THAI PM JOKES AND SUU KYI TO BE"KICKED UPSTARES"

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

BANGKOK POST
Thailand's prime minister joked Wednesday that neighboring Myanmar is striving to become a "50 percent democracy" because the ruling junta's draft constitution would keep detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from elected office.
Myanmar's people will vote in a May 10 referendum on a proposed constitution that critics say is a sham designed to cement military rule.
One clause effectively bars Suu Kyi from power by stating that no one married to a foreigner can hold elected office. Suu Kyi, whose late husband was British, is under house arrest and has been detained for 12 of the past 18 years.
"They will not release her. They're keeping her on the shelf," Thailand's notoriously outspoken Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej joked while speaking to reporters after meeting with Myanmar's Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Sein in Bangkok.
"This is the way of a 50 percent democracy," Samak said.
Thein Sein was in Thailand on a three-day visit and discussed the referendum with Samak.
"Myanmar's prime minister said they are holding the referendum on the constitution because they want the world community to know that Myanmar is a democracy lover," Samak said on behalf of Thein Sein, who declined to speak to reporters.
Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta says the constitution will pave the way for elections in 2010.
Myanmar's main opposition party, Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy, has urged voters to reject the draft charter.
Opponents have staged scattered, mostly low-profile protests against the draft charter but harassment of pro-democracy activists and restrictions on freedom of speech have made a mass movement difficult.
According to Samak, Thein Sein said that once the constitution is approved the government will allow political parties to "form and develop. Those parties will run in elections, and after elections the military will pull out of politics."
Despite his joking, Samak reiterated Thailand's "support for the referendum and their efforts toward establishing democratic rule."
Myanmar's leaders "are confident they will be able to create political parties and politicians in two years," Samak said.
Samak's government has publicly voiced support for Myanmar's military-backed draft constitution in spite of criticism from the United Nations and many Western countries.
Samak said that Thailand offered to have its election commissioners help manage the Myanmar referendum, but that Thein Sein did not respond.
The junta has also ignored the U.N.'s offers to send international election observers to oversee the referendum.

THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday offered assistance for Burma's coming constitutional referendum to his visiting counterpart Thein Sein, who is unlikely to accept it.
Thein Sein arrived in Bangkok yesterday for his first official visit since he took the post in October. Bilateral issues will make up the bulk of his agenda and the Thai prime minister is unlikely to comment on political developments in junta-ruled Burma.
"I don't think I should say anything on the matter otherwise I will be accused of being Burma's mouthpiece. What I know is that Burma will have a national referendum to endorse the new constitution on May 10 and a general election within the next two years," he said.
The military will withdraw from politics and allow at least three political parties to run in the election, he said. "After the election, Burma will be similar to Thailand 30 years ago, a quasi-democracy," he said.
Samak said he would offer the Burmese help in the referendum if requested.
Thailand offered Thein Sein a warm welcome yesterday as the prime minister hosted an informal dinner at his private residence with Thai food cooked by Samak himself.
The two leaders will have an official meeting on bilateral ties today at Government House. Economic cooperation including transport links between the countries is high on the agenda.-->

VENERABLE SAYADAW U KAW WIDA PASSES AWAY

Renowned Burmese monk U Kovida passed away peacefully on Tuesday at 13:07 Eastern Standard Time in New York. He was 81 and had been hospitalized that morning suffering from heart disease. Also known as Masoeyein Sayadaw, U Kovida was a highly respected senior monk who was born in Irrawaddy Division in Burma in 1927.
For 50 years U Kovida was one of the abbots at Masoeyein Monastery, one of the oldest Buddhist schools in Mandalay, where he taught Buddhist literature. In1990, U Kovida led a patam nikkujjana kamma—an alms boycott of military families—in response to a violent crackdown on Buddhist monks in Mandalay. He was subsequently imprisoned from 1990 to1993. After the Burmese junta violently cracked down on monk-led protesters in September 2007, U Kovida founded Sasana Moli—the International Burmese Monks Organization—to promote Buddhist monks’ affairs and democracy in Burma.Since 2001 he had been dividing his time between Burma and New York, where he worked for the Sasana Joti Center. Pyinnya Jota, a leading member of the All Burma Monks Alliance who fled to Thailand in February, told The Irrawaddy: “Sayadaw respected Buddhist religion, promoted Burmese Buddhism and was a well-known teacher of Buddhism.”He added, “In his last days, Sayadaw was urging Burmese people to boycott the referendum.”

Burmese Visa Tightened as May 10 Approaches

The Burmese authorities are tightening visa formalities for foreign journalists and even diplomats ahead of the May 10 constitutional referendum, according to informed sources.Two Japanese citizens suspected of being journalists were denied entry to Burma at Rangoon airport on Tuesday, one Bangkok source told The Irrawaddy. Some journalists who went to Burma last year to report on the September demonstrations and their aftermath entered the country on tourist visas, a practice the government is now trying vigorously to eliminate.Burmese embassies abroad are closely scrutinizing visa applications, including those from bona fide tourists, sources said. One Western TV network has reportedly been waiting for the past six months for a visa for its correspondent. It recently reapplied but was told the application would be submitted to the Burmese Information Ministry for a decision.The Burmese embassy in Bangkok is taking special care in processing visa applications from diplomats, especially those from European sources, sources in the Thai capital reported.Delays in processing visa applications from diplomats, their family members, UN personnel and representatives of non-governmental organizations have been reported since the beginning of 2008.

Saffron Revolution Renewed

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE IMAGE , PLEASE CLICK ON IT

By Larry Jagan

Sporadic street protests erupted in several Burmese cities over the weekend, as people prepare to go to the polls in May to vote on a new constitution. More than 50 demonstrators, led by some 20 saffron-clad monks, tried to make their way to the country's famous Shwegadon Pagoda in Rangoon on Saturday. Police prevented them from entering the temple and quickly herded them away.
The Burmese authorities have prohibited Buddhist monks from entering the historic pagoda precincts since the massive protests last September. Many other monks who planned to join the procession were detained while traveling on buses from the suburbs and other neighbouring cities to the protest.
There was another small protest at Rangoon 's Tamwe Bazaar. More than a hundred protesters also took to the streets in Sittwe, the capital of the predominantly Muslim province of Arakan in western Burma. There were also unconfirmed reports of small demonstrations in several other cities over the weekend.
Security forces are guarding most of Rangoon's monasteries, preventing monks leaving or entering the buildings.
This is the first signs of unrest since last years' Saffron Revolution was brutally suppressed. "More protests are expected in the coming days as the anger against the regime is rising," said Khin Ohnmar, a Chiang Mai-based activist with close links to the protest organisers.
The protests have been triggered in part by the government's planned referendum on May 10, and are certain to grow in the coming days before the poll.
The military regime is obviously nervous about the vote and is carefully orchestrating the referendum results. It is certain to announce that an overwhelming majority of the country has endorsed the charter, which will effectively allow the army to retain political control of the country for decades to come.
But there are growing signs that many in the electorate may in fact reject the constitution, although the authorities will undoubtedly manipulate the count.
What they cannot change, though, is the growing rage against the junta that is welling up again in all sections of Burmese society, especially among the country's clergy - who in fact have been banned from voting in the forthcoming referendum.
Burma's monks may have been crushed by brute force last September, but in the monasteries across the country there is simmering resentment and anger. One senior abbot admitted privately that next time the monks may need to take to arms if they are to overthrow the regime.
Hatred of the country's military rulers is also growing among the people on the street, increasingly burdened by soaring inflation. Even the middle classes in the main commercial cities of Mandalay, Moulmein and Rangoon are progressively more disaffected by the army's heavy-handed tactics and a collapsing economy.
Protests are ready to erupt again in the country's streets. "The country is a social volcano ready to erupt," a Burmese businessman said. "All it needs is a spark to ignite it."
But most diplomats in Rangoon are cautious about predicting fresh protests anytime soon, though they admit the causes of last year's massive monk-led demonstrations have not been addressed.
Prices are skyrocketing. Diesel and petrol costs, which sparked last year's protests, have risen again recently; cooking oil has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Nearly 90% of Burma 's families spend more than 80% of their income on food alone. Malnutrition and poverty is growing alarmingly, as the military government spends massive amounts on arms and military hardware.
Despite this, Burma's reclusive and secretive leader Senior General Than Shwe is pressing on with his own plans to institutionalise military rule. The new constitution took the army more than 14 years to draft. Most details of the arrangements for the referendum are yet to be made known - and the actual constitution was only revealed to the public two weeks ago.
It is not being distributed but sold at 1,000 kyat, or the equivalent of a dollar, something an impoverished population, most of whom live on less than $2 a day, cannot afford. There are restrictions on public debate and criticism of the charter is banned, punishable by more than 10 years in jail. The Burmese media has been silenced; they have been ordered not to report anything about the "No" campaign.
But this has not deterred some from protesting already against the constitution, with the inevitable result that they have been locked up.
The main pro-democracy party, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, has announced its opposition to the new constitution - partly as they were excluded from the drafting process but largely because it is undemocratic.
The president must be a military man, a quarter of the parliamentary seats will be nominated by the army chief, and the military reserves the right to oust any civilian administration it deems to have jeopardised national security.
The detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is effectively barred from political life because she was married to a foreigner, the eminent British academic and scholar of Tibet and Buddhism, Michael Aris, who died of prostate cancer in 1999.
"For the people who have the right to vote, we would like to encourage again all voters to go to the polling booths and make an 'x' ['no'] mark without fear," the NLD urged voters in statement released to the press last Friday. But they conceded the whole process was a sham.
"An intimidating atmosphere for the people is created by physically assaulting some of the members of the NLD," its statement said.
But while the odds seemed to be stacked against the pro-democracy opposition, all is not lost. Gen Than Shwe, 74, is seriously ill and losing his grip on the army. He reportedly suffers from chronic diabetes, hypertension and has massive coronary problems. He often has diabetic rages, and more recently has been showing signs of dementia and absent-mindedness, including not remembering instances where he had sacked officers, according to a Burmese medical source close to the family.
It now seems that Gen Than Shwe's days are numbered. His kidneys are failing and he has to undergo dialysis every day. He spends more than six hours a day resting, according to a military source inside the general's staff. "He is effectively dead," according to one Asian diplomat close to the old general.
To make matters worse, there are major rifts appearing within the army at the very top. Gen Than Shwe's immediate subordinate, General Maung Aye, is increasingly disaffected with his boss, feeling that he is allowing rampant corruption to bankrupt the country. He is particularly concerned about the use of an untrained and brutal paramilitary force, connected to the community-based mass organisation, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) that Gen Than Shwe personally created some 15 years ago to stir up public support for the military government.
It was thugs from this group which attacked Aung San Suu Kyi in northern Burma in May 2003, in what many believe was a concerted assassination attempt on her life. They also led the assaults on the monks last September.
The USDA, lead by hardline supporters of Gen Than Shwe, has been give responsibility for organising the May 10 referendum and will also to run the elections, which are likely to be held in two years' time.
Gen Maung Aye fears this group is going to get stronger after the referendum and effectively replace the army in running the country. He understands that the USDA's conduct and brutal tactics have tarnished the military's image. Many junior officers, the "Young Turks" as they call themselves, feel the same way. They are looking to the four top generals immediately below Gen Than Shwe to take action.
While there are no concrete signs yet of a possible "palace coup", there is already a new wave of demonstrations in the streets against the military government, which threatens to grow in the coming days before the polls open for the referendum. Most Burmese people see this as their first chance since the 1990 elections, which were overwhelmingly won by the NLD, to express their outrage at military rule.
During these uncertain times for the army, there is the possibility for things to change and to change rapidly. At the very least, there will be more protests against the government next month.

THE CHALLENGE BETWEEN YOU AND REGIME

PLEASE CLICK ON ALL IMAGE TO BE CLEAR TO READ

Burma bars anti-constitution group from voting
Singapore (dpa) - Many Burmese nationals living in Singapore were prevented from voting on their country's draft constitution Sunday when they refused demands from embassy personnel to remove red "Say No" T-shirts.
An estimated 1,000 citizens lined up in front of the embassy for the third straight day of the five-day period designated for those abroad to cast ballots ahead of voting in the country on May 10.
"It's a sham referendum," said Myo Mying Maung, spokesman for the Overseas Burmese Patriots. "It's not free or fair."
Several said they were denied entrance to the embassy because they did not have an invitation or were not on a list, but had brought their passports.
Myo, a 23-year-old student, said he brought his passport and was still rejected because he lacked other documents.
Others sported T-shirts reading, "We pursue peace, justice and democracy for Burma."
Those wearing the shirts refused to take them off and were not admitted to the embassy.
"We have a right to wear what we want," said an angry participant.
Police stood outside, but there was no violence. An estimated 500 Burmese nationals were still waiting when the embassy closed its doors for the day and finally dispersed.
Since the voting started on Friday, hundreds of Burmese citizens have managed to vote in the city-state. The referendum marks the first time citizens have voted in 18 years.
Estimates of the number of Burmese nationals in Singapore range from 30,000 to 100,000 people.
The Burmese junta said the vote is aimed a paving the way for democratic elections in 2010. Critics say it is an attempt by the military to stay in power.
International condemnation of the Burmese military regime has mounted since soldiers were deployed in September to violently end anti-government protests.

BUDDHIST MONKS URGE UN AND ISSUE STATEMENT ON REGIME

PLEASE CLICK ON THE ALL IMAGES TO READ CLEARLY

US Senate Approves Top US Honor for Suu Kyi

The US Senate voted on Thursday to award Burma’s democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal, America's top civilian honor.The House of Representatives overwhelming approved similar legislation on December 17 to confer the honor on Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is being held under house arrest in Rangoon.
Aung San Suu Kyi (Photo: Steven Shaver/Getty Images)Past recipients of the gold medal include Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and most recently, Tibet's Dalai Lama.The US Campaign for Burma, a rights group, welcomed the Senate vote. "She richly deserves this award and the Burmese people are so proud that one of our own has been honored in this way," said Aung Din, co-founder of the group."The Burmese military generals have tried to isolate Aung San Suu Kyi from her own people and from the international community by keeping her under house arrest for over 12 years,” Aung Din said.The European Union will call next week for an international arms embargo on Burma's junta and warn of tougher sanctions if the generals fail to improve human rights conditions, according to a statement drafted by EU ambassadors on Thursday.The EU resolution repeated a call for the release of more than 1,800 political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, and called on the junta to account for all casualties and missing people from the September 2007 crackdown.
-->

EU SANCTIONS AND UNSC RESOLUTION

please click on the image

CROSS

PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE

OVERSEAS "NO" CAMPAIGNS

Over 100 Burmese citizens who have stayed over staged a demonstration at the Burmese embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday demanding their right to vote on the draft constitution. These citizens have been overstaying in Japan.
An estimated 3,000 Burmese citizens overstay and 5,000 hold valid visa in Japan.
Led by activists and politicians the protesters urged the Burmese embassy to allow them to vote as absentee voters on the referendum to be held from April 26 to 27. Dr. Min Nyo, one of the leaders of the protest, told Mizzima, "We should have voting right as this constitution concerns all of us. They allow Burmese citizens overstaying to pay taxes at the Burmese embassy even though they violate the Japanese law yet they don't allow us to vote for the constitution because we are involved in a free political movement in Japan. We want to prove this constitution cannot guarantee a homogeneous society in Burma in future. That is why we are protesting here today."
Several non governmental organizations including Amnesty International in Japan and a large section of the masses joined the protest. The protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy around 3 p.m. and shouted slogans like, 'Down with the military dictatorship', 'Release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners', 'National Reconciliation' and 'SPDC's national referendum unlawful' for about an hour.
The scene at the embassy was not normal. Embassy staff stayed in the tent behind three closed gates. They didn't answer the doorbell or look outside. Some eligible voters who have not yet received invitation letters to participate in the referendum came to inquire about the letters and had to turn back. The embassy staff scared by the protesters would not answer them.
"I came here and inquired about it. But the embassy staff didn't respond to my query and told me impolitely to seek an appointment again tomorrow," said a student who is in Japan since 2007 and studying for her Master's degree. "I don't understand the constitution. It is unfair to vote for constitutional referendum without studying it. The authorities have not officially published the constitution here. So I have decided to vote against the referendum on the 26th of this month," she added.
"We are requesting the ambassador U Myint Tun to carry out an enquiry. But the embassy staff dare not answer our questions," a protestor said. In USA, Newyork activists call for rally against Burma's regime referendum and Fort Wayne activists,(88gse) and democratic families are already stroming "VOTE NO" campaign last two months ago. But it will be effect or not because the regime sets up tricky plan to win the referendum for the ruling militrary side in any way.

MIN KO NAING WILL HAVE TO FACE BLINDNESS SOON

Myanmar's military junta is deliberately denying proper medical care to political prisoners, the country's pro-democracy party said Wednesday.
National League for Democracy spokesman Nyan Win said the junta's withholding of medical treatment was a deliberate and malicious act.
Nyan Win made the comment a day after U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the United States had received reports that pro-democracy activist Min Ko Naing has been denied care for an eye infection that could cause blindness. He said the U.S. also was worried that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, has not received promised monthly doctor visits.
Nyan Win said Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, has not been seen by her physician since January.
Suu Kyi is not allowed visitors or telephone contact with the outside world. She has been in detention for more than 12 of the past 18 years.
Calls to the junta's public relations officials went unanswered Wednesday.
Nyan Win said Min Ko Naing's eye infection needs urgent medical treatment.
Min Ko Naing, leader of the 88 Generation Students group, and more than a dozen other activists were arrested last August after holding anti-junta rallies. He has been held in Yangon's notorious Insein prison.
In September monks led nationwide demonstrations. At least 31 people were killed when the military crushed the protests, sparking global outrage.
Nyan Win earlier said more than 120 National League for Democracy members have been arrested since the crackdown. Thousands of other protesters were also detained and some were given harsh prison sentences.
Members of the 88 Generation Students were at the forefront of a 1988 pro-democracy uprising and were given lengthy prison terms and tortured after the military harshly suppressed the protests.
The Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, a group of former political prisoners based near the Thai-Myanmar border, says Myanmar authorities have long used denial of medical treatment for political intimidation.
It said a 70-year-old political prisoner, Than Lwin, lost his eyesight earlier this year when authorities were slow to allow him medical treatment while he was imprisoned in the central city of Mandalay.
"When he was sent to an eye specialist, the doctors said it was already about two months late," the group said in a recent statement. "There was nothing they could do to help him."

KO KYAW ZIN NAING DIES AFTER SETTING FIRE TO AGAINST THE REGIME

Myanmar anti-junta protester dies after setting himself ablaze, hospital officials say

AP - Wednesday, April 23YANGON, Myanmar - A man who set himself on fire at Myanmar's most revered Buddhist temple to protest military rule has died of his injuries, hospital officials said Tuesday.Kyaw Zin Naing suffered burns to more than 60 percent of his body in his March 21 protest at the Shwedagon pagoda in the city of Yangon, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they could be punished for revealing information about a politically sensitive matter.The 26-year-old man died April 17, they said.Kyaw Zin Naing's protest was the first known case of self-immolation in Myanmar since the military took power in 1962. According to witnesses, the man shouted "Down with the military regime," before dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself ablaze.His action came at a time of heightened political tension in Myanmar, which has been preparing for a referendum on a new military-backed constitution.The junta's critics charge that the charter _ a stage on the junta's so-called "roadmap to democracy" _ was drafted in an undemocratic way, and that it would perpetuate military rule.The National League for Democracy party of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged voters to reject the draft constitution, but long-standing restrictions on freedom of speech and harassment of pro-democracy activists have made it difficult to mount a campaign against the proposed charter.Thousands of pilgrims were at the pagoda for a Buddhist holy day when Kyaw Zin Naing set himself alight.The Shwedagon temple has a history of being a center for mass political gatherings, and was a focus for Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protests last September. At least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the country's military rulers cracked down on the peaceful demonstrations.Myanmar has had no constitution since 1988 when the current junta took power and scrapped the previous charter after violently quashing mass pro-democracy demonstrations.Suu Kyi's party won the last general election in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power, instead stepping up its repression of dissidents.

The problem of being a good neighbour

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

Thailand must stop pandering to the Burmese junta and do more to bring positive change
Published on April 22, 2008
The Nation
Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein is coming to Thailand for a two-day visit next week. His purpose is to strengthen ties and forge closer economic and development cooperation. Indeed, it is a good time to tell the visiting guest what our country has in mind about his junta. First of all, our government should stop pandering to Burmese wishes. Both under the Thaksin government and the current one, Thailand has been acting like a marionette for the Burmese junta. Our leaders are often ready to defend Burma at all costs, whenever need be. When PM Samak Sundaravej visited Burma, he came back making world headlines with his comments. He said the Burmese leaders meditate and the country lives in peace. Normally any leader of a peaceful country would not kill monks. Samak's comments showed how naive our leaders can be. His observation sent shock waves throughout the world and immediately turned him into a joke. But that has not stopped him commenting on foreign affairs.
Secondly, Thailand should impress on Burma democratic lessons. People must be free to speak up and vote without any imposition by the state. Moreover, the Burmese media must be given liberty to report the truth. The authorities must stop intimidating voters to vote "yes" for the referendum, which aims to give power to the military. Thailand must not behave like South Africa, which has refused to condemn Robert Mugabe and the atrocities he has committed. We must not turn a blind eye towards Burma. Unfortunately, Samak is following South African president Thabo Mbeki by rendering support to junta leaders condemned throughout the world.
Thirdly, Thailand must continue to engage the international community to help end the Burmese quagmire. Since the 1988 pro-democracy crackdown, Thailand has been on the receiving end of problems created by the junta. Just look at the recent 54 deaths of Burmese migrant workers. The Thai side should be blamed for taking bribes, including those accomplices at the border. But we have to tackle the root cause of the current malaise in Burma, where the junta rules without consent. It is amazing how Thai leaders can become so timid when dealing face-to-face with the junta leaders.
Thailand must support the UN and its current effort to find a solution to the Burmese quagmire. We should encourage UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to tackle this issue more seriously. He missed a good chance when he was here earlier this year but failed to go to Burma. He went to Africa to make his presence and concern felt on Mugabe. Why can't he do the same in this part of the world? His special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari was useless in delivering international concerns to the junta leaders.
Of course, the Thai authorities would immediately argue that it is difficult for Thailand to get tough on Burma. Both countries share a long common border and Thailand depends on imported energy from Burma. Pending dam construction along the Salween River will provide much-needed hydro-electricity in the future. We also need cheap Burmese labour. Over three million Burmese sweat to promote the Thai livelihood. So goes the conventional wisdom which impairs Thailand's sense of good judgement. We have mistreated the Burmese labourers. Worse, we are colluding with the junta under the disguise of bilateral cooperation to suppress democracy in Burma. Quite a few economic cooperation plans are in place, which benefit the junta more than the people. This government still promotes interests that benefit the regime.
It is a shame for Thailand, as a front-line state, to behave the way it has done all these years. So, when Thein Sein and his team come to town next Tuesday, let us be bold and tell it like it is. It cannot get worse than this.

start NO IN OVERSEAS AND JUNTA BEGINS VOTE INSIDE ITS EMBASSIES

Burmese citizens in Thailand desirous of voting in the referendum to approve the draft constitution of the military junta can vote at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok starting today.
The Burmese Embassy in Bangkok said, Burmese passport holders will be eligible to vote and can cast their ballot from April 22 to 27 between 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An embassy staff told voters who want to vote must bring their passports and ID cards with them to the embassy in Bangkok, which will be the only polling booth across the country.
"Our staffs will be present at the embassy gate. They will explain the voting procedure to eligible voters," she added.
The absentee voting at Bangkok Embassy began today as part of the Burmese junta's planned referendum on a draft constitution, which it has announced to hold on May 10 in Burma.
A voter, who had cast the vote at the Embassy told Mizzima that there were not too many voters coming on Monday and embassy officials were present to checked for the voters' passports and identity cards.
"Our names and ID numbers have already been printed on the voters list. They checked our ID number against the voters list and issued a ballot paper and an envelope," the voter said.
"There were three persons present. They kept a counterfoil of the ballot paper with them as a proof of votes being cast. There are ball pens and glue in the voting room behind the curtain. We can tick on the ballot paper 'Yes' or 'No'. Then put our ballot paper inside the envelope and put the envelope into the ballot box," a voter who had cast the vote at the embassy told Mizzima.
Similarly, in Japan, the Burmese embassy announced that an absentee voting will be held from April 26 to 27 starting from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
"We have sent invitations to all eligible voters. We cannot say how many voters will turn up at the polling station," an embassy staff in Japan told Mizzima.
In Singapore, voters are informed that they can come to the embassy beginning on April 25 to 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m to cast their votes.
An activist in Singapore said they would distribute 'No' campaign T-shirts and caps to the voters on April 27 of this month.
"We have made 750 T-Shirts and 1,000 caps for that day. Some donated drinking water bottles. Doctors, nurses and ambulance will be available for emergency medical care. We want to send our 'No' vote campaign message to voters," he said.
Meanwhile, Burmese embassies around the world are reportedly making arrangements for polling stations, where Burmese passport holders who are working and studying abroad can cast their votes in the referendum to approve the constitution drafted by the junta.
While Burmese citizens are spread in various countries including western nations, bulks of Burmese are found to be working in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

REFUGEE CAMP IN MALAYSIA UNDER SET FIRE

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

JUNTA PROVES BOMBING SUSPECT ON ITS MEDIA

Burma's military junta says it has identified a suspect wanted in two weekend bombings as a member of an exiled anti-government group, state media reported Tuesday.
Security cameras behind the Traders Hotel in Rangoon, the biggest city in Burma, filmed a man "carrying explosives" on Sunday evening before blasts went off in the area, The New Light of Myanmar reported.
A mini van damaged by a bomb blast in a street in Rangoon. (Photo: AFP)The newspaper reprinted a snapshot from the security camera, showing a blurry image of a man in a T-shirt and knee-length shorts holding what appears to be a small bag and another nondescript item.
Citing anonymous sources, the state-run newspaper said the man has been identified as a member of the exiled group, Vigorous Burma Student Warriors. The paper said the man went by the code name Storm, and had entered Burma after attending explosive training courses in an unnamed country.
Authorities appealed to the public for help in finding the suspect.
The second explosion on Sunday went off behind the luxurious Traders Hotel, about an hour after a blast nearby in downtown Rangoon.
The blasts were caused by explosives planted under cars and caused no injuries, the newspaper said.
Five armed students from the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors were responsible for storming the Burma Embassy in Bangkok in October 1999. The group took 38 hostages to demand democracy in their country, also known as Burma. Thailand allowed them to fly to the border and disappear, angering Burma but ending the standoff without bloodshed.
Several exiled Burma dissident groups operate from neighboring Thailand.
Terrorism is rare in Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962.
A few small-scale bombings have occurred in recent years, which the government has blamed mostly on ethnic rebel groups seeking autonomy.
Earlier this month the country's state-run media warned that terrorists might plant bombs during next month's referendum on a long-awaited constitution.
Critics say the proposed constitution, which was drafted without any input from the opposition, is designed to ensure the military's grip on power.
The junta crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks last September, sparking global outrage. The United Nations estimates that at least 31 people were killed and thousands more detained in the crackdown.

April 18, 2008
New Delhi - Burma's prominent student leader Min Ko Naing under detention is said to be suffering from a serious eye problem that requires immediate medical attention, Thailand based Assistant Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPP) said.
The AAPP on Friday said it has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to pressure the junta to arrange for immediate medical treatment for Min Ko Naing, who has been suffering from the eye problem since the past three weeks.
Citing sources in Burma, the AAPP secretary Tate Naing said, "Though the authorities earlier said that it would allow treatment outside the prison in mid-April, they have again postponed it to next month."
"If the treatment is delayed until next month, his [Min Ko Naing] situation will worsen. So we are urging the international community to pressure the junta for timely treatment," Tate Naing said.
Tate Naing said despite Min Ko Naing's complaint regarding his eye problem, prison authorities did not provide effective medical treatment.
Min Ko Naing, Burma's most prominent student leader, was arrested on August 21, 2007 along with 12 other colleagues after he participated in a peaceful march on August 19 over the sudden oil price hike, that triggered wide-spread protests later.
Due to lack of adequate and effective medical treatment in Burma's prisons, an 88 generation student Hla Myo Naung housed in Insein prison in Rangoon has reportedly lost his sight in one eye. Similarly, Than Lwin, an elected Member of Parliament in the 1990 election, also lost his sight in one of his eyes while he was detained in Mandalay's Ohn Bo prison.

BOMBS BLAST IN RANGOON, BURMA

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES

REFERENDUM CRISIS AND MILITARY INTIMIDATION

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

BURMA JUNTA WARNS INTERNATIONAL

Myanmar warns embassies ahead of referendum

Thursday, 10 April 2008

YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar’s military government Thursday warned foreign embassies not to support Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party, as the nation gears up for a referendum on a constitution opposed by her supporters. The warning carried in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper came the morning after the regime announced that the referendum would be held on May 10. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party is urging voters to reject the constitution, which they say will not bring democracy to the country which has been ruled by the military since 1962. “Certain foreign powers, with the intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar, are now … aiding and abetting some local political parties to destabilise the country,” the paper said. “Some diplomats of certain foreign embassies in Yangon regularly visit NLD (headquarters), hold talks and give directives to harm the interests of the nation and the people,” the paper said. “The embassies should stop such activities,” the government mouthpiece said. The ruling junta says the new constitution will help create a “discipline-flourishing democracy,” with multiparty elections set for 2010. But critics say the constitution will give the generals a dominant role in government, even after the polls. Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the NLD to a landslide victory in elections in 1990, would be barred from running in new polls. The military never recognised NLD’s election win, and has silenced the Nobel peace prize winner by keeping her under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years. One quarter of the seats in parliament would be reserved for soldiers, appointed by the commander-in-chief. The military would also have broad powers to declare a state of emergency and take direct control of the government. Amending the constitution would be almost impossible without the military’s consent. Three-quarters of parliament must approve any changes, which then must go to voters in a referendum. Although the NLD and other pro-democracy groups are calling for a “No” vote, they have little ability to campaign effectively because the regime has outlawed speeches and leaflets about the referendum. Dissidents have no access to the media, which is tightly controlled by the regime. Copies of the constitution were only released to the public on Wednesday, when they were put on sale in government bookstores for nearly one dollar — a price far beyond the means of most people in this impoverished country. Thailand-based Myanmar analyst Win Min said that by placing the date for the referendum only one month away, the regime left voters with little time to understand the 194-page document. “They are worried that if they make it longer, the movement for holding a ‘No’ vote will get some momentum, and people will be more likely to vote ‘No’,” Win Min told AFP in Bangkok. “They are giving little chance to the opposition to organise,” he said. The regime may also have sought to avoid scheduling the referendum too close to the symbolically important date of May 27, which will be the 18th anniversary of the 1990 elections won by the NLD, he said. That is also the date when the military is due to renew Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest. In Washington, President George W. Bush said he was disappointed with the pace of democratic reforms in Myanmar. “I would urge the military leadership there to open up and respond to the will of the people,” Bush said. The United States and the European Union have tightened sanctions on Myanmar since a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks in September. At least 31 people were killed while 74 went missing, according to the United Nations. More than 700 people are still behind bars over the protests, according to Amnesty International.

Myanmar detains at least 20 activists

Myanmar's military junta detained more than 20 activists, including a close aide of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an opposition party spokesman said Tuesday.
The arrests came ahead of the country's May 10 referendum on a new constitution that critics say was drafted to perpetuate military rule.
Myo Nyunt, a youth member of the opposition National League for Democracy and a close aide of Suu Kyi, was arrested Tuesday morning at his home near the country's biggest city of Yangon, according to NLD spokesman Nyan Win.
More than 20 other activists were arrested Sunday as they rallied peacefully against the country's proposed constitution in the northwestern city of Sittwe, Nyan Win said.
The protesters were wearing T-shirts printed with the word "No," during a 5-day festival to celebrate the new year's holiday under Myanmar's traditional calendar.
"Arrests of NLD members and intimidation against opponents of the regime's draft constitution are becoming more frequent," Nyan Win said, adding that several activists have also been attacked by unidentified assailants.
The NLD has urged voters to reject the charter constitution because it was drafted without any input from the junta's critics and the country's pro-democracy movement. The document's provisions would also ban Suu Kyi from government.
Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state in western Myanmar, is known for its strong anti-military sentiment. It was the city where Buddhist monks first joined anti-junta rallies that swelled into nationwide protests last September. At least 31 people were killed when the military crushed the protests, sparking global outrage.
Nyan Win said more than 120 NLD members have been arrested since the crackdown. Thousands of other protesters were also detained with many facing trials and some given harsh prison sentences.
On Sunday, some youth activists in suburban Yangon were reprimanded by authorities and warned not to wear the "No" T-shirts, said a member of the NLD who asked not to be named for fear of official reprisal.
Last week, the NLD called on international observers to take part in the referendum next month because the rules are stacked against the military regime's opponents.
Junta officials rejected the idea of international observers when it was proposed to them by United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in a meeting last month.
The document bans anyone who enjoyed the rights and privileges of a foreign citizen from holding public office. This would keep Suu Kyi out of government because her late husband was a Briton.
The proposed charter allots 25 percent of the seats in both houses of Parliament to the military.
It also stipulates that no amendments to the charter can be made without the consent of more than 75 percent of lawmakers, making changes unlikely unless supported by military representatives.
The constitutional referendum is supposed to be followed by a general election in 2010.
Myanmar has been without a constitution since 1988, when the current junta took power and scrapped the previous charter after violently quashing mass pro-democracy demonstrations.

Thai foreign minister backs China and new protest, arrests at Tibet

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

New protest, arrests at Tibet monastery reported
Beijing - Monks have protested a government "patriotic education" campaign at a monastery outside Lhasa, resulting in a number of arrests, a Tibetan exile group said Tuesday.
The protest at the Drepung Monastery, the largest in Tibet, occurred at the weekend when Chinese authorities arrived to conduct the education campaign, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said, citing information it said it confirmed from unnamed reliable sources.
The authorities then called in security forces, who sealed off the monastery, the centre said without giving an exact number of arrests.
It said the condition and whereabouts of the monk detained were unknown.
In a report Friday, China's official Xinhua news agency reported that a patriotic education group had arrived at the monastery "to help maintain social stability, socialist legal institutions" and "restore religious order." Xinhua did not report a protest at Drepung Monastery but cited Tibet's government as saying the officials involved in the patriotic education campaign throughout Tibet "have received the understanding and support of monks and religious followers." China stepped up its patriotic education campaign in the wake of last month's protests against its rule and deadly violence in Tibetan areas.
The demonstrations spread outside Tibet to regions with Tibetan populations as well as Nepal, India and the Olympic torch relay, but a crackdown by China brought them largely to an end within its borders.
The protest at the Drepung Monastery, however, followed small demonstrations of monks during government-organised media tours in the north-western province of Gansu last week and in Lhasa last month.
The Chinese government has said 19 people were killed in the violence last month in Lhasa, but the Tibetan government in exile said about 140 people were killed, most of them Tibetans shot by Chinese police.
The International Campaign for Tibet, a group advocating respect of human rights and democratic freedoms in Tibet, said Chinese media have reported nearly 4,000 detentions since the protests began March 10, the 49th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. About half have been released, it said.//dpa

Chinese trucks to tow howitzer into Burma

Over 50 Chinese trucks to tow howitzers, which were transferred to Burma, arrived on the Sino-Burma border town of Ruili on Friday morning, eyewitnesses said.
Local residents in Ruili said they spotted the Chinese made howitzer towing trucks being parked at a car wash.
"The trucks arrived this morning. There are more than 50 trucks. Many are now in car washing service shops," a local resident from Ruili said.
The military trucks are said to have been produced by a Chinese company called 'Dong Feng' (East Wind) and are equipped with three axles (six wheels).
"These are not passenger trucks, they are designed to tow the howitzer and can also be used to transport military supplies such as ammunition and foodstuff," Aung Kyaw Zaw, a military analyst based on the Sino-Burma border said.
Aung Kyaw Zaw added that these trucks are bigger than the previous FAW and Dong Feng trucks and are tougher and sturdier. These are specially designed to tow howitzers. They can tow both 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers.
A local resident on the Chinese border town of Jae Gao, opposite Burma's Muse, said that the trucks were seen parked at the Jae Gao car park.
Since January, China has transferred about 1,000 trucks to Burma through the Jae Gao-Muse route on the Sino-Burma border.
Some of the Chinese made trucks are painted with the colour and emblem of the Burmese police force and were transferred to the Riot Police battalions in different parts of Burma including to Kyatpay (Naypyitaw), Rangoon and Mandalay last month, sources said.

UN ENVOY DISGREES JUNTA REFERENDUM ON THE WAY

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

NEW YORK RALLY AND FORT WAYNE CAMPAIGN FOR "VOTE NO"

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE

POSTED BY ANH

New York rally to support Burmese democracy movement and Fort Wayne activists demonstrate for "VOTE NO"
April 11, 2008

Over one thousand supporters of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her calls for democracy in Burma are expected to rally today in front of United Nations headquarters in New York.

The rally brings together activists from several human rights and Burmese organizations with the specific aim of urging the release of all political prisoners, inclusive of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as encouraging a stronger Security Council reaction to the Burmese junta's continued intransigence regarding calls for reform.

Demonstrators are expected from Amnesty International, Burma Point, the International Burmese Monks Organization, Columbia University's Burma 88 Coalition and members of the Burmese exile community.

A statement released today by Columbia University's Burma 88 Coalition in coordination with the upcoming rally sharply criticized permanent United Nations Security Council member China for its persistent and active support of Burma's generals.

"It is appalling that Beijing has chosen to begin the Olympics on August 8, 2008, twenty years to the day after mass demonstrations in Burma led to the slaughter of thousands.

China has a huge influence in Burma, but instead of using its clout to apply pressure on the regime, it continues to finance and provide arms to Burma." Burma activist Geoff Aung, co-founder of the Columbia Burma 88 Coalition, states.

The missive, referring to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari's mission as a failure, demands the Security Council take a stronger stance with respect to its handling of Burma's military rulers.

Regarding the upcoming May 10 constitutional referendum in Burma, the activist group argues that the entire constitutional process is an attempt by the junta to cover-up and divert attention from last year's violent crackdown on the monk-led Saffron Revolution, which resulted in dozens of deaths, prison sentences and arbitrary arrests.

Today's demonstration is part of Amnesty International's Get On The Bus campaign, which is designed to raise awareness on the need for action regarding several regions where human rights are or have been violated. This year's campaign, in addition to Burma, will also focus on Darfur, Sri Lanka, Libya and Bhopal, India. In USA, Fort Wayne Burmese democratic activists join in unity to against regime referendum in may10 and to call the whole civilian in Burma to vote "NO".

DEATHS OF BURMESE BRINGS SHAME ON US

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE CLEAR

EDITORIALS
Deaths of Burmese brings shame on us
It's time to open up the labour market to stop official corruption and abuse of workers
Published on April 11, 2008
Let's play a game. We should all stand in a circle, as in a game of musical chairs, raise our arms, and point to the next person. But there will be enough chairs for everyone. And the music will never end. It is called the Thai blame game. The deaths of 54 Burmese migrant workers, most of them women, who suffocated in a container on a truck has once again placed Thailand in an unwanted spotlight.
The victims, along with 47 survivors, were crammed tightly into a 2.2 metre by 6 metre container. They were about two hours into their trip late on Wednesday from Ranong province near Burma to Phuket when some of them succumbed. Of the dead, 37 were women and 17 were men.
The senior investigating police officer blamed the truck driver for failing to turn on the air conditioning in the back of the truck, which normally was used to transport seafood. Perhaps the driver was concerned about the current energy conservation thing; perhaps he didn't even think that Burmese people can feel pain and discomfort.
Tragic incidents involving Burmese workers in Thailand are nothing new. Some reach international attention, but none seems to matter to the people and government of Thailand as long as we have an ample supply of cheap labour to build our high-rises, peel our shrimps or mop up our floors.
This tragedy is about much more than a broken air-conditioner. For too long, we have turned a blind eye to human trafficking. One of the reasons is because everybody gets their cut - from the border officials and the traffickers to the employers and the consumers.
Burmese workers, like Cambodians and Laotians, take up jobs that are shunned by most Thais, mainly because Thai employers hate to pay more than the legal minimum wage. The London-based human rights group Amnesty International found in a 2005 report that workers from Burma who take jobs that Thais consider too dirty, dangerous or demeaning, "are routinely paid well below the Thai minimum wage, work long hours in unhealthy conditions and are at risk of arbitrary arrest and deportation."
We hire these workers because they are not demanding. We don't want to hear their sad stories - how much they had to pay the police, border officials and traffickers so they could work in Thailand.
We just don't want to hear whatever grievances they have back home - how oppressive the Burmese military government is; the lack of social mobility in Laos and Cambodia, and so on.
Our lack of appreciation towards foreign workers has moral, social and ethnical consequences. This is much more than an issue of fairness. How we treat others says something about us as a country, as a society. And after the tragic death of the 54 Burmese, can we really look at ourselves in the mirror and not feel any guilt?
Let's hope this tragedy is a wake up call for the Thai government. We need to think outside the box. Because we are unable to properly address the problem of trafficking, perhaps we should permit the labour market to let the law of supply and demand determine how many foreign workers are permitted to enter the country and their salaries. It may be chaotic at first, but eventually the labour market will find its equilibrium.
At the least, this would put an end to the corrupt practices of the authorities. No one would have to hide in containers or under bundles of produce. Corrupt officials would no longer benefit from smuggling and the government could tax foreign workers the same way it taxes all of us.
The Nation

NLD Wants International Observers at May 10 Referendum

Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), called on the military government on Thursday to drop its opposition to the attendance of international observers at the constitutional referendum, now set for May 10.NLD spokesman Nyan Win said the party wanted to ensure a free and fair vote on the regime’s draft constitution, and for that reason it wanted the presence of international observers.
Burmese people buy copies of a proposed draft charter at a bookstore in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters)In a statement in Rangoon, Nyan Win said that although pro-government organizations were allowed to campaign for a “Yes” vote in the referendum, NLD members were being arrested for taking an opposing stand. “The authorities deter any move by dissidents, particularly the NLD’s.” The May 10 date of the referendum was announced on state-run radio and TV on Wednesday evening and in the press on Thursday. The Rangoon journal Biweekly Eleven reported on Thursday that polling stations will be open from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. Detainees awaiting trial and not yet convicted will be able to vote, the journal said.The government has launched its own pamphlet campaign, urging the electorate to vote “Yes.” Nyan Win said NLD members participating in the party’s own “Vote No” campaign continued to face harassment. Nevertheless, NLD activists might step up their campaign, he added.The regime, meanwhile, on Thursday accused “certain foreign powers” of using “a variety of means” to aid and abet “some local parties to destabilize the country.” The accusation was carried by the government daily The New Light of Myanmar.

Fifty-four Burmese Migrants Die from Suffocation

PLEASE CLICK ALL IMAGES

Fifty-four Burmese migrants suffocated to death in a container truck on Wednesday in Ranong Province on the west coast of Thailand while they were attempting to enter the country illegally.
The deaths occurred in Suksamran District near Koh Thong, Burma. Among the victims, 37 were women and 17 were men. Sixty-seven migrants survived the ordeal.
Thailand volunteer rescue workers remove the bodies of dead Burmese migrant workers Thursday, April 10, from the back of a seafood van in Ranong, Thailand. (Photo:AP)Twenty-one migrants were hospitalized while the rest were detained for questioning, according to a report from the The Prevention of HIV/AIDs Among Migrant Workers in Thailand Project (PHAMIT) on Thursday.
The truck was enroute to Phang Nga and Phuket in Southern Thailand, two locations where many illegal migrants seek work.
Police blamed the driver of the container truck for failing to turn on the air conditioning in the back of the truck. The surviving workers told police they sneaked into Ranong Province from Koh Thong in a fishing boat on Wednesday night and were then packed into a small container truck for the trip.
The workers told police that after about two hours many of them began falling sick because of poor ventilation in the container. The Burmese knocked loudly to signal the driver, and he eventually stopped the truck and discovered the bodies. He fled from the scene. A local villager alerted police.
Dr Pornpong Jitprathum, the director Suksamran Hospital, said forensic tests attributed the deaths to suffocation.
Pol Maj Gen Apirak Hongthong, the Ranong Provincial police commander, said police interrogated the owner of the truck, who is suspected of being involved in a smuggling network.
Map locating the border area where fifty-four Burmese migrants suffocated to death in a cold storage container while being smuggled to Thailand to escape desperate conditions at home. (Graphic: AFP)Police said the driver of the truck, who was identified as Suchon Bunplong, 38, of Ranong is missing.
The truck's owner, who was detained for questioning Thursday, claimed he was unaware the vehicle was being used to transport migrants from Burma, police said. He was not under arrest.
“The bodies were buried on Thursday morning in Hindad Graveyard in Ranong, but some relatives came to identify the bodies and take them back for a funeral,” a staff member of the Ranong Songkraoh Foundation told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
Television reports showed police lifting bodies out of the truck and images of the cargo-like container empty except for a few pieces of clothing. The dead migrants—many wearing little more than T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops—were seen laid out on the floor at a storage facility of a local charity.
Police did not immediately know what jobs they were heading for, but illegal migrants from Burma generally come to the country to work in the fishing and construction industries or as maids.
Survivors told police that they each paid 10,000 baht (US $314) to be smuggled into Thailand and they sneaked into Ranong province from Burma's Victoria Point by fishing boat on Wednesday night.
Ranong province is about 460 kilometers south of Bangkok just across from Burma's Victoria Point, and is regarding as a major point of trade between the two countries.
About 1 million workers are registered to work in Thailand, and an additional 1 million are estimated to be in the country illegally to work mostly as laborers, joining hundreds of thousands from Cambodia and Laos.
The illegal workers lack legal protection and are often ruthlessly exploited.
The London-based human rights group Amnesty International found in a 2005 report that workers from Burma take jobs that Thais consider too dirty, dangerous or demeaning, "are routinely paid well below the Thai minimum wage, work long hours in unhealthy conditions and are at risk of arbitrary arrest and deportation."
Many also face great risk in reaching Thailand.In December, authorities recovered the bodies of 22 Burmese migrants found floating off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. They were believed to be trying to enter Thailand illegally.
The incident was reminiscent of the deaths in 2001 of 58 illegal Chinese migrants in a sweltering tomato truck in Britain, which exposed the murky underworld of people-smuggling gangs profiting from migrants who hope to earn a living in more developed countries.
A group of 19 Latin American migrants died from overheating and suffocation in a tractor-trailer truck in the US state of Texas in 2003.

JUNTA ANNOUNCES THE DATE OF REFERENDUM

OPIUM EVER GIVES GOOD MONEY TO BURMA, BUT FOR INTERNATIONAL

PLEASE CLICK ALL IMAGES

NLD STARTS STRONG CAMPAIGN FOR "NO"

The 194-page document has gone on sale at government bookshops at a cost of 1,000 kyat ($1; 50p) a copy.
The junta says it will put the document to a national referendum next month.
The charter was drafted by the generals without input from the pro-democracy opposition, and bans opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from holding office.
The writing of the constitution has taken many years and remains controversial.
A draft copy leaked recently contained a clause which stated that amendments would be possible only with 100% support in a national referendum - seemingly ruling out any possibility of change.
But the final version of the document has reduced the threshold to 50% of the electorate.
The Constitution Drafting Committee said the initial clause was a typographical error.
In a letter to the country's Foreign Correspondents Club the committee said the mistake came about as a result of "some dropped words in the new constitution".
Seats for military
The junta said it will seek approval for the document in a national vote in May, and has pledged to hold multi-party elections by 2010.
But the Irrawaddy website, which is critical of the junta, says the new rules enshrine the military's dominance of the political system.
Even if there were elections, the site says 56 military officers are guaranteed places in the 224-member lower house of parliament.
And 110 seats out of 440 in the upper house are reserved for the military.

RUSSIA AND CHINA OPPOSE UN TO SAVE BURMA'S BLODDY REGIME

China and Russia objected to a draft UN Security Council presidential statement on Burma on Monday that called for an early end to military rule and full participation of all political opposition groups. Drafted by three permanent members of the Security Council—the US, Britain and France—the proposed presidential statement was circulated among the 15-members of the Security Council.The draft statement was then discussed by Council members at what is called the “expert level.” It was during that meeting that China strongly objected to the contents of the draft statement. Russia followed, but with a less stringent objection, according to observers. The Chinese objection, it is understood, was based on two major points— elections and the end the military rule. The draft statement is believed to have called for the government to bring an early end to military rule and to begin a transition to democracy. Nothing the Burmese government’s planned constitutional referendum in May, and multi-party general elections in 2010, the draft statement emphasized the need for the process to be inclusive and credible, said sources.The statement also called on the military government to allow the full participation of all political groups and individuals, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of a major opposition group. “The Security Council further notes the commitment by the Government of Myanmar [Burma] to ensure that the referendum will be free and fair and that all will be allowed to participate on equal terms, and stresses that this commitment must be followed by action, including the guarantee of freedoms of expression, association and assembly in the political process leading to the referendum, as well as independent monitoring of the referendum,” it said.No presidential statement could be approved without the consent of China and Russia, which wield veto power. The last presidential statement on Burma was issued on October 11, 2007, after negotiations between members.

BURMA REGIME IS ACCUSING OF OVERSEAS ACTIVISTS

THAILAND DID GOOD JOB FOR BURMA'S REGIME IN 2007

POSTED BY ANH

Natural gas exports to Thailand alone earned the country $2.7 billion, accounting for a 2007 trade surplus of $3.1 billion.
In 2007, Burma's total trade hit an historic peak of $8.7 billion, split into 5.9 billion exports and 2.8 billion in imports, leaving the country with a trade surplus of $3.1 billion, said the Myanmar Times weekly, citing government officials.
Burma's exports last year were driven primarily by natural gas, which earned the impoverished country $2.7 billion, or 45 per cent of its total exports.
"The major reason why Burma's trade volume is increasing is the massive contribution form the energy sector - the export of natural gas to Thailand," said Maung Maung, an economist and researcher from Economic Studies and Research Institute, the Union of Burma Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries (UMFCCI).
Natural gas exports have risen dramatically since 2002, when Burma first opened a pipeline to deliver gas from offshore reserves in the Gulf of Martaban to Thailand.
"As a result, Burma has enjoyed consecutive trade surplus since 2002," said Burma's Commerce Minister Brigadier General Tin Naing Thein in a recent interview.
Besides natural gas, Burma's main export items last year included agricultural products, amounting to $572 million in earnings, gems and jewellery to 561 million, and fishery products to 366 million.
The country's main imports were fuel, which cost $471 million, followed by textiles at $276 million, palm oil at $251 million, machinery parts at $243 million, and automobiles at $192 million.
Most multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank severed their programmes with Burma in 1988 following a brutal military crackdown on a pro-democracy movement that left more than 3,000 people dead.
The US forbade its private sector from investing in the country in the early 1990s, after the ruling junta refused to acknowledge the outcome of the 1990 general election, and the European Union has placed visa restrictions on the regime's rulers.
US and EU sanctions were tightened after another crackdown on protesters in September, when a sudden doubling of fuel prices prompted demonstrators, led by Buddhist monks, to take to the street on Rangoon.
The latest incident left at least 31 dead, according to the official media

ONE OF NATIONAL MOTHERS PASSED AWAY

Ludu Daw Amar, Burma’s best known female journalist and social critic, and one of the country’s most respected women, died of heart disease on Monday in her native Mandalay. She was 93.
Daw Amar, whose name translates as “the strong,” was better known as Ludu Daw Amar, after the left-leaning journal Ludu (“The People”), which she founded with her husband in 1945.
Ludu Daw AmarRevered by many in Burma as a spokesperson for the weak and disenfranchised, she will be remembered as determined advocate of justice in a society that she believed was eroding under the influence of a distorted economy and the massive migration of Chinese into her hometown of Mandalay.
“She never gave up her beliefs. She couldn’t tolerate injustice. She always stood for the Burmese people,” said respected poet Ko Lay (Inwa Gonyi) when contacted by The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.
From an early age, she resisted the unreasonable demands of those who were more powerful than her. “When our mother would cane us, she would say, ‘Stop crying!’ and all my siblings would stop except me,” she wrote in her autobiography. “I cried because I felt hurt, but the more I cried the more whippings I received. How could she force me not to feel pain?”
Daw Amar was born in Mandalay on November 29, 1915. Her involvement in politics and her literary career began after she entered Rangoon University in 1936. She made her first mark on Burmese literature with a translation of “Trials in Burma,” a memoir of colonial-era magistrate Maurice Collis, in 1938.
In 1939, she married writer U Hla, who ran the monthly youth magazine Kyipwa Yay (“Prosperity”). U Hla moved his magazine to Mandalay to be with his wife, and at the end of the Second World War, they co-founded the biweekly Ludu journal. The following year they began publishing a daily newspaper of the same name.
Amidst the political turbulence that followed Burma’s independence from Britain in 1948, the couple faced new challenges. Accused of sympathizing with the communists, their publishing house was dynamited by government troops.
Throughout their careers, they were frequently subjected to publication bans. Under dictator Ne Win, the Ludu daily was eventually shut down in 1967. When her son joined the Communist Party of Burma in 1978, she and her family were detained for more than a year.
Daw Amar took her first steps on the international stage in 1953, when she joined the World Democratic Women’s Conference in Copenhagen, the World Peace Conference in Budapest and the International Youth Festival in Bucharest.
In 1964, she earned a Burmese literary award for her book, “The Artists whom People Love.” Her other famous works include the biographies of author Thakin Kodaw Hmaing, performance artist Shwe Mahn Tin Maung and cartoonists Shwe Yo and Ba Kalay. She also penned books about Burmese classical music and painting that address issues of cultural identity. Well known for her translations into Burmese, she also had a series of her articles, “Shwe Daungtaung,” translated into Japanese.
A historian based in Monywa described Daw Amar’s regret at not being able to publish her work more freely, due to the country’s draconian censors. “Daw Amar told me that she was disappointed because of the censorship board; they censor all her articles,” he said.
In her later years, her writing became more conservative. The editor of a Mandalay-based journal told The Irrawaddy that her series of articles, “Amay Shay Sagaa” (“Mother’s Old Sayings”), criticized the changing lifestyles of young Burmese women who discarded their traditional attire. Despite her great contributions to the country, Daw Amar continued to face challenges until the end of her career. Her vocal criticism of the country’s social and political situation in phone interviews with Burmese radio stations based abroad led to her work being banned on a regular basis by the censors.
In her declining years, the venerated writer spent most of her time at her residence in Maymyo, near Mandalay. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren. A funeral service is to be held in Kyarnikan Cemetery on Wednesday.