BI Weekly No. 264

January 26th - February 1st, 2006

The BI Weekly archive is available on our website: www.burmaissues.org

Inside

Suspension of Convention is a pretension
Karen rebels get support by ex- French soldiers
Junta announced names of posts

Border

International

Burma mentioned in the State of Union speech
ICRC affected by the stance of the SPDC against NGOs
Britain interfere in India’s business deals with Burma


* denotes BI commentary

The last suspension of the conventional talks in Burma smashes any hope that the constitutional process could be finished by the end of this year. The last meeting of this round took place but a date for an eventual resume was not given. Analysts and attendees doubt that there is any outcome to expect soon.

Tin Tin Maung , a former member of the pro-democracy opposition said the process could be even finished in the next round. The process that started more than a decade before has reached nearly no results and does not seem to come to an end.

A Diplomat in Burma said that the SPDC has chosen to buy time and the process could not end before 2007.

The postponement came amid mounting international pressure for the junta to deliver on long-promised democratic reforms.

Bush said Burma is a part of the world that needs freedom. Experts inside Burma said that anyone should not count too much on the outcomes. The SPDC will not give up power so easy. They will always be a variable to calculate with in a future Burma. But they are scared of tension within the country and with the international community, especially after ASEAN seems to give up hope in an outcome of the Convention.

“Suspended talks dash hopes for reform in Myanmar: analysts”, Agence France Presse, February 1, 2006.

On the 57th anniversary of the KNU ‘Resistance Day’ two foreigners in military dresses attended the celebrations. In the hideout, 230 km from Rangoon, both refused interviews and avoided to be filmed. They just stated that they are French.

Colonel Nerdah Mya, son of renowned and now wheelchair-bound, 79-year-old KNU supremo, General Bo Mya announced that both came to help the KNU fighting the SPDC.

Officials of the French Embassy in Bangkok said that the probability that those men are really French is not high. They wouldn’t know about any French in Karen State but they also conceded that that it could be possible.

Anthony Davis of Jane's Intelligence Review in Bangkok remembered that the KNU had always had informal, sporadic contact with the French. So a French soldier had been killed in 1985 in an attack of the Karen on a SPDC military outpost. In the same action an Australian was wounded. The French, Olivier Thiriat, died 4 years later on the Thailand - Burma border.

“French ex-soldiers join up with Myanmar rebels”, Reuters, January 31, 2006

The names of the new military commander of Rangoon and chief of the newly created Bureau of Special Operations were given on the 30th January. The chief of the new Bureau is the former Rangoon Commander Lieutenant General Myint Swe. The other post has been overtaken from him by General Hla Htay Win.

This had been expected by analysts for several months. But the official announcement of the names is quite uncommon. The reason why Myint Swe, a close ally of Senior General Than Shwe, was made head of the new bureau is to balance the power between the SPDC leader and his Vice- Senior General Maung Aye.

The creation of the new Bureau coincided with the move to Pyinmana. Myint Swe now has economic power over Rangoon, Pegu, and Pyinmana. Hla Htay Wyn has taken that place he was announced for 6 month ago.

The reshuffle of positions tells something about the alliances between different persons. Myint Swe is known as close to Than Shwe, meanwhile Hla Htay Win has been raised up by Than Shwe but his last years he spent more with Maung Aye.

Some say he is on both sides but was delayed in his position because final decision making Than Shwe was not sure whether he is closer to Maung Aye. The question of who comes in his position as the head of Light Infantry Battalion 11, in charge of the security in the outskirts of Rangoon, is unclear. Power over Rangoon is believed to have been divided between three departments: Police, Military and the Bureau of Special Operations.

“Burma’s new Rangoon and special bureau military heads named”, Mizzima News,
January 30, 2006

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Concerns in poor living conditions of Burmese refugees in Bangladesh

The recommendation was made by the delegation while they were briefing journalists at the UNHCR sub-office in Cox’s Bazaar after visiting two refugee camps on January 27.

At the press briefing, the delegation members also expressed concern over the poor living conditions of Burmese refugees and the lack of facilities for secondary education of refugee children. The diplomats will report back to their capitals recommending inclusion of the issue on an international agenda for a resolution.

At present there are 20,984 Burmese Muslim Rohingya refugees living in two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar district. Also, about 150 urban Arakanese Buddhist refugees recognized by the UNHCR are living in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazaar.

“Diplomats urge Bangladesh to allow free movement of Burmese refugees”, Narinjara News, January 30, 2006.

Thailand has finalized its feasibility study on the establishment of three proposed economic and industrial zones on Burma side along Burma-Thai border, according to the Myanmar Times.

The study on the establishments in Myawaddy and Pa-an in southeastern Karen state and Moulmein in southern Mon state was jointly conducted by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and the Myanmar Ministry of Industry-1.

The three special economic and industrial zones constitute part of the economic cooperation strategy (ECS) program agreed upon at a summit of Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand held in Bagan of Burma in November 2003.

The strategic project, aimed at creating job opportunities in the region, is also known as the Ayeyawaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

“Thailand finalizes feasibility study on economic zone in Myanmar”, Xinhua General News Service, January 30, 2006.

Authorities in Thailand have launched a new program to teach 140,000 young Burmese refugees Thai from April.

The training, funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and organised by the Non-Formal Education Commission, will take place in nine refugee camps in Thailand with the aim of helping young refugees integrate into Thai society.

Children in some camps in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi, Tak, Ratchaburi, and Mae Hong Son provinces will also be taught vocational skills under the scheme that will help them find employment when they graduate.

Students will learn to read and write Thai and study English, computing, mechanics, crafts and Thai culture.

“Thai training scheme launched for Burmese refugees”, Mizzima News, January 26, 2006.

Burma mentioned in the State of Union speech

US President George W Bush referred to Burma as an example of one of the increasingly few undemocratic nations of the world in his State of the Union address, saying the spread of democracy had been one of the main success stories since the Second World War.

In an address littered with references to democracy, freedom, evil and terror, the president focused on America’s continuing push for democracy throughout the world as a means of fighting “tyranny.”

The president’s mention of Burma in a speech seen as the blueprint for US policy for the coming year is the latest in a series of comments Bush has made on the country.

“Bush touches on Burma in State of the Union speech”, Irrawaddy, February1, 2006

ICRC affected by the stance of the SPDC against NGOs

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it is “confident” of resuming prison inspections in Burma as it continues talks with the military government. The Geneva-based organization suspended prison visits this month following interference by the junta-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Association, which insisted on taking part in the scheme.

Meanwhile, the ICRC chose to distance itself from responsibility for the actions of the Burma Red Cross, whose representatives continue to be seen at USDA-organized rallies “in support” of the constitution-forming National Convention, a process engineered by the junta.

In response, Patrick Vial, ICRC’s chief representative in Burma said the ICRC’s role is to “disseminate” awareness of principles and not to “monitor” national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. In Burma’s case the national Red Cross has close ties to the ministries of health and social welfare, and relief and resettlement.

The ICRC insists though it has no plans to reduce its operations in Burma, or worse, end its 20-year long involvement in the country. If the ICRC were to withdraw from Burma, Bo Kyi, of the Mae Sot-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), said torture and the detention of political prisoners would likely continue whether the organization remains or not. The junta ignores its recommendations aimed at improving conditions for prisoners anyway, he added.

“Red Cross hopes to be left alone”, Irrawaddy, January 31, 2006

Britain interfere in India’s business deals with Burma

Britain has requested India through a letter by the High Commission in New Delhi not to proceed with the planned sale of British-made BN-2 Islander aircraft to Burma.

Burma had told India it wanted to use the aircraft for maritime surveillance and aerial ambulance missions. The Indian reports said the Indian Navy feared that if the sale of British-made aircraft to Burma went ahead it could jeopardize deals for the supply to India of helicopter parts and 10 second-hand Royal Navy Sea Harriers.

The Harriers are intended to replace India’s Goa-based fleet air arm aircraft. During the Indian Navy Chief’s visit to Rangoon, the Burmese regime proposed the creation in Burma of bases where the Indian Navy could train Burmese military personnel and officials in weapons and sensors, engineering and offshore operations.

“Britain urges India to scrap aircraft deal with Burma “, Irrawaddy, January 26, 2006