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BI Weekly No. 320

October September 30th - October 5th, 2007

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

Burma's locked down during UN envoy's visit

Thousands of soldiers and police locked down Burma's largest cities during UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's visit.

The lockdown kept even the most die-hard protesters off the streets. Scores of overnight arrests further weakened the uprising calling for an end to decades of military dictatorship.

Most monks, some of who led the protests, are now barricaded inside monasteries, which have been locked from the outside with soldiers bearing automatic rifles standing guard.

Activists from Burma and foreign countries have called for urgent action.

"The world cannot fail the people of Burma again", said the National coalition Government of the Union of Burma, an exile group based in Washington. "Selfless sacrifices deserve more than words and lip-service. They want effective intervention before it is too late."

However, many people see China, Burma biggest trading partner, as the most likely outside catalyst for change.

But China, India and Russia do not seem prepared to go beyond words in dealing with the junta, ruling out sanctions as they jostle for a chance to get at Burma's bountiful and largely untapped natural resources, especially its oil and gas.

"Myanmar's largest cities locked down during UN envoy's visit", Associated Press, September 30 2007

Gambari visits Burma following mass protests

UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari visited Burma following the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors and met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Gambari met with the acting Prime Minister, Culture Minister and Information Minister shortly after his arrival.

However, there was no indication that he had made any progress in ending the crackdown on the biggest anti-junta protest in nearly 20 years, led by Buddhist monks

During the crackdown, hundreds of monks were arrested and beaten. Soldiers also shot into the crowd and raided monasteries. Civilian protestors were also arrested and beaten.

One Japanese video journalist was shot dead when troops opened fire on a crowd of protestors.

To stop images or information being sent outside the country, soldiers and police were searching bags and people for cameras and internet devices.

People had fed images of the protests and the crackdown to the world through the internet.

The SPDC shut down internet access across Burma.

"UN peace envoy meets detained leader", Reuters, September 30th, 2007

SPDC conducts mass raids on monastries during Gambari visit

A number of monasteries, located in Rangoon's South Okkalapa Township, were ransacked by government troops at midnight during mass raids on monasteries in Rangoon.

Photographs showing the damage to the monastery following the raids were widely disseminating soon afterwards.

"All the mess left during the army's raid in Ngway Kyar Yan monastery was cleaned up by officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The monastery was also renovated and now it looks like a new one," said a South Okkalapa resident who lives near the monastery.

Soldiers guarded the monasteries while the raids took place. New monks have also been placed at the monastery following the arrests of large numbers of monks during the raid.

While these raids were taking place, United Nation Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambri's arrived in Burma according to sources close to the Monastery.

One source said they did not believe the meeting would be positive. "They (the SPDC) are just lying to try to hide the truth. They have lied this way many times in the past. They are still lying in the present. And they will keep lying in the future too," he said.

"Government cleans up damage to raided monastery," Democratic Voice of Burma, September 30,2007

SPDC Stop Internet link in Burma

Burma's main Internet link remained shut for a third straight day on Sunday as the ruling regime tried to curb the flow of information out of the country, which documented the bloody crackdown against protesters.

Internet cafes in Rangoon also remained closed. Over the past week, tech-savvy citizens used the cybercafés to transmit pictures and video clips of the regime's clampdown taken on mobile phones and digital cameras.

"People inside Burma can't send e-mails or news to outside organization, so they are losing their chance to express what's happening in Burma," one insider said.

The government cracked down on protesters last week, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds more in a campaign that has also intensified pressure on media operating in the country, soldiers shot dead a Japanese video-journalist and beat people found with mobile phones or cameras.

Burma military rulers always keep a tight grip on information, heavily censoring newspapers, blocking much of the Internet and rarely allowing foreign journalists into the country.

Paris-based media rights group Report without Borders said that by cutting Internet access, the regime was trying to operate "behind closed doors".

It has condemned Burma as a "paradise for censors" and listed the country as one of the worlds most restrictive for press freedoms.

"Internet link remains shut amid Myanmar's crackdown" Agence France-Presse

Abandon children from Burma left on Thai border

The four and five years old are probably too young to understand why their parents fled from their homeland (Burma) and finally abandon them in Thailand.

People fled by different reasons such as facing serious crisis, forced labor, economic crisis, child labor. They illegally seek their life in Thailand and they lack access to all social services, and reopen to exploitation by employers.

Migrant parents abandon their children to safe house or Mae Tao Clinic the place where treated the migrant people which was lead by Dr. Cynthia Maung in Thailand.

Migrant parents may give up their children because the parents are HIV positive or the child is disabling and they can’t afford to look after them.

Some of the migrant children work as a domestic helper in Thailand.

“Burma’s abandoned children ending up on the Thai Border”, Agence France Presse, September 30th, 2007

SPDC Defectors welcome: KNU

The Karen National Union Secretary Phado Mahn Shah welcomes the Burmese army troops who want to defect from the current uprising.

Phado Mahn Shah claimed that there is a time for them (KNU and SPDC) to join hands together and to get rid of the dictatorship. There were about 70 soldiers from the Burmese army have defected to the KNU since March.

The fight between government troops and the KNLA have been taking place up to four times a day in territories of KNLA brigades1, 2, 3 and 5.

“KNU secretary offers welcome to SPDC defectors”, Democratic Voice of Burma, October 2nd, 2007

China seen as a safe haven for Burma’s Muslim population

Sitting at the mosque in Ruili that was built in 1993 to accommodate the growing number of immigrants, one trader said living in China was much safer.

In Ruili, a town that for years has boomed on the back of illicit trade in drugs, timber and drugs, Islam lives in relative peace with a growing community of about 10,000 Burma traders, most of them Muslim.

The Muslim Rohingya is one of seven ethnic minority states which were from Burma. But they were unrecognized by the junta.

Up to 3,000 people were believed killed in the movement that was brutally crushed by the military junta, forcing Islam to flee into the mountains of western Burma.

“China’s Southwest a safe haven for Burma’s Muslims”, Agence France Presse, October 2007

Actor flees Burma

Rumours are rife that the Burmese famous actor Kyaw Thu and his wife have fled Burma and take shelter in a Buddhist monastery in Karen refugee camp name Mae La camp.

He and his wife are trying to apply for refugee status. The camp authorities confirmed the arrival of Kyaw Thu but refused to meet with the journalist. On 24th Kyaw Thu and his fellow actor and critic Zarganar, author Minlu and director and author Maung Wannah “Swan” offering to the protesting monks in Rangoon’s Shwedagon pagoda.

On the next day the authorities arrested U Win Ning and Zargana, but Kyaw Thu could evade the arrest.

Kyaw Thu had founded a free funeral service association and had volunteered in helping the poor and needy for the funeral service of charge.

“Famous Burmese actor Kyaw Thu sheltered in Thailand”, Mizzima News, October 3rd, 2007

Bangladesh tightens border security with Burma

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) tightened security on the Bangladesh Burma border in order to stop protesters from Burma entering the country.

Yesterday 11 monks were arrested in Teknaf by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) when they were entering Bangladesh from Burma.

The monks were hand over to the police station in Teknaf for interrogation. The monks claim that they are Bangladesh citizens and they just went to Burma to acquire religious lessons.

Some protesters have started flee to the country to evade arrest following the crack down on demonstrators.

“BDR arrests 11 monks entering Bangladesh”, Kaladan News, October 3rd, 2007

Despite UN envoy trip, Thailand braces for refugee flow

UN envoy, Ibrahim Gambari met separately with Junta chief, Senior General Than Shwe, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in hopes of loosening controls and starting dialogue between the two camps.

As the Burmese military clamp down inside the country with more than 15, 000 troops to be stationed in and around Rangoon and up to 2,000 monks and other activists arrested.

Unless there is a political resolution, relief workers, it is only a matter of time before the monks and secular political agitator who are hiding make their way to the border.

Thai government official estimate that 3 million Burmese have taken up resident in Thailand over the years. Some have been confined to refugee camps which closely guard by Thai soldiers - 70 per cent of the population in the Mae Sot area is Burmese.

Thai authorities have begun bracing for another flow across the border.

“Marking time in Thailand; millions of Burmese who fled violence at home languish in limbo near the border”, Washington Post, October 3rd, 2007

Normalcy returns to Burma

Burma said normalcy has returned to the country following the violent crackdown on mass protests last week.

Burma’s foreign minister Nyan Win said that the junta’s security forces had exercised utmost restraint and they did not intervene in the protests for nearly one month.

He said that they (the junta) declared a curfew when the mob became unruly and provocative.

“Subsequent, when protest ignored their warning, they had to take action to restore situation. Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar (Burma)”, Nyan Win said.

The Burmese junta admitted to its troops killing nine people, including one Japanese journalist, but others say the number of casualties is much higher.

The bloodshed in Rangoon and other major cities of the military-ruled country resulted in international outcry.

The US imposed more sanctions against the military leaders. ASEAN issued a strong statement demanding the junta stop the crackdown and resume the process of political reconciliation.

The UN dispatched its special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to talk with all concerned parties in the country to end the conflict.

“Burmese FM blames ‘opportunists’”, The Nation, October 2, 2007

China rejects links between Beijing Olympics and Burma

Lobbying for countries and people to boycott the Beijing Olympics in 2008 because of the situation in Burma is “totally irresponsible”, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson said.

Wang Baodong, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, said that the Olympic movement is based on non-politicalization and that China’s “consistent stance is that irrelevant issues should not be linked to the Beijing Olympics”.

Some activists are calling for people to boycott the Beijing Olympics because of China’s support to the Burmese military regime.

Similar calls were made by activists working on the fight against genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Activists organized campaigns to boycott the Beijing Olympics and China responded by supporting a special envoy on Darfur and becoming more actively involved in seeking a settlement between the government and rebels.

China has strong trade and business ties with the Burmese military junta and earlier this year joined Russia in vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that would have pushed Burma to ease repression and release political prisoners.

China, when it vetoed the UN resolution, pointed to the generally neutral stance of ASEAN. However, the association issued a strong statement declaring its “revulsion” over the bloody crackdown on demonstrators.

“China rejects attempt to link development in Burma to Beijing Olympics”, Washington Post, October 2nd, 2007

Businesses should pull out of Burma, Human Rights Watch

Companies doing business in Burma should condemn the country’s ruling junta and shut down their operations in the wake of brutal crackdown on peaceful protests, a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch said.

Arvind Ganesan, director of the Business and Human Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, said that while governments around the world have roundly condemned Burma’s military regime for its brutal crackdown on peaceful monk-led protests the corporate world has kept quiet.

“Companies doing business in Burma argue their presence is constructive and will benefit the Burmese people, but they have yet to condemn the governments’ abuses against its own citizens,” Mr Ganesan said.

“Keeping quiet while monks and other peaceful protesters are murdered and jailed is not evidence of constructive engagement,” Mr Ganesan said.

Burma is a country rich in natural resources and many foreign companies are investing, particularly in the petroleum sector.

Burma’s natural gas exports account for almost 30 per cent of Thailand’s gas usage, industry sources said. Sources familiar with Burma’s oil industry estimate the junta’s earnings off gas sales was closer to 1 billion dollars last year.

Current investors in Burma’s oil and gas industry include companies from Australia, the British Virgin Islands, China, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Russia and the United States (providing they were investing before 1990).

"Human Rights Watch condemns business as usual in Myanmar”, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, October 2nd, 2007

UN Human Rights Council condemns Burma in Emergency Session

The UN Human Rights Council condemned Burma’s military regime over the use of force in the response to peaceful protests.

In an emergency session, the first since December when the group examined the situation in Sudan’s region of Darfur, the UN Human Rights Council discussed the situation in Burma and issued a statement.

The call for the emergency session was spearheaded by the EU and followed discussions about Burma in the UN Security Council and the General Assembly in New York.

Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said “the Myanmar authorities should no longer expect that their self-imposed isolation will shield them from accountability”.

Since the crackdown, Ms Arbour said “a deafening silence resonates from the streets that the demonstrators have not voluntarily abandoned”.

“As the protesters are becoming invisible, our concern only increases for the safety and well-being of the monks, presumably confined to their monasteries if not worse, and for the hundreds of people arrested in the course of the demonstrations and for those wounded and removed from the streets to unknown locations,” Ms Arbour said.

She said the world must try to reach those in need of international protection.

“There can be no doubt about the need for action in this council is now”, Ms Arbour said.

The council, which lacks enforcement powers, is limited to focusing global attention on human rights offenders.

“EU urges UN rights council to condemn Myanmar in emergency session”, Associated Press, October 2nd, 2007