BI Weekly No. 294

August 24th - August 30th, 2006

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

Inside

Border

Burma and Thailand agree to establish temporary visa centers
US official study refugee situation in Bangladesh
Thailand urged to help tackle AIDS in refugee camps

International

Burma is taking measures to create uniform commodity prices across the country in a bid to bring down the skyrocketed prices which have sustained for months especially the prices of the most basic food items such as rice and edible oil.

Three commodity price control committees, representing the country's three regions – the central, upper and lower parts, have been established and are seeking ways to bring down the commodity prices, local reports said. The three price control bodies are ‘the Nay Pyi Taw Commodity Price Control Committee' (CPCC), ‘Yangon CPCC' and ‘Mandalay CPCC'. The committees will, in the first phase, work for the stability of the prices of the basic food items such as rice and edible oil, while in the second phase, it will deal with indispensable home- apply medicines and in the third phase with domestic service industry, the reports said.

To bring down the various rice prices which rose by 30 percent over the past months, special rice shops were opened as many as possible arranged by the state for low-income earners in Rangoon city to enable them to buy rice at a rate far lower than the market rate.

“Roundup: Myanmar takes measures to bring down commodity prices” Xinhua General News Service, August 30, 2006

Hydroelectric dam on Chinwin River affects Kuki and Naga people

The northwest Burmese town of Khamti on the border with India would be submerged and its 30,000 inhabitants forced to move if a proposed hydro-electric dam project goes ahead.

The project, mainly intended to supply electricity to India , would also displace 35 villages of the Kuki whose land would be part of the 17,000 acres likely to be flooded. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Burmese junta and India 's National Hydro-electric Power Corporation which would build and operate the dam.

It's not known when the project, to be located on the Chindwin river which passes through Khamti, will be built. However, The Tamanthi hydro-dam is meant to have a generating capacity of 1,200—more than Burma 's entire current generating capacity.

NGOs and environmentalists say most of the people who would be directly affected by the Tamanthi project are Kuki, an ethnic group who live on both sides of the India-Burma border. Naga people would also be affected.

The environmentalists also warned that the proposed dam development could encroach on part of Burma 's largest national park—Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary—and threaten endangered wild life, including tigers, leopards and gorillas.

“Hydro dam may force 30,000 to move”, Irrawaddy , August 30, 2006

Despite claims by both the Burmese junta and ethnic armed groups, that the use of child soldiers has been effectively controlled, child soldiers continue to exist in large numbers in both the camps, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers said.

The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, dismissing the Burmese junta's claim that the use of child soldiers has been checked, said the military junta must stop working in secrecy and should start a dialogue with various civil societies in order to effectively stop the use of child soldiers.

The Coalition's Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator, Ryan Silverio told Mizzima, "If they [the junta] are serious and have the political will to ensure the effective implementation of the plans set forth by the Special Committee, they would open up the doors for NGO's, especially child rights organizations, to participate in the planning and implementation of the plans and not operate in an atmosphere of secrecy."

Following mounting international pressure over its random recruitment of child soldiers the Burmese junta formed a special committee to prevent recruitment of minors into military services in January 2004. However, the committee's nine step plan of action was never carried out effectively.

A present the number of child soldiers in Burma still stands at 70,000, which has been reported by rights groups including the US based Human Rights Watch. Also, at least 4,000 child soldiers are present in ethnic armed rebel groups. However, most rebel groups including the Karen National Union, Karenni National Progressive Party and the Shan State Army ­ South rejected the accusations.

“Need for open dialogue to abolish child soldiers in Burma : SACSUCS”, Mizzima News, August 28, 2006.

Burma and Thailand agree to establish temporary visa centers

The governments of Thailand and Burma have agreed to speed up the establishment of temporary visa centers on the Thai-Burmese border for Burmese migrant workers.

The first center would be set up within six months at Mae Sot to issue visas to some 10,000 Burmese who had been offered jobs in Thailand , said an official of the Thai Ministry of Labor. More centers would follow at other major border crossing points.

The centers would also process temporary visas for Burmese currently working illegally in Thailand , the official said. The visas would be issued within one day.

The agreement to set up visa centers was reached at a meeting between Thai Labor Minister Somsak Thepsutin and Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Maung Myint. Somsak said that under the agreement Burmese who had worked for more than two years in Thailand would be eligible for two-year work permits. Burmese migrants who had worked in Thailand for four years would have to return home at the end of that period.

“New temporary visa centers for Burmese workers” Irrawaddy , August 29, 2006

US Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugee and Migration Affairs Ellen R Sauerbrey arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a short trip as part of her three-nation visit to study the condition of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh .

The US official might visit some Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar. She is likely to meet Food and Disaster Management Minister of Bangladesh Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) officials.

During the visit, the US official is expected to meet some government officials, who are dealing with Rohingya refugees, to discuss the latest situation of the refugees.

“US official in Bangladesh to study condition of Rohingya refugees” Mizzima News, August 22, 2006

Thailand urged to help tackle AIDS in refugee camps

Thailand's caretaker prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has ordered the country's public health ministry to send medical staff to border refugee camps to tackle a growing AIDS problem there, Associated Press reported.

Thai government spokesman Chalerchai Mahakitsiri said Thaksin acted after meeting UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, who visited a camp housing more than 10,000 ethnic Karen refugees. Guterres was accompanied on the visit to Tham Hin camp, in Ratchaburi Province , by US Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey.

AP reported that Guterres later “urged Thailand to help tackle the AIDS situation in refuge camps.” At the same time, he praised Thailand for its national AIDS prevention campaign.

“Thaksin acts to combat AIDS in refugee camps”, Irrawaddy, August 30, 2006.

Total, Daewoo urged to stop new gas exploration in Burma

Campaigners have urged Total and Daewoo International to stop its proposed gas exploration in Burma 's western coast and accused the companies of adding to the severe human rights violation suffered by the Burmese people.

The Burma Centre, Netherlands, is planning a protest rally on September 8 in front of the French oil giant Total's headquarters, South Korean Embassy and the Indian Embassy in Netherlands, to drive home the point to the two oil giants that their withdrawal from Burma would ease human rights violations and diminish the strength of the Burmese junta.

Total, which had signed an agreement with the Burmese junta to explore gas in eastern Burma in 1992, has claimed that the withdrawal of the company would not improve the situation in Burma but it would be replaced by another company.

"Total always uses this argument. We can bring against that, that Total is partly responsible for human rights abuses in Burma , related to their investments and pipeline there. They can take responsibility and leave Burma and so put a stop to human rights abuses in their name," Jennifer Hartogensis, head of Total campaign of the BCN said.

The construction, maintenance and guarding of the pipeline has caused severe human rights violations and damage of the environment, said the BCN.

South Korea 's Daewoo with India 's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Gas Authority of India Limited and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise are currently in the stage of exploration in the off-shore gas fields of Burma 's Arakan state.

“Total, Daewoo urged to stop new gas exploration by BCN”, Mizzima News, August 30, 2006

Burmese refugees in Finland attacked by local mob

Some Burmese refugees in Finland , insecure after a violent attack by a local mob are preparing to shift to other cities.

Last week, about 20 young men broke the windows of a room belonging to Burmese refugees in a public apartment in Suulisniemi district in Kotka city, 150 kilometers from the capital city Helsinki .

The Burmese Campaign group in Finland sent an appeal to the Minister of Labour, Finland Government to implement quick adaptation of flawed integration plans for the Burmese people and also make contingent plans for the affected in the incident so that they feel secure and safe.

"If they do not respond to our requests, we will try to shift all the Burmese people to others cities," said Thant Zin Htun, the coordinator of the group.

Two local men of the age of 18 and 22 have been arrested for their involvement in the attack. Reportedly, the authorities gave compensation for the destruction of personal property of the victims and arranged for some Burmese families who desired, to move to Kotka.

Half of the previous Burmese population which arrived is still jobless and is relying on the Finland government's subsistence allowance.

The total Burmese population in Kotka is about 30,000 and one third is resettled refugees from a foreign land.

“Burmese in Finland insecure after violent attack” Mizzima News, August 30, 2006.

ASEAN charter could include a mechanism to expel Burma

Southeast Asia's new mini-constitution could include a mechanism to expel members, a senior official said in a move seen squarely aimed at Burma .

The charter will overhaul the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) policy of non-interference in each other's affairs as it tries to create a more substantial identity as a community.

"We're looking at the decision-making process through implementation, monitoring and even sanctions mechanisms," said Musa Hitam, the chair of the committee preparing a draft of the landmark document.

"It could be, on a more serious note -- chuck them out, or expulsion. It could mean just a resolution against them. We are looking at all these options," he said at a press conference.

Musa, a former deputy premier of Malaysia , said the measure was not solely aimed at Burma , but all discussion of the expulsion mechanism has focused on the military-run state which has embarrassed ASEAN with its behaviour.

A draft of the charter will be put to the group's leaders at their December summit.

“ASEAN charter could include tool to expel Myanmar”, Agence France Presse, August 24, 2006.