BI Weekly No. 277

April 27th - May 3rd, 2006

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

Inside

Series of withdrawals from NLD
Are attacks in Karen State linked to the move of the capital?
Dangerous bacteria in food found
Rising prices in Arakan State
SPDC celebrates success in 'War on drugs'

Border

International

According to the state- run paper The New Light of Myanmar, more than 40 members of the National League for Democracy have recently withdrawn from the party. The leaving members include the chairman and vice chairman from Tangyan Township in Shan State . They shall have sent letters of resignation on April 30 to the Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Sub-Commission party and to their headquarters in Lashio.

Similar Sai Hla Pe, a Central Executive Committee member of the Shan National League for Democracy shall have noticed his leaving. Before, there were also announcements that 29 other members from Kyaukse and Patheingyi townships in Mandalay Division will leave, or have already left the NLD.

NLD spokesperson Myint Thein says that does not know anything about the recent withdrawals but that he could understand resignations that avoid being pressured. Mya Mai a member from Mandalay said that the SPDC changed their technique of persuasion. Instead of negative sanctions they offer values and money (sometimes as much as 100 million Kyat) for resignations.

The withdrawals started with a speech of Burma 's Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan on April 27. He said that the NLD was dedicated to a wrong commitment, caused by an incorrect policy, and that the people would not support them.

"Junta claims more than 40 NLD members resign," Irrawaddy , May 2, 2006

Are attacks in Karen State linked to the move of the capital?

The Free Burma Rangers, a Christian group working inside Burma , was dealing with the question of an interrelation between the move of the capital in Burma and the recent attacks on the Karen people. There is a lot of speculation about reasons why the regimes moved its capital reaching from fear of invasion, over advice from spirit mediums, and desire to start a new dynasty with a new capitol, to a fear of a popular uprising in Rangoon .

The FBR state that there is yet no definite interconnection between the move and the recent attacks. Realistically, this is a part of a 50 years ongoing process that also includes earlier attacks, the rude actions against the SPDC and so on.

For defending the capital it would make more sense to attack Karenni, or Shan State . The places now attacked are far more south and are no threat to the new capital. All local sources in Karen State agree that this is just a worsening of that situation that is there all the time. The cause is the wish to crush the Karen and to occupy the land. The only interrelation could be the higher level of soldiers in the area.

Now the attacks go on in Muthraw district closer to Thailand than Pyinmana.

There also has been extensive laying of landmines by the SPDC troopps especially around the Thandaug area to block people fleeing the scene and hinder them to get help from the hills. This seems to be part of a plan to starve the people out. FBR concludes that this is not happening for capital security reason but as part of a cruel plan that lasts over Karen State since many years.

‘Relationship of the offensive to the move to the new capitol of Pyinmana', Free Burma Rangers, April 29, 2006

According to Burma 's Department of Medical Research there was found an incredible high level of dangerous bacteria in water and food (bread, noodles, and biscuits) in Rangoon . The bacteria, mainly coliform and fecal coliform, are responsible for hepatitis, dysentery and diarrhea.

The data come from surveys made between 2001 and 2004. 80 percent of drinking water tested contained coliform and 50 percent contained fecal coliform. The food and the water were clean when handed out but became unclean through unhygienic handling in transport and storage.

‘High bacteria levels found in Rangoon food', Mizzima, May 2, 2006

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Rising prices in Arakan State

There has been a high rise in commodity prices in Arakan State near the Bangladesh border during the last weeks. People with low and fixed incomes have concentrate on essential needs to survive.

Often other necessary expanses like for healthcare can be made anymore. Transport prices have doubled and commodities have higher prices since the payment of officials have increased. All food prices increased for at least 10 percent.

Given reasons are the rising prices of fuel and agricultural products including fertilizer but, as traders also mentioned, the SPDC controls all trade and business in the area. This might be another reason for the skyrocketing of prices.

‘Prices of essential commodities sky rocket in Arakan State ', Kaladan News, May 2, 2006

The SPDC celebrated a big success in their war on drugs with a US$1.5 billion worth bonfire in Eastern Shan state. The scene was witnessed by Thai, Cambodian, Laos , and Chinese officials.

Those drugs were seized in four operations during the last 2 years. 14.9 million methamphetamine tablets and about 1,000 kg of heroin were included which were seized during an operation lasting from December to April in Tachilek province. Also burnt were 592.5kg of heroin from a seizure in Soe San Zone, in Hnit Kayin Village of Yay Township, 280kg of methamphetamine hydrochloride from Rangoon , and 496kg of heroin found in Haung Cho and Mong Pyin villages in eastern Shan State .

Officials said that this would be a good sign for a drug free Burma in 2014. All operations included regional and international cooperation.

Editor BI: compare with “Showbusiness II, www.shanland.org

‘Junta trumpets success with $1.5bn bonfire', Bangkok Post, April 27, 2006

First ordination of unofficial Shan refugees

On March the 30 th , along the border of Thailand and the Shan township of Mongton , the first ordination was held by unofficial Shan refugees. Many of them are orphans and have no official status in Thailand .

Their camp houses over 600 refugees that had started fleeing the fighting in their home area in Shan State .

The Burmese army and their Wa allies had taken over the three main villages of Hwe Yao, Pang Kam Kaw, and Pang Maisoong. They accused the villagers to help their opponents of the SSA and put them into jail, beat them up or mutilated their bodies. Then the villages became burnt down.

The Shan fled to Thailand were the live under unofficial status since then. The celebration day was long awaited. Shortly before ceremony the cyclone Mala whose thunderstorms had already hit Western and Central Burma hardly entered Northern Thailand . But it wasn't that bad the ceremony took place with some changes in the dresses and the size of the celebration caused by the lack of money.

‘Unofficial Shan refugees hold first ordination in camp', Shan Herald Agency for News, May 2, 2006

KWO damns the crimes during the last SPDC offenses

Many people inside Karen state have been forcibly relocated and several rapes took place in Karen State during the recent attacks that took place lead by SPDC troops, according to the Karen Women's Organisation and their speaker Naw Ziporah Sein.

The KWO also said that offensives have taken place in Toungoo, Nyaunglaybin and Papon districts in Karen State since last September. Since then several crimes took place including the rape of a villager in Papun district's Dweh-loe township in February and the murder of an 80-year-old woman in March.

The Thai authorities confirmed a stream of refugees coming to the border areas fleeing zones of conflict between the KNU and the SPDC. The caretaker foreign minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon estimated 1000 Karens have already made it over the border. 70 percent were women and children under the age of 16 and although many groups were providing temporary relief to the refugees, more support was needed for children, the elderly and pregnant women.

‘Women's group slams military crimes in Karen State ', Mizzima News, May 2, 2006

Attack against KNU stronghold near border

SPDC troops hit a hard attack against a KNU (Karen National Union) rebel stronghold. The action came from several hundred Burmese troops who aimed for overrunning a KNU Brigade headquarter 4 kilometers away from the Thai- Burma border.

After two failed ground assaults the tatmadaw stopped but more attacks can be expected. Three Burma battalions and a battalion of Karen who earlier broke away from the KNU launched the attack against Watkalupu Camp, where the KNU's 7th Brigade is headquartered. The scenario took place opposite the Thai Tak Province .

Up North where the border area is not that much observed and protected several hundred Karen refugees waited for entering Thailand to join the already fled. They had to leave their homes because of the forced SPDC attacks during the last months.

The offensive started last November and has forced at least 11 000 villagers move away from their villages. The troops destroyed houses, rice fields and killed people in northern and western Karen state to fight terrorists according to officials. But the junta denies that there is any war in Karen State and that there are human rights violations.

The KNU fears that the war will hold on during the rainy season which starts in May. The recent attacks are the strongest since the 1997 offensives against the Karen. After several ceasefires in the Khin Nyunt area the hardliners have the word again.

The US Security is urged to take action, already now 140,000 refugees live in Thailand in border camps. The recent years also caused about 1 million internal refugees and the many dead ethnic people. The KNU is still the largest armed insurgent army fighting the SPDC.

‘Myanmar army attacks rebel stronghold near Thai border', Associated Press, May 3, 2006

KNU asks for ceasefire talks

A Burmese rebel group asked for clemency after claiming that in the recent attacks of the SPDC lots of children and women have been insured killed and many families are left without food or shelter.

The KNU asked for ceasefire talks because the recent offensives against the Karen ethnic minority group have made many Karen leaving their houses and moving in direction Thailand . About 1,000 have already reached the Thai- Burma border.

Following a KNU statement the troops are shelling the villages with heavy weapons, forcing the villagers to relocate, and burning down the villages, orchards, forests, farms and rice barns. They also planted additional 2000 landmines along the border to stop the fleeing population entering Thai territory.

The call came after Human Rights Watch asked again for action of the UN Security Council who committed itself to protect civilians against genocide. The SPDC is increasing troops and weapons in the area shortly before the rainy season. Asking for negotiations is not answered although officially the SPDC is open for ceasefires.

The attacks against the Karen started in the 1980s since then the activities of the SPDC have forced 140,000 people to leave their land into Thailand .

‘Myanmar rebel group issues plea to military rulers', Agence France Press, May 3, 2006

Situation in Burma is ad definite not genocide

The UN appeared to be under increasing pressure to take firm action against Rangoon on Wednesday as it became clear that top officials at the world body had previously acknowledged to the UN Security Council their concern in a document that the situation in Burma effectively amounts to genocide. This document was authorized by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and delivered by Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

Although the UN did not directly call the situation genocide, its evaluation appears to closely coincide with the definition used in the Genocide Convention of 1948, which states that genocide is the committing of acts—including the killing of ethnic group members—“with the intent to destroy the group, in whole or in part.” Rangoon ratified the treaty in 1956.

“UNSC knew of genocide concerns in Burma”, Irrawaddy, May 3, 2006

EU call for cease-fire talks in Burma

The European Union called on the government of Burma and rebels with the ethnic Karen minority Wednesday to engage in cease-fire talks and end abuses against civilians.

In a statement from Austria's EU presidency, the 25-nation bloc said it was "very concerned" that Burma's army recently stepped up its campaign against the Karen rebels, displacing people and increasing the numbers of people fleeing as refugees to Thailand.

Cease-fire talks broke down in 2004, and in recent months the Burmese army has launched a major offensive in Karen State .

“EU calls for cease-fire talks in Myanmar , end to abuses against civilians”, Associated Press, May 3, 2006

Romulo's visit to Burma is planned in June

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said he may visit Burma in June to discuss democratic reform in the military-ruled country. The visit is scheduled as Philippines is to host the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in December.

Romulo was noncommittal about his chances for success, but he said he has asked to meet both leaders and would raise the issues of democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners with the junta. "We will not hesitate to remind them," he said.

“Philippines to push Myanmar on reform”, Japan Economic Newswire, April 28, 2006