BurmaNet News, August 9, 2005

[Editor]

August 9, 2005 Issue # 2778


INSIDE BURMA
DVB: 8888 uprising in Burma remembered
Irrawaddy: Splinter group talks stall
Xinhua: UNDP to build tsunami warning center in Myanmar
AFP: Myanmar facing 'devastation' 17 years after military crackdown
Mizzima: Another 8th August and the struggle goes on

ON THE BORDER
Kaladan: Communication Minister urges international community to provide
shelter to Rohingya refugees

BUSINESS / FINANCE
Financial Times: Burma's junta seizes privately owned bank

ASEAN
New Straits Times (Malaysia): Myanmar to focus on reconciliation

REGIONAL
Asia Pulse: New website promotes Burma rights and democracy
Xinhua: Myanmar, Nepal to establish air link

INTERNATIONAL
DVB: Exiled Burmese stage peaceful protests to mark 8888 uprising

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

Aug 8, Democratic Voice of Burma
8888 uprising in Burma remembered

Exiled Burmese political activists and those within the country marked the
17th anniversary of pro-democracy nationwide uprising which started on
8.8.88, with religious and charitable acts and peaceful protests.
Activists within Burma carried out religious rites in memory of those who
gave up their lives during the nationwide uprising for democracy and human
rights in Burma. At Sagaing in central Burma near Mandalay, survivors of
the uprising provided morning nourishment to more than 50 monks and
offered prayer for the departed souls. On 9.8.88, more than 300 people
including women and children were killed by soldiers and police at Sagaing
by the order of the then divisional authority chairman Thura Kyaw Zwa,
while they were protesting peacefully around a police station. Cholay who
was one of the demonstrators told DVB that what happened 17 years ago is
still clear in his mind as if it happened yesterday. Nationally, it is
estimated that more than 3000 people including monks, women and children
who were protesting peacefully on the streets, were killed by Burmese
soldiers and security police within that year. Meanwhile, the authorities
also imposed unfair restrictions on people so that they could not mark the
event. Local authorities at Yenangyaung in Magwe Division told people not
to accept any donations from those who were involved in the 8888 uprising.
A primary school was ordered by the authority chairman not to accept
notebooks donated by a Buddhist monk because he was a participant of the
uprising as a student. The monk has been donating stationeries to the
school for four years. At the same time, exiled Burmese activists in
Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom, North America, Thailand,
India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand also staged peaceful
protests outside Burmese embassies and held commemorative ceremonies.

____________________________________

August 9, Irrawaddy
Splinter group talks stall - Khun Sam

The Burmese military junta met a Kachin splinter group at a special
meeting three days ago in Myitkyina, Kachin State, encouraging them to
surrender their arms, local sources report.

The splinter group, led by Col Lasang Awng Wa, separated from the Kachin
Independence Organization early last year, and later joined up with the
New Democratic Army-Kachin, a partnership the junta are reportedly unhappy
with.

Group member Nhkum Doi La confirmed that the junta’s northern commander,
Maj-Gen Maung Maung Swe, made the request to lay down arms at a meeting
organized to discuss the group’s future. The junta had been expected to
offer guarantees of security in return for promises the group would remain
independent and unaffiliated with other armed minority groups. The
splinter group also tabled a request for semi-autonomous rule of an
independent territory in the Kachin areas of N’Mai Hku and Putao,
something they had been led to believe might be possible.

However, NDA-K liaison officer Mukyin Dau Hawng, confirmed that the two
sides could not reach a settlement and a further meeting has been planned.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy from NDA-K headquarters in Pang Wa, Col Lasang
Awng Wa reported that the junta’s northern commander told him the issues
needed to be discussed further with government officials.

Precise details of the meeting are unknown, though Nhkum Doi La suggested
some group members would find it difficult to accept the junta’s demands.
“We can’t break away [from the NDA-K] again,” he said. “it’s very hard to
reunite and find solidarity once we separate.”

____________________________________

August 9, Xinhua News Agency
UNDP to build tsunami warning center in Myanmar

Myanmar has been selected with its coastal region to be included in five
areas in Southeast Asia (SEA) where the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP) projects to build tsunami-warning centers, a local weekly reported
in its latest issue.

Quoting the UNDP, the Myanmar Times said the warning centers would be
operational by late December this year, the first anniversary of the Dec.
26, 2004 tsunami that swept across coastal areas of the Indian Ocean
killing over 200,000 people.

Monitoring towers will be built off Myanmar coast along with those of
Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines with the assistance of the Asian
Disaster Preparedness Center, the report said.

The new such centers in SEA region will link disaster monitoring system of
other Indian Ocean rim countries such as Australia, the report added.

In late March, Myanmar set up its national tsunami warning center and is
expected to be fully operational in three years.

Earlier this year, in a bid to strengthen its tsunami warning system,
Myanmar also set up a national committee for natural disaster prevention
and resettlement that involves many ministries.

Although Myanmar was not much affected by last Dec. 26 tsunami that
smashed across the Indian Ocean compared with other South and Southeast
Asian nations, officially reported death tolls stood at 64 with 56 injured
in coastal areas. The tidal wave destroyed over 600 houses in 29 villages,
leaving 3,460 people homeless in some of the regions in six divisions and
states -- Tanintharyi, Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Rakhine and Shan (South).

In the post-tsunami period, Myanmar has been undertaking a coastal storm
and tidal surge forecast project for improved weather prediction services.
The project, being implemented with the assistance of the Honolulu-based
PACON International (the Pacific Congress on Marine Science Technology),
involves the utilization of numerical prediction method to provide advance
warning of storm and tidal surge.

Besides, the Myanmar Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD) is also
strengthening its public information work about natural disaster and
climate change by planning to produce a series of documentaries to raise
public awareness against such unpredictable mishap to help manage
disaster.

____________________________________

August 8, Agence France Presse
Myanmar facing 'devastation' 17 years after military crackdown

Military-run Myanmar is headed for "devastation" and the UN Security
Council should address the crisis there, activists and exiled politicians
warned, marking 17 years since a doomed democracy uprising.

Repression and poverty were now prevalent in the country formerly known as
Burma, where an army crackdown on August 8, 1988 killed hundreds if not
thousands of people, activists said at a seminar in the Thai capital.

Scholars, pro-democracy activists and anti-regime groups agreed that the
junta's self-declared "roadmap to democracy" had failed and that
conditions in impoverished Myanmar had deteriorated badly.

"The stalled transitional process to democracy and an elusive national
conciliation process have prompted early warning signs in Burma today that
Burma is on the verge of devastation," the National Coalition Government
of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) said in a statement.

The people of Myanmar now suffered from poverty, poor health care, low
educational standards, environmental degradation and a general feeling of
insecurity, said the NCGUB, a government-in-exile set up in 1990.

Three quarters of people were living below the poverty line.

Pressing problems included ethnic unrest and the mounting harassment and
detention of members of the main opposition National League for Democracy
(NLD) party, headed by detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

The junta had also thumbed its nose at United Nations envoys who have
repeatedly sought permission to enter the country, the NCGUB said.

"Given the fact that a homegrown national reconciliation process in Burma
is unlikely and the ruling Burmese generals have failed to cooperate with
the UN secretary general and his special envoy ... it is time for the UN
Security Council to address the situation in Burma," the group said.

"Political dialogue with equality and freedom is of urgent need in the
country for the purpose of democracy, peace and development," the group
said.

_____________________________________

August 9, Mizzima
Another 8th August and the struggle goes on - Mungpi

Burmese pro-democracy campaigners today harked back on their memory of the
people's uprising for democracy in Burma, which was brutally crushed by
the military junta 17 years ago.

The commemoration ceremony held in Chiang Mai, Thailand reminded
campaigners to persist and to continue the movement which began on August
8, 1988---- also known as the famous 8.8.88.

"We must remind ourselves that we haven't finished the struggle. We are
blamed by the younger generation just as we blame our seniors for the
unfinished work," said Myint Myint San, a member of Burmese Women Union
(BWU), recalling her experience through out period of struggle.

On August 8, 1988, the people of Burma led by Rangoon University students
took to the streets protesting against the government for its failed
system and demanded a political change.

The government responded with brute force cracking down on the peaceful
mass demonstration, killing and imprisoning thousands of students, monks,
civilians and intellectuals.

The organisers of the commemoration ceremony put up art performances,
portraying the Burmese military junta's brutal action against the people
of the country. Documentary films on the famous August 8 uprising were
also shown at the ceremony, where about 200 Burmese pro-democracy
activists and supporters had gathered.

Following a military coup by General Ne Win in 1962, Burma has been ruled
by the military in various shades. General Ne Win introduced a one party
Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) system and ruled the country for
26 years till 1988.

A former British colony, Burma has gone through decades of political
turmoil and chaos. Time and again the people of Burma have demonstrated
their desire for better governance which could bring peace and development
to the country. Students have played a major role in leading the revolt
against the government.

_____________________________________

August 10, Kaladan News
Communication Minister urges International community to provide shelter to
Rohingya
Refugees

Chittagong: Communication Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda, Monday called
upon the international community, especially the countries of the European
Union, to give shelter to the Rohingya refugees, so that they don’t
becomes  stateless, said our staff reporter.

Huda was speaking at daylong seminar on Rohingya, jointly organized by the
Center for Development Studies(CDS), Bandhnjona Lawers’ Association (BLA)
and Human Rights Forum (HRF) at the National Press Club in the city of
Dhaka on Monday, he further said.

 The seminar was organized for discussing the problems and miseries of the
Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh and about 250 persons were
participated.

As Bangladesh is a small country with high density of population it cannot
take the responsibility of extra burden of Rohingya Refugees. Although, it
has all sympathies for distressed people rooted out from neighbouring
country of Burma, the Minister Huda said.

There are now about 20,500 Rohingya refugees in two camps in Cox's Bazar.
Besides, 6,000 more refugees are living in makeshift camps at Teknaf in an
extremely risky situation of high tide and cyclone. Of total 2,50,000
Rohingyas, who took shelter in Bangladesh during 1991 and 1992, so far
2,36,600 have repatriated to Burma, UNHCR sources said.

Justice Abdul Wahab, Representative of United Nations High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR) Christopher BC Lee and Jene Christine, Ambassador of the
Netharlands Kees
Beemsterboer, President of Ganatantrik Karmi Shibir Nurul Haque Mehedi,
Brig. Gen(retd) QN Salam, Father RW Timm, CDS Consultant K Azizul Huq,
Chitta Francis Rebeiro, Dr PK Barua and Rohingya representatives from
Cox's Bazar spoke at the discussion chaired by Prof Asif Nazrul of Law
Department of Dhaka University, said our reporter.

The minister said the government is trying to solve the problem in its own
way. He however, urged the leaders of European Union to give them shelter
in their countries if they are genuinely concerned.

UNHCR Representative Christopher BC Lee said the European Commission (EC)
assured
Bangladesh of providing emergency humanitarian assistance once the group
is moved to safer ground, but the government considers them illegal
migrants. He further said that UNHCR is happy to note that the voice of
the Rohingyas was still heard among other voices. He urged the Bangladesh
government to do as much as it could for the Rohingyas.

Calling upon all to stand beside the Rohingyas, Dutch Ambassador Kees
Beemsterboer said as the refugees do not have any voice it is the duty of
politicians to raise their voice on their behalf.

Journalist Sanjeeb Chowdhury made a presentation on 10 basic human rights
standards for law enforcement officials, while K Azizul Huq on a report on
the Rohingyas titled “Caught between a Crocodile and a Snake.”

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / FINANCE

August 9, Financial Times
Burma's junta seizes privately owned bank – Amy Kazmin

Burma's state-run Myanmar Economic Bank has taken control of privately
owned Myanmar Universal Bank in the latest blow to the country's financial
sector, which has been rocked in recent years by bank runs and closures.

Burma's ruling military junta offered no public explanation for the
unexpected action nor did they indicate whether Myanmar Universal, one of
Burma's largest surviving private banks, with nearly 30 branches around
the country, had lost its banking licence.

The seizure comes after soldiers on Friday raided the home of Myanmar
Universal's major shareholder, Tin Sein, arresting him and confiscated his
cars. Armed soldiers were posted around all the bank's branches yesterday,
as crowds of depositors tried recover their savings.

At the bank's Rangoon headquarters, the branch manager told the anxious
crowd that depositors would be allowed gradually to draw down their money,
but some customers complained yesterday that only about 100 people per
branch were allowed to make withdrawals.

In the absence of any official explanation for the seizure, the Rangoon
rumour mill was in full swing, with speculation that Mr Tin Sein was being
punished for connections with an ethnic Shan political leader now on
trial.

Hkun Htun Oo, the leader of the Shan National League for Democracy, an
affiliate of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, was
arrested in February, and was recently tried for crimes against the state.
His sentencing is expected this week.

"It's a military dictatorship and they can come up with any reason why
they should shut down the bank, but there is some sort of security reason
involved," said Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based researcher who monitors
developments in Burma. "Security is the centre of Burmese military
policy."

The junta's seemingly arbitrary move against Myanmar Universal is another
sign of the fragility of Burma's tiny formal financial system, which never
recovered from a banking crisis in 2003. In February of that year, the
poorly regulated sector was hit by a major panic, triggered by the
collapse of numerous non-bank deposit-taking schemes that had promised
annual interest rates of up to 60 per cent.

Confronted by runs on all banks, the military stepped in with regulations
to slow depositors from withdrawing their money, rather than shoring up
the potentially still solvent banks with adequate liquidity. The drama
seriously undermined the already limited confidence in the system, and
banking deposits have since plunged precipitously.

In late 2003, Washington accused two of Burma's largest banks, Asia Wealth
Bank and Mayflower Bank, of laundering drug money, and after a year-long
investigation, authorities shut down the institutions earlier this year.

____________________________________
ASEAN

August 9, New Straits Times (Malaysia)
Myanmar to focus on reconciliation

Kuala Lumpur: Myanmar's relinquishing the 2006 Asean chairmanship can
remove the spotlight on its human rights reform, according to an Asean
reform group for Myanmar.

However, the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar hopes the
Philippines and Malaysia, which are chairman for 2006 and 2007
respectively, will see to it that reforms will be implemented.

It does not believe that Myanmar will do nothing as the spotlight is taken
away from them for at least two years.

"We believe that Myanmar will begin genuine democratisation, release its
political prisoners, set up a National Convention and draft a
constitution," said AIPMC president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

Zaid said Asean would have clout in Myanmar because more than half of the
investment in the country comes from its Asean neighbours.

A Myanmar government statement says that it relinquished its chairmanship
as it "wanted to focus its attention on the ongoing national
reconciliation".

"This deferment should not be seen as an excuse to ignore the urgent need
for political reforms in Myanmar, as it will continue to afflict Asean
long after this debate on the chairmanship is over," said Teresa Kok,
AIPMC secretary.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

August 5, Asia Pulse
New website promotes Burma rights and democracy

A new website launched today (Aug. 5) aims to aid Burma's democracy
movement by opening channels of communication into one of the world's most
repressive states.

The Burma Guide to Rights and Democracy, www.burmaguide.net, is designed
for easy access to a collection of resources for people interested in
Burma's future as a democratic country where the rights of all peoples are
honored under the rule of law. News on Burma and tools for promoting a
peaceful democratic transition are available in English, as well as the
six different languages spoken in Burma-- Burmese, Chin, Kachin, Karen,
Mon, and Shan.

The launch of BurmaGuide.Net comes on the eve of the seventeenth
anniversary of the massive "8-8-88" pro-democracy uprising in Burma, when
thousands of demonstrators were killed by the Burmese military junta.
Today, the junta continues its repressive rule. By providing hundreds of
summaries of key issues and reports that are crucial to the process of
democratic transition, BurmaGuide.Net seeks to counter the junta's efforts
to restrict access to information.

"Access to information is crucial for people to understand their rights,
and to promote and defend them," said Aung Myo Min, executive director of
the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, an organization based on
the Burmese-Thai border that has helped manage research and translation
for the project. "BurmaGuide.Net offers democracy and human rights
resources for different peoples of Burma to in their own languages."

The website, which is funded by the Open Society Institute and the United
States Agency for International Development, was developed in cooperation
with the Burma Information and Technology Team and the Human Rights
Education Institute of Burma.

The Burmese language version of this site is known as "Lanpya.Net" (lanpya
means "guide" in Burmese), and offers access to a new Burmese Unicode font
developed by the Burma Information and Technology Team, an organization of
Burmese refugees based in New Delhi that will provide technological
support for the website. The Unicode font will be accessible to many types
of computer systems.

"BurmaGuide.Net will be an important resource for both the Burmese
Diaspora and people within Burma as internet access expands," said Maureen
Aung-Thwin, director of the Open Society Institute Burma Project. "The
process of creating the website and researching its content has also built
new capacities among Burmese that will promote the country's future
democratic and economic development."

_____________________________________

August 8, Xinhua News Agency
Myanmar, Nepal to establish air link

Myanmar and Nepal will establish direct air link soon with a Nepalese
airline, the Cosmic, proposing to fly between Kathmandu and Yangon
beginning the open season in late this year, a local press reported
Monday.

Negotiations on the move have been made once and more will follow for the
confirmation, the Flower News said.

The set up of the air link is aimed mainly at facilitating pilgrims of the
two Buddhist countries to visit each other nations ' religious sites as
part of their tourism promotion efforts, the report said.

Previously, air trips between the two capitals have to go through Calcutta
of India.

Meanwhile, an aviation delegation of three countries -- Cambodia, Laos and
Vietnam, will visit Myanmar later this year to carry out a feasibility
study on developing air links among CLMV countries which also include
Myanmar, according to other reports.

Besides, Myanmar and the Philippines are also exploring enhanced
cooperation in the air sector and a negotiation is underway to work out an
air services agreement between them, air industry sources said.

There has been a number of foreign airlines that fly Yangon including Air
China, Thai Airways International, Silk Air, Malaysian Airline System,
Biman (Bangladesh), Indian Airlines, Lauda Air (Austria), Phuket Airlines
(Thailand), Bangkok Airways and Qatar Airways (Middle-East).

There are also three Myanmar-foreign joint venture airlines flying
international routes which are the Myanmar Airways International, the
United Myanmar Airlines and the Air Myanmar.

Myanmar's domestic airlines are represented by one state-run Myanma
Airways and three joint ventures which are Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways
and Air Bagan.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

Aug 8, Democratic Voice of Burma
Exiled Burmese stage peaceful protests to mark 8888 uprising

On 8 August, pro-democracy Burmese activists in Bangkok were allowed to
stage a short protest by the Thai authorities in front of the UNHCR
office, marking the 17th anniversary of the 8888 uprising in Burma.
Normally, Thai security officers have been arresting those who
demonstrated in front of the Burmese embassy in the capital. One of the
protesters, Khaing Gyi told DVB that they demanded the emergence of
democracy, the end to military rule, the release of all political
prisoners including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. At the border town of
Maesod near Burma, Burmese activists held a ceremony at a Burmese Buddhist
monastery and Burmese refugees marked the event with small ceremonies at
their respective camps. Activists in India also staged a peaceful protest
near the Burmese embassy in New Delhi. Participants were urged to follow
the selfless examples of those who sacrificed their lives during the
uprising and unite among themselves to defeat military rule in Burma.
Activists in Japan staged a similar protest in front of the Burmese
embassy in Tokyo. Burmese exiles in New Zealand marked the event with a
photo exhibition on the situation of Burma and it was attended by 300
people. Burmese refugees and activists in the Norwegian capital held a
marching protest to mark the uprising. Activists in neighbouring Sweden
also held a similar demonstration in Stockholm. Burmese activists in
London staged a peaceful but noisy protest in front of the Burmese embassy
for an hour. Activists in Germany and Korea also staged a protest. Burmese
activists in Washington staged peaceful protests in front of the Burmese
embassy and the Indian embassy. The Prime Minister of exiled National
Coalition Government of the Union Burma (NCGUB) Dr. Sein Win and elected
representative Bo Hla Tint delivered speeches. They are also planning to
start a freedom march to New York from Washington.