Burma Issues - BI Weekly No.337

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BI Weekly No. 337

February 20th - 27th 2008

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

The ongoing forced relocation in Mon State

Villagers from Klone Kanyar village were given orders by the SPDC troops on February 1st to leave their village within 15 days.

Around 250 villagers were ordered to relocate from the eastern part of Klone Kanyar village, Khaw Za sub-township, Monstate’s Yay township.

The order has caused major difficulties for the villagers, as many rely on the village’s fishing industry for their livelihood.

According to a villager who fled to the Thai-Burma border, the SPDC troops said the move was to prevent Mon rebels from coming into the area.

The order was issued by Light Infantry Battalion-31 commander colonel Ye Lwin Oo and secondary battalion commander major Htun Naing.

New Mon State Party, has signed a ceasefire agreement with the government, but there are reports that a group of 50 fully-armed Mon fighters has broken away from the NMSP to continue with rebel activities.

“Military forces out villagers in Mon State”, Democratic Voice of Burma, February 21,2008

SPDC restrict Chin national day celebrations

An event to mark Chin national day was held on 20 February at the Lion City Hall in Kamaryut township, Rangoon, despite government restrictions.

Around 10,000 people attended the Chin National Day celebration, which began at 1pm and included speeches, music and food.

“We were not allowed to hold the celebration under the title of Chin national day, so we just called it a welcome party for new university students,” said an attended.

“But we always knew we were celebrating Chin national day, and we talked about it that way to each other.”

We can’t do anything about that as there is no way we could hold it inside Burma, so we make it as special as we can outside.”

Chin people in exile in Thailand and other foreign countries also held celebrations to mark national day.

“Authorities restrict Chin National day celebration” Democratic Voice of Burma, February 21, 2008.

Rangoon blaze lead about 3,000 people homeless

Nearly 3,000 people in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Rangoon are homeless after a fire broke out at Ye Oat Kaan village near Industrial Zone (4) in the morning of February 25.

The 1,260 women and 1,709 men from the 768 houses that were consumed by the fire were temporarily being put up and provided aid at Basic Primary School No. (16), located on Kya Sittha Street.

Reportedly, a case has been filed by Hlaing Tharyar police officer Aung San Tun against U Myint Than (a.k.a. U Myint San), age 49, the owner of the house where the fire originated.

According to the official the fire caused estimated damage of over 33 million kyat (approximately $25,000).

“Nearly 3,000 left homeless after Rangoon blaze”,Mizzima News, February 25,2008

Small explosions at a casino

Four small bombs exploded at a casino in northeastern Burma at the Golden Triangle, causing minor damage but no injuries, state-controlled media and a casino employee said - the latest in a series of blasts in the military-ruled country.

An employee said the blasts did not appear to be dangerous but were rather meant to scare guests and employees. About 70 Thai guests checked out after the explosions, he said.

The bombing occurred after warnings from the junta in the press Saturday that internal and external groups had sent trained "destructionists" to explode bombs in busy places in the country to cause panic.

Three bombs exploded last month at railway stations at the new capital and in Rangoon and at a circus show, killing two people and injuring five others.

“4 small bombs explode at hotel in Burma” Associated Press, February 20, 2008

Top ILO official expect to extend agreement on forced labor with Burma

A top official from the International Labor Organization (ILO) meet with Burmese officials regarding extending an agreement relating to forced labor, according to the ILO office in Rangoon.

Kari Tapiola, an executive director with the ILO, is in Rangoon along with ILO liaison officer for Burma, Steven Marshall, and met with staff at the Rangoon office.

Tapiola is scheduled to visit Burma’s new capital, Naypyidaw, and to meet with junta officials on Tuesday. During a four-day visit he is expected to talk about the extension of an agreement regarding a complaints mechanism between the ILO and the Burmese military government, which will expire on February 26.

Under the terms of the agreement which was concluded in February 2007, the ILO liaison officer can direct complaints by the victims of forced labor without any retaliatory action against them.

In the three months since the establishment of the complaint mechanism from February to May 2007, the ILO office in Rangoon received a total of 20 complaints—six from Rangoon division, five from Irrawaddy Division, four from Magwe Division, two from Pegu and one each from Chin, Kachin and Arakan states.

“Top ILO official in Burma”, Irrawaddy, February 25, 2008

14 injured by bomb at Mae Sot dump

Around fourteen Burmese migrants, including three children, were injured by a bomb blast at a garbage dump located about 2 km from the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot.

Local Thai police have begun an investigation into the incident, and victims of the blast have been taken to Mae Sot General Hospital for treatment.

Among those hospitalized were two men and an eight-year-old child who sustained serious face, neck and chest injuries, according to a medical worker from the Mae Tao Clinic for Burmese migrants. The injured were all people living near the dump, where many migrants sift through the town’s waste to find recyclable materials they can sell.

Thousands of Burmese migrants live in Mae Sot area, which lies opposite the Burmese border town of Myawaddy. Those living near the dump are among the most desperately poor.

“Bomb at Mae Sot dump injures 14 Burmese migrants”, Irrawaddy, February 22, 2008

Protest on government-backed Burmese monk visits to Bangladesh

Burmese monks and democratic activists in Bangladesh staged a protest on February 20 in the border town of Cox's Bazar against senior monks visiting from Burma.

The demonstration occurred after five senior government-backed Burmese monks came to Bangladesh to attend a religious festival at a town of Bandarban District in Bangladesh. Around 40 Burmese people joined in the Demonstration.

"We have evidence that they came to Bangladesh to organize monks in Bangladesh to support the current military government, so we had to stage a demonstration against them from Bangladesh soil," U Thawara, a Burmese monk said.

The Burmese military authority recently sent monks abroad on missions to organize the sangha in support of the junta and to stop the monk boycott of the military.

“Demonstration against senior Burmese Monks in Bangladesh” Narinjara News, February 21, 2008

DKBA members behinds the killing of Mahn Sha

Members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Karen splinter group, were confirmed to be involved in the assassination of Karen leader Mahn Sha, according to sources close to the DKBA.

One source close to DKBA leaders said the killing was most likely carried out by San Pyote (a.k.a. Soe Myint) and several other members of DKBA Battalion 999 who disappeared from territory controlled by the group shortly after the shooting death of Mahn Sha, who was the general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU).

The commander of DKBA Battalion 999, Col Chit Thu, will soon respond to charges that the killing was committed by DKBA members under his command and “take action for the assassination,” the source added.

Col Chit Thu was unavailable for comment and the DKBA has not yet responded to accusations that they were behind the killing of the KNU leader.

Thai Police in Mae Sot, where the KNU leader was murdered, have begun an investigation into the incident. According to a KNU official, local authorities in Mae Sot have arrested a Thai man who lent his car to Mahn Sha’s killers.

Despite a pledge from the police that they would apprehend the murderers, KNU leaders said they didn’t expect much from the Thai investigation because the victim is not Thai citizens.

“DKBA members kill Mahn Sha: Karen sources” Irrawaddy, February 21, 2008

More pressure on Burma needed: Bush

US President George W. Bush slammed the situation in Burma as "deplorable," and urged international pressure for democratic change and the release of political prisoners.

"Concerted international pressure is needed to achieve a genuine transition to democracy in Burma," Bush said in a statement.

"We encourage Burma's neighbors and other stakeholders in Southeast Asia to impress upon the regime the need to release all political prisoners," he said after the United States announced a new round of sanctions against supporters of the military junta.

"The situation in Burma remains deplorable," Bush said.

He accused the military regime of rejecting calls for dialogue with opposition groups, "arrests and secret trials of peaceful political activists" and "severe human rights abuses by the Burmese Army, including burning down homes and killing civilians."

“Bush urges international pressure on Myanmar”, Agence France Presse, February 25th, 2008

China not happy with calls for Olympics boycott

China repeated its stand that the Beijing Olympics should not be subject to political meddling in response to a boycott call by a Burma opposition group.

The 88 Generation Students organisation urged the boycott in protest against what it called China's "bankrolling" of Burma’s military junta that crushed pro-democracy protests last year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference the Aug. 8-24 Games were a big event for China and the world.

"It should not be politicised," he said. "Political excuses should not be used to meddle in it."

The Burma activists, who emerged from early anti-government protests in 1988, said Beijing was the junta's "major trade partner, major arms supplier and major defender".

"The military junta in Burma is still in power to this day, despite strong and continuous resistance by the people of Burma, because of China's support", the group said in a statement.

"China slams 'meddling' after Myanmar boycott call”, Reuters, February 26th, 2008

Gambari visits Japan

The United Nations' special envoy to Burma began a visit to Tokyo to brief Japan about the latest developments in the military-ruled country, officials said.

During his four-day trip, Dr Ibrahim Gambari is scheduled to hold talks with vice-foreign minister Mitoji Yabunaka, said an official of the UN representative office in Tokyo.

Japan maintains aid and cordial diplomatic ties with Burma, in a rare break from its Western allies, which are pressing for further punishment of the regime.

But Japan cancelled nearly five million dollars in grants as a protest after the crackdown in which a Japanese journalist was shot dead in Rangoon.

Mr Gambari plans to visit Myanmar in March. It will be his third trip to the country to mediate reconciliation between the junta and the opposition camp since a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in September.

“UN envoy to Myanmar in Japan: official”, The Straits Times, February 26th, 2008

Indonesia calls for more inclusive political process in Burma

Indonesia wants to see democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi included in the political process in military-ruled Burma, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said.

Burma's Foreign Minister Nyan Win confirmed to his south east Asian counterparts that the military's new constitution would bar widow Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections that have been slated for 2010 as she had been married to a foreigner.

Wirayuda said that Indonesia, the largest member of the Association of south East Asian Nations - to which Myanmar also belongs - should along with ASEAN still engage with the regime to push for an inclusive political process.

Indonesia welcomed the announcement of the May constitutional referendum and 2010 elections, "but Indonesia is still advocating an engagement by ASEAN with Myanmar," Wirayuda told a press briefing.

He said Indonesia supported the mission of UN envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari, who is UN chief Ban Ki-moon's point man on promoting national reconciliation in Burma.

“Indonesia calls for Suu Kyi participation”, IOL News, February 27th, 2008