BI Weekly No. 290

July 27th - August 2nd, 2006

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

Inside

Border

International

Thein Sein, who is chairman of the meeting's Convening Commission, also said the convention has laid down 15 proposed chapters to be included in the new constitution, and the convention will meet again at the end of this year, though he did not specify a date. It last adjourned in January.

The convention is part of a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" proposed by the junta, which however has never announced a set schedule for a return to electoral democracy.

“Constitution guidelines nearly completed, says Myanmar junta leader”, Associated Press, July 30, 2006.

Former Burmese commander detained

Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing, who was a commander of Northeast Command based in Burma's northern Shan State capital Lashio and appointed the ‘chief commander against air threats', is reportedly being detained for questioning.

He was said to be arrested within the second week of July and that it could be connected to the corruption scam at 105-Mile Trade Zone on the Sino-Burmese border, according to sources close to border traders. Although the report has not been confirmed independently, military sources from the border said that the latest report shows the extent of corruption in the area and the increasing power struggle within the army.

Myint Hlaing is said to be the close confidante of General Maung Aye, the second most powerful man of Burma 's military junta. Myint Hlaing became notorious for dealing with the corruption cases and his ruthless in dealing with ethnic national groups which signed ceasefire agreements with junta.

“Former Burmese army commander reportedly detained” Democratic Voice of Burma , July 29, 2006

The deadline for the Burmese government to end all prosecutions against forced labor complainants and to release all those jailed in such cases passed on July 31 with three people still facing charges.

Despite a call by the International Labour Organization for a moratorium on all prosecutions by the end of July, three men from Aunglan Township, Magwe Division—Thein Zan, Zaw Htay and Aung Than Htun—are scheduled to appear in court on August 7 on charges of “giving false information.” The three men reported the death of a local villager, Win Lwin, in December 2004, who was allegedly killed while being forced to build a road. The authorities have never investigated the incident, claiming the man was working of his own volition.

Richard Horsey, the ILO's representative in Burma , said the junta needed to follow up recent prisoner releases by ending the Aunglan case, as requested at the ILO's annual conference in June in Geneva . The ILO has identified a number of possible courses of action should the junta fail to oblige very specific improvements, including ending prosecutions, the most severe of which is referral to the International Court of Justice in The Hague—an unprecedented move.

“ILO deadline passes on forced labor prosecutions”, Irrawaddy , August 1, 2006

Propaganda spread among Karen armed groups

It was reported that two commanders of the 7th Brigade of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and of GHQ Battalions will no longer heed any ‘statement' or ‘order' coming from certain unnamed leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU), KNU leaders and their Burmese allies said that they can work out their differences by peaceful means.

In a joint announcement issued on July 30, the two commanders, Brig-Gen Htain Maung and the Tactical Commander of GHQ Battalions, Col Ner Dah Mya, son of Gen Bo Mya, head of the KNU Defense Department, accused ‘some leaders' elected to the KNU central committee at last year's 13th congress of corruption.

The announcement charged the unnamed KNU leaders of abandoning Karen national interests, clinging to power by all means, placing corrupt individuals onto the central committee—and also claimed they ‘eliminate anyone, by all means, who notices [or] realized the way they corrupt, and [who] tried to correct it.'

KNU General Secretary and spokesman Phado Mahn Sha said there have been many spreading of the propaganda of General Mya being sacked, (or) General Mya being forced to retire. He said that none of them is true. Also, the problem between KNU HQs and Brigade-7 will be ‘corrected' by means of cooperation.

“The Karen national revolution is still surviving strongly to this day because the current Karen revolution leaders have been serving the Karen revolution and Karen national interests firmly and righteously. Therefore, I want to say that their accusations are very wrong.” He added

Meanwhile, a number of KNLA military leaders said they knew nothing of the instruction to ignore statements or orders emanating from the KNU. A 7 th Brigade colonel said orders from the KNU leadership would still be followed.

Tension between the KNU leadership and the KNLA has been growing since General Mya was arranged to meet the SPDC's Col Myat Htun Oo in the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot in mid-July without the agreement of the KNU central committee.

“Divide and rule: We can work it out says KNU”, Democratic Voice of Burma , August 1, 2006

Burma is taking some measures to boost border trade with neighboring countries, establishing Muse border trade zone and transforming its border trade with China into normal trade as an initial step for the move.

In fact, such transformation from border trade into normal trade has been implemented in the 150-hectare Muse trade point linking China 's Ruili in Yunnan province as a pilot project since early 2005.

Since achievements have been claimed in the Muse trade point with China, which is also known as the Muse 105th Mile Border Trade Zone and was formally inaugurated on April 11 this year, all other trade points with the rest of the neighboring countries such as Tamu with India, Maungtaw with Bangladesh, and Tachilek and Myawaddy with Thailand are set to follow suit.

The newly-introduced trade procedures on July 24 by the Ministry of Commerce allow merchants to freely and directly transport some of their exporting items from across the country to the Myanmar-China border trade zone of Muse first and export licenses will be available within a day on the spot after a sale contract is formally established with buyers from the Chinese side.

According to Chinese official statistics, China-Myanmar bilateral trade hit 1.209 billion dollars in 2005, up 5.6 percent from 2004.

“Roundup: Myanmar takes measures to boost border trade with neighboring countries”, Xinhua General News Service, August 2, 2006.

Thailand 's caretaker PM makes a surprising trip to Burma

Thailand 's caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra led a delegation to Naypyidaw for talks with junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe and other undisclosed junta officials on August 2.

The visit left commentators and even government officials confused because no such visit had been scheduled, despite claims otherwise in an official announcement released after Thaksin's arrival in the new Burma 's capital.

The 30 Thai delegations included the head of the Thai Army, Foreign Minister, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Natural Resources —Thaksin told reporters the visit would address “bilateral and multilateral issues.”

Commentators noted that it usually takes weeks to arrange a high-level meeting with the junta. “This is not normal because it is urgent and there was no transparency about the reasons for going,” said Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a faculty lecturer in political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok .

The Thai government usually announces such visits in advance but in this case none were issued.

“Thai PM holds sudden talks with Than Shwe”, The Irrawaddy , August 2, 2006

'Black Eyed Peas' serenade Suu Kyi at concert in Bangkok

The Grammy award winning hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas ended their Asian tour with a song honouring Burma 's Aung San Suu Kyi in Bangkok .

With large images of her posted on stage, The Black Eyed Peas dedicated their hit song “Where is the Love” at concert to the imprisoned Burmese democracy leader and Nobel laureate.

In a press release, the organisers, the Human Rights Action Center and U.S. Campaign for Burma said that ‘the performance will also be simulcast into Burma . “With the aid of un-censored satellite technology, this will be only the second time the Burmese people will be able to watch part of an international music concert in which musicians speak about Aung San Suu Kyi and the first time ever that this has been done from any of Burma 's bordering nations.”

The dedication portions of this concert will be broadcast inside Burma via satellite through the brand-new DVB television station.