MONKS AND NUNS ARE SO POOR IN THE COURT

Nine monks and seven nuns—some of them elderly—were awaiting sentence after facing charges of involvement in last September’s protests against Burma’s ruling junta, according to opposition sources and witnesses in Rangoon.
Witnesses said that eight monks and seven nuns from Thitsar Tharaphu Monastery and one monk from Hantharwaddy Monastery appeared in North Okkalapa Township Court on Wednesday, but nothing has been heard of their fate.
All 16 were arrested in raids on their monasteries on October 6 last year, accused of participating in monk-led demonstrations that ended after a bloody crackdown in late September.
According to witnesses, police prevented family members from approaching the detained clerics—who had been stripped of their robes and dressed in traditional longyi—as they were taken into the courthouse.
“I met [their relatives] at the courthouse,” said one witness. “They were so poor themselves that they could only bring small offerings—just a cup of tea and a cheroot.”
Another witness said that several of the accused were in extremely poor physical condition.
“One nun in her eighties, Daw Ponnami, had to struggle to walk because she is half-paralyzed. She had to drag her feet to get to the bar to face charges,” the witness said, adding that the nun’s normally shaven head was covered with short white hair.
“The older monks and nuns looked physically exhausted, and one of the elder monks was suffering from a skin disease,” the witness said.
One paralyzed 70-year-old monk was unable to answer any of the questions put to him by the judge, according to the witness.

NLD EVER SAYS JARK AYE'S STORY

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COMMUNIST PARTY OF BURMA SAYS "TO GRAB THE CHANCE"

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ONE OF 88GENERATION STUDENTS' LEADDERS IS IN HOT WATER

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BANGKOK, Feb 28 (IPS) - Somewhere in the dilapidated city of Rangoon is a man on the run since August last year. He has sheltered in over 10 homes so far. But he expects to continue avoiding arrest by Burma's dreaded military or intelligence forces.
When Tun Myint Aung shifts from one safehouse to another, he goes armed with two items that have become indispensable. They are a mobile phone and a portable, Chinese-made radio, to listen to such anti-junta stations like the Democratic Voice of Burma, based in Oslo, Norway.
''The phone and the radio are very important now. I always take them wherever I go. They are next to me when I sleep,'' says Tun Myint Aung, in a voice with a hint of excitement, during a recent telephone interview with IPS from his current safehouse in the former Burmese capital. ''Through them I stay in touch with people outside, my friends, and follow the news about events in the country.''
But his Tecsum shortwave radio has taken on added value in military-ruled Burma's current oppressive climate. ''The radio has become a social weapon for me and for our movement,'' adds Tun Myint Aung over the phone, an act that could get him jailed. ''It is how the messages against the military regime are broadcast by us and others against them.''
The ''us'' he refers to is the '88 Generation Students', a highly respected group of former university graduates who have been at the vanguard of peaceful protests against Burma's repressive military leaders. The group gets its name from leading a pro-democracy popular movement in 1988, which was brutally crushed by the military, leaving some 3,000 protestors dead.
Till August 2007, Tun Myint Aung worked in the shadows of '88 Generation' leaders like Min Ko Naing, who to many Burmese is the most respected person in the country for his democracy crusade after Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate. But that month, the junta arrested Min Ko Naing and other prominent leaders of the group to curb the protests they called for after the regime raised the price of oil by 500 percent without warning.
Tun Myint Aung, who will be turning 40 this year, had to flee his home to avoid arrest. It was an escape, forcing him to ''run and run,'' sometimes having to spend nights on the streets with no place to hide, that has consequently propelled him to be a new leader of the '88 Generation'. With him at the helm are two other activists of the same group, also on the run, Nilar Thein and Soe Htun.
His first month as a leader was overshadowed by the rage against the junta that poured on the streets of Rangoon and other cities in September. Tens of thousands of people, led by the countries maroon-robed Buddhist monks, staged peaceful protests. They raised a cry against the unbearable economic woes, the arrest of the '88 Generation' leaders, and the continued imprisonment of political activists, including Suu Kyi. But the junta responded with force, killing scores of demonstrators, including monks, and jailing hundreds.
The events, since then, have proved as formidable: the junta recently announced plans to conduct a referendum in May to seek approval for a controversial new constitution. And mounting a political campaign against that plebiscite from underground is a challenge.
''There are 11 organisations we are working with to inform the public that the new constitution was not drafted by the people's representatives. We are also warning that the referendum will not be free and fair,'' says Tun Myint Aung. ''But if people want to vote, we are urging them to vote 'No'. They have to oppose the military's plan to get its political life extended legally.''
A mass movement against the referendum is also being discussed. ''We want a nation-wide silent movement against the military. We have been contacting people in our network, through the phone and other ways, to get this message out,'' he reveals. ''Our actions are to get as many people to lead this silent protest. That is how we have always worked. It is never been based on only one person.''
The anger that the new leaders of the '88 Generation' have towards the regime was displayed in mid-February, when they released a statement saying that the planned May referendum is a ''declaration of war by the military regime against the Burmese people.'' Another has followed since, denouncing the Chinese government for ''bankrolling'' the junta and calling for a boycott of this year's summer olympics in Beijing.
Despite the odds, Tun Myint Aung relishes his new role to lead the Burmese opposition from within the country. ''It is a very heavy task that we have, but it is exciting,'' he says. ''I am not depressed; I am eager to try as many actions as we can against the military. This is the way to help our people and to help my brothers, our comrades, in jail.''
Even the solitary hours that he sometimes has to endure to avoid arrest barely gets him down. For he has experienced worse: he was arrested in 1990 and jailed at the notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon for three years. At the time, he was studying geography at Rangoon University. His ''crime'' was to be a protest leader in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Then, in 1998, he was arrested again and jailed till 2005. Once again, it was for his political activism.
''I have not talked to my parents for many months; I cannot contact them, because our home in Rangoon is under watch by the intelligence,'' he admits, after a pause. ''I miss that. I miss talking to my nieces and nephews. But they are used to not seeing me home''
At times, however, the strain of struggling to remain free from the junta's grip leads to restless nights. ''If I hear strange sounds on the road, too many dogs barking at night, I wake up,'' he says. ''What is it?''
And visits to a hospital or clinics are out of the question for him: ''I cannot get sick. It is too risky to go to a clinic. I am always taking care of my health now.''
Yet there is a reason that weighs in his favour if he had to call on a doctor. His face remains a mystery to the junta; it had not been in the glare during the dissidents' public campaign. ''It is fortunate. I avoided having my photos taken during the protests last year,'' says Tun Myint Aung.
But that spell of anonymity may not last long, he concedes. ''The junta wants to arrest all our leaders. I cannot foretell my future: if I go to jail or not.''

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TWO DIPLOMATS DEMAND TO FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS

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THE FUTURE OF BURMA

BURMA' S PIRATES ANNOUNCE AND THREAT THE WHOLE NATION

BURMA'S MILITARY PIRATE ANNOUNCE ITS COMMISSION FOR REFERENDUM AND THREAT THE WHOLE NATION. SO WE HAVE TO WATCH FOR MORE ARRESTS AND TORTURES OUR CIVILIANS IN FUTURE.
Burma's military government has enacted a new law threatening stiff punishment for anybody who disturbs the smooth procedure of the planned May referendum on a draft constitution for the country. It also bars monks and nuns from voting.
The state-controlled press reported that the new legislation, announced on Tuesday evening, provides for penalties of up to three years imprisonment and 100,000 kyat (US $77) for offenders who distribute statements and posters or who make speeches against the referendum.
The law, signed by junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe, was printed, in the Burmese language, in Wednesday's edition of the state-run Myanma Alin newspaper.The paper said the law's objectives were to cover such matters as the preparation of electoral rolls, vote counting and postponement and cancellation of voting. The referendum plan has been faulted by its critics for failing to be “inclusive” of all shades of political opinion. Those excluded from voting include monks, nuns, high-ranking Christian and Hindu officials, the mentally ill, people living in exile, convicted felons and foreigners.The military regime announced on February 9 that it would hold a referendum on its drafted constitution in May and elections in 2010. The law has 12 chapters and also provides for the formation of a 45-member commission to convene and oversee the voting. Myanma Alin said the commission would include representatives of the ethnic minorities and legal experts.At least 10 eligible voters will count the ballots with one commission member. The law doesn’t provide for independent observers.The chairman of the commission is Aung Toe, Burma’s Supreme Court chief justice, and the secretary is Win Ko, managing director of the office of the commission for the election. “Most of the members are civil servants and retired officials, including San Lwin, who graduated from the Defense Service Academy,” said one Rangoon observer.Speaking to The Irrawaddy from his hiding place, Lin Htet Naing, a leader of the All Burma Federation of Students’ Unions, said: “We need an international agency to monitor the referendum. If the agencies are not in Burma for the referendum, the junta’s puppet commission will try to perpetuate army control.” Thakin Chan Tun, a veteran politician and former Burmese ambassador to China, said: “Most people inside Burma are not interested in the coming referendum.”Soe Tun, one of the leaders of the 88 Generation Students group, told The Irrawaddy: “We don’t agree to any result coming out from the referendum.”Soe Tun said it was even forbidden to debate the draft constitution. “Our country has no law, they [the junta] enact what they like.” “If the authorities force people to go to the polling stations, we call on them to vote ‘No’,” Soe Tun told The Irrawaddy.

What is the boycott goal for Burma

CHINESE PATROL BOAT UNDER ATTACK

CHINESE PATORAL UNDER ATTACK

An unidentified armed group attacked a Chinese patrol boat on the Mekong river yesterday morning, injuring three Chinese police officers.
One of the injured, now being treated at a hospital in Chiang Rai, told Thai officials the attackers appeared in uniforms similar to those of Burmese soldiers. However, the identity of the attackers was unknown.
''This is a very sensitive international issue because the ambush occurred at a spot near the borders of many countries,'' said Chiang Rai governor Preecha Kamolbutr as he visited the three victims at the hospital yesterday.
The Chinese boat was patrolling the river where it flows between Burma and Laos, under a regional cooperation scheme aimed at fighting drug trafficking in an area renowned for opium and now a major producer of amphetamines.
A second boat carrying half a dozen suspected drug traffickers opened fire as it approached the Chinese vessel, near the border between Burma and Laos, about 10 kilometres to the north of Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district, navy officials said.
As the boats neared, the attackers boarded the Chinese craft, shooting and stabbing some of the six police before jumping back on their own vessel to escape, said Commander Pakorn Pothichai of the Thai Navy Mission for the Mekong.
The clash lasted about five minutes.
The officer said the gang was believed to be working to protect a drugs shipment on the river. ''Chinese officials apparently had a tip-off about a drugs delivery, so the traffickers were trying to stop them,'' he said.
Yesterday's attack occurred at the same time as a meeting of the Thai-Burma Township Border Committee (TBC) was held at a hotel in the town of Tachilek in Burma.
Thai officials and their Burmese counterparts discussed the incident and were gravely concerned.
''The Burmese officials insisted there were no Burmese soldiers in the ambush area,'' said Phamuang task force commander Maj-Gen Chavalit Sirikit.
However, Burmese officials admitted the area was under the supervision of an ethnic minority group, led by Knorkham. They said the group had already surrendered to the junta government and has been appointed as a volunteer group to keep order in the area.
Sources said Knorkham is a former aid of late drug kingpin Khun Sa, the leader of the now-defunct Mong Tai Army (MTA) rebel group. The armed group led by Knorkham allegedly extorted money from vendors in Tachilek and tried to expand its influence to other business areas in Laos and along the Mekong. His group often appeared in Burmese soldier's uniforms, the sources added.
Knorkham is also on the wanted list of Thai drug suppression officials.
''Suspects in a heroin case told police the drug belonged to Knorkham,'' said an official of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, referring to a drugs bust in late 2005.

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CROCODILE SHOWS ITS TEARS

Thailand has no choice but to put national economic interests before human rights concerns in dealing with Burma, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said yesterday.
The Samak government would do whatever it takes to turn the economy around as quickly as possible.
''In the past, we had constructive engagement and flexible engagement, but they never took us anywhere.
''Now, we will adopt another approach, neighbour engagement.
''We will talk to them in a friendly manner on subjects that they are comfortable with,'' said Mr Noppadon.
He would also talk about the Election Commission's experiences in organising a constitutional referendum when he visits Burma in the second week of March. The junta has announced plans for a national referendum in May.
''The policy of non-interference remains a sacrosanct principle, not only for Asean but also the international community,'' he said.
Under intense international pressure, the junta announced plans this month for a referendum in May on a proposed new constitution written under military guidance, to be followed by a general election in 2010.
Mr Noppadol said he feels sorry for Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but was not able to help her.
The junta's domestic and international critics say the referendum plans are undemocratic because they do not involve open debate and they also bar Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, from taking part in the elections.

BOYCOTT CHINA FOR 8 AUGUST,2008

The 88 Generation Students group has today delivered a strongly worded message to the international community, appealing for a comprehensive boycott of the Summer Games.
The call to action comes as the group maintains that China continues in its "unilateral" support for Burma's ruling junta, its uncritical support for the regime said to be directly linked to a pervasive atmosphere of fear and trepidation among Burma's citizenry.
88 Generation urges all conscience-minded people "to pressure the Government of China to withdraw its unilateral support of the Burmese military junta and to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics in response to China's bankrolling of the military junta that rules our country of Burma with guns and threats," reads the protestation.
"Supporting a regime that is brutally suppressing its people is an indirect oppression of the people. We are protesting this act," Tun Myint Aung, an 88 Generation student who is on the run told Mizzima via telephone.
"Following the September Saffron revolution, China openly supplied military hardware, including armor trucks and weapons, to the Burmese regime," Tun Myint Aung added. "Instead of protecting the people of Burma from the regime's suppression China calls it an internal affair. But on the other hand they supply military hardware to the regime; so China has been backing the junta which is directly responsible for human rights violations and economic deterioration in Burma."
The letter proceeds to accuse China of undermining "diplomatic efforts to free the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners."
Though China, along with Russia, vetoed a Security Council resolution on Burma in January of 2007, China did support a Security Council statement in October of last year condemning the use of violence in suppressing the Saffron Revolution as well as championing the causes of an all-inclusive process and the freeing of political prisoners.
Signatories to the statement called on the junta to include all parties in a process directed at working together "toward a de-escalation of the situation and a peaceful solution" achieved through "genuine dialogue."
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi further informed United Nations Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, that China fully supports the mediation efforts of the United Nations in resolving Burma's crisis.
The conversation, on the 19th of this month, led Gambari to comment as to his appreciation for the important role that China is playing with respect to Burma and his mission.
It is widely believed that Chinese intervention and pressure is directly linked to the junta's willingness to officially invite Gambari to the country.
Moreover, United States President George Bush has continually reaffirmed that he plans on personally attending the Olympics this August, viewing the conduct of the Games purely as a matter of sport.
"I'm not gonna you know, go and use the Olympics as an opportunity to express my opinions to the Chinese people in a public way," Bush can be heard commenting in a BBC interview conducted earlier this month.
The 88 Generation Students however, with or without an overarching boycott, make an overture to citizens throughout the world to avoid watching the Games on television or partake in the purchase of any souvenirs or items whose proceeds would benefit the 2008 Olympics.
Referencing the coincidence in date for the opening of the 2008 Games, August 8, 2008, the 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 uprising from which the group derives its name, 88 Generation "urge people of conscience throughout the world – including the hundreds of thousands of Burmese in dozens of countries – to pledge to not watch or support in any way the Beijing Olympics."

ANOTHER SANCTION BULLET SHOT

US ALREADY SHOT ANOTHER SANCTION BULLET TO PARTNERS OF BURMA'S REGIME. BUT WE MUST WATCH THAT IT IS HIT OR NOT TO THE AIMED TARGET.

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The White House insisted the regime release Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading democratic activist and 1991 Nobel peace winner who has been held under house arrest in Rangoon since 2003, and other pro-democracy advocates, and end military offensives and human rights abuses against minorities. The sanctions announced Monday add to the 33 people and 11 companies already placed under such measures since last year. Additionally, visa restrictions have been placed on nearly 900 officials and their families, the White House said. The 88 Generation Students group, which was instrumental in last year's pro-democracy demonstrations which were murderously halted by the dictatorship, urged "citizens around the world ... to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics in response to China's bankrolling of the military junta that rules our country of Burma with guns and threats."The 88 Generation Students accused key Burmese trading partner China of arming the junta and failing to help bring about a meaningful dialogue between the Burmese regime and detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party.The 88 Generation Students is named after the August, 1988, democratic uprising, also crushed brutally by the Burmese army with the loss of many lives.

88 GSE DELEGATION IN JAPAN

POSTED BY 88GSE

POLITICAL VIEW POINT FOR ASEAN

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ACTIVISTS RECALL BURMA'S GENOCIDE

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BURMA CAUCUS SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA

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US CONGRESSMAN TRIES TO OPEN GENOCIDE FILE OF BURMA

US Congressman accuses Burma of committing "genocide"

US Congressman Trent Franks, the co-chair for the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Taks Force on International Religious Freedom, expresses condolences over the death of Karen rebel leader Pado Mahn Sha, and urged the world to hold the Burmese junta for their attacks against civilians.

"It is time the world hold the Burmese military regime accountable for decades of genocide against the ethnic and religious minorities of Burma. They are all God's children and deserve the dignity to live as such, in freedom and without fear. I call on the international community to act in solidarity to end the suffering of these people and support the democracy movement of which Mahn Sha was a critical part." Franks said in a statement sent from his office on Friday.

Franks described Mahn Sha as a "visionary Karen leader" and that his death was "a great loss for the Karen people and the movement for democracy in Burma." Mahn Sha was a strong supporter of pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi who has been placed under house arrest for most part of the past two decades.

"Mahn Sha gave his life to protect the Karen from the incomprehensible genocide committed against them by the Burmese military regime. My heart goes out to his family and the people of Burma who have lost a courageous leader."

Franks said attacks by Burmese government troops against civilians were a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

According to information Mahn Sha provided before his death, in 2007 alone, the Karen suffered 2,000 attacks on civilians, 20,000 people were forced to flee their villages, 3,000 Karen became refugees and there were about 110 deaths, the statement said.

HOW DO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN BURMA FEEL?

Sylvester Stallone's Rambo character looks like a fat lunatic in his new movie, a Myanmar magazine said this week, bucking local public opinion that has glorified him for his exploits fighting the ruling junta's unpopular soldiers.

The new Rambo film shows the weary hero on a mission to rescue a group of Christian missionaries taken captive by brutal government troops in the jungles of Myanmar.

Stallone's fictional exploits have made him a folk hero among the government's real-life foes here, who circulate bootleg DVDs of the film, even though state censors have ordered video shops not to carry the movie because it denigrates the army's image.

"We need many Rambos in Myanmar," said a 75-year-old retired civil servant after watching it. Like other viewers, he asked not to be named for fear of trouble from authorities.

The movie's catch phrase, "Either live for something, die for nothing _ it's your choice," is especially poignant after last September's nonviolent demonstrations for democracy were violently quashed by the army.

But an article in The Voice, a Myanmar-language magazine, decried Rambo's bloodletting, and said he "looks funny fighting a war with sagging breasts."

"Stallone's unsmiling and serious-looking style makes him look like a lunatic," it added.

The magazine's critique is actually a loosely translated version of a column published in the Jan. 28 edition of Singapore's Straits Times newspaper. Its reference to Myanmar's "dictators" did not make it into The Voice's story.

The Voice, like other privately owned publications, is often pressured into carrying "pro-government" articles and commentaries.

Meanwhile, even film snobs who normally turn their noses up at such a shoot-em-up say they can't wait to load up their DVD players.

"Everyone likes to live in the world of fantasy at least for a short period. Even in a movie, we are happy to see the American mercenary enter Myanmar to smash up the brutal army," a 22-year old university student said.

DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S UNPLAYED PIANO

YouTube - DAMIEN RICE & LISA HANNIGAN : UNPLAYED PIANO

At 40, ASEAN must care more about human rights
JAKARTA -- On its 40th anniversary, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations must face new realities it did not have when it was born, the pressures of democracy and human rights, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday.
Speaking before an ASEAN seminar to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the regional grouping, Yudhoyono said the glue that ties ASEAN members together is no longer just economic cooperation and socio-cultural exchange.
''We are under a different set of pressures now,'' the president said. ''All over the world, people want to take their destiny in their own hands, to take part in the making of decisions that affect their lives -- this is the pressure of democracy.''
''People also want to assert the essential worth of their humanity. They demand the respect that they are human beings. This is the pressure of human rights,'' he said.
According to Yudhoyono, even the concept of security today has greatly broadened, which is no longer just a matter of defending the state against an army marching across its border, but also sharing commitment to defend democracy and human rights.
''If we are going to have an ASEAN that is a - community of caring societies, then it must care not only about the livelihood and the social amenities, but also about the fundamental rights of the human being,'' he said.
The president expressed his pleasure over a consensus reached by ASEAN foreign ministers during a meeting in Manila last week to mandate the provision of a human rights body as part of a Charter to strengthen ASEAN after overcoming resistance from Burma.
"Otherwise, the ASEAN Charter can not be regarded as the affirmation of a vision and a set of values and ideals that are the hallmark of a caring community,'' he said.
The region is a hodgepodge of political systems -- a military junta in Burma, socialist governments in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, a sultanate in Brunei, democratic governments in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and to a lesser extent Singapore.
Thailand has been under de facto military rule since the ouster of Thaksin Shinawatra's elected government last year.
A task force assigned to draft the charter will continue to work on the details and the final charter is expected to be adopted by ASEAN leaders at their Singapore summit in November.
In the Manila meeting, the ministers expressed concerns over the Burma junta's slow progress toward democracy and its continued detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
ASEAN, which depends heavily on foreign investment and trade with the United States and 'Social cohesiveness is important, because goodwill and a feeling of belonging together...is an ''Economic cooperation is important. It is one way of ensuring that there is a daily bread on the family table. But the human being does not live by bread alone. He must also be assured.
SEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967 in Bangkok by five countries -- Indonesia, Brunei joined in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Burma in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999.
The ASEAN region has a population of about 500 million, a combined gross domestic product of almost $700 billion and total trade of about $850 billion.

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Arms Embargo on Burma

BURMESE EXILES GO INTO CONGRESS WITH PETITION

REGIME DRAWS A PLAN "NO MORE VOTE FOR NLD"

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said his Burma counterpart told a regional meeting on Tuesday that the new constitution barred Suu Kyi from the polls because of her marriage to Briton Michael Aris, who died in 1999, and because their children held foreign passports, the newspaper said.
Yeo said foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) told Burma's representative, Nyan Win, that the move was "not in keeping with the times."
"He was quite clear that in the new constitution, a Myanmar [Burma] citizen who has a foreign husband or who has children not citizens of Burma will be disqualified, as it was in the 1974 constitution," Yeo said, according to the paper.
Earlier this month, Burma's ruling generals announced a referendum in May on a new constitution, to be followed by an election in 2010.

CHIN NATIONAL CELEBRATION UNDER SQUZEED CONTROL BY REGIME

WHAT WILL YOU DO ? Now UN accepts referendum.

FORTWAYNE FAMILIES PRAY FOR A GREAT LOST

OUR FORTWAYNE FAMILIES ARE PRAYING FOR PADOH MANH SHA IN BUDDHISTS' MEANS. SOME ARE MOURNING FOR THEIR GREAT LOST BEFORE DEMOCRACY IS NOT COMING OUT YET. BUT THEY ALL UNITEDLY DECIDE TO CONTINUE THEIR DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE FOR BURMA NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED.

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JAPANESE INVESTIGATORS SET FOOT IN RANGOON

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NLD OPENLY DENOUNCES REGIME'S PLAN

NLD OPENLY DENOUNCES REGIME'S PLAN

THE WORLD'S WORST DICTATOR IN BURMA

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DO NOT CLOSE EYSES AND EARS FOR MORE ARRESTS

UN, GAMBARI SHOULD NOT CLOSE EYES AND EARS FOR MORE ARRESTS INSIDE BURMA
Military intelligence officers raided the office of the Myanmar Nation weekly in Rangoon on Friday and again on Monday, arresting the editor and the office manager.
Thet Zin, the 42-year-old editor, is a former political prisoner who was sentenced to Insein Prison in 1988.
He was arrested on Friday evening, according to his wife, Khin Swe Myint. She said she didn’t know why the authorities arrested her husband.
“About eight policemen and intelligence officials came to the Myanmar Nation office at 5:30 pm on Friday and searched the office for about four hours,” she told The Irrawaddy on Monday.
The office manager, Sein Win Maung, was also arrested.
Among the documents military officers confiscated from the office were UN Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro's report on Burma, Shan ethnic leader Shwe Ohn’s book on federalism and a VCD on the September uprising. Sources said authorities also confiscated hand-written poems from Sein Win Maung's desk.
Both men are being held at the Thingangyun Township police ptation on the outskirts of Rangoon.
“Thet Zin has heart and lung-related diseases,” said his wife, who met with him on Monday at the police station.
The military regime has increased pressure on journalists, reporters and writers in Burma after the pro-democracy uprising was crushed.
Recently, authorities arrested a blogger, Nay Phone Latt.
The Irrawaddy has learned that authorities have been focusing on the connection between journalists in Burma and exiled-based media organizations.
Thet Zin has published poems and short stories in Burmese-language magazines under the pen name Maung Zin.
Previously, he worked as a reporter and editor for several weekly journals including News Watch and Ah Lin Tan. He founded the Myanmar Nation weekly in 2006.

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JAPAN READY TO WELCOME BURMESE REFUGEES

JAPAN READY TO WELCOME BURMESE REFUGEES

RUSSIAN GOES INTO BURMA TO ROB

Russian Company Signs Gold Exploration Deal with Burma when many Western countries either ban or discourage investment in Burma as a way of pressuring its ruling junta.


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WHO KILL PHADO MAHN SHA

POSTED BY 88 GSE

KNU IS READY FOR REVOLUTION

UN BOSS MEETS US BOOS FOR BURMA

UN BOSS MEETS US BOSS AT WHITE HOUSE

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STATEMENT FOR PHADO MAHN SHA BY 88GSE

88GENERATION STUDENTS ISSUED FOR RESPECTED LEADER, PHADA MHAN SHA, WHO WAS ASSASSINATED BY TWO UNKNOWN STRANGERS IN MASOET TOWN, (TAK PROVINCE )ON THAI-BURMA.
PLEASE WATCH YOU TUBE UPDATE AS SHOWN ADDRESS
BORDER.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQYJy40XMk

88GENERATION STUDENTS IS CALLING FOR CIVILIANS'PROTEST

POSTED BY88 GENERATION STUDENTS (EXILE) IS CALLING FOR NATIONAL PROTEST AGAINST THE ROAD MAP REFERENDUM OF BURMA'S REGIME

WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR NATION?

WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR NATION IF UN ALLOWS THE MOST CUNNING REGIME TO HOLD REFERENDUM AGAINST YOUR CIVILIANS' WILL?

UN evoy says Burma referendum is potentially positive

Mr Ibrahim Gambari, UN special envoy for Burma said the referendum and the general election recently announced by Burma was potentially positive if it would meet certain conditions.

Gambari said in order for referendum to be credible, the junta must allow freedom of expressions, release all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It must also allow United Nation’s monitoring when the election is held eventually. Gambari also urged to consider the views of political groups who did not participate in the National Convention.

Mr Ibrahim Gambari's comment came during the interview with United Nation radio on February 14, a day after the close-door meeting with “Group of Friends" which Burma's neighbors and major western powers.

Mr Gambari will also visit Beijing from 18-19 February, followed by stops in Jakarta and Singapore.

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WHAT WILL UN DO IN FUTURE FOR BURMA?

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday convened a meeting of his “Group of Friends” on Burma to discuss the situation arising out of the Burmese military government’s unilateral decision to hold a referendum on its draft constitution followed by general elections.
This was the second meeting of the Secretary-General’s “Group of Friends” on Burma, the first being in December.
The group comprises 14 members, including Burma’s neighbors India, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. The permanent members of the Security Council—China, the US, Britain, Russia and France—were also involved, as was Slovenia, in its capacity as European Union president, as well as Australia, Norway and Japan, the largest donor country to Burma.
While details of the meeting held at the UN headquarters were not immediately available, it is understood that some of the key international players, such as the US, France and Britain, observed that such an announcement coming from the Burmese military regime is in “open defiance” to the view of the international community.
In October, in a presidential statement, the UN Security Council urged the Burmese junta to initiate dialogue toward the restoration of democracy in the country with Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy and the ethnic groups. The statement also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners and an all-inclusive and transparent process toward a new democratic constitution and the protection of human rights.
The US, Britain and France are believed to have argued the case for stronger UN intervention and a binding Security Council resolution in this regard. They also urged countries like India and China, which hold a considerable degree of influence over the military regime, to play a more assertive role.
On the other hand, countries like China, India and Thailand are understood to have taken the stance that the Burmese junta’s announcement must be respected and that this is the first step toward the restoration of democracy in the country.
Addressing the representatives of the 14 countries, Ban Ki-moon is believed to have said that, at this juncture, it is important that UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari visits the country as soon as possible.
According to the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday exchanged views by telephone regarding a planned visit to China by Gambari.
Ban informed the “Group of Friends” that the special envoy is scheduled to visit Beijing from February 18 to 19, followed by trips to Jakarta and Singapore.

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SPECIAL UPDATE NEWS POSTED BY ANH

Japan grants no money to Burma
Tokyo - Sanction-hit Burma got nothing Wednesday as Japan pledged approximately US$20 million (Bt662 million) for development projects in the Mekong basin.
Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win together with his counterparts from the Mekong region - Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam - were in Tokyo for the first MekongJapan foreign ministers' meeting.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura signed a memorandum of understanding with his Laotian counterpart, Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodia's Hor Namhong and Vietnam's Pham Gia Khiem. It provides financial assistance through the JapanAsean Integration Fund to those countries.
Japan cancelled nearly $5 million in development assistance to juntaruled Burma in October last year in response to the military crackdown on street protests in late September. At least 31 were killed, including Japanese news photographer Kenji Nagai.
Some 40 Burmese activists in Japan staged a protest yesterday in front of the meeting venue, and the hotel where Nyan Win is staying.
They are demanding an end to international assistance for the militaryruled country.
They displayed portraits of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and posters reading "stop killing in Burma".
The $20million fund will be spent improving transport and freight along the EastWest Economic Corridor, the link from Thailand, via Laos, to Vietnam as well as the CambodiaLaosVietnam Development Triangle.
Japan and the three countries decided on a list of projects, which included a feasibility study of road improvements in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Thailand is not a recipient, but joined the meeting as a partner with Japan.
Koumura praised Thailand's role in the Mekongbasin development.
The region's countries appreciate Japan and Thailand's continued support for the development of the region, he said.
Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said Thailand had contributed some $55 million to neighbours in the region between 1995 and 2006, plus some $200 million for 16 infrastructure projects.
Nitya linked Thailand's brainchild project the AyeyawadyChao PhyaMekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) with Japan's role in developing the region. ACMECS consists of Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. That was the reason Burma's minister was in Tokyo.
In ACMECS, Thailand is ready to play a role with Japan in undertaking study of development of Laos's Savanakhet Airport, he said.
"Thailand looks forward to working with Japan and cooperation with Mekong countries to identify other projects and areas where trilateral cooperation can be applied," Nitya said.

UPDATE BY THE NATION NEWS

A TOP LEADER IN KAREN NATION DIED UNDER UNKNOWN PLOT

Mahn Sha, the general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU) was shot dead on Thursday afternoon at his home in Mae Sot, Thailand, according to KNU sources.
David Takapaw, the joint-secretary of the KNU, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that Mahn Sha was shot by two unknown gunmen on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m. in his home near the center of Mae sot.
The only eye witness, a Karen girl, said, “Two men climbed the stairs of his home and said ‘good evening’ (in Karen language) to Mahn Sha. Then they shot him twice in the left side of his chest. He died immediately.”
The two men arrived in front of the house in a black car, while the other people were downstairs.
Mahn Sha was general secretary of the KNU, which has faced serious internal conflicts since the death of its charismatic leader, Gen Saw Bo Mya, in December 2006.
Majoring in history at Rangoon University in 1962, Mahn Sha joined the Karen movement in the jungle at the Thai-Burmese border as soon as he finished his studies. He was seen as one of the leading lights in the KNU and was being groomed to take over the troubled KNU leadership. He was 64.
The KNU has been plagued with recent conflicts. Last year, Maj Gen Htain Maung, former leader of the KNU’s 7th Brigade, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military regime. This was seen as yet another blow to KNU leaders who lost their fortified headquarters at Manerplaw to the Burmese army in 1995.
There have recently been several attacks and assassination attempts between mainstream KNU members and the breakaway 7th Brigade, now known as KNU/KNLA Peace Council.
Last month, Colonel Ler Moo, the son-in-law of breakaway leader Htain Maung, was killed in a bomb attack while sleeping at a communications office near the group’s headquarters. He had earlier survived an assassination attempt in April 2007 while crossing the Moei River by boat.
Mahn Sha was involved in ceasefire talks with the Burmese military regime in the past. He was highly respected among both ethnic and Burman allies. The Burmese regime saw him as a strong leader in the KNU who repeatedly called for genuine political dialogue.
He is survived by two daughters and a son.

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