BI Weekly No. 282

June 1st - June 7th, 2006

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

Inside

Border

International

Su Su Nway, a 35-year-old youth leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, had served nearly seven months of her 18 month-sentence in Rangoon 's Insein Prison. She was jailed in October 2005 for allegedly threatening and swearing at local authorities.

She had earlier launched a successful lawsuit against local officials for practicing forced labor.

“Burmese female rights defender released”, The Irrawaddy, June 6, 2006.

Burmese government offers compromise, but no agreement with the ILO yet

The Burmese government has offered a last minute compromise to the International Labour Organization at its annual conference in Geneva as both sides seek to end a dispute over the junta's harassment and prosecution of forced labor complainants.

The junta has told ILO representatives that it is prepared to institute a six-month moratorium on prosecuting claimants for “spreading false information.” At the same time, a special panel, including the government's director-general of labor, Chit Shein, and the ILO's representative in Burma , Richard Horsey, would assess claims of forced labor.

Both sides are still cautious, however, over whether a lasting solution can be found. The ILO is insisting that the Burmese government must go further by releasing those imprisoned for lodging forced labor complaints, preferably before June 13, when members will spend a full day discussing what action to take against Burma .

The Burmese Ministry of Labor said that it was possible that a further compromise offer might be made, but it has no agreement with the ILO yet.

In particular, the ILO is seeking the release of Suu Suu Nway and Aye Myint, both of whom were imprisoned after lodging complaints of forced labor.

“ Burma offers ILO compromise”, Irrawaddy , June 5, 2006

According to escaped porters, Burma Army MOC 15 captured 800 civilians and took 1,000 prisoners and forced them all to porter. MOC 15 is attacking with seven battalions and their troop strength is between 1,200-1,300 soldiers.

A Free Burma Rangers relief team interviewed with three porters who escaped from the Burma Army in Muthraw District, northern Karen State during this recent offensive. Two of them reported seeing the Burma Army soldiers beat and kill some of the porters. The Burma Army captured a 26-year-old civilian earlier this year and forced him to be a porter and work for the soldiers, carrying ammunition, food and other military supplies.

At the height of the offensive, when these porters were used, 18,000 people were displaced and now the total number of IDPs in Nyaunglebin, Toungoo and Muthraw Districts is now over 15,000.

“ Burma Army Captures 800 Civilians and Forces 1,000 Prisoners to Porter for Their Offensive”, Free Burma Rangers Report, June 3, 2006.

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Pregnant women tortured in Karenni State

Pregnant women are being tortured in a jail under the Burmese military junta's Regional Control Command in Loikaw, Karenni State , according to a pregnant woman who was beaten up by Burmese troops.

Burmese troops have been arresting, jailing, questioning and beating up pregnant women and abandoned wives because they find it difficult to catch the family's men (since early this year) suspected to have contacts with Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP).

“They hit me two or three times on my head with a stick. They hit me again when I recovered after becoming unconscious,” said Berresel, a woman into her eight month of pregnancy.

She told that there are at least five pregnant women, an unknown number of other women and several children under the age of 10 remaining in the jail, when she was released after 15 days in jail.

“Pregnant women tortured in jails”, Kantarawaddy Times, June 5, 2006.

The Burma Lawyers' Council (BLC) opened a legal office in Mae Sot, on the Thai-Burma border to be able to effectively help Burmese migrant workers on legal issues

The ‘Legal Clinic' as it is called, was set up to help Burmese migrant workers with legal aid -- mainly relating to problems with employers, problems among workers and court cases between workers and Thai authorities.

There are often problems between workers and employers or Thai authorities because only a few migrant workers know about Thailand 's laws relating to migrant labourers.

“Legal clinic for Burmese opened in Mae Sot”, Network Media Group, June 2, 2006.

US use Satellite to Document Rights Abuses in Burma

Satellite technology that has provided irrefutable evidence of the destruction of civilian settlements in Zimbabwe will soon be used to document similar abuses in Burma , says the US team conducting the research.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science based in Washington has started working with the US Campaign for Burma on how the technology can best be applied to Burma .

Originally the team had planned to focus on prisons in Burma , similar to a project entitled The Hidden Gulag in which the same technology helped identify a sprawling secret detention facility in North Korea . Lars Bromley, a senior program associate at AAAS, says the team has instead decided to focus their efforts on documenting the destruction of villages in Karen State .

Announcing the launch of AAAS's human rights program in January, director Audrey Chapman said the technology available “may…provide compelling documentation to encourage intervention and to determine responsibility” in cases of human rights violations “in geographic areas where it is difficult to send observers.”

“Satellite to Document Rights Abuses in Burma ”, The Irrawaddy , June 02, 2006

UNSC briefing on Burma

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari briefed the Council on 31 May 2006 on his visit to Burma as predicted in our 26 May 2006 Update. After the briefing, took place under “Other Matters” all the European countries, the US , Russia , China , Japan and Ghana made statements. The Council did not take any immediate action. However, the US proposed a draft resolution on which it has began bilateral consultation and which it is expected to circulate shortly. The details of the resolution are not known but it is expected to call for Aung San Suu Kyi's release and an inclusive and democratic political process. Other areas that it may cover are release of all political prisoners and humanitarian access.

Gambari's main message at the briefing was that while the UN Secretariat is disappointed that his visit had not lead to Suu Kyi's release, the UN should press ahead and not give up. He also stressed that democratization and national reconciliation is a process and not an event. He said that the support of the Council was important in helping the Secretariat carry out the good offices of the Secretary-General and that the UN should continue to work with interested member states and partners like ASEAN to continue to push for Suu Kyi's release.

At the same time it seems that members like China , Russia and Japan have made it clear that their positions have not changed and that it would be hard for them to accept a resolution. Having action taken on Burma under the formal agenda of the Council is still not an option for them.

The European countries are likely to see some merit in the US resolution but there is awareness that this is an issue that could polarize the Council without effectively increasing pressure on the authorities in Rangoon .

The Council's options now are:

            • Do nothing and wait for the next opportunity for a briefing;

            • Negotiate agreed terms for the US draft resolution and table it for adoption on an agenda;

            • As an alternative, issue a Presidential Statement if the resolution is not accepted; or

            • Decide on action short of opening a formal Council agenda e.g. encouraging by way of a letter the Secretary-General's good offices and the appointment of a Special Envoy who would brief the Council in the future and issuing a statement to the press.

“Security Council report on Myanmar ”, Security Council Report, June 1, 2006