BI Weekly No. 288

July 13th - July 19th, 2006

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

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Burma 's recently built administrative centre will officially become the nation's capital under the long-awaited new constitution.

General Thura Shwe Mann, the military regime's third in command, said Nay Pyi Taw, or 'Seat of the Kings' will take over from Rangoon .

Thura Shwe Mann said that the Lewe region, where Nay Pyi Taw is situated, would become the hub and administrative centre of the nation.

The secretive regime surprised the world last November by abruptly announcing it was moving the government to the former compound outside Pyinmana, a mountainous logging town in central Burma .

“Myanmar's new city to become national capital”, Agence France Presse, July 13, 2006.

TOTAL to investigate compensation for forced labor in Yadana project

TOTAL company' lawyers will investigate in August the compensation issue for victims who were forced to provide labour for the gas pipeline project, said a field coordinator.

They listed about 18 victims from Kanbauk, Paukpinkwin, and Yebyu Township , said Nai Sumit Punnakari, the field coordinator. They will get compensation depending on the circumstance in which they were forced.

The National Catholic Commission on Migrations announced on July 15 that the victims of forced labour apply for compensation from southern Mon State and upper Tenasserim Division since the construction for Yadana gas pipeline started.

“TOTAL to investigate compensation issue in August,” Independent Mon News Agency, July 18, 2006.

Burmese authorities have reportedly forced students from Rangoon University to sign agreements saying they will not become involved in politics or try to instigate political unrest.

Students at the university said the authorities forced them to sign the agreements on July 14 and threatened them with not being able to sit their exams if they did not.

Since the popular uprising in 1988, which was largely led by students, the Burmese military has significantly changed Burma 's higher education system to make it harder for students to gather in large groups.

Many university departments have been shifted to the outskirts of cities in an attempt by authorities to keep the students separated and away from downtown areas.

“Rangoon University students forced to sign anti-political agreements,” Mizzima News, July 17, 2006.

KNU says no peace talks until SPDC's offensives stop

The Karen National Union has ruled out the possibility of peace talks with the Burmese military despite an unofficial offer for dialogue, saying the State Peace and Development Council needed to first stop attacking Karen civilians.

David Taw, head of the KNU's foreign affairs department, said that while personnel Lieutenant colonel Mya Htun Oo had offered peace talks to leaders at one of the rebel group's brigade on the Thai-Burma border on Friday, no agreements would be made until the military stopped their offensives in Karen State .

“Over 20,000 ethnic Karen civilians have been forced to leave their villages and seek shelter in the jungle and in the border areas due to the recent offensive attack,” David Taw said.

“No peace talks until military stops violence, says KNU,” Mizzima News, July 18, 2006

The Thai government is planning to build a Burmese road which would cut through Karen State . The idea is not only to cut travel time in the area but to benefit Karen contract farmers, provide employment and stem Karen migration to Thailand .

The 140-million baht (US $3.66 million) plan is to be proposed to the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, where the Burmese government will be asked to cooperate.

The road would also support more than 32,000 hectares of contract farming land. This, Watchara said, could provide jobs “and stop worker migration to Thailand .”

The original plan was to route the road through Umphang Wild Life Sanctuary, which also crosses into Karen State . But this was opposed by environmentalists and local villagers, as the sanctuary is a World Heritage site.

“New Thai-Burmese border road planned,” Irrawaddy , July 17, 2006

International Burma Studies Conference achieves: Singapore

Nearly 200 Burmese and foreign scholars attended this year's International Burma Studies Conference in Singapore , sponsored by the city state's National University and the Asia Research Institute, and satisfying the expectations of its organizers.

Dozens of Burmese scholars, artists, writers, NGO workers, and community and ethnic minority leaders also participated in the three-day conference—this, despite the military government's usual reluctance to allow its citizens to travel to such international events. One exception was the popular Burmese comedian Zarganar, who was denied a passport.

Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing, co-chairman of the event, was pleased by the turnout. An assistant professor at the National University of Singapore, the young Burmese scholar said that his aim was to attract scholars from inside the military-ruled country to speak at the conference and help those inside and outside the country to better understand and discuss the complexities of the issues related to Burma .

Burmese scholars from inside the country made presentations on issues of economy, history, education, women, ethnicity, health care and literature. Exiled Burmese also presented research on refugees, ethnic minority groups, the democracy movement and national reconciliation. Judging from audience reactions, their efforts were greatly appreciated.

“Burma conference in Singapore a success” Irrawaddy, July 18, 2006

Educational condition of refugees in Maylasia

Bureaucratic red tapism and financial crunch has come in the way of basic education for most of the 3,600 Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia .

Malaysia 's 12,000-strong Rohingya refugee population therefore frequently set up classes in their homes to make up for the lack of formal education.

More than 70 percent of Rohingya children are of school going age. They can get admitted to public schools, but only as foreigners. They must pay higher fees and school materials. Most cannot afford the extra costs. Access to schools is also restricted, as most of the refugee children do not have birth certificates, a legal prerequisite for admission.

However, about 122 Rohingya students have been allowed into a school called Harvest Centre and it is believed to be Malaysia 's first Montessori school for marginalized children. It was set up in 2004 with seed funding from World Vision and is run with public donations. Recently, it entered into an operational partnership agreement with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, according to the UNHCR in Kelang , Malaysia .

“Education a far cry for Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia ”, Kaladan News, July 19, 2006