BurmaNet News, January 14, 2009

[Editor]

January 14, 2009, Issue #3631

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“[2008] was a bad year on almost all fronts 
. there was no movement, in
fact quite the opposite. The UN secretary-general himself said very
recently that the degree of cooperation between Myanmar and the UN had
been unsatisfactory. There was no move towards any sort of dialogue
between the government and the opposition. There was continued
repression.” – Mark Canning, British Ambassador to Burma

INSIDE BURMA
AP: Myanmar activist gets 104 years in jail
Khonumthung News: Chinese digging for nickel and uranium in Mwe Taung
DVB: NLD welcomes Thai PM’s comments
Scoop Independent News (New Zealand): Burma: Renewed protest sparks
security clampdown

ON THE BORDER
AsiaNews.it: The tragedy of Rohingya refugees, arrested in Thailand and
abandoned in the high seas
Mizzima News: China provides more military trucks to Burma

BUSINESS / TRADE
Mizzima News: Burma's gem industry: profit that fills the generals' pockets
Irrawaddy: Burma’s economy feeling the pain
Myanmar Times: More agro-trainees bound for Israel

DRUGS
AFP: Myanmar arrests 277 drug traffickers in December: state media

ASEAN
New Light of Myanmar: TCG delegation arrives back from Thailand

REGIONAL
AFP: Conflicts, crackdowns mar 2008 Asian rights record: HRW

INTERNATIONAL
Mizzima News: MP's to elect new NCGUB PM in exile

OPINION / OTHER
Asia Sentinel: Burmese expatriates bid farewell to the First Lady –
Nehginpao Kipgen
Irrawaddy: Abhisit needs to set a new course on Burma – Aung Zaw

INTERVIEW
Irrawaddy: Mark my words



____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

January 14, Associated Press
Myanmar activist gets 104 years in jail

Military-ruled Myanmar has freed six people who recently called for the
release of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but sentenced
another activist to 104 years in prison, relatives and an activist group
said Wednesday.

Six members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party who marched
for her release on Dec. 30 in the country's biggest city, Yangon, were
freed without charge Wednesday, said the detainees' relatives. They spoke
on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment by the authorities.

Three others activists remained in detention, according to the relatives.

Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, the face of Myanmar's beleaguered
opposition, has been detained without trial for about 13 of the past 19
years, despite a worldwide campaign calling on the country's military
rulers to release her.

Meanwhile, a member of a student protest group who was arrested last
September was sentenced on Jan. 3 to 104 years in jail on a variety of
charges, including six violations of immigration law, said the Assistance
Association for Political Prisoners, a Thailand-based group of Myanmar
activists.

It said Bo Min Yu Ko of the All Burma Federation of Students Unions was
not allowed a defense lawyer at his trial. It did not give details of his
offenses.

"The courts are not independent and simply follow orders from the regime,"
said the group's statement. "Criminals sentenced on drug charges are often
given relatively light sentences, but political activists are given very
long terms of imprisonment."

It said that at least 280 political activists have been sentenced in a
flurry of hurried and often closed court cases since October last year.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta came to
power in 1988 after crushing a nationwide pro-democracy uprising. It held
elections in 1990 but refused to honor the results after Suu Kyi's party
won a landslide victory.

____________________________________

January 14, Khonumthung News
Chinese digging for nickel and uranium in Mwe Taung

A Chinese company has been constructing roads even as it digs for nickel
and uranium in the mountains of Mwe Taung in Chin state, Myanmar.

Nickel and uranium have been discovered around Teddim Township in upper
Chin state. Now about 50 villagers are working on constructing a 12 feet
wide road, which can help to carry out natural resources.

The villagers from Min Hla, Su Khin Ta and Myaihsein villages near the
foothills are earning Kyat 2000 per day by working in the road
construction site.

"The 12-feet wide road is under construction for taking out natural
resources by trucks and other big vehicles," said a local.

A report said that the Mwe Taung Mountain was sold to a Chinese company in
2005 by the military government in spite of Chin people's reluctance. It
is situated 15 kilometers from Kalemyo, Sagaing Division. The company
started to discover natural resources from 2006 and now their staff
members are opening an office near Kalemyo Road Transportation Cooperative
(RTC) to look after all the things on the field.

The natural resources are the heritage of Chin ancestors. Selling it and
taking them out without the approval of the Chin people is like condemning
the whole nation of Chin people. The military junta must look into what is
has done, said Paul Sitha, Secretary of Chin National Front in exile.

At the initial stage of independence, the world thought that Myanmar would
become a developed country soon, but after 1962 when General Ne win took
over power, all the rich natural resources were sold to foreign countries
and now Myanmar is on the list of the poorest countries in the world.

____________________________________

January 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
NLD welcomes Thai PM’s comments – Aye Nai

The National League for Democracy has welcomed the remarks of Thai prime
minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who said on Monday that he wanted to see
change in Burma.

Abhisit, who came to power last month, said Burma’s neighbours wanted to
see change in the country, but ruled out imposing sanctions against the
regime.

"The goals of Western countries and the countries of this region for Burma
are not different – we all want to see some changes," the Thai premier
said.

"But our methods may differ because of two main reasons: cultural
differences and the distance of the countries,” he said.

“Those who are far away may use certain measures while those who are
neighbours have to use other measures."

NLD information wing member Nyan Win said Abhisit’s words would be
welcomed by all democracy supporters.

"We welcome the remarks made by the Thai prime minister,” he said.

“His words reflect the true vision, not just of himself as a democrat, but
of all democracy supporters across the world."

Thailand-based Burmese political analyst Win Min said the prime minister’s
words could indicate a more relaxed policy towards Burmese democracy
activists in Thailand.

"There may at least be less pressure upon Burmese democracy activists in
the future compared to under the previous government who were only focused
on doing business with the Burmese government," Win Min said.

"The previous government protected the Burmese junta by doing things such
as praising them,” he said.

“The new government is not going to follow the same course, but at the
same time it is unlikely that they will publicly criticise or denounce the
junta either."

____________________________________

January 14, Scoop Independent News (New Zealand)
Burma: Renewed protest sparks security clampdown – Terry Evans

The Burmese junta have tightened security in and around Rangoon after
anti-junta leaflets were distributed last week. 2009 has heralded a
renewed campaign by dissidents, with the widespread distribution of
leaflets carrying the message, “As people we have not attained freedom
yet, we must continue our struggle.”

Riot police and soldiers have been stationed at major intersections in the
downtown Rangoon area, as well as around Shwedagon Pagoda, the focal point
for monk-led demonstrations during the September 2007 Saffron Revolution.
Reliable sources report that security forces were sighted patrolling in
various parts of the city last night.

On January 4, Burma’s Independence Day, nine members of the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested outside the People’s
Parliament building in Rangoon as they called for the release of detained
NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The parliament building has been unused since
the junta overturned the result of the democratic election won by Aung San
Suu Kyi's party in 1989.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

January 14, AsiaNews.it
The tragedy of Rohingya refugees, arrested in Thailand and abandoned in
the high seas

As one of Myanmar’s Muslim ethnic minorities, the Rohingya are victims of
abuse and forced labour by the country’s military junta. Many who sought
refuge in Thailand are instead seized by the army and left in
international waters. The issue of Rohingya boat-people will be at the
centre of the next ASEAN summit.

Refugees International has accused the Thai military of contravening
international human rights law by arresting and holding Rohingya refugees
on an island in the Andaman Sea before leaving them to fend for themselves
in international waters. The US-based NGO has called on the Thai
government to put a stop to such a practice.
Rohingya refugees belong to a Muslim ethnic minority that inhabits an area
along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, especially in the Rakhine State
(formerly Arakan) in western Myanmar.

Because of persecution and abuses by Myanmar’s ruling military junta, many
Rohingya have fled, seeking refuge along the western coast of Thailand.
Once in the country they have been rounded up and arrested by the
military, detained for some time before being put on canoes without any
engine or sail and towed into international waters where they have been
abandoned.

“The Thai government is taking highly vulnerable people and risking their
lives for political gain,” advocate Sean Garcia said. Instead it “should
be engaging the Burmese [Myanmese] government on improving conditions at
home for the Rohingya if it wants to stem these flows.”

The Rohingya have taken to the sea because they are desperate. “They have
no hope for a better life in Burma. Pushing them back out to sea is not an
effective deterrent,” Mr Garcia explained.

They “are stateless and have no rights inside Burma. The Burmese
government targets them for forced labour and extortion, and restricts
their movement.” Until they “are recognised by Burma as citizens,
neighbouring countries like Thailand must protect and assist this
vulnerable population.”

Reports indicate a rising tide of Rohingya refugee fleeing towards
neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and India’s Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, so much so that their fate is at the centre of regional
diplomatic discussions. The refugee issue will in fact be on the agenda at
next month's ASEAN summit in Thailand.

In the meantime a total of 412 boatpeople were taken on 18 December to
international waters north of Koh Surin (Surin Island), off the coast of
Thailand, and left there, an anonymous source said.

Rohingya refugees preferably leave from November to April when the seas
are at their calmest to escape the repression of Myanmar’s military
regime.

According to official figures, 1,225 arrived in Thailand in 2005-2006.
They were 2,763 in 2006-2007 and 4,886 in 2007-2008, and the numbers keep
rising. From 26 November to 25 December last year, 659 Rohingya were
seized in eight separate incidents.

____________________________________

January 14, Mizzima News
China provides more military trucks to Burma – Myo Gyi

Five military trucks, believed to be capable of carrying up to 100 tons in
weight, were driven to the Burmese side of the border from China through
the Sino-Burmese border gate, eyewitnesses said.

The trucks, which were driven through the Jiegao-Mahnwingyi border gate,
were seen being guided by several Burmese military officers.

"The trucks had a label reading 'Sino Truk'. They were driven from the
Mahnwingyi gate to the Burmese side at about 9:30 a.m. (Burmese Time).
There were some Burmese military officers in the trucks," an eyewitness
told Mizzima.

The eyewitness said the trucks were empty but there were people in
civilian dresses, who are believed to be Burmese army men.

A source, who claimed to have spoken to some of the Burmese officials,
said the trucks will be transported to a military base in central Burma's
Meikhtila town.

He also said, the trucks were nearly double the size of military trucks –
FAW and Dong Feng – which the Chinese in earlier years had given to Burma
and are believed to be capable of carrying up to 100 tons in weight.

He said these trucks are different from the earlier Dong Feng trucks,
which the Chinese had given in hundreds to Burma, as they are nearly
double the size and length of the earlier trucks.

"They are ten-wheelers and according to one of the soldiers, these trucks
will be used for carrying canons," the eyewitness said.

Sources said, China has been supplying military trucks to Burma at nearly
half the market rate and allowing them to pay in installments. However, it
is still not known how much Burma pays China for the trucks.

China has long been the major supplier of military hardware including
arms, ammunitions and military trucks to Burma. In the past, sources in
the border said China had supplied hundreds of military trucks to Burma
through the Jiegong-Muse border gate.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

January 14, Mizzima News
Burma's gem industry: profit that fills the generals' pockets – Mungpi &
Solomon

To promote production of gems and jewellery, Burma's Ministry of Mines
said it is allocating six blocks in three states to local entrepreneurs to
mine gems, an official at the ministry said.

An official at the Ministry of Mines in Naypyitaw said, the six blocks,
located in Shan state's Mongshu and Namhyar, Kachin state's Moenyin and
Sagaing division's Mawhan, Mawlu and Hkamti will be leased out to private
entrepreneurs for a three-year term.

"These areas are regular mining zones and we are giving out new blocks in
these areas. Those who are interested can apply now," the official told
Mizzima.

While Burma's military government by occasionally granting gem mining
blocks claims that it is promoting domestic entrepreneurs, local residents
in the mining areas said mining and the gem trade has largely deteriorated
since the current batch of generals grabbed power in 1988.

A local businessman in Mogoke in Mandalay division, a mining town which
produces one of the world's finest rubies, said, mining business has
largely been monopolized by a few businessmen who maintain a close
relationship with the junta.

"Even those (the announced) blocks will be dominated by some of the
cronies of the junta, others will only get it if the sites are not
producing much gems," he said.

He said, since the early 1990s, the junta has taken control over all gem
mines and only permits companies to carry out mining in collaboration with
government enterprises, popularly known as Oo Paing.

Since then, companies such as Shwe Pyi Aye, Lynn Yaung Chi and Kadekada,
who have close relations with the ruling generals, have dominated gem
mining and production in Mogoke.

While Burma's Ministry of Mines designates Mogoke, Mongshu, Lonkin,
Phakant, Khamhti, Moenyin and Namyar as gem mines, Phakant of Kachin State
and Mogoke of Mandalay division and Monghshu of Shan state are the most
famous areas, where mining of gem is carried out on a large scale.

According to a veteran gem trader residing in Mogoke, with the mining
industries solely dominated by junta's allied companies, most high quality
gems are directly transported to Rangoon and Mandalay to be sold to
foreign buyers.

He also insists that a part of the high-quality gems produced is also
smuggled directly to China, Thailand and Hong Kong.

"The mining scene in Mogoke today has drastically changed. Earlier we
could look for gems in 'Hta Pwe' but now the machines do the work and most
products, specially the high quality gems, would not even be noticed by
local traders," the trader said, referring to a local gem-bazaar in Mogoke
town, known as 'Hta Pwe', where traders and local miners come to meet and
bid.

Despite the big companies coming in to take control over mining, Mogoke, a
town with abundant gems beneath, still holds the 'Hta Pwe' where small
time businessmen and private, now illegal, miners still hold business
meets.

Similarly, in Phakant in Kachin State, a town popularly known for its
quality and abundance of jade products, with the advance of Oo Paings,
most jades have disappeared from local businessmen only to be sold off to
China, Hong Kong and other countries, through the borders.

But the business community in Phakant said a few of the products still
reaches Rangoon to be exhibited in government sponsored gems and jewellery
exhibitions.

The Burmese government has been conducting annual exhibitions in Rangoon
since 1964, and later in 1992 extended it to twice a year by having a
mid-year exhibition. Through these exhibitions, the junta earns millions
of dollars. In October 2008, the junta said, it earned more than US $ 172
million from the sale of gems in such an exhibition.

But a long time jade businessman in Mandalay calculates that the junta's
generals are earning much more from sale of gems mainly jade to China
through the borders, which are then re-sold to buyers in Hong Kong and
other parts of the world.

Burma, from its various gem mines across the country produces some of the
best quality rubies and jades in the world, and also produces emerald,
topaz, pearl, sapphire, coral and a variety of garnet tinged with yellow.

"If all of these precious stones and gems are made use for the development
of the country, people won't be starving," the veteran businessman, who
now resides in Mandalay, said.

____________________________________

January 14, Irrawaddy
Burma’s economy feeling the pain – Min Lwin

Businesses in Burma are struggling to sell a backlog of stock buildup due
to the global financial recession, which is undermining trading and the
economy, said Khin Maung Nyo, a Rangoon-based economic analyst.

“Even though the financial crisis hasn’t affected the banks in Burma,
because the banking system is not integrated with global banks, in trading
a lot of businesses have been affected,” he said.

Business people at the wholesale Nyaung Binlay and Mingalar markets said
consumers are not buying as much and as a result, manufacturing and
commodity sales could decrease as much as 50 percent.

Many business sectors have been letting workers go because of falling
orders due to the global financial crisis and lack of local demand.

“We reduced workers’ wages because we cut the normal working hours,” said
one business owner in the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone on the outskirts
of Rangoon. “I am not sure how much I can control labor under these market
conditions.”

According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, there are 134,900
registered workers in 18 industrial zones in Rangoon Division. No
statistics were available on how many have been laid off.

Burma’s garment industries have faced factory closures since September
last year.

“Since the financial crisis, orders for new consignments have been
reduced, and we will see a serious impact by the middle of December,”
Myint Soe, the chairman of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association,
told The China Post on October 15, 2008.

The success of the country’s apparel industry is largely tied to global
demand, so a fall in orders will lead to workers being dismissed and the
closure of some production facilities, Myint Soe said in the report.

More than 100,000 garment workers have already been laid off at garment
factories across the country, according to sources with the Myanmar
Garment Manufactures Association.

Meanwhile, the powerful Burmese businessman, Tay Za, told senior officials
at his Htoo Trading Company that the global recession has affected his
businesses.

Tay Za, a crony of Burma’s junta chief Than Shwe, plays a major role in
the Burmese economy. Htoo Trading’s business activities range from
logging, tourism, hotels, air transport and construction to technological
investment in Yadanabon Cyber City in Mandalay Division.

Htoo Trading, which is one of Burma’s largest timber exporters, has been
hit heavily by falling global demand.

Burma businesses associated with tourism declined severely in 2007 and
2008 compared to previous years, following the 2007 September
pro-democracy uprising and the 2008 Cyclone Nargis.

____________________________________

January 14, Myanmar Times
More agro-trainees bound for Israel – Htin Kyaw and Myo Lwin

A LEADING Myanmar business group will send private sector agricultural
trainees to Israel next month to study advanced agricultural technology.

It will be the first time Myanmar nationals from the private sector have
been sent to Israel for agricultural training, said U Sein Win Hlaing,
secretary general of the Union of Myanmar Federation of the Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). He made the announcement following his
four-member delegation visit to Israel from December 14 to 19.

“Although the main purpose of our trip [to Israel] was to negotiate
commercial relations, we also visited Israel’s agricultural and livestock
academies. We established contacts with two Israeli agricultural academies
and they have agreed to take our trainees – one is Arava International
Centre for Agricultural Training (AICAT) and the other is Rubbin
Agricultural Institute, both of which are based in southern Israel,” said
U Sein Win Hlaing.

The first batch will comprise five private-sector students, who will
attend a 10-month training program at AICAT, he said. The UMFCCI is in the
process of selecting students, and U Sein Win Hlaing said further batches
would be sent
to Rubbin Agricultural Institute. “All of the courses are
practically-based, and those selected will need to have experience in
agriculture as well as good English skills,” he said.

Negotiations to send further batches of students to Rubbin Agricultural
Institute are still ongoing, a UMFCCI executive committee member said.

U Sein Win Hlaing added that Israeli experts would soon visit Myanmar to
train local students in the latest agricultural technology.

The training program agreement is a further sign of the growing
cooperation between Israel and Myanmar, particularly in the agriculture
sector.

Last month, a two-member Israeli delegation visited Myanmar for talks with
government officials in Nay Pyi Taw. This group included Ms Hanni Arnon,
the director of AICAT, who on her return to Israel praised the increased
cooperation between the two nations.

“The meetings that we had in Myanmar were very good, and now we have a lot
of work and much preparation for the continued cooperation,” Ms Arnon told
The Myanmar Times in an email message. “Our meeting at the Ministry of
Agriculture [and Irrigation] in Nay Pyi Taw was excellent. We feel that we
have found true partners for our joint project, particularly in [Director
General of the Department of Agricultural Planning] Mr Tin Htut Oo, and we
will continue to cooperate in the future.”

“We are also very satisfied with the students, with their agricultural
backgrounds and their knowledge, with their desire to learn and the
interest which they show in general during their time in the region. The
project (started since 1994)is closely followed by the Myanmar embassy in
Israel,” Ms Arnon added.

Each year about 150 Myanmar graduates serving in government ministries
have been sent to Israel for training. Fifty of these study at AICAT, in
the Arava region of Israel, for 11 months, during which they combine
practical training on farms with studies.

“In the coming months they will be busy picking and packaging the produce.
Additionally, they are also working on research projects, on the farm on
which they are working. The students invest much thought, time and effort
in collecting the data required for the research supervised by an Israeli
tutor,” said Ms Arnon.

Permits for sending the students to Israel are given by Myanmar government
ministries. “If the student quota is not increased, we expect to have 50
students for this scholastic year as well,” she said. This figure does not
include the five private-sector students that will be sent by the UMFCCI.

“It’s very important to us to also add the new entities with whom we met
during our last tour, which can also send students to the project.

“We are continuing to follow the activities of our students when they
return to Myanmar and hope that they will be successful in responsible
positions, which will take advantage of their abilities and of what they
learned during their training in the Arava,” she added.

____________________________________
DRUGS

January 14, Agence France Presse
Myanmar arrests 277 drug traffickers in December: state media

Myanmar police arrested 277 drug traffickers last month, state media
reported Wednesday, as the world's second-largest opium producer sought to
show it was cracking down on the narcotics trade.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said authorities also seized more than
50 kilograms (110 pounds) of opium, 2.32 kilograms of heroin, 120,000
stimulant tablets, and chemicals used to make drugs.

"Action was taken against 277 -- 210 men and 67 women -- in 192
drug-related cases in December 2008," the junta-run paper said.

Myanmar's mountainous and lawless border regions once hid vast poppy
fields which fed most of the world's opium habit well into the 1990s.

Under pressure from governments including close ally China, Myanmar
eventually began a campaign in the 1990s to eradicate the crop, and soon
Afghanistan took over as the world's top opium producer.

Military-run Myanmar has vowed to be drugs-free by 2014, but despite a few
years of steep decline the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said opium
production in Myanmar shot up 46 percent from 2006 to 2007.

The UN report blamed high-level collusion and corruption for the rise,
while activists across the border in Thailand say crop substitution
programmes for poor farmers have not been successful.

The military-ruled nation, meanwhile, has become a hub for methamphetamine
production, experts say.

US authorities said in November they had frozen the assets of 26
individuals and 17 firms tied to drug trafficking in Myanmar and
prohibited US citizens from dealing with them.

____________________________________
ASEAN

January 14, New Light of Myanmar
TCG delegation arrives back from Thailand

Chairman of Tripartite Core Group (TCG) Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs U Kyaw Thu arrived back here yesterday after visiting Thailand
from 6 to 12 January under the programme to exchange views among the
natural disaster-hit countries.

The chairman of TCG was accompanied by the members of TCG from ASEAN, Mr
Bansarn Bunnag, Ambassador of Thailand to the Union of Myanmar, and
members from United Nations, Dr Bishow Parajuli, United Nations Resident
Coordinator and Mr Thierry Delbreuve, Head of United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar.

On 9th January the chairman and members of TCG met with Director-General
Mr Anucha Mokkhavesa of the Ministry of Interior, Department of Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation and shared experiences during natural disaster
in Thailand. They held a meeting with, officials of the Department of
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and discussed experiences of Thailand
during the Tsunami. During the meeting, Chairman of TCG Deputy Minister U
Kyaw Thu explained the experiences gathered during the Nargis Cyclone
which hit Myanmar on 2 and 3 May, 2008, situation concerning Government's
Programme for Reconstruction of Cyclone Nargis affected areas and
implementation plans for preparedness and protection against future
National Disaster; and efforts undertaken by the TCG. Representative from
ASEAN and United Nations also explained their efforts.

The chairman and members of TCG visited the Office of Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC) in Bangkok and Asian Institute of Technology,
Regional Multi-Hazard Early Warning Center at Prathumthani Province on 8
January.

The TCG delegation went to Phuket on-9 January and met with Deputy
Governor and authorities concerned of Phuket to share their experiences
regarding natural disasters and explained the situation concerning
reconstruction efforts.

The delegation also made a field visit to Tsunami-affected areas in Phuket.

During the visit to Phangnga Province on 10 January, the delegation met
with the authorities concerned, and also visited Tsunami-affected areas.

Deputy Minister U Kyaw Thu met with Mr Kasit Piromya, Ministerfor Foreign
Affairs, at Plaza Athenee Hotel in Bangkok. The delegation also attended a
meeting with officials from the Ministry of Communication and Technology,
National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) from Nonthaburi Province.

In the afternoon, Mr Virasakdi Futrakul, Permanent Secretary of Foreign
Affairs of Thailand, hosted lunch for Deputy Minister U Kyaw Thu and the
TCG delegation at Intercontinental Hotel.

In the afternoon, Deputy Minister U Kyaw Thu met with Minister for Foreign
Affairs for National Resources and Environmental Dr Suwit Khunkitti, of
the newly formed Government of Thailand at the Minister's Office and
exchanged views.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

January 14, Agence France Presse
Conflicts, crackdowns mar 2008 Asian rights record: HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Wednesday blamed Asian giants China and India for
abuses against their own citizens but also for backing military
dictatorships such as Myanmar.

In its annual report for 2008, the New York-based group detailed worsening
trends in much of Asia, including China's Olympic-year crackdown on civil
liberties and its repression of protests across the Tibetan plateau.

Wars turned more bloody in Afghanistan, which saw the "worst violence
since the fall of the Taliban," and Sri Lanka, where the government last
January formally scrapped a ceasefire with the separatist Tamil Tigers.

Conflicts also flared up again in less-watched hotspots, including Muslim
regions of Thailand and the Philippines, while Indonesian forces in remote
West Papua "continue to engage in abuses ... with virtual impunity," it
said.

HRW pointed to some progress in parts of South Asia, including the return
to civilian rule in Pakistan after the end of the Pervez Musharraf
presidency, and improvements ahead of polls in Bangladesh last month.

Elections in Nepal, where Maoists took power and the king abdicated,
"marked a new era... after a decade of conflict that claimed over 13,000
lives."

But HRW also highlighted tighter restrictions on freedom of association,
expression and religion in China, which it said "broke its promise to
improve human rights in conjunction with its hosting of the 2008 Summer
Olympic Games."

In Tibet, where simmering anger against Chinese rule erupted into major
protests last March, HRW said that following mass arrests of suspected
demonstrators the whereabouts of several hundred detainees remained
unknown.

HRW also criticised Asia's other population giant, India, for "serious
abuses," including in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which was
again rocked by major unrest in 2008.

The report pointed to India's "pattern of denial of justice and impunity"
and a "failure to protect women, children and marginalized groups such
Dalits, tribal groups and religious minorities."

India, as an emerging global player, was now often placing economic and
strategic interests over rights concerns as it tried to compete with China
in countries such as Myanmar, said HRW.

"As the world's most populous democracy, India might be expected to be at
the forefront of global efforts to promote human rights," it said.
"However, its current foreign policy often would make a confirmed dictator
proud."

In Myanmar, also known as Burma -- which HRW said also draws support from
China, Russia and Thailand -- democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi went into
her sixth straight year of house arrest, one of over 2,150 political
prisoners.

"The Burmese military continues to violate the rights of civilians in
ethnic conflict areas and extrajudicial killings, forced labour, land
confiscation without due process and other violations continued in 2008,"
said the report.

When Cyclone Nargis struck the country last May, "more than two million
people waited for weeks for relief operations to reach them" after the
reclusive regime denied access to foreign aid groups.

Life in Asia's other hermit state, North Korea, remained even more dire,
with the regime continuing to "enslave" citizens in prison camps and
executing people for crimes that include hoarding food, said the report.

Reports that leader Kim Jong-Il suffered a stroke in September "could have
far-reaching consequences for human rights and governance," the group
said.

Across much of Southeast Asia, human rights were also on shaky ground.

In Thailand "the end of a military-installed administration has not led to
the restoration of rights and democracy" as political tensions "led to
protracted protests and occasional deadly clashes."

Cambodia "continued its drift toward authoritarianism" as Prime Minister
Hun Sen consolidated power through flawed July elections, while a tribunal
to address Khmer Roug-era crimes made slow progress.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

January 14, Mizzima News
MP's to elect new NCGUB PM in exile – Nem Davies

The 'National Coalition Government of Union of Burma' (NCGUB) in exile
will elect its new Prime Minister at a meeting to be held in Ireland this
month.

Dr. San Aung, one of the Council of Ministers of NCGUB, said that the MPs
in exile will elect their new PM at this meeting held once every four
years by secret ballot.

Over 30 MPs from the 'Members of Parliamentary Union' (MPU) will attend
the meeting and they will elect the new PM, discuss the current political
situation in Burma and their future plans.

The first part of the 10-day meeting will be the exclusive MP meeting and
the second half (5-daya meeting) will be attended by 'Ethnic Nationalities
Council' (ENC), 'Student and the Youth Congress of Burma' (SYCB) among
others.

Meanwhile, Dr. San Aung also said that the recent announcement made by
exile based alliance, 'National Council of Union of Burma' (NCUB),
announcing its plan of forming a new government of their own should not
have been made.

"NCUB is not a party, it's an alliance. The resolution of this alliance
should be adopted by consensus only after thorough deliberations. No one
can flout   and bypass this rule. If a member organization of this
alliance wants to do something, it can do it on its own, but cannot misuse
and exploit the leverage of this alliance," he said.

The 'National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma' (NCGUB) was
formed with MPs-elect in exile who won the 1990 general elections and are
based in Washington D.C. USA. Dr. Sein Win, the cousin brother of Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, is serving as PM in this government.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

January 14, Asia Sentinel
Burmese expatriates bid farewell to the First Lady – Nehginpao Kipgen

It is less than 10 days before America's 44th president takes office on
January 20. It has come the day for the Bush's family to bid adieu to the
White House and begin a new journey of life. The significant role played
by the First Lady, Laura Bush, is also coming to an end, yet her legacy
will remain a living history in an administration that has precious few
high spots.

Laura Bush took several historic and unprecedented initiatives to
highlight the plight of some of the most oppressed people of the world.
Among others, her advocacy for human rights abuses in the Union of Burma
has brought the attention of the international community.

Some might have criticized or lambasted her for too much involvement in
some of the crises of the world. Regardless of what the critics say, Laura
Bush deserves appreciation and recognition for her goodwill and dedication
for the cause of millions of hapless people.

At the opening session of the 61st UN General Assembly, on September 19,
2006, Mrs Bush convened a roundtable discussion to draw the international
community's attention on human rights abuses in Burma. Participants
included senior UN and US government officials, academics, and
non-governmental organizations working to address humanitarian and human
rights concerns in Burma.

In a historic meeting, Mrs. Bush welcomed a group of Burmese dissidents at
the White House on June 12, 2007.

In the aftermath of the Cyclone Nargis, it was Laura Bush who made a
moving statement from the White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
on May 5, 2008. When asked: "Mrs. Bush, why such an historic interest?
This is a first, for a First Lady to come to this podium and talk about a
cyclone. Why such a historic interest?"

Her response was: "Well, you know I've been interested in Burma for a long
time. It started really with an interest in Aung San Suu Kyi and reading
her works and just the story of a Nobel Prize winner who's been under
house arrest for so long, whose party was overwhelmingly elected in an
election and then was never able to take office. And so it started with an
interest in her, and then just the more I've seen, the more critical I see
the need is for the people in Burma to be – for the world to pay attention
to the people of Burma, and for the world to put pressure on the military
regime."

It was an eye opener for many in the international community when the
First Lady and her daughter Barbara made their way through the muddy
ground in a rainy day, on August 7, 2008, to meet with thousands of
Burmese refugees at Mae La refugee camp and Mae Tao Clinic at the
Thai-Burma border.

When her husband was calling for "an end to the tyranny in Burma" at a
speech in Bangkok, Laura Bush emphasized human rights abuses and said,
"The best solution would be if General Than Shwe's regime would start real
dialogue" with ethnic minorities and pro-democracy groups.

In one year anniversary statement of the 2007 demonstration, Mrs Bush
said, "The United States reiterates our long-standing call for the Burmese
regime to engage in a genuine dialogue with all democratic and ethnic
minority leaders, with the goal of making a credible transition to
civilian, democratic government. We call on the regime to release Aung San
Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners."

These are some of the instances where Mrs. Bush personally got involved in
the Burmese democratic movement. In the process, she had indeed fired up
the international community. But sadly, it does not bring an end to the
military rule.

As you are packing up to vacate the White House, Laura, please tell
Michelle Obama, the incoming First Lady, to continue what you have
started. This very important mission needs to continue till we see a
genuine democratic society in Burma where the rights of every ethnic group
are equally respected.

Nehginpao Kipgen is the General Secretary of US-based Kuki International
Forum (www.kukiforum.com) and a researcher on the rise of political
conflicts in modern Burma (1947-2004).

____________________________________

January 14, Irrawaddy
Abhisit needs to set a new course on Burma – Aung Zaw

Here’s some good news: Thailand’s new prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva,
says he shares the West’s desire for change in Burma.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the Kingdom is about to impose sanctions
on its recalcitrant neighbor. Because of its culture and geographic
proximity to Burma, Thailand could not embrace such an approach, he
explained.

The young prime minister was disappointingly short on details about what
his country could do to bring about change in Burma, but at least he made
a clear break from the policies of former PM Samak Sundaravej, who visited
Burma a year ago and returned full of fulsome praise for his hosts.

Samak, who was widely regarded as a proxy for ousted PM Thaksin
Shinawatra, infamously came to the defense of Burma’s brutal generals,
describing them as pious Buddhists who pray and meditate every morning.

More importantly, Samak was intent on restoring Thaksin’s policy of highly
personalized, business-based relations with Burma. Under Thaksin,
Thailand’s Burma policy was driven by purely commercial considerations.
The lack of transparency that characterized some of his deals with the
Burmese junta was widely criticized.

Most Burmese now hope that Abhisit will be able to restore transparency
and accountability to Thailand’s dealings with its troubled neighbor. But
even if he succeeds in staying in office long enough to undo some of the
more damaging aspects of Thaksin’s legacy, he will have his work cut out
for him setting relations with Burma on a straighter course.

Almost from the moment the Burmese regime seized power in a bloody coup in
1988, Thailand has been deeply conflicted over how to respond to its
neighbor’s problems.

In the immediate aftermath of the army’s crackdown on protests, Burma’s
nascent pro-democracy movement enjoyed strong popular support in Thailand,
which soon became an important base for thousands of anti-junta
dissidents; even now, hundreds of exiles remain in the country, to the
perennial irritation of Burma’s rulers.

At the same time, however, many in Thailand’s ruling class saw the
bloodshed as an act of desperation by a military clique despised by the
majority of Burmese and with few friends abroad. The government of late PM
Chatchai Choonhavan wasted no time in exploiting this rare opportunity to
win access to Burma’s resources in exchange for Thailand’s economic and
diplomatic support of the regime.

For most of the past 20 years, Bangkok has pursued a policy of
“constructive engagement” with Burma. Only during the two terms of former
PM Chuan Leekpai has Thailand’s Burma policy been guided by principles
other than economic self-interest.

In 1993, the Chuan government allowed Nobel Peace Prize laureates,
including Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit Thailand to
lobby for the release of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to
highlight the need for democracy in Burma. The regime in Rangoon was
furious and the relationship was strained.

During his second term, from 1997 to 2001, Chuan took an even tougher
stance toward the generals in Burma. He declined to pay an official visit
to Burma and he put Thailand’s defense in the hands of then-Army Chief Gen
Surayud Chulanont and then-Third Army Commander Lt-Gen Watanachai
Chaimuenwong—two hawks who looked askance at their neighbors to the west.
Gen Surayud was also known to be sympathetic to Burma’s ethnic minorities.

As a result, troops from both sides massed along the border, leading to
serious skirmishes and repeated border closures. Relations were then at
their lowest ebb.

All this changed when Thaksin became the prime minister in 2001. He
quickly restored a business-based approach to relations with Rangoon. But
after Thaksin was deposed by a military coup in October 2006, relations
with Burma were put on the back burner.

Surayud returned to a position of influence, this time as Thailand’s
interim leader, and Bangkok kept its distance from Burma.

Surayud condemned the regime’s bloody crackdown on Buddhist monks and
activists in September 2007 and called for a concerted international
process to deal with Burma, modeled on the six-party talks which
successfully persuaded North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

So what can we expect from new Thai government?

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has indicated that the new
Democrat-led coalition government in Bangkok would depart from Thaksin’s
business-oriented Burma policies, saying that Thailand would now run “an
ethical foreign policy.”

“We shall have no [personal] business deals with the [Burmese] junta; we
shall observe human rights and environmental concerns; we shall treat
Burmese as we do Thais,” he said at an academic conference on December 19.

Burmese who listened to Kasit via shortwave radio stations hailed the
remark. But we all know that Thailand cannot afford to allow ties with
Burma to sour too much.

In reality, Thailand is Burma’s leading investor and trading partner. Thai
state-owned energy firms are the largest buyers of natural gas from Burma
and Thailand has won a concession to energy from the 7,110-megawatt Tasang
dam on the Salween River in Burma’s Shan State. The Thai-financed project
has seen no progress to date.

Under Samak, the two sides also discussed a plan to build a deep-sea port
in Tavoy in Burma’s southeast, for which the regime leaders reportedly
asked assistance from Thailand.

Thailand and Burma can do more business in the future, but Abhisit’s
government must also take the lead in pushing for political change in
Burma.

There are several ways it can do this.

As a chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean),
Bangkok can help to formulate a comprehensive policy to bring about
positive change in Burma. If Thailand, in coordination with Asean, begins
to make a move, China and India, the regime’s two major allies, will
listen.

Abhisit has already indicated that his Burma policy is likely to involve a
more proactive stance on human rights issues in the military-ruled
country. In an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news network,
Abhisit said that he would try to convince fellow members of the Asean of
the importance of human rights to the international community.

Unless Asean’s efforts to enshrine human rights are credible in the eyes
of the international community, “the grouping will not be able to achieve
its objectives,” he said.

Abhisit, an Oxford-educated economist, can also help Asean and the West to
find some common ground in their approach to Burma.

Thailand could, for instance, take a more active role in humanitarian
relief efforts in Burma’s cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta, which have
brought together a wide range of international participants focused on
addressing some of Burma’s immediate needs.

Perhaps with this in mind, the Thai foreign minister has offered to help
Burma coordinate fundraising for the reconstruction of temples damaged by
Cyclone Nargis.

But Abhisit must also take care to ensure that Thailand’s efforts to
rebuild Burma do not end with its temples. He should remind his Asean
counterparts that Burma’s political system also needs to be fixed, and
that the sooner that can be achieved, the better it will be for the whole
region.

____________________________________
INTERVIEW

January 14, Irrawaddy
Mark my words

British ambassador to Burma, Mark Canning, talks to The Irrawaddy about
the role of the UN and Asean in Burma, the Cyclone Nargis relief effort
and his expectations for the election in 2010.

Question: How do you assess events in Burma in 2008?

Answer: It was a bad year on almost all fronts. It was especially cruel
that on top of all their other problems, the people of this country had to
cope with the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis—but at least there
we’ve seen some good progress. After a difficult start, relief reached
those who needed it, a creative mechanism was established for overseeing
the operation and a number of tricky problems were overcome.

Elsewhere, there was no movement, in fact quite the opposite. The UN
secretary-general himself said very recently that the degree of
cooperation between Myanmar and the UN had been unsatisfactory. There was
no move towards any sort of dialogue between the government and the
opposition. There was continued repression.

The number of political prisoners doubled, and more than 200 activists,
who’ve done nothing but espouse peaceful protests, were given massive
prison sentences. Aung San Suu Kyi remains locked away and prevented from
playing the conciliatory role she could fulfil if allowed. The various
concessions made at the turn of the year, like the series of meetings
between her and the labour minister came to nothing. The population has
been told to expect the introduction of “disciplined democracy” in
2010—they’ve seen plenty of the former but not much of the latter.

Q: Many critics, including Burmese both inside and outside the country,
believe that Gambari’s mission has been a failure. What can he do to win
greater credibility for his mission and to achieve political
reconciliation in Burma?

A: The UN is playing a key role and we support it 100 percent. Dr Gambari
has been working the problem extremely hard, but, as he and the
secretary-general have made clear, the level of cooperation from the
government has simply not been good enough.

There’s always been a tendency to criticise the envoy—you saw the same
with Razali Ismail, you see it now with Dr Gambari, but that’s a mistake.
It’s quite clear where responsibility lies for the lack of forward
movement. The priority for 2009 therefore is to rebuild more solid
international backing for what the UN is trying to do. The
secretary-general’s personal engagement is a great asset and should help
achieve that, and we hope very much to see him back here once conditions
allow. We have now a clear assessment of where things have got to on which
to build. It’s crystal clear there’s not been the kind of progress over
the past 12 months which a number of countries claim to have seen. In
fact, the situation has gone backwards and will continue to do so until
there is clear and unambiguous backing for the UN. Issues like the release
of political prisoners, rather than being internal matters, are central to
what the UN is trying to achieve—political reconciliation.

For the full interview, please visit:
http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=14924