BurmaNet News, September 26, 2006

[Editor]

September 26, 2006 Issue # 3053


INSIDE BURMA
Mizzima: NLD vows to continue movement for democracy

ON THE BORDER
Indo-Asian News Service: 15 Indians arrested for crossing Myanmar border
Mizzima: Thailand re-opens border, Burma keeps it mostly closed

REGIONAL
AP: Vietnam can help persuade North Korea, Myanmar to join chemical
weapons pact: watchdog
Xinhua: Chinese NPC vice-chairwoman meets Myanmar guests

INTERNATIONAL
Japan Economic Newswire: U.N. Security Council to discuss Myanmar on Friday
Mizzima News: NCGUB and NCUB's strategic meet in US
SHAN: Kengtung's daughter becomes UN chief for China

OPINION / OTHER
tompaine.com: Big oil trumps freedom - Marco Simons

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

September 26, Mizzima News
NLD vows to continue movement for democracy – Ngunte

Burma's main opposition party the National League for Democracy has vowed
to continue its struggle for democracy despite unabated repression by the
military junta, according to an official.

"I am pleased that we are still surviving though we have been facing
oppression because we are fighting for democracy in Burma. We will carry
on the struggle by uniting all state and divisional level members. We
can't tell you now what we are going to do in the future. We have done
what we had to do in the past 18 years and we will continue to do so in
the future." said Nyan Win, a spokesperson of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's
party.

Tomorrow will mark 18 years of the vote winning party's foundation day.

According to Nyan Win, NLD has as usual invited diplomats, veteran
politicians, 88 generation students, observers and delegates from its
branches from the states and divisions of Burma.

Sources told Mizzima that the NLD's anniversary this time would be akin to
a general conference.

"We didn't instruct them (participants) about the issues to be presented,"
said Nyan Win.

"They may talk about the difficulties in their states and divisions. They
are free to choose the topics." he added.

The junta's mouth-piece, The New Light of Myanmar has been attacking the
NLD and the opposition in general in commentary pieces and reports
regarding resignations of NLD members over the past few months.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections with more
than 82 percent seats in parliament.

"Everyone is waiting for the NLD but in the end nothing will happen," one
analyst told Mizzima on condition of anonymity.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

September 26, Indo-Asian News Service
15 Indians arrested for crossing Myanmar border

New Delhi: Myanmar authorities have arrested 15 Indians for crossing the
India-Myanmar border illegally while on their way to Yangon, a media
report said.

A joint team of army, police and immigration officials posted in Khampat
town, 39 km southeast of the border town of Tamu, arrested the Indians who
identified themselves as residents of Silchar town in Assam.

Immigration officials in Tamu said documents written in Arabic were found
in the possession of the arrested Indians.

Mizzima News quoted Myanmarese officials as saying that the case has been
forwarded to higher authorities and rejected the request of Indian
officials to release the detainees.

The Indians were reported to have been taken to Kalaymyo town, about 90 km
southeast of Tamu.

____________________________________

September 25, Mizzima News
Thailand re-opens border, Burma keeps it mostly closed - Mungpi

Border trade has returned to normal at most of the Thai-Burmese border
points but traders on the Maesot-Myawaddy border continue to be harassed
since Burmese authorities have only partially reopened the border.

The Burmese authorities have only re-opened the friendly bridge between
Maesot and Myawaddy, but other check gates including the river gates,
mainly used for carrying goods and commodities, remain closed, said a
Burmese volunteer close to the trading circle in Maesot.

"People can pass through the friendly bridge but goods and commodities are
taxed and all other routes are closed," said Aung Din.

Following the military coup in Thailand on Tuesday, the country closed all
its border points with Burma for five days and re-opened it on Sunday.

Burmese authorities were enraged by Thailand's sudden closure of the
border points without prior notice and hence are deliberately continuing
to keep its border closed, said Aung Din.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that trade has resumed in Tachilek-Maesai and
Kawhthaung-Ranong on the Thai-Burmese border points with the re-opening of
the border passes on Sunday.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

September 26, Associated Press
Vietnam can help persuade North Korea, Myanmar to join chemical weapons
pact: watchdog

Hanoi: The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog said
Tuesday that Vietnam can play an important role in persuading North Korea
and Myanmar to join the organization.

"We believe Vietnam is in a position to exercise positive influence on
some of the countries in this region which are still not members ...
namely Myanmar and of course North Korea," Rogelio Pfirter, director
general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, told
reporters.

Pfirter said there are only 14 countries which are not members of the
180-member organization based in The Hague, the Netherlands.

"I hope that governments in Southeast Asia and in the rest of the
continent will realize that it's in their interest that everyone should
join," he said.

Vietnam and North Korea are among few remaining communist countries in the
world.

Pfirter, who was on a two-day visit, praised Vietnam, one of the first
countries to sign the convention, for its commitments to fully abide by
the organization's obligations.

"Nonproliferation is particularly relevant these days, because of the
danger that not just governments, but also terrorist groups might make use
of chemical agents," he said.

Pfirter met Tuesday with Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, held talks
with officials from the ministries of defense and industry, and was
scheduled to address students at the Institute of International Relations
before departing Wednesday.

____________________________________

September 26, Xinhua Economic News Service
Chinese NPC vice-chairwoman meets Myanmar guests

Beijing: He Luli, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese
National People's Congress (NPC), met here on Sept.25 with a delegation of
the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) of Myanmar.

The delegation, led by Thura U Aung Ko, member of the central executive
committee of the USDA and vice minister of religious affairs of Myanmar,
arrived here on Sept. 20 for an eight-day visit to  China as guest of
Chinese Association for International Understanding  (CAFIU).

He Luli, also, chairwoman of the Chinese People's Association for   Peace
and Disarmament, said she supports the exchanges and cooperation between
the CAFIU and USDA, which has been served as an    important channel for
the people of the two countries, especially young people, to promote
understanding and friendship.

"We have the responsibility to develop the traditional friendship forged
by our former leaders," she said.

The delegation will visit Beijing and Kunming and Lijiang in southwest
China's Yunnan Province and Wenzhou in east Zhejiang Province.

The USDA was established in September 1993 and has 21 million members. The
association has been actively engaging itself in Myanmar's political,
economic and social affairs.

In recent years, the USDA has forged friendly relationship with the
Association for International Understanding of China and the All-  China
Youth Federation.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

September 26, Japan Economic Newswire
U.N. Security Council to discuss Myanmar on Friday

New York: The U.N. Security Council will discuss the situation in Myanmar
on Friday, the first consultation since the council voted to put Myanmar
on its agenda on Sept. 15, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John
Bolton told reporters Tuesday.

On Friday, Ibrahim Gambari, U.N. undersecretary general for political
affairs, will report on the latest situation in Myanmar at the 15-member
council, Bolton said.

Gambari visited Myanmar in May and tried in vain to persuade the military
junta to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held
under house arrest since May 2003.

Suu Kyi, a 61-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the leader of the
opposition National League for Democracy, has spent 10 of the last 17
years in confinement.

The NLD won the 1990 general election by a landslide but was blocked by
the military junta from taking power.

The United States wants to see the Security Council approve a resolution
condemning Myanmar, and is expected to determine what to do after
examining the report from Gambari and his fresh visit to Myanmar scheduled
for this fall.

____________________________________

September 25, Mizzima News
NCGUB and NCUB's strategic meet in US

Leaders of Burmese governments in exile held a meeting in the United
States to discuss strategy.

The delegation led by the Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win of the National
Coalition Government of the Union of Burma had a joint meeting with the
delegation of the National Council of the Union of Burma led by general
secretary Maung Maung at NCGUB's Rockville office in Maryland last Friday.

The chairman of the National League for Democracy (Liberated Area) also
participated in the meeting and Dr. Thaung Tun, the NCGUB's representative
in the UN joined the meeting over telephone.

Mizzima has learnt that Nyo Ohn Myint, a member of NLD( LA) and NCUB
foreign affairs committee member and a points man for the opposition who
is handling relations with China along with Peter Lin Bin, MP and former
Foreign Minister of NCGUB and current Vice Chairman of MPU, will be
helping in the efforts at the UNSC in addition to Dr Thaung Tun, NCGUB
representative in the UN.

The two men will be residing in NYC temporarily and will be assisted by
Burma Point members for local help.

Mizzima has also learnt that the team is studying all possibilities and
approaches and not relying only on traditional approaches for finding
creative ways to achieve the set goals.

NCUB's general secretary Maung Maung is known to be open minded and more
open to include views and opinions from Burmese intellectuals and coming
together in a united approach to win the battle for the Burmese people.

Some are speculating that it is a positive start despite NCGUB having been
recently under fire from both pro-democracy activists and the military
junta.

Acceptance of the Burma issue in the UN agenda had been the dream and goal
of many Burmese activists and political leaders, and there has been
considerable excitement among Burmese communities overseas, after UNSC
members voted to accept by the request of John Bolton, US ambassador to
the United Nations.

Some are worried that the same old Burmese operatives handling the UN
issues may mishandle it again. It seems some Burmese opposition leaders
have learnt some hard lessons after struggling to take the Burma issue to
the United Nations Security Council for nearly 18 years.

_____________________________________

September 25, Shan Herald Agency for News
Kengtung's daughter becomes UN chief for China - Chai Sayam

The appointment of Dr Yin Yin Nwe, daughter of Sao Saimong Mangrai, a
scion of the princely Kengtung House, as Country Director for China has
been approved by Beijing, according to her family circle in Rangoon.

Yin Yin Nwe, who is currently serving as chief of Tsunami Support at
Unicef, will be taking up her new duties before the end of the year, said
a proud relative. "She will report directly to either the Secretary
General or one of his assistant secretary generals," he added.

Dr Yin Yin Nwe's father, who was chief of Shan State Education Department
during the post Independence years, is highly regarded among Shans as the
first serious campaigner to promote Shan literacy. His Shan readers are
still widely used by today's literacy crusaders. He was also the author of
the high-acclaimed "Shan States and the British Annexation".

Her mother, Daw Mi Mi Khaing, was also known for her several literary works.

Yin Yin Nwe, a gemologist by training, was married for a time to Hpyo Ne
Win, son of the late dictator Gen Ne Win, and has a son, who is an
engineer in the United States.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

September 26, tompaine.com
Big oil trumps freedom - Marco Simons

Marco Simons is the U.S. Legal Director for EarthRights International,
which represented the plaintiffs in Doe v. Unocal Corp. and is currently
representing villagers suing Chevron for human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Recent media reports have suggested that Western oil and gas companies are
increasingly looking to investment in Burma, also known as Myanmar, which
has languished under a brutal military dictatorship for nearly two
decades. The Bush administration’s attitude toward U.S. oil companies in
Burma is, sadly, emblematic of its general policy of valuing petroleum
over human rights and democracy. Whatever efforts Bush has made to promote
human rights stop at the well, the pipeline, and the pump.

It’s no secret that the Bush administration is far from a standard-bearer
for human rights. But if there’s one place in which Bush has been a
consistent, strong advocate for human rights and democracy, it would be in
Burma. Under President George W. Bush, the U.S. government has
reauthorized the prohibition on new investment in Burma by U.S. companies,
enacted a ban on imports, and frozen the assets of Burma’s military
leaders. The U.S. has also been a driving force behind recent efforts to
bring the situation in Burma to the attention of the U.N. Security
Council. By any measure, Bush has been at least as committed to human
rights and democracy in Burma as his predecessors.

Even in Burma, however, Bush’s support for human rights yields to his
fondness for the oil and gas industry. Burma has large natural gas
reserves, and multinational oil corporations want to cash in. Chevron
Corporation is currently the largest U.S. investor in Burma, with a
partnership stake in the multi-billion-dollar Yadana gas pipeline project.
The Yadana project was originally developed by Unocal, another American
oil company, which was acquired by Chevron last year. (Although new
investment in Burma is prohibited, the pipeline is grandfathered in under
an exception, pushed by Unocal, for preexisting projects.)

The Yadana pipeline has been repeatedly condemned by human rights and
environmental advocates as one of the most destructive “development”
projects in the world. The Burmese military government is a direct partner
in the project, and Burmese soldiers providing security and other services
to the pipeline project have conscripted villagers for forced labor on a
vast scale, as well as committing murder, rape and torture. These abuses
have been widely acknowledged; before Bush took office, the U.S.
Department of Labor concluded that “refugee accounts of forced labor” on
the project “appear to be credible.”

The Bush administration has close ties to Chevron. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was a member of the Chevron Board of Directors for 10
years before Bush was elected, and even had a Chevron oil tanker named for
her until it was quietly renamed after Bush took office. And Halliburton,
the oilfield services giant formerly headed by Vice President Dick Cheney,
has numerous ties to Chevron, signing several multimillion-dollar
contracts during Cheney’s tenure. And yet there is no evidence that the
Bush administration has used its connections to convince Chevron to divest
its Burmese holdings, despite the evidence of abuses committed on the
Yadana project and Bush’s public position on promoting human rights and
democracy.

Indeed, even before Chevron acquired Unocal and the Yadana project, Bush’s
government actively took steps to thwart accountability for the Yadana
project. When refugees who had suffered rape, torture, enslavement, and
murder at the hands of soldiers protecting the Yadana pipeline sued Unocal
in U.S. court, the Bush administration intervened to try to convince the
courts that the lawsuit should not proceed. The administration essentially
argued that, even if the case would not actually interfere with U.S.
relations with Burma, holding Unocal liable would create a precedent that
could conflict with U.S. foreign policy in other parts of the world. (The
lawsuit, Doe v. Unocal Corp., was ultimately resolved before the courts
considered the administration's position, with Unocal compensating the
victims in a historic settlement—see
http://www.earthrights.org/legal/unocal/.)

If the Bush administration opposes accountability for human rights
violations committed by the oil and gas industry in a pariah state such as
Burma, the situation is even worse when oil companies commit abuses in
countries friendly to the United States. In the troubled Indonesian region
of Aceh, security forces hired by ExxonMobil have committed rape, murder
and torture against local villagers. When the victims filed suit in
federal court against the oil giant for compensation, the Bush
administration sent a letter to the court stating that the case could
cause a “serious adverse impact” on “the ongoing struggle against
international terrorism.” The judge subsequently dismissed parts of the
case.

In Colombia, Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum has employed military
contractors to protect its pipeline from suspected attacks by insurgents.
When Occidental's contractors directed the Colombian military in a
misguided air raid on the village of Santo Domingo, killing three
civilians, their relatives sued the oil company in federal court in
California. As in the case against ExxonMobil, the Bush administration
argued that the case could have “negative consequences for our bilateral
relationship” with Colombia, which it called a “partner in the vital
struggles against terrorism and narcotics trafficking.” Relying on the
administration’s position, the federal court dismissed the case.

In the Occidental lawsuit, the Bush administration went a step further
than it had before, and turned its favoritism for oil production over
human rights into an actual pronouncement of policy. Adjudicating whether
an oil company committed human rights abuses, the administration argued,
could deter other oil companies from getting involved in unstable regions
such as Colombia, and “reduced U.S. investment in Colombia’s oil industry
may detract from the vital U.S. policy goal of expanding and diversifying
our sources of imported oil.” In other words, oil production is, in and of
itself, such an important “policy goal” that it trumps human rights.

This is the essence of the Bush administration’s diplomacy. Increasing oil
production is “vital,” while accountability for human rights violations is
inconvenient at best. When it comes to Bush’s foreign policy, oil remains
king.