BI Weekly No. 292

August 10th - August 16th, 2006

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

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Talks to draft a new constitution for military-ruled Burma will resume in October but the party of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to be excluded from them, Thaung Tun , Burma 's ambassador to the Philippines said.

Thaung Tun said the effort, which was adjourned in late January, was "75 percent complete" with the power-sharing provisions between the central government and the states still to be worked out.

He said a key outstanding issue is "power-sharing between the center and the states," which could nevertheless be "wrapped up in one or two sessions."

Thaung Tun also indicated that because the NLD had walked out after being invited twice to previous sessions of the talks, it was "unlikely" to take part in future sessions.

At the same time the Burma's activist groups protested outside the hotel, where the Burmese Ambassador was meeting press correspondents and ask the Ambassador to speak 'the truth' and reveal the real situation in Burma

It said in the statement that "Any genuine roadmap to democracy will start with a genuine dialogue and a halt to all human rights violations. They [the junta] should stop all sorts of human rights violation and attacks and release political prisoners".

The activists' groups also ask the government to open a dialogue with the NLD and ethnic groups which would be a genuine roadmap to restoration of democracy.

"Myanmar constitutional talks resume in October, military to keep role" Agence France Presse, August 15, 2006

"Activists dare Burmese Ambassador to speak 'the truth'", Mizzima News, August 16, 2006

Chin armed group join to ban landmine

An anti-landmines campaign group, Geneva Call, said that it hoped two of Burma 's largest armed opposition movements would give up using the weapons, after a smaller rebel group committed itself to an international ban.

Geneva Call, which is trying to get armed rebel or resistance groups to follow the conditions of the 1997 Ottawa Convention outlawing anti-personnel landmines, announced that the Chin National Front had joined its parallel pledge on July 31.

The discussion with other groups, including the Karen and Karenni is still at the early stage.

Burma 's military regime is not among the 154 governments which have signed up to the international treaty. More than 30 armed groups in Myanmar , Burundi , India , Iraq , the Philippines , Somalia , Sudan , Turkey and Western Sahara have signed up to Geneva Call's Deed of Commitment for "non-state actors".

The deed is underwritten by the regional government of Geneva in Switzerland , lending it some of the authority of a treaty between states.

"Myanmar rebel group signs up to landmine ban," Agence France Press, August 10, 2006 .

About 600 students in central Burma have been forced to become members of the government backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) with the threat of being barred from appearing for their examinations hanging over their heads, said a student union in exile.

The threat revolved around joining the USDA failing which the students would be barred from sitting for their examinations.

The spokesperson of the Thailand based Foreign Affairs Committee of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions told Mizzima that students of the Government Technological College in Myingyan Township in Mandalay division were forced to sign up for membership with the USDA by their teachers, who are under orders from the township peace and development councils and the USDA.

"Six hundred students in central Burma forced to join USDA", Mizzima News, August 16, 2006.

Asylum seekers ordered to enter a camp to determine their fate

Registration for asylum seekers started in Sangkhalaburi last week. About two hundred Burmese refugee applicants are ordered to enter a refugee camp by mid August to determine their fate.

A source close to the Thai local authorities reported that a Provincial Administration Board meeting, held on July 18, agreed to relocate all asylum seekers into the camp on the Thai-Burma border during August where interviews will be conducted. The screening of applicants is to determine their refugee status with some being deported if their case is rejected.

Most of the asylum seekers are Mon, Karen, Tavoyan and Burman from rural areas in Burma and have fled from forced voluntary labour from the Burmese government and human rights abuses by the Burmese military over the past two years.

“Even though Mon NGO workers in this area are being pressured by the Thai authorities to move these people into the camps for interviews, many don't want to apply for refugee status. Their security is uncertain and it is difficult to work. Life inside the camp is uncomfortable and low standard, but it is our only hope,” said Nai Htow from Pa-an Township who escaped forced labour 5 years ago. They are expecting to enter the camp and resettle in a third country in the coming months.

"Plight of refugees uncertain as applicants ordered to enter camp", Kaowao, August 1, 2006

Burma 's government has agreed to increase gas production to supply energy-hungry neighboring Thailand , the Myanmar Times newspaper reported.

The semi-official publication quoted an official from the Ministry of Energy, who said that natural gas production at the Yetagun field off Burma's southeast coast could be increased by a quarter.

The official said that a verbal agreement had been reached between Burma 's government and PTT Exploration and Production, a unit of Thailand 's largest energy firm PTT Plc.

The Myanmar Times reported that Thailand wants to buy an additional 100 million cubic feet of gas per day on top of the 400 million cubic feet of gas it pipes every day from the offshore reserves in the Andaman Sea.

Natural gas from Burma currently makes up about 20 percent of Thailand 's supply.

"Thailand and Myanmar agree to increase gas production", Agence France Presse, August 14, 2006.

Exiled-Arakanese observed 'Rice Killing Day' worldwide

Arakanese communities in exile observed the 39th Memorial Day anniversary of the ‘rice killing day' at various locations around the world including Bangladesh , India , Malaysia and Thailand , on August 13, 2006.

The ceremony marks the 39th anniversary of the rice killing day that took place on August 13, 1967.  On that day, Burmese military invaders killed over 300 Arakanese in the streets of Arakan State 's capital, Akyab, when they gathered to stage a peaceful demonstration asking the Burmese military government for more rice.

In 1967, during the rainy season, the Burmese military government stored a large amount of rice after forcibly purchasing rice from Arakanese farmers' for export to China and other countries.  The people of Arakan were starving on those days due to the secrecy involved and hording of rice in Arakan by the government.

The Burmese Army opened fire on the demonstrators. Over 300 Arakanese were killed in the firing and over 1,000 Arakanese went missing.

Arakanese people honour bloody August 13 with ceremonies every year, wherever they may be in the world.  However, the Burmese military government has not allowed the ceremony to be held inside Arakan State or elsewhere in Burma .

"Bloody ‘Rice Killing Day' observed worldwide on August 13", Narinjara News, August 13, 2006.

Britain grants US$36 million to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

Britain has pledged US$36 million to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Burma , the pledge is part of a US$100 million joint donor program to fight the three diseases over the next five years in Burma , where 3,000 people died of malaria last year and an estimated 12,000 succumbed to tuberculosis.

More than 300,000 adults or 1.3 percent of the population were infected with the HIV virus in 2004, and there were about 25,000 new infections each year, the British embassy said in a statement dated Aug. 10.

The other donors include Australia , the European Union, the Netherlands , Norway and Sweden . The Netherlands has agreed to contribute euro3 million (US$3.8 million), of which euro1 million ($1.27 million) is to be disbursed this year.

The British contribution will be administered through international and local non-governmental organizations, U.N. agencies, the private sector, public health authorities.

"Britain pledges US$36 million to fight AIDS, malaria in Myanmar ", Associated Press, August 16, 2006.