been under increased
pressure from the junta ever since.

A UWSA spokesperson told Mizzima on Monday that: "Two days ago they [junta
immigration officers] arrived at our place and started organizing white
temporary identity cards for us."

"At least six groups of immigration officers came here including their
Chief Maung Maung Swe and Culture Minister Khing Aung Myint," he added.

According to the UWSA's spokesperson the main purpose for urgently
providing temporary citizen cards is to lay the groundwork for May’s
referendum.

"They said the distribution of temporary cards to us will be concluded by
the end of March," the spokesperson elaborated.
However UWSA members want the temporary citizen cards not for the
referendum but because it will prove that they belong to the country and
are real citizens of Burma.

Further, accepting the white card will allow them to travel and move
around the country freely – which was never previously possible due to not
having an identity card.

The KIO has also accepted the distribution of temporary cards by the junta.
An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said most KIO personnel
and their family members are starting to register for the white cards.

He said, "Around five to six officers from the Immigration Department came
the last week of February to Laiza [a KIO controlled area] and collected a
list of people eligible for white identity cards."
"Most of us have done it but not for the referendum. The junta is doing
this in pursuit of achieving their goals, but we have our own plans," he
added.

____________________________________

March 7, Independent Mon News Agency
Burmese army troops kill woman in southern Ye Township

At about 5: 00 a.m. on March 3, troops of the Burmese Army's Infantry
Battalion No. 31 on patrol suddenly shot at a couple who were tapping
rubber sap. A 30-year old woman Ms. Mi Nge died on the spot.

The incident occurred outside Yin-ye village in southern part of Ye
Township. Troops led by Captain Min Ko Htwe and his soldiers from IB No.
31 met the couple early in the morning in a rubber plantation and they
fired a shell from a M-79 mortar and shot from a rifle, said a rubber
plantation owner from Yin-ye village on condition of anonymity.

The husband of Ms. Mi Nge, Nai Myaing (32) also received serious injuries
in his left leg and was sent to Ye hospital for treatment. They were
day-labourers who tapped rubber sap at a local plantation. They belonged
to Ba-lu Island or Chaung-zon Township in mid Mon State.

The next day on March 4, IB No. 31 the troops called a meeting of all
villagers from Yin-ye and forced them to collect 80,000 Kyat to provide
the cost of treatment of the injured man.

A source from the Mon ceasefire group New Mon State Party said, the IB No.
31 probably suspected the villagers were rebels from the Monland
Restoration Party and shot at them. Mon rebels led by Nai Chan Done are
active in the area and Burmese Army has alerted their men to be careful.

The Burmese Army has also given orders to villagers not to go out of their
villages without permission or before 6 a.m. in the morning. But the order
makes it difficult for rubber sap workers who need to work early in the
morning which is before 6 a.m.

Because of the conflict between the Burmese Army and Mon rebels in the
southern part of Ye Township or Khaw-za Sub-Township area, the local
villagers have consistently suffered from various types of human rights
abuses – arbitrary killings, arrests and detention, forced porterage, and
movement restrictions.

____________________________________

March 7, Narinjara News
Arakanese historian arrested in Sittwe

An Arakanese historian and author was arrested by police earlier this week
in Sittwe and released on the condition that he must come to the police
station whenever he is wanted for questioning, said one of his students.

U Aung Hla Thein was arrested by police in a raid on his house in Kyaung
Det Land ward in Sittwe in the early morning hours of Monday and was
brought to the number two police station in Sittwe.

Once at the station, he was interrogated by police for about three hours
and then released after agreeing to the authorities conditions.

The student said, "U Aung Hla is now free but the police seized his
computer and many papers, including research papers about Arakanese
history." There are no details on why the authorities arrested him and
seized his computer and documents.

"Many people believe that the arrest of U Aung Hla Thein is related to the
forthcoming referendum sponsored by the military government. Because there
is a rumor in Sittwe that some intellectuals in Sittwe are preparing to
oppose the referendum which is scheduled to be held in May 2008," the
student added.

U Aung Hla Thein is just a scholar and is not involved in politics, but it
is felt that the authorities suspect that he may agitate some
intellectuals to oppose the referendum.

The student said, "Sara U Aung Hla Thein is now at his house, but he has
not revealed anything about his arrest. It seems he is prohibited by the
police force from saying anything of his arrest to other people."

It has also been learned that many scholars in Sittwe are now anxious
about their security after police arrested and interrogated U Aung Hla
Thein.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

March 7, Christian Science Monitor
On Thai border, a rare refuge for Burmese children – Simon Montlake

Dulci Donata opened Home of Joy to serve ethnic minorities fleeing
violence.  In a whitewashed office, a young Burmese mother cradles a
sleeping baby. Ni Lar Win is waiting to hear if she can leave her
2-month-old son at the "House on the Hill" in this Thai border town.

Her husband left six months into her pregnancy, she says, and now she
wants to move to the city for work, so she can repay some debts and help
her sick mother. That means finding someone to take in her newborn. So Ni
Lar Win has come to find the foreigner at Baan Unrak (Home of Joy) to ask
if there's room for her son, at least for a while. "I heard it's good for
children here. They can stay here and study. There's no need to worry."

Ni Lar Win's plight is one Dulci Donata hears of often: debt, poverty,
illness – and an unwanted child. In 1991, Ms. Donata founded Home of Joy
as a sanctuary for destitute kids, mostly ethnic minorities fleeing war
and political upheaval in Burma (Myanmar). Now, she has more than 140
children in her care, crowding a three-story building on a hillside above
a steep ravine.

But Donata proposes something else: Ni Lar Win should take a job at Home
of Joy and bring her mother and baby to live there.

As Ni Lar Win, an ethnic Mon, heads back to her village to consider the
offer, Donata explains that by taking in struggling single mothers, she
hopes to keep mothers and children together and help the mothers to
rebuild their lives. Most children here aren't strictly orphans, but are
born into broken, demoralized families. "To serve mothers is to serve
babies," she says.

Serving others is second nature to Donata, an Italian nun in Ananda Marga
(Path of Bliss), a spiritualist movement founded in India. Every morning,
she rises at 5 a.m. for meditation and spends the rest of her day taking
care of the children and managing the house, which relies on donations to
cover its expenses, which exceed $1,500 a month.

At night, Donata, whom everyone calls Didi ("sister"), shares her sparsely
furnished bedroom with several children. When it gets too noisy, she rolls
out a mat on the floor in her office. Her only breaks are occasional trips
to Bangkok, six hours away, to browbeat government officials into untying
red tape that thwarts undocumented migrants.

After two decades of humanitarian work here, initially providing relief
services to Burmese refugees after a failed 1988 uprising, her
determination has won her many friends. "When I came here, people doubted
me. There's not the mentality of pure service [to humanity], so they
couldn't understand.
 [Now] I get respect, prestige."

Located on a lake created by a downriver hydropower dam, Sangkhlaburi has
a population of 26,000. Ethnic Karen and Mon outnumber Thais, and migrants
continue to cross over from Burma, along a route where Japan built a
notorious "Death Railway" using prisoners of war during World War II.
Today, the town sees an influx of weekend Thai tourists.

In 2005, Donata opened a primary school in town, which also enrolls
nonresident Thai and Burmese students. For migrant children, a Thai
education is a route out of poverty, but few public schools offer remedial
classes to pupils who lack Thai language fluency, as Home of Joy does.

At the home, Donata applies a "neohumanist" philosophy. All but the
smallest children attend twice-daily meditation and yoga classes. All
meals are vegetarian, homeopathic medicine is practiced, and organic food
is grown. She also deters mothers from taking "immoral" earnings from
prostitution and insists that employees and guests don't drink or smoke
and remain celibate. "This is an immoral society, everyone is cheating.
Now they see us trying to follow a straight line," she says.

Children aren't put up for adoption, but nurtured into adulthood, while
mothers are encouraged to stay involved. As Donata's children have grown
up, their horizons have lengthened: nine are currently attending high
school elsewhere in Thailand, paid for by sponsors. Four have gone on to
university.

Boonsom Pangsiri is hoping to be next. Two years ago, she graduated from
high school in Bangkok, and is living there while she applies for a
university program that begins in June. In between, she has lobbied
government officials to improve the electricity supply to Home of Joy.

Ms. Boonsom dreams of studying in Canada after university. She already has
a career plan: working for Donata, whom she loves "as a real mother."
Sometimes she goes back to visit her birth mother, but finds she has
little in common with her other siblings. Asked about Donata, her eyes
light up. "Didi is very special. She has a good heart and never thinks of
herself. She always sacrifices for others. I see it. Even when she's very
tired, she's still working, serving people."

____________________________________

March 7, Narinjara News
UNHCR Dhaka office issues new IDs to urban refugees

The UNHCR Dhaka office has been issuing new five-year identification cards
to Burmese urban refugees in Bangladesh since 5 March, 2008, said one
Arakanese refugee.
He said, "The UNHCR official issued me a new ID card on Wednesday, but the
card is different from the previous one because it is nicer and is also
good for five years."

Previously, the UNHCR office in Dhaka issued only one-year ID cards to
urban Burmese refugees, requiring the refugees to visit the office in
Dhaka to obtain a new card on a yearly basis, and incur the costs of
traveling to the capital.

"I heard that is being issued by the UNHCR for better refugee security,
and it is also arranged for urban refugees who are staying in rural areas.
Some refugees in rural areas of Bangladesh are unable to come to Dhaka to
change their ID cards yearly because of lack of funds for the traveling
expense," he said.

After issuing the five-year ID cards, Burmese refugees will not need to
visit the Dhaka office in person every year to renew their cards.

UNHCR officials first issued the new ID cards to urban refugees in the
Cox's Bazar area near the Burmese border.

There are over 200 urban Burmese refugees in Bangladesh; most are
Arakanese and Chin nationals who are fleeing from oppression in Burma and
are living throughout Bangladesh outside of any refugee camps.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

March 7, Irrawaddy
Border trade zone to open on Armed Forces Day – Wai Moe

The Burmese regime is planning to open a border trade zone near Myawaddy,
a town on the Thai-Burmese border, on March 27, according to a report in
The Myanmar Times, a semi-official weekly. March 27 is Armed Forces Day in
Burma.

“The zone is aimed at promoting trade between the two countries and has
been built on the 200-km section of highway between Myawaddy and
Mawlamyine [Moulmein], the capital of Mon State. The zone is about 10 km
from Myawaddy,” said the report.

Han Tun, vice chairman of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation, told the
weekly that the authorities had originally planned to open the trade zone
in February, but postponed the opening ceremony to March due to
construction delays.

Buildings for import and export inspections have already been completed
and warehouses and shops for the trade zone are on track to be finished by
March 27, but some buildings will still be under construction at the time
of the opening, said Han Tun.
Construction of the 188-hectare Myawaddy trade zone in Karen State,
bordering Thailand’s Mae Sot Province, began in 2006 in a bid to transform
border trade into normal trade.

The Myawaddy Border Trade Zone, which will highlight Burma’s marine
products, is set to become the second largest zone of its kind in the
country, after the 105th Mile Border Trade Zone in Muse, opposite Ruili in
the Chinese province of Yunnan, which opened in April 2006.

According to official statistics, Thailand stood as Burma’s top trading
partner as well as its biggest importer during the fiscal year 2006-07,
with a bilateral trade volume of US $2.659 billion, of which Burma’s
exports to Thailand amounted to $2.409 billion.

Trade between the two countries accounted for over 30 percent of Burma’s
total foreign trade, which reached nearly $8 billion in the same year.
Official figures also show that the border trade volume in 2006-07
amounted to $248 million.

Official data also says in the first half of 2007-08, Burma-Thailand
bilateral trade reached $1.943 billion, of which Burma’s exports to
Thailand came to $1.694 billion. Burma has a total of 13 main border trade
points with four neighboring countries—China, Thailand, India and
Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, last month’s assassination of a leading Karen rebel leader,
Mahn Sha, in Mae Sot has cast a pall over the anticipated boon to the
local economy. Security in the area remains high since Mahn Sha’s death on
February 14. At least two bomb blasts have hit the border town in recent
weeks, including one that went off on Thursday near the Thai-Myanmar
Friendship Bridge, claiming the life of a Burmese man.

“I hope that after the trade zone in Myawaddy opens, the border trade will
improve. But at the moment, our border business is in limbo because of
security concerns,” Kyaw Kyaw, a Burmese businessman in Mae Sot, told The
Irrawaddy on Friday.

____________________________________
DRUGS

March 7, Narinjara News
Bangladesh used for heroin trafficking routes

Bangladesh has become the prime transit route for trafficking heroin to
Europe from Southeast Asia, according to a report from the International
Narcotics Control Board 2007 annual report that was released on Wednesday.
The report cites evidence that heroin consignments destined for Europe are
increasingly passing through Bangladesh.

The geographical nature of Bangladesh, particularly its long borders with
India and Burma, make it conducive to heroin trafficking, said the report.

INCB notes that the most common methods and routes for smuggling heroin
into Bangladesh are by courier from Pakistan, by commercial vehicles and
trains from India, and from sea through the Bay of Bengal or overland by
truck or public transport from Burma.

An independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body which implements UN
drug-related conventions, the INCB also blamed a lack of resources and
training of law enforcement agencies for Bangladesh's failure to 'properly
implement' its drug control policy.

Bangladesh police are quoted in the report as saying that the Chittagong
seaport is the "main exit point for drugs leaving the country," while the
rest is smuggled out through Sylhet and Chittagong airports.

The report also cites press reports of couriers trying to smuggle heroin
to Europe on their way from Pakistan through the Zia international airport
in Dhaka.

The report observed that the use of Bangladeshi courier services for drug
trafficking is on the rise, with drugs shipped primarily to Canada and
South Africa, citing the seizure of 550 kilograms of ephedrine in February
2007.

The Vienna-based body also reported there has been an increase in the
availability of Indian heroin in Bangladesh, along with Indian
codeine-based cough syrup that is sold locally as Phensidyl.

The board also called on the Bangladesh government to attach high priority
to drug control issues and to ensure that all partners involved in teh
implementation of the national drug control strategy have the support and
resources necessary to enable them to carry out their activities.

Drug abuse is also reported to have spread to rural areas, with heroin,
Phensidyl, and cannabis being the most frequently abused drugs.

The board also noted that increased drug trafficking in Bangladesh could
further worsen the spread of HIV/AIDS within the country.

____________________________________
ASEAN

March 7, Mizzima News
ASEAN, Indonesia can lead the way

A consortium of human rights and Burmese activists in Indonesia have
called on ASEAN, in the absence of widespread alterations, to reject the
Burmese junta’s current constitutional format.

Indonesia's Human Rights Working Group along with the Indonesia Coalition
for Burma concluded a two-day international conference with today’s
release of the Jakarta Declaration on Burma.

The Jakarta Declaration implores “upon the governments and peoples of
ASEAN to reject the Burmese regime’s constitutional referendum unless
steps are taken to guarantee genuine popular participation and a
meaningful and time-bound tripartite dialogue process.”

Signatories argue that Burma is a regional security concern for ASEAN as a
deteriorating political process could lead to further social unrest and
economic upheaval, which will in turn exacerbate population flows across
international borders and abet in the regional trafficking of drugs and
crime.

As part of the Declaration, several recommendations for actions needed to
be undertaken by ASEAN, the Burmese junta and wider international
community are put forward.

The called for steps include provisions for United Nations and ASEAN
monitoring of any forthcoming referendum or election, a nationwide
ceasefire, the release of all political prisoners, observance of the
freedom of expression, a United Nations Security Council global arms
embargo and observation of existing Security Council Resolutions.

Additionally, the Jakarta Declaration asks that ASEAN be allowed to
establish an official enquiry into last September’s crackdown on mass
protests and that ASEAN governments adhere to their international
responsibilities with regard to asylum seekers.

The manifesto also appeals to the junta to permit permanent in-country
representation of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights
(OHCHR) and that international funding institutions instigate a long-term
economic relief and development program for the impoverished country.

Those parties to the Declaration insist that Indonesia can occupy a “key
role” in seeing through reform in Burma.

During the 1990s Indonesians witnessed a transition from a one-party state
to multi-party democracy; though not always peaceful or without hurdles,
it is commonly held as a success.

Participants to the conference met under the heading of: “The Role of
ASEAN Civil Society in Supporting Human Rights and Democracy in Burma.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

March 7, New Kerala.com
India, Myanmar hold home secretary-level talks

New Delhi, March 7: An Indian delegation led by Home Secretary Madhukar
Gupta Friday met a visiting Myanmar team headed by that country's Deputy
Minister of Home Affairs Brigadier General Phone Swe here, and discussed
issues ranging from border security to cross-border projects.

The two countries talked about security-related matters, smuggling of arms
and narcotic drugs, effective border management, border trade and
cross-border projects, home ministry sources said.

This is the 14th round of annual home secretary level talks between the
two countries and will conclude Monday. The previous round of talks was
held in Myanmar in February 2007.

In the past, India has expressed concern over terrorists crossing over to
Myanmar after conducting operations in the country and the presence of
terrorist training camps in Myanmar among other issues.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

March 7, Radio Free Asia
U.N. rejects Burma's slap at Special Envoy – Sarah Jackson-Han

A senior United Nations official has rejected charges by Burma's military
government that the U.N. special envoy for Burma is biased against the
ruling junta.

"I do not think in any way that his view is biased," U.N. spokesman
Kiyotaka Akasaka said in an interview, referring to special envoy Ibrahim
Gambari who is now in Burma. "He has been trying honestly to help the
situation to be improved and political reform and dialogue and
democratization of the country [to] be achieved through these efforts."

"Mr. Gambari has been trying to be, of course, impartial in terms of his
efforts to address the problems in the country. He has been visiting the
neighboring countries
China, ASEAN countries, Japan, and India. And the
neighboring countries are supporting Mr. Gambari’s efforts," he said.

Earlier Friday, Burma’s Information Minister Kyaw Hsan denounced Gambari
for releasing a statement on behalf of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
following his last visit in November, in which she said she was willing to
cooperate with the regime in starting a national dialogue.

"Most people have criticized you for showing a bias. Some also believe
that you wrote this letter in advance and released it after negotiations
with Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi," state television quoted him as saying. "You
have acted outside your role as a mediator."

I know that Burmese people are very patient and kind people. I have been
to the country and I know that they are patient and persistent in pursuit
of the political and economic improvement of the country.

U.N. spokesman Akasaka
Akasaka said the United Nations remains hopeful that constitutional
reforms in Burma can be made more inclusive, which is "a key element for
the reconciliation efforts
I am hopeful that Mr. Gambari’s efforts will
bear fruit in the coming weeks and months."

'A major concern'
"I know that Burmese people are very patient and kind people. I have been
to the country and I know that they are patient and persistent in pursuit
of the political and economic improvement of the country," Akasaka said.

In a surprise move, the ruling generals recently announced a referendum in
May on a new constitution, to be followed by a general election in 2010.
The poll would be the first since a 1990 election whose outcome the
military ignored.

Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who has spent 12 of the last 18 years
under house arrest, would be barred from the 2010 elections because she
had been married to a foreigner, which would violate the newly drafted
constitution, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper has reported.

Original reporting by RFA's Southeast Asian language services. Executive
producer: Susan Lavery. Written and produced in English by Sarah
Jackson-Han

____________________________________

March 7, Bangkok Post
Burma in focus

The latest exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand
(FCCT) honours the bravery of the Burmese people.

Just six months ago, footage of Burmese monks and ordinary people marching
in the streets, calling for freedom and democracy, was broadcast around
the world, but memories of this have faded in the minds of many who are
now preoccupied with local politics.

To refresh people's memories of the protests, the FCCT is holding an
exhibition - Burma 2007: Uprising, Crackdown and Now - in tribute to the
Burmese people's bravery and their willingness to confront a military
regime, armed only with a commitment to non-violence and a fierce desire
for freedom and democracy.

Taken by ordinary Burmese people, the photographs in the exhibition reveal
the spirit of the protestors during the demonstrations that lasted from
August to September contrasted by images of everyday lives and the
beautiful scenery in Burma, revealing the parallel worlds that exist in
the country.

Organised by the Burma Information Network and Human Rights Watch, with
support from the Foundation Open Society Institute, 'Burma 2007: Uprising,
Crackdown, and Now' is being held at the FCCT, Phloenchit Road, until the
end of March.

For more information, call 02-652-0580/1, fax 02-652-0582, email
info at fccthai.com or visit http://www.fccthai.com/.
____________________________________

March 7, South China Morning Post
Be wary of Burmese junta’s election pledge – Dr Thaung Htun

As the UN envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, again readies himself to
discuss the country’s torturous, so far non-existent, path to freedom, it
is worth considering those who will sit opposite him at the negotiating
table. The junta that has been in place since 1962 has long since proved
itself incapable of honour and bereft of sincerity. It has stalled and run
diversions for decades and worn out more than one well-intentioned
interlocutor.

For these reasons, Dr Gambari must be very wary of the junta’s
announcement of a referendum on a new constitution in May and for general
elections in 2010.

History does not lie. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (now the
State Peace and Development Council) issued a declaration on September 18,
1988, stating that it was taking over state power to carry out four
“duties”. It pledged to the monks and lay people that holding a multiparty
general election would be its final duty.

Furthermore, the commander-in-chief of the Defence Services said on
September 23, 1988: “... since our organisation, formed with members of
the Defence 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 council also passed the “People’s Assembly Elections Law” on May 31,
1989. Section 3 states: “The Parliament shall be formed with
representatives elected from the constituencies in accordance with this
law.”

The international community acknowledged that the election held in Burma
in 1990 was fair and free.  The National League for Democracy, with Nobel
Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as its leader, was elected with more than
80 per cent of the vote, but has never been allowed to take its place in
the Burmese Parliament.

Speaking to local and foreign journalists in 1989, the commander-in-chief
of the Burmese Defence Services clearly said that the military couldn’t
draft the promised new constitution because it was not an elected entity.
The junta also extended its promise to allow the new constitution to be
drafted by elected representatives.

Yet, even before a genuine dialogue between the government and political
groups could take place, the junta announced the May referendum on a new
constitution and the general election in 2010.

This openly flouts the fact that the authorities are duty bound to first
explain to voters how they view the 1990 election result and why they
refuse to accept its results.

A democratic nation can never be run in this way. The reason the National
League for Democracy was formed in accordance with law is to restore human
and democratic rights in Burma. Regardless of the situation, it will
continue to cooperate with the UN.

Only through open dialogue and free and fair elections will Burma once
again be a nation of freedom and peace, and a valued member of the
international community.

......................................................

Dr Thaung Htun is the representative for United Nations
Affairs of the Burma UN Service Office, National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma

____________________________________

March 7, Kyodo News
Slain journalist's family meets photographer who captured scene

A relative of slain Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai on Friday met
for the first time with a photographer who captured the scene when Nagai
was fatally shot last September while covering antigovernment
demonstrations in Yangon, Myanmar.

Adrees Latif, 34, a senior Reuters photographer, explained to Noriko
Ogawa, Nagai's sister, that he took four photos of the scene immediately
after hearing gunshots and that the data of the photos showed that they
were taken at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, according to people who attended the
meeting.

He also said that the incident occurred within about 15 seconds of the
arrival of a truck carrying Myanmarese soldiers who started shooting at
the demonstrators, apparently making it difficult for Nagai to escape,
they said.

But Latif said that when he took the photos he was not fully aware that
Nagai had been shot and did not know the details.

It is the first time that Latif has met with a member of Nagai's family.
They met at the office of Tokyo-based APF News Inc. -- the company Nagai
was on contract with when he was shot.

Latif told Ogawa, 48, that he had wanted to meet the bereaved family and
told her that he would like to cooperate in whatever way he can, according
to Toru Yamaji, representative of APF News, who also attended the meeting.

Ogawa thanked Latif and also handed him a letter written by Nagai's
mother, Michiko, 75, who lives in Ehime Prefecture. In the letter, she
said she would like him to tell what he knows about the incident.

One of the photos taken by Latif shows Nagai, 50, lying on the ground
after being shot holding a video camera.

Yamaji said that Latif's account has revealed new facts, such as the exact
time the incident occurred, but that it remains difficult to resolve the
row between Japan and Myanmar over whether Nagai was shot from close range
or not.

Myanmar has rejected Japanese police findings that Nagai was shot from
close range and has stood firm on its claim that security forces fired
"from a distance" during the crackdown.

____________________________________

March 7, UN News Centre
Myanmar, migrant workers on agenda as UN labour policy group convenes

Forced labour in Myanmar, freedom of association and discrimination
against migrant workers are among the issues to be addressed at the policy
meeting of the United Nation’s labour organization that opens today in
Geneva.

The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) meets three
times a year in March, June and November, and takes decisions on policy,
budget and the agenda of its International Labour Conference.

The meeting scheduled from 6-20 March is expected to discuss action
against forced labour in Myanmar in the light of a recent ILO mission to
the country, among other issues.

It will also review progress in countries which have not yet ratified all
fundamental Conventions on freedom of association and collective
bargaining, forced and child labour and discrimination.

On 17 March, Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank, will address
the Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization, speaking on
the topic, “The Challenge of Making Globalization Inclusive.”


____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

March 7, The Nation (Bangkok)
Open letter to Ibrahim Gambari, envoy to Burma – Souhayr Belhassen

Excellency, we are writing to you on the eve of your visit to Burma to
share with you our utmost concern following the announcement by the
military government in February that a constitutional referendum will be
held in May, to be followed by elections in 2010. On February 19 the junta
announced that the draft text of the Constitution had been completed, but
it has not been made public yet.

The International Federation for Human Rights considers this move as mere
window-dressing to appease the international community and to actually
perpetuate the military dictatorship.

The junta, ignoring the results of 1990's election, has pursued since 1993
a National Convention in charge of drafting a new Constitution for the
country. Any criticism against the drafting process was considered a
criminal offence.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) has been excluded from
participation and the process has been unanimously criticised as
undemocratic, non-participative and opaque. After the National Convention
ended its work, a body composed of 54 members selected by the junta, the
Constitution Drafting Commission, was appointed to finalise the draft.

According to Supreme Court chief justice and chairman of the Constitution
Drafting Commission, Aung Toe, the draft was drawn up with the objective
of ensuring a leading role in politics for the military; this means that
the military will maintain a strong influence in any future civilian
government.

Another clause reportedly bars candidates married to foreigners from
standing for election, which de facto excludes Aung San Suu Kyi from the
electoral process.
The mere fact that the draft was finalised behind closed doors by persons
appointed by the junta deprives the resulting draft of any credibility.

A constitution can only be the fruit of an open and participatory process,
inclusive of opposition political parties - and in particular the main
one, the NLD - as well as representatives of ethnic minorities. Such a
process must entail the possibility of an informed public debate on issues
that are crucial for the future of Burma.
The current extremely repressive climate and the persistence of serious,
continued and systematic human rights violations in the country are
definitely obstacles to such a genuine process.

The recent arrest, on February 15, of two journalists, Thet Zin and Sein
Win Aung of Myanmar Nation magazine at their office in Rangoon,
demonstrates once more the total denial of freedom of expression in Burma.
As recently as February 5, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in
Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, stated that "political and human rights
activists continue to be arrested, detained and sentenced to prison terms
under the security laws".

We hope that your forthcoming visit to Burma will contribute to induce the
Burmese government to create the conditions for dialogue and
reconciliation by putting an immediate end to the house arrest of Aung San
Suu Kyi and by releasing all political prisoners.

We also hope that it will foster a genuine process of national
reconciliation and democratisation through a meaningful and time-bound
dialogue between the military government, the national League for
Democracy (NLD) and ethnic representatives.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE/STATEMENT

March 7, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)

A political prisoner named Annual (alia) Win Tin died of Tuberculosis in
Tharawaddy prison yesterday on March 6, 2008. He had been in prison since
3 December 1999. Before he was arrested, he had no TB disease and he used
to be football player. It is believed that he contracted TB while he was
in prison. Even though, he received such kind of serious disease, he
didn't receive proper medical treatment.

He left his wife. We don't know when and how his remaining will cremated.

Back Ground information:

Name: Ko Annul
Alias:  Win Tin
Father's Name: U Hla Myint
Mother's Name:  ?
Age:  30
Year/Major:  9th Standard
Occupation:  Merchant
Address:  Bago Division
Siblings:  ?
Law Violation:  Emergency Act 5(j), 17/20 and 17/1
Sentence:  24 Years in Prison, with Hard Labour

In 1988 Ko Annul attended Bago Basics High School #3, and was a 9th
Standard student.  In 1989, he began his involvement with NLD, as an
NLD-youth member.  He also participated in Akatha and ABFSU in Bago.  He
was also involved in the 1996 student demonstrations, as well as the 1998
worker demonstrations.  In December 1998, he was arrested by Bago Military
Intelligence #3, and released in 1999, continuing his involvement in the
pro-democracy movement.  In the summer of 1999, leading up to the planned
9999 demonstrations, he was actively involved in organizing activities in
Bago Township, including the 19 July Martyr's Day protests.  But on 22
July 2008, he was arrested by Bago Military Intelligence #3, accusing him
of being connected to ABSDF.  Then, on 3 December 1999, the Military
Government sentenced Ko Annul to 24 years in prison, with hard labour. He
was transferred to Tharawaddy prison from Insein and Pegu prison in 2000.
He died in Tharawaddy prison on March 6th, 2008.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
For more information, contact to:
Ko Tate Naing at 081-2878751
Ko Bo Kyi at 081-3248935

_______________________________

March 7, Human Rights Watch
Time for action, not more empty promises from military rulers

The Burmese military government should adopt expected calls from UN
Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to allow an open and inclusive political
process ahead of a planned constitutional referendum in May, Human Rights
Watch said today. Gambari arrives in Burma on March 6, 2008.

On February 19, Burma’s ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
announced that a referendum on a new constitution would be held in May
2008, with multiparty elections following in 2010. But, without input from
the public and opposition parties, the process fails to be a real step
toward democracy, despite the government’s claims.

“Gambari should tell the generals that marching a fearful population
through a stage-managed referendum will not advance democracy or
reconciliation in Burma,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights
Watch. “A referendum under these repressive conditions will only cement in
place continued military rule.”

Since announcing the referendum, the government issued Law No.1/2008,
which denies voting rights to members of religious orders, including monks
and nuns. It also imposes a three-year prison sentence on anyone found
“lecturing, distributing papers, using posters or disturbing the voting in
any other manner in the polling booth or at the public or private place to
destroy the referendum.”

Provisions in the draft constitution bar candidates from running for
president if they have a foreign spouse or child (such as detained
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi) and reserve a quarter of parliamentary
seats for serving military officers.

Human Rights Watch called on Special Envoy Gambari to seek guarantees from
the government to convene an independent election commission, compile a
proper voter registration list, lift long-standing restrictions on media,
permit freedoms of association, expression, and assembly in Burma, and
revoke new regulations that criminalize legitimate debate about the
referendum.

“Gambari should not confuse this sham constitutional process with
progress,” said Adams. “Opposition parties risk being punished for simply
discussing or sharing information about the proposed constitution.”
Human Rights Watch urged the UN special envoy to call on the SPDC to:

- Release political opponents and more than 1,800 political prisoners,
including Aung San Suu Kyi, leaders of the ‘88 Generation Students, and
the leaders of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy arrested in
2005;

- Account for all casualties and missing persons from last September’s
crackdown on protests by Buddhist monks and democracy activists, including
the whereabouts of missing monks and nuns;

- Secure access to Burma for the incoming UN special rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in Burma; and

- Permit opposition political parties to meet with the special envoy.

Following its brutal crackdown on protesters during August and September
2007, the SPDC promised Gambari to set out clear steps to reform, and to
engage in dialogue with the domestic opposition and the international
community.

On October 11, 2007, the UN Security Council urged the Burmese government
“to create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue with Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi and all concerned parties and ethnic groups, in order to
achieve an inclusive national reconciliation with the direct support of
the United Nations.” On November 14, the Security Council expressed its
expectation that a “meaningful and timebound dialogue” would take place,
and called for the release of political prisoners, accounting for missing
persons, and humanitarian access to persons in need throughout the
country.

When Gambari visited in November, his activities were closely controlled
by the government and he was unable to visit opposition leaders without
government supervision. Reforms have not occurred and arrests of political
activists and journalists have continued in a climate of fear.

“If the Burmese generals continue their obstructive tactics during
Gambari’s visit, the UN Security Council must react to such contempt for
UN officials.” said Adams. “Burma’s backers in the international
community, including China, Russia, and Thailand, must support Gambari in
this effort.”