BurmaNet News, July 22-24, 2006

[Editor]

July 22-24, 2006 Issue # 3010

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Burma's civil servants, soldiers to pay income tax

ON THE BORDER
Telegraph: Indian Assam Rifles protest to Burmese Army after rebel raid

BUSINESS / TRADE
Xinhua: Myanmar to allow private sector to manufacture pharmaceuticals
Irrawaddy: Illegal fishmeal imports affect Thai industry

ASEAN
AP: Malaysia rebukes Myanmar as hopes for NKorea talks dwindle at Asian
meet - Vijay Joshi
Malaysia General News: Asean has other pressing issues than just Myanmar,
says Sec-Gen
AFP: Myanmar 'sensitivities' raised as ASEAN weakens statement

REGIONAL
United News of Bangledesh: Burmese Shwe Gas Movement urges IOCs not to
work with military junta

OPINION / OTHER
Asian Wall Street Journal: It Is Not Possible To Defend Myanmar
Asian Wall Street Journal: Burma's Blues
Irrawaddy: Asean statements may be Just Hot Air on Burma

PRESS RELEASE
AIPMC: Statement of the AIPMC international conference on Burma and
democracies in transition
Altsean-Burma regional team: Statement of the Altsean-Burma regional team
meeting to the Asean ministerial meeting & Asean regional forum Kuala
Lumpur, 24 July, 2006

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

July 24, Irrawaddy
Burma's civil servants, soldiers to pay income tax - Shah Paung

Burmese authorities are set to begin collecting income tax from civil
servants and military personnel, according to government sources in
Rangoon.

An engineer from an office of the Ministry of Construction in Rangoon said
that employees who receive salaries of more than 30,000 kyat (nearly US
$23) per month will be taxed at a rate of 12 percent. Those earning less
will be taxed by 10 percent.

He added that the new tax regulation will take effect in August, but it
will be retroactive—workers will be required to pay taxes on income earned
since April, when the government increased civil and governmental
employees’ salaries.

Burma’s military rulers increased salaries at the end of April.
Top-ranking officials in the government received pay rises of more than
1,000 percent, while lower-level clerks had rises of up to 500 percent.

An official from the Dagon Myothit branch of the Ministry of Education in
Rangoon confirmed the new tax regulation. “It is true that the government
will start to collect income tax,” he said. “Now in some departments they
already received an order letter from authorities and they know when it
will start, but for our branch we haven’t received any official letter
yet.”

He added that the new tax regulations will also cancel previous assistance
programs for civil servants and soldiers—bonus salary payments of up to
5,000 kyat (just under $4) and transportation coupons.

In May 2006, Burmese authorities doubled the income tax paid by private
companies and their employees, from 10 percent to 20 percent.

Sein Htay, a Burmese economist in exile, said the military government’s
spending has exceeded the national budget, and the move appears to be an
attempt to counter the problem.

But he sees little possibility of success. "Such a move could only bring
more burdens to the taxpayers," he said.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

July 23, Telegraph
Attack prompts protest - Assam rifles lodges complaint with Myanmar after
rebel raid

The Assam Rifles authorities in Manipur have lodged a protest with the
Myanmarese [Burmese] army after militants from the state launched an
offensive on an Assam Rifles post from across the international border at
Moreh in Chandel district.

The complaint was lodged at the post-level meeting, which was held at Tamu
in the neighbouring country, a day after militants of the United National
Liberation Front (UNLF) bombarded a newly-opened Assam Rifles post with
two-inch mortars and lethod bombs in the small hours of Wednesday [19
July].

There was no casualty but four civilians were wounded in the crossfire.
Some houses belonging to tribals were also damaged. The UNLF owned up to
the attack.

This is reportedly the first attack by militants of Manipur on security
forces from across the international border in the state. Though India and
Myanmar had agreed to share intelligence inputs, the Myanmarese
authorities have been maintaining that no Northeast militant camps are
located in that country.

"The militants sneaked into the other side of the border to mount the
attack. We reported the matter to the higher authorities of the Myanmarese
army. The matter was also discussed at the post-level meeting which was
held at Tamu the following day," a top Assam Rifles official said.

The commanding officer of the 24 Assam Rifles deployed in Chandel
district, Col V Saini, met the commander of a Myanmarese army's light
infantry unit in the post-level meeting. The Tamu district commissioner
was also present at the meeting. The Centre [Indian federal government] is
expected to take up the matter with the Myanmarese government. "We are
hoping that Myanmarese security agencies will ensure that no such
activities continue in future. We did expect such an attack. Therefore, we
were prepared when it came. It is because of this reason that there was no
casualty on our side," the Assam Rifles official said.

The post at the border gate number 4 was opened recently following
information that drugs and arms were being smuggled into Moreh from across
the border. "Arms routed through Bangladesh, Myanmar and other south Asian
countries are coming to Manipur through Moreh in large numbers," he said.
While owning up to the attack, Ksh. Yoiheiba, "senior publicity officer"
of the UNLF, said the attack was part of its armed campaign for "freedom."

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

July 24, Xinhua General News Service
Myanmar to allow private sector to manufacture pharmaceuticals

Myanmar is deliberating over allowing private sector to manufacture
pharmaceuticals to help reduce import, a local weekly reported Monday.

The possibility of the move was discussed at a recent seminar in Nay Pyi
Taw, sponsored by the Ministry of Industry-1, the Myanmar Times quoted the
ministry sources as saying.

Private sector in Myanmar is barred from manufacturing cigarette, beer and
pharmaceuticals despite the adoption of the market economy, the Myanmar
Industrial Association was also quoted as saying.

Domestically produced pharmaceuticals are traditionally manufactured
solely by the state-run Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industry (MPI) under the
ministry at three factories in Yangon, Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay division
and Tatkone in Nay Pyi Taw respectively.

According to the ministry, the MPI produces 40 percent of the
pharmaceuticals sold on the home market, while the remainder was imported
mainly from Bangladesh, China, India and Thailand among other countries
through normal and border trade.

Meanwhile, Indian pharmaceutical exporters are exploring market in Myanmar
for distribution of such products of their country.

____________________________________

July 24, Irrawaddy
Illegal fishmeal imports affect Thai industry - Sai Silp

Thai fishmeal producers will urge the country’s Ministry of Commerce to
restrict illegal fishmeal imports from Burma.

Thawi Piyapattana, director of the Thai Fishmeal Producer Association,
told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the group will submit an official letter
to the government, claiming that illegal imports of fishmeal from Burma
have destabilized prices in Thailand.

“It is a big problem for fishery industries and local fishermen because
the price of fishmeal is unstable, and that affects the price of fresh
fish,” Thawi said.

There are more than a hundred fishmeal factories in Thailand, most of
which are located in southern and eastern seaside provinces. One of
Thailand’s top export products, fishmeal is produced at a rate of more
than 40,000 tons per month.

Burmese fishmeal is thought to be smuggled into Thailand primarily through
Ranong province, where an estimated 2,000 tons of the illegal product
enter the country each month and are sold at a price about 10 percent
lower than locally manufactured product, according to Thawi.

Pongthep Buasap, head of the customs office in Ranong province, denies any
claims of illegal smuggling. “It is very difficult to smuggle illegal
products through Ranong port because of official restrictions, especially
on the Burmese side,” he said. “Besides that, fishmeal coming through this
port is legal, with documentation and tax paid, according to customs
regulations.”

Pongthep added that last month, the value of legally imported fishmeal
through Ranong was 6 million baht (just over US $160,000), which he
claimed would not adversely affect Thailand’s entire fishing industry.

Mana Sripitak, from the National Fisheries Association of Thailand, said
the illegal imports made Thailand’s already ailing fishing industry in the
Thai gulf and the Andaman Sea worse, as higher oil prices have forced some
fishing fleets to stop working. “If the price of fresh fish drops, more
fishermen will not be able to work.”

The alleged smuggling of fishmeal affects some 20,000 working fishing
vessels, according to Thawi, as well as Burmese migrant workers who
comprise a majority of the fishing industry’s workforce.

Fishmeal is in high demand in Thailand—about 500,000 tons are consumed or
exported each year. Local production has not been able to keep up,
according to Thawi, because excessive fishing off the country’s southern
and eastern coasts over the last 20 years has diminished fishing hauls by
as much as 90 percent. To meet demand, Thailand imported fishmeal last
year from several countries—including Burma.

____________________________________
ASEAN

July 24, Associated Press
Malaysia rebukes Myanmar as hopes for NKorea talks dwindle at Asian meet -
Vijay Joshi

Host Malaysia delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of military-ruled
Myanmar on the eve of a key regional security meeting Monday, as hopes
dwindled for nuclear talks with North Korea.

The Myanmar junta's refusal to restore democracy and its continued house
arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi have become a thorn in the
side of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is holding its
annual security meeting in Malaysia's largest city, Kuala Lumpur.

"What we wanted from Myanmar was for them to give us something that would
allow us to speak on their behalf with some credibility. We don't seem to
have that," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

ASEAN is willing to accept "step-by-step" progress by Myanmar, but it
should be "visible step-by-step," he said. Still, ASEAN doesn't want to
isolate Myanmar, he said in a conciliatory note.

"The last thing we should do is ask Myanmar to quit (ASEAN). As a family
member living in one house we would like them to be together with us," he
said.

The regional grouping has come under increasing pressure from major
trading partners United States and Europe to persuade the Myanmar's rulers
to move toward democracy and improve its human rights record.

Syed Hamid's comments came the day before Malaysia hosts a meeting of
ASEAN foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was the most scathing
criticism yet of Myanmar by Malaysia, which was instrumental in bringing
the country into ASEAN in 1997.

North Korea's Embassy, meanwhile, confirmed that Foreign Minister Paek Nam
Sun will take part in the ASEAN Regional Forum, which follows the ASEAN
foreign ministers' meet, on Thursday and Friday.

It was hoped that ARF, which brings together Asian and Western powers
every year, would provide a venue for reviving the six-party talks on
resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.

But a Japanese official said Monday there was no clear indication that
would happen.

"I don't think there is any concrete sign or concrete indication whether
we can have the six-party talks" in Kuala Lumpur, said Yoshinori Katori,
the spokesman of Foreign Minister Taro Aso, during a visit to Manila.

Aso will also attend ARF along with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The reclusive communist state of North Korea is expected to be a key topic
at the ARF meeting. The regime has been the focus of global security
concern after it test-fired a series of missiles, including a long-range
ballistic missile potentially capable of reaching the U.S.

The six-party talks involve the North and its five dialogue partners
China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the U.S. All will be represented at
the ARF.

Their aim has been to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons
program in return for aid, trade and security guarantees, but negotiations
stalled in November when Pyongyang refused to attend the discussions in
protest over U.S. allegations that the regime had engaged in illicit
financial activity.

Syed Hamid also said that the North Koreans "have expressed unwillingness"
to take part in the six-way talks here.

On the issue of Myanmar, Syed Hamid published an opinion piece in the Wall
Street Journal Asia Monday, in which he said the junta has failed to
"convince not only ASEAN, but also the international community, that their
roadmap to political and economic reforms was on track."

Myanmar's junta took power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy
movement. It called elections in 1990 but decided not to hand over the
government when Suu Kyi's party won. It claims to be working on a road map
to democracy but has show no tangible results.

The foreign ministers, in a statement at the end of their meeting, are
expected to express concern about Myanmar but it will not be as strident
as Syed Hamid's.

The 10 ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its dialogue
partners in the ARF are Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, East Timor,
European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, North Korea,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea, United States.

Associated Press correspondents Sean Yoong, Jae-Soon Chang, Yeoh En-lai
and Jim Gomez in Kuala Lumpur and Teresa Cerojano in Manila contributed to
this report.

____________________________________

July 22, Malaysia General News
Asean has other pressing issues than just Myanmar, says Sec-Gen

Asean Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong said today the 39th Asean
Ministerial Meeting (AMM) next week should not be dominated by the Myanmar
issue as there are other pressing matters to be discussed, said Asean
Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong.

"Asean has a lot of other things to do ... almost 99 per cent are other
than Myanmar. But now Myanmar seems to be always there and `clouding' the
other issues out of the way," he told Bernama when met at the KL
International Airport (KLIA) upon his arrival here to attend the AMM and
the 13th Asean Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Ong echoed Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar's views
to let the United Nations (UN) manage the progress to democracy in
Myanmar, saying it was "a good way forward" for Asean in dealing with the
issue.

"So I think Syed Hamid is right. We should look at the other urgent issues
that are on the table. But we will see how it goes because the other Asean
foreign ministers will offer their views, and not to forget the Myanmar
foreign minister will also be here.

"So we can hear him and see what he will say and we will take it from
there," he said.

At the launch of the AMM International Media Centre at the Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre (KLCC) yesterday, Syed Hamid said Asean was not slighted
by Myanmar's move to seek the UN's involvement in negotiating the various
issues pertaining to efforts to push for democracy and the release of
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Asked if the attendance of United States' Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice at the ARF meeting would prompt the holding of the six-party talks on
dismantling North Korea's nuclear programme on the sidelines of that
meeting, Ong said he was unsure what would happen but was hopeful that the
countries involved would take the opportunity the AMM has created to
revive the talks.

"ARF is the only forum of this kind in this part of the world and we
engage the participation of the United States and the European Union, thus
it is hoped that the opportunity and venue created will allow the United
States and North Korea to talk.

"If we can get that kind of result it would be good for our meeting here
in KL, " he said.

The six-party talks, which involve China, South Korea, North Korea, the
United States, Russia and Japan, are a series of meetings aimed at finding
a peaceful resolution to the security concerns raised by North Korea's
nuclear weapons programme.

Asked whether the ARF would come up with a separate statement on the North
Korean missile issue, Ong said "it would be good but we need to take into
account the views of both North Korea and South Korea".

____________________________________

July 24, Agence France Presse
Myanmar 'sensitivities' raised as ASEAN weakens statement

Myanmar's "sensitivities" must be taken into account in an ASEAN
communique, Malaysia said Monday as an official said that criticism of the
regime would be watered down at ministerial talks here.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had been expected to
issue a strongly worded statement on Myanmar at the end of its foreign
ministers' meeting here Tuesday.

But an Indonesian senior official said that some members had succeeded in
a campaign for the statement to be toned down.

A mid-July draft of the communique obtained by AFP included a call for the
release of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition
figures in detention.

It also expressed "disappointment" that Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed
Hamid Albar was not permitted to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi when he
travelled to Yangon in March as ASEAN's envoy.

Indonesian senior foreign ministry official Imron Cotan said the latest
draft no longer contained the name of Aung San Suu Kyi but referred only
to the immediate release of those who are in detention.

"The earlier drafts were prepared by Malaysia. It has not been a
negotiated as yet. This is a negotiated text," Cotan told reporters,
noting that previous joint communiques in the past three years had not
mentioned Aung San Suu Kyi by name.

The tone of the ASEAN statement "is a kind of continuation of our concern
for those detained, and that includes Aung San Suu Kyi as well," he said.

Asked whether the communique had been watered down, Syed Hamid said that
the foreign ministers would have to make a decision on the final version.

"We are trying to accommodate so that it will reflect ASEAN's views. At
the same time we take into account the sensitivity of Myanmar," he told
reporters.

ASEAN's democracies including Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines have
led the region's criticisms of Myanmar but other members like Cambodia,
Laos and Vietnam have been virtually silent.

ASEAN secretary general Ong Keng Yong said earlier Monday that the bloc's
foreign ministers would decide this week whether to abandon their campaign
for democratic reforms in Myanmar and ask the United Nations to take over
the job.

Ong signalled the grouping's frustration over being constantly
overshadowed by its reclusive member, saying that the Myanmar issue was
proving too much of a burden.

"In the first place it is not an ASEAN problem to the extent that all
other ASEAN agenda items are neglected," he said.

"We have 95 percent of other issues to deal with but the rest of you are
not interested in the 95 percent of what we are doing."

____________________________________
REGIONAL

July 22, United News of Bangledesh
Burmese Shwe Gas Movement urges IOCs not to work with military janta

Shwe Gas Movement (SGM), a Burmese organisation, today (Saturday) urged
the international oil and gas companies not to work with the military
regime in Myanmar.

"We urge all the IOCs to refrain from dealing with the present regime
until a democratic government is established in Burma," said Soe Lunn, the
head of the Bangladesh chapter of the Shwe Gas Movement, while addressing
a press conference here at Jatiya Press Club.

Some expatriate Burmese nationals living in Bangladesh are members of SGM
Bangladesh chapter while the organisation has wings in Thailand and India.
The military regime does not allow the SGM to operate in Myanmar. The SGM
leaders at the press conference alleged that the present military regime
in Myanmar is smuggling out the country's gas resources in the name export
to neighbouring countries like China, Thailand and India.

The military government earns between US$ 580-824 million per annum from
the gas export and this fund, SGM alleged, is being spent for the
development of military while people in Burma are living in a very poor
condition.

"Most of the people in Burma are very poor and they don't get any access
to gas or electricity although the country has huge natural resources,"
said Soe Lunn.

"We have got the largest gas reserve in South Asia which is worth US$
12-17 billion," he said adding, natural gas is locally called "shwe" which
means gold.

He claimed the military regime in Myanmar wants to perpetrate its rule and
that is why they are spending money for the development of the military.

They do not spend necessary funds for the improvement of education, health
or other essential sectors, he added.

Professor CR Abrar of Dhaka University and some Bangladeshis of Rakhaine
community were also resent at the press conference.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

July 24, Asian Wall Street Journal
It Is Not Possible To Defend Myanmar – Syed Hamid Albar

As host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Ministerial
Meeting and the Asean Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur this week, Malaysia
finds itself in the delicate role of having to balance diplomacy with
principles and urgency, especially on the question of economic and
political reforms in Myanmar.

Asean has reached the stage where it is not possible to defend Myanmar if
it does not cooperate with us or help itself by delivering tangible
progress on economic and political reforms. An Asean "hands-off" approach
could potentially open the door to greater pressure and criticism of
Myanmar. Individual Asean members may cooperate actively with other
international players to exert more pressure on Myanmar. Myanmar has only
itself to blame -- its indifferent attitude to Asean has driven us to this
point.

Nine years after joining Asean, Myanmar's military is still in charge.

In the past, I have impressed upon the Myanmar leadership the importance
of cooperating with Asean. I have stressed that we were their best hope
before international impatience led to punitive actions. Unfortunately
Myanmar appears to be deliberate in its disregard of our goodwill and
concern.

Since Myanmar became a member in 1997, Asean has sought to promote
democratic changes there. At the same time, we stood together with Myanmar
to endure international criticism because we were assured that a
"step-by-step" transition process was in place.

That assurance ceased when the Myanmar government failed to convince not
only Asean, but also the international community, that their roadmap to
political and economic reforms was on track.

There is genuine concern among the majority of Asean members that Myanmar
is putting into question Asean's credibility and image. Even in our
interactions at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or Asia-Europe Summits,
it is always tricky to search for a special formula to include Myanmar in
the meeting. There is also a general feeling amongst Asean members that
the maximum benefits to be gained through Asean's cooperation with some of
its dialogue partners is being held hostage by Myanmar.

Despite these problems and complications, Asean didn't give up hope on
Myanmar. Last December, the 11th Asean Summit mandated me to visit
Myanmar. The visit in March did not meet my expectations or that of Asean.
Asean was placed in the untenable position of facing increasing pressure
and criticism, even as we tried to support an uncooperative member.

Myanmar is seen to have failed to prove to Asean or the international
community that it is serious and committed to national reconciliation and
democratization. While we appreciate their own internal dynamics they have
to deal with, they could have easily accommodated the request from Asean
by releasing political detainees, including Aung San Suu Kyi. The National
League for Democracy (NLD) continues to command a substantial amount of
support from the people of Myanmar, though this is denied by the military
government.

It would be good for them to engage and talk with all political segments
of the society. Any moves to down play the influence of the NLD or prolong
the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi are all impediments and obstacles to
Myanmar's credibility in terms of its democratic reforms.

While Asean remains committed to continue its engagement with Myanmar, we
are also aware of -- and sensitive to -- international pressure. The move
to include Myanmar in the agenda of the United Nations Security Council
has been publicly supported by the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar
Caucus (AIPMC). The AIPMC's unflagging campaign has had an impact, making
it difficult for Asean governments to ignore the views of their
democratically elected legislators. We cannot deny the importance and
relevance of these voices in Asean's decision-making process on Myanmar.

We realize we cannot work alone when it comes to spurring democratic
reforms in Myanmar. Other Asean neighbors, such as on China and India, can
play their role in persuading Myanmar towards democratic reforms. Both
countries are in a good position to influence Myanmar, politically and
economically.

Reforms and national reconciliation in Myanmar will benefit all of us --
Asean, India and China. Achievement of reforms in Myanmar will render it a
more effective economic partner that will, in turn, help fulfill the
natural potential of Myanmar to be a regional asset, not a liability.

Mr. Syed Hamid is foreign minister of Malaysia.

____________________________________

July 24, Asian Wall Street Journal
Burma's Blues

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations isn't known for getting tough. 
The group of 10 is so unfailingly polite that is has quietly endured the
Burmese dictatorship within its ranks for almost a decade.  Finally, this
farce may be drawing to a close.  A weekend statement issued by an Asean
caucus on Burma signals a tough new direction.

The statement, issued Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, uses words like "sham"
"illegitimate" and "misrule" to characterize the authoritarian regime that
runs the country.  "In its nine years of Asean membership,  Myanmar has
consistently been problematic for and an embarrassment to its neighbors ,"
it says, using another name for the country.

Were it not for Malaysia, Burma would never have gained entrance into
Asean in 1997. At that time, then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
lauding a "unanimous" vote of approval, implied that by including Burma in
the regional club, Asean could wield more influence. Since then th economy
has collapsed and democratic leaders such as Nobel laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi remain under house arrest.

Now another Malaysian Foreign Minister is taking the lead in rethinking
Asean's approach to Burma. In an article on a nearby page, Syed Hamid
Albar writes that "Asean has reached the stage where it is not possible to
defend Myanmar if it does not cooperate with us or help itself by
delivering tangible progress on economic and political reforms."

The Foreign Minister doesn't specify what sanctions he recommends, but
we'd hope that at this week's summit in Kuala Lumpur, Asean foreign
ministers will agree to join the U.S. in supporting a referral of Burma to
the United Nations Security Council.  Better yet would be for Asean to
eject Burma from its ranks until it makes demonstrable progress toward
reforming its economy and opening up its political system.

____________________________________

July 24, Irrawaddy
Asean statements may be Just Hot Air on Burma

Asean is fed up with Burma’s military leaders, feeling thoroughly let down
by the rulers of its most recalcitrant member state. As Asean foreign
ministers gather for the start of a ministerial conference on Thursday,
some of them have been unusually outspoken in their remarks about the
regime.

With Western counterparts attending follow-up meetings, Asean ministers
particularly from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are
expected to be critical of Burma’s snail’s pace movement towards
democracy.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could be expected to sharpen such
criticism, but she may have to miss the session because she is currently
mired in more urgent Middle East diplomacy.

Some editorials in regional papers have even predicted more coordinated
pressure and consensus among Asean members to try to put pressure on the
Burmese regime to move towards political reform.

A weekly commentary written by Thai regional analyst Kavi Chongkittavorn
in the The Nation said: “The outcome of the Kuala Lumpur meeting this week
will impact on the discussion on Burma's future when Asean leaders
converge in Cebu for the 12th summit in November. Despite ongoing
political crisis, the Philippines would like to see continuing
democratization among its members, especially Burma. After years of
lacklustre performance, President Gloria Arroyo, as the summit's host,
would like to assert her leadership in Asean as well.”

He pointed out that last week, Asean legislators also signalled their
strong support and urged the Philippines to take the lead in exploring and
advocating effective measures to spur democratic transition in Burma.

The Philippines has been one of the toughest critics of Burma’s
intransigence, and Manila could well produce a special document to ensure
that Burma's future stalling will not be tolerated and will be punished,
Kavi wrote. It would coincide with the completion of the Eminent Persons
Group's recommendations on the drafting of the Asean charter.

Sign of encouragement? Perhaps.

But remarks and informal statements from some Asean countries are not
enough. Aside from empty words they send contradictory and wrong messages
to the international community and Burmese people.

On Monday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, the current
chairman of the group, wrote in an opinion piece in the Asian Wall Street
Journal that Asean cannot keep defending Burma.

He wrote, “Asean has reached the stage where it is not possible to defend
Myanmar [Burma] if it does not cooperate with us or help itself by
delivering tangible progress on economic and political reforms.”

But some member nations believe that Asean cannot expel Burma. Thai
officials, for instance, have said that Asean will still engage Burma,
under its “constructive engagement” policy.

Singapore has also been particularly critical of the Burmese regime,
despite the island-state’s strong business relations with the country.

When Burmese leaders abruptly began to move the capital to central Burma
in 2005, Singapore’s foreign ministry issued a statement criticizing the
regime.

Singapore had just finished building a brand new embassy in Rangoon, and
was perhaps understandably upset and outspoken. But it seemed to be more
concerned that it had not been told earlier about the capital’s move, than
any worries about human rights abuses.

Indeed, some Asean countries may posture about Burma for the benefit of
the foreign media and Western partners, without yet laying down effective
mechanism to make the Burmese regime listen to its neighbors and act.

Some of Asean’s many international critics over its ineffectiveness may
suspect that any critical remarks made about Burma are not totally
sincere, but just to appease domestic opposition, as well as to try to
show the West the grouping is actually doing something.

The trouble is while Asean countries may want to keep on engaging Burma,
the Rangoon generals do not seem to care.

When Syed Hamid was in Burma last March, he was not allowed to meet
detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Top leaders did not meet him
either. The Malaysian minister, in his own words, “was treated shabbily.”

The regime leaders know full well that at the end of the day, Asean won’t
kick Burma out, and that pressure only builds before the grouping’s big
meetings. In other words, they may regard it as so much hot air, and that
business will continue as usual after it dies down.

The generals have also been less interactive in Asean since the departure
in October 2004 of former prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt, regarded as one
of the more externally acceptable faces of the regime. Rangoon might feel
it does not now need Asean so much, and can fall back on its solid backing
from China.

In any case, Asean countries which have taken a softer line towards
Burma—Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand—may disagree with any strong
wording on Burma in a final statement after the annual meeting.

That leaves the possible scenario of Asean and Western ministers simply
making strong individual statements about Burma before boarding their
planes home. And Asean would be left with its “constructive engagement:
intact, and no big stick in sight.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

July 22, ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Caucus
Statement of the AIPMC international conference on Burma and democracies
in transition

We, participants of the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Caucus (AIPMC)
Conference on Burma and Democracies in Transition, comprising legislators
from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand,
joined by like-minded colleagues from Australia, New Zealand and India,
met in Kuala Lumpur on 21-22 July, 2006. All participants remain deeply
concerned about the ongoing stability, security and development of our
wider ASEAN regional community. We declare that:

In its nine years of ASEAN membership, Myanmar has consistently been
problematic for and an embarrassment to its neighbors. Myanmar’s so-called
roadmap to democracy has been exposed as a sham: the 13-year old national
convention to draft a new constitution is illegitimate and
unrepresentative, elected political leaders remain imprisoned, and the
humanitarian crisis has escalated.

Since ASEAN made the decision to admit Myanmar, ASEAN must accept that it
bears primary responsibility for finding a political solution to the
problem. We reiterate our grave concern and condemnation, as expressed in
the AIPMC statement of 8 May, over the ongoing military violence against
ethnic Karen civilians that has led to the displacement of 18,000 more
people in 6 months. We call on ASEAN governments to protect and shelter
those displaced by the Myanmar military’s atrocities.

With the support of civil society, AIPMC has led the way for a paradigm
shift in ASEAN thinking that forced the regime to make concessions, as
witnessed by their relinquishing the chairmanship last year. We welcome
this shift and will work to sustain it.

Despite the Myanmar regime’s apparent withdrawal from cooperation with
ASEAN, the current economic, political and humanitarian crises in Myanmar
that continue to threaten regional security obligate ASEAN to step up its
efforts for a political solution. We urge ASEAN members and their dialogue
partners meeting at next week’s Ministerial Meeting and Regional Forum to
think beyond the polarizing extremes of unconditional engagement on the
one hand and abandonment on the other. This includes developing concrete
measures to address the problem of Myanmar, such as re-activating the
ASEAN troika mechanism.

ASEAN members, individually and as a bloc, must be prepared to explore
innovative options that utilize both pressure and persuasion in
coordination with the rest of the international community.

International developments, including moves to bring Myanmar before the UN
Security Council, present new opportunities for ASEAN members to join the
AIPMC in pushing for change. The Philippines, the oldest democracy in
ASEAN and the forthcoming ASEAN chair, has already supported the Security
Council initiative and should exercise its influence to advocate for other
members to do the same. The Philippines should provide leadership to
explore and advocate for other effective measures to spur democratic
transition in Myanmar in addition to the UNSC mechanism. It is time that
ASEAN members publicly acknowledged the myriad of security impacts
resulting from the Myanmar regime’s misrule.

We firmly believe that transition is inevitable in Myanmar. ASEAN has a
role to support the ongoing efforts of elected Members of Parliament and
activists  refugees, exiles and those in the country  to develop capacity
to sustain democratic transition in Myanmar. Myanmar asylum-seekers and
migrants who are now present in almost all ASEAN states should be given
the freedom to improve their understanding and practice of democratic
principles and processes.

We also call on ASEAN to instruct its Secretary General to closely monitor
and regularly report on developments concerning Myanmar. Such reports
should aid ASEAN to craft pro-active measures on Myanmar, including
concerted engagement with China and India on the issue.

The AIPMC once again calls on the military government in Myanmar to
cooperate with ASEAN and the international community to bring about
changes and democratic reforms in the country through political dialogue
with the NLD and ethnic leaders; the unconditional release of all
political prisoners in Myanmar, including elected MPs, ethnic leaders and
NLD leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi; and a complete cessation of
hostilities against ethnic groups.

The AIPMC is committed to the following activities in the coming months:
•       Stepping up our campaign to include Myanmar on the UNSC agenda,
including the passage of resolutions within our respective Parliaments on
the issue.
•       Working with our partners from Asia and the Pacific to engage
China and India actively on reforms in Myanmar.
•       Coordinating interventions at international and regional
conferences including the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation and
various UN bodies.
•       Issuing ongoing statements on the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar
and specific threats posed by Myanmar to regional human security.
•       Pursuing the suspension of Myanmar’s membership in ASEAN for
failing to fulfill both its obligations to the region and its promises for
reform.
•       Strengthening and sustaining regional dialogue and solidarity
among MPs and civil society organizations of the region to cultivate an
environment of peace, human security and cooperation.

____________________________________

July 24, Altsean-Burma regional team
Statement of the Altsean-Burma regional team meeting to the Asean
ministerial meeting & Asean regional forum Kuala Lumpur, 24 July, 2006

We, representatives of civil society organizations from ASEAN and its
dialogue partners, welcome the statement of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary
Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) and add our voices to the call for democracy in
Burma, the unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all prisoners
of conscience, a complete cessation of hostilities against ethnic groups,
and the commencement of political dialogue based on the principles of
democracy and human rights.

We urge ASEAN governments to publicly acknowledge the myriad of security
impacts resulting from the misrule perpetrated by the Burma regime known
as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Recent developments
inside Burma highlight the serious threat that the military regime poses
to all of us in the region including, the regime's -

* refusal to pursue a process of reconciliation with opposition groups or
with non-Burman ethnic nationalities, which has increased the numbers of
displaced persons and asylum-seekers from Burma.

* severe mismanagement of the economy; which has led to hyperinflation and
worsened the humanitarian crisis and mass migration out of Burma into the
region.

* perpetuation of human insecurity which also undermines the economic
security of neighboring countries, including the use of forced labour and
environmentally disastrous practices.

* complicity in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, making
Burma the region's largest producer of amphetamine type stimulants (ATS),
the fastest growing drug problem in the region and the world.

* policies and practices which have rendered Burma the region's number one
exporter of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, filariasis, malaria and
tuberculosis. The SPDC's lack of capacity and political will to respond to
health crises, including outbreaks of bird flu, is of grave concern.

* atrocities and persecution of civilians which has made Burma the top
regional producer of internally displaced persons, with more than 500,000
internally displaced in Eastern Burma alone. Another 700,000 people fled
the country in recent years, placing a huge burden of care on neighboring
Thailand, Malaysia, China, India and Bangladesh.

* widespread human rights violations including forced labor, arbitrary
detention, torture and rape, with the junta deliberately singling out
particular ethnic nationalities for disproportionate treatment. The
current offensive against ethnic Karen and the ongoing persecution of the
Rohingya community are of particular concern.

* recruitment of more child soldiers than anywhere else in the world.

The regime is already in breach of UNSC resolution 1674 on the protection
of civilians in armed conflicts, resolution 1325 on women, peace and
security, and resolution 1261 on the use of children as soldiers.

ASEAN members must be prepared to explore new options to pressure the
regime in cooperation with regional and international mechanisms
available.
If ASEAN cannot reach a consensus on this matter, we urge individual
governments and MPs to publicly support a binding UN Security Council
resolution on Burma to hasten democratic reforms. Further, we call on
ASEAN governments to "think outside the box" and directly support the work
of ASEAN-based human rights organizations and other groupings such as the
AIPMC in this context.

We believe that that democracy is inevitable in Burma and the SPDC's days
are numbered. It is facing disintegration from mass desertions from the
lower ranks of soldiers, policy inertia, severe loss of morale due to
international pressure and the spiraling economic crisis. We call on ASEAN
and the international community to withhold from the regime any economic
and political support that will prolong its misrule and oppression.

Media contacts & cellphone numbers:
Gus Miclat +63 9209124309
Debbie Stothard +661 686 1652 <Debbie at altsean.org>
Egoy Bans + 63 919 598 3183
Chalida Tajaroensuk + 661 808 5622
Myint Maung  +8180 1126 350
Echo Lin + 886 935 292 293
Khin Ohmar + 661 839 9816