BI Weekly No. 274

April 6th - April 12th, 2006

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

Inside

Burma’s former FM sentenced 7-year in jail
Movement of monks restricted after clash

Border

International

Former Foreign Minister of Burma’s military junta, Win Aung has recently been sentenced to seven years in jail by a special court after being charged with misuse of authority by his former comrades.

The sources said Win Aung was arrested last October and his trial began early this year on charges connected to the sale of an imported car. Win Aung became foreign minister in 1988. He was known to have been close to ex-Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt, who was arrested in 2004 and given a 44-year suspended sentence in July last year on charges including bribery and corruption.

“Awarded: Burma’s former FM gets seven years for loyalty to junta”, Democratic Voice of Burma, April 10, 2006 .

Local SPDC authorities have restricted the movement of monks in Pegu. They are not being allowed to go out at night following the clash between monks and policemen near Shwe Maw Daw pagoda at a commodity show.

Nyar Na Temple authorities, where the Pegu Division Buddhist Monks Association the Sangha Maha Nayaka is based, made phone calls to some temples in the city to restrict the movement of monks. They were instructed not to allow them to go out after 8:00 p.m.

On March 31 night a group of monks beat up three police officers after the police picked up a quarrel with some monks and tried to arrest them at a commodity show.

Following the clash, the SPDC authorities deployed soldiers and more police personnel for security at the show. Some monks who were visiting the show kicked down a motorbike from the stage to express their unhappiness to the authorities for the March 31 clash.

“Movement of monks restricted at night in Pegu”, Independent Mon News Agency, April 7, 2006

Burmese migrant workers march for their rights

About 200 Burmese workers marched to the Thai Labour Rights Protection Office in Mae Sot in an unprecedented strike over a disagreement with their employer.

The workers from the GS Art knitting factory said their employer owed them back pay as well as a variety of other housing and food allowances, in a disagreement that has lasted three months.

In January the Burmese workers asked their employer for a 50 percent reduction on meal costs, overtime, compensation for wrongful dismissal and deductions in their living expenses. However, factor owners refused to meet their demands and later sacked 43 employees, who were suspected of trying to organise a strike.

“Burmese workers stage strike in Mae Sot”, Mizzima News, April 7, 2006

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A Burma’s top general visits Tasang dam site

One of Burma’s top generals flew over to visit one of the 4-controversial Salween dam sites at Tasang in Shan State amid reports that Burma has signed an agreement with a Thai firm to build a 7,110 megawatt hydropower plant there.

Lt-Gen Kyaw Win who commands three military regions in Shan State: Northeastern, Eastern and Triangle, arrived at Tasang, about 90 miles north of the Chiangmai border, on 4 April, a day after Thailand’s MDX Group signed a $6 billion agreement in Rangoon.

Kyaw Win later turned up at Nakawngmu, 29 miles from the border, to meet with security officials there. “All the machinery and construction material will be coming through Nakawngmu,” said a Thai border watcher.

“Butcher of Kengtung palace visits Tasang”, Shan Herald News for Agency, April 10, 2006 .

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., the Canadian company, said it has restarted production at its Monywa copper project after economic sanctions caused a month-long closure.

Monywa, a joint venture between Ivanhoe and the Burmese government, was shut last month after its insurance broker and bank “terminated their relationship” because of the sanctions, Ivanhoe said in its March 31 annual report, which was published on the company’s website.

Monywa has since been able to buy fuel and other items for the mine. Monywa supplies metal to Marubeni Corp., Japan’s fifth-largest trading company.

The company also said it might not be able to obtain permits necessary to expand Monywa. Ivanhoe wants to increase production to 200,000 tons a year.

“Ivanhoe Mines restarts copper production in Myanmar”, The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia), April 10, 2006.

Burma - N. Korean to reopen diplomat ties

Burmese military government has decided to restore diplomatic ties with North Korea, more than 20 years after the Stalinist state staged a deadly bomb attack in Rangoon, a foreign ministry official said.

The diplomat said no official announcement had been made and an announcement might come only when the secretive junta names its ambassador to Pyongyang.

Analysts said the restoration of ties between two of the world’s most secretive and repressive regimes could have benefits for both.

Burma is always looking for arms suppliers to circumvent Western sanctions, while North Korea has eyed Burma’s offshore natural gas reserves.

Burma broke off diplomatic ties with North Korea in 1983 after two North Korean attempted to stage a bomb attack on South Korea’s then-president Chun Doo Hwan while he was on an official visit to Rangoon on October 9, 1983.

“Myanmar to reopen diplomatic ties with North Korea”, Agence France Presse, April 10, 2006.

India to transport gas without touching Bangladeshi territory

With Bangladesh maintaining a “negative” attitude with regard to the proposed India-Burma gas pipeline passing through its territory, India has decided to by-pass the neighbouring country and has started the process for making alternate arrangements for receiving the hydrocarbon.

India has decided to transport gas from two off-shore blocks in Burma via Tripura without touching Bangladeshi territory.

Moreover, state-owned Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has asked a private company to conduct feasibility studies to transport gas from Burma to be received at Patna. The reports of the studies are expected by next month.

“India decides to bypass Bangladesh to get Myanmar Gas”, Asia Pulse, April 7, 2006.