BI Weekly No. 353

August 19th - 25th, 2008

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

Inside Burma

Border

International

UN envoy visit Burma as ‘a waste of time’: NLD says

Burma's main opposition party has dismissed the latest visit by UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari as a waste of time.

Nyan Win, of the National League for Democracy (NLD), said Mr Gambari had not established any dialogue between the military rulers and the opposition.

He was also annoyed that the envoy appeared to have given tacit backing to the junta's planned election in 2010.

Detained NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi refused to meet Mr Gambari, fuelling speculation she is unhappy with the UN.

And Mr Gambari was not invited to the remote capital of Nay Pyi Taw to meet the junta's top leader, Senior General Than Shwe.

He added that Mr Gambari had also failed to make any progress on the other major theme of his mission - to secure the release of political prisoners including Ms Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest.

During his six-day visit, Mr Gambari did hold talks with the NLD and meet Prime Minister Thein Sein - a figurehead who holds little real power.

"UN Burma envoy 'wasted his time'" BBC News, August 25, 2008

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi refused to accept a food delivery to her home one week ago, according to the exiled National League for Democracy-Liberated Area. It isn’t clear if she has started a hunger strike.

The exiled group released a statement saying that Suu Kyi has refused to accept food from members of her party for nine days.

However, the NLD headquarters in Rangoon has yet to confirm the news. Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the NLD, told the party was trying to confirm the report.

Suu Kyi told an NLD member, Myint Soe, who regularly delivers her food not to bring any more after the middle of this month, according to her family lawyer, Kyi Win, who was allowed to meet her twice on August 8 and 17 to discuss legal issues surrounding her continued detention.

One senior NLD member in Rangoon also said that Suu Kyi had a plan to “cut food supplies” unless her demands to meet her lawyer for further discussions were met by the military authorities.

Suu Kyi was concerned with restrictions imposed on her by the regime. The lawyer explained that under restriction (a), Suu Kyi is not allowed to meet and hold talks with diplomats or political organizations. Under restriction (b), she is not allowed to leave her house.

"Suu Kyi refuses to accept food: Exiled NLD" Irrawaddy, August 25, 2008

Local authorities extort money from cyclone victims

Villagers in Irrawaddy division have complained that local authorities have continued to extort money from cyclone victims under various pretexts, despite a letter of complaint they sent to SPDC leaders to report the practice.

U Than Zin, chairman of Mangay Kalay village Peace and Development Council in Dadaye township, PDC members and U Khin Kyaw (also known as U Htin Kyaw) of the township land survey department extorted money from villagers for receiving aid from donors.

U Ba Kyi, a farmer from Mangay Kalay, said locals had been forced to pay for diesel fuel that had been donated to them.

“There were 1383 gallons of diesel, and they collected 500 kyat a gallon from us ­ so 919,000 kyat,” U Ba Kyi said.  “But these were actually given to us as donations.”

U Ba Kyi said each household was also told to pay money to help cyclone victims.

“They collected 500 kyat each from 432 families on the pretext of helping the storm victims,” he said.

Similarly in Talokehtaw village in Rangoon division’s Twante township, the village authority chairman and members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association and the Women’s Affairs Federation have been profiting from aid, a villager told DVB.

The villager said that goods had mainly been distributed to people who supported the authorities, while others had to pay to receive materials.

"Authorities extort money from cyclone victims" Democratic Voice of Burma, August 25, 2008

Local officials in charge of areas that voted No in the constitutional referendum in May have been dismissed, while No voters have also faced retaliation from the authorities, local residents told DVB.

Officials in charges of some wards and villages in Katha, Sagaing division, where residents voted overwhelmingly against the military regime’s proposed constitution, have been removed from their posts in the last month, according to local residents.

In Yenangyaung in Magwe Division, the authorities cut off the electricity supply and street lights in wards whose residents had voted against the constitution, while wards inhabited by the authorities and the pro-junta Union and Solidarity and Development Association members have been given 24-hour electricity.

Authorities have also been collecting lists of those who voted No to the referendum in other states and divisions.

“Voters and officials punished for ‘No’ votes” Democratic Voice of Burma, August 19, 2008

Economic troubles in Burma cause more migrants flow to Thailand

Burma’s economic troubles have been a boon to human traffickers in recent months, keeping them busy at a time of year when wet conditions traditionally slow the flow of migrants across the border into Thailand.

A source who is involved in smuggling migrant workers from Burma to Thailand estimated that about 300 Burmese migrants are illegally transported to Bangkok each day from border areas such as Mae Sot, Three Pagodas Pass, Mae Sai and Ranong.

Some local observers suggested that the steady influx was due to the impact of Cyclone Nargis, which slammed into Burma’s largely agricultural Irrawaddy delta on May 2-3, destroying cropland and leaving many farmers without any means of making a living.

“Normally, very few people come to Thailand during the rainy season,” said Nai Lawi Mon. “But this year we are seeing more and more people coming.”

Cyclone Nargis hit Burma at a time when inflation and unemployment were already at their highest levels in years, forcing a growing number of Burmese to flee to neighboring countries in search of work.

The perils of their journey were highlighted in April, when 54 Burmese migrants suffocated to death while being transported in a container truck from Ranong, near the Burmese border town of Kawthaung, to the Thai resort island of Phuket.

Although the tragedy prompted officials to step up efforts to stem the tide of illegal migrants into Thailand, Burmese continue to make the trip in a desperate bid to find jobs to support themselves and their families.

Meanwhile, the cost of smuggling migrants from Mae Sot to Bangkok has increased by about 2,000 Baht ($58) recently. It now costs 14,000 Baht ($412) make the trip to the Thai capital, sources said.

“Migrants flow out of Burma as economic woes deepen” Irrawaddy, August 21, 2008

Famine plaguing Chin state in western Burma killed 44 children after they were afflicted by malnutrition and diarrhea, according to Chin National Councils secretary Pu Ralhnin. Faced with starvation around 2,000 people have fled to India.

"All the victims are children. They died from malnutrition and diarrhea, Pu Ralhnin said.

The children who died from malnutrition and diarrhea - as a result of food shortage in Chin state are from Surngen, Tisen (A, B), Sentun, Ngalang, Lawngzuite, Lawngtlang villages in Thangtlang Township.

"Since they had nothing to eat, they looked for Yams in the jungle and had it as their daily meal. It led to malnutrition and diarrhea," he added.

Meanwhile faced with starvation, around 2,000 villagers from Paletwa Township, one of the worst affected areas in Chin state have fled to Mizoram state in northeast India to find job for survival.

Bamboo flowering began on the Indo-Burma border in late 2006 leading to multiplication of rats in the region. The rats gradually invaded the farmlands and destroyed crops such as paddy and maize the main staple food of Chin state.

As a result along the Indo-Burma border areas, over 100,000 people, heavily dependant on cultivation are facing food shortage.

“44 children die of starvation; 2,000 flee to India” Khonumthung News, August 21, 2008

Two international insurance companies have announced they will stop doing business in Burma following public campaigns highlighting their business services in the military-run country.

The insurance companies, XL of Britain, and Chubb of the United States, announced their intentions to pull out of Burma shortly after Burma Campaign UK published a report, “Insuring Repression,” that highlighted how global insurance companies help to facilitate business in the country run by a military dictatorship that is routinely accused of human rights violations.

In the report published in July, the activist group said international insurance companies in Britain, Japan and Singapore, a total of 16 companies, including Lloyd’s of London, Hannover Re, Catlin, Atrium, XL, Tokio Marine, Sompo Japan and Mitsui Sumitomo and their affiliates offered insurance to various businesses and industries in Burma, such as airlines, ports and shipping services.

“The company now has a policy that it will no longer seek to insure Burma companies or operations of companies in Burma,” stated XL capital Ltd.

XL Capital Ltd is a UK financial services company which has more than 3,500 employees and offices on Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Its main lines of business are casualty and property insurance and reinsurance.

Chubb Corporation announced it will order its member companies to close offices in Burma.
Chubb Corp is the 10th largest property and casualty insurer in the United States.

“International insurance companies leave Burma” Irrawaddy, August 19, 2008

Myo Tun, one of three Burmese activists who took part in political activities in Singapore, says “Now I have no future.” He is among three activists who were ordered to leave Singapore for demonstrating against the junta.

On August 2, the Singapore government declined to renew visas permits or extensions for Myo Tun and two other Burmese activists for participating in public protests illegally.

Public demonstrations are not allowed in Singapore without a police permit.

In addition to Myo Tun, Soe Thiha and Hlaing Moe were also forced to leave the country. Myo Tun had resided in Singapore for nine years.

The activists were part of a larger group of people who demonstrated against the Burmese junta in November 2007 during the Asean Summit meeting in Singapore. In April and May of this year, activists staged demonstrations in front of the Burmese embassy in Singapore against the new constitution.

Kyaw Soe, a member of the Overseas Burmese Patriots (OBP), a group of about 50 Burmese activists, said nine other activists, all permanent residents of Singapore, who participated in public protests in November are not sure their future.

“The Singapore government forced me to leave Singapore as quickly as possible,” Kyaw Soe told The Irrawaddy.

Meanwhile, The Strait Times newspaper reported on Saturday that Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs has warned Burmese political activists not to ignore repeated police orders to stop illegal public protests and anti-Burma activities.

“Burmese protests not allowed in Singapore” Irrawaddy, August 25, 2008

Final UN relief flight for Burma left Bangkok

The final UN relief supply flight for Burma took off from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport on Friday—the last of more than 230 operated by the UN’s World Food Programme following Cyclone Nargis in May.

The WFP planes took nearly 4,000 tons of relief supplies to Burma, including building material, medicine, mosquito nets and water purification equipment. The 20,000 square meter warehouse at the airport used to store the supplies will also now be closed.

The WFP said international humanitarian organizations will continue to supply food, medical supplies and relief equipment to the affected Irrawaddy delta areas. Nearly 28,000 tons of food has so far been delivered to more than 700,000 people in the region.

Despite the continuing relief effort, refugees are still arriving in urban areas looking for food and work.

“UN ends its relief flights from Bangkok to Burma” Irrawaddy, August 22, 2008

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Legislators from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rejected a request by a group of Burma (Myanmar) parliamentarians-in-exile to be allowed to take part in their annual meetings as members or at least as special observers.

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together legislators from the 10 ASEAN member countries, turned down the request made by the Burma parliamentarians' group known as the Members of Parliament Union on grounds that Burma is already represented in the assembly, albeit by the country's junta.

"Our concern was a technical one - we cannot admit another body," said Abdullah Tarmugi, speaker of Singapore's Parliament, who is also the assembly's current chair.

"But there was great empathy for the plight of the Myanmarese and we urged the Myanmar government to quicken the pace towards democratization and reconciliation," he said.

The MPU was formed in 1996 by parliamentarians who were elected in 1990 but are now in exile.

MPU members, calling themselves the legitimate parliamentarians of Burma, want their fellow parliamentarians in ASEAN to allow their participation in the inter-parliamentary assembly as a sign of solidarity with the movement for democracy in Myanmar.

More than 300 ASEAN parliamentarians attended the meeting, which also discussed issues such as food security and environmental sustainability.
The next general assembly will be held in August 2009 in Thailand.

“ASEAN legislators reject Burma counterparts' request to join meetings” Kyodo News Service, August 22, 2008

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