LAND MINE DOUBLE IN BURMA AND THAI AIRPORT UNDER COUP

According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2008: Toward a Mine-Free World, 2007 witnessed at least 409 landmine related casualties in Burma, resulting in a confirmed 47 fatalities. In contrast, the previous year saw only 232 casualties and 20 deaths.The contested district of Taungoo, in Pegu Division, accounted for nearly 60 percent of casualty figures for 2007, in cases where geographic specific data was available.Recorded numbers are almost assuredly below actual figures, as no reliable system for data collection exists in the country.For the year, Burma and Russia are singled out as the only two countries in the world to have employed new anti-personnel mines. All but nine of the known victims for 2007 were civilians.Civilian casualties, for cases in which details are known, most frequently occurred while: foraging for forest and jungle produce or collecting wood (46), traveling (22), engaged in agriculture (19), portering (18), and during instances of forced labor (16).The International Labor Organization, active in Burma, received a number of allegations from civilians regarding the Burmese Army's employment of civilians for forced landmine clearing operations; allegations consistent with information that Landmine Monitor independently collected.Burma's Army has been chronicled to use mines to both dissuade villagers from returning to their homes and to prevent villagers from wandering beyond their isolated hamlets, given the situation at hand, according to rights groups active along Burma's borders in neighboring countries.As for non-state armed groups, mines are often reputed to be one of the few weapons they have at their disposal to oppose the superior firepower of the Burmese Army – with the detonation of a mine sometimes serving no purpose other than to alert villagers to abandon their homes.If unable to gain assistance from a nongovernmental organization, mine victims are often left to fend for themselves."The high cost of healthcare was the biggest obstacle to receiving treatment; ongoing conflict and travel limitations further hampered access to services," according to the report. Inadequate state facilities and investment into the healthcare industry are also said to blame.Domestically, Myanmar Defense Products Industries, a state enterprise in Pegu Division, is known to produce non-detectable antipersonnel landmines. Landmine Monitor, however, also calls attention to the foreign supply of landmines in Burma, of Chinese, Indian, Italian, Russian and American make.Among the non-state armed groups named by Landmine Monitor as using landmines during 2007, are the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the Karenni Army, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), the Monland Restoration Party and United Wa State Army (UWSA).Landmines littering Burma's rural areas are concentrated along the country's borders with Thailand, India and Bangladesh.Since independence in 1947, Burma's central authorities have intermittently come up against dozens of non-state armed groups, most of whom operate in border regions.Burma is not a signatory to the 1998 Ottawa Convention, or Mine Ban Treaty as it is commonly known. China, India, Russia and the United States are also among those countries not party to the Convention.

Thai protesters storm airport and disrupt flights
Flight operations at Thailand’s main international airport were disrupted today night after hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed the terminal building.
“We have ordered the closure of the airport because Pad supporters have come inside the airport, breaching international safety rules,” an airport spokeswoman told Reuters.
Members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (Pad) broke through police lines and began roaming through the new, sprawling $4 billion Suvarnabhum international airport terminal, southeast of Bangkok, as startled tourists looked on.
The terminal invasion capped a dramatic day that also saw Pad protesters firing on pro-government supporters on a major road leading to the old airport to the north of the city.
Footage aired by public broadcaster TPBS showed at least two Pad security guards firing half a dozen rounds from handguns. The Pad said they were attacked first with planks and stones.
At least 11 people were hurt, a city emergency services official said.
There were chaotic scenes at Suvarnabhumi, gateway for the 13 million tourists who visit every year, when protesters broke through lines of hundreds of shield-toting riot police.
Earlier, thousands of Pad members waved plastic hand-clappers, flags and portraits of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, while others slung razor wire across the four-lane access road.
“Our goal is to shut down Suvarnabhumi airport until Somchai quits,” Pad spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan said of the protest, aimed at Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who returns on Wednesday from an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru.
He would not land at Suvarnabhumi, a spokesman said.
The airport siege, one of the Pad’s most disruptive acts in its six-month campaign, could undermine public support for a movement that appears to be going to ever greater extremes to provoke a violent government backlash.
Mr Somchai has rejected repeated Pad demands that he resign because of allegations he is a puppet of his brother-in-law, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as leader in a 2006 coup.
Even though a nationwide strike failed to materialise, the airport unrest could deepen the economic impact of a crisis that has stymied government decision-making and raised fears about the export-driven economy’s ability to cope with a global slump. (Reuters)

ICC NEEDS TO ARREST ALL CRIMINAL IN BURMA

Unlawful Convictions of Burmese Political Prisoners are Crimes Against Humanity –U.N. Security Council Should Refer Burma to the International Criminal CourtCertain judges in Burma, acting under the orders of Chief Justice U Aung Toe and Senior General Than Shwe, are themselves criminally liable as co-conspirators to crimes against humanity for their acts in “trying” and “convicting” 60 political activists last week. “These acts are the latest from the junta which uses the judiciary as one of its key weapons to commit grave crimes,” says Global Justice Center President Janet Benshoof. Judges including those listed below are criminally culpable and must be referred to the International Criminal Court.

•Chief Justice U Aung Toe

•U Thaung Nyunt, North District Court, Yangon Division

•Daw Soe Nyan, U Tin Htut, U Kyaw Swe, and U Sein Hla, Western District Court, Yangon Division

•Daw Aye Myaing, Hlaing Tha Yar Township Court, Yangon Division

•Daw Than Than, Tamwe Township Court, Yangon Division•Daw Nyunt Nyunt Win, Kyauktadar Court, Yangon Division

•Daw Mya Mya Swe, North Dagon Court, Yangon Division•Daw Thiri Tin, Ahlon township Court, Yangon DivisionOn November 11th approximately forty pro-democracy dissidents received prison sentences of up to 65 years. On November 13th twenty more activists were sentenced to terms ranging from 4½ to 9½ years. The convicted include members of the ‘88 Generation Students, labor rights activist Su Su Nway, musician Win Maw, HIV/AIDS activist Than Naing, blogger Nay Phone Latt, and members of Daw Aung San Sui Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy. Even the defendants’ lawyers were not immune from the regime’s revenge; in October defense lawyers Nyi Nyi Htwe, Aung Thein and Khin Maung Shein were sentenced to between four and six months imprisonment for submitting a complaint about the unfair trial conditions of eleven NLD activists.Judges did not allow the defendants to question prosecution witnesses, many defendants did not have legal representation and those that did were not permitted to meet with their lawyers in private. Burma Lawyers’ Council General Secretary U Aung Htoo stated, “Rule of law in Burma cannot even be dreamt of when the judiciary has become an instrument of political oppression, exercised by the SPDC military junta.”United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana, said this past week in reference to these convictions, “There is no independent and impartial judiciary system [in Burma]." However, the judges actions go much further; these prison sentences are crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including violations of Article 7(1)(e) “Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law” and 7(1)(h) “Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender…or other grounds”.GJC President Benshoof noted that top judges in Hitler’s criminal regime were convicted as co-conspirators of crimes against humanity and, more recently, in the Dujail1 decision, the Iraqi High Tribunal found Judge Awad Hamed al-Bandar jointly criminally liable for crimes against humanity committed with Saddam Hussein because he used the façade of “judicial authority and law” to “try” and then “execute” civilians. Burma Lawyers’ Council and Global Justice Center urge the international community to expose the regime’s criminal partnership with members of the judiciary and to join the call for a UN Security Council referral of all grave international crimes in Burma to the International Criminal Court.Contact: Aung HtooGeneral Secretary, Burma Lawyers’ CouncilMobile: 66 (0) 81 533 0605Website: http://www.blc-burma.org/Email: blcsan@ksc.th.comContact: Janet Benshoof, Esq.President, Global Justice CenterTel: 1-212-725-6530 x203; Mobile: 1-917-601-6200Website: http://www.globaljusticecenter.net/Email: jbenshoof@globaljusticecenter.net1 A1-Mahkama al-jina’iya al-‘Iraqiya al-Uliya [The Iraqi High Criminal Court], al-Dujail Opinion, Unofficial English Translation, (Dec.26,2006), www.law.case.edu/saddamtrial/documents/20070103dujailappellatechamberopinion.pdf

PULL THEM OUT

Rebel vigil talks with Myanmar

Foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon led the Indian side to the ninth round of foreign office consultations over the past weekend. Myanmar deputy foreign minister U. Kyaw Thu led the other delegation in Yangon.
The matter of Northeast insurgents using Myanmar to smuggle arms into India has come up regularly at diplomatic exchanges.
Recently, the Jane’s Intelligence Review, a magazine on security affairs, reported that China had replaced Cambodia and Thailand as the main supplier of weapons to the insurgent groups.
The report said the United Wa State Army, a rebel group in Myanmar, acted the “middleman” between the Chinese arms manufacturers and militant groups in India’s northeast. Most of the weapons were routed through China’s Yunnan province.
In 2004, Myanmar had launched an operation against the insurgents based near its border with Thailand.
The foreign office meeting also welcomed decisions taken during joint trade committee in October, a ministry statement said.

Myanmar Promises Cooperation in Curbing Insurgent Activities

Heeding to India's concerns over northeast insurgents taking shelter in Myanmar, the military government of the neighbouring country has promised to cooperate in combating the problem.
India also announced a waiver of the ban on wheat export to Myanmar for 950 tonnes and entered into a long-term arrangement for purchase of pulses from it.
At the Foreign Office consultations, the two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in security and border issues, trade and economy, energy, power and IT.
At the two-day talks, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon headed the Indian delegation while Myanmar's Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu led his country's side.
"Both countries stressed the need for greater vigilance at the border and agreed to enhance security cooperation to combat insurgent groups and arms smuggling," said a joint press release issued after the meeting in Yangon.
India has been concerned over the northeast insurgents taking shelter in Myanmar and has been asking Yangon to cooperate in flushing them out.
At the meeting, the two sides agreed on a long-term arrangement under which India will purchase pulses from Myanmar, the release said.
They also welcomed the decisions reached at the 3rd Joint Trade Committee held last month, which included conversion of Indo-Myanmar border trade into normal trade, opening of the border point at Avakhung in Nagaland and expanding the existing border trade items from 22 to 40.
The two countries appreciated the strengthening of cooperation in the areas of energy and oil and natural gas.
They expressed satisfaction at the recent signing of an MoU on the development of Tamanthi and Swezay Hydropower projects on the Chindwin river in Myanmar.
Other projects in the power sector include the renovation of the Tahtaychaung Hydropower project, construction of transmission lines, replacement of transformers damaged during cyclone Nargis, supply of biomass gasifiers and solar lamps.

Myanmar suffers steep drop in foreign tourists

Myanmar - A Myanmar news journal says foreign tourist numbers are down by half at one of the country's most revered Buddhist sites after the country was hit by a devastating cyclone in May that killed more than 84,000 people.

The Weekly Eleven news journal says foreign tourists visiting the famed Shwedagon pagoda fell to 25,380 during May through November compared with 53,841 in the same period last year.
The tourism sector across the impoverished country has been hit hard following Cyclone Nargis in May. The storm killed 84,537, left another 53,836 people missing, and caused a vast trail of destruction across the Irrawaddy delta.
The military has held authoritarian power in the Southeast Asian nation since 1962.

“Pull Them Out With Tweezers”

Despite their crucial role in assisting survivors of Cyclone Nargis, local aid groups in Burma have become the target of an ongoing crackdown on activities deemed inimical to the interests of the country’s ruling regime. Twenty-two volunteer aid workers have been arrested in connection with their relief work in the Irrawaddy delta, where the cyclone struck on May 2-3.
Recently, six of the detained volunteers—Zarganar, Zaw Thet Htwe, Ein Khaing Oo, Tin Maung Aye, Thant Zin Aung and Kyaw Kyaw Thint—received lengthy prison sentences for their efforts on behalf of victims of the disaster.
Of this group, Zarganar is undoubtedly the best known in Burma. He is the country’s most popular satirist, noted for directing his acerbic wit at the generals who have ruled for the past two decades. Last Friday, he was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for criticizing the regime’s response to the humanitarian disaster in the delta.
The comedian was arrested in June while contributing to the spontaneous private relief effort that stepped in to fill the vacuum left by the authorities, who were more interested in going ahead with a referendum on a constitution designed to legitimize military rule.
It would be an understatement to say that the regime did not appreciate the efforts of ordinary citizens who came to the rescue of those less fortunate than themselves. Fearing that dissident groups would take advantage of the situation to foment unrest, the junta soon moved to clamp down on unauthorized do-gooders.
“The military government doesn’t allow any opposition groups to operate [in the cyclone-affected area] or exert influence,” said Aung Thu Nyein, a researcher from the Thailand-based Vahu Development Institute. He added that the ruling generals would not tolerate anyone who reminded them of their failure to help their own suffering people.
It came as no surprise, then, that the authorities were quick to arrest Zaganar, who has been an agitator for change since the nationwide uprising against military rule in 1988.
Imprisoned in 1990 for four years, he has nonetheless continued to challenge the junta’s right to rule. Last year, when thousands of monks gathered to protest the regime’s policies, he was one of their most outspoken supporters.
In the wake of Cyclone Nargis, Zarganar was critical not only of the junta, but also of the United Nations. “I am not happy with the UN,” he said in an interview with The Irrawaddy. “Why are they so concerned with the government’s endorsement of their relief work? They should have taken more risks.”
Others agree that the international response to the regime’s abuses leaves a great deal to be desired.
Describing the jailing of Zarganar as “a cruel joke on the Burmese people,” Brad Adams, the Asia director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch, added that it was “a bigger joke on those abroad who still think ignoring repression in Burma will bring positive change.”
Although the UN says that it hopes to “build trust” with the regime through cooperation in the relief effort, local and international NGO workers in Burma say that the ongoing crackdown on volunteers shows that the junta is more interested in maintaining control than in helping people.
“The government’s imprisonment of humanitarian aid workers sends the message that Burmese social organizations must follow the junta’s regulations whether they like it or not,” said a Rangoon-based social worker.
While private donors and humanitarian aid workers face arrest and imprisonment for acting on their own initiative, government-backed organizations like the Union Solidarity and Development Association are free to coordinate with international aid agencies, providing them with access to resources and opportunities to profit from the relief effort.
Despite his long history of persecution at the hands of the authorities (which included a three-week stint in jail last year for making public offerings to protesting monks), Zarganar has shown no signs of bowing to his oppressors.
Perhaps this is because his stage name is taken from a Burmese slogan that was popular during the struggle against British colonial rule: “If you have hairs that stand up when you are afraid, pull them out with tweezers.”
Zarganar (“tweezers” in Burmese) knows better than most that the only way to confront your fears is by plucking them out at their roots.

UN APPROVES BURMA RESOLUTION AND 18 POLITICAL PRISONERS SENT FAR

In contrast, only seven Asian countries approved of the draft, including none of Burma's immediate neighbors and no member of ASEAN. Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam all voted against, while Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand abstained (Cambodia was absent). The abstention on the part of the Philippines came just days before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this weekend rained praise on the Philippines as being the one country in Asia supportive of the United States' position on Burma. In addition to Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and Kazakhstan, the other three Asian countries to support the item have all recently witnessed significant external intervention, led by either the United States or Australia – Afghanistan, Iraq and Timor-Leste. Burma's delegate to the Committee reserved strong language for those who supported the motion, letting it be known that Burma would feel under no obligation to be bound by the vote."If left unchallenged, [the motion] will set a dangerous precedent for all developing countries", he warned, as the resolution was an attempt to infringe on national sovereignty while a case of direct interference in the domestic affairs of a member state.Subsequently, a no-action motion put forth by the Burmese representative was defeated by a vote of 90 against to 54 in favor, with 34 abstentions.Those that opted not to support the draft commonly sighted the politicization of human rights, inattention to the domestic progress made by Burmese authorities and the inappropriateness of the venue for country specific resolutions – the Human Rights Council felt to be the rightful forum in which to raise such concerns.France, who took the lead in tabling the action on behalf of the European Union, said the text was designed to raise awareness among the international community as to the continuing rights violations in the Southeast Asian country and "in an effort to mobilize action on all sides."The French representative called on Burma's ruling military to engage in dialogue and to cooperate fully with United Nations mechanisms in the area of human rights. He proceeded to say the new constitution, approved in May, fails to address the assurance of basic rights inside the country and that, "No attempt had been made to prosecute those guilty of repressing the acts of peaceful protest from a year ago." India's representative, explaining his country's vote, first noted that the country has always recognized the importance of human rights. However, it was forced to vote against the resolution as it was not "forward-looking" and confrontational in approach. India also wished that the Committee would recognize the positive steps of the Burmese government over the past year – a sentiment similarly voiced by Indonesia and Japan, despite the latter weighing in in support of the draft.Further commenting on the ideological, development and interest divide at the international level, Friday also witnessed the tabling of a resolution critical of human rights as a unilateral coercive measure "implemented in contravention of international law and the United Nations Charter, and with negative consequences to economic development." The resolution passed, garnering 124 votes in favor to 52 against. All ASEAN countries, China, India and Russia supported the motion; while the European Union, United States, Canada, Australia and Japan were among those who voted against the action.

Eighteen More Political Prisoners Transferred

Another 18 political prisoners were transferred from Rangoon’s Insein Prison to remote prisons around Burma on Monday, and family members are struggling to confirm their loved ones’ whereabouts.According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), 18 political prisoners were transferred to various prisons including Thaton Prison, Moulmein Prison, Kale Prison, Meiktila Prison, Myingyan Prison, Bamaw Prison, Taungyi Prison, Lashio Prison, Tavoy Prison, Paungte Prison and Tharawaddy prison.Beginning last Sunday, many prominent political prisoners, including Buddhist monks, leading activists from 88 Generation Students, lawyers, a blogger and a poet, were transferred from Rangoon's Insein Prison.Many family members say they still can’t locate where their loved ones have been transferred during the past week. Aung Tun, the younger brother of leading activist Ko Ko Gyi, said his brother was no longer in Kengtung Prison in Shan State and his location is unknown. Also human rights activist Su Su Nway is now in Kale Prison in Sagaing Division, according to Nyan Win, a spokesperson of National League for Democracy, even though Insein Prison authorities said she was transferred to Mandalay Prison last week. Many families say the remote locations are causing added difficulties in visiting their loved ones.Aung Thein, a lawyer who defended members of the 88 Generation Students was given four months in prison for contempt of court, is currently detained in a prison in Bassein, the capital of Irrawaddy Division.His wife said, "I spent 10,000 kyat (US $8) to visit his prison last week. They told me they couldn’t allow me to see him due to National Day. I had stayed for two days but I didn't see my husband."Meanwhile, the Burma Fund, a policy think tank of the exiled government, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, has released a report, "The Findings in the Open Heart Letter Campaign,” which is based on data compiled by the 88 Generation Student group before many of its members were arrested. The group initiated a campaign on January 4, 2007, calling on Burmese citizens to write letters describing their feelings about the social and political situation in the country.Dr. Thaung Htun of the Burma Fund told The Irrawaddy: "By releasing this report, we hope the international community—and especially Asean—will give more attention to the situation in Burma because it is getting worse."

GLOBAL COLLECTIVE ACTION

PLEASE CLICK ON THE PAGE TO ENLARGE

POPULAR LONG PRISONMENT IS MODELING IN BURMA

Burma’s best-known comedian Zarganar and the prominent monk Ashin Gambira were among 35 regime critics sentenced to long prison terms in another day of trials in Rangoon’s Insein Prison on Friday.
Zarganar, whose anti-regime satire was a constant thorn in the side of Burma’s ruling generals, was given a 45-year term. Gambira, one of the leaders of the September 2007 uprising, was sentenced to a total of 68 years.
Zarganar(l) and Ashin GambiraThe media friendly Zarganar was convicted on several criminal charges, including infringements of the Electronic Act, 505 b.
Zarganar was arrested in the night of June 4 in a raid in which the authorities seized his computer, about US $1,000 (1,140,000 Kyat) in cash and three CDs containing footage of May’s cyclone devastation, the opulent wedding of junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s youngest daughter Thandar Shwe and the film “Rambo 4,” in which Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone fights Burmese government soldiers in a mission to rescue kidnapped westerners. The 29-year-old Gambira was also convicted on several charges, including offences under Section 505 A and B of the State Offence Act, Section 13/1 of the Immigration Act, Section 17/1 of the Illegal Organization Act, Section 33 A of the Electronic Act and Section 6 of the Organization Act. One of Zarganar’s associates, Zaw Thet Htwe, who helped him deliver aid to cyclone survivors, received a sentence of 15 years imprisonment. Another associate, Tin Maung Aye, was sentenced to 29 years imprisonment and a third, Thant Zin Aung, received 15 years imprisonment.
The trials of Zarganar, Zaw Thet Htwe and Thant Zin Aung are still proceeding, and the court is expected to pronounce further sentences on them next week.
Thirteen members of the 88 Generation Students group received prison sentences ranging from three to five years on Friday and they are also expected to face further sentences next week, sources said.
Five Buddhist monks were among a further eleven regime opponents who were also sentenced to prison terms on Friday, prison sources said. All took part in the September 2007 uprising.
The 11 condemned were identified as Pyinya Thiha, Pyinya Dipa, Narapatint, Okantha Marla, Zarnayya and dissidents Htun Htun Naing, Than Htay, Soe Shwe, Ngwe Soe, Khin Htun and Kyaw San Lay.
Htun Htun Naing, Than Htay, Ngwe Soe and Kyaw San Lay were each sentenced to four years imprisonment for offences under sections 145 and 505 b of the criminal code, said one source close to the court. Khin Htun sentenced to four-and-half-years for offences under sections 143, 145, 505 b.
The sentences handed out to the monks are not yet known. All of them are from Tharthana Theippan monastery in Rangoon’s Bahan Township.
Tharthana Theippan was the scene of a ceremony held by members of the 88 Generation Students group in August 2007 to mark the 19th anniversary of the 1988 uprising. The ceremony honored the students, monks and citizens who lost their lives during the uprising. In Thursday’s sessions of the current wave of trials, about 20 detained activists were given prison sentences of between two and six years. They included the Burmese hip-hop star Zayar Thaw, who is a leading member of Generation Wave, a dissidents group founded by young Burmese activists during the September 2007 uprising.
More than one hundred democracy supporters, including Buddhist monks, defense lawyers, members of the opposition National League for Democracy and the 88 Generation Students group have so far been sentenced by Burmese courts since the beginning of November. The longest sentence was the 68 year term of imprisonment handed out to Ashin Gambira on Friday.
-->

HIV/AIDS Risk High Among Political Prisoners
Political prisoners in Burma run a high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because of unhygienic medical treatment, according to reports from inside several of the country’s prisons.
One report, by Reporters without Borders, said an imprisoned member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung Than, probably contracted the disease after being forcibly injected during treatment in Insein Prison for a prostate condition.
Aung Than was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment in 2006 for writing and distributing a collection of poems called “Daung Man” (“The Force of the Fighting Peacock.”)
Another NLD member, Hla Than, who was elected to represent Coco Island Township in the 1990 election, named five political prisoners he knew had died of HIV/AIDS—Khin Sein, Mya Shwe, Naing Aung Lun, Bo Ni Aung and Thuta Aung.
One former political prisoner, Aung Kyaw Oo, who served 14 years in Insein and Tharawaddy Prisons, said detainees were forbidden to possess hypodermic syringes and injections were carried out with shared needles, usually by ill-trained medics drawn from the prisoners themselves.
“If prisoners refuse to be injected with used needles they are punished,” said Tin Aye, a former political prisoner, who served 15 years and nine months.
“Insein prison is a center of the HIV virus,” he said. “Prison conditions favor the spread of HIV.”
Aung Kyaw Oo said most of the medics in prison hospitals were drawn from convicts with little medical background or knowledge, including drug offenders.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said the standard of medical treatment in Burma’s prisons had worsened since inspectors of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped their routine visits.
The Geneva-based ICRC suspended its routine visits to Burmese prisons in December 2005 when the junta-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Association insisted on accompanying ICRC aid workers. The ICRC pointed out that its protocols required that prison visits be independent and unsupervised.
According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), 137 political prisoners have died in Burma’s prisons since 1988. The AAAP says the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other deadly transmitted diseases is high among prisoners.

CONTINUOUS JAILING IN BURMA

Kyaw Zwa was sentenced to two consecutive terms of five years and six years imprisonment, while Kyaw San received a four-year sentence.
Dee Nyein Lin’s father, Zaw Zaw Min, a member of the 88 Generation Students group, was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment on November 11 by a court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, along with several other members of the group.
Dee Nyein Lin’s grandfather, veteran journalist Saw Win, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy, died in prison in 1998, seven years into a 10-year sentence.
In the current crackdown, about 80 political activists, students, journalists, a poet and a blogger have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 65 years imprisonment on charges relating to involvement in the August-September 2007 demonstrations and infringements of laws on illegal assembly, resisting officials on duty, disturbing public order and regulations governing Internet use.
-->

ACTIVISTS WANT ASEAN LEADERS TO FOCUS ON ABUSES IN MYANMAR

Asean leaders have been urged to pay more serious attention to the alleged human rights abuses in Myanmar where in November the military regime sentenced 119 pro-democracy activists, some with up to 65 years' imprisonment.
Burma Partnership, a movement of organisations and individuals promoting freedom, democracy and human rights in Myanmar, said the nine Asean members should recognise the widespread and increasing problems in the country, and that the situation would not improve until strong international action was taken.
"Burma (Myanmar) is already a red stain on Asean's name, and its increasing instability is spilling over.
"Asean needs to take significant measures to propel the release of all political prisoners in Burma and the return of a proper process of national reconciliation," the movement said in an open letter to the nine leaders.
It said that despite calls from many international leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Asean ministers for the release of political prisoners and valid progression towards national reconciliation, especially in the run-up to the 2010 elections, nothing had changed.
"The military junta is avidly ignoring these calls by locking up and harassing any organisation or person that questions their tyranny," Burma Partnership said.
-- MORE
MYANMAR-ASEAN 2 (LAST) BANGKOK
The letter was sent to the leaders of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The movement said Asean leaders should demand the release of all political prisoners in Myanmar, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic leaders.
"As the Asean Summit is approaching, we particularly ask you to make this issue focal there," it said, referring to the 14th Asean Summit to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from Dec 13 to 18.
According to the movement, the military junta has stepped up arrests and sentencing of political prisoners who are not violent criminals, "but monks, students, bloggers, lawyers, journalists, musicians, poets and political leaders who peacefully demand a stable government that respects the rule of law and the people's right to life, liberty and security".
"These arrests and sentences stand against the Asean Charter, and will contribute to regional instability," it said.
Among those sentenced to jail was U Gambira, leader of the All Burma Monk's Alliance who organised nationwide peaceful gatherings of monks in September 2007. He received 12 years' imprisonment.

BUDDHIST MONK LEADER IN JAIL FOR OVER 35 YEARS

A source close to the leading dissident monk said that the sentence did not include all of the charges against him, and would likely be much longer once the court reaches a final decision on the remaining charges.

“His case hasn’t been closed yet,” the source said. “There are still other charges being brought against him.”
The 29-year-old monk, who helped spearhead peaceful protests by thousands of Buddhist monks last September, was charged with violating a number of laws generally having to do with threatening the stability of the state.
These include Section 505 A and B of the State Offence Act, Section 13/1 of the Immigration Act, Section 17/1 of the Illegal Organization Act, Section 303 A of the Electronic Act and Section 6 of the Organization Act.
Intelligence agents arrested Ashin Gambira along with his father last November while he was hiding in Sintgaing Township, Mandalay Division. The authorities later forcibly disrobed him without consulting with the Buddhist monastic community, which alone has the authority to expel monks.
Ashin Gambira co-founded the All Burmese Monks’ Alliance, which led last year’s massive protests in Rangoon and other cities. The subsequent crackdown by the military claimed at least 31 lives, according to human rights groups, while thousands of monks and civilians were arrested and detained.
Besides Ashin Gambira, at least four other people received lengthy sentences today for their involvement in the protests, including fellow monk U Kaylar Tha from Mandalay Township, who was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by the Kyimyindaing Township special court in Insein prison.
U Kaylar Tha was charged with violating Section 505 B of the State Offence Act, Section 13/1 of the Immigration Act, Section 17/2 of the Illegal Organization Act and Section 6 of the Organization Act.
Three ethnic activists were also sentenced today in connection with the monk-led protests. Ethnic Arakanese protester Tin Htoo Aung and Chin activist Kam Lat Hkoat were sentenced to 33 years imprisonment each, while another Chin activist, Kat Hkant Kwal, was given an eight-year sentence.

Rights experts adamant that reform must predate 2010 elections
Five prominent rights experts associated with the United Nations have today let Issued from Geneva, as Burma's courts continue to sentence waves of activists and dissidents to lengthy prison terms, the called for reforms take as their basis the four points urged upon the Burmese junta by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to the country, Tomas Ojea Quintana.Identified by Quintana, the reforms include: a comprehensive review of national legislation to ensure its compliance with international human rights standards, the release of political prisoners of conscience and reform of the armed forces and the judicial system."The UN experts strongly urge the Myanmar [Burma] authorities to cease harassing and arresting individuals for peacefully exercising their internationally recognized human rights," iterate the United Nations representatives.The five individuals especially pointed to the need for detainees to be granted open and fair trials with the right to defence counsel."The closed-door hearings are being held inside prisons by courts which lack independence and impartiality. Three of the defence lawyers have been sentenced to several months of imprisonment for contempt of court," note the rights experts. Joining Quintana in the signing of the document, were Special Rapporteurs: Leandro Despouy – independence of judges and lawyers; Frank La Rue – freedom of opinion and expression; Margaret Sekaggya – situation of human rights defenders, and; Asma Jahangir – freedom of religion or belief.The sudden surge of sentences handed down to opposition activists is widely understood to be a move on the junta's part to deflate and mitigate domestic opposition in the run-up to the 2010 general election – the first the country will hold in twenty years.

NLD MP Dr. Hla Aung passes away
by Phanida
Tuesday, 18 November 2008 18:54
Chiang Mai – National League for Democracy (NLD) MP-elect, Dr. Hla Aung, suddenly passed away today at his residence, it is learnt.Dr. Hla Aung, one of the 398 NLD MPs elected in the 1990 general election, he is the 99th to have since died.Wandwin Township NLD Joint Secretary Aung Thu told Mizzima that Dr. Hla Aung passed away at his home within an hour after suffering trouble breathing while meditating at Wandwin Township's Panpingyi meditation camp.Dr. Hla Aung (68) joined the popular 8-8-88 uprising and contested the 1990 general election, representing Wandwin constituency No. 2.He earned a B.A. from Mandalay University and a Diploma in International Relations from Rangoon University, later receiving a PhD in Economics and a Diploma in Russian language following five-years of study at Moscow University."His demise is a loss for the people of Burma as he was a smart and honest intellectual, capable of doing much for the country," his colleague U Aung Thu said.He is survived by his wife Aye Nuu and four children.According to the National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB) and the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP), 34 NLD MPs-elect are now in exile and 17 MPs-elect are still behind bars.

BURMESE LADY JOURNALIST IN JAIL FOR COVERING CYCLONE VICTIMS

Eine Khaing Oo, 21, was arrested June 10 when she tried to cover a rare protest in front of the head office of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rangoon by a group of Nargis-victims from South Dagon Township, a new satellite town for the poor.Tamwe Township Court found Eine Khaing Oo undermining national security.She had worked as a junior reporter for Eco Vision magazine for two weeks prior to her detention, media sources said.Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962, is notoriously lacking in a free press.The ruling regime was harshly criticized by the international community for impeding the inflow of aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis, which smashed into Irrawaddy delta on May 2-3, leaving about 140,000 dead or missing.The junta was reluctant to allow a massive inflow of foreign aid workers to the cyclone devastated region because of its long-held dread of outsiders and its cynical goal to push through a national referendum on a pro-military constitution that happened to be scheduled for mid-May.Authorities refused to postpone the referendum, despite suffering the worst natural catastrophe in recent history.On Friday, the Tamwe Township Court also sentenced Kyaw Kyaw Thant, the leader of the cyclone protest, to seven years in jail, and Win Myint, who had posted a letter complaining of the junta's poor relief efforts, to two years in jail, lawyers said.

NINE BUDDHIST MONKS IN JAIL FOR OVER 9 YEARS AND US FREEZES BURMA DRUG KING

At least 14 members of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party (NLD) were also given prison sentences of four to 10 years, said party spokesman Nyan Win.
Rights groups say Myanmar has intensified efforts to curb dissent ahead of elections in 2010 with a string of heavy sentences handed down to activists this week over the demonstrations in August and September 2007.
"Four monks were sentenced to eight years imprisonment each" at court hearings on Thursday, Nyan Win told AFP, without giving further details.
Also on Thursday, 11 NLD members from the commercial hub of Yangon were jailed for seven-and-a-half years each and another three were given sentences of four to 10 years, he said.

US freezes assets of alleged Myanmar drug traffickers

Targeted were those linked to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the most powerful drug trafficking organization in southeast Asia, and Wei Hsueh Kang, a senior UWSA commander, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
They were named "Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers" by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
The Treasury said its "action freezes any assets the 43 designees may have under US jurisdiction and prohibits US persons from conducting transactions or dealings in the property interests of the designated individuals and entities."
Corporations found violating the Kingpin Act could be fined up to ten million dollars while corporate officers could be fined up to five million dollars and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines.
The United Wa State Army "is a major producer and exporter of synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine," according to OFAC Deputy Director Barbara Hammerle who was quoted in the department's statement.
"Today OFAC is targeting the Wa's lieutenants and the financial holdings of this massive drug trafficking organization. We call on other nations to do the same," Hammerle was quoted as saying.
Under the Kingpin Act, US President George W. Bush identified as significant foreign narcotics traffickers Wei Hsueh Kang, in 2000, and the UWSA, around three years later, it added.
In January 2005, federal prosecutors in New York "unsealed a criminal indictment charging Wei, along with his brothers Wei Hsueh Lung and Wei Hsueh Ying, who are designated today, for narcotics trafficking," it said.
The US State Department is offering a reward of up to two million dollars for tips leading to Wei's capture.
Others named by the OFAC are Pao Yu Hsiang, Ho Chun Ting and Shih Kuo Neng.
Pao Yu Hsiang, indicted in 2005 with Wei Hsueh Kang, is the commander-in-chief of the UWSA, the treasury said.
In 2005, prosecutors in New York charged Ho Chun Ting and Shih Kuo Neng, among others, with money laundering and narcotics trafficking, it said.
In 2007, Hong Kong authorities arrested Ho Chun Ting, a partner of Wei Hsueh Kang, but Hong Kong later released him for unknown reasons, the treasury said.
Shih Kuo Neng is the manager of the Hong Pang conglomerate of companies, many of which were also named Wednesday.
Nyan Win said five other monks arrested in September last year from Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery in Yangon were sentenced to six-and-a-half years each on Tuesday at the notorious Insein prison on the outskirts of the city.
The Myanmar protests began as small rallies in August 2007 against the rising cost of living, but escalated into huge demonstrations led by Buddhist monks that posed the biggest challenge to junta rule in nearly two decades.
At least 31 people were killed when security forces cracked down on the protesters, according to the United Nations. Hundreds more activists remain in jail, rights groups say.
The latest sentences bring to around 50 the number of activists sentenced to jail by courts in Myanmar this week in a major crackdown, including a prominent blogger and a leading poet, a western diplomat in Yangon said.
The five monks sentenced on Tuesday were included in the numbers earlier announced by relatives and opposition figures, although it was not known until Friday that they were monks.
Many of those jailed this week were former students who led an uprising in 1988 and then took part in the August protests, most of whom received sentences of 65 years each.

X-WORRIORS' STATEMENT

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE PAGE TO ENLARGE

NONE-STOP JAILING IN BURMA AND UN FEELS SORROW

The defendants included 11 members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), including Tin Yu, NLD chairman in Rangoon’s Hlaing Tharyar Township. Each was sentenced by the court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison to seven and half years imprisonment, said prison sources. The 11 were originally charged in May 2007, while staging a peaceful protest in Hlaing Tharyar Township in western Rangoon, carrying posters and placards bearing the slogan: “Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi!”Tin Yu, 72, was treated in hospital in March after he was struck down by an unknown attacker while walking outside his home in Hlaing Tharyar Township.
At least three members of Burma’s Human Rights Defenders and Promoters group were also sentenced on Thursday, said one source close to the group.
A 21-year-old woman leading member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, Honey Oo, was sentenced to nine-and-half-years imprisonment on Thursday. Min Han, a strong supporter for pro-democracy activists, was also sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. Burma’s leading satirist, the popular comedian Zarganar, who organized private aid missions to the cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta in May, appeared before the court on Thursday but no sentence was pronounced, according to his sister-in-law, Ma Nyein.
More than 60 pro-democracy activists have been sentenced so far this week, some of them to 65 years imprisonment.
The severity of the sentences and the secrecy of the trials have sparked international protest. The UN Secretary General’s office, the US, Britain, Canada, parliamentarians from countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and human rights organizations strongly condemned the court action.
This week’s trials began on Monday, with the sentencing of several activists and a young blogger. On Tuesday, about 39 political activists, including five monks, and 14 members of 88 Generation Students group, were handed prison terms of up to 65 years.
Dissident sources say the court intends to bring to trial all those held in Insein Prison for their involvement in the nationwide uprising in September 2007.

UN concerned about harsh prison terms in Myanmar

"The secretary-general is deeply concerned by recent reports of sentences and severe prison terms imposed in connection with the peaceful demonstrations of last year in Myanmar," the U.N. said in a statement.
It reiterated calls for all political prisoners to be released and for all citizens to be allowed to participate freely in the country's political future.
U.N. envoys have visited the country nearly 40 times since 1990, but the world body has had little success in its ongoing efforts to persuade the junta to make democratic reforms.
The junta has scheduled general elections in 2010 as part of a "roadmap to democracy." Opposition groups and other critics dismiss it as a sham meant to perpetuate military rule. The army has held absolute power in the Southeast Asian nation since 1962.
Among those sentenced this week were 14 members of the 88 Generation Students who were at the forefront of a 1988 pro-democracy uprising. They were each given 65 years in prison.
Others sentenced to between two and 20 years included five Buddhist monks, 28-year-old blogger Nay Phone Latt, labor activist Su Su Nway and a poet who was accused of concealing anti-government slogans in his work.
International human rights groups say Myanmar now holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, compared to nearly 1,200 in June 2007, before the pro-democracy demonstrations.
According to U.N. estimates, at least 31 people were killed and thousands of demonstrators detained in last year's protests. Many activists fled the country or went underground.
Myanmar's political prisoners include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the opposition party, who is under house arrest. She has been in detention for about 13 of the past 19 years.
After Suu Kyi's party won the most seats in 1990 general elections, the military refused to let it take power and instead harassed its members.

Britain, Canada Leads Protests and su su nway in jail for years

Rammell called for the release of all political detainees, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The election planned for 2010 would not be free unless political prisoners were released, he said.“There can be nothing approaching free elections until these steps are taken,” Rammell declared. The 39 dissidents, including 88 Generation Students activists, monks and prominent labor activist Su Su Nway were sentenced to long prison terms by the Insein Prison court on Tuesday. Fourteen of the accused received sentences of 65 years.Canada’s Foreign Minister, Lawrence Cannon, said: “Canada is deeply concerned to learn that 14 members of the 88 Generation Students group have each been sentenced to 65 years’ imprisonment.” Cannon declared: "We continue to urge the regime to begin a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic minorities in order to foster a political process leading to the full restoration of democracy." London-based Amnesty International said the prison sentences passed by the court were a powerful reminder that the Burmese regime is neglecting calls by the international community to clean up its human rights record. Benjamin Zawacki, an Amnesty International Burma’s researcher, said: “Even as the government continues to claim that its new constitution and plans for elections in 2010 are genuine efforts toward increasing political participation, this sentencing sends a clear signal that it will not tolerate views contrary to its own by handing down such severe sentences.” Amnesty International says there are more than 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.The London-based Burma Campaign-UK urged the UN to take action on behalf of the 14 convicted members of the 88 Generation Students group. “If they are forced to serve their full terms, they will die in jail,” the organization said in a statement.
The organization’s Campaigns Officer, Nang Seng, said that by imprisoning the dissidents the regime was defying a call by the UN Security Council in October to free political prisoners.Burmese lawyer Thein Nyunt, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy’s information department, said the “huge punishments” were apparently an act of revenge against the political activists. The sentences were “inappropriate,” he said.Thakin Chan Htun, a Burmese veteran politician, agreed and said the sentences conflicted with the rule of law in Burma. Although the sentences were intended to “threaten people,” they hurt the regime’s image. “Not only the Burmese people but also the world will see it as fascism. It is likely that they portrayed themselves as a fascist government.” An ethnic Chin politician, Cin Sian Thang, Chairman of the Zomi National Congress in Rangoon, described the sentences as “terrible…It doesn’t lead in the direction of democracy,” he said. Cin Sian Than also said that the severe punishments were part of the preparation for the general election planned for 2010.

Myanmar labour activist jailed for 12 years
Su Su Nway, 36, and her colleague Bo Bo Win Naing were arrested in November last year for putting up anti-government posters, weeks after massive demonstrations were suppressed by the junta.
The charges against the labour activist -- who had gone into hiding after taking part in August and September protests -- included inciting unrest and participating in an anti-government movement.
"She was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years imprisonment at Insein Prison yesterday (Tuesday)," her lawyer Khin Htay Kywe told AFP.
Su Su Nway also spent time in detention earlier in 2007 for leading a prayer vigil seeking the release of democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Bo Bo Win Naing was handed an eight-year jail term on similar charges, said Khin Htay Kywe, who is also a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Dozens of pro-democracy activists were given hefty jail terms this week, including a blogger sentenced to 20 years on Monday and a poet who penned a coded message against junta head Than Shwe, who got two years.
A relative of a jailed activist said that 23 people were convicted on Tuesday, although Khin Htay Kywe said that number could be higher.
"About 30 people including student activists were sentenced yesterday at Insein Prison. Most of them were sentenced for 65 years, and the rest also got long terms of imprisonment," she said.
Details were still emerging about the charges, but they are believed to include violating the electronics act in Myanmar -- where Internet use is heavily policed -- and inciting unrest.
Small protests in Yangon in August 2007 against the rising cost of living escalated into the biggest challenge to junta rule in nearly two decades.
The army responded with a bloody crackdown in September, during which at least 31 people were killed while 74 remain missing, according to the United Nations.
Hundreds of activists were arrested after the protests, taking the number of political prisoners locked away in Myanmar to about 2,000, rights group say.
The most well-known is Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest, despite leading her NLD to an election victory in 1990, which was never recognised by the ruling generals.

65 YEARS FOR JAIL IN MORDERN BURMA'S HISTORY

The activists were sentenced during a closed-door hearing at the notorious Insein prison on the northern outskirts of the military-ruled country's commercial hub of Yangon.
"Altogether 23 activists were sentenced today at Insein prison. They were sentenced to 65 years each," a family member told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A spokesman for the opposition party of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi confirmed that at least 14 activists were sentenced to 65 years but had no further details.
In neighbouring Thailand, a group that defends political prisoners in Myanmar said that 14 of those sentenced were members of the so-called "88 Generation."
The term applies to students who led an uprising 20 years ago in Myanmar that was crushed by the military with the loss of an estimated 3,000 lives. Many of them served years in jail after those demonstrations.
"The sentence was handed down at around 1pm, behind closed doors in Insein prison special court. Family members were not allowed to attend the hearing," the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said in a statement.
The military regime changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989.
Some "88 Generation" members started new demonstrations in Yangon in August 2007 after the authorities abruptly hiked fuel prices. Dozens of them were arrested.
The following month, Buddhist monks took up the leadership of the protests, which were again subject to a brutal crackdown. According to the United Nations, 31 people were killed.
The sentences come a day after a prominent Myanmar blogger arrested after the anti-junta protests last year was jailed for 20 years while a poet was given two years behind bars.

Bush names special aide for Myanmar

If confirmed by the US Senate, Green "will serve as our main interlocutor with other countries and organizations as we attempt to help the Burmese people," said US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
Green, who has served as senior director for Asian Affairs on Bush's national security council, is currently an associate professor at Georgetown University and holds the Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington.
The post was created by the US Congress with an eye on increasing pressure on the military junta that rules Myanmar. Washington does not recognize the country's name change.
The legislation said the special representative will work with democracy advocates in Myanmar, non-governmental organizations there and in neighboring countries with an eye on bringing democratic rule to the country.
The representative is also meant to consult with the governments of China, India, Thailand and Japan, Myanmar's ASEAN partners, and the European Union to coordinate international strategy towards the country.

KAHTINA HOLDS IN FORT WAYNE ,IN (USA)

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE PHOTO

BLOGGER IN JAIL FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND BURMA IN UN SIGHT AFFAIR

Nay Phone Latt, 28, was sentenced by a court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, according to his mother, Aye Than. He was convicted of contravening Public Offense Act 505 B by posting a cartoon depicting junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe on his blog site.

Nay Phone Latt’s colleague Thin July Kyaw was sentenced to two years imprisonment, Aye Than reported.
Another dissident who ridiculed the regime, Saw Wai, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for publishing a poem mocking Than Shwe in the weekly Love Journal, according to Rangoon sources. The first words of each line of the Burmese language poem spelled out the message “Senior General Than Shwe is foolish with power.”
Nay Phone Latt’s blogs during the September 2007 uprising provided invaluable information about events within the locked-down country.
Two Rangoon journalists, Htun Htun Thein and Khin Maung Aye, of the privately-owned weekly News Watch, were arrested on November 5 and are being detained in Insein Prison. The media rights organizations Reporters without Borders and Burma Media Association have demanded their immediate release.
The current regime crackdown is also aimed at silencing legal attempts to ensure fair trials for dissidents now appearing before judges in closed court sessions.
Two weeks ago, three defense lawyers, Nyi Nyi Htwe, Aung Thein and Khin Maung Shein were imprisoned for between four and six months for contempt of court after complaining of unfair treatment.
Four other defense lawyers, Kyaw Hoe, Maung Maung Latt, Myint Thaung and Khin Htay Kyew have been barred from representing their clients since November 5, according to Kyaw Hoe. The lawyers are representing several dissidents, including members of the 88 Generation Students group.
“I asked a prison authority why I was not allowed to appear in court,” said Kyaw Hoe. “He said there was no reason and that the order had come from higher officials.”
Members of the 88 Generation Students group were now appearing daily in court without their defense lawyers, Kyaw Hoe said.
Two lawyers, Myint Thaung and Khin Htay Kyi, who represent the prominent labor activist Su Su Nway, withdrew from court proceedings at the weekend, citing unfair treatment, according to the accused’s sister, Htay Htay Kyi.
Htay Htay Kyi said Su Su Nway would be sentenced on Tuesday. The winner of the 2006 John Humphrey Freedom Award was originally charged with “threatening the stability of the government,” under articles 124, 130 and 505 of the penal code, but new charges have now been added.
In a statement in Washington, the US State Department criticized the imprisonment of the four defense lawyers and urged the Burmese regime to drop all charges and release them. Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood called on the junta to stop harassing and arresting citizens for peacefully practicing their internationally recognized human rights, to release all political prisoners, and to start a genuine dialogue with democratic forces and ethnic minority groups for democratic reform in Burma.

Burma Resolution Introduced in the UN

Among the countries sponsoring the resolution were Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, South Korea, Britain and the US.

The resolution, which will be debated in committee before it is taken up in the general assembly, urged the governing junta to ensure full respect for human rights and to take steps for the restoration of democracy through a free and fair election.
In addition, it called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader who has been under house arrest for the past 13 years, and urged the release of all political prisoners, including leaders from the National League for Democracy, 88 Generation Students and ethnic groups.
The resolution called on the junta to fully implement previous recommendations of the UN special rapporteur on Burma, the General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council, Commission on Human Rights and the International Labor Organization.
The resolution also called for the Burmese government to lift all restraints on peaceful political activities and to ensure unhindered access to media information.
Expressing its support for the good offices role of the UN secretary-general and his special envoy on Burma, the resolution urged the resumption of a dialogue with political opposition groups, including the National League for Democracy and representatives of ethnic nationalities. It also urged that arrest of political opposition group members be halted immediately.

Burma positions four warships on western coast

The four warships bearing the Nos. 772, 57, 555 and 554 were seen taking up position near the coast of No. (1) Seikkhan port of Sittwe following the standoff between Burma and Bangladesh over disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday.The eye witness, a local resident of Sittwe town, capital of Arakan state, said the first warship, No. 772, arrived on the coast on Monday, while two others followed on Tuesday. The last warship arrived on Friday morning, he said."I have never seen such warships on the coast. This is the first time I have seen them," the eyewitness said.While the eyewitness said he was not aware of the reasons for the arrival of the warships, he said he saw officials of the Sittwe based Navy battalion No. (18) visiting the warships. A military source, who wished not to be identified, told Mizzima that the Burmese military government has directed the warships to be positioned at the coast following the standoff between Bangladesh and Burma over the disputed maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.The face off between the two neighbouring countries surfaced on Sunday when the Bangladesh's chief advisor summoned the Burmese ambassador to the country and protested against Burma's gas exploration activities in the Bay of Bengal.Bangladesh said the area where the exploration is being carried out falls under Bangladesh territorial waters. But Burma denied the accusation and said it is "Well within its economic zone."On Thursday, a Bangladeshi delegation led by Foreign secretary Touhid Hossain held discussions with Burmese officials to resolve the dispute but later in the evening Burma's state television announced that Burma will continue drilling oil from the disputed area as it is in its waters.The Burmese junta's announcement, whih was also published in the state-owned newspaper on Friday said Bangladesh's claim that the drillings were in its territorial waters was 'mistaken and unlawful' and that it will continue drilling despite the dispute.Bangladesh's foreign adviser Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury, earlier, on Tuesday said, "it will be our endeavor to settle the issue diplomatically, for Bangladesh is a peace-loving country. But let it also be understood that we will do all that it takes to protect our sovereignty."Both countries have had a long standing dispute over its maritime boundary but the latest row came on Sunday when Bangladesh protested over the deployment of warships by Burma in support of the Daewoo International Corporation, that is carrying out test drilling in the Bay of Bengal, about 50 kilometers south of Bangladesh's Saint Martin Island.On Thursday, reports citing Bangladesh's naval sources said Burma had withdrawn two of its warships, but the information cannot be independently verified with the Bangladesh Navy.On Friday, a naval officer in Bangladesh's Chittagong Navy base told Mizzima that the Bangladesh Navy is continuing with its normal exercises. He added that so far the Navy has not received any orders to prepare for any kind of confrontation.An editor of the Bangladesh Today newspaper in Dhaka said, the current standoff could not lead to confrontation that would severe ties between the two friendly countries."Bangladesh is avoiding any confrontational approach and will likely resolve it through diplomatic channels," he said, adding that the Bangladesh government has approached China to help defuse the tension.China on Thursday said it noted the dispute between Bangladesh and Burma and urged the two to resolve the dispute through peaceful negotiations."We encourage the two to work together to properly settle their disputes through friendly negotiations. As a friend of both of them, China would like to play its role in an appropriate way," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing on Thursday.But a Burmese journalist based in Dhaka, observed that the tension between the two countries could grow severe in the coming days as there are no signs that the two sides are willing to back-off.He said, Bangladesh's Navy is also secretly preparing by reinforcing its naval troops, but he failed to elaborate on details of the preparation.

STUBBORN REGIME OF BURMA AND U WIN TIN WELCOMES OBAMA'S VIEW

Burmese military officers were “stubborn and very resistant” to offers of US aid to help survivors in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, a top US Navy officer said on Wednesday.
Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads the US Pacific Joint Command, said Burmese military officers with whom he interacted in the aftermath of the cyclone were "friendly, amiable, stubborn and very resistant."
US Navy admiral Timothy KeatingIn the cyclone’s wake, the US Pentagon dispatched ships in the US fleet to Burmese waters to lead the US relief and rescue operation in Burma.
The US Essex and other US ships were denied permission to enter Burma’s territorial waters, which eventually led to the US relief effort being conducted from airbases in Thailand. French and UK ships were also not allowed into Burmese waters.
"At the end of the day, we were disappointed with the junta's refusal to let us contribute in a much more comprehensive fashion," Keating said during an interview with foreign correspondents in New York.
"I am convinced that we could have saved many lives and hastened the return to normal life of those affected," he said.
Keating said the main stumbling block was that the junta didn’t believe the US was only interested in humanitarian relief operations.
"We had no military intentions,” Keating said. “We just wanted to provide relief to the people who needed it.”
When Keating was allowed to fly into Rangoon on May 12, Burmese officials told him that everything was fine and that farmers were getting ready to plant their next crops.
"We told them that was rubbish," Keating said. The US had detailed satellite images which showed the exact devastation of towns and villages, down to individual houses and businesses. Large parts of the region were completely destroyed, leaving survivors to cope on their own.
Recollecting his first meeting, Keating said: "They were cordial and friendly. We sat around the table. The Burmese officials expressed confidence that their government would be able to provide the support which its people needed. Things were not all that bad, they said. In fact, the summer monsoon was a blessing …. and the people were returning to their villages and were already planning for the summer crops."
After a month of waiting to be allowed to deliver aid into the country, Keating ordered US ships to leave their positions near Burmese waters. The junta eventually allowed US Air Force C-130s to deliver supplies to the international airfield at Rangoon.
Meanwhile, the latest news from the devastated area is that a water crisis threatens the livelihoods and health of thousands of cyclone survivors in the delta, according to international aid agencies.
Many village wells and ponds throughout the densely populated rice-growing region remain contaminated by sea water. Rainwater, collected in jars, plastic sheets or tarpaulins, is now the only source of fresh drinking water for many people.
As the dry season nears, aid agencies are warning of a renewed threat of diseases such as typhoid and diarrhea from dirty drinking water.

U Win Tin Congratulates Obama, Calls for Regime Change in Burma

Prominent Burmese opposition leader Win Tin on Monday congratulated the citizens of the United States for electing Barack Obama as president. At the same time, he said that Burma too was in need of “regime change.”Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Monday, the National League for Democracy (NLD) executive member said, “I would first like to congratulate the American people and president-elect Barack Obama.”

Win Tin continued by urging the US to adopt a multilateral approach toward Burma. “We need support from the international community,” he said. “We want the US to work with the international community and the United Nations [on Burma].”A veteran newspaper editor and political prisoner who was released from Burma’s infamous Insein Prison in September after serving 19 years for opposing military rule, Win Tin, 79, used the occasion of leadership change in the US to call for similar action in the Southeast Asian nation.“We need regime change in Burma,” he said. “The people of Burma want change. They voted in the NLD in the 1990 election.”The opposition NLD party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory in Burmese elections in May 1990. However, the ruling military junta refused to honor the election results.

Win Tin pointed out that previous US administrations had cordial relations with several dictatorial regimes around the world. He warned it was important for the “leader of the free world” not to compromise with authoritarian regimes. Win Tin also said that more effective sanctions and proactive pressure from the international community were necessary for Burma’s democracy efforts. As US senators, Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden have previously supported US sanctions against the Burmese ruling generals and their cronies. In Obama’s very first speech after being declared the winner on November 4, the president-elect addressed US foreign policy by saying, “To those who would tear this world down—we will defeat you.

To those who seek peace and security—we support you.” Prior to the US presidential elections, Frank Jannuzi, a senior Asia advisor to the Obama campaign, said that Burmese issues should not prevent deeper US engagement with Asean, according to a news report by Agence France-Presse on October 31. “Rather, the United States should work with Asean to ensure that Burma lives up to its obligation as an Asean member,” he said.However, Dr Tin Maung Maung Than, a Burmese scholar based in Singapore, told The Irrawaddy that the incoming administration’s policy on Burma will be difficult to gauge at the moment. However, he said he believed that it would be more or less the same as the Bush administration’s policy. President Bush’s Burma policy has been seen as radical and won praise from Burmese living inside and outside Burma.However, the Bush administration was often criticized for neglecting Southeast Asia.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regularly skipped the annual Asean regional forum.With on-going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a global financial crisis to contend with, Tin Maung Maung Than said he didn’t expect the new administration to engage Asean immediately. “Asean won’t be a top priority for the moment,” he said.

He pointed out, however, that President Bush had appointed Scot Marciel, a senior state department officer, as the US special envoy to Asean.

BANGLADESH'S WARSHIP ON THE BORDER SEA AND REFUGEES ON THE MARKET

"They will discuss the latest situation with Myanmar officials and try to defuse the situation," he said.
Chowdhury said Bangladesh would "endeavour to settle the issue diplomatically" but warned of unspecified action if Myanmar continued to hunt for gas.
"Let it also be understood that we will do all that it takes to protect our sovereignty," he said, repeating earlier warnings that the South Asian nation would not hesitate to take "all possible measures."
He said Bangladesh has so far refrained from energy exploration in disputed waters, despite its earlier invitation to foreign oil companies to explore offshore for gas.
"It is our hope Myanmar will do the same," he added.
A top navy official said a frigate had been sent to the disputed waters, joining the three warships already deployed 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Saint Martin Island, close to the border between the two countries.
"We deployed a British-made frigate, the BNS Kopothakka, to step up patrols, as Myanmar's navy had not yet shifted its vessels engaged in exploration activities" he said.
"Other vessels in our fleet were kept on stand-by," he said.
Myanmar has discovered huge reserves of natural gas in the Bay of Bengal and has expressed its intention to carry out further exploration in a stretch of the sea also claimed by Bangladesh.
The two countries have held a series of meetings in the past year aimed at resolving the disputes over the maritime boundary, including a meeting last month in Dhaka of senior ministers from both countries.
The foreign ministry announced that more substantive discussions on the maritime boundary would be held in Dhaka on 16-17 November when a delegation from Myanmar will come to Bangladesh.
Earlier this year Bangladesh divided its sea territory into 28 blocks and auctioned off the area to international oil companies as part of its efforts to end chronic gas shortages in the once gas-rich country.
Myanmar protested the move.

Myanmar refugees sold off at M’sian border, MP claims

An opposition MP highlighted the plight of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia, claiming that some of them were "sold off" at Malaysia-Thai border by immigration officers to human traffickers during deportation.
Charles Santiago (DAP - Klang), said that based on those who have come forward to relate their ordeal after paying off the traffickers, the refugees were sold off as slaves to fishing trawlers and the women as prostitutes in Thailand.
NTV 7 had also featured on May 3 in a programme called "Refugee for sale."
Together with Charles was Aegile Fernandez, co-ordinator of Anti-Trafficking in Persons in Tenaganita Sdn Bhd and Alice Nah from the Migration Working Group.
Aegile said the sum the traffickers asked was between RM2,500 and RM3,000 and they allowed the refugees to make one or two calls to their family.
"For those who were unable to pay the sum, they would be sold off and many just disappeared like that.
"Among those who managed to come back, only few were willing to come forward and relate their traumatic ordeal," said Aegile.
Tenaganita had also published a book entitled "The Revolving Door - modern day slavery refugees."
Charles said that, in a written reply by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar on July 9, the minister had said the Immigration department had set up a special committee to investigate the case of "refugee for sale" but did not find any officers involved in such trade.
However, Syed Hamid said the committee would continue to probe.
In another written reply on Oct 22, Syed Hamid said an internal probe was conducted to gather information to decide if there was any need to set up an independent committee to investigate into the allegation but no proof was found later.
Syed Hamid also replied that the internal probe was carried out by the intelligence unit of the enforcement department of Immigration.
Charles said the committee set up by the department had either conducted poor investigation or covered up the matter.
"We have the Anti-Trafficking in Persons act but this is a complete violation of human rights," he said.

20TH ANNIVERSATY OF ABSDF

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE






INDIA HELPS UN

The UN secretary-general, urged India on Thursday to do more to promote democracy in its military-ruled neighbour Burma, as New Delhi steps up its engagement with the junta in the hope of securing much-needed energy supplies.
In a landmark speech in New Delhi, Mr Ban called on New Delhi to more actively support UN efforts to broker a dialogue between the military junta and Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy advocate who has spent 13 of the last 18 years under house arrest.
“India is a major regional and global player,” Mr Ban said. “I urge you to continue to champion the causes of democracy, the rule of law and good government . . . We already lean on you for peace-keeping. I would also like to see even stronger efforts to peacefully resolve conflict. Myanmar might benefit from greater Indian involvement.”
Following global condemnation of its violent crackdown last year on massive anti-government marches led by Buddhist monks, Burma’s ruling junta grudgingly accepted efforts by a UN envoy to broker a fresh round of talks between the junta and Ms Suu Kyi.
But the talks have gone nowhere, given the generals’ disinterest in anything short of Ms Suu Kyi’s endorsement of the regime’s controversial plans to hold elections in 2010 for a parliament that will have little real power. Meanwhile, the junta has kept up its persecution of its opponents, with human rights groups estimating about 2,000 dissidents are currently imprisoned.
In his speech, held in memory of Rajiv Gandhi, the slain former Indian prime minister, Mr Ban expressed frustration at the continuing detention of Ms Suu Kyi and other dissidents, and the failure to foster any credible, substantive dialogue between the military and pro-democracy opposition forces.
However, India is far more pre-occupied with stepping up its commercial and security engagement with Burma, as it seeks access to some of the country’s vast supplies of natural gas, and help from the generals to crack down on rebel groups from its troubled north-east, including Assam. India’s dealings with generals are also underpinned by a fundamental desire to counterbalance China’s evident influence there.
India, which once provided Burmese pro-democracy forces with financial and moral support, is now working with the generals to develop big infrastructure projects in Burma, including a port and transport facility at Sittwe. New Delhi is also extending substantial credit to the military for projects such as power transmission lines and a hydro-electric power project.
Jairam Ramesh, India’s minister of state for commerce and power, this month also inaugurated a new Indian-backed IT training centre in Rangoon, which is scheduled to train about 1,000 Burmese people a year in IT skills.