BurmaNet News, May 3, 2006

[Editor]

May 3, 2006 Issue # 2954


INSIDE BURMA
DVB: No power can stop people’s power, says Burmese student leader MKN
Irrawaddy: Shwe Mann “behind Karen offensive”

ON THE BORDER
AP: Myanmar army attacks rebel stronghold near Thai border
AFP: Myanmar rebel group issues plea to military rulers

ASEAN
AFP: US ambassador to ASEAN proposed in Senate

REGIONAL
AFP: Fate of Myanmar boatpeople in Indonesia unclear

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: UNSC knew of genocide concerns in Burma
AP: EU calls for cease-fire talks in Myanmar, end to abuses against civilians
Irrawaddy: US to accept Karen refugees
AP: North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan top list of 10 'Most Censored
Countries

OPINION / OTHER
Nation: The hollow 'insiders' of Burma - David Scott Mathieson

PRESS RELEASE
EU: EU Presidency calls for ceasefire talks between the Government of
Burma/Myanmar and KNU and for an end to abuses against civilians
Human Rights Watch: Burma: U.N. must act to end attacks on Karen
KWO: KWO pleads for international women's groups to press for immediate UN
Security Council action on Burma

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

April 28, Democratic Voice of Burma
No power can stop people’s power, says Burmese student leader MKN

Rangoon residents are very concerned by the way the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) has been behaving menacingly towards the
National League for Democracy (NLD), and they are worried that the junta
might crack down on the party, which might lead to the public uprising
instead of political dialogues.

Renowned student leader Min Ko Naing who was one of the leaders of the
1988 pro-democracy nationwide uprising gave his reaction as follows:

“Just reassess the refusal of the current government. They also refused
(to cooperate) in (19)88. The people demanded the multi-party (system). At
the time, the BSPP (Burma Socialist Programme Party) insisted that it
would go on with the one party system; it refused to allow the
multi-party.

“At the end, what happened was when we, the public/people, showed the sea
of people and rolled human waves, (they) had to promise to give the
multi-party. You know well where that party which refused ended up in the
end. Similarly, how was the situation of the army which staged the coup?
The army representative protested by saying at the BSPP party conference
that it could not accept the multi-party. In the end, what happened was,
it had to stage the coup and take power by promising that it will allow
the multi party.

“In the same way, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released for the first
time, they refused in this way. Subsequently, they had to release (her)
within a couple of days later. What I want to say is, we, the public has
already possessed the real strength to know the real change/transition; no
one can deny it at this time. Not only the person from the surface of this
earth, but also the angels in heaven could not deny that. I want to say
that the most important thing is, for us to have the strength.”

“As for that, it is like saying to a strictly caged bird that it doesn’t
know how to fly. If you want to know whether it could fly or not, you have
to give it freedom. It is the same for a (political) party. If you want to
know whether that party has the support or not, you need to give it
freedom – if there is one. Here (in Burma), the situation is, you need to
get a letter of support that it is nothing to do with politics even when
you want to cultivate mushrooms. In this situation, having oppressed (the
people) flat like that, it is like accusing them (the opposition party
members?) of being unable to fly (or) swim. In the real situations, you
will know clearly how much cooperation and support there are from the
people. Therefore, just give them freedom, just freedom alone. We will
prove that the people can create the rest.”

____________________________________

May 3, Irrawaddy
Shwe Mann “behind Karen offensive”

Military analysts in Rangoon suggest that Gen Shwe Mann, a Karen Buddhist,
might be behind the recent offensive in Karen state.

Shwe Mann, the regime’s No 3 in seniority, is attached to the Defense
Ministry and will likely oversee day-to-day operations in Karen State,
military analysts in Rangoon said.

He is probably based in the military operations room in Naypyidaw, the
regime’s new administrative city, they say.

According to ex-intelligence officers and army officers who were close to
military planning in the recent past, the regime had developed a plan to
attack No 2 and No 3 Brigades of the KNLA first, while leaving other Karen
areas until later.

In fact, the military attack on the areas of Nyaunglaybin and Taungoo was
under the command of Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, chief of the Bureau of
Special Operations Number 3.

Khin Maung Than, former Rangoon Division Commander, is reported to be
taking an uncompromising stance toward Karen rebels. He received
instructions to secure the two areas by moving against civilians and
insurgents.

The operation is intended to deprive the rebels of information, supplies
and other assistance, and to block their recruiting and propaganda
efforts, say analysts.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

May 3, Associated Press
Myanmar army attacks rebel stronghold near Thai border

Mae Sot: Myanmar troops launched ground and mortar attacks against a key
stronghold of the Karen rebels Wednesday, stepping up a major offensive
against the ethnic minority group, senior rebel commanders said.

Several hundred troops attacked a brigade headquarters of the Karen
National Union about 5 kilometers (3 miles) inside Myanmar from the Thai
frontier, said rebel commanders speaking from the scene of fighting who
spoke on condition of anonymity.

Karen guerrillas have been battling the central government for decades,
seeking greater autonomy. Cease-fire talks broke down in 2004, and in
recent months the Myanmar army has launched a major offensive in Karen
State of eastern Myanmar.

The officers said three Myanmar battalions and a battalion of Karen who
earlier broke away from the KNU launched the attack against Watkalupu
Camp, where the KNU's 7th Brigade is headquartered. After two unsuccessful
ground assaults, the attackers withdrew but more attacks were expected.

The scene of the fighting is opposite Thailand's Tak province. Further
north along the rugged, porous border, several hundred Karen refugees
displaced by the fighting were preparing to cross into Thailand, joining
nearly 2,000 others who fled earlier.

The campaign, which began last November, has driven at least 11,000 Karen
villagers from their eastern Myanmar homes, according to the Free Burma
Rangers, an aid group operating inside the military-ruled nation once
known as Burma.

The military has burned villages, destroyed rice fields and killed
civilians in northern and western areas of Karen State as it tries to
suppress the KNU, the groups says.

The government says it is taking security measures against "terrorist
insurgents," but denies that an offensive is underway, and that its troops
have violated human rights.

U.S. lawmakers last week urged the U.N. Security Council to take urgent
action against the junta in response to the offensive. The U.S. State
Department condemned the recent attacks, which Thai and foreign aid
officials fear will add to Thailand's refugee burden.

More than 140,000 Karen and other ethnic minority refugees live in a
string of camps along the border.

Analysts say the scale of the recent attacks is the largest since a 1997
anti-Karen offensive, and the KNU fears it may continue through this
year's rainy season, which generally begins in May.

Myanmar's military regimes, which first came to power in 1962, battled
many minority insurgent groups seeking autonomy until a former junta
member, Gen. Khin Nyunt, negotiated cease-fires with 17 of them.

But his ouster in 2004 reinforced hard-liners and "resulted in increasing
hostility directed at ethnic minority groups," U.S.-based Human Rights
Watch said in its 2006 report.

The KNU is the largest rebel organization still fighting the
500,000-member military.

The violence of recent years largely ignored by the international
community has spawned an estimated 1 million internal refugees and
accelerated an exodus to neighboring countries.

____________________________________

May 3, Agence France Presse
Myanmar rebel group issues plea to military rulers

Bangkok: A rebel group battling Myanmar's military appealed for clemency
late Wednesday, saying women and children were being killed in the army's
latest offensive and thousands of families left without food and shelter.

The Karen National Union called for ceasefire talks, saying the military's
crackdown on the Karen ethnic minority has forced thousands to abandon
their villages and flee into the jungles. About 1,000 have reached the
Thai border.

"We the KNU solemnly call upon the military regime to immediately stop its
military operations and withdraw its operational troops," the KNU said in
a statement.

"They are shelling the villages with heavy weapons, forcing the villagers
to relocate, and burning down the villages, orchards, forests, farms and
rice barns."

The statement came after Human Rights Watch urged the United Nations to
protect Myanmar's ethnic minorities from the military, which has also
planted landmines along the Thai border to stop civilians from fleeing.

The New York-based group called on the UN Security Council to put Myanmar
on its agenda, after the council agreed in an April resolution to shield
civilians from genocide and other crimes against humanity.

"The UN has just committed itself again to protecting civilians at risk,
and thousands of Burmese are in urgent need of such help," said Brad
Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

Military-run Myanmar, which used to be called Burma, launched an offensive
against ethnic rebels in the eastern state of Karen in November.

Since then, humanitarian groups estimate that up to 11,000 Karen villagers
have been chased out of their homes and that thousands more have suffered
abuses such as execution, torture, rape and forced labor, the statement
said.

The KNU said it appeared the military would press on during the upcoming
wet season, as they were still moving troops and weapons to their forward
camps.

"We strongly protest and condemn the (military's) wicked act of increasing
military operations against us, instead of working towards a nationwide
ceasefire," its statement said.

Talks between the KNU, the largest group still battling Yangon, and the
military have in the past broken down. Myanmar's ruling junta has reached
ceasefires with 17 ethnic armed groups.

The junta says it is open to negotiations with the KNU and denies abuses
against Karen people.

Human Rights Watch said the army has laid 2,000-plus landmines along the
border and in civilian areas to prevent more people from escaping.

"Without swift and decisive Security Council action, the killings and
abuses there will not stop," Adams said.

The watchdog also pressured the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) to stop member Myanmar from attacking civilians. Although ASEAN
has stepped up its criticism of Myanmar, it has yet to publicly address
its human rights record.

"Burma has snubbed polite entreaties from ASEAN members and has become an
enormous embarrassment," said Adams. "It's time for straight talk from
Burma's 'friends'."

More than 140,000 refugees live in nine refugee camps on the Thai side of
the border, set up since Myanmar's troops overran most traditional ethnic
minority lands in the eastern mountainous region in the 1980s.

____________________________________
ASEAN

May 3, Agence France Presse
US ambassador to ASEAN proposed in Senate - P. Parameswaran

Washington: A senior US Senator introduced legislation Tuesday calling for
the appointment of an ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) to boost ties with the rapidly growing region.

"I believe this initiative will be an important step in advancing an
already positive relationship," said Richard Lugar, a Republican senator
from Indiana, as he introduced "The US Ambassador for ASEAN Act."

The United States at present has envoys at various levels in each of the
10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

But Lugar said an ambassador to look after the region as a whole would
prove crucial as ASEAN developed an integrated free trade area and
addressed matters of common concern with the United States -- ranging from
environmental and financial challenges to avian influenza and terrorism.

The legislation's co-sponsors include Democratic Senators Joseph Biden,
John Kerry and Barack Obama.

It is believed that if the bill is approved by the Senate and, later, by
the House of Representatives and signed into law, the ambassador would be
a State Department official who is at present supervising affairs of the
region from Washington.

ASEAN is the third largest export market for US products, and has received
approximately 90 billion dollars in direct American investments. Nearly
40,000 students from Southeast Asia study in the United States.

Lugar's proposal comes in the wake of the Bush administration's drive to
give greater emphasis to Southeast Asia, where China has made inroads on
the political, security and economic fronts in recent years.

The United States remains the biggest investor in ASEAN but China's trade
with the region -- now exceeding 130 billion dollars per year -- could
match US volume of 136 billion dollars this year, US business officials
say.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also has confirmed participation in
the annual ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysia in July after she broke
tradition and skipped the last meeting allegedly due to the grouping's
failure to stop human rights abuses in Myanmar.

Lugar said the ASEAN envoy could help facilitate implementation of the
so-called ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership announced last November by ASEAN
leaders and President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, South Korea.

The United States has begun discussions with ASEAN governments on the
partnership, which will include new cooperation on political, security,
economic, and socio-cultural issues.

Bush is scheduled to again meet with leaders of the seven ASEAN states who
are members of APEC -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- at the Pacific grouping's gathering in
November this year in the Vietnam.

"Over the years, ASEAN has contributed to regional stability in East Asia
and has partnered with the United States to combat global terror," Lugar
said in his bill.

"In addition to promoting regional peace and stability, ASEAN is committed
to accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural
development," he said.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

May 3, Agence France Presse
Fate of Myanmar boatpeople in Indonesia unclear

Jakarta: The fate of 77 Myanmar Muslims who became stranded on an
Indonesian island on the way to seek work in Malaysia last month remained
unclear on Wednesday.

The chief of the naval base on Sabang island, where the Myanmarese have
been sheltered since last month, said the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees was seeking to determine their status.

"Two people from UNHCR are here to interview them to determine whether
they can be considered asylum-seekers," Colonel Aswoto Saranang told AFP.

But a UNHCR protection officer in Jakarta, Shinji Kubo, said there had
been no request from the immigration department for the refugee agency to
intervene.

"I don't think we have interviewed them," he said.

Zulkarnain, an official at the immigration office on Sabang, said the
government was considering turning back the men to their military-ruled
home country.

"That's the move we are considering but there's still no decision because
we're still discussing it," he said.

Navy chief Saranang has said the boatpeople refused to be repatriated to
Myanmar and vowed to continue to their journey to seek work overseas.

The men landed on Rondo island off northern Sumatra after their boat ran
out of fuel. All are men and ethnic Muslim Rohingyas from Myanmar's Arakan
state, aged between 20 to 45.

Officials have said they had left Myanmar to seek better livelihoods in
the Malaysian state of Penang and were not fleeing persecution.

In 1992, more than 200,000 Rohingyas, about a third of their population,
fled over Myanmar's border into Bangladesh, accusing the Yangon regime of
persecution.

About 20,000 remain in two refugee camps while others are living illegally
in the surrounding area.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

May 3, Irrawaddy
UNSC knew of genocide concerns in Burma - Clive Parker

The UN appeared to be under increasing pressure to take firm action
against Rangoon on Wednesday as it became clear that top officials at the
world body had previously acknowledged to the UN Security Council their
concern that the situation in Burma effectively amounts to genocide.

An official transcript of last December’s UNSC briefing on Burma obtained
by The Irrawaddy yesterday confirms that the UN is “concerned
that
civilian populations may be identified as enemies, solely on the
basis of their ethnicity.” The document was authorized by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and delivered by Under-Secretary for
Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

It adds that the UN’s advisor to Annan on genocide, Juan Mendez, “has been
collecting information from different sources within and beyond the United
Nations system concerning allegations of indiscriminate killings of large
numbers of civilians.”

Although the UN did not directly call the situation genocide, its
evaluation appears to closely coincide with the definition used in the
Genocide Convention of 1948, which states that genocide is the committing
of acts—including the killing of ethnic group members—“with the intent to
destroy the group, in whole or in part.” Rangoon ratified the treaty in
1956.

Given that Annan singled out mid-2006 as an unofficial deadline by which
he said he hopes to see an improvement in Burma’s overall situation, the
UN will now be under increasing pressure to implement firm action.

“More than ten years have passed since the General Assembly first asked
the secretary-general to provide his good offices in facilitating national
reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar [Burma],” Gambari told the
UNSC last December, according to the document. “Regrettably, however,
significant progress has yet to be made.”

As a first step, Annan called upon the junta to allow him to fulfill his
office’s mandate on Burma, meaning dialogue with Rangoon and, more
specifically, the resumption of visits by UN special envoys, none of which
has been permitted by Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s government since December.

Many of the main issues addressed in the briefing—namely violence against
ethnic groups, restrictions on aid agencies and intimidation of the
opposition—have reportedly deteriorated since.

Reports on the ground in Karen State in the past month say that there are
13,000 newly displaced people, some of whom have spilt over the border to
Thailand. The Free Burma Rangers have documented—with photographic
evidence—instances of torture and execution of civilians. Aid agencies as
well say increased restrictions have further hampered their operations—The
International Committee of the Red Cross has not been able to visit
political prisoners since November last year. Meanwhile, Information
Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan last week threatened to outlaw the National
League for Democracy over alleged links to terrorism as the state-run
press ran stories on mass “resignations” of NLD members.

The continuing deterioration of the situation in Burma and Asean’s failure
to promote change suggest the UNSC may be heading for at least another
briefing on the country, although there has been no news as to what the
next move will be.

Eric John, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the
Pacific, told The Irrawaddy last Friday that Washington remains committed
to addressing Burma at the UNSC, but declined to state the timeline for
action.

“By no means do I view last December’s briefing as the end of the road for
how we engage the UN on Burma,” he said.

On Wednesday, Burmese groups outside the country continued to call for the
UNSC to address the issue. The Karen Women’s Association based in Mae
Sariang, Thailand issued a statement saying that “if the UN Security
Council turns a blind eye, many more women will die.”

“Eastern Burma is like a living hell,” it added. “We can’t understand why
the UN Security Council sits in silence while more and more innocent
civilians die. If the destruction of 2,800 villages isn’t enough for them
to take action, what is?”

The group was joined by New York-based Human Rights Watch, which—referring
to the UN’s recently passed resolution on the protection of citizens in
armed conflict—on Wednesday, said: “The atrocious situation in Burma is
exactly the kind of crisis the resolution was designed to address. Without
swift and decisive Security Council action, the killings and abuses there
will not stop.”

____________________________________

May 3, Associated Press
EU calls for cease-fire talks in Myanmar, end to abuses against civilians

Vienna: The European Union called on the government of Myanmar and rebels
with the ethnic Karen minority Wednesday to engage in cease-fire talks and
end abuses against civilians.

In a statement from Austria's EU presidency, the 25-nation bloc said it
was "very concerned" that Myanmar's army recently stepped up its campaign
against the Karen rebels, displacing people and increasing the numbers of
people fleeing as refugees to Thailand.

"The EU presidency calls upon the Burmese leadership to cease abuses and
dislocations of civilians in the zones of conflict and urges both sides to
strictly adhere to international humanitarian law," it said, urging both
sides to work toward a peaceful solution.

It asked both the government and the rebels "to pursue talks leading to a
genuine and lasting cease-fire and to a sustainable political settlement."

Karen guerrillas have been battling the central government for decades,
seeking greater autonomy. Cease-fire talks broke down in 2004, and in
recent months the Myanmar army has launched a major offensive in Karen
State of eastern Myanmar.

____________________________________

May 3, Irrawaddy
US to accept Karen refugees - Shah Paung

The US government has announced that it would accept Burmese refugees from
the Thai-Burmese border on a case-by-case basis, according to
Washington-based lobby group US Campaign for Burma.

The US State Department, on the orders of the Department of Homeland
Security, recently held up resettlement plans for Karen refugees because
of suspected links to armed opposition groups such as the Karen National
Union and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front—organizations that,
under the 2001 US Patriot Act, could be classified as terrorist
organizations.

Some Karen refugees have connections, sometimes through family, with the
KNU, an organization opposed to military rule in Burma and that fights for
greater autonomy in Burma’s Karen State.

Last Friday, the DHS announced it would make exceptions to a current
blanket ban on groups currently labeled terrorists in the US after 40
congressmen and senators warned they would propose an amendment to current
legislation on the issue, the 2001 Patriot Act and the more recent Real ID
Act. The DHS on Tuesday said that Tham Hin refugee camp in Thailand,
currently home to more than 9,000 Karen refugees, would be the first case
to be tested under the new waiver system.

“People in Minnesota and Seattle are now preparing places for more than
1,800 refugees,” a Karen lobbyist in Washington, DC told The Irrawaddy by
telephone today.

The State Department is understood to have pushed for the compromise for
some time, despite strong resistance from the DHS.

Just before the decision was announced, Eric John, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, told The Irrawaddy that
Washington had got it wrong regarding its current legislation on refugees:
“It’s not the situation that was intended to happen when the law was
enacted, so it’s something we’re working on,” he said.

The US currently has a cap on the number of refugees it allows into the
country annually—currently 80,000—but in practice, the actual amount is
much smaller because the numbers of refugees globally have fallen in
recent years.

According to a Karen Refugee Committee report on March 2006, there are
more than 122,300 Karen refugees currently living in seven camps along the
Thai-Burmese border.

Associated Press Online

____________________________________

May 3, Associated Press
North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan top list of 10 'Most Censored
Countries - Edith M. Lederer

United Nations: North Korea's media praises "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il
every day but never reported the country's famine in the 1990s. Myanmar
bans anti-government sentiment in the media. Turkmenistan's dictator
approves the front pages of major newspapers and they always include a
photo of him.

The three nations topped the list of "10 Most Censored Countries" issued
by the Committee to Protect Journalists on the eve of World Press Freedom
Day. The other countries were Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba,
Uzbekistan, Syria and Belarus.

"People in these countries are virtually isolated from the rest of the
world," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said Tuesday. "They're kept
uninformed by authoritarian rulers who muzzle the media and keep a
chokehold on information through restrictive laws, fear and intimidation."

"We call on the leaders of these most censored countries to join the free
world by abandoning their restrictive actions and allowing journalists to
independently report the news and inform their citizens," she said.

The list is the first on censorship issued by the committee. Its regional
staff, which researches press freedom abuses around the world, rated the
degree of censorship according to 17 different benchmarks, including
censorship regulations, jamming of foreign news broadcasts, imprisonment
and harassment of journalists and the degree of state control of media.

The report noted that Equatorial Guinea's state-run radio has described
the president as "the country's God," and its only private broadcaster is
owned by his son.

In Libya, which has the most tightly controlled media in the Arab world,
no news or views critical of Moammar Gadhafi are allowed, and one critic
who wrote for a London-based opposition Web site was killed last year, it
said.

Most countries on the list are ruled by one man who has remained in power
by manipulating the media and rigging elections, the report said. Cooper
said the media fosters personality cults in Equatorial Guinea, North Korea
and Turkmenistan, where President Saparmurat Niyazov's image is constantly
displayed in profile at the bottom of television screens.

The committee cited another pattern which it called the "big lie." In
North Korea, for example, the official news agency said Kim was so beloved
that after a munitions train exploded in April 2004, people rushed into
burning buildings to save his portraits before searching for family
members or saving household goods. The international press was barred from
the scene, where 150 people died and thousands were injured, it said.

The report also "underscores how countries that censor so heavily show a
cynical disregard for people's welfare," Cooper said, citing Myanmar's
"stifling of coverage of the effects of the December 2004 tsunami."

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbekistan started to
develop some independent media. But the dozen journalists who witnessed
the massacre of anti-government protesters at Andijan in May 2005 have
been forced to flee the country, she said.
"All independent media and foreign media have been squeezed out of
Uzbekistan and we're now back to a situation that looks pretty much like
the Soviet era," Cooper said.

She called Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko's jailing of reporters
who covered the opposition's efforts to unseat him in recent elections
part of his government's "shameful record" and she singled out Russia for
refusing to criticize it.

Other countries considered for the list included China, which has been the
world's leading jailer of journalists, and Zimbabwe, where most of the
independent media has been forced to flee by President Robert Mugabe's
government, Cooper said.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

May 2, The Nation
The hollow 'insiders' of Burma - David Scott Mathieson

As Burma's military junta fortifies itself in the new capital of Pyinmana,
retreating from anything but perfunctory diplomatic engagement with the
international community, Burma-focused observers should ask themselves
exactly what they know about the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC).

How many people predicted the surreal decampment to Pyinmana? Did anyone
see the writing on the wall for Khin Nyunt and his seemingly untouchable
cabal of military intelligence officers in 2004? Understanding Burma
should not be viewed as a "speculative art" or "crystal ball gazing", as
some observers claim, but a serious pursuit of knowledge, analysis and
public debate.

Outside Burma there are hundreds of groups and individuals who pursue
understanding of the country for various advocacy, academic and
journalistic pursuits. Yet they are regularly derided, belittled or
dismissed by some observers as "exiles", "outsiders" and other sorts of
ill-informed, emotive loudmouths. People with regular access or long-term
residency in Burma's main city Rangoon are often heard dismissing the work
or knowledge of people who are denied or avoid "legal" entry into the
country. They reject such work as ill-formed and lacking the nuance
necessary for a deep understanding of Burma.

This is what is often called the "insiders and outsiders" debate. Foreign
"insiders" profess specialised and long-term experience of events within
Burma. They talk of regular access to urban and rural elites, generals and
bankers, diplomats and business leaders. This is enviable exposure. But
how much do they really know? When looking at the quantity and quality of
open information, published research and debate, the "outsiders" appear to
be doing much better. Why isn't the domestically generated analysis more
voluminous, and to be blunt, better?

The reasons for this dearth of inside knowledge must emerge from one of
two factors: either the "insiders" don't know or they're not telling. Not
knowing, let's call it ignorance, shouldn't be discounted. Travel
restrictions in Burma by the authorities limit many diplomats, business
people and aid workers, or they are discouraged by minders from talking to
people too much when they travel. The new guidelines written by the SPDC
for international non-governmental agencies (INGOs) place further limits
on not just travel and project implementation, but also the personnel
INGOs are permitted to employ to work inside the country.

There are many "insiders" who talk about free travel within the country,
but it's never clear how unfettered this is, or why free travel should be
seen as such a victorious point to make. It's a basic freedom, isn't it,
not to mention a necessity for project monitoring? Not many foreigners
choose to travel to places that would make the regime unhappy either,
particularly in the conflict zones of the borderlands or sites of internal
displacement.

Ignorance is also perpetuated by the dismissal of externally generated
information. Many "insiders" and scholars I've spoken to openly dismiss
the published (and often free) work of, for example, the Karen Human
Rights Group (KHRG), Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN), and refuse to
rely on the consistently accurate reporting of The Irrawaddy magazine and
other exiled news agencies such as Mizzima and Narinjara. Meticulously
compiled reports on internal displacement by the Thai-Burma Border
Consortium (TBBC) or on political prisoners by the Assistance Association
of Political Prisoners in Burma (AAPPB) are also rarely utilised, as are
many grass-roots generated reports on narcotics or dams that challenge the
elite's assumptions of what is really happening.

The problem with much analysis on the country is that it privileges
information that supports preconceived ideological standpoints. Not
telling, or failing to publish or informally alert other observers, could
be seen as the product of ignorance: no one wants others to realise that
they are in fact ignorant. But failing to tell is also part of an
ideological decision to avoid exiled groups and opposition figures, a
result of paranoia about how "inside" knowledge could be misconstrued, and
a genuine need to exercise discretion.

The work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) demands
impartiality, and even United Nations agencies need to remain neutral. Yet
these two bodies also promote the idea of free societies and international
norms of behaviour, one of which involves open information. More could be
done in promoting information about conditions inside. Some observers from
inside talk constructively and truthfully about trends and occasionally
request discretion in using it, but others freely share information and
opinions. It's not difficult.

As theorists of authoritarianism will point out, a surveillance society
works on the assumption that fear will produce self-regulation, and more
people will act as if they are being watched and listened to, even if
they're not. Foreigners are not immune to this, and it provides a simple
excuse for inaction and silence to preserve position and interests. It
must also be said, given the "expatriate" condition everywhere, that some
foreigners in Burma don't care too much about average people, and so don't
bother to know.

Another missed point is that the work produced "outside", such as those I
have listed above, will provide part of the basis for a domestic civil
society, media and NGO environment in a freer Burma in the future. Most
"outside" work is generated by people from Burma, including from the gamut
of ethnic groups, concerned about the "inside". Why do many "insiders"
ignore such basic logic?

If all people agree that the polarised nature of debates is
counterproductive, then work should start on bridging the gap, and more
should be published in the open in place of the immature tunnel diplomacy
that currently passes for "dialogue". The ideal type of analyst,
consultant or researcher is one who works "inside" and "outside", and
seeks to understand both realms. Burma is after all, one country, and
perpetuating its divisions through ignoring its many complexities makes
for bland, light and unhealthy reading.

David Scott Mathieson is a PhD student at the Australian National University.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

May 3, European Union
EU Presidency calls for ceasefire talks between the Government of
Burma/Myanmar and KNU and for an end to abuses against civilians

The EU Presidency is very concerned by the fact that the Myanmar/Burmese
Army has recently stepped up its campaign against the Karen National Union
(KNU). The fighting is reported to have created a significant number of
displaced persons in northern Karen state, and contributed to a further
significant movement of refugees to Thailand.

The EU Presidency calls upon the Burmese leadership to cease abuses and
dislocations of civilians in the zones of conflict and urges both sides to
strictly adhere to international humanitarian law.

The EU supports the territorial integrity of Myanmar/Burma and the
protection of human rights of all citizens and groups in the country
regardless of ethnicity or religion. The EU Presidency strongly believes
that the country’s inter-ethnic conflicts should be resolved by peaceful
political and democratic means.

The EU Presidency therefore calls upon the Government of Burma/Myanmar and
the KNU to pursue talks leading to a genuine and lasting ceasefire and to
a sustainable political settlement.


____________________________________

May 3, Human Rights Watch
Burma: U.N. must act to end attacks on Karen

Army uses landmines to prevent civilians from fleeing conflict

New York: The U.N. Security Council must urgently respond to Burmese army
attacks on ethnic Karen civilians that have displaced more than 10,000
villagers since November, Human Rights Watch said today. Civilians seeking
refuge in Thailand have been placed at grave risk by landmines planted by
the Burmese army along the border.

Human Rights Watch urged the Security Council to place Burma on its agenda
in accordance with its April 28, 2006 resolution, "On Protection of
Civilians in Armed Conflict," which affirms a collective responsibility of
all U.N. members to protect civilian populations from genocide, war
crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity when their
governments do not provide that protection.

"The U.N. has just committed itself again to protecting civilians at risk,
and thousands of Burmese are in urgent need of such help," said Brad
Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The atrocious situation in
Burma is exactly the kind of crisis the resolution was designed to
address. Without swift and decisive Security Council action, the killings
and abuses there will not stop."

Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged the U.N. Security Council to put
Burma on its formal agenda.

"China and Russia need to stop blocking action on Burma by the Security
Council, as that gives a green light to the military government's scorched
earth policy," said Adams.

Human Rights Watch reiterated its call for the United Nations to appoint a
commission of inquiry to investigate possible war crimes and crimes
against humanity committed since the Burmese military government took
power in 1988.

In November the Burmese army, or Tatmadaw, began its largest offensive in
the western and northern parts of Karen state since 1997. Burmese troops
have looted and burned homes and planted anti-personnel landmines in
civilian areas to terrorize the local population. In some cases, villagers
have reportedly been ordered by battalion commanders to leave their homes
or face summary execution. Fleeing villagers have reported witnessing
soldiers commit extrajudicial killings and torture. They have also
reported that men, women and children have been forcibly conscripted to
work either as army porters or as unpaid laborers.

Government troops are continuing sweeping operations in Mon township,
Nyaunglebin district. Army infantry battalions 241 and 242 are reportedly
leading efforts to chase some 2,000 displaced Karen villagers. Those
displaced are at particular risk due to the heavy rains caused by Cyclone
Mala, which has made living conditions difficult. Many villagers are
reportedly sick with malaria and dysentery. Karen villagers in Toungoo
district - who were earlier forced to go to relocation sites, or faced
execution - reported that they now have no shelter there and are living
under trees in the rain.

According to humanitarian agencies, 4,000 people have been displaced in
Mon township; 2,000 in Shwey Gyin and Kyauk Kyi townships combined; and
more than 2,000 in Toungoo district. While more than 1,000 people have
fled to the Salween River to seek refuge in Thailand, the Burmese army has
reportedly laid more than 2,000 anti-personnel mines in a north-south line
to stop further civilian movement from the mountains to the plains. This
was allegedly done in order to block escape routes and deny the civilian
population access to food supplies, commodities, and other humanitarian
assistance.

Human Rights Watch also called on the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) to publicly call on Burma to end its attacks on ethnic
minority populations. Embarrassed by the continued detention of opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the failure of the constitutional convention, and
the lack of democratic reform, ASEAN members have made increasingly
critical statements about Burma's military government. Last year, ASEAN
asked Burma to give up its turn as chair of the organization. ASEAN's
special envoy to Rangoon expressed frustration at the slow pace of reform
and at being prevented from meeting with a variety of political figures on
a recent visit. But ASEAN has never directly addressed Burma's human
rights record or taken up attacks on Burma's many ethnic populations.

"It is time for ASEAN to speak up about these horrific abuses," said
Adams. "Burma has snubbed polite entreaties from ASEAN members and has
become an enormous embarrassment. It's time for straight talk from Burma's
'friends.'"

Background

In June, Human Rights Watched published a 70-page report, "They Came and
Destroyed Our Village Again: The Plight of Internally Displaced Persons in
Karen State," which documented numerous incidents of forced displacement,
including: a mother forced to flee her village after watching Burmese
soldiers shoot and kill her daughter; a young family fleeing for their
lives after soldiers went on a rampage in their Karen village; and a Karen
man watching as troops looted his village after forcing him and other
residents to flee. Such brutal acts are war crimes, and when committed as
part of a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population, may
amount to crimes against humanity.

The Burmese government continues to commit systematic, widespread and
well-documented abuses in ongoing conflicts with ethnic minority rebel
groups, including extrajudicial executions, rape, torture, forced
relocation of entire villages and forced labor. Independent estimates
suggest that, as of late 2004, as many as 650,000 people were internally
displaced in eastern Burma alone. According to a recent survey, 157,000
civilians have been displaced in eastern Burma since the end of 2002, and
at least 240 villages have been destroyed, relocated or abandoned. Many
internally displaced persons live in hiding in war zones.

The Burmese army is responsible for horrific abuses not only against the
Karen, but also against other ethnic minority groups. Last May, Human
Rights Watch reported that entire villages in Shan state were burned down
when Burmese government troops, backed by forces of the United Wa State
Army, implemented a counter-insurgency strategy against the Shan State
Army, an anti-government armed group. Government forces and the United Wa
State Army have regularly targeted civilians by forcing whole villages to
relocate. There are reports that they have also singled out young Shan men
for execution and torture, and have raped Shan women and girls.

For further information, please contact:

In New York, Sophie Richardson (English, Mandarin): +1-212-216-1257
In London, Brad Adams (English): +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-79-0872-8333
(mobile)

____________________________________

May 3, Karen Women's Organization
KWO pleads for international women's groups to press for immediate UN
Security Council action on Burma

 The Karen Women's Organization today issued a public statement pleading
for international women's organizations to press for an immediate United
Nations Security Council resolution on Burma.

"Over the past several weeks, 13,000 people have been driven from their
homes in eastern Burma, many in Karen state.  Burma's military junta is on
a rampage, killing women, children, and other innocent civilians.  We
desperately need women around the world to demand that the UN Security
Council take action to end the violence in eastern Burma," said KWO in a
statement.  "If the UN Security Council turns a blind eye, many more women
will die."

Over the past seven weeks, 13,000 people have been forced to flee their
homes in villages in eastern Burma, an area of the world off-limit to
journalists and non-governmental organizations.  Over the past ten years,
2,800 villages have been destroyed of forced to evacuate by Burma's
military junta, widely recognized as one of the world's most brutal
regimes.

Refugees International, the respected human rights organization, reports
that over 1,000,000 refugees have fled from Burma, and over 1/2 million
remain displaced inside the country as internal refugees.  In addition to
the torching of villages, the military junta has carried out a widespread
campaign of rape against ethnic minority women in Burma, including the
Karen.  Ethnic women's organizations have documented these rapes
extensively in reports including "Shattering Silences", "License to Rape",
and others.

The UN General Assembly and UN Commission on Human Rights have passed a
total of 28 consecutive non-binding resolutions on Burma, all of which
have been ignored by Burma's military junta.

Recently, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Refugees
International, Church World Service, and the International Confederation
of Free Trade Unions have called for the UN Security Council to act on
Burma -- unlike the General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights, its
decisions are binding.  On December 16th, 2005 the UN Security Council
held its first ever discussion on Burma, and now Karen Women's
Organization is calling on the Council to go further and pass a binding
resolution demanding the military junta end all attacks on innocent
civilians in Burma and begin a process of peaceful negotiations with all
ethnic groups and Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel
Peace Prize recipient.

"Eastern Burma is like living hell," said the Karen Women's Organization
in a statement.  "We can't understand why the UN Security Council sits in
silence while more and more innocent civilians die.  If the destruction of
2,800 villages isn't enough for them to take action, what is?"

KWO went on to call for support from international women's organizations. 
"We know that women's organizations around the world talk a lot about the
need for women's peace and security.  Right now, in eastern Burma, women
are being killed, tortured, and raped by soldiers of the military junta. 
Please break your silence and demand immediate action by the UN Security
Council.  Every day that the world waits is one day too long for the women
of eastern Burma -- one more day of rape, killing, and violence."

Point of Contact

Naw Ziporah Sein, Mobile: 01-9527145, Naw Blooming Night Zan,  Mobile:
01-9736471