Thailand will try to convince Burma to allow the United Nations to play a role in its general elections scheduled for 2010, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said yesterday.Mr Samak, speaking at the Foreign Ministry yesterday, said the UN's experience in organising elections in Cambodia and East Timor could help Thailand's neighbour return to democracy.The prime minister did not go into detail about what role the UN could play in the elections in Burma. However, he stressed he would not mention the position of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi when he talks with the Burmese generals.Thailand's proposal to Burma is expected to be tabled at the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Bangkok in December. Thailand is now chairman of the 10-nation grouping.
MPs to elect new PM on Friday
MPs to elect new PM on Friday OF SAMAK'DOOMED
(BangkokPost.com) – House Speaker Chai Chidchob called a parliamentary meeting on Friday to elect a new prime minister, after the Constitution Court ruled Tuesday that Samak Sundaravej violated the constitution by hosting two cooking programmes.
Mr Chai said the reason why he called a quick meeting is not because of People Power party’s concern that coalition parties would switch to another political side.
He said it is his job to call the meeting, adding that MPs must be notified about it at least three days before it convenes.
MPs to elect new PM on Friday OF SAMAK'DOOMED
(BangkokPost.com) – House Speaker Chai Chidchob called a parliamentary meeting on Friday to elect a new prime minister, after the Constitution Court ruled Tuesday that Samak Sundaravej violated the constitution by hosting two cooking programmes.
Mr Chai said the reason why he called a quick meeting is not because of People Power party’s concern that coalition parties would switch to another political side.
He said it is his job to call the meeting, adding that MPs must be notified about it at least three days before it convenes.
Burma's opposition urges UN to take stronger action
Two umbrella groups of Burmese opposition political parties on Monday called on the United Nations to enforce a stronger mission and enforce General Assembly resolutions on the military-ruled country.The United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a group representing several ethnic nationalities, and the veteran Politician Colleagues of Myanmar (VCP), in a letter urge the UN Secretary General, the five permanent Security Council members,\ and Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, to take stronger initiatives to resolve Burma's political deadlock."We want the UN to follow exactly what it has decided in the General Assembly from 1994 to 2007," Nai Ngwe Thein, Secretariat of UNA told Mizzima.Both the groups expressed disappointment over UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's mission to Burma, saying his mission has thus far failed to bring any kind of change.In the letter, the groups also expressed their frustration over the UN's failure to urge the Burmese military junta to abide by the Security Council's resolution of 11-10-2007 that calls on the release of all political prisoners and the kick-starting of a tripartite dialogue between the junta, democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic groups."In all of his visits, the UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari failed to implement the UN's decisions," said Nai Ngwe Thein."We urge the UN to assign someone that can effectively carry out the UN mission on Burma in the future. Whoever it is needs to ensure the effectiveness of their mission," Nai Ngwe Thein added. He added that Gambari, during his last visit, was only meeting with junta-backed organizations such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), while failing to meet key political parties including ethnic groups. UNA, in the statement, also expressed its frustration of Gambari for talking on behalf of the junta about the upcoming 2010 general election.The 2010 election is the fifth step of the junta's seven-step roadmap to democracy, which critics say will provide the junta's continued rule with a veneer of legitimacy."UN Envoy Ismail Razali [Gambari's predecessor] and Gambari both have failed to fulfill what is expected of them despite their many attempts," said Captain Min Lwin, spokesperson for the VPC-Myanmar.He added that they would like to see the reformation of Burma under the UN's initiative and hope that a future UN Special Envoy will be more capable of implementing UN resolutions.Min Lwin added, Gambari's mission is doubtful now, as he has gone astray of UN resolutions on the country.However, the UN General Assembly President, on September 4, reiterated his continuing support of Gambari as Special Envoy to Burma and encouraged the military government to work closely with him."All Burmese people believe he [Gambari] will make some kind of change, but practically speaking he has done the opposite of what was hoped," Min Lwin remarked."We also hope and believe that the UN Security Council and other international communities will do the right thing regarding Burma," he concluded.
At least two passengers were grievously injured on Tuesday when an explosion occurred in a public bus near Rangoon's popular Hledan junction, an eyewitness said.The explosion took place at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday and severely injured the handyman of the bus and an old man, an eyewitness, who talked to Mizzima over telephone said.
Explosion in Rangoon bus injures two
An explosion took place on a public commuter bus in Rangoon caused two people"When I arrived at the spot, the bus was on fire and most of it had been charred. The handyman of the bus was severely injured. Blood was all over his legs," the eyewitness said.Minutes later, a fire brigade truck from the Sanchuang Township arrived on the spot and doused the fire, the Sanchaung fire department told Mizzima. "We don't know how it happened. We rushed to the spot as soon as we were informed and put out the fire. Details of how the explosion occurred can only be explained by our senior officers," a fire fighter at the Sanchuang fire department said.According to the eyewitness, who claimed to have spoken to one of the passengers on the bus, there were only three passengers beside the driver and the handyman. The bus was plying on the Sule-Insein route no 45, when the blast occurred."I talked to a school teacher who was on the bus and she said 'the bus was stopping at a traffic point, when suddenly I heard an explosion in the rear. I then ran out of the bus to escape not knowing what it was,' "the eyewitness said quoting her.With all the people from the bus taken away in a taxi by authorities, it was not immediately possible to confirm the cause of the explosion.The eyewitness, however, said the explosion could have occurred in the gas tank of the bus. The bus had just returned from a workshop after repairs.The bus, according to him, was heading towards Insein Township after repairs at a workshop, and was unable to pick up many passengers as is normally done.The Kamayut Township police station, under whose jurisdiction the explosion site falls, was not immediately reachable for comments.An official at the Rangoon general hospital in Latha Township, confirmed that two patients in need of emergency operations had just arrived at the hospital, but she declined to provide further details.Authorities in Rangoon, as of 2004, had ordered public commuter buses to change from the old petrol run engines to Compressed Natural Gas propelled engines.
An explosion took place on a public commuter bus in Rangoon caused two people"When I arrived at the spot, the bus was on fire and most of it had been charred. The handyman of the bus was severely injured. Blood was all over his legs," the eyewitness said.Minutes later, a fire brigade truck from the Sanchuang Township arrived on the spot and doused the fire, the Sanchaung fire department told Mizzima. "We don't know how it happened. We rushed to the spot as soon as we were informed and put out the fire. Details of how the explosion occurred can only be explained by our senior officers," a fire fighter at the Sanchuang fire department said.According to the eyewitness, who claimed to have spoken to one of the passengers on the bus, there were only three passengers beside the driver and the handyman. The bus was plying on the Sule-Insein route no 45, when the blast occurred."I talked to a school teacher who was on the bus and she said 'the bus was stopping at a traffic point, when suddenly I heard an explosion in the rear. I then ran out of the bus to escape not knowing what it was,' "the eyewitness said quoting her.With all the people from the bus taken away in a taxi by authorities, it was not immediately possible to confirm the cause of the explosion.The eyewitness, however, said the explosion could have occurred in the gas tank of the bus. The bus had just returned from a workshop after repairs.The bus, according to him, was heading towards Insein Township after repairs at a workshop, and was unable to pick up many passengers as is normally done.The Kamayut Township police station, under whose jurisdiction the explosion site falls, was not immediately reachable for comments.An official at the Rangoon general hospital in Latha Township, confirmed that two patients in need of emergency operations had just arrived at the hospital, but she declined to provide further details.Authorities in Rangoon, as of 2004, had ordered public commuter buses to change from the old petrol run engines to Compressed Natural Gas propelled engines.
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