BI Weekly No. 346

July 1st - 7th, 2008

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

Inside Burma

14 Suu Kyi's supporters arrested
1990 election results is no longer legal: NLM says
USDA increases security patrols after explosion
Vote ‘No’ campaign activists appear in court

Border

Burmese and DKBA troops withdraw
Border rail link plan to support Thai-Burma economicd

International

UNSC to take up Burma crisis this month
Ban Ki-moon to press Burma on freedom and democracy

14 Suu Kyi's supporters arrested

Burmese authorities have charged 14 supporters of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for protesting against the extension of her house arrest, police said.

They were arrested on Suu Kyi's 63rd birthday on June 19 as they shouted for her release outside the party headquarters of her National League for Democracy (NLD).

The NLD said it was working for their release.

On Friday, four NLD members were each sentenced to a year in jail for urging people to vote "No" in a nationwide constitutional referendum, which was held and passed by the ruling junta in May.

“Myanmar charges 14 Suu Kyi supporters for birthday demonstration,” AFP, July 5, 2008

The victory by democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party in 1990 elections is "no longer legal," Burma’s state media said, urging her supporters to prepare for new polls.

The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a government mouthpiece, ran a commentary headlined: "Goodbye, 1990 election results!"

The paper said that the approval of a new military-backed constitution in a referendum in May had invalidated the previous national election, won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).

"The NLD'd better join hands with the people and then stand for the 2010 election in line with the laws, instead of longing for the result of the 1990 election."

The constitutional referendum was held in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which left more than 138,000 dead or missing when it pounded ashore on May 2.

The junta claimed a 92.48 percent victory in the poll, a result derided by the NLD, which accused the regime of intimidation and vote rigging.

“Suu Kyi vote win 'no longer legal': Myanmar state media”, AFP, 5 July,2008

USDA increases security patrols after explosion

Burmese authorities have begun deploying security guards around-the-clock at government buildings and at the offices of junta-backed groups following Tuesday’s bomb blast at a Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) office in Rangoon.

Since Tuesday’s incident at the USDA office in Shwe Pyi Thar Township in the northern outskirts of Rangoon—in which no one was killed—military authorities have increased nighttime patrols in army trucks and have set up checkpoints around the city, as well as urging the public through state-run media to remain alert and to report any suspicious activity.     

An armed students’ group in exile, the Vigorous Burma Student Warriors, later claimed responsibility for the bombing.

“Security Tightened in Rangoon after Bomb Blast”, Irrawaddy, 4 July, 2008

2 members of National League for Democracy who were detained for allegedly campaigning against the regime’s draft constitution in the run-up to the 10 May referendum have appeared in court.

Thiha, a member of New Dagon NLD, said that his fellow party members U Tin Win and deputy youth leader Nyi Nyi Min had attended a court hearing but he had not known about it until he was told by a friend who saw them in court.

Both activists were arrested for wearing T-shirts with a ‘No’ symbol on them during the Thingyan water festival in April this year.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 80 activists were arrested across the country for participating in the ‘Vote No’ campaign. Most of those detained are still behind bars.

“‘Vote No’ activists appear in court”, Democratic Voice of Burma, 3 July, 2008

Burmese and DKBA troops withdraw

Troops from the Burmese military and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army withdrew from a Karen National Liberation Army stronghold on July 1, a day after attacking the area.

The KNLA battalion 201’s stronghold is located 25 miles south of the Thai town of Mae Sot on the border with Burma and across the river from a village called Padi.

KNU information department coordinator major Saw Hla Ngwe said the fighting lasted until yesterday and some heavy artillery shells fired by the Burmese army landed on Thai soil, causing havoc among Thai villagers, who fled their homes in fear.

About 200 Thai villagers had to flee their homes and took shelter in a monastery and a school building.

The number of casualties on the two sides is still unknown.

“Regime troops withdraw from KNLA stronghold” Democratic Voice of Burma, 2 July, 2008

Tak authorities are planning a rail link between the western Thai town of Tak and Mae Sot, which borders Burma.

Amnart Nanthaharn, the chairman of Tak Province’s Federation of Industries told The Irrawaddy that the project will benefit logistics and trade in the border area, which links Thailand to Burma as part of the East-West Economic Corridor agreement.

Supported primarily by the Asian Development Bank, the East-West Economic Corridor agreement focuses on constructing transport links between Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma, which has an Indian Ocean port on the Andaman Sea.

Amnart said, “The project will benefit trade in the area to the tune of about 15 billion baht (US $470 million) per year. In particular, it will support industrial and economic zone projects in Mae Sot in the future.”

The plan includes construction of a 29-kilometer (18-mile) tunnel through mountains, which will shorten the distance from Tak to Mae Sot from the current 88 kilometers (55 miles) by road to 70 kilometers (44 miles) by rail.

Mae Sot is expected to expand as a new industrial zone supported by border trade and, at the same time, reduce the number of Burmese migrant workers entering Thailand illegally.

Since 2006, the Burmese government has been promoting Myawaddy Township in Karen State, opposite Mae Sot, as an industrial zone.

“Railway plan for Tak to Mae Sot” Irrawaddy, 3 July, 2008.

The UN Security Council will take up the political impasse in Burma this month, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, said. No agreement on the date of the discussion could be reached.

Briefing UN correspondents after a closed meeting of the Security Council on the agenda for July, Khalilzad, who serves as council president last month, said the current crisis in Zimbabwe and a resolution on the Burmese political crisis were two issues raised by member countries during the meeting.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to the UN, Le Luong Ming, told reporters that members could not reach a consensus on when to discuss the Burma issue. He said there were proposals for the president to keep the members informed on the humanitarian situation in both Burma and Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the White House said Burma would be a top priority when US President George W Bush meets with world leaders in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 Summit.

 “UN to take up Burma issue again” Irrawaddy, 3 July, 2008

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledged to press Burma to bring “genuine freedom” to its people after he struck a deal to bring in international aid after a devastating cyclone.

Ban in May became the first secretary general in 44 years to visit Burma where he persuaded junta leader Than Shwe to accept foreign disaster experts.

“If and when it is necessary, I am going to broaden and deepen this process in my dialogue with the Myanmar authorities,” Ban told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo.

“You have my firm commitment and assurances that I will work very hard to help the Myanmar people to enjoy genuine freedom and democracy,” he said.

“UN chief says will press Myanmar on democracy”, Agence France Presse, 1 July, 2008