BurmaNet News, November 1, 2005

[Editor]

November 1, 2005 Issue # 2835


INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: CIA accused of meddling in Burma’s affairs
Irrawaddy: Lawyer jailed for representing dispossessed farmers
SHAN: Shan Foreign Minister faces the sack
AP: Burma in bird flu checks

HEALTH / AIDS
AFP: Thailand to help neighbors fight bird flu: minister

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: Shan human rights campaigner meets US President
AFP: UN rights expert on Myanmar to travel to Thailand
Mizzima: British MP voices doubt over Burma Security Council talks

OPINION / OTHER
Washington Post: Meeting with a message

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INSIDE BURMA

November 1, Irrawaddy
CIA accused of meddling in Burma’s affairs

The US Central Intelligence Agency has been accused of meddling in Burma’s
affairs by the junta’s official New Light of Myanmar on Tuesday. The paper
said a recent call by former Czech president Vaclav Havel and South
African Archbishop Desmond Tutu for the UN Security Council to act on
Burma was just the latest in a string of attempts by the US to influence
the country.

Nobel Peace Laureate Tutu and Havel are described as being under American
influence and the paper even charges the US with manipulating the process
of Nobel Prize selection. It went on to say the CIA had managed to win
“the majority of the awards on science, medical science and economics” for
Americans. The paper declared that the Nobel Peace and Literary prizes
could only be won by “those who carried out activities in compliance with
the CIA of the US, especially those who were opposed to their
governments.”

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November 1, Irrawaddy
Lawyer jailed for representing dispossessed farmers - Yeni and Khun Sam

A lawyer who represented local farmers who complained their land had been
confiscated was sentenced by a rural court in Pegu Division, central
Burma, on Monday to seven years imprisonment for “spreading false
information.”

Aye Myint, 55, was convicted by the court in Daik-U Township, 58 miles
north of Rangoon, under a provision of the Emergency Protection Act-5(E),
which was promulgated in 1950 with the pronounced aim of dealing with
domestic unrest.

Aye Myint’s lawyer, San Maung, told The Irrawaddy by phone on Tuesday that
his client had represented local farmers after their land had been
confiscated and then distributed to government-sponsored groups such as
the Union Solidarity and Development Association and the Myanmar War
Veterans Organization.

Aye Myint helped the aggrieved farmers contact the Rangoon representative
of the International Labour Organization, Richard Horsey. Aye Myint and
two others were subsequently convicted of high treason because of their
contacts with the ILO. He was released from prison earlier this year but
then rearrested on August 27.

About 50 people packed the court room on Monday, and 14 farmers gave
evidence. They had all praised Aye Myint’s professionalism, said San
Maung.

“The (prosecution) accusation was totally groundless,” San Maung said. “It
threatens our professionalism.” He said Aye Myint—now in Pegu prison—would
appeal against the conviction and sentence.

Last month, Su Su Nway, a prominent National League for Democracy youth
leader, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after she had successfully
sued local authorities for subjecting villagers to forced labor. She was
accused of “swearing at and threatening the authorities.”

The ILO said in a report last week that it had raised both cases with
Minister of Labour U Thaung, who had responded that Burma planned to leave
the organization because of its involvement in Burmese affairs.

The international community, including the US, has strongly criticized
Burma’s announced decision to leave the ILO, and has complained again
about lack of progress in eliminating forced labor.

_____________________________________

November 1, Shan Herald Agency for News
Shan Foreign Minister faces the sack

Interim Shan Government (ISG), a group that was formed in March by some
Shan elders, is seriously considering whether or not to "allow" its
"foreign minister" to retire, according to inside sources.

"He has not done his job," said a member of the ISG's Prime Minister
Office, a statement he refused to elaborate.

Other sources however say Khun Hom, 70, a native of the gemland of
Monghsu, is under suspicion of being an agent for Burma's military rulers.

Khun Hom (FM)

One prominent Shan monk, with whom Khun Hom used to accompany on his
globe-trotting missions, was found to be carrying a safe conduct issued by
ousted Gen Khin Nyunt's now defunct Military Intelligence Service, they
said. "It means both are in it together," said another source.

"Khun Hom therefore must go." Khun Hom in the meantime is not available
for comments.

Sao Hso Khanfah aka Tiger Yawnghwe

The group, headed by Sao Hso Khanfah aka Tiger Yawnghwe, 67, declared
Independence on 17 April, claiming popular support from 48 out of 56
townships of Shan State. Since then, it has been outlawed by Rangoon.

Other mainstream Shan organizations such as Shan Nationalities League for
Democracy, Shan Democratic Union, Shan State Army "South" and Shan Women's
Action Network have also refused to play ball.

_____________________________________

November 1, Associated Press
Burma in bird flu checks

Rangoon: Although bird flu has not been detected in Burma, its government
is stepping up vigilance as the virus spreads due to the seasonal
migration of wild birds, an official of the Ministry of Livestock Breeding
said yesterday.

“We sent two teams of experts to western Rakhine [Arakan] and to Shan
state in eastern Myanmar [Burma] to monitor domestic poultry” in order to
investigate if there were any abnormal falls in their population due to
contact with seasonal migratory birds, Dr Than Hla, director of the
ministry's research and disease control, told The Associated Press.

Migratory birds are increasingly seen as the main way the disease spreads,
especially as some have been found to carry the virus for an extended
period without dying. Poultry stocks raised outdoors can catch the disease
from infected wild birds and their droppings.

The virulent H5N1 type of bird flu surfaced in Europe for the first time
earlier this month, spread from Asia by such migratory birds, scientists
believe.

With no confirmed reports of a bird flu outbreak, Burmese officials claim
the country is “bird flu-free,” even though its eastern neighbor,
Thailand, has been devastated by the disease, with tens of millions of
chickens culled or killed by the disease, and 13 people also dying from
it.

Than Hla said the authorities are continuing with public awareness
programs in rural and border areas to educate the public to chlorinate
ponds frequented by wild birds and to immediately inform officials if
there is an increase in mortality among chickens.

“We have to be more cautious during this period where there is seasonal
migration of birds, but we cannot kill the wild birds as it will affect
the ecology,” said Than Hla.

He said Burma will continue its ban, enacted in January last year, on
poultry imports from countries where bird flu has been detected.

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HEALTH / AIDS

November 1, Agence France Presse
Thailand to help neighbors fight bird flu: minister

Bangkok: Thailand plans to help advance research on a bird flu vaccine and
support its Southeast Asian neighbours in fighting the disease, Foreign
Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Tuesday.

Katathi said the leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam
would discuss bird flu as a public health priority during a two-day
meeting starting Wednesday in Bangkok.

"We will have cooperation on how to tackle the disease and to help each
other prevent bird flu from getting out of hand," he told reporters.

"And we will discuss how to prevent bird flu from mutating and
transforming to a form that passes from human to human, which has not
happened yet."

Leaders of the five nations will hold talks as part of the Ayeyawady-Chao
Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), which brings
together the five countries to boost development in Southeast Asia.

Kantathi said "Thailand hopes to play a role in helping research a vaccine".

Thailand on Monday confirmed its 20th human case of the deadly H5N1 bird
flu virus after a 50-year-old woman was confirmed positive. Thirteen of
the cases have been fatal.

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INTERNATIONAL

November 1, Irrawaddy
Shan human rights campaigner meets US President Bush - Clive Parker

Charm Tong, a Shan campaigner for human rights, scored something of a coup
yesterday as she was invited to the White House for talks on Burma with US
President George W Bush.

The 24-year-old met with Bush for 15 minutes in an attempt to press his
administration to step up action against Burma’s military government, a
spokesperson for her organization, Shan Women’s Action Network, told The
Irrawaddy.

The human rights campaigner told Bush to “push Burma at the UN Security
Council and raise the issue with neighboring countries and also Japan, as
these are the countries that are dealing with the present regime, the
SPDC,” the spokesperson said from Chiang Mai, Thailand, where SWAN’s
headquarters is located.

Charm Tong also raised the plight of the Burmese people, about which Bush
is said “to be concerned.”

Announcing the visit in a daily press briefing yesterday, spokesperson
Scott McClellan told gathered media: “The president is pleased to welcome
such a courageous and compassionate woman to the White House.”

McClellan described Charm Tong as a person who has “dedicated her life to
helping those who suffer under the military rule in Rangoon, and to
exposing the regime's abuses, particularly against women.”

She also met with other leading US administration officials including
National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, as well as Burma campaign
groups, SWAN confirmed, in a trip that has been extended to last more than
a week.

Yesterday’s meeting is the latest event in a year in which Charm Tong has
gained increasing prominence, receiving a Reebok Democracy Award in March
and later featuring as one of “Asia’s Heroes” in Time magazine for her
work with SWAN, helping Shan refugees along the Thai-Burma border.

The organization is best known for producing the 2002 report “License to
Rape,” in which Charm Tong and her team documented 625 cases of rape
against ethnic Shan women, a high percentage of which it says were
incidents of gang rape in what it described as a systematic campaign of
sexual violence by the Burmese Army.

The report prompted Burma’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a
rebuttal, claiming the ruling State Peace and Development Council
investigated the alleged incidents without finding any wrongdoing. SWAN’s
report was later corroborated by Refugees International in their document
entitled “No Safe Place,” published in 2003.

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November 1, Agence France Presse
UN rights expert on Myanmar to travel to Thailand

Geneva: A United Nations human rights expert dealing with Myanmar will
travel to neighbouring Thailand next week after he was refused entry by
authorities in Yangon, a UN spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Paolo Serghio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in
Myanmar, will carry out his mission to Thailand from November 8 until
November 20, Praveen Randhawa, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights
office, said.

"A request by the Special Rapporteur to visit Myanmar was again turned
down recently by the government," Randhawa told journalists.

Pinheiro's mission will include meetings with international and Thai
officials and non-governmental agencies, as well as trips to camps for
refugees from Myanmar on the Thai border.

Pinehiro, who has not been allowed into Myanmar for two years, said last
week that the country's military rulers were plunging it into further
isolation.

He also urged the international community, particularly neighbouring
countries, to help find a constructive way out of the stalemate.

More than 1,100 people are in jail for their political beliefs in Myanmar,
while ethnic minorities are being abused and forced labour remains
prevalent in some parts of the country, according to UN reports.

Myanmar last month rejected a report calling for the UN Security Council
to intervene and said claims about rights abuses by the military regime
were exaggerated.

_____________________________________

November 1, Mizzima News
British MP voices doubt over Burma Security Council talks - Alison Hunter

Member of the British House of Lords and representative of Tottenham, Lord
David Triesman expressed his doubt over Burma's inclusion on the United
Nations Security Council agenda last week during a house debate on the
military ruled country.

In the discussion last Thursday, Lord Triesman said he did not think there
was enough support for Burma's inclusion on the agenda.

"I have to be honest with the house . . . I do not think at the moment the
majority is there in the Security Council for that approach, and there
would certainly be some strong resistance from some of Burma's immediate
trading partners on its own borders," Lord Triesman said.

When asked by other members what the British government was doing to
improve the chances for the move, he told the house that while the British
government supported United States attempts to have Burma on the agenda,
the US would carry the burden of lobby for the move on its own.

". . . across a number of issues involving intolerable regimes, different
countries have taken the lead role to try to get a sensible division of
labour. In this case the United States has taken a lead role, for which I
am grateful," he said.

Aung Din, head of the US Campaign for Burma told Mizzima he disagreed with
Lord Triesman over the probability of Burma making it onto the agenda.

"Currently we are only short of two votes. We have already seven votes . .
. so when we have nine votes we can put Burma on the Security Council
agenda for the first time," Aung Din said.

Of the fifteen members of the Security Council, the support of nine
members is needed to have Burma included on the agenda. It is widely
expected that permanent members China and Russia will vote against the
move.

While Aung Din said he thought the chances for Burma's inclusion were
good, more support was need from the British government if attempts were
to be successful.

"Without United Kingdom support our efforts to have Burma on the United
Nations Security Council agenda will not be very effective," he said.

While spokespersons from London-based Burma Campaign UK were not available
for comment today, the organisation has criticised the British
government's efforts to get Burma on the agenda, with the group's director
Yvette Mahon saying the government should be providing more support for
the move.

"As a permanent member of the Security Council the UK is in an ideal
position to help, but instead they are sitting on their hands. It is like
having David Beckham on the football pitch, but he's refusing to kick the
ball," Mahon said in a statement last month.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

November 1, The Washington Post
Meeting with a message

The President of the United States is a busy man, so when he spends 50
minutes with a 24-year-old activist whom most Americans have never heard
of -- from a country that many Americans couldn't find on a map -- there
have to be good reasons. President Bush and a few top aides yesterday met
in the White House with Charm Tong, who promotes democracy in her native
state of Burma from her exile in neighboring Thailand. And he did have
good reasons: both to learn more about the terrible straits into which
Burma's dictators have plunged their country's 50 million people and to
send a message, not long before his trip to Asia, that the United States
is committed to supporting democracy there.

It's a message that we hope will resonate among U.S. allies, such as Japan
and the Philippines, and percolate through the lower reaches of Mr. Bush's
government. Burma, along with North Korea and a couple of other hells on
earth, is one of the world's most suffocating dictatorships. Mr. Bush
asked during the meeting whether there is any opposition inside the
country, Charm Tong told us afterward. "I said the regime has control of
the people in every sphere of their life. People are in fear. People don't
know who to trust. I said, there is almost no space in Burma."

There is an opposition, of course, and unlike in many dictatorships it has
earned full legitimacy. Its leader, another courageous woman, Aung San Suu
Kyi, led the National League for Democracy to a landslide parliamentary
victory in 1990. But the dictators ignored the results; she remains under
house arrest 15 years later, and many of her lieutenants are in fetid
prisons.

Charm Tong has helped document how the Burmese military uses rape
systematically as a weapon of war, especially among her Shan people and
other persecuted nationalities. Mr. Bush asked about that, too. "I said
the military wants our communities to feel shamed and demoralized," Charm
Tong recounted. "When in fact it is the troops who should be ashamed."

Two global apostles of human rights, South Africa's retired archbishop
Desmond Tutu and former Czech president Vaclav Havel, recently proposed
that the U.N. Security Council begin seriously considering how to
encourage a democratic transition in Burma. Eight countries out of a
needed nine support the idea, among them the United States. But not
everyone inside the Bush administration has pushed with equal vigor, and
the democratic Asian states of Japan and the Philippines inexplicably are
holding back. Maybe Mr. Bush can recount to them some of what he heard
yesterday.