BurmaNet News, March 28-30, 2009

[Editor]

March 28-30, 2009, Issue #3680

INSIDE BURMA
DVB: Opposition party responds to junta’s call for election participation
DVB: Lawyers group request abolition of Unlawful Association Act
Irrawaddy: General’s promotion signals power struggles at the top
Mizzima: Immediate talks unlikely between NMSP and junta
Seoul Times: Karen Christians face joint army and Buddhist onslaught
DPA: Myanmar gives FM radio concessions in provinces prior to polls
Kaladan: Rohingya arrested for possessing a mobile phone charger

ON THE BORDER
New Age: Bangladesh to protest against Burma's border fencing
Mizzima News: Rights group demands migrant compensation

BUSINESS / TRADE
Myanmar Times: Garment industry cutting its costs
Irrawaddy: India’s Tata Group looks at truck factory in Burma and Weekly
business roundup

REGIONAL
Irrawaddy: Suu Kyi news on Chinese TV
DVB: China-Burma pipeline ‘holds no benefits for Burma’

INTERNATIONAL
Thai Press Reports: Burma/Myanmar press statement of EU Special Envoy of
Burma/Myanmar
DVB: Former ambassador claims Burma looking to improve US ties

OPINION / OTHER
Mirror: Burma political prisoners jailed for wearing white - Tom Parry

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

March 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
Opposition party responds to junta’s call for election participation

Burma’s military leader urged political parties last week to participate
in the 2010 elections, whilst warning them not to criticise the 2008
constitution, which many claim guarantees a continuation of military rule.

Political observers in Burma understood the speech, given during National
Arms Day (Tatmadaw Day) on Friday, to be directly aimed at the National
League for Democracy, which has been calling for a revision of the
constitution.

The NLD’s spokesperson, Thein Nyunt, however said there was nothing
explicit in Senior General Than Shwe’s speech that suggested a revision of
the constitution will be blocked.

“I didn’t hear any statement about denying revision of the constitution,”
he said.

“In every constitution ever written, there is always a session on revising
the document itself because it is the ‘basic’ constitution, as we call it,
which is not the ‘complete’ or the ‘perfect’ constitution.”

He went on to say that the NLD statement released on Friday reinstated the
party’s call to form a constitution amendment committee to include
representatives from parliament, ethnic groups and the military.

No response has so far been received from the government.

“The government and the NLD have different opinions from each other,” he
said.

“They don’t want us to attack the constitution but we think it needs
amending.

"I think the best way to find an answer to this argument is to hold a
dialogue and find out how we could do the best for our people.”

____________________________________

March 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
Lawyers group request abolition of Unlawful Association Act

A Thailand-based Burmese lawyers group has requested that Burma’s ruling
junta abolish the Unlawful Association Act under which many political
dissidents have been sentenced to imprisonment.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma, the
Act has so far been used by the ruling State Peace and Development Council
to sentence 365 political activists.

It is used as a charge against people alleged to have connections with
groups deemed illegal under Burmese law. Even members of parties not
listed as unlawful, however, were being targeted, said U Myo, a legal
analyst for Burma Lawyers Council.

“The SPDC is also jailing people [under the Act] from groups that are not
listed as unlawful associations, such as [opposition party] National
League for Democracy,” he said.

“That is highly inappropriate under legal terms.”

U Myo added that the Act, which was endorsed by the British occupiers of
Burma in 1908, was no longer suitable.

Furthermore, he said, the junta is yet to revoke declaration of Unlawful
Association upon armed groups that have cease-fire agreements with the
government.

“According to what was written in the law, the junta has to declare that
these groups are no more listed under Unlawful Associations when they make
a cease-fire agreement them,” said U Myo.

“They have not done it yet and that shows they are being dishonest.”

On 18 March, lawyer Pho Phyu was sentenced to four years imprisonment
under the Unlawful Associations Act.

He had been representing four farmers who were arrested in January after
they complained to the International Labour Organisation of land seizures
by the military.

According to AAPP there are around 17 lawyers serving sentences in Burmese
prisons.

____________________________________

March 30, Irrawaddy
General’s promotion signals power struggles at the top - Min Lwin

Burma’s top-ranking generals know that they must hang together or risk
hanging separately. But that doesn’t mean that there are no real rivalries
among the men who rule the country with an iron fist.

When Snr-Gen Than Shwe promoted Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo to the rank
of four-star general last Wednesday, two days before Armed Forces Day, he
was not just rewarding a junior colleague for his loyal service: he was
undercutting potential rivals for power.

Burma’s three four-star generals: Shwe Mann, Thein Sein and Tin Aung Myint
Oo (Photo: AP)

Tin Aung Myint Oo, who is now one of only three four-star generals in the
country, is reportedly close to the regime’s second-most powerful figure,
Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye. By promoting him, however, Than Shwe has ensured
that Tin Aung Myint Oo’s first loyalty will now be to the senior general.

“This is a power struggle between Than Shwe and Maung Aye,” said an
observer in Rangoon.

Tin Aung Myint Oo’s promotion comes as no surprise. He was often seen
accompanying Maung Aye and powerful commanders, including the air defense
department and intelligence chiefs, on trips around the country.

Burmese military observers suggest that Tin Aung Myint Oo’s promotion
marks the rise of a third powerful faction to rival those led by Gen Thura
Shwe Mann, the coordinator of Special Operations, Army, Navy and Air
Force, and Lt-General Myint Swe, chief of the Bureau of Special Operation
No 5.

All three groups now vie for Than Shwe’s favor, even as they seek to keep
each other from rising any higher within the inner circle.

Tin Aung Myint Oo, who is in his early 60s, is the fifth-ranking general
in the military hierarchy. More importantly, he holds the title of
Secretary 1 of the ruling military council and has long been groomed for a
prominent position in the junta.

In 1995, he was appointed head of the No 1 Military Operation Command,
based in Kyaukme Township in northern Shan State, as a brigadier-general.
He became commander of the Northeast Military Region in Lashio in 1997.
Ten years later, when Gen Thein Sein became prime minister, Tin Aung Myint
Oo took over as Secretary 1.

Burmese observers say that Tin Aung Myint Oo is a hardliner who is
skeptical of offers of foreign humanitarian assistance and UN involvement
in the Cyclone Nargis relief effort. He recently visited the cyclone-hit
Irrawaddy delta and has been named deputy head of the National Disaster
Preparedness Central Committee.

According to these observers, Than Shwe watches Shwe Mann, Tin Aung Myint
Oo and Myint Swe closely to decide who will become the next Burmese
military chief.

Sources inside Burma have noted that all three are close to Than Shwe’s
family and loyal to the top commander, making it unlikely that any one of
them would stage coup against him.

But Than Shwe doesn’t just prize loyalty towards himself: he also likes to
cultivate mutual mistrust among his protégés.

At the moment, the most noteworthy rivalry is that between Tin Aung Myint
Oo and Shwe Mann, another Than Shwe favorite who is said to be close to
several businessmen and scholars involved in getting humanitarian
assistance to the cyclone-affected areas of the delta.

Nyo Ohn Myint, head of the foreign affairs office of the National League
for Democracy (Liberated Area), said that Tin Aung Myint Oo’s promotion
was a classic Than Shwe maneuver.

“He wants to make competition between Shwe Mann and Tin Aung Myint Oo,”
said Nyo Ohn Myint. “Than Shwe doesn’t want to rely on just one person,
Shwe Mann.”

____________________________________

March 30, Mizzima News
Immediate talks unlikely between NMSP and junta - Salai Pi Pi

A Burmese ethnic Mon ceasefire group, New Mon State Party (NMSP), has
denied a rumor of possible further talks in the near future between the
organization and Burma’s military junta.

Speaking to Mizzima, Nai Ohn Mange, spokesperson for the NMSP, on Monday
said the organization has no exact schedule for continuing talks with
Burma’s generals following a secret meeting with junta officials in
southeast Burma during the first week of March.

“At present, it is impossible that we are going to have further talks with
them [Burmese regime],” Mange said.

The rejection by Mon officials of additional talks came after the
exile-based Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA) on Friday carried a report
that said the NMSP had decided to meet with Burmese generals on matters
related to the upcoming 2010 election.

IMNA also said Lieutenant General Ye Myint pressed delegates of the NMSP
to contest the forthcoming polls.

Mange said, regarding the upcoming 2010 election, the NMSP will continue
to adhere to the electoral resolution passed at its party congress held on
January. The resolution states the party will not consider contesting the
election unless the regime allows a review of the newly adopted
constitution.

“We will keep on holding to the resolution of the Party Congress,” Mange
reaffirmed.

In the first week of March, some central executive committee members of
the NMSP, led by party Chairman Nai Rotsa, quietly met with Lieutenant
General Ye Myint at Southeast Command headquarters in Mawlamyaing, capital
of Mon state.

“They [Burmese generals] asked about the results of the party’s
conference. And what sort of help we need from them,” Mange said.

Moreover, he said the junta assured delegates of the Mon ceasefire group
in a secret meeting that there would not be pressure for the NMSP to
disarm.

“They said we should not be worried concerning disarmament,” maintained
Mange. “It seems they were trying to console us.”

However, he added that the regime did not reveal how it expects to treat
the NMSP in the future.

The NMSP was formed in July 1958 to fight for self-determination and
reached a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese regime in 1995.

After originally attending the National Convention as a ceasefire group,
which began in 1993 and only concluded in 2007, the NMSP later in 2005
only participated in proceedings as an observer after arguing that ethnic
rights were being ignored during the convention’s proceedings.

Despite opposing the election slated for 2010, the NMSP pledged to
maintain the ceasefire agreement with Burmese regime.

“We will keep on maintaining our ceasefire agreement. But, regarding
talks, we will never start to offer [further talks],” said Mange.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said last week that
he was asked by the Burmese junta in his last trip to the neighboring
country to assist in persuading the Karen National Union, another ethnic
army fighting for self-determination, to join the 2010 electoral process.

However, the KNU has since told Mizzima that while the organization is
open to peace talks, they will remain firm in their demand for a revision
of the junta’s constitution before agreeing to join in next year’s
national polling.

____________________________________

March 30, The Seoul Times
Myanmar – Karen Christians face joint army and Buddhist onslaught - Lee
Jay Walker

Myanmar is beset by many internal problems and the current military junta
desires to crush all opposition. Therefore, many minorities fear a fresh
onslaught because regional powers desire to exploit the resources of
Myanmar or they hope to gain an important leverage because of the
geopolitical element.

Either way, it spells disaster for the main ethnic and religious groups
which desire either greater autonomy, a federal state or independence.
Added to this tragedy, is the betrayal of Karen Buddhists who have allied
themselves with the military junta in their struggle to defeat Karen
Christian forces. So can the Karen Christian leadership hold out against
the joint forces of the military junta and the Karen Buddhist army ?

Before focusing on this it is important to mention the nature of this
Karen Buddhist military betrayal because in the past the Karen had only
one enemy, the military junta. However, today the Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army (DKBA) is an ally of the military junta and now they are
fighting their own people. Therefore, the Christian dominated Karen
National Union (KNU) faces an uphill struggle because they face both
external and internal forces, which seek to crush the KNU and all other
opposition to the military junta.

The Karen follow different religions and the majority are still Buddhist
and others are Animist, or they fuse both faiths together, however, the
Christian religion is also vibrant. Within the KNU it is clear that
Christians have major power and influence but the KNU is open to all
faiths and many Buddhists within the Karen community despise the military
junta. However, for the DKBA they seek to crush the KNU and other
opposition to the military junta within the Karen community.

Benedict Rogers (12 Dec, 2004), a human rights advocate and journalist,
stated at the British House of Commons that "Christians among the Chin,
Kachin, Karen and Karenni ethnic nationalities report serious religious
discrimination and persecution, including the destruction of churches and
Christian symbols. In Chin State, all crosses on mountain-tops have been
destroyed and Christians have been forced to build Buddhist pagodas in
their place. Church services have been disrupted, and Chin children from
Christian families have been taken and placed in Buddhist monasteries,
where they have been forced to become novice monks. The printing of the
Bible is banned, and Christians in government service are denied
promotion."

Therefore, it is clear that many ethnic groups are suffering at the hands
of the military junta. Benedict Rogers also gave an example of the
Buddhist DBKA onslaught because he comments that "On 25 March, 2004, for
example, in a Karen village, the SPDC-aligned militia, the Democratic
Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), ordered villagers to clear an area for the
construction of a Buddhist pagoda, directly in front of a church.
Christians were then ordered to construct the pagoda, and forbidden to
construct a cross they had planned to build. Church services were drowned
out by the DKBA using loudspeakers, who urged villagers to convert to
Buddhism. Threats were made that, once the pagoda was built, Christians
would be forced to leave the village. The DKBA threatened to kill the
pastor, who fled for his life."

This example is one of many and since 2004 the pressure is increasing
against the KNU because their power base is getting smaller and this
applies to land and numbers who are willing to fight against the military
junta and DBKA. In 2008 the charismatic leader of the KNU, Pado Mahn Shar,
was assassinated in Thailand and this killing was not only brutal, but it
was a harbinger of more bad news.

For shortly afterwards the government of Thailand began to move closer to
Myanmar because of the need to exploit the natural resources of land which
once was under the control of the KNU. This applies to gold, zinc, rubber,
timber and antimony. Given the recent loss of land to the military junta
and the DBKA then it is clear that the KNU is losing major revenues and
these revenues can no longer prop up the quasi-government of the KNU.

Also, in 2009 the government of Thailand ordered KNU military commanders
to leave Thailand and to move back to Myanmar. At the same time the
government of Myanmar and Thailand plan to develop hydroelectric dams
along the Salween River. Therefore, the more Thailand depends on important
raw materials and energy from Myanmar, the worse it becomes for the KNU.

So today the KNU is being attacked on all sides via different forces and
their situation looks bleak. This applies to the growing strength of
Buddhist forces who are exploiting the situation in order to crush
Christianity; the joint military operation between the military junta and
the Buddhist DBKA; loss of land and power within their stronghold; the
loss of valuable resources which enabled the KNU to function a
quasi-government; decreasing revenues also hinders the militarization of
KNU units; and the safety net of Thailand is all but finished.

In recent times hundreds of Karen villagers have been overrun in the
Dooplaya District and in other areas. Once more Buddhist forces within the
DBKA destroyed Christian churches and enforced the supremacy of Buddhism
via harsh methods. Organizations like Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
and others are demanding action because of the seriousness of the
situation. CSW issued the following statement which is that "We call on
the UN Security Council to impose a universal arms embargo on the regime
in Burma (Myanmar) and to refer a case against Burma's Army Generals to
the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity."

CSW also continued by stating that "It is now time to secure real and
lasting change for the Karen people and all the peoples of Burma." After
all, other ethnic groups also suffer deeply in Myanmar and Muslims also
suffer enormous persecution. In the past many Muslim mosques have been
destroyed and Buddhist monks demanded the destruction of the ancient
Hantha Mosque. Therefore, anti-Muslim riots have been common in parts of
Myanmar. So it is clear that all minorities suffer enormous persecution
and the same applies to anybody who opposes the military junta.

Overall, the picture looks really grim for the KNU and Christian child
soldiers and military units of the KNU face an uphill struggle to survive.
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor for The Times, a British newspaper,
stated "The Karen conflict began with British betrayal after the Second
World War and has stubbornly lived on. But now, as it marks its diamond
jubilee, the war is nearing its endgame."

Therefore, if the endgame does happen, like some people predict, then the
only winners will be the military junta and militant Buddhists within the
DBKA. However, it will be another "nail in the coffin" for the brave Karen
people who fought so bravely against Japanese imperialists during World
War Two and then fought for freedom within Myanmar. Given this, will the
international community abandon yet another minority because they happen
to reside in a distant land and because they have no international clout?

____________________________________

March 30, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Myanmar gives FM radio concessions in provinces prior to polls

Yangon - Myanmar's junta allowed an FM-radio service to open in the
Rakhine State for the first time last week and plans to open similar
services nationwide by July, government officials confirmed Monday.

'We started test-broadcast to Rakhine State on 27 March, 12 hours daily
from 7 am to 7 pm,' an official who requested anonymity said. 'The
station, temporarily named Pyinsawaddi, will cover four townships in the
Rakhine State including Sittwe.'

Sittwe is a major port city in the Rakhine, which borders Bangladesh.

In the past, government-controlled FM stations were only operated out of
Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar's two largest cities.

Under a new arrangement, the government has granted four private Myanmar
companies, known to have close connections with the regime, concessions to
operate FM stations from 20 cities nationwide.

'All the FM radio stations are projected to be completed by July this
year,' the government official said.

It was not immediately clear why the government has allowed new FM
stations nationwide, which will allow for more regional news coverage but
the development comes at a time when the military-controlled country is
preparing for a general election in 2010.

The four companies granted the concessions include the Forever Group in
the Rakhine State and Irrawaddy Division; Red Link Company in the Shan
State and Kayah State; ShweThanLwin Company in Mon, Kayin, Pago and
Taninthayi; and the Shwe Taung Company in Sagaing Division, Magwe
Division, Chin State and Kachin State, sources said.

The Forever Group already operates the Yangon FM and Mandalay FM stations
in a joint venture with the Ministry of Information.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The country has one of
Asia's worst human rights records and exercises an iron grip over local
media outlets, most of which are state-owned.

Yangon - Myanmar's junta allowed an FM-radio service to open in the
Rakhine State for the first time last week and plans to open similar
services nationwide by July, government officials confirmed Monday.

'We started test-broadcast to Rakhine State on 27 March, 12 hours daily
from 7 am to 7 pm,' an official who requested anonymity said. 'The
station, temporarily named Pyinsawaddi, will cover four townships in the
Rakhine State including Sittwe.'

Sittwe is a major port city in the Rakhine, which borders Bangladesh.

In the past, government-controlled FM stations were only operated out of
Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar's two largest cities.

Under a new arrangement, the government has granted four private Myanmar
companies, known to have close connections with the regime, concessions to
operate FM stations from 20 cities nationwide.

'All the FM radio stations are projected to be completed by July this
year,' the government official said.

It was not immediately clear why the government has allowed new FM
stations nationwide, which will allow for more regional news coverage but
the development comes at a time when the military-controlled country is
preparing for a general election in 2010.

The four companies granted the concessions include the Forever Group in
the Rakhine State and Irrawaddy Division; Red Link Company in the Shan
State and Kayah State; ShweThanLwin Company in Mon, Kayin, Pago and
Taninthayi; and the Shwe Taung Company in Sagaing Division, Magwe
Division, Chin State and Kachin State, sources said.

The Forever Group already operates the Yangon FM and Mandalay FM stations
in a joint venture with the Ministry of Information.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The country has one of
Asia's worst human rights records and exercises an iron grip over local
media outlets, most of which are state-owned.

____________________________________

March 30, Kaladan Press Network
Rohingya arrested for possessing a mobile phone charger

A Rohingya elder was arrested by Burma’s border security force (Nasaka)
for possessing a mobile charger in Maungdaw Township, a close relative of
the victim said.

The victim has been identified as Maulvi Abu Ayub Ansari (45), son of
Nazir Ahmed. He hailed from Yetwin Pyin (Kowar Bill) of Maungdaw Township.

The Maulvi was arrested for getting a charger of a mobile phone from his
house on that day by the Nasaka of Yetwin Pyin outpost camp of Maungdaw
Township. He was detained in the Nasaka camp for 12 hours for extortion of
money.

The Nasaka demanded Kyat 500,000 for his release, but he was unable to pay
the money. So, he signed an agreement with the Nasaka, that he would pay
the money within one month.

Regarding this, the Maulvi pawned his shrimp project to a villager to pay
kyat 500,000 within one month to the Nasaka. He then paid the money to the
concerned Nasaka officer. After getting this guarantee, the Nasaka
released him the following day.

This goes on to show how the concerned authorities extract money from the
Rohingya community, if this kind of exploitation continues, the Rohingya
community will dwindle further, said a village elder, who declined to be
named.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

March 30, New Age
Bangladesh to protest against Burma's border fencing

Bangladesh will protest against Myanmar's [Burma's] barbed-wire fencing
just 13m off no man's land in its territory as international laws bar any
installation so close to no man's land, said the foreign secretary, Touhid
Hossain, on Sunday [29 March].

"The Myanmar ambassador informed me earlier they were putting up
barbed-wire fence 13km off no man's land and we did not see Myanmar's
fencing in its own territory as a threat to Bangladesh," Touhid told New
Age at night.

"But later the envoy told the ministry the fencing was in fact just 13m
off no man's land and not 13km... and we would strongly protest against it
as international laws do not allow putting up any installation so close no
man's land," Touhid told New Age.

Asked what will be Bangladesh's strategy over the issue, Touhid told New
Age the ministry would examine bilateral deals on such matters such as the
India-Bangladesh deal which does not allow any country to construct
anything within 150 yards from zero point. "We would see what the exact
deal between Myanmar and Bangladesh is and examine international practice
and then proceed," he said.

The Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka, U Phae Thann Oo, called on the secretary
in the ministry in the morning.

Myanmar's diplomat informed the Bangladesh foreign secretary that Yangon
[Rangoon] had decided to put up barbed-wire fence in its territory, 13km
off no man's land, to stop trafficking in humans and smuggling.

A foreign ministry official said Thann Oo had gone to inform the ministry
of the latest situation on border fencing as Dhaka had earlier requested
Yangon to let it know if Myanmar would go ahead with any such move.

Myanmar early March started stockpiling fencing materials along the
Bangladesh border which had created tension between the two neighbours
after the scuffle in the Bay of Bengal over Myanmar's intrusion into
Bangladesh's territorial waters for hydrocarbon exploration.

____________________________________

March 30, Mizzima News
Rights group demands migrant compensation - Usa Pichai

A labor rights group on Monday condemned the Thai government for denying
Burmese migrants access to a workers compensation fund through Thailand’s
Social Security Office.

Monday's statement, forwarded to the U.N. Special Rapporteur Homayoun
Alizadeh, United Nations  High   Commissioner   for  Human  Rights
(OHCHR)'s Regional Representative for South-East Asia and the U.N.
Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, was
jointly produced by the Human Rights and Development Foundation and the
Thai Labor Solidarity Committee.

The groups argue that it is necessary to use an international mechanism on
human rights to urge Thailand’s Ministry of Labor to cease in
discrimination which denies basic rights to migrant workers from
neighboring countries.

“This action violated the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination,” affirms the statement.

“We have tried to make high level officials of the Labor Ministry aware
that there are many migrant workers from Burma who have accidents on work
but do not get compensation or get less than the rate as noted in the
law,” say the rights groups.

However, "The ministry not only denied our previous request but also
opposed our court appeal," continued the groups in defense of their
current measures.

The action stems from a 2008 case in which Nang Noom, a Shan migrant
worker from Burma, appealed to the Chiang Mai Administrative Court's
refusal to rule on her discrimination claim against the Social Security
Office (SSO), which denied her compensation for injuries suffered in a
job-related accident.

Nang Noom was paralyzed from the waist down following an accident at the
construction site for the Shangri-la Hotel in Chiang Mai on December 4,
2006. The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Administration
Court, where it was again refused.

The case was first submitted to the Chiang Mai Administrative Court on
April 11, 2008. On April 25, the Court issued notice of its refusal to
consider the case, ruling that the legality of the SSO's existing policy
falls within the jurisdiction of the Labor Court because it is a dispute
related to labor protection laws.

According to SSO policy, only migrant workers who have passports can
receive compensation from the workers compensation fund. Few Burmese
migrant workers hold passports. Regulations say that every employer must
pay into the fund, designed to provide compensation to a worker in case of
an accident at the workplace, but the policy excludes non-passport holding
workers.

In the middle of 2008, the International Labor Organization (ILO)
submitted a letter to the Ministry of Labor in Thailand inquiring about
the case and its potential violation of international labor laws. However,
the ministry denied that it partook in any form of discrimination and
ignored suggestions from the Human Rights Commission of Thailand,
according to the ILO.

The Thai Labor Solidarity Committee consists of 24 labor associations and
organizations while the Human Rights and Development Foundation works
closely with migrant workers in Thailand, particularly in providing
assistance related to labor rights and the legal process.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

March 22, Myanmar Times
Garment industry cutting its costs - Htin Kyaw

Garment factories are downsizing their operations in the midst of
decreased foreign orders and looking to the local market to fill up the
gaps, according to the local CMP (cutting, manufacturing and packaging)
factory owners in the second week of March.

Most domestic garment manufacturers had been relying heavily on foreign
orders until the end of 2008, but that trend has changed since January, a
number of manufacturers said.

U Thein Win, the managing director of the Kyondoe Garment Manufacturing
Company, told The Myanmar Times that they have had to downsize by about 30
percent.

“Most of our products were exported to eastern Europe and markets in the
Middle East through Turkey.

“We had a pretty good time before October and our overseas customers
accepted our goods because they met the required standards; some had even
increased their orders over time. We had even planned to increase the size
of our operations here in February. But the situation has changed and our
overseas orders are down, with a few customers abruptly cancelling their
contracts. Our sales are down by about 30pc, so we’ve had to change our
strategy to guarantee our long-term survival,” he said.

“We’ve had to accept – through no fault of our own – the impact of the
international recession and must now come to terms with it,” U Thein Win
said. Previously, the company employed more than 300 skilled workers to
sew and make the company’s clothing, he said. That number is now 220.

He said the company produced more than 12,000 rain jackets and
40,000-50,000 light clothing items – such as fleece jumpers and tracksuit
pants – each month. These volumes have decreased to 6000 and 30,000
respectively.

A spokesman for the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers’ Association said most
garment factories in Myanmar were facing similar outlooks, although none
had been forced to close.

Another garment factory owner said he was only willing to operate his
factory for eight hours a day – and only when the government electricity
supply is on.

“Normally factories in the industrial zones get eight hours of electricity
during the day. If we want to run our factory for longer than that we must
buy diesel to run our generators. But now that our external orders are
falling we cannot afford the extra cost of diesel, so we’re only running
our factories when the electricity is on,” he said.

“Right now I’m making sure that I keep my best and most skilled workers
and giving them whatever work I can find. There’s no way that I could
consider extending my work force at this time,” he said.

A Garment Manufacturers’ Association spokesperson said the worldwide
recession could actually prove beneficial for Myanmar’s factories because
they have one key advantage – they are cheap.

He said the average salary for a garment factory worker in China now is
US$100 a month, it’s $80 in Vietnam and $45 in Bangladesh. However, that
wage in Myanmar is only $35, he said.

“If all the situations – including US sanctions – return to normal, or at
least recover part of the way, there is a good chance that international
investors would consider putting their money into our industry. As it
stands we have almost the cheapest available labour and skilled workers to
offer,” the spokesperson said.

____________________________________

March 30, Irrawaddy
Weekly business roundup - William Boot

India’s Tata Group Looks at Truck Factory in Burma

India’s industrial giant Tata is interested in developing a truck
manufacturing factory in Burma.

Executives from the vehicle manufacturer have met Burmese military
government officials to put forward factory proposals, reports India’s
Business Standard newspaper.

Tata Motors, part of the Tata Group, already has a pickup assembly plant
in Thailand, and it’s understood it wants to move more production outside
India after abandoning a US $290 million new vehicle plant in West Bengal
because of protests against it from local farmers and politicians.

Tata made headlines last week by beginning production of the world’s
cheapest mass-produced car, the US $2,000 Nano, but Business Standard said
the aim in Burma is for heavy trucks and components manufacture.

The paper said a deal would be backed by a US $20 million line of credit
from the Indian government, although Tata is privately owned.


Conflicting Reports on Burma’s Gems Industry

Despite reports that Burma’s gem mining industry has been badly undermined
by U.S. sanctions and the global financial crisis, the country’s military
government reports it has earned US $191 million from its latest gem
auction in Rangoon.

Jade was the main sale at the auction, which ran for two weeks in
mid-March. More than 3,000 lots of jade were sold mostly to buyers from
China, reported The Associated Press quoting Burmese sources.

The reported auction success comes as the military government in March
also claimed that China pumped US $850 million into gemstone mining
operations in 2008 in Burma.

The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said Chinese businesses
contributed virtually all of last year’s foreign money invested in the
industry, quoting Burma’s Central Statistical Organization.

Meanwhile, a BBC report said thousands of Burmese mine workers have lost
their jobs in the ruby and jade production industries in the Mogok region
in recent months.

However, a source in Bangkok’s gems processing industry told The Irrawaddy
this week that precious stones such as rubies are being smuggled from
Burma into Thailand where their source of origin is camouflaged before
onward sales.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity.


Indian State Firm Rethinks Costly Burma Hydrodams

India’s state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation is having
second thoughts about an invitation from Burma’s military government to
build two hydro dam power plants.

The NHPC is quoted by Indian media saying the remote location of the
proposed two hydro plants on the Chindwin River, in far northwest Sagaing
Division, would raise the development costs and the end-user electricity
price.

The two projects, with a total 1,840 megawatts generating capacity, would
likely cost about US $4.9 billion, The Hindustan Times quoted NHPC
chairman SK Garg as saying.

Most of the electricity would be transmitted into energy-short northeast
India, but further surveys were needed before a final go ahead decision
could be made, Garg said.

At least 30,000 people would be forced to move for the construction of the
dams, says the human rights NGO Burma Rivers Network.

Burma is equally short of electricity, especially in the area where the
military regime is encouraging the NHPC to work.

The regime would receive revenue from India for “selling” it the electricity.

A similar deal has been struck with China Power Investment Corporation for
hydroelectric projects in northern Kachin state.

The Chinese and junta-friendly Asia World Company Ltd will build seven
dams on the Mali Hka and Nmai Hka Rivers, with the electricity generated
from the dams sent via China’s Yunnan power network to feed the western
region and eastern coastal areas of China.

Those dams will also displace thousands of people, while the electricity
revenue to the Burmese junta from China could be about US $500 million per
year.


Regional Garment Industry Slump in Serious Slump

The global recession has left hundreds of thousands of garment factory
workers without jobs or on shorter work weeks in several Asean countries,
reports say.

One of the worst hit countries is Cambodia, where 70,000 workers have lost
their jobs since last October, according to the union Chea Mony.

A factory owners’ association in Burma says a slump in east European and
Middle East market demand has forced a cutback in production since
December, although it’s not clear exactly how many workers are affected.

The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers’ Association told The Myanmar Times most
factories have reduced output and hours of operation and ended the use of
their own diesel generators to provide extra electricity because of costs,
thus relying on erratic state power supply.

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia said exports to the
United States alone dropped 40 percent in January. The U.S. is 70 percent
of the total Cambodian clothes export market.

In Malaysia, the government has canceled thousands of migrant worker visas
because of a domestic jobs crisis in many factories.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

March 27, Irrawaddy
Suu Kyi news on Chinese TV

A state-run Chinese TV station in Yunnan Province broadcast news on
Wednesday concerning detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

According to sources in Ruili on the Sino-Burmese border, the news program
stated that the Geneva-based UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had
declared that the ongoing house arrest of the Nobel Prize laureate was
illegal and contrary to the domestic law of Burma.

It is rare to see Suu Kyi’s picture or hear mention of her name in the
Chinese media as Beijing has long been a strong supporter of the Burmese
junta.

Burma observers have suggested that the apparent recognition of the
Burmese opposition leader by a Chinese network could signal a cooling in
Beijing’s support for the Burmese junta.

The broadcast came just days after the visit of a high-level US diplomat
to Burma. Observers said that amid signs of a shifting US approach toward
the military rulers, China might be worried that the US will influence the
Burmese regime and may be looking to intimidate the junta by winning favor
with the opposition.

During his four-day visit to Burma, Stephen Blake, director of the State
Department's Mainland Southeast Asia Office, held talks with senior
members of the opposition National League for Democracy, which is led by
Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi is being held under the terms of Burma’s State Protection Act of
1975, which provides for detention for up to five years to persons judged
to pose a threat to the sovereignty and security of the state and the
peace of the people. Suu Kyi already served that sentence, but it was
extended for a further 12 months. Her current detention is due to expire
on May 24.

____________________________________

March 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
China-Burma pipeline ‘holds no benefits for Burma’

A leading campaigner has claimed that the deal signed last week for the
construction of a gas pipeline between China and Burma will lead to land
confiscation and will hold no benefit for Burma.

Under the deal, signed on 26 March, 2000 kilometers of pipeline will run
from Arakan state in western Burma to Yunnan and Guizhou province in
southwestern China.

But the spokesperson of the Shwe Gas Movement, which campaigns against the
Burmese government’s sale of natural gas to foreign countries, said the
deal will impact negatively on Burma.

“The energy resources are not used for Burma but sold to a foreign
country,” said Ko Kin.

According to Ko Kin the pipeline will pass east to west through the middle
of Burma, from Rakhine state, through Magwe and Manadalay divisions in
central Burma to the tip of Shan state.

“Farmlands on the way will be confiscated,” he said. “More troops will be
stationed for the pipeline’s security.”

Chinese state media has reported that Yunnan province is to start
construction of the pipelines as part of its 72 billion yuan (US$15.9
billion) worth of energy projects this year.

Gas from Arakan coast was initially intended to be sold to India, but
China in 2007 vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling
for Burma to end aggression against its citizens and restore democracy,
and secured the deal.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

March 30, Thai Press Reports
Burma/Myanmar press statement of EU Special Envoy of Burma/Myanmar

The European Union Special Envoy (EUSE), Mr. Piero Fassino, paid a three
day visit to Bangkok where he met Thai Government representatives and
relevant partners and stakeholders.

During the meetings with the Royal Thai Government, the current situation
in Burma/Myanmar was discussed, as well as possible joint action between
the EU and Thailand in support to the United Nations Good Offices Mission
entrusted to the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

As Thailand is currently holding the ASEAN Chairmanship, the Special Envoy
discussed with H.E. the Vice Foreign Minister, Mr. Vikitsreth, how the EU
and ASEAN could best encourage the Myanmar authorities to engage in a
concrete, time-bound dialogue with the democratic opposition and the
ethnic minorities so as to achieve national reconciliation in the country.

During the meetings with the President of the Thai Senate and Members of
the Foreign Affairs committee, the importance of an increased co-operation
among the Parliaments and civil societies of the EU and Asian countries
with regard to the democratization of Burma/Myanmar was raised.

The EUSE also had a very fruitful exchange of views and gathered updated
information on the latest developments in Burma/Myanmar with Ambassadors
from Asian countries based in Bangkok, with representatives of the UN
country team for Thailand as well as with European Commission officials.

During said meetings, most interlocutors underlined the importance that
the 2010 elections announced by the authorities of Burma/Myanmar take
place in a framework of internationally recognized democratic guarantees,
as one of the prerequisites for a free and fair event. In this context, it
was mentioned that the international community should discuss and agree on
common messages to convey to the Myanmar authorities.

Upon completion of the visit to Thailand, the EUSE Mr Fassino will proceed
to Indonesia, where he will have meetings with H.E. Dr. N. Hassan
Wirajuda, Minister for Foreign Affairs and other high-ranking Indonesian
officials. In Jakarta he will also meet the ASEAN Secretary General, Mr.
Surin Pitsuwan.

(Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand: 23 March 2009)

____________________________________

March 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
Former ambassador claims Burma looking to improve US ties

Recent diplomatic efforts by the Burmese government appear to signal a
move towards improving ties with the new US administration, a former
ambassador to the Burmese embassy in Washington said.

Major Aung Lin Htut, former Deputy Chief of Mission at the Burmese Embassy
in Washington, said prior to the visit by a US official to Burma last week
that the ruling State Peace and Development Council had been working with
the Chinese to formulate a new approach the Obama administration.

Speaking to DVB last week, he said that the tactics used to lobby former
US President George Bush in 2001, which were overseen by current SPDC head
General Than Shwe, were being used now.

“[Than Shwe] is the same person who has always been saying that he hated
the United States but he is now kowtowing before the United States,” said
Aung Lin Htut.

“This is because of the sanctions.”

The visit by US official Steven Blake on 24 March was seen as a possible
sign of a change in US policy to Burma, after nearly 20 years of sanctions
against the country.

The US, however, have denied any rumours of policy change, despite
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying last month that the US needed to
review its sanctions on Burma in light of their failure.

Aung Lin Htut also said prior to the quarterly meeting of military
commanders held last Friday that there would be a discussion at the
meeting on action to be taken should the efforts to improve Burma-US ties
fail.

The meeting would also discuss a scenario in which the SPDC loses the 2010
elections, as well as action to be taken if the elections cannot be held
as scheduled, said Aung Lin Htut.

Opposition groups have slammed the elections as being futile, given that
the redrafted constitution guarantees a continuation of military rule.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

March 30, Mirror
Burma political prisoners jailed for wearing white - Tom Parry

Burma campaigners have hailed a landmark judgment announced last week that
has so far gone largely unnoticed.

A UN tribunal held in November last year but only now made public
described the ruling junta's authoritarian regime as "grotesque" after
looking at the case of four political prisoners jailed for wearing white
clothes.

Notes from the case show their crimes also consisted of calling for
Buddhist prayers and writing letters to powerful generals about the plight
of the people in their region.

Their fate has been extreme torture, a year of detention without charge,
lack of access to family and lawyers, eventual trial without
representation (their lawyers were imprisoned for contempt for trying to
represent them) and now sentences of hundreds of years of imprisonment for
their supposed crimes.

Their names are Min Ko Naing, Ko Jimmy, Min Zayar and Pyone Cho.

The case of these four men was taken up by the Burma Justice Committee and
was argued by two English barristers before the United Nations Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Even with the weight of evidence against them, the Burmese Government
chose to defend the proceedings, arguing that the detentions of the four
were legal and fully in accordance with their laws.

The detentions of all four men have been held to be in contravention of a
whole raft of provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Experts believe that International Criminal Court indictments against the
ruling Generals and global sanctions against the regime are many steps
closer today in light of the judgment handed down.

Tim Dutton QC, past Chairman of the Bar and a leading member of the BJC,
said: "The petitioners' case was overwhelming, although that did not stop
the dictatorship from attempting to defend their actions.

"But the Petitioners remain incarcerated. The junta lost the case and the
tribunal has ruled, but the ruling is being flouted. These four men must
be released immediately.

"More generally, the judgment is yet further evidence against the brutal
military dictatorship, which, as part of its regime of repressing its
citizens, illegally detains thousands of people, and subjects them to
degrading and inhumane punishment.

"The junta is guilty of wholesale breaches of human rights, and the
continued oppression of those working to bring democracy and the rule of
law to Burma will not be tolerated. Those who support the illegal
activities of this regime must expect, whether they be generals or
gaolers, that they will be brought before courts and tribunals and held
responsible."

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/developing-world-stories/burma/