BurmaNet News, February 26, 2010

[Editor]

February 26, 2010, Issue #3905


INSIDE BURMA
Guardian (UK): Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi loses appeal
Mizzima News: NLD CEC approves 100 CC members

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Migrant registration in chaos

BUSINESS / TRADE
Reuters: Thai loan to Myanmar helped Thaksin business - judge

REGIONAL
DVB: S Korea blocks Burmese migrants

INTERNATIONAL
Press Association Mediapoint (UK): Brown ‘appalled’ as Suu Kyi loses
freedom bid

OPINION / OTHER
The Nation (Thailand): No arbitrary expulsion of Burmese labourers
Mizzima News: Little hope for Burma's political prisoners – Larry Jagan

STATEMENT
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore: MFA Spokesman's comments in
response to media queries on the decision on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal

PRESS RELEASE
Foreign and Commonwealth Department (UK): Failure of Aung San Suu Kyi appeal

INTERVIEW
IPS: Q&A:  ‘Our movement is unique for women from Burma’



____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

February 26, Guardian (UK)
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi loses appeal

Supreme court gives no reason for rejecting her latest bid to end more
than a decade of house arrest

The Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi failed in her latest bid to
end more than a decade of house arrest today after the country's highest
court threw out an appeal against her sentence.

The supreme court's decision was widely expected but her lawyer said he
would launch a final special appeal to the supreme court after
establishing the reasons why the latest attempt had been rejected. "The
court order did not mention any reasons," he said.

The British ambassador Andrew Heyn attended the court session along with
diplomats from Australia, France and the US.

"Although the decision comes as no surprise, it is deeply disappointing,"
he said. "We continue to believe that [Aung San Suu Kyi] should be
released immediately, along with the other 2,000 and more prisoners of
conscience." The French ambassador Jean-Pierre Lafosse said the
64-year-old democracy leader was "the victim of a sham trial".

Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers appealed to the court last November, a month
after a lower court upheld a decision to sentence her to 18 months of
house arrest. She was convicted last August of violating the terms of her
previous detention by briefly sheltering an American, John Yettaw who swam
uninvited to her lakeside compound.

She was initially sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour in a
trial that drew global condemnation, but the sentence was immediately
commuted to 18 months of house arrest by junta chief Senior General Than
Shwe.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained for 14 years. Her National League for
Democracy won elections in 1990 by a landslide, but the military, which
has ruled Burma since 1962, refused to cede power.

The junta has announced it would hold elections some time this year under
a constitution that would allow the military to maintain substantial
power. Aung San Suu Kyi's party has not announced whether it will contest
the elections.

The court ruling also denied freedom to two female companions who share
Suu Kyi's house arrest.

Burma has been widely criticised for its continued violation of human
rights, including atrocities committed by its military against minority
ethnic groups. Human rights campaigners say the junta holds 2,100
political prisoners.

Tin Oo, the 82-year-old deputy leader of Aung San Suu Kyi's party was
released less than two weeks ago after nearly seven years in detention. On
his release he said he was very hopeful Aung San Suu Kyi would also soon
be freed.

Aung Din, executive director of the US Campaign for Burma lobby group
condemned the Burmese judiciary system as "part of the regime's oppressive
mechanism". "The only way to make the release [of Aung San Suu Kyi] and
all political prisoners in Burma is to keep putting maximum pressure on
Than Shwe and his cronies until they feel the heat," he said.

____________________________________

February 26, Mizzima News
NLD CEC approves 100 CC members – Phanida

Chiang Mai – The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National League
for Democracy (NLD) in Burma today approved 100 members of the new Central
Committee (CC).

The CEC began the selection and scrutiny of nominees for the CC sent by
branches of States and Divisions of the party as of February 22. It
approved the finalized list of new CC members today.

The final list has to be sent to the party Chairman U Aung Shwe tomorrow
for his approval following which it will be released in the first week of
next month, Party Information Department in-charge Khin Maung Swe told
Mizzima.

“We finalized the list today and approved 100 nominees as new CC members
but we need to seek the approval of our party chairman. The CEC has
approved the list,” Khin Maung Swe, who is also a CEC member, said.

The list of CC nominees was submitted to the CEC on February 16 and 17.

The party fixed the number of its CEC and CC members at 20 and 100 to 120
respectively and the number of nominees for the CC was over 100.

A NLD statement said the party Central Committee has been formed to
consolidate and strengthen the party and efficiently handle the party’s
future plans.

Party functionaries said that they selected nominees on the basis of
loyalty to the party, having calibre and capability, staying capacity and
serving the party, standing by the principles and policies of the party
and from among  those against whom no disciplinary action was taken.

There were 80 CC members, when it was first formed in 1990, but most of
the CC members were arrested by the regime in 1997 and party activities
and party work were crippled, it is learnt.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

February 26, Irrawaddy
Migrant registration in chaos – Lawi Weng

Though the Thai government has extended the previous deadline of Feb. 28
to March 2 for migrant workers to go to local employment departments and
agree to go through the national verification process with their home
countries, the system is in chaos, according to Andy Hall, director of the
Migrant Justice Programme (MJP).

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, Hall said, “It is impossible that all
migrants can get agreements signed by the second of March. The system is
not clear yet. It is not a just system and it makes the migrants feel very
insecure.”
Burmese migrants workers stand in line at a shrimp factory to weigh the
cleaned shrimp on February 25, in Mahachai, Thailand. (Photo: Getty
Images)

Suchart Sangurai, the chief analyst of unskilled migrants workers at the
Office of Foreign Worker Administration (OFWA) in Thailand told The
Irrawaddy his government would not issue work permits for migrants who did
not apply for renewal and the form for national verification by the
deadline, saying that registration is compulsory as it follows a cabinet
resolution.

Under the national verification procedure, all registered migrant workers
with work permits are required to go to local employment offices, give
their names and identity numbers and sign agreements to undergo a national
verification procedure. After they have done this the department will give
them until March 31 to complete national verification, said Hall.

The Thai government has announced they will give two-year work permits to
migrants who complete the nationality verification process, but those who
fail to do so face arrest and expulsion.

On Friday more than one thousand Burmese migrants in Chiang Mai in
northern Thailand went to the employment department to give their names
and identity numbers, but it is estimated that about 1.4 million migrants
from Burma, Cambodia and Laos will fail to sign the agreement by the new
deadline, according to Hall, and about 80 percent will be threatened with
forced repatriation.

Migrants seeking to work legally in Thailand must submit detailed
biographical information to their home country authorities in order to
complete the nationality verification procedure. Many Burmese fear for
their safety and of repercussions against family members in Burma if they
turn up at the military government offices to complete the paperwork.

Aie Lawi Mon, who is teaching migrant children in Mahachai said, “To get a
two-year work permit I have to fill the nationality verification form. I
do not feel it is safe to give my biographical details to the Burmese
authorities.”

Speaking on the Australian Broadcasting Coorporation's Radio Australia on
Feb. 26, Jorge Bustamante, the UN special rapporteur on human rights of
migrants said he was concerned the Thai government measures left out
irregular migrants and represented a threat of “massive expulsions with
the obvious consequences of violations of human rights.”

“Eighty percent of the migrant workers in Thailand are from Myanmar
[Burma] and they are particularly at risk as they face ethnic and
political conflict in their home country,” he said, adding that  he had
received complaints of imprisonment and torture.

While Cambodian and Lao authorities have sent their officials to Thailand
to complete the process in previous years, the Burmese government wants
all migrant workers to go to three border points within Burma—Myawaddy,
Tachilek and Kawthaung—to complete nationality verification registration.

Rights groups say a lack of information and awareness about the national
verification process as well as fears of insecurity regarding
repercussions in their home country has resulted in many migrants workers
choosing to avoid the process.

It is estimated that of 2-3 million Burmese migrants in Thailand, only
1,310,686 have registered as migrant workers. Many of the migrants are
from ethnic minority groups, such as Mon, Karen and Shan, who have fled
Burmese army oppression and human rights abuses, according to MJP.

Bustamante said the time period for registration was too short and
migrants had not been informed of the process properly, saying that only
200,000 migrants have registered so far and that the deadline should be
extended and proper language facilities extended for the different ethnic
groups having to go through the process.

Bustamante said the cost of registration—estimated at about about 2-3
times the monthly salaries of many migrants—represents “a penalty that is
way beyond the possibilities of the overwhelming majority of migrants.”

He said he has tried to contact the Thai government regarding his concerns
but has received no response so far.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

February 26, Reuters
Thai loan to Myanmar helped Thaksin business -judge

Bangkok – A state bank loan of $121 million to Myanmar agreed by the
government of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra for satellite services
benefited his business, a judge said on Friday, adding to a list of
findings that could lead to the confiscation of his family's frozen
wealth.

The loan "was beneficial to Thaicom and Shin Corp", one of the Supreme
Court judges said in reading the verdict. A final ruling on whether to
confiscate all or some of the $2.3 billion in Shinawatra family assets was
due later.

Prosecutors had said Thaksin was behind the decision to grant the
low-interest loan from the Export-Import Bank of Thailand to Myanmar's
government in 2004 to buy services and equipment from Shin Satellite, now
Thaicom THCOM.BK, a unit of Shin Corp SHIN.BK, a telecoms firm then owned
by his family.

The court earlier said Thaksin had concealed his Shin Corp shares while in
office and geared government telecom and satellite policies to favour the
company. (Reporting by Ambika Ahuja; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by
Alan Raybould)

____________________________________
REGIONAL

February 26, Democratic Voice of Burma
S Korea blocks Burmese migrants – Min Lwin

South Korea has suspended permits for Burmese migrant workers after Korean
police discovered “illegal activity” being carried out by migrants,
although it declined to say what these were.

The temporary suspension was announced by the South Korean embassy in
Rangoon, and targeted the Shwe Inwa agency which sends Burmese workers
abroad, an official from a similar agency in Rangoon told DVB.

“The letter said that as long as the Korean police harbour doubts about
the dishonest activities of the said company, the permit is to be
suspended. Now that doubt is confirmed,” he said.

The South Korean embassy in Rangoon refused to elaborate on the exact
reasons for the suspension, although it did confirm that the announcement
had been made.

The so-called Employment Permit System (EPS) with which Burmese workers
are supplied directly to South Korea started in November 2007.

Burmese workers who want to work in South Korea have to study the Korean
language and culture prior to going, and only those who pass the exams are
selected, the official said.

“Workers who pass the language exams are announced online straight away,
in association with Shwe Inwa and the Korean labour department,” he said.
“Employers choose the people they like from them and send those who are
eligible.”

The permit costs around $US1000, and migrants receive wages of up to
$US900 per month, making it popular in a country in which the average wage
stands at less than $US200 per year, according to the US state department.

As of October 2008, more than 33,000 people took the Korean language exams
across Burma, while only 1300 were chosen and sent to South Korea.

Over 2000 people in Rangoon are currently waiting to be sent to South
Korea through EPS, a staff of Shwe Inwa told DVB on condition of
anonymity.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

February 26, Press Association Mediapoint (UK)
Brown ‘appalled’ as Suu Kyi loses freedom bid

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today said he was ``appalled and saddened''
that Burma's highest court had turned down opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi's latest bid for freedom.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal to end 14 years of house arrest, her
lawyer said.

The decision was expected since legal rulings in Burma rarely favour
opposition activists.

Defence lawyer Nyan Win told reporters he would launch one final ``special
appeal'' to the court after finding out why the earlier one was dismissed.
``The court order did not mention any reasons,'' he said.

Mr Brown said: ``I am appalled and saddened that Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal
against the sentence imposed by the regime has been denied. That failed
appeal is sadly no surprise.

``From start to end, the sole purpose of this show trial has been to
prevent Daw Suu Kyi from taking part in elections.

``In my open letter to Aung San Suu Kyi in December, I said that this
should be a historic year for Burma. Free, fair and genuinely inclusive
elections would allow the country to move forward, to map a new path.

``But while she is kept out of political life and while over 2,100 other
prisoners of conscience remain incarcerated, the regime's elections will
not gain recognition nor international legitimacy.''

Ms Suu Kyi's lawyers appealed to the court last November after a lower
court upheld a decision to sentence her to 18 months of house arrest.

She was convicted last August of violating the terms of her previous
detention by briefly sheltering an American who swam to her lakeside home.

The 64-year-old democracy campaigner was initially sentenced to three
years in prison with hard labour in a trial that was condemned around the
world, but that sentence was immediately commuted to 18 months of house
arrest by junta chief Senior General Than Shwe.

Ms Suu Kyi has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years.

Her National League for Democracy won elections in 1990 by a landslide,
but the military, which has ruled Burma since 1962, refused to yield power
and has constantly obstructed her party's operations over the past two
decades.

The junta announced it would hold elections some time this year under a
constitution which would allow the military to maintain substantial
powers. Ms Suu Kyi's party has not yet announced whether it would contest
the elections.

The court ruling comes nearly two weeks after the junta released Tin Oo,
the 82-year-old deputy leader of Ms Suu Kyi's party, after nearly seven
years in detention, and a week after a UN human rights envoy left the
country, expressing disappointment that he was not allowed to meet the
opposition leader.

Burma has been widely criticised for its continued violation of human
rights, including atrocities committed by its military against ethnic
minority groups.

Soon after his release Tin Oo said he was very hopeful Ms Suu Kyi would be
released soon, noting that in 1995 he was released from an earlier stint
in prison not long before Ms Suu Kyi herself was freed.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

February 26, The Nation (Thailand)
No arbitrary expulsion of Burmese labourers

Thailand needs migrant workers; it's time we protected them from
exploitation here and persecution in their own countries

Thailand is in the headlines again for all the wrong reasons. The world is
now watching the government closely over the future of several hundred
thousand migrant workers from neighbouring countries who may well be
expelled from the country.

Of course, the main focus in this issue is Burmese migrant workers, whose
verification process has now been extended until next month. The earlier,
and still lingering, fear is that when the deadline expires, those Burmese
workers who have not registered with the Thai authorities as migrant
employees wild be sent back across the border.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been quite adamant that all migrant
workers must respect the rule of law if they want to continue to work in
Thailand. His firm stand on the recent repatriation to Laos of Hmong
refugees surprised and disappointed the international community. But his
repatriation policy has to some extent been vindicated because the Lao
government has so far stood by its pledge given to the Thai government and
the international community that the Hmong returnees would not be
prosecuted. They have now apparently been resettled in various part of
Thailand's landlocked neighbour.

The country's tough implementation of immigration procedures has caused
comment throughout the world. Over the past three or four decades,
Thailand has been quite open toward refugees and itinerant labourers, who
have relied on the country's tacit policy of welcoming migrant workers.
There are no accurate statistics on the number of migrant workers in
Thailand, but it is generally thought that at least three million - mainly
from Burma, Laos, Cambodia and the Indian subcontinent - are working in
various parts of the country. They have diligently contributed to the
country's economic progress and overall development in the past few
decades. They still receive low wages and do not benefit from any kind of
social safety net.

Officially, a total of 382,541 migrant workers were registered three years
ago. The Thai government has called on illegal migrant workers - another
933,391 of them - to register their names before the end of this month to
avoid any future expulsion. Lao and Cambodian workers have fewer problems
working in Thailand because their countries' political conditions are
stable. Nobody in Laos or Cambodia faces sustained and regular persecution
from their government, as do thousands upon thousands of Burmese at the
hands of the military junta there. In the case of Burmese migrant workers,
many have sought political refuge and a livelihood inside Thailand. For
whatever reasons, including political, if they are sent back, their lives
could be in jeopardy.

The Abhisit government, which has prided itself on upholding respect for
human rights, must not diminish the hopes and dreams of these Burmese
workers. Everybody knows that the nationality verification process inside
Burma - which they will be subject to upon their return - will not be fair
or just. This is especially true for those who are vocal against the
military junta.

The Abhisit government should be patient and allow more time to process
Burmese migrant workers. The one-month extension is a good move, but the
government also has to be realistic to ensure that all migrant workers are
properly registered. After all, they are vital to the Thai economy. This
is the least we can do for these workers at a most difficult and worrying
time for them. All concerned authorities must also follow the government's
guidelines, without abusing their power. They should by now have learned
lessons from the past that despite Thailand's generous policy of accepting
refugees and migrant workers, the international community will not
hesitate to criticise when Thailand metes out harsh treatment.

The time has come for us to give the people who do our dirty work
opportunity, respect and hope.

____________________________________

February 26, Mizzima News
Little hope for Burma's political prisoners – Larry Jagan

BANGKOK (Mizzima) - The United Nations special rapporteur for human rights
in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana believes there that the country’s political
prisoners will not be freed any time soon. “There seems to be no movement
on political prisoners since my last trip [a year ago],” the UN envoy told
Mizzima in an interview in Bangkok a few days ago. “In fact the government
continues to deny that there are any prisoners of conscience.”

At the same time more critics of the government and activists have been
imprisoned on spurious charges. And political prioners already in jail
mounted protests to coincide with the UN envoys visit.

Scores of prisoners in at least two jails have gone on hunger strike,
according to an organistion that monitors the situation of Burma’s
political prisoners, and more than seventy in the Buthidaung jail, which
Mr Quintana visited during his trip to the west of the country. Tthe
regime’s total disregard for the envoy was underlined when five more
political activists – a monk and five female activists – were given stiff
jail sentences in the middle of his visit.

“There were few positives from the trip,” Mr Quinata told Mizzima, apart
from being allowed to visit Northern Rakhine State and meet 15 political
prisoners in three different prisons.

“They were not prepared to discuss the forthcoming elections in any
detail, though it was clear from my visit that unofficial campaigning has
started even though the electoral law has not been published,” he told
Mizzima.

The Argentinian lawyer was also frustrated that he was not allowed to see
the country’s most famous political prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi who is
currently under house arrest, where she has spent more than 15 of the last
21 years.

“Of course I was disappointed not to meet her, and even though I had made
my desire to talk to her about the forthcoming elections, I never expected
to be given permission to see her.”

The envoy is scheduled to give a detailed report on Burma’s human rights
situation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next month from this,
his third mission to the country since his appointment two years ago.

“But my mission should not be judged by whether the regime makes any
concessions or not,” he said. “It’s a process – and the fact that they
allow me to visit and continue the dialogue on human rights is very
positive.”  Otherwise the envoy seemed very down-beat in his over-all
assessment of the trip.

The Argentinian also complained about the Burmese authorities approach to
his five-day visit. For one thing, he said, there was never any advance
warning of the agenda. “It was a day-to-day programme,” he said. This did
not permit him and his team to prepare properly and reduced the
effectiveness of his mission, UN sources told Mizzima on condition of
anonymity.

There is no doubt though that Mr Quintana’s visit to Rakhine State in
western Burma to see for himself the conditions of Burmese Muslims there
was a significant concession by the regime. This is the first time a
senior UN envoy has been allowed in that region – though the UN country
team do have projects and people in the area. He visited both the regional
capital Sittwe and Buthidaung in the north of the state -- where the worse
abuses against Burmese Muslims are alledged to take place.

Perhaps even more significantly he was allowed to be accompanied by the
two senior representatives of the International Labour Organization in
Rangoon, who are actively involved in checking reports of forced labour in
the country.

During his mission there he was also allowed to visit Buthidaung prison
where he met five political prisoners, including one of the ten local
leaders of the Myanmar Muslim Association of Maungdaw -- who have been
sentenced to some 13 years for allegedly holding a meeting to discuss the
constitution in 2007 – and a senior Shan leader, Tun Nyo who is now 79.
Both were in very poor health, the envoy said.

“Curiously the conditions in the jail have improved over the last six
months, the prisonsers told me,” Mr Quintana told Mizzima. “But no one
seemed to know why. They assumed it was maybe to do with election
preparations,” he added. “But the conditions remain a matter of grave
concern,” he added.

“It is essential that the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross]
to be allowed to resume their prison visits,” he stressed.  ICRC suspended
these at the end of 2005 because of the interference of government
officials. As a result many prisoners do not the medicines they need or
soap.

More importantly the ICRC used to provide a channel of communications with
the prisoners’ families. “I was the first visitor ever to Buthidaung
prison,” he told Mizzima. “And while I thank the authorities for this
opportunity, it is intolerable that some have had no contact with their
love-ones since being transferred there – in some case that has been
years.”

ICRC’s access to the prisons is something that has been in every report
the envoy has put before the UN, and will feature prominently in his
fourth report, the next to be submitted to the Human Rights Council in
Geneva soon. It was also something that the envoy said he raised
persistently and firmly at every opportunity, with the home minister, the
attorney general and the chief justice. But the envoy remained pessimistic
that the regime will take any notice.

Both Indonesia and China have also been quietly encouraging the junta to
soften its stance towards ICRC behind the scenes. Most countries, even
those with blemished human rights’ records, understand that the ICRC
should be allowed to do its work unhindered by government interference.

“That the ICRC is not permitted to do carry out its full mandate is
shameful, since this is considered worldwide to be a minimum standard of
cooperation with the international community,” Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty
International’s South East Asia researcher based in Bangkok told Mizzima.

On Mr Quintana’s other two major concerns – the release of political
prisoners and the forthcoming election – the regime remained equally
intransigent.

“I don’t expect any progress soon [on the release of political
prisoners],” he said. During his talks with the representatives of the
regime he continued to stress the need to release all political prisoners
before the elections if the process was to at all believable.

“These are well-educated and capable people who could participate in the
election and help make the whole process credible I told the authorities,”
he said.

But on the elections as a whole he found the senior representatives of the
junta he met relatively uncompromising. No one was prepared to discuss the
elections in any detail – all they would say was that the legal framework
is being prepared and the electoral law will be released in time. The UN
envoy was obviously frustrated at the regime’s apparent obstinance.

“But its important to have access to the authorities to be able to discuss
human rights issues and explain what is needed to be done to meet
international standards,” he said. “We can at least explain what is
needed.”

When he met the Home Minister, Maung Oo, the Attorney General and the
Chief Justice, he left the UN’s handbook on free and fair elections for
their reference. Few people though, including the envoy, expect the regime
to consult in any way.

“Barring an Election Law that marks a radical departure from its past and
present laws and practices, the government is unlikely to allow political
parties to participate fully--and meaningfully -- in the elections
process,” said Mr Zawacki.

“Politicians and political parties must able to communicate freely with
both the domestic and international media,” he added. “Unfortunately, all
the signs are that the only views acceptable to the government will be its
own, with no room at all for a debate of any kind.”

The key people involved in the elections that Mr Quintana met also
categorically rejected any involvement of international observers. “They
aren’t needed,” he was told.

The envoy also took the opportunity to discuss acceptable approaches to
demonstrations with the police chief, Khin Yi.

The issue was raised in terms of future protests rather than the brutal
handling of the monk-led marches in 2007. “It’s important to peacefully
control demonstrations, and force needs to be used proportionately,” he
told the senior policeman.

Tin Oo, the deputy leader of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party the National League
for Democracy, was freed on the even of Mr Quintana’s mission to Burma
after nearly seven years in detention. But during his visit five other
dissidents were imprisoned – including a Buddhist abbot and four women
activists.

The four women were arrested last October after being accused of offering
Buddhist monks alms that included religious literature, said Nyan Win,
spokesman for the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by detained
Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The women used to hold prayer
services at Yangon's Shwedagon pagoda for Ms Suu Kyi's release.

The Buddhist monk, Gaw Thita was given seven years jail for violating
immigration laws by making a trip to Taiwan last year, said his lawyer
Aung Thein. He was also convicted of unlawful association and failing to
declare possession of foreign currency.

On top of that, six detained political activists in Rangoon’s infamous
Insein jail went on hunger strike a day before the UN envoy was due to
visit the prison, according to the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners in Burma (AAPP-B), a Thailand-based Burmese human rights group.
They launched their week-long hunger strike after complaining that the
prison authorities were denying them what they called “basic human
requirements”. It was due to end on Thursday 25th February.

In a letter smuggled out of the prison, the political detainees complained
that the rice that was given to prisoners was stale and mixed with small
stones. “The bean soup and the sour vegetable soup often have insects in
it and are dirty. We only get meat twice a week ... and we get no salt,”
said the letter.

The prisoners are denied appropriate medical attention or needed
medicines, and are not allowed sufficient exercise, complained the
prisoners.

In the letter activists said that although prisoners were allowed to
receive books and newspapers from their relatives, all reading material
was heavily censored. “Sometimes the pages are torn [out] and the books
censored,” said the letter. “There is no regular access to newspapers,
[and] when they do arrive, are often out of date,” compllined the letter.

The prisoners are also not allowed paper or pens. “If a prisoner is found
with paper or pens, they are sent to the punishment cell called the ‘Dog
Cell’, said the letter. “We are not allowed to write to our families,” the
prisoners complained.

Last week, according to Mulim activists in Rakhune state, more than 70
inmates of Buthidaung prison also went on hunger strike in protest at the
insufficient food rations. Their protests erupted after the prisoners,
mostly non-Burmese, were denied a meeting with Mr Quintana when he visited
Buthidaung prison.

But on the positive side, Mr Quintan found a child soldier – who had been
sentenced to 7 years for desertion. He had been conscripted when he was
16, seized off the street in hi school uniform on the way home. He was
arrested when he went home to see his sick mother less than six months
after he was forcibly recruited.

When the envoy raised it with the Home Minister he at least responded
positively, and maybe released soon. The ILO is following up the case.

But human rights groups still fear that these high-profile visits are only
used by the regime for their own ends.

“When visits by UN envoys fail to achieve any progress, they allow the
country to still claim it is cooperating with the UN, and leave the UN
itself with little choice but to claim that the visits themselves
constitute progress,” aid Mr Zawacki. “But in this case the special
rapportteur is making it clear that the failure is the government’s
fault.”

Although no spectacular break-throughs may result from this visit, the
fact that senior members of the regime are engaged with representatives of
the international community is significant, especially on human rights.
Some Burmese leaders at the very top are hearing what the government needs
to be done, especially if the elections are to be credible and to meet
international human rights’ norms.

“If anyone expects that fundamental human rights changes are going to come
about strictly through UN visits and other efforts they're ignoring 20
years of history,” said Mr Zawacki. “Change will only come from within,”
he added.

And the real problem is that the senior general Than Shwe, who makes all
the decisions, may not be listening to any of it.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

February 26, Foreign and Commonwealth Department (UK)
Failure of Aung San Suu Kyi appeal

The denial of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal
against her sentencing in August 2009 was condemned today by Foreign
Office Minister Ivan  Lewis, although he said it came as no surprise.

In his statement this morning on the verdict, Mr Lewis said:

"The rejection of Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal is a further, sad indictment
of the Burmese regime. The military government continues to suppress all
dissent, deny Burma’s people their fundamental freedoms, and detain
democratic and ethnic leaders.

I urge the regime to recognise that in a country of over one hundred
ethnic groups, there can be no national reconciliation, no peace and no
prosperity without an inclusive political process.

The elections planned for later this year present an historic opportunity
to reverse Burma’s bitter decline into poverty and international
isolation. The UK government will continue to do all it can to press them
to seize this opportunity. The EU and the entire international community
stand ready to respond quickly and positively to tangible progress."

Mr Lewis’ statement supported the earlier announcement from Prime Minister
Gordon Brown who said:

"I am appalled and saddened that Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal against the
sentence imposed by the regime has been denied. That failed appeal is
sadly no surprise.


>From start to end, the sole purpose of this show trial has been to prevent

Daw Suu Kyi from taking part in elections. In my open letter to Aung San
Suu Kyi in December, I said that this should be a historic year for Burma.

Free, fair and genuinely inclusive elections would allow the country to
move forward, to map a new path. But while she is kept out of political
life and while over 2100 other prisoners of conscience remain
incarcerated, the regime's elections will not gain recognition nor
international legitimacy."

The UK government continues to be at the forefront of international
efforts to free Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Her sentencing to a further 18 months
house arrest in August 2009, following a sham trial, provoked widespread
international outrage. This denial of her appeal has cast further doubt on
the legitimacy of the elections the regime plan this year.

____________________________________
STATEMENT

February 26, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore
MFA Spokesman's comments in response to media queries on the decision on
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal

Asked by the media to comment on the decision on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's
appeal, the MFA Spokesman said:

"It is of course very disappointing that her appeal did not succeed. A
dialogue among the Myanmar authorities, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other
political groups ahead of this year's elections offers the best prospects
for national reconciliation and the long-term political stability of
Myanmar. We believe that all Myanmars, irrespective of political
affiliation, must share these goals which are also in the interests of the
entire region. We thus hope that the Myanmar authorities will, in their
own interests, allow her to participate in the political process in a
meaningful way as soon as possible.

We understand that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers intend to make a
"Special Appeal" to the Supreme Court as the last stage of the appeals
process. We trust that this will be heard expeditiously. We should not
give up hope for a different result until the legal process has run its
entire course."

____________________________________
INTERVIEW

February 26, Inter Press Service
Q&A:  ‘Our movement is unique for women from Burma’ – Marwaan Macan-Markar

Chiang Mai, Thailand – Women who fled conflict and oppression in
military-ruled Burma have become a potent political force during their
lives in exile, says a leading women’s rights activist from the South-east
Asian country’s Shan ethnic minority.

Nothing confirms this more than the fact that the Women’s League of Burma
(WLB), a network of 13 women’s groups in exile based in this northern Thai
city, marked its 10th anniversary in December 2009. "Women’s participation
is a must for any kind of peace and reconciliation in Burma," declares
Hseng Noung, one of the founder members of the league.

"We have worked to create a political space and a democratic space for the
voices and views of women from many ethnic groups to be heard in order to
shape a better future for our country," adds the 48-year-old activist, who
left her country in 1983 after some years with a separatist rebel group in
Shan State, in north-eastern Burma.

Hseng Noung, who was WLB general secretary, is also a representative of
the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), which is known for its publication
of a numbing exposure of rape being used as a weapon of war by the Burmese
military. The shocking disclosures in the 2002 publication ‘License to
Rape’ triggered condemnation by the international community, including the
U.S. government and the United Nations.

IPS interviewed Hseng Noung on the eve of her departure to New York to
participate in a special tribunal examining the Burmese regime’s use of
rape and violence against women in its military assaults on the country’s
ethnic minorities.

Q: Ten years ago when you set up the Women’s League of Burma, what kind of
space was there for exiled women from Burma to shape your country’s
political agenda?

A: We didn’t see so much of women’s participation among the exile groups.
And even when there was, there was little recognition of women’s
contribution. There were women’s groups at the time that were active and
had participated in the country’s affairs as they had done inside, like
student activists. So we felt it would be better if we get together and
create an organisation to create more space for us, and then to enlarge
that space.

Q: When the WLB came into existence, was it seen as a groundbreaking moment?

A: Yes. It was unique for a country with the kind of historical background
like Burma. We felt the need for collective ideas and collective action
for women to participate in political change in Burma, social change, and
to secure gender equality. Advocacy was also important for us because
working towards women’s development was community development.

Q: Now, 10 years after your organisation was established, do you have
reasons to celebrate? Have you made an impact?

A: Of course. We see more women participating in our activities and
demonstrating new and better skills to deal with many political issues.
One example was the participation of women when there were discussions to
draft Burma’s new constitution. With their unique background from
different ethnic areas, women contributed towards the discussion on what
is best for national affairs and state affairs.

Our members come from areas where there is civil war, conflict, where
issues like refugees and human rights violations of different forms under
the regime have to be faced. The space we created through the Women’s
League of Burma made it possible to bring these diverse issues and talk
about them. This would not be possible inside the country.

Q: The conflicts that you mention reveal what a deeply divided country
Burma is along ethnic lines. There are officially over 130 ethnic groups
and creating unity among them has been a historical challenge. Was the
objective of your organisation to bridge these ethnic divides?

A: It is very clear that we want to build trust between us and we can do
so by working together. We know it is so important for peace in Burma, for
reconciliation in Burma. For that we must understand each other after many
years of civil war and conflict and the regime’s propaganda to divide and
rule and carry out actions against us, their own people.

Q: Has it easy to build such trust? After all, you have among your members
women from the majority Burman community and they have been responsible –
or at least the Burmese army – for targeting ethnic minorities, of which
you are one.

A: Nothing like this is easy. Because we know, having been under the
regime, that we have lot of experiences to share as a way of building
understanding so we can work together to go forward to build a peaceful
society. The women talk the same language, that we want peace. But what
kind of peace? Not just the absence of war. We want peace that offers
better opportunities for all ethnic groups, for different people and
different genders.

Q: Do you have similar organisations like yours inside Burma, working with
the same objectives?

A: No.

Q: How have men in the exile community accepted this shift in the gender
balance with your organisation taking such an important step to shape the
political agenda and influence political discussions?

A: Some men have welcomed our contribution. But there are others who have
not given positive comments and even made fun of us. They expect us only
to concentrate on select issues like human trafficking, health or HIV
issues, because they see these as women’s issues. Sometimes they dismissed
or overlooked what women’s groups were doing such as our three main areas
of activity: peacebuilding and reconciliation programme, the violence
against women programme and the women’s political empowerment programme.
That is why we call our movement a "struggle within a struggle."

We have also proved ourselves by making people in the international
community aware of the problems in Burma through our international
networks. Before this people didn’t know much about what the military
regime was doing, using sexual violence and rape as a weapon of war. But
we changed that view through the documentation work done by our member
organisations, producing reports to expose these human rights violations.
This helped to counter the propaganda of the regime.

Q: Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma’s democracy icon. How has her importance
influenced your organisation?

A: She is an inspiration to everybody. She didn’t know that we were
forming the Women’s League of Burma. I am sure she will be proud of us.
And we will support her.

Q: Do you think the Burmese regime will be able to handle organisations
like yours?

A: They will have to handle it sooner or later. But I know – or heard –
from some people, and not directly, that the regime has got some FM radio
stations inside the country to denounce groups it does not like, and the
Women’s League of Burma has also been mentioned.